It’s been a tough winter around here.

With his new work schedule, Gino has had trouble sticking to his meal plan. With the baby and the cold weather, getting all of my workouts in has been challenging.

So what is missing? Why were we able to easily fit it all in before? Why are we having touble now? Was it really work, winter and the baby? Or were those just distractions?

In the big picture, nothing has changed. Right now, we just aren’t fully focused on an end-result. We need new motivation. Something to rejuvenate us. We need a new goal to focus on.

Like most of us, we need a bigger reason to get started. Gino thought back to the last time he needed a burst of motivation. That was when we started our second BFL Challenge in 2001. We got 9 friends together, made some agreements, and started another 12-week challenge. What was our result? We furthered our progress in getting in shape. In fact, I think we may have even made greater changes than we had made in 2000 when we became Body-for-LIFE Champions.

So, Gino decided to initiate another challenge. Next was determining who would be ideal to include in this challenge. My sister has begun to work out. My dad has lost more than 10 pounds by changing his diet. When Gino noticed that our families were fostering a common interest in their health and wellness, he instituted a challenge to our families. He is once again excited, invigorated and motivated to stay on-track.

If you are in need of a burst of motivation, maybe you need to look no further than your closest friends and family. Let them know you are interested in getting into better shape and ask them if they would be interested in joining you. They can do it for themselves, or they can do it to help you. But will they do it?

Here are a few places to help you and them as you get started:

Body-for-LIFE Basics

10 Things to do Before You Begin

Hope this helps you!