Working with people is a reward. Working with businesses is also a reward. It is difficult to determine which is more rewarding or which gives me the most satisfaction. Both feel very important to me when I am working. Both feel very important to my clients as we work together to make changes with both. Business and personal are often treated as two separate categories. I suppose the reason my work is so rewarding is that the two categories really blend together. In fact, they not only blend, but directly affect one another. That’s right, business affects personal and personal affects business. No matter how we attempt to separate them, they remain similar and dependent on each other.
How does this work? Well, let’s take a look at a person…any random person that you may know. They have a job, a family and friends. They went to school and are now working in a field that they have always wanted to work. There are good days and bad, but overall, there is a general satisfaction around this person’s personal and business life.
But how does this person keep things on track? Let’s take a look at a routine that works. This person has been working on this for a while and has a good grasp of what they need to do in order to be successful in both areas. They know their job well and understand the requirements. Each task is clear and they are able to manage the day to day as well as long-term planning for larger projects. How are they able to do this? With goal setting, motivation and again, clear planning.
On the other side of office walls, this person also has it together. They are able to stay in shape and take care of their body, mind and well-being. How are they able to do this? Well, it is surprisingly similar to what helps them stay on track at work. Each task is clear and they are able to manage the day to day along with long-term planning. They are able to do this with goal setting, motivation and clear planning.
While the actual execution of this lifestyle may be a challenge to start for someone that has not been into it, it can be simple. The best way to make it simple is to bring the two areas together. We know that if you let one area go, eventually the other area will be affected. So, what is the key? Think of it as one area. Your life is one big area that you have control over. By setting goals and planning for what you want, you are able to achieve the life you want. You can live a life full of health, success and most importantly, happiness.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Choice
I have written about choice in the past. Choice is something that I talk about a lot. Why do I choose to talk about it and write about it so much? Because choice is the most powerful tool we have in life. We have so much education and skill in our country. What did we need to obtain these positive attributes? We needed motivation and determination. True, but we needed one thing even more. We need choice.
How do you get to school to get your education? You choose to go. How do you get your homework done so that you learn the lesson for the week? You choose to do it. How do you prepare for the exam so that you can earn your grade? You choose to study. Now, as kids, it seems that we are forced to do these things, but that is not entirely true. We were not forced to do these things, we simply were given a choice in which the alternatives were undesirable. Would you rather be grounded or finish your math homework? This question was easy for me to answer…as much as I hated math, I got through it so that I could go play outside with my friends.
When you compare homework to grounding, it seems like an easy choice. When in all reality, it you REALLY didn’t want to do your homework, you could’ve simply refused. Your choice would be grounding. The same goes for our health. We know the consequences. We know what results our choices are going to produce. So why, with all of the knowledge we have, do we continue to choose to be unhealthy? We do we make choices that we know are going to lead us to hard times?
The more I work with people making lifestyle changes, the more I find choice to be an interesting concept. It doesn’t make sense to me. But I do see the problem. The problem is that we are not making the choice consciously. We are making it without actually weighing the options. We are acting without the conscious mind even realizing what we are choosing.
For this reason, I recommend that my clients really start focusing on what they are doing. Getting a clear picture of their routine is the best way to understand what they are doing. And getting a clear picture of what they are thinking while doing this is the best way to understand why they are doing it. Most importantly, if we know what we are doing and why we are doing it, now we can not only pinpoint where the choice is being made, but we can also introduce new choices. When we have new choices, we have new options. With new options, we have a new understanding of what we really want. When we know what we want, we can pursue it. What do you want? Do you know? If so, are you choosing to pursue it?
How do you get to school to get your education? You choose to go. How do you get your homework done so that you learn the lesson for the week? You choose to do it. How do you prepare for the exam so that you can earn your grade? You choose to study. Now, as kids, it seems that we are forced to do these things, but that is not entirely true. We were not forced to do these things, we simply were given a choice in which the alternatives were undesirable. Would you rather be grounded or finish your math homework? This question was easy for me to answer…as much as I hated math, I got through it so that I could go play outside with my friends.
When you compare homework to grounding, it seems like an easy choice. When in all reality, it you REALLY didn’t want to do your homework, you could’ve simply refused. Your choice would be grounding. The same goes for our health. We know the consequences. We know what results our choices are going to produce. So why, with all of the knowledge we have, do we continue to choose to be unhealthy? We do we make choices that we know are going to lead us to hard times?
The more I work with people making lifestyle changes, the more I find choice to be an interesting concept. It doesn’t make sense to me. But I do see the problem. The problem is that we are not making the choice consciously. We are making it without actually weighing the options. We are acting without the conscious mind even realizing what we are choosing.
For this reason, I recommend that my clients really start focusing on what they are doing. Getting a clear picture of their routine is the best way to understand what they are doing. And getting a clear picture of what they are thinking while doing this is the best way to understand why they are doing it. Most importantly, if we know what we are doing and why we are doing it, now we can not only pinpoint where the choice is being made, but we can also introduce new choices. When we have new choices, we have new options. With new options, we have a new understanding of what we really want. When we know what we want, we can pursue it. What do you want? Do you know? If so, are you choosing to pursue it?
Goals as a Roadmap
I love to travel. I love to travel by plane, train and any other vehicle that can take me to beautiful places. Road trips are especially fun. I have many fond memories of taking trips by car. When I take a trip, there is one thing that has always helped me get to the places I wanted to go. A map showed me the way. If I hadn’t had the map, I don’t know how I would have reached my desired destination. Even on trips that I had been on before, it was helpful to look at the map to be sure I was heading the right direction down the right road.
So, how do we travel on our health journey? We still use a map.
I like to compare goals to a roadmap. Think about it: A map shows us the picture of the area we will be traveling through. Goals show is the steps we want to take as we move through life. If you get lost, you can look at your map to determine where you are. If you are lost in life, you can revisit your goals to determine if you are on track or not. If your trip brings you to a fork in the road, a map can help you decide which road to take. And of course, if you have a question as to which direction you want to go in life, your goals can help you determine what you really want and what you will pursue.
You’ve heard me stress the importance of goals. In fact, my clients here about goals (and tell me about theirs!) every time we talk. Why are goals so important? Not only to they give us something to shoot for, but they also help guide us along the path toward the end goal or destination. Goals can help us test our current progress. Are we on track? Are we headed where we want to be headed? Without goals, it is difficult to answer these questions. With goals, it is easy to know where you are going and they make it much easier to get there.
So, how do we travel on our health journey? We still use a map.
I like to compare goals to a roadmap. Think about it: A map shows us the picture of the area we will be traveling through. Goals show is the steps we want to take as we move through life. If you get lost, you can look at your map to determine where you are. If you are lost in life, you can revisit your goals to determine if you are on track or not. If your trip brings you to a fork in the road, a map can help you decide which road to take. And of course, if you have a question as to which direction you want to go in life, your goals can help you determine what you really want and what you will pursue.
You’ve heard me stress the importance of goals. In fact, my clients here about goals (and tell me about theirs!) every time we talk. Why are goals so important? Not only to they give us something to shoot for, but they also help guide us along the path toward the end goal or destination. Goals can help us test our current progress. Are we on track? Are we headed where we want to be headed? Without goals, it is difficult to answer these questions. With goals, it is easy to know where you are going and they make it much easier to get there.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Comfort with Discomfort
A friend of mine told me a story this week that really made me think. She was at a local store when she was approached by a stranger. This stranger was a woman in a difficult situation. The woman wanted to leave the store, but there was a problem. In order to solve this problem, the woman came to my friend for help. She was standing in line when she was approached. She could see the strain on the woman’s face and knew there was a problem before she even asked her.
What she asked was for help out in the parking lot. Puzzled, my friend asked what was wrong and quickly followed her out to the parking lot. When they got outside the woman started to explain the problem. Her car was parked next to another car in the lot, just like all the other cars. When the woman attempted to get into her car, she was unable. As she had explained without hesitation, the space between cars was too small for her to make it through. The woman calmly asked my friend if she could get into her car and pull it out for her.
Now, my friend, being a helpful person, was happy to get into her car and move it for her. She did so without thinking twice about it. But after the woman squeezed into her car and pulled away, my friend thought about what had just taken place. As she walked back into the store, she realized that a total stranger just asked her to get into her car and back it out for her because she was unable to fit between the cars, let alone open the door and fit through it.
The more she thought about it, the more my friend found it to be disturbing. I agreed with her, as I thought about how uncomfortable this woman must have been. Not just in this situation, but everywhere she goes. There are so many situations that are completely uncomfortable for overweight people. These people are in discomfort all day, every day. I am not writing this to make fun of or even criticize anyone. I just want to ask the question: How did we get so comfortable being uncomfortable?
What she asked was for help out in the parking lot. Puzzled, my friend asked what was wrong and quickly followed her out to the parking lot. When they got outside the woman started to explain the problem. Her car was parked next to another car in the lot, just like all the other cars. When the woman attempted to get into her car, she was unable. As she had explained without hesitation, the space between cars was too small for her to make it through. The woman calmly asked my friend if she could get into her car and pull it out for her.
Now, my friend, being a helpful person, was happy to get into her car and move it for her. She did so without thinking twice about it. But after the woman squeezed into her car and pulled away, my friend thought about what had just taken place. As she walked back into the store, she realized that a total stranger just asked her to get into her car and back it out for her because she was unable to fit between the cars, let alone open the door and fit through it.
The more she thought about it, the more my friend found it to be disturbing. I agreed with her, as I thought about how uncomfortable this woman must have been. Not just in this situation, but everywhere she goes. There are so many situations that are completely uncomfortable for overweight people. These people are in discomfort all day, every day. I am not writing this to make fun of or even criticize anyone. I just want to ask the question: How did we get so comfortable being uncomfortable?
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