Do you ever wonder why you have a great attitude about your career, family, and often-crazy social calendar, but there is a little attitude adjustment needed when it comes to scheduling your daily workouts in? Here’s a secret. You’ve got what it takes – you just need a little fashion-fitness attitude to get you going.

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street; fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”
– Coco Chanel

If we can’t take advice from Coco then from whom can we take advice from? Not particularly known for a timid voice, I’m sure if Chanel were alive today, she’d have a few choice words to say about attitude alterations when it comes to adhering to fitness regimens.

I had a little fun with this so you could see how designer Coco Chanel’s successful attitude can inspire all of us to build a fitter, leaner, and more beautiful body today. Take a look and see how you can develop what the French call l’attitude.

Fitness Challenge One: Out of town guests arrive for the weekend and you were just getting ready to take a long run.

L’AttitudeShe Communicated Success: For Chanel, beauty was not just about looking good. It was about presenting oneself in a way that garnered respect from the outside world and allowed one to move forward with one’s own goals. By taking care of your appearance, Chanel believed, you would be able to present yourself as a powerful and successful person, even if you were not there quite yet.

Tell yourself this:My guests will be fine. They can help themselves to cappuccino and croissants – draw a bath – and relax in my beautiful abode. I’ll arrive later invigorated and ready to have a beautiful weekend.

Fitness Challenge Two: You set out to train for an upcoming tri-athlon, but you are having second thoughts. You’ve always wanted to do one, but are thinking it may be a little too challenging this year.

L’AttitudeShe Was Resilient: “Elegance is refusal,” Chanel said,“ refusal to give up.” Chanel never lost faith in herself. Despite having to overcome her age and her ruined reputation, she was able to make a comeback in the industry at the age of 71. She reinvented her designs and gave them a fresh spin, which helped make her company a leader once again.

Tell yourself this:
Be elegant. Mind, body, and spirit are strengthened by challenges.

Fitness Challenge Three: You are at the end of a long day and you are tempted to scrap the workout session with your trainer.

L’AttitudeShe Was Inspired: Chanel once attended a masquerade ball dressed as a figure from a Watteau painting. The compliments she received for her outfit prompted her to turn it into a woman’s suit. Everything from paintings, to men’s clothing, to architectural shapes, to simple flowers served as inspiration for Chanel and wound up in some form or another in her creations. By looking to the ordinary in order to get ideas, Chanel was able to create the extraordinary.

Tell yourself this: I’m in need of a mind-shift. I have the mental flexibility to get inspired by my surroundings even when they seem ordinary. I can do this, and make my life extraordinary.

Fitness Challenge Four: You’ve been traveling all weekends and finding time for fitness has been rough. You know if you wear comfortable shoes while traveling you could sneak in some walking time, a few squats, and maybe a few wall pushups while at the airport, but you think to yourself, “Style is so important- high heels are an absolute must.”

L’Attitude She Was Different: From her style, to her personality, to her marketing, everything about Chanel was unique. She brought a new vision of women’s fashion to the industry and, with its boyish qualities, simplicity and clean lines, she revolutionized the field. She brought fashion down to a practical level, all the while maintaining a sense of class and elegance that appealed to the elitist of women.

Tell yourself this: Confidence is key to pulling off anything. Besides, I’ve got class. I’ve got elegance. I can pull this off. No problem!

Fitness Challenge Five: You have been scrambling all day long at work. You’ve just noticed that you failed to pack the correct attire for your lunch break workout. In your workout bag you have your husband’s gym shorts, an old tattered – shirt of his, and your gardening tennis shoes.

L’ AttitudeShe Was Daring: She fashioned elegant women’s dresses out of the same material that was used to create men’s underwear, and at a time when women weren’t even supposed to be thinking about men’s underwear. She cut her hair and wore loose clothing when society told her she should have long, flowing hair and tight corsets around her body. Chanel was willing to take the risks she needed in order to reach the top.

Tell yourself this: If it’s good enough for Coco Chanel, it’s good enough for me!

You can get an attitude! And Chanel can help!