Why do you set goals? We set goals so that we can measure progress. What I want to emphasize today is that any goal reached is progress. Sometimes just setting goals becomes a chore. When we don’t feel confident that we will accomplish something, setting a goal around it is not something we feel very comfortable doing.
So how do you set goals if you are not confident? Change the goal. That’s right, you can change the goal. It is your goal; therefore you can choose what it will be. For example, a client said to me, “I’m not sure I can make it to the gym 3 days per week right now.” After talking about her situation, it was clear that this was a temporary scheduling issue. We agreed that 2 days per week would be better than nothing over the course of the month that the schedule was going to be challenging.
Now some may say, the goal is 3 days; we have to get 3 days. I agree with that mentality. What I don’t agree with is the idea that once a goal is set, it cannot be changed. I believe that it is better to change a goal and reach it than to stick to an unrealistic goal and fail. The real failure that we run into is not our lack of ability or even our lack of effort. The real failure is simply our failure to set realistic goals.
The moral of the story is: Setting realistic goals from the start is the key to success. We’ve already discussed the definition of success and how reaching your goal is the only requirement to achieving it. Well, if your goal is to do more than you did last week and you do, that is success. If your goals are unrealistic from the start, it will be more difficult to succeed.
Your coach is there to help you get things off to a good start. The rest is up to you. Setting your goals, sharing your challenges and motivating factors and communicating your confidence level will help you get on track. You and your coach will work together to keep you on track.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Change: Lasting vs. Instant
We all want change to take place quickly. No matter what we are doing, we prefer results that come quickly rather than slowly. Maybe it is our society, technology or any number of things, but the point is, no matter what change we are trying to make, there is someone out there telling us they have found a faster (and often easier) way to accomplish it.
On one hand, you can make changes very easily, but on the other it can be a major challenge. Even making the same change can be easy or hard, depending on many factors. How is it that changes are both difficult and simple? It is because there are two types of change. There is instant change (or a quick fix), which is not difficult at all. And there is lasting change (or a long term solution), which is generally more difficult.
What is the difference between lasting and instant change? Lasting change is change that is brought on by a process of habit forming behavior. The key word is habit. As the habit is formed and becomes more natural, it becomes easier to sustain the change over the long term. Instant change does not typically achieve this, since it usually comes on quickly and with little planning. Instant change is change that is done quickly and hastily with no emphasis on habit or long term results. For that reason, it is difficult to sustain the instant change for a long period of time since it is so unnatural.
How do you make lasting changes? It starts with a game plan. Figuring out where you are, where you want to go and setting goals to get there. Now, when I say goal, I don’t mean a weight, size or any other number. Another key to lasting change is focus on the behavior or action involved. For example: If you set your goal: running on the treadmill for 30 minutes on three days per week during lunch break, your results will be weight loss. Many people fall short or can’t sustain change because they are focused on the result they want. If anyone could close their eyes and have weight come off through concentration, they would be the most incredible people on earth. We know that concentration alone does not produce results. Action produces results. So our goals have to be based on action. We know what the result will be, so all we have to focus on is the goal and the results will follow.
It is to It is easier than you think to make lasting change; it just takes longer than instant change. But when you look at the big picture, once the change is made, generally it sticks because it is gradual and well planned. Using logic, one can conclude that it is easier to gradually make a change over a long period of time and have it stick than to keep trying over and over again to quickly achieve the same change. We focus so much on not only results, but quick results, that we end up creating unrealistic expectations. These expectations lead us to impatience when we don’t see instant results and to disappointment when we fall short. Therefore, this cycle hinders future attempts at change.
Remember, the key is to focus on the actions. As long as we set goals around action and do these actions, results will follow. The result is directly proportional to the action. Action that takes place over a few days will have impact on a few days. Action that takes place over the course of your life will have impact on the course of your life. In other words, healthy actions lead to healthy results. If you want to live healthy, you have to do healthy things!
On one hand, you can make changes very easily, but on the other it can be a major challenge. Even making the same change can be easy or hard, depending on many factors. How is it that changes are both difficult and simple? It is because there are two types of change. There is instant change (or a quick fix), which is not difficult at all. And there is lasting change (or a long term solution), which is generally more difficult.
What is the difference between lasting and instant change? Lasting change is change that is brought on by a process of habit forming behavior. The key word is habit. As the habit is formed and becomes more natural, it becomes easier to sustain the change over the long term. Instant change does not typically achieve this, since it usually comes on quickly and with little planning. Instant change is change that is done quickly and hastily with no emphasis on habit or long term results. For that reason, it is difficult to sustain the instant change for a long period of time since it is so unnatural.
How do you make lasting changes? It starts with a game plan. Figuring out where you are, where you want to go and setting goals to get there. Now, when I say goal, I don’t mean a weight, size or any other number. Another key to lasting change is focus on the behavior or action involved. For example: If you set your goal: running on the treadmill for 30 minutes on three days per week during lunch break, your results will be weight loss. Many people fall short or can’t sustain change because they are focused on the result they want. If anyone could close their eyes and have weight come off through concentration, they would be the most incredible people on earth. We know that concentration alone does not produce results. Action produces results. So our goals have to be based on action. We know what the result will be, so all we have to focus on is the goal and the results will follow.
It is to It is easier than you think to make lasting change; it just takes longer than instant change. But when you look at the big picture, once the change is made, generally it sticks because it is gradual and well planned. Using logic, one can conclude that it is easier to gradually make a change over a long period of time and have it stick than to keep trying over and over again to quickly achieve the same change. We focus so much on not only results, but quick results, that we end up creating unrealistic expectations. These expectations lead us to impatience when we don’t see instant results and to disappointment when we fall short. Therefore, this cycle hinders future attempts at change.
Remember, the key is to focus on the actions. As long as we set goals around action and do these actions, results will follow. The result is directly proportional to the action. Action that takes place over a few days will have impact on a few days. Action that takes place over the course of your life will have impact on the course of your life. In other words, healthy actions lead to healthy results. If you want to live healthy, you have to do healthy things!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Success in wellness, life and business
As a consultant, I spend a great deal of time working with my clients on their strategy. It is still a new concept, but businesses that look at their employees’ health as a system benefit in many ways. These companies see health care costs, medical claims and lost productivity decreased. They also see employee satisfaction, retention and attraction increased as a result of positive culture changes. The employees working for companies that have invested in them feel appreciated, motivated and genuinely enjoy the atmosphere of their company.
Now, you may be thinking that this sounds like a corporate wellness article. While it does (and is) about the principles of corporate wellness, the key word here is not corporate. The key word is wellness. What I have noticed is that wellness is wellness. Health is health and the importance it rings true in all areas of life. For that fact, life is life and no matter what part of it we are looking at, there are common factors that lead to success and common factors that lead to failure.
Note: as I opened this article, I mentioned some of the positives that companies experience when they implement my programming. Is it any wonder that these results are possible?
Let’s examine the cause and effect:
Company implements healthy options, education and support for their employees and in turn sees success in multiple areas of business.
Let’s break it down further and find out why:
Each employee in the company is using the options, education and support to make changes that improve their lives. They do well and…the company does well.
It is exciting to me when a group of people realize that they can help each other. It is just as exciting when an individual within that group realizes they can help themselves. In order for the group to be successful, individuals need to make the choice to change. When they do that, great things happen, both for them and for the group.
I am involved in this process day in and day out, so it can become a challenge to look at it from other perspectives. Although it is a challenge, I wanted to write this article to emphasize the importance of health in our lives. I guess the moral of the story is that success is very fulfilling. When we set goals and take the steps to achieve them, we are rewarded. It is rewarding for me to help people succeed. I have discovered that it is also rewarding for my clients to help their people succeed.
Now, you may be thinking that this sounds like a corporate wellness article. While it does (and is) about the principles of corporate wellness, the key word here is not corporate. The key word is wellness. What I have noticed is that wellness is wellness. Health is health and the importance it rings true in all areas of life. For that fact, life is life and no matter what part of it we are looking at, there are common factors that lead to success and common factors that lead to failure.
Note: as I opened this article, I mentioned some of the positives that companies experience when they implement my programming. Is it any wonder that these results are possible?
Let’s examine the cause and effect:
Company implements healthy options, education and support for their employees and in turn sees success in multiple areas of business.
Let’s break it down further and find out why:
Each employee in the company is using the options, education and support to make changes that improve their lives. They do well and…the company does well.
It is exciting to me when a group of people realize that they can help each other. It is just as exciting when an individual within that group realizes they can help themselves. In order for the group to be successful, individuals need to make the choice to change. When they do that, great things happen, both for them and for the group.
I am involved in this process day in and day out, so it can become a challenge to look at it from other perspectives. Although it is a challenge, I wanted to write this article to emphasize the importance of health in our lives. I guess the moral of the story is that success is very fulfilling. When we set goals and take the steps to achieve them, we are rewarded. It is rewarding for me to help people succeed. I have discovered that it is also rewarding for my clients to help their people succeed.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Health: Your Mindset
Health is not just part of our lives. Health is our life. If we don’t have health, we don’t have the life we want. We don’t have the ability to do what we want to do, nor are we able to enjoy life the way we want to. In some cases, we don’t have life at all.
I have discovered that health is the most important part of my life. I have also helped many others discover that it is important in their lives. In my years of coaching, I have continued to learn and find new fascinating aspects of human behavior. In learning about people, as it is with most topics, I find myself asking many questions. Some of the questions are simply ways for me to think through my own hypotheses, while others are very perplexing and take years to answer.
Why don’t we automatically think about health as an important part of our lives? Why is it so difficult to put our health at the top of our own list of priorities? I have posed these questions to many and will continue to do so in order to find the answers. While I have many ways to motivate, support and even technical aspects of improving health in my repertoire, these questions still intrigue me.
Why do they intrigue me? Well, it is not enough for me to simply say, “This is what you need to do in order to improve your health”. Many people, whether in good health or not, would understand the “shoulds” and “shouldn’ts” and even dismiss them as common knowledge. However, I know that it is difficult for many people and I know what to do to help you overcome that challenge. I know why people struggle and I can help them get through. What I don’t know is the part that intrigues me.
The part that I don’t know is: Why is it so difficult to prioritize health in the first place? Why do we put ourselves last on the list of our own priorities? Mentally, we know what we “should” and “shouldn’t” be doing. Yet we often fail to do what we know we need.
I want to know what you think. I know that we are already in an ugly situation, but rather than continuing to bombard you with facts and point fingers, I want to understand the reasons behind our national crisis. I want to know why we live this way despite knowing what our bodies need (and don’t need). I want to hear you explain what makes it so challenging to value and care for the most sophisticated and complex machine we could ever own. The machine that we own from birth and holds more value than anything we could ever purchase. The machine that we have for life and can do more than anything technology could ever invent. I want to know what makes it a challenge for you. What is your mindset and where did it come from?
I have discovered that health is the most important part of my life. I have also helped many others discover that it is important in their lives. In my years of coaching, I have continued to learn and find new fascinating aspects of human behavior. In learning about people, as it is with most topics, I find myself asking many questions. Some of the questions are simply ways for me to think through my own hypotheses, while others are very perplexing and take years to answer.
Why don’t we automatically think about health as an important part of our lives? Why is it so difficult to put our health at the top of our own list of priorities? I have posed these questions to many and will continue to do so in order to find the answers. While I have many ways to motivate, support and even technical aspects of improving health in my repertoire, these questions still intrigue me.
Why do they intrigue me? Well, it is not enough for me to simply say, “This is what you need to do in order to improve your health”. Many people, whether in good health or not, would understand the “shoulds” and “shouldn’ts” and even dismiss them as common knowledge. However, I know that it is difficult for many people and I know what to do to help you overcome that challenge. I know why people struggle and I can help them get through. What I don’t know is the part that intrigues me.
The part that I don’t know is: Why is it so difficult to prioritize health in the first place? Why do we put ourselves last on the list of our own priorities? Mentally, we know what we “should” and “shouldn’t” be doing. Yet we often fail to do what we know we need.
I want to know what you think. I know that we are already in an ugly situation, but rather than continuing to bombard you with facts and point fingers, I want to understand the reasons behind our national crisis. I want to know why we live this way despite knowing what our bodies need (and don’t need). I want to hear you explain what makes it so challenging to value and care for the most sophisticated and complex machine we could ever own. The machine that we own from birth and holds more value than anything we could ever purchase. The machine that we have for life and can do more than anything technology could ever invent. I want to know what makes it a challenge for you. What is your mindset and where did it come from?
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