Time for Action - Secret Affair

How is being overweight affecting your life? Are you less mobile? Have less energy? Feel embarrassed about your size? Or as in my case all those years ago, make you hate the person looking back at you in the mirror? It could be one or all the above. But what you might be thinking is simply - I'm not happy about being overweight!

Thinking and doing are two very different things but reading this article might provide the moment where things change for you - forever.

 

You see being overweight isn't a permanent state. It's possible to reverse the process and return to a much healthier weight in just a few months. And it's easy to be your own worst self-critic and differ the problem saying you'll start living a better life tomorrow. However, tomorrow never comes and you deserve better. To feel better in your own skin. Not just for the next big family get-together but for the rest of your life.

 

It doesn’t have to be a massive 'change everything' quantum leap where you try and eliminate all your bad behavioural traits. It could start with just one small step. Getting rid of a few distractions or the things or even the people that tempt you can really help. And sure, starting to take some light exercise, stopping drinking empty calories, and eating more whole foods will help no end but it's more than that.

 

This about changing the habits possibly of a lifetime and rethinking your relationship with food and how you use it to get through life.

 

I've been helping people for many years now to lose weight, overcome their daily battle with over-eating and negotiate the bumpy road of weight-loss to reach a new level of personal happiness and self-confidence. My current client average weight-loss is 9.7kgs (Maximum client loss 51kgs) and if you'd like to have a similar life-transformation, please contact me and see if I have help you be the person you want to be.

 

It could be the call or email that changes the rest of your life...

 

Contact:- rory@colemancoaching.co.uk or call 07866 477051.

1,127 Marathons - 261 Ultras - 15 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records

Living one life to the Max

Be a Success like Ben...

Ben Barbanel

I love helping people achieve their dream goal and when they do I bask in their success just as much as they do. I thought I'd share this message from Ben who's lost 18.1kgs (40lbs) in five months. Amazing during the Lockdown period, I'm sure you'll agree. Here is his message to me on being under 12st - word-for-word...

Rory

I wanted to thank you for all your help over the past months. When we spoke on the 1st June I was sceptical, and remained so for some time.

But I stuck with it, and it worked. My relationship and attitude towards food has changed for ever - I’m sure. In the main, I no longer live to eat!

Eating when hungry, to give me fuel, smaller portions, the right food, not standing in the pantry just eating shit...

Thank you!

My wife is now a believer too!

This hasn’t just been about weight for me - I’m now more in tune with my mind. My thoughts, my attitude, my goals, my motivations. I'll continue to sing your praises and recommend you and hopefully I’ll be able to provide a pipeline of customers for you.

My best wishes to you and my sincere thanks for undoubtedly extending my life.

Ben

How about that? And, if you want to be like Ben - well just let me know. I'd love to be adding your testimony to his in a few short months from now.

1069 Marathons - 255 Ultras - 9 Guinness World Records - 15 Marathon des Sables

The Price of Love...

‘A debt you pay with tears and pain’ - Ferry

I think we’ve all paid for the price of love and have given everything in trying to find it. The return - a lifetime of heartache, tears and pain. Our investment into relationships with other people goes without question. My question to you though, is how much have you invested in yourself? 

I mean, how much value do you give yourself?

It’s a question well worth asking and if right now, you are low on confidence and self-esteem, the answer is no doubt - not a lot. It’s really sad affair as a lot of the folk I meet feel worthless. If they were put forward as a product on BBC’s Dragon’s Den Programme and they were a Dragon – they certainly wouldn’t invest. 

Yet we are all worth self-investment. I mean what’s the point in living if you are not prepared to invest your time, energy and money into the person in your world that probably needs it the most - YOU.

It’s strange how people lose their self-value. Take my weightloss clients for example - weight-gain isn’t an overnight happening - it’s the result of spending more time spinning plates getting through life, holding down a job, bringing up a family and ignoring one’s lifestyle. Time and energy is spent externally with nothing left in the bank for self-investment.

A permanent state of being overdrawn without hope of credit.

And okay there’s no magic overnight life-overdraft fix, yet time and time again people do regain their self-esteem, lose weight, potentially extend their lives and have a much richer life for a mere 22.8p a day. Yes just 22.8p a day. Well that’s how I see it and I did a bit of ‘Coleman-Calculating’ and if working with me for five months yields an extra fifteen years’ of life - it’s a better return than Bitcoin.

So, what’s there to lose apart from unhealthy lifestyle and a relatively small amount of money. Nothing. In fact, it’s like winning the lottery every single day of your life, for the rest of your life. A much more rewarding life.

One where health, pride, self-esteem, self-value, confidence, improved relationships with family, colleagues, friends, food and alcohol await those that are willing to pay the price of ‘change’ and ‘self-love’. I can’t promise true ‘love’, but it must improve the chances of that too, so why not invest some time in yourself today.

You only have yourself to blame…

1,056 Marathons, 255 Ultras, 9 Guinness World Records & 15 Marathon des Sables

Get the Message - Electronic

I've always thought of you as my brick wall…

Well, it’s the end of a most extraordinary April. Thirty days where we’ve been exposed to a huge amount of information both in the media and online. It’s been a time of huge change and acceptance for most and as a broadcaster of such online information, I thought I’d investigate what I’ve been broadcasting to anyone prepared to listen.

Isn't it sweet?
So on close inspection, I’ve posted every day in April, using my tried and tested ‘Quotebox’ method on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. Of the twenty-five quotes (above) from 1^st - 25^th April, they appear to fall into one of four message categories:-

• Inspiration
• Inquisition
• Instruction
• Imitation.

Inspiration

Interestingly, only 10/25 fell into the ‘Inspirational’ zone. The main reason, I believe, for broadcasting my thought for the day. And as a ‘Transformation Coach’ - surely my ‘raison d'être’, a key daily message - a catalyst for personal reform. My aim to post a thought provoking statement to change lives forever – with a 40% ‘inspiration’ success rate.

Inquisition

For the want of a better word beginning with ‘In’, where instead of being Inspirational, my quote was in fact more of a question. In my quest for delivering ‘Inspiration’, luckily only 2/25 of my ‘Quotes’ asked for a direct response.A waste perhaps, as the questions go unanswered.

Instruction

These were the days where I delivered a simple message of personal ‘improvement’. A surprising 36% where my daily messages said ‘Do this’ in a variety of combinations, at maximum volume in some cases. And when I say ‘Surprising’ I’m genuinely ‘Surprised’ as my aim is to lead, not to shout.

Imitation

When I hear or see something that’s inspired me, I like to share it. Yes, it can be a lyric from the Bee Gees - ‘Stayin’ Alive’ or Kate Bush’s - ‘Sensual World’ or dialogue from a TV Show or Film that’s resonated with me. So folk can enjoy them as well, I always name the source for a quick ‘Google’. The songs especially always highlight to me how it felt to live through those times – from artists that I admire for their sheer skill and creativity. There’s no need for my list of ‘twenty albums that have made an impact on me’ – if you are a regular blog reader, you’ll already know what they are.

Take my independent point of view…

And of course, it’s only how I see and perceive the world around me – it’s designed purely to provoke thought and inspire and following my investigation I’ll endeavour to be more ‘Inspirational’. Especially, as we continue to endure our toughest challenge in living history.

Getting my Message?

1,052 Marathons, 255 Ultras, 9 Guinness World Records & 15 Marathon des Sables

Keep Talking - The Pink Floyd

I love this 1994 Pink Floyd track, that samples the electronic voice of Stephen Hawking. According to Wiki it was taken from a BT television advertisement that David Gilmour chose to use, after it made him cry. He described it as the most powerful piece of television advertising that he’d ever seen in his life. 

Powerful indeed, and it got me thinking as if I'm honest, it's been a powerful kinda week where simple communication could have saved a whole lot of trouble and heartache for most of the people I know – me included.

'For millions of years mankind lived just like the animals, then something happened which unleashed the power of our imagination - We learned to talk'...

Only we don’t talk do we, instead we surmise, interpret or simply try and guess wtf is going on. Funnily enough, the answer is often just a simple question away… if only we asked it. Instead, we let silence prevail in the hope that things will work out for the best.

A best that never really happens in my experience. 

‘There's a silence surrounding me, I can't seem to think straight’…

Of course, we need time to consider our thoughts and options but not saying anything – that’s worse. In fact, I believe that ‘Silence’ is a ‘Silent Killer’… You see, we need to hear, be heard and to be listened to, as it helps usnot only to feel valued but also make sense of our environment and the people that experience that environment with us.

‘I think I should speak now, I can't seem to speak now’…

Knowing what to say can be very hard. How to say it, even harder and knowing when to say it – can be downright impossible. How many times have you thought, ‘I wish I’d said something’ and not – simply to avoid confrontation? We’ve all had situations where we’ve swallowed our words rather than voiced our thoughts, opinions and challenges.

‘My words won't come out right, I feel like I'm drowning’…

To get the words to ‘come out right’, takes experience. Experience gained from getting the words out more wrong than right. It’s a tough learning curve and one that can make you feel like you are indeed drowning, especially if you find it hard to express your inner thoughts and concerns.

‘I'm feeling weak now, but I can't show my weakness’…

In the past, admitting weakness was a complete no-no, especially for us chaps. But in recent times it’s changed - I believe it takes great strength to admit weakness. And once out in the open, folk are only too glad to help, especially when you have complete weakness such as the weakness, I suffered with Guillain–Barré syndrome.  Being that weak – leaves you with no option but to talk - my key message today. 

You see, there’s always a few minutes of extra-time in any situation to conjure a fresh solution. A chance to find reverse gear, accept, compromise and vocalise a clear vision of where things are heading.

‘I sometimes wonder, where do we go from here’…

Where? Well, somewhere is all I can tell you. You might find out a few things about yourself on your journey. It could be a journey of discovery where you’ll find that money is immaterial to your mental wealth and that the spoken word can move mountains if the right questions are asked with the right tone. And, if you have finished the week in uncertainty or are in conflict or in downright rage – Stop. Reach out. And ‘talk’ and then ‘keep on talking’, as you’ll be in a better place and a better person for it.

1,051 Marathons - 255 Ultras - 9 Guinness World Records - 15 Marathon des Sables

26 Years's Dry

Money Talks - AC/DC

Up for grabs, up for a price

It's a phrase I often use, as well as 'If people buy you, they'll buy the product', especially when I'm speaking to Sales Teams. Having been in Sales for most of my professional life, (as even now I'm my own company salesman) I've had numerous roles where the level of sales and my level of success was due more to my attitude, than to what it was I was endeavouring to sell.

Belief

Sure, during my many jobs in Sales, I worked for some companies where the product wasn't 100% and it was frustrating when things went wrong and customers lost faith and orders vaporised. You'd think that would be really annoying but I remember in one role the product was amazing and only really profitable work was undertaken, but I found it very dull and possibly I enjoyed the harder sell. 

Reward/Ceiling

I'm not sure how much the money mattered if I'm being honest. Okay, there was always a salary to be negotiated and a car with a fin on the back to be decided on within my hierarchy of colleagues, but commission was never a real driver for me and there was always a ceiling on effort to create and effort to maintain a healthy return. I could never comprehend why at one company (where I started from scratch) had a £1M of 'New-to-the-business-sales-target' for my first year of employment, yet after that it went to maintaining that business with a 10% growth for year two. Six months in and £1M under my belt, I'll admit I took my foot off the gas and before the 12 months were up I'd left for something where my creativity and networking delivered the satisfaction I needed from my work.

Tools

Well if you haven’t got the tools for the job, then it's never going to happen. Being stuck at a desk in a noisy environment is never going to deliver. Alternatively having all the tools but not the time to use them is also incredibly frustrating. Even now, when I'm contacted I immediately email or call if there's a number - every time the response is 'my that was quick', and so it should be as in this day and life is so immediate and there's only a matter of moments before the potential lead has moved on or found someone else keener to do the deal.

Knowledge

They say a little knowledge is dangerous and I can remember being a very fresh-faced salesman trying every trick in the book to clinch a deal. My more senior colleagues seemed to breeze their targets and kinda knew whom and when to chase and when to turn down what seemed like a golden opportunity to me as one that was too risky. It's all down to 'Knowledge' - or shall we say 'Experience'. Sadly something that can't be bought - yet 'taught' to a degree. It was certainly 'taught' to me, in double quick time, by watching and adopting the ways and attitudes of those around me that were more successful. A hard lesson.

Eating with your Eyes

Well, in sales we judge the people we engage with by how they look. It's kinda sad in a way but however true. The covering up of arm tattoos, say for someone going for an interview with a London Law-Firm, might seriously affect their chances of employment and you'll know if you've ever bought or sold a house, having bright red walls or psychedelic wallpaper often puts people off. Looking the part matters.

Enthusiasm

Something I've never lacked in but have experienced many times over with people I've met that have just lacked sparkle. Sales is very much a dynamic environment where people should feel they can add their personality and style to a degree but where professionalism is maintained and the value of the brand being sold is upheld and guaranteed. I'm not sure that trying to shape people at the dreaded 'Sales Conference' ever works and I only see these as demotivating for those that aren’t achieving. Empowerment comes from being understood, rather than being undermined and undervalued.

Value

'It's never a Sale until the Invoice is paid' and 'The Customer is King' are both phrases that come to mind when I consider my path through the sales journey. Those values are great to uphold but also salespeople feeling 'Valued' is essential to any company wanting to capitalise on their investment. In business I often see an equal three-way spilt in large sales teams of excellent, average and poor performance groups, with time spent praising the best, ignoring the middle and hoping the non-performing people will mainly leave of their own accord before being pushed. Knowing ones value and where you stand is vital to any customer facing individual.

Rejoice

If you are successful in your current role, rejoice - be happy that you are realising your potential. If you're not is it time to make some changes? To you or the people you have surrounded yourself with.

1050 Marathons - 255 Ultramarathons - 9 Guinness World Records - 15 Marathon des Sables

Speak to Me - The Pink Floyd

It’s never the right time is it to say or do something. The right moment never comes along or it does and we miss it as we didn’t realise that it was the perfect moment, we were distracted and missed the opportunity or we thought something bigger and better would come our way.

How many times have you said to yourself, ‘if only’...

I realise that we all see ‘ and risk in different degrees. I define Chance as 50:50 - Red or Black - Zero or One. You know a Sliding Doors kinda thing. Whereas risk is more of a score out of 10. Or an accumulator where a+b+c=d usually standing for disaster.

Now it’s said that ‘you never get a second chance to make a first impression’, and it’s one of my favourite expressions as once you’ve done something, anything in fact, there’s no taking it back. If you’ve ever experienced sending an email by mistake without deleting the previous venomous emails (I have) you’ll know exactly how hard reverse gear is to find.

And we can plan for ‘Chance’ as the less you take the less mistakes you make. It’s a simple if rather unadventurous approach to life. With some thought though, ‘Chance’ can be more 60:40 in your favour.

Risk is the hard one to gamble on though. Betting odds are said to be pitched at 75% of the stake so no wonder Bookies always win but we should be able to realise when the odds are stacked in our favour and it’s obvious that it’s the right time to go for it.

Ask any surfer when their biggest wave was and they might well say it’s yet to come as many people don’t realise they’ve peaked at their particular area of skill. Being able to walk away saying that’s it, that’s the one, that’s the one I’ll remember forever is the $64 million dollar question we’d all like to know the answer to.

It is however, the long game and one we become more and more risk adverse to as we get older and use experience more than gut instinct as our methodology.

The right time becomes ‘never’ as people wait a lifetime for all the planets to line up, all the dominos to be upright and ready for a kinetic knockdown or in sales, the one big deal to go down leading to fame and fortune.

The real time is actually ‘Now’ as there’s nothing to lose as if you never take the plunge it ain’t gonna happen anyway - so why not?

Thing's might not pan out as you’d hoped but at least you’ll know. So if you’ve been procrastinating for years, plucking up the courage to jump, to speak up for yourself ffs do it and do it NOW before it’s too late and you spend a Lifetime regretting you waited a Lifetime...

1,050 Marathons, 255 Ultras, 9 Guinness World Records, 15 Marathon des Sables 

25 Years of Marathon Running & 26 Years Alcohol-Free

Remember - Sunset Sons

Marks the Spot...

Lyric - It's where it all began…

On a day of remembrance it’s always good to remember your own dark days and in my case the day that it all changed life for the better. Last Friday, I went back and stood on the very piece of tarmac where my journey started all those years ago - and remembered.

I remembered the feeling of liberation as I took my first step to freedom. Freedom from those inner demons and self-loathing that had been undermining my whole existence. And I remembered the sheer joy of finding the therapy that would become my salvation.

There are many days that we care to forget. I’m often told that I have a great memory and yet there are many days, months and even years that are a bit of a blur if I’m being honest. We tend to hang our lives around events such asBirthday’s. Christmas’s and major life crises leaving voids of time we don’t recall or that we simply prefer to forget.

Of course, It’s impossible to remember EVERYTHING that’s ever happened or that you’ve done. I’ve often looked back to previous blogs from years gone by and thought ‘Yikes, I’d forgotten that’ or ‘what the hell was I on that day?’ but that’s life isn’t it – it’s busy and we only have so much mental storage space.

What I do know is to try and make the most out of every day. I can’t remember a day when I’ve wanted to stay in bed and not attack the day head on. After all, it’s what one does that makes memories not what one doesn’t.

What will you remember about today?

1,048 Marathons, 255 Ultras, 9 Guinness World Records, 15 Marathon des Sables

25 Year's Dry & 25 Years' Running Marathons

Sheep - The Pink Floyd

Better watch out...

It’s a subject I’ve written about the most over my last fifteen years of blogging  - yes being a Sheep. It’s also the title of my most favouritist song ever by The Pink Floyd which has the lyrics - ‘Harmlessly passing your time on the grassland away’ and ‘Get out of the road if you want to grow old’ as it’s opening and closing lines. Just perfect for today''s blog.

You see, it resonates with me as I’m not someone to follow the crowd and go with the flow. In fact, I’m quite the opposite as I like to make up my own mind on things and really balk when I feel like I’m being backed into a corner. Clearly, I’m someone that’s prepared to walk on any cracks in any pavement and tackle things head on if necessary. That’s why it’s frustrating when I see so many folk take the easy route and go with the flow, in case they upset those around them or even worse, appear to stand out from the crowd - Gasp!

It’s not exactly life-threatening to make your own choice and have your own voice. Isn’t that the basis of democracy? The basis of personal freedom? The right to choose your own destiny? Then why not adapt your thinking so you can liberate yourself from those around you. Take my 'Am-I-a-Sheep-Test' and see for yourself over the next 24hrs how much you go with the flow, rather than nbeing your own person making your own decisions. I'd be interested to hear your findings...

In the meantime stop Flocking about and stop being a Pushover (AKA Sheep) - Baaa.

1,047 Marathons - 254 Ultras - 9 Guinness World Records - 15 Marathon des Sables - 25 Years' Alcohol Free

Signals - Rush

I’m sure you were taught to Mirror-Signal-Manoeuvre (MSM) when you were learning to drive. I know I was, way back in 1986, and I’m still aware that I MSM whenever I’m driving around the UK as the only thing you can be sure of nowadays is what you are doing and not necessarily what’s going on around you. I saw one person make it from lane three to the off slip using what must have been a handbrake turn last week which made whatever hair I had left stand-up and go one shade whiter. Talk about last minute… and it got me thinking

You see we can all be a bit last minute – about most things, if not everything in some folks cases. I mean how often do we look in the mirror, look around for danger, sum up where we are in the grand scheme of things and then signal our intent to let everyone around know in which direction we are heading - without hesitation and then safely manoeuvre.

Have a think. But don’t take too long about it, as right now you are hurtling along and might miss the many opportunities that are coming your way.

Don’t leave it to chance as that could prove to be fatal.

Mirror-Signal-Manoeuvre-Amen

1,047 Marathons, 254 ULTRA-marathons, 9 Guinness World Records, 15 Marathon des Sables & 25 Years' Alcohol Free

Fight from the Inside - Queen

'70's Rock' today I'm afraid Darren Grittas, but a great track from Queen drummer Roger Taylor, whom according to Wiki not only wrote, sung and played drums on the track, but also played rhythm and bass guitars too. How cool is that?

Anyway, I like Roger believe that 'Fight' comes from the inside. If you've ever fought for your life or watched someone close to you fight for their's, then you'll know where I'm coming from. In my experience no one can 'Fight' for you, especially when it's a proper sink or swim moment and you're gasping for air and it feels like you're drowning.

Been there and got the T-Shirt.

Back then, I made a conscious decision to 'Fight' - 'Fight' for myself, the people around me and the things I believe in. Try it. You'll find it works wonders and is extremely empowering. All you need to do is to pluck up the courage and 'Fight'.

Amen

1,045 Marathons, 254 Ultras, 9 Guinness World Records & 15 Marathon des Sables

Sanctify Yourself - Simple Minds

'If you take one step closer, it'll lead to another' - Kerr

Just how determined are you? 

It’s a simple question with a very complex answer as it’s possible to cover all aspects of one's life in a simple YES/NO Tick Box, or list of adjectives or as a score ‘Out of Ten’. The dictionary definition of ’Determination‘ is ‘The quality of being determined; firmness of purpose’, with an interesting illustration of how to use, ‘Those who succeed because of sheer grit and determination’.

Interesting that Succeed and Determination are used together along with a good old dollop of 'Grit'.

I always ask Clients’ how much they want to achieve their goal - usually using the ‘Out of Ten’ method. I receive some 8s, lots of 9’s and a few 10’s but funnily seldom an 11. In reality I see their bandwidth more of a 3 to 9 as some can only provide lip service to their effort and the investment needed to achieve. The 10's are easy to spot. Over the years I’ve gained a sixth sense to other people’s level of determination.

Determination doesn’t mean that you have to succeed at all costs. But being driven, determined and focussed is actually a pretty sexy attribute. Let’s face it, we are more attracted to people we find exciting, different and determined.

It might be worth considering how you checkout on the ‘Determined Scale’ today, especially if you are in a period of self-change. How high are you scoring today?

Shall we try using the 'Out of 10 Method'?...

1,045 Marathons, 254 Ultra-Marathon, 15 Marathon des Sables, 12/10 Determination