The Seat of Your Pants — Sgt. Tony Ludlow’s Newsletter for 5/25/2011
“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances
are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess
what they have planned for you? Not much.”
—Jim Rohn: Author and motivational speaker
The power of intention is pretty strong. It’s the power to live a life with a purpose and a direction, a plan and a goal.
I know people who have detailed plans for the things they plan to do in the next year, 3 years, 5 years, and even beyond. (I have a Japanese friend whose company has a 100 year plan!)
One of my best friends is a very detail oriented guy who has very specific plans extending several years down the road. I also know people who don’t have much of a clue as to what they’ll be doing this evening.
A few years ago I was asked what it was like being a divorced dad.
That question took me by surprise and took a little extra thought to answer.
Later I bullet-pointed my answer in a journal entry. I had to admit that I had not gotten married with a plan for getting divorced. (Who does?) One of those bullet points was “I learned to parent intentionally.”
Sometimes we parent “accidentally.” Parenting happens, it just doesn’t happen with a purpose or a plan. In the day to day hustle and rush of domestic life, filled with too much activity, the mystery and constant question of “what will we eat for dinner,” book reports, homework, and the American Idol finale … intentional parenting can often get lost within that over extended family agenda.
As a dad who had limited uninterrupted time with his kids, I had to parent intentionally. I had to have a plan and a purpose. I would often jot down things during the week that I wanted to discuss with my kids face to face on the weekends. Now I suppose text messages would allow a divorced dad or mom to “soft touch” (as they say in advertising and marketing) their children on a more daily basis.
This past weekend I flew to North Carolina for my son Matthew’s promotion to First Lieutenant, and to visit my family and especially to play with my grandson who is three and a half years old. Isaiah and Big Dad – I’m “Big Dad” – got to play a lot and have fun. I’ve started thinking about intentional things I can do to “soft touch” him as he gets older. I’ve thought about Skype and video chat, but I’m going to wait on that. One of the reasons I’ve resisted the video chat thing is because I want my time with Isaiah to be special.
My own relationship with MY Big Dad was special because I only saw him two or three times a year. As a result, I can recall with great clarity the conversations I had with him and the wisdom he shared — they are some of my most treasured memories. Right now I’m intentionally giving Isaiah “the gift of missing his Big Dad!” Besides, have you ever tried to get a very active 3 year old boy to sit still in front of a computer screen and talk to a non-animated “old” person?
You’ve got a lot of roles to play within the many contexts of your life. Which of those roles are being addressed purposefully and which ones are hit or miss?
What are you doing intentionally?
When you consider the plans for your life, are you taking charge or flying by the seat of your pants?
I’m not saying that having detailed plans for every role is the right way to live. I’m saying that living with intention and purpose, with or without a detailed plan, is the right way to do it!
Even establishing boundaries and “deal breakers” in your life and the relationships in them is an intentional act. Having standards of conduct that guide your decisions about people, places, and things is an intentional act.
In John Wayne’s last movie he played the gunman “JB Books” in the movie “The Shootist.” I loved John Wayne and he said something in that movie that became one of those standards of conduct for my own life. He said, to a character played by Ron Howard, “I won’t be wronged. I won’t be insulted. I won’t be laid a-hand on. I don’t do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.”
The teenaged me immediately wrote that one down.
And of course you know that I’d have to challenge you to approach your health and fitness with purpose and intention. One of you told me that the reason you come to Boot Camp is so that you don’t have to think about what to do. You trust me to guide and direct you. That works for me! (That’s one of Boot Camp’s best selling points. “Just do what Tony says!”) You’ve got a purpose and an intention. Coming to Boot Camp takes you from the plan and intention phase to the key phase, the main phase: execution.
Intention without execution is just … thinking.
There are three things that happen before each exercise we do. First I announce the exercise, often twice:
“PICK UP YOUR DUMBBELLS FOR ALTERNATING BICEP CURLS … ALTERNATING BICEP CURLS!”
After the announcement of the exercise, comes the preparatory command: “READY!!” followed by a pause.
And then comes the command of execution: “EXERCISE!!”
Without the command of execution, we’re all just standing around with our dumbbells in our hands.
Without EXECUTION, your plans, purposes, and intentions are just mental gymnastics.
The power of intention is awesome, but the power of execution is life changing! Life rewards action, not intention. After all, isn’t the road to perdition paved with good intention?
Plan with intention, approach the day with purpose … and …
EXECUTE!
—————————
“Get fit for summer, stay fit for life!”
—————————————-
MEMORIAL DAY SCHEDULE
We’ll have ONE workout on Monday, May 30 at 0700 at CUMC! Guests are welcome, even the kiddos! (No charge for any visitors on Memorial Day!)
We’ll have a brief Memorial Day Moment around the flag-pole before the “fun” begins!
—————————————
I GOTTA GUY!!!
I like to share the names of people I do business with and trust so that if you need services that they offer you’ll know someone trustworthy to contact.
1. Richard Bourland – “Your Boot Camp Handyman” – Home Improvement, Carpentry, Custom Bunk Beds and other Woodworking Services, rebourland@yahoo.com, 901.826.
2. Teri Trotter – Realtor with Marx-Bensdorf. 901-647-4018.
3. Eric Flanders – Fleet Feet Sports – running shoes, apparel, running strollers, books, nutrition, doodads, and essentials. 901-761-0078.
You can see a much longer and detailed list of people I refer on the USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP website blog page. Once on the blog page use the search window, keyword “Buddy,” and it’ll take you to that page.
If you drop my name, you might get a discount. But for sure you’ll get their sympathy and prayers! 😉
If you’d like to be listed here in “I GOTTA GUY” just let me know!
—————————————–
COLLEGE STUDENT SUMMER SPECIAL
College students home for the summer get a discount! Contact me for details!
—————————————-
LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE DEPARTMENT DISCOUNTS
Police Officers, Sheriff’s Deputies, and Memphis Firefighters qualify for a special discount! It’s the least I can do to ensure that our law enforcement officers and firefighters are fit for their job!! Pass the word!
—————————————
JAPAN RELIEF
I’ve designed t-shirts to sell for the Red Cross Japan Relief Fund!
There are two designs to choose from. I hope you’ll buy one or more! All proceeds will go to the Red Cross for Japan Relief. For a donation of $20 or more you can have one of these unique shirts!
——————————————
NEXT TUESDAY, MAY 31 AT 0530 AT CHRIST METHODIST
————————————-
BOOT CAMP DISCOUNTS AND FACEBOOK!
First of all, find me on Facebook and make me your friend. (Also, be sure to “like” USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP on Facebook.)
Here’s how the discount works!
It’s simple: make a Facebook status update and get a discount!
For every status update that you make that references:
“USMC Fitness Boot Camp,”
“Sgt. Tony’s Boot Camp,”
“Tony’s Boot Camp,”
or something similar, you can take $2.50 off your next reenlistment fee for each update!
You can take up to $20 off for any given month!
Your status update has to be a specific reference to USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP or to me specifically by name – there are other “boot camps” out there, you know.
BE SURE TO TAG ME!
You can do the same thing by “checking in” at USMC Fitness Boot Camp either by using Facebook “places,” Foursquare, or any of the other “check in” apps that show up on your Facebook News Feed.
So log on and start getting your discounts now!
————————————-
PERSONAL TRAINING!
I’ve got a few prime hours open during the week if you know someone looking for a trainer. I use the facilities at Christ Methodist and the hourly rates are standard for Memphis. Over-all fitness training, boot camp style workouts, strength training, sports specific conditioning and agility (tennis, soccer, basketball, etc.)
TonyLudlow@aol.com or 901-644-0145
———————————-
ATTENTION!
THE 0830 AND THE 0645 CLASSES!!
The 0830 Class will stand down for the summer. This Friday is the last 0830 class until the fall. You 0830 Boot Campers are, of course, invited to attend any and all of the other classes.
The 0645 Class will continue to meet as usual on MWF!
——————————————–
NEW PRICING FOR FAMILIES AND COUPLES
If you’re a part of a family (usually husband and wife) that does USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP together, ask me about it! I think you’ll like it!
———————————————-
WANT TO LOSE 20 POUNDS BY THE END OF NEXT MONTH?
Take Shape For Life is the BEST weight loss program I know of. If you’d like to lose weight talk to me. This is the program I used to lose the almost 30 pounds I gained after knee surgery. Let me help you!
You can also go to www.combatchallenge.tsfl.com/
——————————————-
TUESDAY & THURSDAY EVENING AT ST. MARY”S!!
The Tuesday and Thursday evening walk/jog/run sessions meet at 5:45pm at St. Mary’s track, weather permitting. The Church of the Holy Communion and St. Mary’s School have been kind enough to allow us to use their track, provided that their athletic activities don’t make our use of the track unwise or impossible. My thanks to Julie Fike at CHC for granting permission for us to use their track.
These two sessions are for cardio only – power walking, jogging, running, speed work on the track – at St. Mary’s. (Walnut Grove and Perkins, Southeast corner of the intersection).
You may also choose to run in the neighborhood around the school instead of using the track.
—————————————————–
CALENDAR
A calendar has been added to the official USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP website.
http://www.usmcfitnessbootcamp.com/calendar.html
For you visual learners, you’ll find this an easy way to glance at the week or month and see where the workouts will be, if there’s a venue change.
—————————————————
What would you do if money were not an issue, fear were not a factor, and failure were not an option?
To your optimum health and fitness!
SEE YOU ON THE QUARTERDECK!
Tony
Sergeant Major Tony Ludlow
USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP, Commanding
Mailing address: 4888 Southern Ave., Memphis, TN 38117
Cell Phone: 901-644-0145
www.usmcfitnessbootcamp.com