by Tom Nugent

Pat Croce is a man with an attitude. That attitude made him a millionaire, put him on the cover of Inc. — and helped save his shattered leg.

Now he wants to give you some attitude, too. As a “life coach,” he wants you to improve your health and get more out of life by changing the way you think about yourself.

Mr. Croce’s high-octane blend of self-improvement through self-inspiration led Inc. to call him “the Dale Carnegie of the 21st Century.”

After a working-class childhood in North Philadelphia and a stint as a hospital physical therapist, Mr. Croce built a $40 million chain of exercise centers before becoming president of the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team. Now, as a personal trainer and corporate consultant, he tells managers how to get the most from themselves and their workers.

How did he pull it off? He shouts a one-word answer: “Attitude!” Then he launches a pep talk on the value of “developing a more positive attitude” as a key to health and productivity.

“The medical research shows beyond a doubt that improving your attitude about yourself usually pays significant health dividends,” says the best-selling author of I Feel Great and You Will, Too! “But I don’t need to look at the data to understand how important attitude is to mental and physical well-being. Why? Because I’ve seen the health-enhancing effects of building a positive attitude in my own life.

“In situation after situation, I was able to accomplish personal goals because I knew how to motivate myself. It wasn’t easy, but I eventually taught myself how to look in the mirror and say: ‘Croce, you are gonna meet all of your challenges today, because you are a strong, thoughtful, capable human being.’”

Mr. Croce’s strategy passed a harsh test a few years ago. A motorcycle accident nearly cost him a leg. On a rainswept highway in June 1999, a fellow cyclist lost control of his bike and ran over Mr. Croce’s left leg, all but severing his foot. After doctors sewed it back on, Mr. Croce struggled through more than a year of therapy to walk again.

“The road to recovery after my accident was long and difficult,” he recalls, “and my ideas about the importance of attitude were tested to the max. It wasn’t easy, but I learned the hard way that the self-motivation philosophy I’d been advocating for years really does work in the clutch. Today I’m as active as I’ve ever been,” says Mr. Croce, 50.

“In many ways, I think the lesson of my life has been the realization that your attitude has an enormous impact on your health and well-being,” he says. “I love sharing that lesson with other people — and that’s why I can’t wait to get to work each morning!”

PAT CROCE’S 5 STEPS TO A BETTER LIFE

1. Pause each day to look in a mirror and give yourself a positive message. Focus on something you did well the previous day. “If you can start patting yourself on the back once a day — instead of kicking yourself in the butt — you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel.”
2. Keep a “victory journal” to list each day’s tiny triumphs. For example: If you vowed to avoid fatty foods and exercise today, and got it done, celebrate with a “victory moment” as you write down the deed.
3. Exercise vigorously for four hours a week. Split it up any way you want. “But I want you to spend half your exercise time on aerobic activity (jogging, brisk walking, swimming, racquetball, etc.) and the other half on strengthening activity (weightlifting, working out on exercise machines, etc.).” Get your doctor’s OK first.
4. Indulge yourself from time to time — then get back on track. If a bad day leaves you yearning for ice cream to fend off the blues, go ahead. “But before you go to bed that night,” adds Mr. Croce, “I want you to put an expiration date on that self-pitying behavior. And when you wake up the next morning, I want you to remember your goals and start working on them again.”
5. Accept that you can’t change your fitness or health overnight. “All I’m suggesting is that you do the little things that will slowly begin to improve your life. Walk briskly for 40 minutes a day. Put the cigarette back in the pack. Eat only half the food they serve you on that ‘super-size’ restaurant plate. Achieve these tiny triumphs one by one, and you’ll gradually transform your life!”