Fawn Germer Talks New Years Resolutions

Best-selling author Fawn Germer, voted Top 25 Leadership Experts worldwide, shared some insight from her latest book, Work-Life Reset with our guests here at Hilton Head Health. She gave such relatable, InSPArational content we asked her to leave us with some healthy tips for the New Year resolution-ists:



Recap of Fawn's tips:

1. Make reasonable (realistic) resolutions/goals.


2. Don't try to take on too many goals.


3. Take baby steps to reach your goals. (Small changes create bigger transformations.)


4. Believe in yourself!

When you're creating your list of New Year's resolutions or goals, use Fawn's tips to help you create an achievable list. In December of next year when you look back, you'll see all that you've accomplished.

What is your biggest goal for 2016?

3 Unconventional Ways to Keep Your New Year's Resolutions

It’s 2015! And as always, the New Year means New Year's Resolutions. At the top of the year, everyone is excited and revved up to make life changes and become a healthier, better or stronger person in one way or another. But how long does this 'excited phase' last before your resolutions are long forgotten and you're back to your old habits? Do something different this year! Try these 3 unconventional tips to help you follow through with your goals.1. Focus on what will make you happier.

In order for you to get the best possible results from your resolution, you need to focus on the right type of positive change. Think outside of the box. Figure out the answer to this question: "What could I do to be happier?" Once you know what would make you happier (becoming more active, drinking more water, eating more healthy), begin listing the steps you’ll need to take to change that resolution into a reality.

2.  Create a "To-Don't" list.

As you think about your "to-do" list for the New Year, remember what you don't want for the New Year. This helps you make your goals more realistic and more attainable. For example, your to-do’s might be: you do want to lose 15 pounds and you do want to have more time with your family and children. But, you don't want either activity to interfere with the other. Once you make your lists, you can create solutions for the don't list. In this case, you may want to create a schedule that incorporates more family time and designates your workout time. This keeps you accountable and helps make your resolutions more concrete.

3.  Put yourself in charge.

You have control over your resolutions. No one else does. Others can give you advise and support you, but no one else can make your resolutions come to life for you. Take responsibility for your life and the changes you want to make. With this type of attitude, you are more prone to stick with your plans and realize how much power you truly hold.

Now that you have some guidelines, start revamping your 2015 goals for the “New Year, New You” Contest presented by Hilton Head Health and Yummie by Heather Thomson. Your New Year’s goals could win you a 3-Day, all inclusive stay at Hilton Head Health and the chance to meet Heather Thomson. See full contest details here.

Fitness Friday: How to stay focused and committed to your plan

It’s a New Year: time to refresh, reboot, recharge, revitalize, restore. As we start this New Year, I want you to think about this word…. commit. The dictionary definition of commit is: 1. Carry out or perpetrate 2. Pledge or bind (a person or an organization) to a certain course or policy. Now this is sometimes easier said than done, right?  There are many distractions and many things going on in all of our lives that fitness sometimes drops off the priority list. Having this word “Commit” flash up on your cell phone, little post-it notes around your house or on your mirror, maybe a picture or quote by your bed to remind yourself of the commitment you made to yourself can help keep your commitment in perspective . Your commitment to your own health is dependent upon the importance you give it; only you can change you. You are what you make of your commitment. This means you need to have a plan---if you fail to plan, you plan to fail! Commitment needs structure, guidance, and some positive reinforcement when the goal is to make long term, lifestyle changes. How can you stay focused and committed to your plan? Try these suggestions:

1. Change your perspective

Shift your thinking from what you were to what you want to be. This may sound like a big challenge, but it’s not as big of a leap as you think.  Stop using your busy life as an excuse not to exercise and start viewing exercise as a way to set a strong example for her spouse, kids, and/or grandkids. At first it may appear as time away from them, but then you will realize your family will see what you’re doing and may even join you.

Start thinking that working out during odd hours as a blessing rather than a sacrifice. Find inspiration in others, looking outward for extra motivation. Take inspiration from everyone you meet, even people who can’t be physically active. This personally makes me feel exceptionally grateful! Whether you need to hang an “I’m lucky” sticky note on the mirror, or you can see the power of health in your family’s eyes, committing to a fitness routine begins in your head. Commit to yourself!

2. Set a goal

There’s nothing more motivating, although sometimes even scary, than that first 5K looming in bold letters on the calendar. Set SMART goals that include Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely goals. If it’s the race you’re interested in, register early and commit to an exercise program that will get you in the proper shape by race day. Provide yourself clear milestones, and as you progress toward your goal, you’ll find a ripple effect occurs and things fall into place in your work, home life and health. Of course the goal doesn’t even have to be an organized race. Maybe it’s a mission to get on and off the floor with your 2 year old grandson or fit into that old pair of jeans buried in your closet. Whatever it is, define it, write it down, and revisit it daily.

Make sure it’s realistic and that you can and will adapt your life to meeting those goals. Things in your life may have to change, if you do not change direction, you may end up where you were to begin with. Commit to your goal.

3. Schedule a regular workout time

Some of the most committed exercisers do it every day before the sun comes up or late at night when the kids are in bed. Sit down with your weekly schedule and try to build in an hour each day. It’s easy (I didn’t say maintaining your health would be easy) to stay in bed. But you have to set an alarm and take the extra initiative. Then you’ll find you have more energy and can be more efficient throughout the day.

If you convince yourself you’ll fit in a workout sometime after that last meeting, once the kids go down for a nap, or when your spouse arrives home on time, failure is certain. Write your workout on your calendar, set up daycare, and rearrange things around this one time as if it were any other important appointment you have to keep. Use technology like daily e-mail reminders, workout journaling websites, or phone applications to keep you on task. That time is your time, commit to your body!

4. Think fun and variety

By nature, humans need change and variety to stay motivated. We also need and like to have fun, even while we’re working hard so why can’t we have both?

Whether it’s a cardio or toning and sculpting class that changes choreography every week or a trail run that changes scenery every season, design your exercise routine around a variety of exercise methods. Cross training is an ideal way to develop a "balanced" fitness program. Varying your workout routines engages different muscle groups. Make sure you include activities you truly enjoy and look forward to doing. Think movement that's more like recreation and makes you forget you're working out like dancing, hula hooping, or playing sports with family and friends. Listen to your inner kid voice when choosing the best workout for you.  Workout variety also challenges your body in unique ways, which may introduce you to new muscle groups you didn’t even know you had. Commit to movement.

5. Reach out to others for support

In America, some tend to have trouble asking for help, yet in order to stick to a fitness commitment, we need enthusiasm and encouragement from other people.

Maybe building exercise into the family life could be seen as a necessity. Maybe taking a walk or bike ride replaces watching TV together.  For others, it’s finding a friend with a shared drive for running, and planning scheduled workouts together. It is easy to hit the snooze button when it’s just you, but much harder to leave a friend waiting at the track. You are 50% more likely to adhere to your workout when you do it with another person. Consider staying in touch with people you met here at H3, following and starting a fitness/health blog.  Also consider joining a social networking site or online community with fitness trainers and nutrition experts and support from other people trying to lose weight and maintain healthy eating and exercise routines.  People who get this kind of online support are proven to lose three times more weight than people going it alone.  Lobbying your workplace to offer on-site fitness classes will also support your mission for a healthy lifestyle.

Start thinking of yourself as the person you want to be, set a goal, enlist a friend, mark it on your calendar and have some fun. You’ll be setting yourself up for a lifetime of better health, more happiness, and more energy for everything else in your life.

Commit to yourself…Commit to your goal…Commit to your body…Commit to your Movement....Commit to your Health…. Commit to your Life!

Devin’s Dash 5K Training Program – Week 2

Conquering Cross-Training

 

Cycling: Indoor recumbent bike or outdoor all-terrain bike. Great low-pact way to boost cardiovascular fitness while strengthening quads and glutes.

Elliptical: Gives you the feel of cross-country skiing, stair climbing and walking combined into one activity. Move in either a forward or backwards motion, using all major leg muscles.

Rowing: An excellent cardiovascular, low- impact activity. Rowing strengthens hips, buttocks, upper body.

Swimming: non-weight bearing, give joints a break. This activity allows you to build strength, endurance and improve flexibility. Gives your legs a break while working more of your upper body muscles.

Aqua Running: non- weight bearing activity. Great alternative for injured runners or substitute for an easy running day. Use flotation device (vests/belts/etc.)

Devin’s Dash 5K Training Program – Week 1

H3 is introducing a 6 week training program that will help you prepare for our 4th Annual Devin's Dash Memorial 5K, a Run/Walk.  This scenic, flat course starts and ends at Hilton Head Health, it is open to all runners, walkers and CrossFit Athletes.

Warm-up Routine

Walk for several minutes then jog at a conversational pace for 5-10 minutes to raise the heart rate.

Dynamic Stretching

Has proven to help improve range of motion, loosen up muscles and increase blood flow to help you run more efficiently

• walk lunges


• butt kicks


• leg lifts


• pike stretch


• hacky sack


• toy solider


• inchworm

It is important to start off with slow movement and focus on using proper form before increase the speed of each stretch.

Cool Down

Bring the body back down to a resting state as efficiently as possible. Doing so will help prompt quick and complete recovery. The slowing of the heart rate gently will your veins time to constrict and your blood pressure time to drop. This will also help with the healing process as WBCs begin healing microtears in the muscles.

Static Stretching

 Designed to hold the stretch that is minimally challenging. Holding the position for 30 to 60 seconds as been shown to improve flexibility and recover after a hard run.

• quad stretch


• calf stretch


• frog


• pigeon

 All Cars Should Have Quick Brakes

• Achilles


• Calf


• Shin


• Hamstring


• Quadriceps


• Back

Make sure you sign up for Devin's Dash!

The 40 Day Challenge

Whether you observe Lent for religious reasons or not, this 40 day cleanse is a great opportunity to focus on a short term goal. Go back to your New Year’s resolutions and choose something from the list; this time, instead of taking on the daunting task of making a change to last the whole year, focus on the next 40 days. If you’d like to create a new goal, make sure it’s S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely) 

Instead of focusing on what you’re giving up for Lent, focus on the positive or what you’ll gain…

 

No alcohol = Add an additional $x to savings per week / Get at least 8 hours of quality sleep 7 nights per week

 

No soft drinks = Drink 8 glasses of water, 5 days per week.

No red meat = Research vegetarian meals and make at least 2 per week

No cursing = Think and speak positively / write in my gratitude journal at least 3 day per week.

No junk food = Eat at least 3 servings of fruits or vegetables each day

Watch less TV = Make a list of books I’d like to read and complete at least one novel from the list.

Sit less throughout the day = Take a Thermal Walk™ at least 5 times per week

 

So the 40 day challenge is officially on! Feel free to share your goal in the comments section of this post!

Declaring My Mission

January is coming to a close and I hate to ask, but did you fall victim to the Resolution Blues? Are you finding yourself slipping away from your goals early in the game? It may be time to refocus your energy.

If you haven’t already created a Vision Board for the year, I suggest you do so. Click here for step-by-step instructions on H3Daily.

Another exercise I would recommend is creating a personal mission statement. As part of our corporate wellness program, we encourage each participant to write a mission statement focusing on why they’ve set the goals they have for themselves—instead of focusing on the outcome. Mission Statements give meaning to your daily routine. They provide clarity and purpose.

Use these steps to create your mission statement:

1. Block off about 20 minutes and find a quiet place where you can work on your mission statement.


2. Grab a pen and paper and start by answering a few questions about yourself.
   a. What are my values?
   b. What characteristics do I like most about myself?
   c. What accomplishments am I proud of?
   d. Under what conditions am I most likely to succeed?
   e. What goals would I like to accomplish?


3. Now, use this information to create your personal mission statement. Incorporate the things that are most important to you and influence your behavior.


4. Post your mission statement somewhere in plain view for you to read each day. In the morning, establish a purpose of intent for the day. Ask, “how will I strive to meet my mission for the day?” In the afternoons, reflect on the day.

Here’s a great tool for developing your personal mission statement online. Feel free to share in the comments section of this post.

When Setting Goals think E.T.A.

It couldn’t be a better time to start thinking about goal setting for 2013 right? When I think of goals, I think about them as the E.T.A. for perfecting a behavior. I mean look at the definition of a goal…

Goal  /gōl/ (noun).

A. The result or achievement toward which EFFORT is directed; aim. Every goal takes effort. Whether it’s inconsistent or consistent there's some sort of effort directed at the intention. The degree of your effort demonstrates the positive or negative results of the goal. Not to its entirety, but probably close to the 95% achievement threshold. Goals require re-training our brains and have a lot to do with being honest with ourselves. Did I put enough effort into that one? The stronger the effort, the faster you’ll get to a goal.  

B. The TERMINAL point in a race. Personally, I compete in plenty of races. You all know that. Crossing the finish line determines the success of the goal. Did I finish in the time I planned? What place did I come in against the field? With every goal we set there has to be some sort of measurement. For some, finishing a 5K is the terminal point for others planning their meals for all 42 meals and metabo meals is the terminal point. Terminal means "the deciding" point. This point decides if you've arrived at your goal. Without a terminal point, we’ll never know if we achieve our goals.

 C. The ACT of throwing, carrying, kicking, driving, etc., a ball or puck into such an area or object. I am almost positive that for the very best of goals that we achieve, we’re sometimes kicking, screaming and driving hard to meet that mark or to find consistency. This is especially true when creating a new behavior. If you want something as bad as you want to breathe, you will be successful. Goals require ACTION. They require sacrifice. The more you're willing to sacrifice the quicker you'll arrive.

Get thinking folks. Every New Year opens the door for a quicker E.T.A. on certain goals.

Lessons Learned: Acknowledge Small Successes

Motivated by her retirement date in sight, my mom has been focusing hard on her health over the past 3 months. With plans to relocate to Hilton Head so she can spend more time with her grandchildren, she is driven to have the energy to enjoy her time with them. Signing on to a new corporate wellness program with her company, she has found support, encouragement, accountability, and easy access to information and activities that has helped her along the way.

This past Friday she was scheduled for her weekly weigh in. She had informed me earlier in the week that she thought she was on target to receive acknowledgment for 3 milestone goals - 5 pound star, a 25-pound charm, and her first 10% mark. She's admitted that it's been challenging for her to recognize each weekly 1/2 pound or 1 1/4 pound weight loss as progress, so needless to say she was looking forward to these with much anticipation.

When Friday finally came, a 3-pound loss for the week earned her 2 of the 3 milestones (only 0.8 pounds from earn her 10% mark). Overall, she still felt proud about her success.... That is, until she met with the wellness consultant. You see, the week's activity was to review her personal food log and review the areas that need improvement in terms of following the nutrition plan. She was told that she was supposed to be getting 2 teaspoons of healthy oils in daily, and that she would not lose weight unless she followed the plan exactly as written. Aside from the fact that this is a misguided statement (that's another blog in itself), my mom came from the discussion now focused on what she was doing "wrong." Forget the fact that she's eating more fruits and vegetables daily than she has in 2 years... Or that she is now doing a combination of walking, using a pedometer, biking, and attending Zumba when she's been sedentary for years... Or that her doctor took her off her blood pressure medication... Or that she can now discuss her weight and her actions around food without tears involved....No! Talk about poor timing! It broke my heart. Luckily she's heard me ramble enough about the successes some of our guests have had that she moved past it and accepted the challenge of getting in some healthy oils.

Lesson learned - it is imperative to celebrate your small successes. While it is important to review your plan and make adjustments when needed to continue your success, do not dismiss the opportunity to acknowledge the changes you have made. That 10% mark is a BIG deal, and it doesn't come every week, so it is absolutely critical to treat it as noteworthy. Congratulations Mom!!!

No matter how big or small... Share your most recent success with us and motivate another to stay the course.

Coaching Corner: Take a Pause to Celebrate Achievement

The journey to weight loss and lifestyle change is often a path paved in goal setting and achievement. We set big goals that provide a direction and vision of our ideal level of wellness; smaller goals are then established to close the gap.

 What happens when we reach a goal though? Often times we pause for a moment to look around and reset to the next goal on our path.  We are on a journey after all and want to continue moving forward, but it is the pause that I want to look at today. Just like in the flow of music down a stanza, the pauses and rests can be just as powerful and meaningful as the notes being played. Our pause at the attainment of a goal is a valuable part of our journey.

Sometimes we do not want to pause out of fear that we will lose momentum. If this is the case, go back to your vision of your ideal level of wellness and what you want as part of your future. Reconnect with that vision and what that means to you. Often times after a significant pause or rest in music it begins to builds, the momentum picks up and you reach the most exciting and meaningful part of the song. You do not turn off the iPod at the rest thinking that the song is over, you embrace the pause and wait with anticipation for the music to build and continue on.

Once you achieve a goal, whether a milestone or an inch pebble, take a moment to celebrate.

5 ways to celebrate your achievement:

1. Write down the date and specifics of the achievement in your calendar. It is a historic day and worth recording. Continue to do this and you will be able to go back and reconnect with past achievements in your journey. Stay close to what you have done and how far you have come.


2. Tell someone. It is not bragging! Think about how excited you are to celebrate good news with a loved one. Don’t celebrate alone. By verbalizing your success it reinforces the achievement and allows you to share your journey with those close to you. We were not made to be alone.


3. Do something about it. Use your new success, put it into action. Show it off. If you reached a fitness goal, seek out a way to enjoy it. Go hiking, kayaking, or sign up for a 5k. If it is a weight loss goal, go shopping for something new. It doesn’t have to be a new closet of clothes, but something new that you are proud to put on. If it is a nutrition related goal, try cooking a healthy balanced meal for others. We have some great ideas for you!


4. Give thanks to those who support you. Show gratitude for those who are with you and offer support on your journey. Gratitude is good for your health. It is amazing the impact that a 99 cent greeting card with a hand written note or a simple thank you can have. Whether it is your trainer, friend, spouse, or the butcher who portions out your meat at the grocery store, give gratitude for those who build you up.


5. Take a picture. Snap a pic of the meal you made, fitness adventure, or even the scale! Print it out and fill your space with snapshots of achievement. These will be reminders to you on good days and bad that you are a success!

 

Have you envisioned your “Gold Medal Moment?”

There were so many thrilling and inspiring moments in the 2012 London Olympics.  There were the six medals that Michael Phelps captured to be the most decorated Olympian ever, the smile and humility possessed by the 17 year old gold medal swimmer Missy Franklin, the redemption in USA women’s soccer and the miraculous story of double amputee Oscar Pistorius.  But, my favorite moment came during Judo, when 22 year old Kayla Harrison won the first ever gold medal in USA history.  During the first part of the video below Kayla describes how she had envisioned her gold medal moment every day before going to bed.

“Every night before I go to bed I visualize my entire day, the perfect day on August 2^nd.  I go through my warm-up, I go through what I’ll eat for breakfast, I go through my weigh-ins, I go through each and every match and then I’m on top of the podium and seeing the American flag go up and hearing the national anthem.”

Have you ever envisioned your gold medal moment?  Is it the look on your face when you cross the finish line at your first 5k?  Is it the feeling you’ll possess when you mount a bike and ride with your grandchildren at the next family reunion?  Is it the joy you’d experience when you fit in to a smaller size?  Or, is it winning the battle of self-confidence over food?

I challenge you to create a detailed account of your “perfect day”, the one you’ve been longing for and start envisioning it every night.

Summer DIY Project: Create a Vision Board

What is a vision board?

A vision board is a visual representation of who you are, what you enjoy, where you want to go, what you want to achieve in your life… or more simply, it is poster board covered in a collage of torn out pictures from magazines.

How to create a vision board

1. Buy a poster board and cut to whatever size you would like. Tip: larger boards require more pictures to cover; I believe the best boards are packed with pictures. Enjoy filling it up completely.


2. Flip through old magazines. Tear, cut or rip out pictures that speak to you. Try to have a variety to magazines; it can be difficult to build a vision off of one gardening mag.


3. Glue down photos onto your poster board. Try laying everything out first and then gluing into place. Make sure everything fits and looks good!


4. Share with others. Display on your desk, in your room, somewhere you will see it regularly and stay attached to that vision.

5 reasons to create a vision board today

1. An alternative to journaling. Journaling is a great practice; it allows you to write out your thoughts, plans for the future, current challenges and strategies for being successful. But often we write these things down, close the cover on the journal and do not look at these things again. A vision board puts a visual on these ideas and keeps them present right in front of you. Remember: if you can see it, you can achieve it!


2. It reminds you of who you are. Flipping through those magazines opens you up to dream. What do you want, where do you want to go, and what do you want from life? It opens you to new ideas and adventures. I found the words “Return to Sonoma,” it reminded me of a trip to Napa Valley when I was young, a place that I have always wanted to go back and visit again.  It reminded me of this place that I want to see again in my lifetime.


3. It inspires self-knowledge. Flipping through old magazines looking for something that shouts “that’s totally me!” is an opening experience. When building my board I was happy to find things that stood out to me, such as the word cardigan and a picture of a cup of coffee; the former a staple in my wardrobe and the later an essential part of my morning routine.


4. Unlock your inner creativity. We are all creative people, but this can tend to get buried under work reports, workouts and our daily schedules. When you tap into that inner creativity, it can expand your world and the way you view it. Step outside your comfort zone and create!


5. A fun activity to do with the kids or friends! The act of creating a vision board can be a lot of fun, sitting around on the floor cutting out pictures. It can be even more fun, sharing the finished project with family or friends. It is a great way to share stories and get to know people more. I have a picture of a black lab on my board. This is for my black lab I had growing up who was around for 17 years. When I think about growing up at home, I always think about sweet Abby.

One Step at a Time

What stage of change are you in? Focus on one habit or healthy lifestyle change you'd like to focus on and consider which stage you are in out of the ones listed below. Next, write the steps you need to take to get to the next level. Consider what is realistic for you and make SMART goals to help you get there!

Stages of Change

Pre-Contemplation: No intention or acknowledgement for need to change

Contemplation: Acknowledging that you need to change but not sure if you really want to or are ready to just yet. Considering or planning to change sometime within the next 6 months.

Preparation: Getting ready to change. Preparing for change within the next month.

Action: In the act of changing behavior. Committed to change and making steps toward success.

Maintenance: Maintaining change for at least 6 months to indetermined time. I would like to point out that maintainance never really stops. This is what we preach at Hilton Head Health, that getting healthy isn't necesarily about losing weight, but adapting a healthier way of living.

Relapse: Returning to old beharior or discontinuing change. Relapse is a normal part of any behavior change. The key to overcoming relapse is acknowledging that it will happen but being prepared when it does. Know the signs, have a plan of action and don't dwell on mistakes but stay opptomistic for the future.

Coaching Corner: 8 questions that will lead you to success

Being a Wellness Coach, I like to stay up with the times. I feel like it is my duty to constantly look for new and ways to ask my clients intuitive questions in hopes that they’ll take a different perspective on their lifestyle goals. Each week I am not only encouraging progress, but looking for new innovative ways to push my clients close to their goals. This week, I came across a recent Ted Talk on the “Secrets to Success,” by Richard St. John and bam! I knew I had uncovered excellent perspective to share in future coaching calls.

So here’s your Sunday Challenge. Watch the 3 ½ minute video below and after you’ve unveiled the secrets of success, ask yourself these 8 questions in the direction of 1 LIFESTYLE GOAL you’re currently working on.  This exercise will help you discover if you’re really doing everything you can to be successful!

1)      Passion – what drives you to meet this current lifestyle goal?

2)      Work – how much fun are you having working toward this goal? In what ways?

3)      Good – how are you practicing to achieve this goal?

4)      Focus – what are your top two focuses in regard to this goal?

5)      Push – are you making excuses or pushing closer to your goal?

6)      Serve – how will hitting this goal add value to your life?

7)      Ideas – what ideas can you come up with right now that will move you closer?

8)      Persist – how are you going to move thru your biggest challenge?

The Climb

My accountability partner and I have been texting each other just about every day to make sure we’re staying on track. She recently told me about a tough run she had and we decided to talk about it. Before her run, she decided to shoot for her best 5K time. In spite of the heat during her noon-day run, she managed to meet her goal of setting a new personal record (PR) for her 5K! After hearing this, I wondered why she was so upset about her run. Turns out, the rush from meeting her goal inspired her to make a PR for her farthest run right after running her fastest 5K. Needless to say, having spent just about all her energy meeting her 5K goal, her long run didn’t go as she hoped. I reminded my partner that while setting challenges for yourself is a good thing, celebrating when you meet those challenges is just as important.

I know I’ve found myself guilty of forgetting to celebrate my simple wins and solely focusing on what I could have done better. Often used in wellness coaching, when assessing whether or not you met your goals, try giving each goal a percentage instead of a flat out yes or no. What I’ve learned from this exercise is that even though I may not have cooked as many meals at home, decluttered as many rooms in my house, lost as much weight as I had hoped, or whatever the goal is at the time, I still made 70% more progress than the time before—which to me is success worth celebrating! So the next time you’re down about missing that top branch, take a look at your surroundings and celebrate how far you’ve already climbed.

We're so proud of all your success, keep up the hard work!

Coaching Corner: Are you holding yourself back?

Have you ever envisioned a day or set a goal and it seemed to work out exactly as you imagined? Ever talk to yourself about the possibility of something going wrong and it does? I like to think that how we perceive things and the perspective we place on our actions each day will dictate the sail to of our ship.  Whether you think positively or think negatively usually you’re going to be correct. I’d say roughly nine times out of ten this true.

Time and time again, I have heard in coaching calls or said this to myself “I hope to do this” or “I may do that this week” and it never gets done. To be honest, that’s weak thinking, weak self-talk. Are you really going to commit to that? Does hope have anything to do with you getting up early and completing a workout? Does maybe preparing your food on Sunday for 2 hours set you up for success? What I am getting at is that how we think about things and even the words we use with our intentions each week will ultimately affect your behavior, your ability to achieve. Words create worlds.

Let’s think about this … It’s the beginning of your week you have all these plans in your head, but you only end up getting to one out of the three things you wanted to complete. Let’s look at the two you errands or action steps you didn’t make happen, this is how it went down:

I think I’ll get a haircut on Wednesday night. I am visiting my family in a couple weeks and it might be good to get cleaned up. Sunday rolls around again and no haircut, what did this person do wrong?

Well, number one they said “I think” when how should they have self-talked it? “I WILL” get my haircut on Wednesday night because “I NEED” to get cleaned up before I see my family. Do we see how much more power there is behind those words? When you need to pay the bills you do, when you NEED to fix breakfast for the kids it typically happens.

Now on to example number two: I’ll probably prepare my meals on Sunday and Wednesday. There will potentially be time after work.

Right away, ouch to my ears. How would we fix this one? I am going to prepare my meals on Sunday at 4pm and Wednesday night 8pm after dinner. I’ll focus on these two times to better set up my week. Starting to see the difference? In this example the person go more specific on their intentions. They placed specific times and though about the other things that would be going on during the course of that day. What also happened is that they threw in the benefit “better set up my week.”

What your take from this should be is that when you set a goal, an intention; make sure of three things or else it won’t get done:

#1 – Use words that have power: hope has nothing to do with a goal

#2 – Get specific: When is it going to happen? What factors are there to consider?

#3 – Think about the benefit: How does this action impact your week positively?

If you’ve been holding yourself back forget about it. Use my examples and get down to business. There is no reason now for you not to create change or better yet get your haircut!

Friday Fitness: Setting Your Benchmark

It's important to stay motivated as  you strive to reach your health and fitness goals. One way to do this is to focus on the things you can control. Something unexpected my come up and you aren't able to go to the gym as planned. Instead of focusing on something that was out of your control, focus on all the work you've done leading up to that day. An easy way to measure your progress is to use a benchmark. Watch the video below on what benchmarks are and how to measure your benchmark.

Coaching Corner: Life Wheel

There is a certain rhythm to life. There are ups and downs, times when we feel pulled in one direction or the other. Think about the gravitational force of the moon. As the moon orbits around Earth, the gravitational pull influences and changes the tides. The same can be seen within our lives. All of the situations, people and events within our lives pull us in many different directions and like the tides we can be high is some areas and lower in others.
Healthy balance of life and activities is something that many of us seek out but have found to be elusive. Sometimes we can control the things that draw us out of center, other times we cannot. But we can be mindful of the imbalances within our lives and develop strategies to addresses the sources of pull.
Below is an activity I call the Life Wheel. It is circular diagram with 7 domains. These 7 domains offer a visual representation of our lives and the balance of influences and strengths that we have in this moment.
On a scale of 1-10, rate how you are doing in each one of these domains currently. A rating of 1 indicates that you are completely out of balance in this one domain, a rating of 10 indicated that this area is under control and you are confident in your efforts. Draw a line where you fall on that 1-10 scale for each area. You will find that the line will be bumpy, it will not be in the same area for each domain, and that’s alright! This exercise is designed to raise awareness on what areas we may require some attention and concentrated efforts. Try it out; see what the balance in our life looks like!



[caption id="attachment_7798" align="alignleft" width="420" caption="Life Wheel Example"][/caption]

Friday Fitness: Making it StickK during the holidays

One of the lectures that I teach here at Hilton Head Health is called Health Tech 101. It provides an overview of technological gadgets, websites and applications for smartphones that can assist you in achieving your health and wellness goals.  There are an amazing amount of resources out there and many of them offer a unique way of motivating you into action. One of my favorite websites is StickK.com. They use principals from the growing field of behavioral economics to encourage people to set goals and stick with them.

One of the main principles utilized is: people will work harder to avoid a negative outcome then they would to achieve a positive one. They use this principle as well as a “commitment contracts” to influence behavior.

You begin by stating your goal. It can be anything from getting to the gym 3 days a week for an hour, to quitting smoking. When stating your goals, make sure that they are SMART goals- Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-specific. From there, you recruit a friend to be the referee. They will monitor your behavior and progress as well as provide some added accountability.

Using your SMART goals, you will sign a “commitment contract” stating what you are going to do. You will then set stakes (this is the fun part!). This involves putting a certain amount of money on the line. You get to choose how much and where the money will go. If you do not achieve your set goals, then StickK will send the money to the appointed recipient. You have the ability to choose to send the money to a friend, family member or your favorite charity. If you really want to use the behavioral economics principal, then you can choose to have the money go to an “anti-charity” or a cause that you do not like—this can provide the extra hit of motivation to achieving the goals that you have set.  Recruit people to be in your “cheering section”. Share your goals and ask people to keep you accountable. They can send you inspiring or motivational messages to keep you going.

StickK.com offers a fun new perspective on goal setting and finding the motivation to achieve your dreams. If you find that the holidays can be a challenging time of year, take advantage of resources such as stickK.com to keep you excited about your goals.

Coaching Corner: Try something new for 30 days

As October comes to an end, I find myself asking that very same question … where did the month go? Whether we like it or not, it seems that life tends to get faster and the weeks roll by even quicker. I’m one of those people hwo always must stay busy so when I stumbled across this recent TED Talk by Matt Cutts, I said to myself ‘this is what I can add!’

Have you ever had that one thing that you’ve always wanted to implement as part of your lifestyle? That one thing that’s on your growing to-do list but never gets accomplished? For me, I know I need to find more time to not only relax, but reflect on my life. With this goal in mind, I’ve been working on adding beach walks once per day—no cell phone interference, music or anything—just me. I make sure to hit this walk first thing in the morning with a cup of coffee or later into the evening before its time for bed.

The beach walk is my first 30 day challenge and I totally have confidence that this small change will become sustainable. Check out Matt’s talk and let me know what you think. You may find that when November starts this coming Wednesday, you’ll be adding your own 30 day challenge!

 

 

Benefits of adding something new for 30 days:

• You’ll remember every month and it won’t just pass you by


• The to-do-list veteran will finally be crossed off


• It can build your self-confidence


• Monthly small changes will lead to sustainable changes

In addition to the video, check out HabitForge, a cool website that keeps the accountability of something you’re adding to your lifestyle through a simple email every day.