I met Alex Miner-Barron my sophomore year of college during a time when I had no idea I would need it most. I always thought being healthy was about working out and having a bikini perfect body or a six-pack, but I quickly found out it goes far beyond that.
A mind and body coach focuses on many different aspects of a persons life; exercise, nutrition, self-care, relationships etc. One of the most important pieces of material I took away was loving and taking care of yourself is key to being happy and healthy. Following this, the transformation I made not only physically but mentally was tremendous.
After knowing a mind and body coach for over a year and the impact he has made on my life, I wanted to know more. So I decided to spend an entire day with him from the crack of dawn till dusk. His days can vary from a 16 to a 20+ hour work day. Insane, right?! But if you're smiling at the end of the day that's all that matters.
The day started with me waking up at 6:30 a.m. to meet up with him at 7, when he starts journaling—which is part of his daily routine. In his journal that he keeps bedside, he writes down who he wants to be for the day and commits to being it for the duration of the day. He continues to write what's going to make him successful as a way to appreciate himself. Once he's finished, he gets ready for the rest of the day.
By 7:40, we were on the road headed to the gym to meet with his clients. At this time in the morning I felt nothing but pure excitement from him and it rubbed off on me. Alex has about 30 clients he works with and today, 9 were coming in.
After seeing clients come in and out from early-morning to mid-afternoon, I was amazed. I started to see how much he loves his job and it's truly something special to witness. At one point, it actually brought tears to my eyes.
With just three hours of sleep, he was spitting out energy like he had a full night's sleep. I always knew he was a busy guy—balancing his work and social life—but I never imagined someone having this much energy constantly with very little sleep.
"My goals are so strong that nothing is going to stop me, I keep going. Some days are tough but I love what I do. It's fun and exciting, it's like taking a shot of espresso," he says.
Around 4 p.m. we wrapped up the day in the gym and were ready to head home. With two workouts in, I was ready for a 10-hour nap. In fact, I passed out for a solid hour and a half when we got back. It was so refreshing and much needed. After I woke up, which was around 8:15 p.m. we headed to a co-workers place for a goal-setting session.
Why are goals important?
Goals keep people motivated and open-minded. As Alex said, his goals are so strong, they keep him going so he can achieve them. It's so easy for someone to say they want to do this, be that or go here, but if you set a goal and don't set it in stone and hone in on how, why, when and how you're going to feel when you achieve, it'll be much harder to achieve your goal.
Alex says, "I'll ask people what their goals are and they'll have no idea. They don't know because they've never been asked. When you challenge people it opens their brain and allows them to develop new ideas, beliefs and really discover who they are."
With his up and running business, he sets personal goals as well as company goals to accomplish, that way he is driven and working towards something everyday. During this goal-setting session him and his co-worker—I even pitched in a little bit too—they write out what their goal(s) is they want to achieve within the company. Then they get into specifics; how are you going to achieve it? Why? How will you feel when you achieve it?
My day with him ended around 11 p.m. but Alex had more to do. He ends his evening with 30 minutes of meditation and then finishes it off writing in his journal on how the day went.
After spending an entire day with Alex, I have a better understanding why he loves his job so much. You can see it in his work ethic, body language, eyes and how he communicates with his clients, colleagues and friends. His constant effort to help change people's lives is not only inspiring but also contagious.
On my way home, I was thinking back on the events of the day and how I was going to write this article. It was in that moment I felt tears streaming down my face. Spending an entire day with someone who is filled with nothing but love, kindness, positive energy made me feel grateful for the people, things and opportunities I have/had in my life and motivated to strive to be the person I am meant to be.
A mind and body coach is not an easy job. I think it's one of the hardest but most rewarding, honestly. I've not only seen a difference in the clients when they work with Alex, but I see a difference it makes within Alex. Each client, friend and person he passes leaves an impact on him and it’s something amazing to see and be apart of. Every chance I get to spend time with him is an opportunity for self- growth and I encourage each and every one of you to challenge yourself to grow everyday.