TWITTER HOW-TO TIP #76

For those using Twitter *a social networking application
Palmetto Fitness Focus is happy to partner with Dan Holling and twittinsecrets.com
to provide this tip on how to use Twitter more effectively.



TWITTER HOW-TO TIP #76



How To Feed your Blog to Twitter (and avoid indigestion)
NOTE: This Twitter How-to Tip is an authorized part of the "Twittin' Secrets" Series: 100 World's Greatest Twitter Tips and Twitter Secrets by Internet and Twitter Strategist, Dan Hollings.



TWITTER HOW-TO TIP #76
Feed your blog to Twitter: http://www.twitterfeed.com/


If you maintain a blog, there are many advantages to connecting the blog to Twitter. By synching the two, each time you post a new blog entry, all your Twitter followers get notified and are one click away from your latest blog post entry. TwitterFeed is an example of an easy method to automate Twitter posts so they synch with your blog posts.
in addition, many blogs offer built-in automation to achieve the same type of Twitter synching. If you are just starting a blog and desire this built-in Twitter automation plus the ultimate in blog simplification, try Posterous http://posterous.com/

WANT MORE TWITTER HELP?
100 Free Twitter Tips are at http://twittinsecrets.com/

To Bend or Not To Bend

I went to see the play, Fiddler on the Roof this week. So many amazing life lessons and points to ponder. Several times the lead character, Tevya, was presented a new reality. In his amusing and down to earth way, He would mull it over with "one one hand..." On the other hand..." Twice he did find a way to bridge his values and the new reality. Finally there was the point where this father had a decision to make about whether he could bend his core values (tradition) to accomodate this new reality presented to him. He concluded if he bent that far, he would break, and he painfully had to take a stand.

We all live a life that is filled with- call them traditions, or ruts- but ways we've ALWAYS done things. We are designed to try to be efficient. Traditions make life easier, because we don't have to work through painful decisions over and over.

If you are reading this blog, you are probably trying to make healthy life decisions. so let me ask you something personal:
Are your ruts unhealthy? Do you mindlessly reach for the snack as you turn on the tv, or do you hit the snooze three times every single morning? Does tailgaiting REQUIRE alcohol and fried chicken? Do you eat fast food EVERY workday for lunch?

As you try to establish a healthier lifestyle, you will find yourself confronting some of these "traditions"
Sometimes you can easily do a cost/ benefit analysis- "On one hand... , On the other hand.... "
Eventually you will come up against one or more that you are not READY to let go of, or perhaps not ready to embrace a new reality.

It's really all about emotion.
We are either drawn to feeling a new positive reality or fleeing from a painful old reality.
Review the reasons you want that healthy life.
Keep loading that value in your mind.
You will be successful if you see the desired end lightens the pain, or produces a clear better.
The greater the pain, or the clearer the positive, the quicker you will trade the new path for the old rut.

If you need a partner, a coach to help you- contact me at palmettofitness at Yahoo.com

Self- Efficacy- Say WHAT?

I learned a new word today: self-efficacy.
It means, the belief that one is capable achieving their stated goal.

Almost everyone has one or more area that they feel inadequate to the task. If you don't, perhaps you aren't reaching for high goals. But some goals will come to a screeching halt if you lack "Self-Efficacy." Feeling capable of being successful is critical to maintaining motivation, especially as it relates to weight managment and fitness.

We stare in the mirror, and staring back are 30, 50, 100 pounds. The goal of carving that away seems just too lofty to feel we will EVER be sucessful. Where do we start? How long will it take? What will I have to change? What if I hate yogurt? Suddenly the heart starts racing, and we start backpeddling and finding excuses on why we ought not start, lest we fail. We can give you 100 reasons why we need to and want to lose that weight and yet-we actually talk ourselves out of our goal-a goal that means the difference between health and illness.

If you are to reach your goal, you absolutely must believe it can be done, not by other people, but by YOU.

So how do we establish "self efficacy"?

1. Set realistic goals. You've heard it said "you didn't gain it in a week, don't expect it to come off in a week" What is realistic, do-able and sustainable over a year is 1 pound a week for women, 2 pounds for men. Some weeks you might see more, many weeks you will see less.
2. Concentrate on developing behaviors, not on the scale. How many days did you do cardio this week? Do you read labels now? Is fast-food infrequent? If you are consistently doing these and other healthy behaviors, the weight will come off and more importantly- STAY off.
3. Cut your goal into many pieces and concentrate on the smaller, more attainable subgoal. give yourself something to celebrate and feel successful at. Success breeds success. As you see yourself making strides, the next challenge becomes easier, WHY?

Because you.....

NOW BELIEVE YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH THE GOAL

Self Efficacy, How empowering is that!

You are the sum...

Name the five people you spend the most time with- NOT the people you admire the most, but who do you spend the majority of your time with?

Here's why I ask:

"You are the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time with"

• Your professional development, your income generally follows their pattern


• Your attitudes and beliefs will fall in line with these people.


• Even your health and weight will mirror those five people.

YIKES! I found myself peering obliquely at the people in my life, and pondering "Do I WANT to be like you?"

Look carefully at the people you just listed. Seriously, Do their lives reflect who you aspire to be?

• Are they dead-ends or business superstars?


• Do they pull your attitudes up or down?


• Are they callous and negative, or saints in skin?


• Are they healthy, or are they headed for a heart attack and taking you with them?

This e-newsletter relates to healthy living so let me be more pointed:

• Do you surround yourself with exercisers or couch-potatoes?


• Do they overindulge or eat moderately?


• Is healthy living a non-negotiable value?


• Do they eat fast food and junk food more than occasionally?
  

Think through the lifestyle related diseases afflicting your inner circle

• Diabetes


• Heart disease


• Obesity


• High blood pressure


• High cholesterol
  

So what if you don't like what you see to your right and left?
It's time to evaluate what's are your non-negotiable values, and where you want to go. Seek out mentors and relationships that mirror your goals and adjust with whom you invest your life and time.

Some people you can't remove from influence- they are related to you, perhaps.
In that case, You need to see that for what it is and pay attention to the influence they could have and be intentional to seek out other mentors in your life.
Understand, you are also part of THEIR sum as well. Make it a positive influence!

I'm glad to say I hang with some people about whom I could actually say I am challenged to live up to them in one area or another.
Who are you the sum of?