Being in the right mindset when faced with obstacles gives you the power to overcome it. Having the right people around you is key to leading with positivity. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!

1. You don’t need to wait to become the perfect version of yourself to be happy.

Oftentimes, we prioritize reaching a goal so much so that we forget about our happiness in the whole equation. The focus centers on the weight we still have to lose or the definition we want to see, and we aren’t happy with ourselves until it happens. We close ourselves off to experiencing life and relationships around us so that we can finally get from point A to B—essentially, we equate our happiness with a goal. We spend so much time measuring ourselves up, punishing ourselves and feeling guilty for not being “perfect” when, in reality, you don’t have to wait to become this “perfect” version of yourself before you start loving yourself and truly enjoying your life. You’re allowed to be happy while you continue to evolve and improve. You don’t need a number on a scale, a number of reps, a number of miles or an amount of weight you can lift to feel validated.

Personally, I believe I’ll be the “perfect” version of myself when I am able to just enjoy exactly who I am in the present moment. This is the version of myself I am striving to become. Continue working toward your goal, but in the meantime, embrace, own, accept, love and just enjoy being who you are right now. There is only one of you and we have one life to live, so allow yourself to be happy!

2. No matter how far you still have to go, you’re allowed to celebrate how far you have come.

You’ve heard it before: “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.” When we focus too much on how far we have to go, we forget to realize how far we have come. We could be leaps and bounds further along in our journey than we were just a few months ago but not take the time to stop and celebrate all that we have achieved in the process.

We get this picture in our heads of exactly who we want to be, how we want to look and where we want to go. We work hard and we persevere every single day to get closer to becoming that picture in our head, but it’s not always about the end goal. There is so much to be proud of yourself for while you are on the way to where you are going. Take a moment right now. Look at yourself; look how far you have come. Remember that person who chose to start? You are that person. Be proud of that person. Celebrate that person.

Next time you get stuck thinking about how far you still have to go, challenge your perspective. Regardless of how far you are from the person you want to be and the place you want to go, you have come so far and that deserves recognition!

Don’t let the person you want to be stand in the way of celebrating the person you are now. Even though you may have more to go, your hard work is worth it, your hard work shows and your hard work has paid off!

3. You are your own kind of beautiful.

Stop comparing yourself to others. We are all guilty of this—I’ll be the first to admit that I do it too! Truth is, we were all born with different hair textures, eye colors, metabolisms and body frames, and every one of these things makes us beautifully unique. We are our own person. No one is just like you—how cool is that? You are you, and no one else can be you no matter how hard they try. We have to remember this when we find ourselves wishing we had what someone has or could do what someone else does. When we strive to be like someone else, it is a million more times difficult to be happy with who we were uniquely made to be.

If you take away anything from this blog post, I want you to know that who you are, every single part, is unbelievably beautiful. You are too pretty and too smart to act like you are not. You may look at yourself in the mirror and not think twice about the reflection you see, but what you aren’t seeing is the beauty others see in you. It’s time for you to look at yourself in a new way—we see it, now it’s your turn. Go ahead and tell yourself how beautiful you are! Do it today, and every day after that.

4. Who you are as a person is way more important than the way you look.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that no one is going to love you more for losing 20 pounds or having a six-pack. Those things are great goals, but the things that have a lasting impression are your character, values, actions, positivity, happiness, love and everything that’s inside you.

That five pounds you gained or lost weighs a lot less than the smile on your face and the passion in your heart. People around you don’t care about the number on your scale and probably don’t even think about it. So, stop torturing yourself and letting the way you look dictate your attitude. It’s more important to live a life that keeps you smiling and keeps others smiling than a life that keeps you obsessing over your weight. Remember what really matters.

5. You are strong, capable, beautiful, significant and more than enough.

You are! Stop telling yourself otherwise. Even when it feels like you aren’t, I hope there is at least a small part of you that believes you are. You may not be able to see it today, but others see it every day. Others see every ounce of greatness within you—more greatness than you will ever know. Never forget that.

If you know someone who needs to hear one of these reminders, share this post with them. If you’re more of a podcast person, you can download the podcast episode that goes along with this post and listen to it on those days when you need a pick-me-up.

Also, if you didn’t know, I have a cooking show called Morgan Makes It where I show you how cooking and eating healthy can be simple, quick and still so delicious. I release a new recipe every single Monday, which can be found on Burn Boot Camp’s YouTube channel. Go check it out if you are ready to start eating healthy and don’t know where to begin or if your diet is feeling stale and you are looking for new, fun and healthy ways to change it up!

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Haley Twist

At Burn, we know that your days spent balancing a family, work and other responsibilities, healthy eating, and exercise can feel overwhelming, crazy, and downright chaotic! You might even have such busy days that when your head finally hits that pillow at night, you’re out like a light.

However, sometimes all the craze has the opposite effect on your sleep and can lead to restless nights that leave you feeling exhausted before your day even begins. Your sleeping habits can have an enormous effect on your performance at camps, energy levels, and your overall wellness, so we’re bringing you ten tips to ensure that you’re well-rested, energized, and ready to take on every new day!

1. Stick to a sleep schedule. Try your best to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day, even on the weekends. (And stop pressing snooze!)

2. Avoid caffeine 4-6 hours before bed. Caffeine tends to hide in unexpected places, like teas and chocolate. These can interfere with your sleep cycle if consumed too closely to the time you go to bed!

3. Eat lighter meals in the evening, and similarly to your caffeine intake, avoid food 2-3 hours before you go to sleep.

If you find your mind racing about the day you’ve had, you may not have had enough time to process it.

4. Exercise consistently! Working out helps to promote restful sleep, so experiment with what time of the day works best for your exercise. Whether in the early morning or late evening, determine a time that fits your schedule and stick to it!

5. Unplug at least an hour before bed. Bright lights that illuminate from our laptops, tablets, and phones can have the opposite effect on our brains that we want before sleep.

6. Think about your day (and the day ahead) before getting into bed. If you find your mind racing about the day you’ve had, you may not have had enough time to process it. Take some time before bed to think about your day and make notes about what you need to do tomorrow—but don’t get into bed until you’re done!

7. Take deep breaths. Breathing can be just as important outside of camps as it is inside! Deep breathing mimics how your body feels when it’s truly relaxed, so try inhaling and exhaling deeply for a few rounds once in bed, and see if it helps to calm you.

Ensuring that your body has the proper fuel it needs to feel optimally healthy and energized is key to a healthy sleep cycle.

8. Get the essential vitamins and minerals you need every day. Ensuring that your body has the proper fuel it needs to feel optimally healthy and energized is key to a healthy sleep cycle. Try a supplement like Shaklee’s Vitalizer to make sure that you have the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and probiotics you need to feel your best. Talk to your Head Trainer at your local Burn to learn more about it.

9. Get some sunlight first thing in the morning. Bright lights help trigger your brain to stay alert and wide awake, so exposing yourself to some natural sunlight in the morning can help you to feel significantly more energized.

10. Boost energy in the morning by drinking lemon water upon waking. We swear by this trick Burn Nation, and our Founder, Devan Kline urges absolutely everyone to try it. Adding lemon slices to your water not only gives you a natural energy booster, especially when consumed first thing in the morning, but it also helps you build alkalinity, speed up your metabolism, and combat high body fat.

We were working around the yard one day in the summer heat and he looked right at me, wiping sweat from his brow and said “find what you love. Do that and you’ll never work a day in your life.”

IT CAME FROM NOWHERE!

To my young mind the concept sounded so simple and so pure. And the truth is that it is!!!! Although, just because it’s SIMPLE doesn’t make it EASY. That’s why so few of us pursue our purpose in life, or even get the opportunity to know ourselves on a fundamental level! The demands of life are many, so you must CREATE the space in your life to get to know yourself!

You see, I think we often UNDER value the importance of getting to KNOW ourselves; our wants, aspirations, goals and deepest desires in life. So many of us are busy running from task, to appointment, to meeting, to errands that we never really sit with ourselves and gather our thoughts long enough to take inventory. Instead we stomp on our dreams, and squash our desires and stuff our hopes where they never catch the light. My dad’s simple words of advice carried an impact far greater than either of us could’ve realized in that moment. I feel blessed to have received such guidance and direction early on in my life and it has lead me to this journey. For that I am forever grateful.

As we continue our MOST exciting challenge yet, Commit2Fit, I want you to steal 20 minutes of your own time and pursue the following exercise to get to KNOW YOURSELF better.

Put Your Goals on Paper

1. Go to a quiet or dark room
2. Play some relaxing music on your headphones or sit in silence (your choice here…)
3. Clear your mind and relax your shoulders (your mind will have thoughts that come and go, this is normal, just don’t react to anything you think about. If a worry comes to mind, tell yourself you’ll get to it in a few minutes! NOTHING is important right now!)
4. After 4 minutes (you can take a timer with you) break out a journal and a pen.
5. Write down your top 3 goals for the following time frames: one month, three months, and one year! They can be fitness related or not, it’s completely up to you!
6. Then ask yourself the MILLION dollar question What do YOU really want? List your values and priorities in order! Keep writing! You will be surprised at the number of things that are drawn out in this exercise. The clarity you find will provide you with massive strength to pursue your goals!

As your trainer and expert in everything fitness related I would NEVER ask you to do anything I cannot do or haven’t personally tried myself. I’ve done a variation of this exercise many times in my own life and it’s always AMAZED me at the amount of energy, focus, and clarity that this brings into my life! Knowing yourself is so powerful and grounding!

You see, it is often not a lack of sleep that fractures our energy, it is simply the amount of demands PLACED on our energy that dilute our true strength!

For more inspirational fitness information from the most ELITE group of trainers, sign up below!

Unsure what a fitness plateau is? A fitness plateau is when you’re doing all the right things – training regularly, eating healthy, drinking plenty of water etc, and yet you’re seeing the same results. Sound familiar?

Women who attend gyms that specialize in workouts like barre or cycling usually hit a stagnant point. After you consistently improve and reach your highest potential in one fitness category, your body eventually has no where to go! You’ve done all you can and you feel stuck. The challenge is missing. You’re performing the same movements every day, and while you’re heart is definitely staying healthy, physically you aren’t improving or seeing the results you desire.

Here’s why Burn is better… with Burn Boot Camp, a plateau won’t happen. Every day you’re going to complete a camp that is different than anything you’ve done in the past. Don’t dread the plateau – there’s only climbing the ladder at Burn! Although our protocol might say “leg day” like it did last week, don’t get the wrong idea. Each day at camp is one you’ve ever seen before. Our trainers work diligently to come up with exercises that target different muscle groups at different times every day, every week, every month and every year around the clock. Our Burn trainers will always cheer you on as they give you a heavier weight, make you do one more rep, and challenge you where they know you’re capable. We never let the fight fade away.

At Burn we understand that it’s necessary to keep your workout routine fresh and inventive! We want to help our clients avoid the plateau, and we simply acknowledge the fact that it doesn’t exist here.

So if you’re feeling stuck in fitness plateau, think again! Burn is here to help. Challenge yourself every day and set new goals to provide you with mental and physical motivation. We promise there is always room for improvement!

When you’re facing a problem it can seem very overwhelming. Challenges have a tendency to boggle our minds and send us into a tailspin the moment they hit our plate. They can easily turn a good day into a bad one, and derail all of our short and long term goals. Today we’re going to talk about my latest video How To Love Your Problems. This video teaches you how to tackle obstacles head on by asking yourself 5 simple questions. These questions will help you flip your problem into something that can teach you valuable lessons as you continue on your journey in life. Remember, as I always say, problems are simply unanswered questions! Let’s break it down…

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnae9j5c188[/embedyt]

What To Ask Yourself

What’s Great About This? How are you going to turn this so called “problem” into something that is going to benefit you in the long run? What are some of the positive effects that could come from this negative situation?

What’s Not Perfect Yet? Why is this problem happening? What is it teaching us? How is it insinuating that we should change and improve?

What Am I Willing To Do? What are the steps you’re going to take now? What can you do to make this situation turn into something beneficial? Make a game plan.

What Am I Not Willing To Do? What are the circumstances that you want to avoid? How are you going to stand strong in yourideas and not let this problem change the path you’re on?

How Can I Enjoy This Process? How is this problem going to change my attitude and perspective? How am I going to let this trial influence my life for the better?

These 5 questions are simple, straightforward and guaranteed to deliver success. They teach us how to LOVE our problems, love the outcome, and love a challenge. They remind us that change is inevitable, and problems are simply unanswered questions waiting to be resolved. So now it’s time for you to take action. Don’t let those challenges knock you down. Keep moving. How are you going to LOVE your problems in 2017?

What do you think about when you hear the words “working out, training, exercise”? I’m betting it has something to do with what your body is or isn’t capable of. But getting fit doesn’t actually start with your body at all! Your mind needs to be on board, motivated and committed in order for your body to follow.At one time in our lives, we all have experienced a day, days or even months of struggling to stay motivated to workout. The struggle is real! I know it’s not easy, I’ve been there too! 

Six months ago I was working a high stress job for the state of NC in Child Protective Services. I was 20 pounds overweight and my body fat was over 30%. Waking up in the morning was difficult and hitting snooze multiple times was the norm. I wanted to feel better but I had no motivation to change. 

That was back in May of 2015:

Finally, I got fed up with not feeling good and being tired and moody. I eventually learned a few tricks that helped me find my motivation and create ways to keep it alive.

Now having overcome the struggle myself I can tell you what worked for me that you can start trying today!

1. First things first, get your mind on board and visualize how you want to feel about working out and how you want to look. This simple step of visualization has worked for countless people including Burn Boot Camp founder Devan Kline. Visualize what your daily workout will be, how you will look walking out of the house full of energy and excited to workout. Visualize what you will look like and how you will feel when you reach your goals.

My vision was of me getting up at 4:15 am with energy and excited to go to the gym at 5:00 am. I pictured myself in my new workout clothes, water in one hand and my post workout protein in the other. I envisioned myself jamming to music on my way to the gym and then crushing my workout with everything I had in me.

2. Be prepared with the necessities that you need for your workout. Have your workout outfit picked out the night before, your protein shake ready to take with you and of course plenty of water to drink. There is already a sense of accomplishment brewing when you are fully prepared for your workout. Tie this into your visualization of picturing yourself in your workout gear, killing it at the gym and then refueling your body with protein after your workout. I recommend Afterburn non denatured grass-fed whey.

AFTERBURN- FUEL YOUR POTENTIAL with 23 grams of protein per serving- cold temperature grass fed, non-denatured whey.

3. Surround yourself in a positive environment with like-minded people. When we were younger we always learned to not succumb to peer pressure. When it comes to working out and doing something that is absolutely positive for your mind and body, peer pressure might be just what you need.

For me it was such an awesome feeling to be working out in a room full of fearless women with similar goals and ultimately end results of improving our health and fitness. Connect with the people you are working out with. Become part of a fitness center that promotes a community feeling when you walk through the door. One that is filled with people who encourage you. You know, the kind of people who just being in their presence motivates you. For me, this was a huge part of overcoming my lack of motivation. I became part of a fitness center called Burn Boot Camp where their five tier philosophy includes creating a motivating environment where people were constantly dishing out high fives and people encouraged each other to succeed and to push a little harder.

4. Give yourself a reward. When I truly became committed to my fitness I immediately set some rewards for myself. They started small with weekly rewards such as after 6 consecutive days in the gym, I would treat myself to a pedicure. After my first 10 pound weight loss, I would treat myself to some Lululemon clothing.

5. Just 20 more seconds or one more rep. This is a little game I play with myself and it keeps me always pushing to do more, to do better. When you get to where you can only do one more rep or 10 more seconds of an exercise, don’t ever stop there. Push and push harder, “one more rep or 20 more seconds” is what I tell myself. It is such a small goal but that sense of accomplishment is HUGE. It’s amazing what the voices in your head can do to you when you are working out. Your body will go further than your mind so you have got to be in control of those voices and show them who is boss.
Whether you call it mental games or tricks, all I know is that it worked for me. Picture it working for you. Push yourself harder you’ll be glad you did. Surround yourself with positive strong people and see how that changes your life. The end goal is the same, to get fit, healthy and in shape. I sure am glad I gave it a try! 

This is me now: 

I still have goals that I am working on and still implement these 5 techniques. Come workout with me and my team of trainers if you are ever in the Charlotte area!