Loading the searchable article library…
Browse published articles attributed to Craig Harper, with full-archive search.
This might seem like an unlikely discussion coming from a bloke who has spent the best part of his (working) life owning and running gyms and helping people create their best body, but working along side thousands of people for a quarter of a century (good grief) has taught me many (many, many) ...
Momentum. We all need it to get us to our destination. To maximise our chances of achieving our goals. It's a crucial ingredient in the personal development process. Yet so many of us seem to be masters of the stop-start approach, never really getting out of first gear... while others, ...
Given the opportunity, most (if not all) people will reel off a list of things that they would like to change about their life. That's not to say (necessarily) that their current reality is intolerable or in immediate need of change, but rather that there are areas of their life which could do ...
Ladies and gentleman of the jury, it is my contention that the blogoshpere is in fact a dangerous place to live.nBad for one's physical health.nNice place to visit... but not to inhabit.nnAnd today, I intend to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that there exists an indisputable relationship between the advent of the blogoshpere and the physical decline of modern society.nnWhile the sociological, educational, psychological, emotional and potential commercial benefits have been
Public speaking is a curiosity; most people either love it... or are absolutely terrified of it. Some people are physically ill just saying their name in front of a group... while others will wrestle you to the ground to rip a microphone from your hand. Over the years I have done somewhere ...
It seems we have a not-so-new, but rarely discussed scourge on the Personal Development landscape.nnWe've all met Mr and Mrs fit-in-at-all-costs; the Social Zombie (what would you like me to do, be, say?).nBut over the last decade or three we have seen the rise of the Personal Development Zombie.nThe Self-Help Automaton.nThe person who hasn't had an independent thought or opinion since the eighties.nnNow before I get on my cyber-soapbox, let's take a look at a couple of defin
As an Exercise Scientist I get a bunch of emails on this topic so I thought I'd save myself some letter-writing time and discuss publicly how we can best maintain our focus and commitment to our exercise program, as it seems to be a challenge for many of us.nWe all talk about regular, consistent exercise (I'm not talking about incidental activity, I'm talking about actual structured, regular workouts).nWe all intend to do it, and while some of us do, most of us don't.nnResear
So today I'm taking my Motivator, Story-teller, Drill Sgt. and Politically-Incorrect-Rude-Bloke hats off... and putting on my Exercise Scientist beret. Yep, you read right; beret. Ready, steady, go. If you want to change your body in some way, then today's chat might be of interest to you. I ...
So the guy who's never done a writing workshop, never studied journalism, never taken a class in English Literature, never read anything more than comics or muscle mags for the first twenty years of his life.. and wouldn't know a pronoun from a protein... is surely not the person to give anyone advice on becoming a writer.nnSurely not.nnNonetheless, I'm gonna give it a crack.nOf course.nIf you want advice from the least qualified, least trained writing teacher on the planet,
You've all heard me say many times that we are multi-dimensional, complex, amazing beings.nnAnd nearly every day I talk about how we might create positive change in all areas of our lives and day-to-day reality; ways that we might learn, grow, change, improve, adapt, help others, live more effectively and understand more.nnAnd having pumped out about two hundred posts/articles (over quarter of a million words!) over the last nine months, there's one area I've consciously dare
Too many of us have too much time, too much emotional energy, too much intellect and too much talent invested in things we can't and won't change... and too little invested in the stuff we can and should. I know that sometimes I have a propensity to be somewhat verbose... so today I will be ...
Recently on a current affairs television program here in Melbourne there was a story exploring the concept of children not receiving 'traditional' school report cards and not being graded (marked) on their school work at all.nThe key message of the program was that evaluating our kids and actually scoring them on their work and exams might set them up for some kind of long-term emotional pain or short-term social judgement and ridicule from their peers.nApparently the traditi
* Before I even write this piece, I know that I will ruffle some feathers. I know that this topic will polarise you, the reading audience. I'm okay with that. I'm okay with your opinion, as long as you're okay with mine. We don't have to agree with each other, merely listen and consider. Feel ...
Part of my job as an educator, motivator, coach (etc.) is to sell stuff.nKind of.nNot physical stuff (toasters, convertibles, cross-bows... although that'd be fun) but more the emotional and psychological stuff like... ideas, concepts, philosophies, strategies.nnIn order to get people to take action I am constantly 'selling' the notion that creating our best life (body, health, relationships, career, finances, happiness) is largely about decisions, attitude and personal respo
Over the last week I have received a bunch of emails and comments asking me about my trip and what I've learned and enjoyed hanging out with some of the best educators, speakers, writers and pioneers in the world of fitness and health. And I mean literally the world; these people flew in to Colorado from all over the globe to be part of this amazing conference created and facilitated by PTontheNet (the world's largest online education resource for fitness professionals). I ha
You see, there are several Craigs. There's a scary thought. There's Craig the Business Dude. Craig the Exercise Guy. Craig the Coach, Teacher, Motivator, Mentor bloke. Craig the Philanthropist, who wants to do some good. Craig the Performer, who loves an audience. And then there's Craig the ...
I know, I know; it's a boring title... not creative, not amusing, not clever.nBut for many of us, it's a very relevant subject.nEvery now and then I take off my silly, creative, fun hat and put on my let's-address-this-problem-in-a-practical-way.. hat.nToday is such a day.nMr. Serious Personal Development Dude.nAlmost.nnThere are two types of waiters:n(1) those who serve people food and drinks andn(2) those who wait, literally.nnI don't eat out a lot, so I don't have much to
For my international visitors: parts of this post may be somewhat confusing because much of the discussion is in reference to a well known football player in our national league here in Australia (the AFL). Just know that he's a champion athlete and a champion person and you'll get the rest....nnSo, the other night I went to Robert Harvey's testimonial dinner hosted at Telstra Dome by the St. Kilda Football Club. Rob and I have been friends for a long time and apart from trai
I wake up with a jolt. My eyes are still shut but I have an awareness of light in the room. An abundance of it. Brilliant, almost blinding light. For a moment I'm not sure where I am, what time it is, or even what day it is. I can't really remember what I did last night. I'm guessing alcohol was ...
It's five fifteen in the morning. You wake up excited with a day of new and amazing possibilities ahead of you. You bounce out of bed and hit the floor running. You jump in the shower, throw down some toast and head out the front door. Knowing that today, is the day. Your heart is racing with ...
Imagine that you've lost something which is very important to you. Very. A prized, irreplaceable possession. Although it's worth a lot of money, you don't care about it's financial value; it's all about what it means to you emotionally. Personally. Your grandfather gave it to you. You are heart ...
* Before I start, let me say that I don't have the definitive answer to this discussion (or any); I don't think there is one when it comes to this topic. Like most, I'm still exploring it... which is why I have chosen to make it just that; a discussion. An interactive chat. A group ...
What I'm about to write will resonate with many of you. It will surprise some of you and hopefully, it will encourage a few of you as well. For much of my life, I have felt like a... weirdo. There. I said it. Not all the time... but often. In a range of situations and settings and for a range ...
We all know that I have a propensity to be somewhat... straight forward. Blunt perhaps. Politically incorrect. Periodically rude (according to some). An unfair assessment I say but.... Oh well. I'll cope. Sometimes straight forward.. is exactly what's needed. Less fluff. Less talking in ...
We all live somewhere.nnSome of us live in our nice comfy houses.nSome of us live in our big palatial mansions.nSome in our trendy apartments.nSome of us live in our modest bungalows.nnAnd some of us live in prison. nnJail (gaol).nThe big house.nThe slammer.nThe slot.nThe pen.nThe joint.nnIn fact, many of us live in a prison.nMore people than you might think.nMillions in fact.nIn fact, lots of people you know personally.nnPossibly you.nnMany of us live in a place where there
To be honest... sometimes (not often... but occasionally) the captain of inspiration and motivation (and political in-correctness)... sits at the his keyboard with that stupid, vacant, 'I've-got-absolutely-nuthin' look on his face.nnIn his normally, sharp-as-a-tac mind (okay, that's a big lie), there's a bloke riding a uni-cycle, wearing big red shoes, a green bow-tie and a yellow fluffy wig... he's juggling seven balls and has that far-away look in his eye.nnThe light's on..
In 1988 I had the idea of setting up a Personal Training centre in Melbourne.nThere were no commercial PT facilities in this country at the time.nIt would be Australia's first appointment-only gym.nI was young, had no business experience, no tertiary qualification and not much money.nnClearly, a perfect plan.nnOn top of all that... the majority of (allegedly) well-intending, much-wiser-than-me 'advisers' suggested that there was no market for this type of business concept in
Ya gotta love love don'tcha?nMaybe the Beatles were right.nnIsn't it great that so many people from so many places can come together (blogospherically) and connect and reach out to someone else.nnNo agenda, no ulterior motive.nJust love, compassion and care.nnNice.nnSometimes us personal development types need to take off our high-achiever hats for a minute and put on our compassionate human-being hats (yes we can wear both but periodically we lose perspective about what is r
* Excess (noun): more than or above what is necessary or usual. Unnecessary indulgence.nnIs it just me, or do some of you also feel that perhaps most of us actually have... 'enough'.nnPerhaps we don't actually need a 'better' computer with more ram, mega-thingies, or gigga-wotsits.nMaybe we don't need a phone that makes coffee, has built in satellite navigation and can guide the space shuttle back to earth.nAnd what if we do get the TV that's sixty feet wide... surely there's
Some of our best lessons come out of painful experiences.nnMost of my significant life lessons have been painful and have often had something to do with people that I trusted, respected and (stupidly) expected more of.nnDarn those expectations!!!nnOver the years I have had people whom I loved, cared for and invested lots of emotional energy in, do things which were dishonest, deceitful, hurtful and even criminal. It usually had something to do with money and/or business. Inva
* Blunt, offensive, politically-incorrect Craig wanted to call this article.... "Get That Shit Done" but it doesn't sound nearly as mystical, sophisticated or clever as "The Art of Completion".. does it?nSo boring, let's-keep-everyone-happy Craig has gone for the soft option.nOh well.nNext time.nnnLike many of you, my life is busynOkay, crazy.nBut crazy in a fun and rewarding kind of way.nnThat craziness means that I regularly need to rely on other people to get certain thing
When I walk into a room to do a presentation I regularly ask a few questions before we get under way:nn"Who wants to live an amazing life?" (every hand goes up)n"Who wants to have an amazing career?" (every hand goes up again)n"Who wants incredible relationships?" (every hand)n"Who wants more." (every hand)nnTo the uninitiated, it would appear that everyone in the room is pretty sure about what they want...nnThey want amazing.nThey want incredible.nThey want more.nnCool; they
There's a school of thought which suggests that those who adapt most effectively (to their situation, environment, circumstance, challenge) are the ones who ultimately survive, or at the very least, do the best; succeed when others don't.nWe see this play out, not only in nature but in business, relationships, sport, politics and life in general.nnOur world, and nearly everything in it, is dynamic; that is, in a perpetual state of change.nGreat for those who get bored easily.
My job means that I spend much of my life working with people who want to change something about their reality.nPeople who would like to be fitter, healthier, leaner, lighter, happier, wealthier, less stressed, more fulfilled.... people who want to create some kind of positive change.nnI always ask them some questions:nn1. Have you tried to change before?n2. What happened last time?n3. What do you really want (and why)?n4. What are you prepared to do to create that change?n5.
One of the many ironies of our existence here on the big blue ball is that, while most of us really want to experience 'different', we consistently do 'the same'.nnUnknowingly and unintentionally we create the same, almost every day of our lives.nnWe want different... but we get up each day and do exactly what we did yesterday, the day before, the month before and sadly (sometimes), the year before.nnSome of us have been doing what we don't really want to do for years... hopi