....for not exercising. Well, there are very few legit excuses anyway. Today was a perfect example of why anyone can do a workout, without a gym membership, and with little to no equipment needed. And yes, in 30 minutes or less, you can get your heart rate up, and tone the whole body pretty darn well.
This morning, my wife and I were trying to figure out what we wanted to do for exercise. We have a gym membership at a place 5 minutes away which offers everything we could want/need. But today I talked her into doing my "30 Minute At Home Exercise Plan". For her, there was no equipment needed. For me, I used a jump rope and a 30 pound kettle bell. Oh and we used a free app called Gym Boss Interval Timer.
Our warm up included her doing jumping jax, and me doing jump rope. I have a timed program on my Gym Boss App that has us do 10 seconds of activity, followed by 10 seconds of rest. Then 20 seconds of activity, 20 seconds rest, 30 seconds of activity, 30 of rest, then 20 and 20, then 10 and 10. We then start over and go through the cycle again 2 more times. It takes about 9 minutes total and warms up the whole body, gets the heart rate going a bit, and gets you ready for more intense exercise.
The next thing we did was a combination of two exercises back to back, with downward pyramiding reps. She did lunges and crunches I did kettle bell swings and mountain climbers. I started with 10 of each, then 9, then 8, then 7 (well you get the drift) with no rest in between exercises or sets. She did her's starting with 8 reps and working her way down. So it looked like this for her: 8 lunges on each leg, immediately dropping down and doing 8 crunches, then back up to do 7 lunges, then 7 crunches etc til we both got to 1. This program, particularly if you do large muscle groups, gets your heart rate really going!
We then did what I call my finisher. Again we used the Gym Boss App. It was set to do 20 seconds of work, followed by 10 seconds of rest. We had two exercises to use. One was what I call a skater's jump. You start on one leg and jump to the side, landing on the other leg, and not letting the original leg touch. Then you jump back the other way, back and forth. It looks almost like an ice skater on a long stretch where their body moves back and forth, except they're gliding and we're jumping. I pretend I am jumping over something so I get some height, and distance to the side. After 20 seconds of that, there's 10 seconds of rest. Then we assume the plank position on our forearms, and when the timer beeps, we go up to a pushup position, then back down to the plank position, back and forth til the timer beeps again (20 seconds). Then there's rest and we go back to the skaters jumps. This program is 4 minutes long, and includes 4 sets of the two exercises.
That was it. We were done. I had gotten my heart rate up, I had worked the entire body for the most part, and it didn't require getting ready to drive to a gym and then coming back home. You can modify your reps, timing, exercises etc to make it work for you. Anyone can do this (with rare exceptions, please consult your physician if you're not a regular exerciser and want to get started). It's a great way to get some variety of exercises, in a short, compact time, that is very efficient!
Until next time...Be Well!!
Dr. Bruce
Friday, March 29, 2013
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Sleep Vs. Rest
There's a difference between sleep and rest. You can have a night where you sleep, even sleep in, and not feel rested. You could have a night where you sleep lest, yet wake up feeling refreshed and ready. And it's very important to be aware of the difference.
It's vital to our body that we get regular rest. For us to be living a wellness lifestyle, rest is a MUST. Your body will not function well without proper rest. What are some of the effects of poor rest? The list is long but includes reducing stress, improving your immune response, reducing inflammation and more. Rest is when your body repairs the damages done to it with every day living. To me, the whole act of getting sleeping is a perfect example of the innate intelligence of the body. That sensation of sleepiness comes on telling us it's time to power down, time to make repairs. And, when we're sick with an infection or the flu, our body's natural response is to want to sleep more. Pretty cool the way the body works isn't it?
It's important that we develop a good routine for rest, particularly as we get a little older. Our body's work best in a routine. This routine should start before bedtime, when we do things like turn down the lights, turn off anything that may be too stimulating, maybe put some soft music on and spend time relaxing. That way when we hit the bed, we're already on our way to powering down. Keep your room as dark as possible. Most experts agree that having a TV in the bedroom is not conducive to good rest. Maybe have some white noise in the background to drown out random sounds (I keep a floor fan running, even in the winter). Avoid caffeine after 3 or 4 in the afternoon. I know, people say "I can fall asleep even after a pot of coffee". I get that, but remember that sleep and rest are two different things, and it is scientifically proven that caffeine reduces your chances of reaching the deepest levels of sleep, REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement), which is where real rest and repair occur.
Here's a couple of important notes for those that have trouble sleeping/resting. Don't lay in bed tossing and turning. Get out of bed and go read something boring (like some of my blog posts???) until you get sleepy. Staying in the bed when you're not able to sleep starts to develop a neuro-association in your mind of "bed = sleep problems". Don't bring your work to bed with you, ie laptop, iPad, paperwork etc. Once again, a bad neuro-association can occur. The bed is for rest, and sex.
If you are a teen, or have teens, be wary of starting the habit of texting with friends laying in bed. That can go on for hours and interfere with rest. Even adults that are chained to work via their smart phones need to be wary of this habit as well.
Remember, resting well is part 4 of our wellness formula: Eat well, move well, think well and rest well.
Until next time...Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
It's vital to our body that we get regular rest. For us to be living a wellness lifestyle, rest is a MUST. Your body will not function well without proper rest. What are some of the effects of poor rest? The list is long but includes reducing stress, improving your immune response, reducing inflammation and more. Rest is when your body repairs the damages done to it with every day living. To me, the whole act of getting sleeping is a perfect example of the innate intelligence of the body. That sensation of sleepiness comes on telling us it's time to power down, time to make repairs. And, when we're sick with an infection or the flu, our body's natural response is to want to sleep more. Pretty cool the way the body works isn't it?
It's important that we develop a good routine for rest, particularly as we get a little older. Our body's work best in a routine. This routine should start before bedtime, when we do things like turn down the lights, turn off anything that may be too stimulating, maybe put some soft music on and spend time relaxing. That way when we hit the bed, we're already on our way to powering down. Keep your room as dark as possible. Most experts agree that having a TV in the bedroom is not conducive to good rest. Maybe have some white noise in the background to drown out random sounds (I keep a floor fan running, even in the winter). Avoid caffeine after 3 or 4 in the afternoon. I know, people say "I can fall asleep even after a pot of coffee". I get that, but remember that sleep and rest are two different things, and it is scientifically proven that caffeine reduces your chances of reaching the deepest levels of sleep, REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement), which is where real rest and repair occur.
Here's a couple of important notes for those that have trouble sleeping/resting. Don't lay in bed tossing and turning. Get out of bed and go read something boring (like some of my blog posts???) until you get sleepy. Staying in the bed when you're not able to sleep starts to develop a neuro-association in your mind of "bed = sleep problems". Don't bring your work to bed with you, ie laptop, iPad, paperwork etc. Once again, a bad neuro-association can occur. The bed is for rest, and sex.
If you are a teen, or have teens, be wary of starting the habit of texting with friends laying in bed. That can go on for hours and interfere with rest. Even adults that are chained to work via their smart phones need to be wary of this habit as well.
Remember, resting well is part 4 of our wellness formula: Eat well, move well, think well and rest well.
Until next time...Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Let's Get Serious
I was at the gym the other day, and lately I've done a few treadmill workouts instead of my normal HIIT workouts on a bike at the gym. No real reason, sometimes it was because "my" bikes at the gym were being used, sometimes it was to spend more time with my wife while she did her treadmill workout, sometimes it was just for variety. When I am on the treadmill, my workouts are never as intense, though I do my best to make them more than just going for a walk. Because they are less intense, I get the chance to watch others around me working out. This is a good thing.
It's good because it encourages me. I love seeing people out there going for it. I especially love watching the folks running on treadmills especially, partly because it's cool to see them working hard and seeing how some run with such ease. The other reason is jealousy that I can't run (knee issues) sometimes. (just being honest). It's also good because I see people that are seriously trying to get in shape and become healthier. I see some of the less healthy and overweight people doing their best to move well. Sometimes my initial reaction is to think about the very overweight that are there negatively. My wife, in her infinite wisdom, brought up the point once that when we see an obese person, we never know if they've lost 30 pounds already, and are headed in the right direction. So true, and so humbling to think of it that way.
Some of what I see at the gym though seems like people wasting their time. I see them walking on a treadmill, and able to carry on conversations with their friend next to them without ever losing their breath. Now I understand, as I try to see it from the other side, that they are still exercising, still burning calories, and enjoying the benefits of social relationships (which are part of a wellness lifestyle). However, some of these same people that I know, wonder why they're not getting anywhere with their exercise. When they come to me and ask why they're struggling with losing weight, I encourage them to get a bit more serious. I encourage them to not just casually walk on the treadmill, but make it tougher. To get anything out of cardio work, you have to have times where you're working hard enough that you can't carry on a conversation with someone. You can do that by increasing the incline. That's what I do. I bump up the incline for "x" amount of time, then bring it back down for recovery. This way you create intervals that increase your cardio output and then recover actively. It's the simplest way to make your cardio workouts tough enough to make a difference. It just takes getting a little more serious about how you spend your time in the gym.
So, if you're struggling with losing weight, take a look at the intensity of your cardio workouts. Increase the intensity (with the approval of your health care provider if needed) to a level that makes you work hard enough to be unable to carry on conversations. Do it in intervals and watch how your cardiovascular capacity improves, and how you burn more calories and melt some inches off!
Until next time....Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
It's good because it encourages me. I love seeing people out there going for it. I especially love watching the folks running on treadmills especially, partly because it's cool to see them working hard and seeing how some run with such ease. The other reason is jealousy that I can't run (knee issues) sometimes. (just being honest). It's also good because I see people that are seriously trying to get in shape and become healthier. I see some of the less healthy and overweight people doing their best to move well. Sometimes my initial reaction is to think about the very overweight that are there negatively. My wife, in her infinite wisdom, brought up the point once that when we see an obese person, we never know if they've lost 30 pounds already, and are headed in the right direction. So true, and so humbling to think of it that way.
Some of what I see at the gym though seems like people wasting their time. I see them walking on a treadmill, and able to carry on conversations with their friend next to them without ever losing their breath. Now I understand, as I try to see it from the other side, that they are still exercising, still burning calories, and enjoying the benefits of social relationships (which are part of a wellness lifestyle). However, some of these same people that I know, wonder why they're not getting anywhere with their exercise. When they come to me and ask why they're struggling with losing weight, I encourage them to get a bit more serious. I encourage them to not just casually walk on the treadmill, but make it tougher. To get anything out of cardio work, you have to have times where you're working hard enough that you can't carry on a conversation with someone. You can do that by increasing the incline. That's what I do. I bump up the incline for "x" amount of time, then bring it back down for recovery. This way you create intervals that increase your cardio output and then recover actively. It's the simplest way to make your cardio workouts tough enough to make a difference. It just takes getting a little more serious about how you spend your time in the gym.
So, if you're struggling with losing weight, take a look at the intensity of your cardio workouts. Increase the intensity (with the approval of your health care provider if needed) to a level that makes you work hard enough to be unable to carry on conversations. Do it in intervals and watch how your cardiovascular capacity improves, and how you burn more calories and melt some inches off!
Until next time....Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Then, and ONLY Then, Will It Happen For You
It's 20 days into the new year of 2013, and I wonder what percentage of New Year's Resolutions are still standing. So I did a little (very little) research into the topic. Here's what I found in one article this morning:
"It took one-third of Americans less than a week to cheat on their New Year's Resolutions, a new study by research and consulting firm YouGov reveals. The research showed that 11 percent had already broken at least one resolution, while 22 percent had cheated a few times, but were still trying to stick to their goals." That was taken from Business News Daily's January 15 edition.
Wow, that didn't take long did it? Less than a week? Elsewhere in the article, it stated that health and fitness were the most common types of resolutions made, and thus the most common ones to be broken. Have you been one of those annual health and fitness resolution breakers this year? and last year? Or maybe for most or all of your life? There's a simple reason for this, and I am going to explain it here.
Here it is in a nutshell: Your "why" isn't big enough. That's really it. If your "why" were big enough, you'd not have any issue staying true to your stated goal/resolution. Your "why" is your reason for making that decision. If your resolution is to get fit, or lose weight, or get healthy because you're in need of those things, yet you've failed regularly at it, then your "why" isn't big enough to keep you committed to your goal.
Oh sure, you "know" you should get fit. You "know" you should lose weight. But you actually haven't sat down and really gotten serious about listing and reading and "feeling" all your reasons for staying true to your desire. It's in your head, but not your heart. If you had done this, your commitment would stick. Lots of people "want" to, but most don't. I had a friend and patient that allowed herself to gain massive amounts of weight, and I mean massive. I remember trying to coach her to stop the weight gain as she became larger and less healthy. Eventually she had to have a tracheotomy so she could breath, and eventually she was confined to wheelchair, and eventually her bed. I even tried to hit her with what to me would be the most convincing and compelling reason to change: watching her son grow up. Sadly, none of this worked and she continued to gain weight, her health continued to deteriorate, and she died in her mid 40's.
On the other hand, I can think of a few examples in my world where people have hit "rock bottom" and created such a massive reason or "why" that they made incredible changes in their life and thus in their health. One such lady lost well over 100 pounds by eating better and exercising and now looks FANTASTIC!! Beyond looking fantastic, she's feeling great physically, and about herself. She simply had a big enough "why" to stay committed to her goal.
Oh sure, I get that there are reasons that sometimes we fail. I sometimes have my reasons......er...ok.....let's be real here, there aren't reasons, there are excuses. I sometimes come up with a good enough excuse to not exercise for a day, or eat badly for a bit. It happens to the best of us. But how long do we sit in those excuses? That is the issue. Skipping exercise isn't so bad for a day, but when that day turns into a week, or longer, or a lifestyle, that is the issue.
If you're not where you want to be with regards to your health, fitness, weight etc and you know it, GOOD! At least you know it. First step done!! Now you have to come up with all the reasons why you need to change, all the pain that you have from not making that change. Make it real. Feel it. What will your life/body be like if you continue down this path in 1 year, 5 years, a decade? How will you feel about yourself if you don't make the changes? Then, spin it around and write down and think/dream/feel what it will be like if you DO make the changes you know you need to make? Get really really good at feeling those emotions for making and NOT making the changes. Once you have that down, you'll get moving in the right direction. If you fall off the wagon, re-focus on those reasons again. See and feel them. Make it real.
Then, and ONLY then, will you it happen for you.
If the "why" is big enough, the facts don't count.
Until next time...Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
"It took one-third of Americans less than a week to cheat on their New Year's Resolutions, a new study by research and consulting firm YouGov reveals. The research showed that 11 percent had already broken at least one resolution, while 22 percent had cheated a few times, but were still trying to stick to their goals." That was taken from Business News Daily's January 15 edition.
Wow, that didn't take long did it? Less than a week? Elsewhere in the article, it stated that health and fitness were the most common types of resolutions made, and thus the most common ones to be broken. Have you been one of those annual health and fitness resolution breakers this year? and last year? Or maybe for most or all of your life? There's a simple reason for this, and I am going to explain it here.
Here it is in a nutshell: Your "why" isn't big enough. That's really it. If your "why" were big enough, you'd not have any issue staying true to your stated goal/resolution. Your "why" is your reason for making that decision. If your resolution is to get fit, or lose weight, or get healthy because you're in need of those things, yet you've failed regularly at it, then your "why" isn't big enough to keep you committed to your goal.
Oh sure, you "know" you should get fit. You "know" you should lose weight. But you actually haven't sat down and really gotten serious about listing and reading and "feeling" all your reasons for staying true to your desire. It's in your head, but not your heart. If you had done this, your commitment would stick. Lots of people "want" to, but most don't. I had a friend and patient that allowed herself to gain massive amounts of weight, and I mean massive. I remember trying to coach her to stop the weight gain as she became larger and less healthy. Eventually she had to have a tracheotomy so she could breath, and eventually she was confined to wheelchair, and eventually her bed. I even tried to hit her with what to me would be the most convincing and compelling reason to change: watching her son grow up. Sadly, none of this worked and she continued to gain weight, her health continued to deteriorate, and she died in her mid 40's.
On the other hand, I can think of a few examples in my world where people have hit "rock bottom" and created such a massive reason or "why" that they made incredible changes in their life and thus in their health. One such lady lost well over 100 pounds by eating better and exercising and now looks FANTASTIC!! Beyond looking fantastic, she's feeling great physically, and about herself. She simply had a big enough "why" to stay committed to her goal.
Oh sure, I get that there are reasons that sometimes we fail. I sometimes have my reasons......er...ok.....let's be real here, there aren't reasons, there are excuses. I sometimes come up with a good enough excuse to not exercise for a day, or eat badly for a bit. It happens to the best of us. But how long do we sit in those excuses? That is the issue. Skipping exercise isn't so bad for a day, but when that day turns into a week, or longer, or a lifestyle, that is the issue.
If you're not where you want to be with regards to your health, fitness, weight etc and you know it, GOOD! At least you know it. First step done!! Now you have to come up with all the reasons why you need to change, all the pain that you have from not making that change. Make it real. Feel it. What will your life/body be like if you continue down this path in 1 year, 5 years, a decade? How will you feel about yourself if you don't make the changes? Then, spin it around and write down and think/dream/feel what it will be like if you DO make the changes you know you need to make? Get really really good at feeling those emotions for making and NOT making the changes. Once you have that down, you'll get moving in the right direction. If you fall off the wagon, re-focus on those reasons again. See and feel them. Make it real.
Then, and ONLY then, will you it happen for you.
If the "why" is big enough, the facts don't count.
Until next time...Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Building Immunity, The Natural Way
We are right in the middle of the annual flu season, and there's a rather large (to say the least) outbreak occurring in our country. It's all over the news. It's the talk at coffee shops. People are asking questions about flu shots and immunity. In short, it's the talk of the town.
This isn't a discussion about whether or not you should have the flu shot. I'll leave that up to you to get educated and make an informed decision. I will say this though. The shot gives you only about a 40% chance of not getting the flu, so even if you DO get the shot, you'd better do a few other things to increase your odds. Here's my suggestions.
1. Focus on eating health promoting foods. I'd particularly focus on fruits and vegetables. If you're a fan of juicing, double up on your juices, try some new recipes. Avoid eating junk, including soft drinks, candies, crackers, bread (even supposedly healthy "whole grains bread) and other things that lower your immune response. Find a good whole food supplement (I use Nanogreens and Nanoreds) to SUPPLEMENT (not replace) your healthy diet.
2. Keep up with your exercise program. If you're not exercising, start. And if you're not exercising, do NOT over do it. This will lower your immune response by wearing out your body. Actually that goes for regular exercisers too. Be careful not to push too far and have a worn down body. Exercise has been shown to increase the immune response, and it combats stress which would ordinarily lower your body's ability to respond to potential infections but too much has the opposite effect.
3. Keep your body on schedule. This will allow you to rest appropriately. Our bodies work best when on a schedule, they get into a rhythm and the result is a body that is best prepared to attack when foreign invaders attack. It has been shown that one bad night's sleep slows down your immune response, so do your best to stay rested.
4. Lastly, wash your hands regularly. Using regular water, and soap from time to time as well, especially if you are in contact with people in public.
PS, if you didn't recognize something vaguely familiar in the first 3 recommendations, they boil down to my wellness mantra: Eat well, move well, think well and rest well. It's as simple as that.
Until next time...Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
This isn't a discussion about whether or not you should have the flu shot. I'll leave that up to you to get educated and make an informed decision. I will say this though. The shot gives you only about a 40% chance of not getting the flu, so even if you DO get the shot, you'd better do a few other things to increase your odds. Here's my suggestions.
1. Focus on eating health promoting foods. I'd particularly focus on fruits and vegetables. If you're a fan of juicing, double up on your juices, try some new recipes. Avoid eating junk, including soft drinks, candies, crackers, bread (even supposedly healthy "whole grains bread) and other things that lower your immune response. Find a good whole food supplement (I use Nanogreens and Nanoreds) to SUPPLEMENT (not replace) your healthy diet.
2. Keep up with your exercise program. If you're not exercising, start. And if you're not exercising, do NOT over do it. This will lower your immune response by wearing out your body. Actually that goes for regular exercisers too. Be careful not to push too far and have a worn down body. Exercise has been shown to increase the immune response, and it combats stress which would ordinarily lower your body's ability to respond to potential infections but too much has the opposite effect.
3. Keep your body on schedule. This will allow you to rest appropriately. Our bodies work best when on a schedule, they get into a rhythm and the result is a body that is best prepared to attack when foreign invaders attack. It has been shown that one bad night's sleep slows down your immune response, so do your best to stay rested.
4. Lastly, wash your hands regularly. Using regular water, and soap from time to time as well, especially if you are in contact with people in public.
PS, if you didn't recognize something vaguely familiar in the first 3 recommendations, they boil down to my wellness mantra: Eat well, move well, think well and rest well. It's as simple as that.
Until next time...Be Well!
Dr. Bruce
Saturday, January 5, 2013
What Kind Of Breeding Ground Are You Creating?
It's the time of year where I see more and more of my patients and friends and acquaintances dealing with the common cold, or upper respiratory issues, sinusitis and the like. Many of them are quick to rush out to grab the first over the counter "remedy" they can find. Some venture beyond that to see a medical doctor for their symptoms, with our without having had any fever (sign of infection). I find this interesting and sad all at the same time.
It's sad because so many times, simple throat irritations, cold symptoms, and even mild fevers are going to resolve without any help from anyone. It's interesting to me, because it shows that our culture in general still looks to the medical community as the be all, end all, for health and well being. Of course, I live in a different world, a world where I know the body has this amazing healing ability, a world where I believe that the body doesn't need outside help as much as it needs less interference. In my world, I grasp the fact that we are constantly building or destroying our bodies with our habits. How we eat, move, think and rest creates a breeding ground for one of two things: health and wellness, or sickness and disease. It's a long term process that occurs daily. Just like we don't become obese by eating one bad meal, or skipping exercise one day, we don't become ill by one exposure to someone with the flu. Conversely, we don't become well by eating a healthy meal one day, or for a week etc. It's a constant, ongoing process that sees us always moving one way or the other on what I term the "Wellness Spectrum".
Have you ever noticed how often sick people get sick ? This is not a knock on anyone that gets sick a lot, but honestly, I see people with years, or decades, of behavior patterns that are unhealthy, and they are the one's usually who are always sick. (Yes I know there are exceptions to the rule, but they are, by definition, exceptions, not the rule). For someone like that, it may take years of turning their life around with new habits, to clean out their body, and to build a new foundation inside for wellness. I see people with unhealthy relationships, lifestyles, habits that are consistently getting sick, taking medication (over the counter or prescription) and they never seem to get any better. Oh sure, they get over the current condition, only to be whacked by another one right around the corner.
Again, this is not a knock on anyone, and some people have had serious problems that have weakened their immune systems, that's a given. But too many of us blame outside circumstances for our health issues, ie bad luck or bad genes. Yes, those may be a factor. But in reality, if we work to build our body's immune system, if we strengthen it by how we eat, move, rest and think, our batting average of fighting off illness will get better. I'm a good example of this. I used to get sick and miss work about 2x a year as I am constantly exposed to people carrying various illnesses, viruses, etc into my office and me touching them physically. However, in the past 7 or 8 years, as I've focused on wellness more intently, this has begun to happen less and less. It doesn't mean I don't ever get sick, everyone gets a little sick at times whether it's the flu, or just a bit of a scratchy throat. Again, I like the concept of "batting average", where we improve our ratio of well times vs. sick times, much like a baseball player wants to improve his ratio of how many hits he/she gets to how many times they make an out.
Start a trend today, right now, to move in a wellness direction consistently. Don't get down if you do fall ill, you may have decades of habits that have created an unhealthy base in your life, and everyone gets sick somewhat at some point. It takes time, but in the long run it's worth it!
Until next time...Be Well!!
Dr. Bruce
Monday, December 31, 2012
No More New Years Resolutions
Here it is folks, the end of 2012, and the beginning of 2013. As always, it's a great time to review, reflect, and most importantly, re-focus! I'm not fan of New Years Resolutions though. According to surveys, 92% of New Years Resolutions are not kept, and 80% are gone by January 20. Not a fantastically successful rate is it? I agree. I am however, a fan of setting goals, in a productive way, that improves the batting average of goal setters, and makes them more likely to be a goal GETTER!
I think goals should be broken down into categories. You can create your own, but here are some of the areas I work on: Physical, Business, Spiritual, Personal. I'm not saying those are the best for you, I'm just saying that's what I use. Under each area I might have 3-5 goals set. I don't set them by just sitting down on January 1 and saying "what do I want this year?". I take some time, sometimes a month or so in advance, on a regular basis to start thinking about, and (here's the key) writing down possible goals. I spend time thinking about what I really want to accomplish in the coming year. After all, if you're going to design your life, it's probably best to not just go off willy nilly writing things down in my opinion.
Once I have them written down, I review them and think or pray about each of them toward the end of the year. I want to make certain that this is the direction I want my life to go, the direction God is leading me, and a direction that will provide a challenge for me, but not an insurmountable one. I just completed a serious review this morning of my 2013 goals and feel like they're pretty well set. So, now what?
It's one thing to set a goal. But if we really want to accomplish those things, they need to be in the forefront of our mind. I can't expect to just jump in a car and drive without focusing on where I want to go, and so it is with my life. In becoming a goal getter, laser sharp focus is needed. This focus is developed by a habit of reviewing my goals every day. How often? EVERY day. What does EVERY day mean? It means, EVERY day. Is that clear? :-) So every morning I should be rising early and spending 10 minutes reviewing my goals, AND setting up my daily plan for getting me one step closer to them. My to do list should include steps for moving in the direction of goal achievement.
Finally, I'd suggest re-evaluating the goals quarterly. Mostly they shouldn't change much if I spent a lot of time setting them. But my plans for achieving them might easily change if I find I'm not getting closer to the goal. But sometimes even the goal may have to change if it's become abundantly clear it's not the right goal. That should be a rarity if we've done appropriate goal setting.
Setting and achieve goals is part of a wellness lifestyle. It's fun, it helps keep us focused on becoming the person we're designed to be, and helps us connect with our sense of purpose. I wish you an amazing 2013!
Until next time...Be Well!!
Dr. Bruce
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