There are many people trying to get healthy. There also many people struggling with this task. We’ve talked about the challenges and you can probably think of a whole list of challenges from your own routine. It is no mystery that getting and staying healthy is not easy. We know that, but why is it so difficult?
It’s not just the barriers that we run into that get in our way. We often get in our own way. I’m not just talking about the things we eat or the exercise we don’t get. I’m talking about something that has even more influence on our routine. I’m talking about decisions.
Every day we make decisions to do things that we need to do. We need to eat food in order to live. We need to do something in order to earn enough money to live. We need to do a lot in order to get through a day. These are just a few of the basics, but you get the idea.
Where does your health fit in your list of decisions?
Your health is nothing more than the results of your decisions. What does it mean when you say: “I’d like to be healthier”? To me it means that you are going to do what your body needs in order to function at its best. That is the connection I make when it comes to health.
This connection means a lot to me. I live it every day and I actually help others live it every day too. It’s not enough to know what the connection is. We talk about that all the time. It is more important to know what the connection means.
What does the connection between wanting something and acting on it mean to me? It means that when I say I want to do something it is my decision to get it done. When you think about doing something, it may get done…some day. When you say you will do something, it may get done…you hope.
These levels of commitment are not enough. That is why so many of us are “trying” or “saying” we are going to get healthy. The only way to be successful in any area is to decide to do it. When you decide to do something, you are not just saying or trying to do it. You are taking action and doing it.
When you make a decision, you are truly committing. I’ve seen this with clients, friends and family. I’ve even seen it with myself. My connection was made and reinforced in my own life. That is why I can confidently say that if you were unable to reach a goal, you didn’t fully decide that you would reach it.
If you want to change something, decide to change it. Make a decision and stick with it. That is what it takes to get what you want. You clearly want to do it.
If you didn’t want it, you wouldn’t be thinking about it all the time. If you didn’t want to do it, you wouldn’t have tried to do it in the first place.
When you trying to make a change, it is important to remember whose decision it is.
It is yours. You decide what you want to do and what you don’t want to do. No one else makes decisions for you. When you try to do something, only you can make the effort. When when you say you are going to do something, only you can hold yourself accountable to make sure that it gets done. When you think about doing something, it’s still only in your head. Trying, saying you will try or just thinking about what you will do doesn’t get you through the challenges because you are not fully committing yet.
Only when you decide to do something, will you actually do it. And only you can decide. It is actually pretty simple. You don’t have to have a magic formula for success. If you really want something, you have to make a decision.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Risk vs. Reward
When you try to do something different, there is always going to be a challenge. Some may consider this challenge to be a risk. When you accomplish something different, there is always going to a reward. After all, you have decided to do something different. You took a risk. For one reason or another, there must be some sort of reward for you to take this risk.
Whenever you set a goal or take a risk, you have to have this reward in mind in order to get started. Once you get going, you also have to keep this reward in mind in order to keep going. When the risk becomes clear, the reward can keep you going. The reward gets us on track and the reward keeps us on track.
What is the reward that will get you on track? There has to be something that will make you get up and go after your goals. We all have something that we want. We also have risks that we need to take in order to reach these rewards.
When you look at our health, I see many rewards that should be motivation to reach goals. Feeling good, looking good, the list goes on and on. These things are what we all want. What are the risks of seeking these rewards? Giving your time, effort or maybe a little money can be risks?
How much are you willing to risk for the rewards you want? Maybe this is a better question. This question brings us to the real issue. The rewards are clearly very significant. Feeling good and having energy to get through my day are very significant. Looking in the mirror and liking what I see is very significant. These are just two of the rewards.
What are the risks? Giving up a few minutes of sleep in the morning is one risk. Taking time to schedule my exercise is another risk. When I compare the risks to the rewards there is a very large gap. The risk seem very small to me compared to the rewards. This turns my routine into a no-brainer. Low risk and high reward are ideal.
Maybe my view has changed due to the length of time that I’ve been at it. When I take a closer look at my routine and the routines of my clients, I realize that the risk is larger than I first thought. It seems that my routine has been in place so long and I’ve had to take the risk so often that it seems smaller than it is.
When I work with someone that is just getting started, I see that the risk is more significant when it is new. When you are risking something for the first time, it seems like it will be more difficult. When you have something in place for a long time, it seems like more of a risk to change it and less of a risk to keep going with it.
This can work both ways. It can be a positive, as it has been in my routine. I have been making exercise part of my routine for so long that it doesn’t seem that it is a big risk. The longer I do it, the less of a risk I am taking.
In fact, the opposite is true for not exercising. I feel like it is a bigger risk for me to not do it in a given day or week. The risks of not taking care of my health are certainly greater than the risks of me taking action in my routine.
It can also work negatively for someone that is just getting started. When you are trying to do something you have never done, it feels like a big risk. When you are trying to do something that you have not done for a long time, it can feel like a big risk.
Even if I have to adjust, which I recently have done, the risks of not adjusting were far greater to me than the risk of adjusting. Now that I have adjusted, everything is smooth and there is nothing but reward on day to day basis.
It comes down to the thought of risk vs. reward. If you are truly thinking of the risks and rewards of making changes that you want to make, it feels like a no-brainer. When YOU decide that you want to be healthy and take action toward that goal, it makes perfect sense. You see the reward of you being healthy, you see the risk of you making time in your day and see that one far outweighs the other. The reward is much greater than the risk.
I can understand the concept of risk. I can see, because changing anything is difficult, why people associate risk with this process. Despite the reward far outweighing the risk, it is still there and we have to overcome it in order to reach our reward.
Just like everything in life, this is easier said than done. That doesn’t mean that it impossible. It just means that we have to be deliberate in order to get where we want to go. Think about your risk and acknowledge it. Make a list of the things that you are going to have to give up. Once you see them in writing you can see that this really isn’t risk as much as it is an adjustment.
The same goes for your reward. Once you have written them down and decided that they are things you want and will go after, they will not only feel more achievable, but you will start to look at them as necessity not just ideal. Once you are underway, keep focusing on the reward and reminding yourself why you are taking the risk in the first place.
After all, the only reason you are taking the risk is to get the reward. What is your reward? What are you doing to get it? Knowing the risks of not taking care of your health, I have to ask, what is the reward for that?
Whenever you set a goal or take a risk, you have to have this reward in mind in order to get started. Once you get going, you also have to keep this reward in mind in order to keep going. When the risk becomes clear, the reward can keep you going. The reward gets us on track and the reward keeps us on track.
What is the reward that will get you on track? There has to be something that will make you get up and go after your goals. We all have something that we want. We also have risks that we need to take in order to reach these rewards.
When you look at our health, I see many rewards that should be motivation to reach goals. Feeling good, looking good, the list goes on and on. These things are what we all want. What are the risks of seeking these rewards? Giving your time, effort or maybe a little money can be risks?
How much are you willing to risk for the rewards you want? Maybe this is a better question. This question brings us to the real issue. The rewards are clearly very significant. Feeling good and having energy to get through my day are very significant. Looking in the mirror and liking what I see is very significant. These are just two of the rewards.
What are the risks? Giving up a few minutes of sleep in the morning is one risk. Taking time to schedule my exercise is another risk. When I compare the risks to the rewards there is a very large gap. The risk seem very small to me compared to the rewards. This turns my routine into a no-brainer. Low risk and high reward are ideal.
Maybe my view has changed due to the length of time that I’ve been at it. When I take a closer look at my routine and the routines of my clients, I realize that the risk is larger than I first thought. It seems that my routine has been in place so long and I’ve had to take the risk so often that it seems smaller than it is.
When I work with someone that is just getting started, I see that the risk is more significant when it is new. When you are risking something for the first time, it seems like it will be more difficult. When you have something in place for a long time, it seems like more of a risk to change it and less of a risk to keep going with it.
This can work both ways. It can be a positive, as it has been in my routine. I have been making exercise part of my routine for so long that it doesn’t seem that it is a big risk. The longer I do it, the less of a risk I am taking.
In fact, the opposite is true for not exercising. I feel like it is a bigger risk for me to not do it in a given day or week. The risks of not taking care of my health are certainly greater than the risks of me taking action in my routine.
It can also work negatively for someone that is just getting started. When you are trying to do something you have never done, it feels like a big risk. When you are trying to do something that you have not done for a long time, it can feel like a big risk.
Even if I have to adjust, which I recently have done, the risks of not adjusting were far greater to me than the risk of adjusting. Now that I have adjusted, everything is smooth and there is nothing but reward on day to day basis.
It comes down to the thought of risk vs. reward. If you are truly thinking of the risks and rewards of making changes that you want to make, it feels like a no-brainer. When YOU decide that you want to be healthy and take action toward that goal, it makes perfect sense. You see the reward of you being healthy, you see the risk of you making time in your day and see that one far outweighs the other. The reward is much greater than the risk.
I can understand the concept of risk. I can see, because changing anything is difficult, why people associate risk with this process. Despite the reward far outweighing the risk, it is still there and we have to overcome it in order to reach our reward.
Just like everything in life, this is easier said than done. That doesn’t mean that it impossible. It just means that we have to be deliberate in order to get where we want to go. Think about your risk and acknowledge it. Make a list of the things that you are going to have to give up. Once you see them in writing you can see that this really isn’t risk as much as it is an adjustment.
The same goes for your reward. Once you have written them down and decided that they are things you want and will go after, they will not only feel more achievable, but you will start to look at them as necessity not just ideal. Once you are underway, keep focusing on the reward and reminding yourself why you are taking the risk in the first place.
After all, the only reason you are taking the risk is to get the reward. What is your reward? What are you doing to get it? Knowing the risks of not taking care of your health, I have to ask, what is the reward for that?
Monday, August 2, 2010
Medication: Worth the risk?
I recently read an article about the latest medication to hit the market. This medication sounded like it was going to help a lot of people. The disease that it treated was horrible, many people were dealing with it and this drug seemed to offer a good solution.
A solution in a pill sounds too good to be true. As I learned from later articles about the very same drug, the “too good to be true” label was correct. The latest articles contained studies that showed side-effects that included heart trouble and even death. You may say to yourself that the risk is low and they wouldn’t put something out that could harm people. Well, that is a big risk to take. The latest study on this drug showed these side-effects occurring in as much as 30 percent of those that it.
I’m not citing specific names of medications, but I do want to shed a little light on a problem in our society. This article is about the risk of medication in general. This article is not to condemn those that are taking medications as I see a need for many. I simply want to make sure that before we take a medication, we ask two questions:
1. Can I prevent or reverse this condition on my own?
2. What are the risks to taking this medication?
By asking these questions, you can be sure that you are looking out for yourself. It is important to do that. It sounds like common sense, but no one else is looking out for you. If a product that is on the market and being prescribed to people right now is causing such serious problems, how can you leave it in anyone else’s hands?
After reading the article that I mentioned above, I was alarmed. I’ve actually been alarmed for a while now due to the increased frequency of use. This just made me think about it again. In today’s world it is very easy to get started down the road of medication. The average 30 year-old American is on 3 medications. The most common prescriptions in this age group are depression, acid reflux and blood pressure medications.
As a 30-year-old myself, I am shocked by this statistic. Why does someone so young need any medication, let alone 3 medications? Well, the type of medication is an indicator of our problems. Many people have legitimate medical needs, but think about the structure of our medical model:
You go to the doctor with a symptom. The doctor has been given a list of options to treat symptoms. When the doctor sees your symptom on the list, the easiest thing to do is give you the drug that matches up. It is quick, it is easy and everyone wins, right?
Not so fast. What if we looked at the cause rather than just the symptom? What if the doctor treated the cause of your problem so that it actually went away? These seem like logical questions, but this is not something you can expect in our current system.
In our current system, you get the drug that matches the list of symptoms. You get a quick visit from your doctor, maybe a referral to a specialist (where you’ll get another quick visit…and another bill) and then the medication is given.
Our role in this process is the scariest part for me. I can see how a doctor would find a medication that treated a symptom and allowed them to ease pain and discomfort with little to no effort. I can even see why that seems good to most people. Who doesn’t want to feel good?
We all want to feel good. What we don’t want to do is take the time to consider our options. What will this medication do to me? How will it affect my body and mind? These are two very important questions that often go without asking.
After seeing the studies and laundry lists of side-effects, it is shocking to me that more people don’t ask about their options. It shocks me to hear that we are taking more and more medications and spending even less time thinking about what they are doing to us.
I think it goes back to the model we are in. It’s not just how the doctor is trained. It is about the symptoms. What we are dealing with is nothing but a list of symptoms. From the diabetes to depression, we are dealing with the symptoms. These conditions are merely symptoms of our lifestyles. When we eat too much and gain weight, the body can’t process blood sugar properly and we end up with diabetes.
3 most common symptoms treated by medications in today’s 30 year-old:
When we don’t move enough and continue to do things that aren’t in line with what we want, we feel down and depressed. When we eat foods high in sodium and don’t get enough exercise, our blood pressure will be elevated. When we eat processed foods high in fat, salt and sugar and drink acidic sodas, the body will react and show digestive problems such as acid reflux.
You can go to the doctor and get treatments for these symptoms. As we’ve discussed, that is easy. The doctor will give you what you want without much question. You don’t have to ask yourself why these symptoms are occurring. You don’t have to try to find a way to improve on your own. You don’t even have to know why you are suffering from this symptom. You can live this way and everything will be fine.
At least we hope everything will be fine. What happens when it’s not fine? What do you do when a medication causes a side-effect. What if that side-effect is worse than the symptom or more difficult than simply changing your habits to avoid it all together?
This is often the case as many medications are taken to fight symptoms of lifestyle habits. In other words, we are doing harm to ourselves and taking medication to mask the symptoms of that harm.
It doesn’t have to be this way. You can ask the doctor any and all of the questions above. You can ask your doctor about the causes of the symptoms you are having. You may not even need to take medication. You may be able to make a simple change.
A simple change is what I see as the best solution to our medication problems. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. I understand why people take medications before considering a change of lifestyle. It is easier to take a pill than it is to take care of ourselves.
This is a very risky strategy. We are putting our lives in the hands of the drug companies, hoping (often just assuming) that they have our best interests in mind. I’m not here to bash the drug companies, but I am here to remind you that there are many drugs like the one I read the article about. There are many medications that cause many problems that far out-weigh the symptoms they are taken to treat.
Before you start taking any medication, stop and ask yourself if you can find a solution on your own. Ask yourself if you are the problem causing the symptom. It may not be fun to ask a question like this, but it can literally save your life. Speaking of saving your life- Before taking anything, ask yourself if it is worth the risk.
A solution in a pill sounds too good to be true. As I learned from later articles about the very same drug, the “too good to be true” label was correct. The latest articles contained studies that showed side-effects that included heart trouble and even death. You may say to yourself that the risk is low and they wouldn’t put something out that could harm people. Well, that is a big risk to take. The latest study on this drug showed these side-effects occurring in as much as 30 percent of those that it.
I’m not citing specific names of medications, but I do want to shed a little light on a problem in our society. This article is about the risk of medication in general. This article is not to condemn those that are taking medications as I see a need for many. I simply want to make sure that before we take a medication, we ask two questions:
1. Can I prevent or reverse this condition on my own?
2. What are the risks to taking this medication?
By asking these questions, you can be sure that you are looking out for yourself. It is important to do that. It sounds like common sense, but no one else is looking out for you. If a product that is on the market and being prescribed to people right now is causing such serious problems, how can you leave it in anyone else’s hands?
After reading the article that I mentioned above, I was alarmed. I’ve actually been alarmed for a while now due to the increased frequency of use. This just made me think about it again. In today’s world it is very easy to get started down the road of medication. The average 30 year-old American is on 3 medications. The most common prescriptions in this age group are depression, acid reflux and blood pressure medications.
As a 30-year-old myself, I am shocked by this statistic. Why does someone so young need any medication, let alone 3 medications? Well, the type of medication is an indicator of our problems. Many people have legitimate medical needs, but think about the structure of our medical model:
You go to the doctor with a symptom. The doctor has been given a list of options to treat symptoms. When the doctor sees your symptom on the list, the easiest thing to do is give you the drug that matches up. It is quick, it is easy and everyone wins, right?
Not so fast. What if we looked at the cause rather than just the symptom? What if the doctor treated the cause of your problem so that it actually went away? These seem like logical questions, but this is not something you can expect in our current system.
In our current system, you get the drug that matches the list of symptoms. You get a quick visit from your doctor, maybe a referral to a specialist (where you’ll get another quick visit…and another bill) and then the medication is given.
Our role in this process is the scariest part for me. I can see how a doctor would find a medication that treated a symptom and allowed them to ease pain and discomfort with little to no effort. I can even see why that seems good to most people. Who doesn’t want to feel good?
We all want to feel good. What we don’t want to do is take the time to consider our options. What will this medication do to me? How will it affect my body and mind? These are two very important questions that often go without asking.
After seeing the studies and laundry lists of side-effects, it is shocking to me that more people don’t ask about their options. It shocks me to hear that we are taking more and more medications and spending even less time thinking about what they are doing to us.
I think it goes back to the model we are in. It’s not just how the doctor is trained. It is about the symptoms. What we are dealing with is nothing but a list of symptoms. From the diabetes to depression, we are dealing with the symptoms. These conditions are merely symptoms of our lifestyles. When we eat too much and gain weight, the body can’t process blood sugar properly and we end up with diabetes.
3 most common symptoms treated by medications in today’s 30 year-old:
When we don’t move enough and continue to do things that aren’t in line with what we want, we feel down and depressed. When we eat foods high in sodium and don’t get enough exercise, our blood pressure will be elevated. When we eat processed foods high in fat, salt and sugar and drink acidic sodas, the body will react and show digestive problems such as acid reflux.
You can go to the doctor and get treatments for these symptoms. As we’ve discussed, that is easy. The doctor will give you what you want without much question. You don’t have to ask yourself why these symptoms are occurring. You don’t have to try to find a way to improve on your own. You don’t even have to know why you are suffering from this symptom. You can live this way and everything will be fine.
At least we hope everything will be fine. What happens when it’s not fine? What do you do when a medication causes a side-effect. What if that side-effect is worse than the symptom or more difficult than simply changing your habits to avoid it all together?
This is often the case as many medications are taken to fight symptoms of lifestyle habits. In other words, we are doing harm to ourselves and taking medication to mask the symptoms of that harm.
It doesn’t have to be this way. You can ask the doctor any and all of the questions above. You can ask your doctor about the causes of the symptoms you are having. You may not even need to take medication. You may be able to make a simple change.
A simple change is what I see as the best solution to our medication problems. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. I understand why people take medications before considering a change of lifestyle. It is easier to take a pill than it is to take care of ourselves.
This is a very risky strategy. We are putting our lives in the hands of the drug companies, hoping (often just assuming) that they have our best interests in mind. I’m not here to bash the drug companies, but I am here to remind you that there are many drugs like the one I read the article about. There are many medications that cause many problems that far out-weigh the symptoms they are taken to treat.
Before you start taking any medication, stop and ask yourself if you can find a solution on your own. Ask yourself if you are the problem causing the symptom. It may not be fun to ask a question like this, but it can literally save your life. Speaking of saving your life- Before taking anything, ask yourself if it is worth the risk.
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