What's On Your List? The Importance of Goal-Setting

Some people work really well from lists. I am one of them. Generally, I start my days early because it affords me uninterrupted planning time. In our daily lives, there are many mundane yet necessary tasks that must be accomplished just to keep life moving. It is easy to get caught up in chores, errands, and work. These tasks often dominate one's "to-do" list and they take the attention off the big picture. Days and weeks can go by without any significant progress being made on weight-loss, increasing savings, paying off debt, home improvement, continuing education and more.

One of the most important things that you can do for yourself is to set goals. Doing so will give you some direction in life. Goals should be written down, precise, and include measurable steps to achieve them. The first step in goal-setting is to decide what you want to do. Inaction often results from the failure to first make a decision. Making changes and improvements to your life requires some introspection and honest self-talk. You have to "pump the brakes" a bit and take some time to consider the direction that you want your life to take. It requires work.

Have you ever taken a trip that has no destination? If your goal is to one day take a dream vacation, then you'll be dreaming about it until you pick the place. Once you've done that, it is now possible to calculate all of the costs associated with the trip. You can write a detailed budget and determine what your plan will be to fund the trip. Who will travel with you? When do I want to go? How long will I stay? What will I do once I get there? Do I need a passport? Once all of these questions are answered, it becomes a matter of prioritizing and setting deadlines for execution. This requires making a commitment to yourself to get it done. The sooner you begin this process and the more detailed your plan, the better your chances of realizing that dream.

Take a little time out of your schedule today and decide what single change you could make that would improve your life and go to work. You'll be glad that you did!

Be good to yourself! More next time...

Choose to Live 100 Years

"The difficulty of life is in the choice." George Moore

"Statistics are no substitution for judgment." Henry Clay

It is difficult to fathom that man once lived to be hundreds of years old. The oldest living person in the U.S. died recently at 115 years of age. Was it luck? Was it modern medicine? Why is it now such a challenge to live long, productive lives? Well, I believe that it has everything to do with the choices that we make in shaping our lifestyles. I believe that statistics are a direct result of judgment.

In a previous post, I offered to you the six dimensions of wellness. These are the areas of life that must be maintained and balanced to ensure an overall sense of good health and well-being. Here they are again: mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, psychological, and occupational. The degree to which we are considered "well" is a direct result of the choices that we make in each of these six areas of our lives. One key aspect in achieving balance comes through understanding that no one dimension operates independently of another. For example, students cannot focus solely on their coursework at the expense of proper diet, exercise, social outings with friends and family, proper rest, and/or meditation. Every dimension feeds the others.

At the start of the new year, many of us made resolutions to set new goals and/or to address some deficiency in our lives. We are almost two weeks in now--are you progressing? Ninety days later, our efforts may dissipate: If we choose to settle back into comfortable routines laden with tasks that don't necessarily fit with our plans we will lose sight of the big picture. How does this happen? We fail to be present in the moment. Many of the decisions that we make are mindless. We do what we have always done without studying the impact. We don't take a personal inventory of our activities and then actively find ways to correct imbalances. Many of us don't know how to assess ourselves, but where do we start?

I took an online assessment this morning called "The Living to 100 Life Expectancy Calculator" by Thomas Perls, M.D., M.P.H. that measures the wellness dimensions in some detail. It will only take about 10 minutes to complete the survey and you will be provided with a projected age calculation with personalized feedback and tips to add more years to your life. http://livingto100.com (See you own physician for a complete health assessment.) Overall, you will come away with some action plans that will help you make more informed decisions about how will live your life. According to my assessment, I could make 8 simple changes that could make it possible for me to live to see 101 years old! Think that you can live 100 years? I challenge you to make the choice today!

More next time...

Commit to Be Fit in 2009!

With every new year comes thousands of resolutions to finally lose the weight. Every year there is a new diet or exercise fad that promises the instant results we didn't achieve the previous year. Every year we fall just short of the goal. For some reason, our plans don't get the results. Sooner or later something has got to give...How do we make 2009 the year to get fit and stay fit? We have to make a lifestyle change. Fitness is not a goal achieved in 30 days or 6 months. Consistency is the key to success and longevity. Remember, the race is not to the swift!

Let's Get Started! (As always, consult your doctor prior to starting any diet and/or exercise program.)

1) Set clear, measurable, and attainable goals. A good example of a goal is: "I want to lose 20 pounds in 5 months (about 1-2 pounds per week is normal healthy weight loss) by walking 2 miles a day 4 days per week. I will drink 10 glasses of water daily and give up fast food."

2) Make permanent changes in your diet. Commit to eliminating 1 unhealthy food choice each month from your diet--for life. Find a healthy alternative to replace the item that you are giving up. In 30 days, you won't even miss it.

3) Commit to physical activity at least 3 days a week for 30 minutes each day. Exercise improves the cardiovascular system, helps manage stress and appetite, improves sleep patterns, and boosts metabolism. Resistance training improves metabolism and bone density.

4) Give up smoking and alcohol. These two habits can cause irreversible damage to vital organs like the lungs, kidneys, and liver.

5) Assemble a group of supporters and share your goals and results. Enlist the assistance of your family, co-workers, close friends, and your doctor. A little honest feedback and encouragement can go a long way!

6) Keep a food and exercise journal. Document your meals and workouts in a small notebook and keep it with you. This an extremely powerful tool for revealing your actual eating habits and ensuring accountability for physical activity. Keep things interesting by trying a new healthy recipe and changing up your exercise routine with increased intensity or trying yoga and interval training.

7) Celebrate your wins and forgive your missteps. Once a month, you should consistently measure your results. Your goal might be to lose 1 inch from your waist every month, or increase your bench press weight by 10 lbs. each month. Choose the same day of the month (like the last Saturday) and be consistent. Take a picture of yourself on the same day and compare it to previous months. Generally others see a difference before you do, so this can be quite an eye-opening exercise. If you fall short, get back on the horse! Don't waste time punishing yourself because this is a lifestyle change. Be patient and stay focused on your goals.

8) Stay tuned to Izania.com for more helpful advice on how to Commit to Be Fit in 2009!

More next time...
(http://journeysfit.com, http://journeysfit.blogspot.com)