About This Site. This site is the website of motivational speaker Craig
Harper. A constantly updated, one-stop
information, inspiration, education and motivation
station. Unlike many similar sites, it is a totally
free resource for anyone who is serious about moving
from mediocre to amazing in any area of their
personal or professional life. With hundreds of
articles covering a wide range of subject matter,
great interviews with cool people and inspirational
video posts, there's more than enough brain-food to
keep you busy for hours. Okay, days!!
Enjoy.
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Public Speaking Workshop
- Craig Harper
If you've ever
thought about becoming a professional speaker or
improving your public speaking then this is the workshop
for you.
Life Coach & Mentor - Craig Harper
If
you are interested in maximizing your potential,
stepping out of that 'holding pattern' and being
privately coached by Craig click here.
Business & Career Coach - Craig Harper
If your a personal trainer, gym owner or studio owner who is interested
in growing your business and/or your career, then mentoring with Craig
could be a valuable part of your overall success strategy and
professional development journey.
Body Composition Analysis
- Craig Harper
Craig's
Qualified Exercise Scientists can provide you with a
complete Body Composition Analysis in just 30
minutes.
Fattitude
- Craig Harper
While many books focus on food,
Craig Harper teaches that creating life-long change is more about the
dieter, than the actual diet. This book is perfect for people who have a
history of 'almost' getting in shape.
In this entertaining presentation, Craig discusses the
notion of Renovating Your Body - once and for all. Many of us have a curious
ability to be able to get in shape for events (weddings, parties, reunions
and birthdays), if only we'd get in shape for life.
Food, Exercise, and Lifestyle
Diary -
Craig Harper.
If you're serious about your training,
nutrition, and lifestyle - Craig Harper's training diary is an invaluable tool.
Craig Harper is a leading
motivational speaker
and educator. He is a highly
sought-after corporate coach and is considered to be
a leader and pioneer in the areas of personal and
professional development. Working with hundreds of
teams, companies and a wide variety of organisations
on numerous continents over the last twenty years
has given Craig a unique insight into, and
understanding of, human performance and all its
variables. Craig has an ability to educate, inspire,
challenge and make people laugh all at the same
time!
There are a bunch of theories regarding why, more often than not, we don't get the job done. And by getting the jobdone, I mean achieving our goals and creating forever change; finishing what we've started. So many of us talk a good game but rarely deliver (for more than a few weeks anyway). Take a realistic and brutally honest look around and you'll discover that most people don't actually get the job done when it comes to the majority of their personal goals (especially the health-related ones).
All fired up... for a week
Great at starting (or in many cases, almost starting) but crap at actually following through and creating any lasting results. Health club owners can actually rely on the fact that many people will make a decision, join their gym, hand over the cash or credit card details, get excited for ten minutes and then... not show up. A thousand bucks for three workouts; that's quite the deal for the gym owner and not so good of course, for the would-be fitness bunny. And don't think that it doesn't happen so often, it's a very regular occurrence. I've seen it many (many, many) times.
Money for jam
Club owners know that a significant percentage of new members will lose momentum (motivation, commitment, mindset) within a short period of time and throw in the towel. I'm not suggesting that they create this or encourage it, but they sure can benefit from it (for a while anyway). How else could a club which can only accommodate two or three hundred members at any given time confidently sell five to ten thousand memberships (as they do) if they didn't have this insight into typical human behaviour? By the way, this is not a commentary on the ethics or business practices of club owners, it's a comment on the human condition, the psychology of change and our inability to get stuff done. Imagine people paying an on-going monthly fee (most clubs are direct debit these days) for something that they never use; great for the club's bank balance but not so good for the fat bloke who lives on burgers and beer and never uses that membership he took out.
So here's my theory:
We don't get the job done because we make it (the change process) optional; something we can stop at any time.... and we do.
Sure we start things, but when we undertake our latest 'life-changing-project' do we really think "this is absolutely, unequivocally a behaviour that I am going to maintain from this day forward for the rest of my life?" Of course we don't. We always give ourselves an out; an escape clause. We don't make it (it being whatever we need to do to achieve our goals) completely non-negotiable, so within a short period of time we find a 'very legitimate' reason to stop whatever it was we started. Besides, there's always next week.
I'll start next Monday
The problem is that we've been telling ourselves the very same thing (I'll change soon) for years. And we are indeed champions at explaining our lack of commitment and results; it's too hot, it's too cold, it's too late, it's too early, my back is playing up, it's a timing thing, an opportunity thing, a money thing, a travel thing...
Bullshit; it's a YOU thing.
We don't wanna hear that about ourselves but maybe some of us need to hear it. I've needed to hear it plenty of times over my own journey. Don't you ever get sick at the sound of your own voice rationalising, justifying and explaining (for the millionth time) why you're still not doing what you said you'd do years ago? I know that there have been numerous times over the years when I have driven myself nuts with my inability to genuinely commit and get the job done. Eventually I got to the point where I was so embarrassed by the crap that came (so easily) out of my own mouth, that I decided to make my decisions, commitments and resolutions (to change certain behaviours and habits) completely non-negotiable. The moment I did this, I started to produce dramatically better results in all areas of my life. Not because I was more talented or intelligent than the next person, but because, for the first time in my life, I was completely committed to achieving my goals.
What if giving up wasn't an option?
Imagine the results we could create in our life if we didn't give ourselves the option of throwing in the towel every time we got bored, busy, uncomfortable or challenged; if we HAD TO finish what we started. Hmmm, there's a crazy notion. Imagine if you said "right that's it, from now on I'm going to exercise four days per week and eat perfectly ninety percent of the time"... and you actually did it. Forever!! Not for some half-assed phase you're going through (again), but for your life.
The escape clause
Sure we want to change, but on some emotional and psychological level we always give ourselves that escape clause. Just in case. Wouldn't wanna put ourselves under too much pressure would we? We might end up different! We talk about forever results but we have a temporary mindset. The 'forever' concept freaks us out a little. Nobody starts a 'diet' thinking that they'll eat that way for the next fifty years. No, they know it's a short-term thing (to get in shape for that social occasion) and then they'll go back to eating 'normally' (until the next significant social event of course).
I personally believe that the majority of people who start any changeprocess don't actually think they'll create life-long change. They 'kind of hope' they will, but deep down they don't actually expect it. And therein lies the problem Grasshoppers; belief (expectations) equals outcome. In truth, they are not totally committed to doing what needs to be done. When we are totally committed, stopping isn't an option.
A couple of (seemingly weird) questions for you... 1. Is changing stinky, dirty nappies (diapers) a fun process? 2. Why do mothers (and fathers) do it? 3. Is motivation an issue when it comes to this responsibility? 4. Is it seen as an optional task? 5. Do the parents 'enjoy' the experience?
Some possible answers....
1. They don't give themselves the option of NOT caring for their baby; it's completely non-negotiable.
2. It doesn't matter how unpleasant the task may be, they are totally committed to the welfare of their child and their levelofmotivation is irrelevant - it's simply about doing what needs to be done. 3. Whether or not the parent enjoys the process isn't an issue either; they know what they need to do to create the desired outcome and they do it.
If only we could apply this kind of non-negotiable thinking and behaviour to our personal goals, who knows what we might achieve. Life without an escape clause, a safety net or a bunch of predictable excuses.
There's a thought.
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*BTW - is that baby not the cutest kid ever?
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Click play above
to
see motivational speaker Craig Harper in action.
Motivational
Speaker - Craig Harper Craig Harper is one of Australia's most respected
motivational speakers and educators. Some of Craig's recent clients include:
"We had our annual
conference over the weekend of the 23rd and 24th Feb, 2008 and we had
Craig Harper as one of our presenters. He was wonderful, funny and
professional, and he got our message through to the staff in a positive
and fun way. He was loved by all!"
DVD
- Renovate Your Body - Craig Harper
In this entertaining presentation, Craig discusses the
notion of Renovating Your Body - once and for all. (Also
available on CD).
Fattitude
- Craig Harper
While many books focus on food,
Craig Harper teaches that creating life long change is more about the
dieter than the actual diet.
Food for thought
- Craig Harper
In this book, Craig Harper
walks the reader through his 21 rules to Permanent Weight Loss.
So you've decided you want to get in shape (again)
- Craig Harper
Imagine a pocket-sized fitness book that takes just twenty minutes to
read. Craig Harper addresses the REAL getting-in-shape issues.
DVD
or CD - Renovate Your Body - Craig Harper
Alinta
Telstra
ANZ Bank
Commonwealth Bank of Australia
National Australia Bank
Corporate Express
Pricewaterhouse Coopers
Department of Infrastructure
Department Planning and Community Development
Simplot Australia
Porter Davis Homes
Rothschild Merchant Bank
Royal Children's Hospital
Fernwood Fitness Centres
Flour Daniel
Brivis
Sensis
Western Water
South East Water
For more information on booking Craig click
here.Some nice words about Craig:
"We had our annual conference over the weekend of the 23rd and 24th Feb, 2008 and we had Craig Harper as one of our presenters. He was wonderful, funny and professional, and he got our message through to the staff in a positive and fun way. He was loved by all!"
Ally Memic, IMCD, Australia