Articles
Browse every published article connected to Craig Harper, with exact attribution and full-archive search.
Articles
Browse every published article connected to Craig Harper, or search within this exact expert archive.
If you're like many, then some days your mind is a war zone. Complete with the good guys (Mr glass-half-full) and the bad guys (Mr stay-in-bed-you-loser) fighting for your attention; your thoughts. Competing for valuable territory on your cerebral landscape. Fear, self doubt, anxiety, apathy; ...
Here's my simple take on what some people make, a complex issue; how we use or manage our Emotional Energy (EE). It's a precious and powerful commodity and it needs to be invested wisely and thoughtfully. Forgive my simplicity, I'm a bloke. And as I am constantly reminded by the numerous ...
Sometimes I feel like I must have missed that group-memo coming into adulthood regarding the age-fun, inverted-correlation mandate. You know the one. The one that stipulates that as we age we are required to have proportionately less and less fun; also known as the Progressive Misery Theory. As ...
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 ...
* 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 ...
Progressive Overload In the big wide world of exercise science there’s a training principle called Progressive Overload (PO). PO is pretty much the cornerstone of any training program designed to produce performance improvements for the individual who is following the program.
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, ...
While I don't claim to be (anywhere near) the best Personal Development Speaker in the world, if you were to Google the search term Motivational Speaker you would typically find that my name usually comes out somewhere near the very top of the list of about two million matches. Now, let me ...
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 ...
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 ...
It's seven forty five Saturday morning and I am doing my best to stay in my current state of being; unconscious, hung-over, stationary, comfortable, horizontal. Unfortunately for me, something or as it would turn out, someone, is destroying my tranquility with incessant thumping on my front ...
Aaah... the age-old debate. Are we born winners or do we become winners with hard work, discipline, dedication, determination... and all those other 'D' words? We all want to be winners. (Well, I've personally never met anyone who has the goal of being a loser). Winners in our career, winners ...
I just drove past a gym that was advertising group-exercise classes like this: 'Small classes, lots of fun, no mirrors.' No mirrors? Why on earth is that a selling point? Sure, mirrors aren't necessary... but why would their absence be seen as part of sensible marketing strategy? Something to ...
Last Saturday six hundred of my closest friends and I got together for a chat at the Network Convention (Annual Fitness Industry Shindig) here in sunny (drought-stricken) Melbou e. Well I spoke, they listened. Being the insecure only-child with a constant need for attention, that worked ...
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 ...
I think most of us would agree that on a practical, day-to-day level the most important life skill is communication. However, when we take a look around we discover that: 1. Many of us have trouble expressing ourselves effectively. 2. Many of us spend the majority of our life not saying what we ...
If you’re serious about creating lasting and significant change in your world – as opposed to merely thinking and talking about it for another year – there are a few things you might want to do in order to help make those intentions a reality… 1. Know what success is. If you don’t know what success is (for you), how can you possibly create it? Success is different things for different people and one person’s success (a pregnancy for example) might be another person’s catastrophe.
When was the last time you questioned your beliefs? Really questioned them? That is, took a practical, realistic, uncomfortable, honest and un-emotional look at some of the beliefs that “run” your life. You do know that some of your current beliefs suck right? That’s no major revelation is it? When we consider that most of our decisions and behaviours are a reflection of our beliefs, it’s never a bad idea to put those beliefs under the microscope and see if they hold up to a little scrutiny. To see if they serve us or sabotage us. Help us or hinder us.
When it comes to excuses, I've heard them all. And made up a few of my own too. In fact, I am a fully-qualified Excuse-ologist. Excuse-ology (the study of excuse making) is a fascinating but little-known science. Okay, I developed it. And graduated in it from the University of Harper. I keep ...
In my humble opinion, the single most important life-skill is communication. So get to work on yours. The end.nn*How great would it be if I could write posts as short as that and still have the desired impact? Make a statement, provide some instruction and then wrap it up. All in under ...
Two nights ago I had a phone call from a guy who I've known for a while. Quite a while. Danny. Over the last few years he has had two major physical and psychological battles; drugs and food. And of course there's been some emotional stuff as well. Yep; it's all intertwined. He's not a buddy as ...
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 ...
* 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 ...
We're all about making real and practical changes in our very real and practical lives, so I thought it was about time for us to roll up our sleeves and move from the theoretical to the practical. We've explored behavioural science and the psychology of change for long enough, now it's time to ...
If the Personal Development movement and it's ever-expanding range of offerings (books, programs, seminars, CD's, Gurus) was in fact proving to be an effective resource in helping humanity pull itself out of it's collective crap, then globally we should be seeing things improving by the day. ...
Over the last two weeks I have had an inordinate amount of conversations with people about the relationships in their world. Relationships with work colleagues, spouses, kids, friends, family... the lot. Mostly, it's pretty negative stuff. Lucky me. Invariably there are problems in those ...
Have you ever bought something only to discover down the track that you didn't actually get what you thought you were buying... that you've been well and truly scammed? Of course you have. Me too. We all have. "But with these pills I'm meant to lose 14 pounds in 14 days... without getting off ...
* Note: this article won't be relevant for every reader. For those of you who have followed through on your New Year's resolutions and done amazing things, you may want to check back in tomorrow. For some of you it will be a timely poke in the ribs, for others it will be reality check and for ...
The following is an extract from one of my fave movies - A Few Good Men (or as it's known here in Australia - Three Grouse Blokes): Jessep (Jack): "You want answers?" Kaffee (Tom): "I think I'm entitled to them." Jessep: "You want answers?" Kaffee: "I want the truth!" Jessep: "You can't ...
One of my favourite quotes about learning: "In times of change the learners shall inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists." Eric Hoffer. So true and so relevant for those old arrogant, ignorant dinosaurs who stopped ...
Happy to be here At the risk of sounding a little arrogant, I gotta say, my life is great. Overall, I'm pretty darn content. Not in a smug way, just in a happy-to-be-here kinda way. Yep, love being alive, love my family, love my friends, love my job, love where I live, love my country (you ...
Branding In the big wide world of business and in particular, marketing, the suits are always talking about 'branding'. The need to create a well-respected, well-known brand (reputation, profile, public perception) for our product, service or organisation. If you have the best product in the ...
Aaaah, the good old Pity Party; we've all thrown at least one in our time. Some people throw them every day of their lives. They are absolute party animals. Of course, quite often they will be the only attendee at these 'celebrations', and then at other times they will do their very best to get ...
I often get asked how I write my posts. What's my process? Do I have a weekly or monthly plan of topics I'm going to cover? Do I write using a particular formula? Word limit? Do I methodically and strategically mix up the sciencey stuff, the motivational stuff, the funny stuff, the philosophical ...
One of the many interesting things about being a life-long, single male in his early forties is people's reactions to that single-ness (yep, a word). Everyone has an opinion on it. Depending on the person's thinking, it can place me anywhere on the scale from 'complete social outcast', to ...
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) ...
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 must be morning; I'm hungry. Then again, I'm always hungry, so it could really be any time. I can hear the shower and feel the sun on my back, so I'm guessing the Boss is awake. I lift my head off my bed and look down the passage. I want a shower too. Sometimes I try and get in but he won't ...
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 ...
Once upon a time... there was a kid. A kid who loved to eat. Not unlike many kids, really. But this kid was different. He didn't just enjoy the occasional cookie or bowl of ice-cream. Or burger and fries. No, he lived for food. And when he wasn't eating... he was thinking about eating. At ...
So I was debating whether to write an article on 'the meaning of life' or perhaps one on 'how to get a smaller ass and a six-pack'. Which would you prefer? You're all so shallow. Cut that out. That's why you need to read this one! Well, the good news is that after reading this post, you'll ...
Many of us don't particularly like our life or at the very least, something about it. We haven't for a long time. And while we have the ability to change, for some weird reason, we don't do it. By choice. Or if we do change, it's temporary. Momentary even. The reality of our life experience is ...
So last Friday Johnnie and I flew north to the thriving metropolis of Brisbane (BrisVegas as our lovely host Lisa called it) to do some work for a few hours and spend some quality alpha-male bonding time together. I could share lots of mildly amusing stories about Johnnie's propensity to slip ...
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 ...
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 ...
They live among us. In human form. To the untrained eye, it is almost impossible to tell the difference. Typically they look like you and I. But they're not. They're not like us at all. They are Vampires and their modus operandi is not to steal your blood but rather, your precious energy. Your ...
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 ...
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
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
Do you ever marvel at some people's uncanny ability to make the simple, complex?nThe straight forward, anything but?nnA ten minute task, a two week saga?nnI meet these people every day.nPlease stop sending them my way.nThey are the woe-is-me brigade.nThe Brothers (and Sisters) Grim.n(The real Brothers Grimm were two German dudes who published a bunch of folk stories and fairy tales about two hundred years ago... that's for those of you who aren't as old as me!!).nnYep, some p