The final of the 6 Human Needs might be our favorite: Contribution. People who strongly feel the need to contribute make a difference in their community. They’re empathetic, compassionate, and believe in the power of sharing. Potential downsides? Tony Robbins says they include getting burned out, neglecting people closest to you, and being taken advantage of others. We believe that making a contribution is vital to your self-care. That’s right. Giving to others improves YOUR

For any living thing, growth is life itself. Humans have an innate need to grow, improve and learn. There’s nothing wrong with it – it’s only natural, after all. It’s one of the 6 Human Needs Tony Robbins says drives us all. Think about your own desire for growth. Where does it show itself? Does it drive you to good things – only or mostly? Have you come upon any danger signs indicating you’re trying for too much too soon? If you’re always pursuing growth, then you’ll avoid b

We all like recognition, don’t we? Remember a time when a boss or parent offered you praise. It felt good, didn’t it? Well, the desire for recognition is common, and it’s of our broader desire for significance, which is one of the 6 Human Needs motivational author and speaker Tony Robbins says drives us all. How do you seek this kind of significance? Do you like to be noticed, or do you try to avoid it? Well, if you’re super-driven to be successful, desire to hear you’re outs

Do you ever wonder why you are the way you are? Why do you want what you want? Why do you get frustrated or upset by certain things that don’t seem to bother most people? Well, it’s because you’re human, if we want to get right down to it! And it’s good to take a look inside ourselves. “The unexamined life is not worth living,” as Socrates said. Tony Robbins, the self-improvement guru and author, promotes the concept of 6 Human Needs. No. 1 on his list is certainty, “assuranc

We have a super-fun project for you! :) Today, you’re going to work on your bucket list. If you've gotten lost since making New Year’s resolutions, or if you never prioritize yourself, or if you’ve forgotten the importance of dreaming big, then this is going to make your day. The phrase “bucket list” has become widely known to illustrate things you want to do at least once before you die – before you kick “the bucket.” Some bucket lists might include parachuting out of an air

Setting big, scary goals is exciting. But it’s also quickly disheartening too many times when we fail to support our efforts by managing expectations. Most of the time, the problem isn’t that the goal’s too big or grandiose. It’s that we’re not setting reasonable expectations about reaching it. Here’s an example that’s super-oversimplified just to make the point. Let’s say you’re 25 pounds overweight, so you decide to lose that much through exercise and eating right. Is that

Sunshine becomes more abundant in springtime, so it’s logical that springtime is all about growth as growth requires energy. So, how can you apply this circular model from nature to reach your health & fitness goals? Well, it’s simple when you think about those two key characteristics of spring: You need to apply energy to make the most of your growth. Here’s how: 1. What are your sources of energy? Plants get theirs from the sun. And guess what? So do you! So, be sure to g

Spring might be our favorite season, and we have so many reasons why. The sunshine is so welcome after winter… There’s a feeling of renewal everywhere… And flowers are blooming all over town. When we think about personal growth and rebirth, the symbolism is so clear and positive this time of year. It’s everywhere you look! So, let’s think about how you can learn from nature’s beautiful cycle and blossom into your brightest, best self. 1. Dig in the dirt. Before we get to th

Some people say “Success is a journey, not a destination.” And while we agree with that, we also think success is something else. Success is a decision. That’s right. In building healthy habits, in achieving goals, in work… whatever: We choose our own results. We're often asked how to succeed at something – like losing a certain amount of weight, for example. The solution is simple: Decide you’re going to do it. Here’s what we mean – or, rather, what we don’t mean. You don’t

Our culture likes to promote the idea that “health is the greatest wealth” with all kinds of folksy sayings like, “If you have your health, then you have everything.” But do we really mean it? Do YOU value your own health? Really? Most people don’t, as we know from countless surveys proving that we, as a society, eat way too much or not enough and don’t exercise near enough to back up our supposed value of “health.” Why? One of the most common excuses is “I can’t afford it.”

Have you ever noticed that anytime you do something, there’s somebody who doesn’t like it? You get a new haircut – and someone tells you it’s too short You buy a new car – and someone says you paid too much You start exercising & dieting – and someone starts acting out because you’re “making” them feel uncomfortable It might just be human nature. Heck, it might just be NATURE because for every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction… If we're remembering high school rig

Wow! The holidays were just here and now it’s already March. How is that possible? Time goes by so fast sometimes that it’s hard to keep track of it. But with just a few simple hacks, you can soak up all the best of your life and maximize time for your own purposes. Don’t allow it to just pass you by! 1. Keep a calendar. Some people think it’s fine to make notes on their phone, but there’s greater effectiveness in keeping a paper calendar and writing on it (that’s what we d

No matter what the goal is – no matter how large or how small – the hardest part is always starting. Have you noticed that? Starting an exercise routine? Hard! Starting a diet? Hard! Starting to make your way out the door… so you can go to the gym or run… Hard! That’s because when you’re still, you naturally want to remain still. You remember this from physics, right? A body at rest wants to stay at rest! But a body in motion? Well, that’s a different story. A body in motion

Whether you love college basketball or couldn’t care less, the NCAA tournament offers a fun phrase to help us focus on healthy habits this month: March Madness! And under that theme, we're going to enjoy new experiences for our workouts, in the kitchen, and as relaxation tools for this month. WeI have put together a calendar of March Madness activities – one for each of the 31 days in the month. They’ll keep you in the right mindset for a successful and energizing month. Of

A great philosopher once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” It’s a good one to remember in our daily lives because without gaining awareness of what throws us off course, we’re likely to get derailed by the same mistake again. Maybe it’s a self-limiting belief that broke through your defenses and convinced you to give up. Maybe you listened to a negative colleague talk about the pointlessness of even trying. Or maybe you went ahead and boug

Almost everyone wants to look younger. In our culture, aging is viewed with the same contempt as gaining weight. “Well, she looks good – for her age ,” is a common back-handed compliment. And people spend millions of dollars every year on everything from face creams to cosmetic surgeries to fight off the inevitable. But there’s nothing wrong with wanting to feel and look youthful, if you reach peace with the idea that we’re all getting older every day. If you want to keep th

Which of these sounds like you when starting a new challenge or program? “I’ve got this! I’m 100% in!!” Or “I’m terrible at this. I always quit anyway.” Surprisingly, that kind of all-or-nothing thinking is super-common in all kinds of activities, including exercise and eating right. We convince ourselves that we must be 100% on point, and if we’re not, then we might as well not even try. “I win or I lose – that’s all there is to it.” But this is really a no-win proposition b

Coach Heather Binns here... A few days ago I wasn’t motivated to workout, and I didn't. I was dealing with Internet issues at the house, which impeded my work and altered my day. I was able to do some tax preparation that did not involve an Internet connection, so I was still able to make proper use of my time, but I just wasn’t in the mood to workout. It happens… Every day isn't perfect, and every day shouldn’t be perfect. However, that day I allowed my feelings to dictate m

Since the year 496, Valentine’s Day has been celebrated in some form. It’s a day not just to express love for a significant other, but it’s also a day to express admiration and appreciation for other incredible people in our lives. And that’s YOU! Whether I’m currently coaching you through Renov8 Fitness, I’ve coached you in the past, or working with me is simply on your radar but you haven’t taken the first step yet, I want you to know that I APPRECIATE you so very much. Tim

Most of us don’t need a holiday to think about chocolate, right? Any day will do just fine :) But with Valentine’s Day upon us, and chocolate being more associated with amour than just about any other food or flavor, it can be like an adult version of Halloween if we’re not careful. Have no fear. We're here to help with three healthier recipes for chocolate treats. You can enjoy these with your beloved, or with friends and family, or even by yourself. The recipes are for brow