Is it just me or is there something seriously screwed with the direction we're headed in as a society. I'm doing a radio segment today about the impact exercise has on depression. There's copius amounts of information about the benefits of exercise for the treatment and prevention of depression. But WHY are so many of us suffering from serious depression?
Some stats for you:
1) Since 1981 there has been an 345% increase in the use of anti-depressants.
2) Anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication account for 13% of all drug prescriptions.
3) Prescription drugs are the fastest rising health care cost increasing at a rate of 16-18% per year.
4) According to a study out of Australia, everyone at some point in their life will be affected by depression.
5) In the US 9.5% of the population will suffer from a depression (depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, and bipolar disorder) every year.
6) Pre-schoolers are the fastest-growing market for antidepressants. At least four percent of preschoolers -- over a million -- are clinically depressed in the US. I have to source this one because it seems almost unbelievable to me (Study published in Psychiatric Services, April 2004. Reported in our health news archive: Pill-Popping Pre-Schoolers, Even Toddlers Get the Blues).
7) Depression will be the second largest killer after heart disease by 2020 -- and studies show depression is a contributory factor to fatal coronary disease. ( WHO report on mental illness released October 4, 2001. Health news stories: Depression Link to Heart Disease, Hostility, Depression May Boost Heart Disease)
8) In the US, depression results in more absenteeism than almost any other physical disorder and costs employers more than US$51 billion per year in absenteeism and lost productivity, not including high medical and pharmaceutical bills.
I could go on and on about shocking statistics. But really, need I say more? We have higher rates of depression than those in developing countries yet we live in more financial abundance, have access to better food and health care and are not an oppressed society. What the hell is going on? Please, share your thoughts.
So let me get to what I should be talking about because I'm not a doctor, psychiatrist or psychologist. I'm a fitness professional and I'm a woman on a mission to help people transform their bodies and I ain't got much time. And I want to qualify anything you're about to read.
You should be getting help from a mental health expert if you think you might be suffering from depression. Don't suffer in silence. If anything, the stats above should make you realize you're not alone and you shouldn't be ashamed.
Let me explain how exercise can help fight and prevent depression:
1) Exercise raises levels of mood enhancing neurotransmitters and boosts feel good endorphins.
2) Exercise can improve confidence. Losing weight and feeling better about our bodies can give us more courage to meet other people and to take risks to improve our lives.
3) We often sleep better after exercising as long as it's not too close to bed time.
4) Exercise increases body temperature which has a calming effect.
5) Tackling a new activity or doing something we know is good for us increases confidence.
6) Being involved in physical activity can be a distraction from worries or troubles.
7) Exercising with other people around gets us out of isolation and provides opportunities for human interaction.
8) Higher levels of physical activity is correlated with better brain aging and may even prevent the onset of Alzheimers.
9) Physical activity improves concentration and attention.
10) Physical activity can replace unhealthy coping mechanisms. Instead of drinking, eating crappy food or falling back on old coping mechanisms, exercise can become a new coping strategy over time.
So if you're ready this and you're thinking, "When I'm depressed I just want to stay in bed. I don't feel like I can even get to work, make dinner or get out the door, period". I get it. The last thing I want to be seen as is one of those annoying fitness freaks that preaches and condescends. I'm am truly a fitness expert for the people. Here are some suggestions that might help you take the leap towards exercise:
1) Even 10-15 minutes of physical activity can improve your mood in the short term.
BUT
2) 30 minutes per day 3-5 times per day would freakin' rock if you can do it.
3) Keep your definition of exercise broad: walking to the store quickly, riding your bike, going out dancing sans alcohol of course, taking any type of class that involves physical activity. Get it out of your head that the only type of exercise you count is something you do at a gym.
4) Be realistic. I've had several clients who suffer from depression who are in an up phase and decide to exercise 5 days per week out of the gate and then hit a dip and I don't see them for a while. Bite off a little at a time so you don't feel like you've failed yourself in any way.
5) Pick something you think is fun. Yes exercise can be fun for everyone ;)
6) Write down what's stopping you from exercising and then write BUT.... For example, I want to exercise but I already feel so overwhelmed by everything on my plate BUT I truly believe I'm going to feel better if I just make myself.
7) Get the support of your doctor, mental health care provider or therapist.
So this turned out to be a long blog. In my heart of hearts I don't want people to suffer more than they have to. And I truly believe as sure as there is a freakin' sun in the sky, that exercising more regularly is one of the best things we can do to tackle depression as a society.
Compassionately yours,
Jane
www.urbanfitt.com
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
The latest diet craze..."No Nombre"
For all of you dying to gain weight, become insulin resistant, slow down your metabolism, have poor concentration at work and get the sexy thick waste you've always wanted, I'd like to introduce you to the latest fool proof diet sweeping North American by storm, "No Nombre".
This is the simplest weight gain, health reduction plan available to those interested in feeling like shit all day. Best of all, your kids will benefit as well. They too will become insulin resistant, have poor concentration at school and maybe even develop diabetes at a young age.
There's never been a simpler way to get the negative health benefits with just one small change in your eating habits. And all you have to do is skip breakfast. Not only that, if you really can't stop yourself from skipping breakfast, you can still eat something and get the similar results. Just make sure you're only eating carbohydrates first thing in the morning and wham, thick waste and a pre-diabetic state can be yours too.
The negative health results don't stop at breakfast. You will reap the rewards for the rest of your day too. Your cravings for carbs throughout your day will be heightened to the point you will expedite your results expotentially. In a matter of just a year, you could easily gain 10 pounds with little effort on your part.
Remember those afternoon sugar cravings you've been missing, say around 3 PM? Skip breakfast and you'll hardly be able to resist eating that delicious chocolate bar you've been dreaming about.
So simply follow the "No Nombre" diet plan below and you will achieve the health results so many other North Americans are enjoying as well. After a while you won't even notice that you're hungry in the morning:
1) Wake up and drink a cup of coffee with sugar.
2) Ensure you don't eat anything until you get to work, have sat down at your desk and turned your computer on. Under no circumstances should you eat any protein first thing in the morning especially meat or nuts. If you violate this "No Nombre" rule you might not gain weight and crave carbs the rest of your day.
3) Whatever you eat when you get to work, make sure it's a muffin, bagel, danish or donut for maximum "No Nombre" results. If possible, ensure you have another coffee ladened with sugar.
4) Most importantly, save up all your hunger for a very large lunch or if possible wait to eat your largest meal at dinner.
If you follow the above rules, you will become the lethargic, tired, fat and depressed person you've always wanted to be. Join the growing No Nombre club at www.nonombre.com to become one of millions already doing it.
Good luck to you all!
Jane
This is the simplest weight gain, health reduction plan available to those interested in feeling like shit all day. Best of all, your kids will benefit as well. They too will become insulin resistant, have poor concentration at school and maybe even develop diabetes at a young age.
There's never been a simpler way to get the negative health benefits with just one small change in your eating habits. And all you have to do is skip breakfast. Not only that, if you really can't stop yourself from skipping breakfast, you can still eat something and get the similar results. Just make sure you're only eating carbohydrates first thing in the morning and wham, thick waste and a pre-diabetic state can be yours too.
The negative health results don't stop at breakfast. You will reap the rewards for the rest of your day too. Your cravings for carbs throughout your day will be heightened to the point you will expedite your results expotentially. In a matter of just a year, you could easily gain 10 pounds with little effort on your part.
Remember those afternoon sugar cravings you've been missing, say around 3 PM? Skip breakfast and you'll hardly be able to resist eating that delicious chocolate bar you've been dreaming about.
So simply follow the "No Nombre" diet plan below and you will achieve the health results so many other North Americans are enjoying as well. After a while you won't even notice that you're hungry in the morning:
1) Wake up and drink a cup of coffee with sugar.
2) Ensure you don't eat anything until you get to work, have sat down at your desk and turned your computer on. Under no circumstances should you eat any protein first thing in the morning especially meat or nuts. If you violate this "No Nombre" rule you might not gain weight and crave carbs the rest of your day.
3) Whatever you eat when you get to work, make sure it's a muffin, bagel, danish or donut for maximum "No Nombre" results. If possible, ensure you have another coffee ladened with sugar.
4) Most importantly, save up all your hunger for a very large lunch or if possible wait to eat your largest meal at dinner.
If you follow the above rules, you will become the lethargic, tired, fat and depressed person you've always wanted to be. Join the growing No Nombre club at www.nonombre.com to become one of millions already doing it.
Good luck to you all!
Jane
Friday, January 11, 2008
Top 10 things to look for when hiring a personal trainer
So personal trainers don't come cheap. Many people willingly hand over hundreds to thousands of dollars a year on personal training services to individuals who call themselves personal trainers. Thing is, anyone anywhere can call themselves a personal trainer. There is NO regulation or law stopping anyone with absolutely no experience from referring to themselves as a personal trainer.
Goodlife Fitness Clubs owns the largest certifying organization in Canada, Can Fit Pro and they just keep churning out new trainers left, right and centre. It is in their best interest to make money on both ends: being paid to certify their potential trainers and then earning an income from people who pay to train with the people they certified. Smart business. It is no stretch of the truth to say there are plenty of trainers who can't support themselves with their training income alone and there are some trainers making six figures. But kicker is, the Can Fit Pro course takes 3 days to complete. And these 3 days in no way prepare you to be a great trainer. So who are the good trainers and how do you find one?
In an almost completely unregulated industry, it is up to the consumer to discriminate and sort through the good, the bad, and the ugly. So I've decided to create a mini guide on how to shop for a trainer worth his/her weight in gold. I've had loads of experience interviewing and managing trainers over the years coming from a variety of backgrounds and levels of formal education. Let me help you not waste your hard earned bucks.
Here goes:
1) If you're looking for help losing weight and changing your eating habits, can your potential trainer deliver you advice in a thong? That is, if you want help losing weight why hire someone who can't manage their own weight and get the body they want for themselves? (I ripped this one off one of the biggest fitness gurus in North America, Paul Chek I believe).
2) Choose a trainer with good posture. If you hire a trainer with bad posture, they aren't going to fix yours and you're never going to work out structural imbalances that create poor posture. And as you get older your posture is only going to get worse if you don't work on it.
3) When you meet with a potential trainer for the first time, look for good people skills. Do they talk most of the time or ask you open ended questions and listen? During a consultation, a trainer should listen 80% of the time and talk 20% of the time. If a trainer doesn't get where you're coming from they won't be able to address the issues that have brought you to them in the first place. And do you really want to spend precious time with someone with poor people skills?
4) Does your trainer look healthy? Do they seem over-stressed, scattered, under-slept? Do they have big bags under their eyes? You want someone who can coach you towards living a balanced lifestyle. If someone can't get their shit together than can they really inspire you to change?
5) Obviously someone with more education than a three day course is desirable. But even post secondary education in a health and wellness discipline doesn't necessarily mean a trainer is 'better'. Does your potential trainer invest in education every year? Fitness and health information is constantly changing. You want someone who stays current, constantly educates, reads and stays inspired. Find out how your potential trainer stays current. Ask them how they would describe their training philosophy. Is it about shoving you on a machine and counting or is there a method behind their madness?
6) If you have an injury or a medical condition, find out if your potential trainer has experience dealing with your issue(s). You want someone who can truly help you. If you have any serious medical concerns you probably want to find a trainer with specialty education and training. A chiropractor who can treat an injury and prescribe exercises to rehab your injury is quite the combo. You just want to avoid hiring someone who thinks they can diagnose and treat injuries without any formal education. (i.e. QUACK!). A trainer not qualified to diagnose and treat should be dealing directly with a health professional who has treated you already and then follow their lead in designing a strength training program.
7) Someone you're paying on average $70 per hour should be able to help you change your fitness from the inside out. Are they just going to work you out for an hour or are they going to help you make changes outside your training session to support your efforts in the gym. A good trainer should talk to you about sleep, stress management and nutrition. If they aren't interested in helping you on these fronts, then you're likely not hiring a trainer truly, madly and deeply committed to health and wellness.
8) Listen for bullshit. If you ask your potential trainer a question and they don't know the answer but instead bullshit around it, run away. You don't want to work with someone who won't go and research your questions and you don't want to work with someone you can't trust. And someone truly confident will admit to not knowing something and instead look at your question as an opportunity to learn something new.
9) Ask yourself how you felt after your initial meeting. Did you feel a personal connection with your potential trainer? Did you feel understood? Did you laugh a little or at least leave feeling a little buoyant, inspired or excited about seeing them again? Or did you leave feeling intimidated. I see some of my clients more than they see some of their friends and family. There has to be a special connection between you and a trainer to make the match fruitful.
10) If you have the opportunity to watch your trainer in action, see if they're using a cookie cutter approach to training and just popping people on machines and counting or are they truly challenging their clients with movements that require much focus and effort. What do their clients look like? Are their clients working hard? Do they talk on their cell phone, pay close attention to their client, look bored, put a lot of effort into correcting form and technique? Do they look like they enjoy training? There are loads of trainers to choose from. Don't settle for someone who doesn't love what they do.
It can be very hard to find trainers who meet the above requirements. Good thing is, all you have to do is sign up for a free personal training sampler at Urbanfitt to meet one.
Best of luck,
Jane Clapp
www.urbanfitt.com
Goodlife Fitness Clubs owns the largest certifying organization in Canada, Can Fit Pro and they just keep churning out new trainers left, right and centre. It is in their best interest to make money on both ends: being paid to certify their potential trainers and then earning an income from people who pay to train with the people they certified. Smart business. It is no stretch of the truth to say there are plenty of trainers who can't support themselves with their training income alone and there are some trainers making six figures. But kicker is, the Can Fit Pro course takes 3 days to complete. And these 3 days in no way prepare you to be a great trainer. So who are the good trainers and how do you find one?
In an almost completely unregulated industry, it is up to the consumer to discriminate and sort through the good, the bad, and the ugly. So I've decided to create a mini guide on how to shop for a trainer worth his/her weight in gold. I've had loads of experience interviewing and managing trainers over the years coming from a variety of backgrounds and levels of formal education. Let me help you not waste your hard earned bucks.
Here goes:
1) If you're looking for help losing weight and changing your eating habits, can your potential trainer deliver you advice in a thong? That is, if you want help losing weight why hire someone who can't manage their own weight and get the body they want for themselves? (I ripped this one off one of the biggest fitness gurus in North America, Paul Chek I believe).
2) Choose a trainer with good posture. If you hire a trainer with bad posture, they aren't going to fix yours and you're never going to work out structural imbalances that create poor posture. And as you get older your posture is only going to get worse if you don't work on it.
3) When you meet with a potential trainer for the first time, look for good people skills. Do they talk most of the time or ask you open ended questions and listen? During a consultation, a trainer should listen 80% of the time and talk 20% of the time. If a trainer doesn't get where you're coming from they won't be able to address the issues that have brought you to them in the first place. And do you really want to spend precious time with someone with poor people skills?
4) Does your trainer look healthy? Do they seem over-stressed, scattered, under-slept? Do they have big bags under their eyes? You want someone who can coach you towards living a balanced lifestyle. If someone can't get their shit together than can they really inspire you to change?
5) Obviously someone with more education than a three day course is desirable. But even post secondary education in a health and wellness discipline doesn't necessarily mean a trainer is 'better'. Does your potential trainer invest in education every year? Fitness and health information is constantly changing. You want someone who stays current, constantly educates, reads and stays inspired. Find out how your potential trainer stays current. Ask them how they would describe their training philosophy. Is it about shoving you on a machine and counting or is there a method behind their madness?
6) If you have an injury or a medical condition, find out if your potential trainer has experience dealing with your issue(s). You want someone who can truly help you. If you have any serious medical concerns you probably want to find a trainer with specialty education and training. A chiropractor who can treat an injury and prescribe exercises to rehab your injury is quite the combo. You just want to avoid hiring someone who thinks they can diagnose and treat injuries without any formal education. (i.e. QUACK!). A trainer not qualified to diagnose and treat should be dealing directly with a health professional who has treated you already and then follow their lead in designing a strength training program.
7) Someone you're paying on average $70 per hour should be able to help you change your fitness from the inside out. Are they just going to work you out for an hour or are they going to help you make changes outside your training session to support your efforts in the gym. A good trainer should talk to you about sleep, stress management and nutrition. If they aren't interested in helping you on these fronts, then you're likely not hiring a trainer truly, madly and deeply committed to health and wellness.
8) Listen for bullshit. If you ask your potential trainer a question and they don't know the answer but instead bullshit around it, run away. You don't want to work with someone who won't go and research your questions and you don't want to work with someone you can't trust. And someone truly confident will admit to not knowing something and instead look at your question as an opportunity to learn something new.
9) Ask yourself how you felt after your initial meeting. Did you feel a personal connection with your potential trainer? Did you feel understood? Did you laugh a little or at least leave feeling a little buoyant, inspired or excited about seeing them again? Or did you leave feeling intimidated. I see some of my clients more than they see some of their friends and family. There has to be a special connection between you and a trainer to make the match fruitful.
10) If you have the opportunity to watch your trainer in action, see if they're using a cookie cutter approach to training and just popping people on machines and counting or are they truly challenging their clients with movements that require much focus and effort. What do their clients look like? Are their clients working hard? Do they talk on their cell phone, pay close attention to their client, look bored, put a lot of effort into correcting form and technique? Do they look like they enjoy training? There are loads of trainers to choose from. Don't settle for someone who doesn't love what they do.
It can be very hard to find trainers who meet the above requirements. Good thing is, all you have to do is sign up for a free personal training sampler at Urbanfitt to meet one.
Best of luck,
Jane Clapp
www.urbanfitt.com
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Top fitness trends for 2008
I'm doing a radio segment tomorrow to talk about the top fitness trends for 2008. Although I already have my own opinions about what those trends are going to be, I did some research to find out what other people are predicting. And I gotta tell ya, everyone from the American Council of Sports Medicine to American Council of Exercise to leading North American fitness gurus are all saying different things. After sifting through all the predictions from various sources and assimilating them with my finely tuned fitness instincts, here's my list of predictions. But first, it is important to differentiate between fads and trends.
Fad: A fashion that is taken up with great enthusiasm for a brief period; a craze (http://dictionary.reference.com).
Trend. A general development or change in a situation or in the way that people are behaving (http://dictionary.cambridge.org).
So given the difference between fads and trends, I'm going to focus on what I see as a permanent shift in group consciousness towards fitness and health. My list of predicted fitness trends for 2008 are:
1) People will demand a higher level of education, professionalism and experience from fitness professionals in general. The average person is becoming more educated about fitness and health. Anyone spending money in these areas will expect a higher level of service than they have in the past. I see many people who have hired personal trainers in the past and weren't satisfied. They didn't see the results they were hoping for, weren't provided holistic fitness coaching (stress, sleep, nutrition and exercise) or weren't educated on how to train effectively on their own. People want more for their money.
2) People are seeking out boutique fitness studios and specialty studios. There is a general perception that service delivered in a boutique location is higher quality than one might find in a large gym environment. These boutique locations might be personal training studios, pilates or yoga studios, boxing gyms or dance studios.
3) People are willing to spend more money on their fitness and health than ever before. Fitness services are being seen as a necessity not a luxury.
4) Parents are recognizing the need for outside intervention in order to help their children deal with obesity and the resulting health issues. More parents will be hiring expert assistance, sending their children to fitness related classes and investing in their children's fitness and health.
5) People are engaging in structured fitness activities instead of showing up at a gym and jumping on a piece of cardio equipment. These activities might involve personal training, innovative classes, yoga, pilates or even technologically driven activities. People are recognizing the need to be fully engaged in what they're doing in order to feel motivated to keep going.
6) Sleep is going to be the most talked about health requirement in 2008. We are a chronically under slept society. The connection between chronic stress and lack of sleep will be hammered into our psyches by the media this year.
7) People are recognizing the need to tackle their fitness from the inside out and that physical appearance is a reflection of our internal health. More people will engage in alternative health practices than ever before and begin to realize that beating our bodies up with exercise with little attention placed on other health related behaviours doesn't cut it.
8) There will be a gradual movement away from stability and balance training due to increased injuries and lack of results. This year we are going to find personal trainers going back to basics in many ways and focusing on building lean body mass instead of mastering circus tricks.
9) Due to the aging population, more people will be engaging in physical activity to combat already existing medical conditions and illnesses.
10) The popularity of yoga has peaked. People are getting injured in yoga and don't necessarily build lean body mass and lose weight. People will realize yoga is not the be all end all to being fit. Also the average length of yoga classes (90 min) makes taking regular classes impractical for many people. People are going to gravitate towards activities that provide the most bang in a little time possible.
There you go! Let me know what you think.
We'll check back in a year to see if I was on track.
Jane
www.urbanfitt.
Fad: A fashion that is taken up with great enthusiasm for a brief period; a craze (http://dictionary.reference.com).
Trend. A general development or change in a situation or in the way that people are behaving (http://dictionary.cambridge.org).
So given the difference between fads and trends, I'm going to focus on what I see as a permanent shift in group consciousness towards fitness and health. My list of predicted fitness trends for 2008 are:
1) People will demand a higher level of education, professionalism and experience from fitness professionals in general. The average person is becoming more educated about fitness and health. Anyone spending money in these areas will expect a higher level of service than they have in the past. I see many people who have hired personal trainers in the past and weren't satisfied. They didn't see the results they were hoping for, weren't provided holistic fitness coaching (stress, sleep, nutrition and exercise) or weren't educated on how to train effectively on their own. People want more for their money.
2) People are seeking out boutique fitness studios and specialty studios. There is a general perception that service delivered in a boutique location is higher quality than one might find in a large gym environment. These boutique locations might be personal training studios, pilates or yoga studios, boxing gyms or dance studios.
3) People are willing to spend more money on their fitness and health than ever before. Fitness services are being seen as a necessity not a luxury.
4) Parents are recognizing the need for outside intervention in order to help their children deal with obesity and the resulting health issues. More parents will be hiring expert assistance, sending their children to fitness related classes and investing in their children's fitness and health.
5) People are engaging in structured fitness activities instead of showing up at a gym and jumping on a piece of cardio equipment. These activities might involve personal training, innovative classes, yoga, pilates or even technologically driven activities. People are recognizing the need to be fully engaged in what they're doing in order to feel motivated to keep going.
6) Sleep is going to be the most talked about health requirement in 2008. We are a chronically under slept society. The connection between chronic stress and lack of sleep will be hammered into our psyches by the media this year.
7) People are recognizing the need to tackle their fitness from the inside out and that physical appearance is a reflection of our internal health. More people will engage in alternative health practices than ever before and begin to realize that beating our bodies up with exercise with little attention placed on other health related behaviours doesn't cut it.
8) There will be a gradual movement away from stability and balance training due to increased injuries and lack of results. This year we are going to find personal trainers going back to basics in many ways and focusing on building lean body mass instead of mastering circus tricks.
9) Due to the aging population, more people will be engaging in physical activity to combat already existing medical conditions and illnesses.
10) The popularity of yoga has peaked. People are getting injured in yoga and don't necessarily build lean body mass and lose weight. People will realize yoga is not the be all end all to being fit. Also the average length of yoga classes (90 min) makes taking regular classes impractical for many people. People are going to gravitate towards activities that provide the most bang in a little time possible.
There you go! Let me know what you think.
We'll check back in a year to see if I was on track.
Jane
www.urbanfitt.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
New Year's Resolutions. I'm not too cool to be a cliche
In many ways I choose to adopt alternative outlooks on the world. I like to think I march to the beat of my own drum, a nonconformist at heart. So when it came thinking about New Year's resolutions I turned my nose up at the idea by pure reflex. But I decided to research the whole New Year's Resolution custom to see how long we've been waiting for the turn of the calendar year to make changes in our lives.
The tradition of the New Year's Resolutions goes all the way back to 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar. With two faces, Janus could look back on past events and forward to the future. Janus became the ancient symbol for resolutions and many Romans looked for forgiveness from their enemies and also exchanged gifts before the beginning of each year.
The Romans named the first month of the year after Janus, the god of beginnings and the guardian of doors and entrances. He was always depicted with two faces, one on the front of his head and one on the back. Thus he could look backward and forward at the same time. At midnight on December 31, the Romans imagined Janus looking back at the old year and forward to the new. The Romans began a tradition of exchanging gifts on New Year's Eve by giving one another branches from sacred trees for good fortune. Later, nuts or coins imprinted with the god Janus became more common New Year's gifts.
So after reading a brief history of New Year's Resolutions I decided that maybe this tradition has been around for so long for a very good reason. Maybe we all need a day on the calendar to inspire us to reassess our choices. Maybe being a cliche isn't so bad. I went on the radio on Sunday and announced my New Year's Resolutions so that I can be held to them. Arlene Bynon will be checking back with me to see how I'm doing.
Here's the kicker though. We need accountability to keep us on track. Whether that accountability is a partner, a personal trainer, a life coach or a therapist, we all need to lean on each other for support when making changes in our lives.
And goals need to be SMART: Simple, measurable, achievable, realistic and timed.
So here are mine:
1. Sleep 8 hours per night.
2. Limit TV watching to 2 hours per week.
3. Read one business book and one personal book per month.
4. Pattern my thinking on the way to and from work with inspirational lectures and talks on CD.
5. Take my umbilical fat measurement to within normal range in 8 weeks.
6. Strength train 3 x times per week.
7. Eat a min of 5 servings of veggies per day.
8. Limit caffeine intake to one cup per day.
9. Write down my annual and quarterly business and personal goals and then measure them.
10. Schedule one nothing day every two weeks where all I do is read, watch movies and do nothing associated with work.
So if you've set some resolutions for yourself, send them my way and I will keep them on file and check back with you in four weeks to see how you're doing.
Here's a quote from to start 2008 with from Notes from the Universe (www.tut.com to sign up and get a daily inspirational note sent to you).
"The best shortcut of all to the life of your dreams, is knowing that you've already arrived."
The tradition of the New Year's Resolutions goes all the way back to 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar. With two faces, Janus could look back on past events and forward to the future. Janus became the ancient symbol for resolutions and many Romans looked for forgiveness from their enemies and also exchanged gifts before the beginning of each year.
The Romans named the first month of the year after Janus, the god of beginnings and the guardian of doors and entrances. He was always depicted with two faces, one on the front of his head and one on the back. Thus he could look backward and forward at the same time. At midnight on December 31, the Romans imagined Janus looking back at the old year and forward to the new. The Romans began a tradition of exchanging gifts on New Year's Eve by giving one another branches from sacred trees for good fortune. Later, nuts or coins imprinted with the god Janus became more common New Year's gifts.
So after reading a brief history of New Year's Resolutions I decided that maybe this tradition has been around for so long for a very good reason. Maybe we all need a day on the calendar to inspire us to reassess our choices. Maybe being a cliche isn't so bad. I went on the radio on Sunday and announced my New Year's Resolutions so that I can be held to them. Arlene Bynon will be checking back with me to see how I'm doing.
Here's the kicker though. We need accountability to keep us on track. Whether that accountability is a partner, a personal trainer, a life coach or a therapist, we all need to lean on each other for support when making changes in our lives.
And goals need to be SMART: Simple, measurable, achievable, realistic and timed.
So here are mine:
1. Sleep 8 hours per night.
2. Limit TV watching to 2 hours per week.
3. Read one business book and one personal book per month.
4. Pattern my thinking on the way to and from work with inspirational lectures and talks on CD.
5. Take my umbilical fat measurement to within normal range in 8 weeks.
6. Strength train 3 x times per week.
7. Eat a min of 5 servings of veggies per day.
8. Limit caffeine intake to one cup per day.
9. Write down my annual and quarterly business and personal goals and then measure them.
10. Schedule one nothing day every two weeks where all I do is read, watch movies and do nothing associated with work.
So if you've set some resolutions for yourself, send them my way and I will keep them on file and check back with you in four weeks to see how you're doing.
Here's a quote from to start 2008 with from Notes from the Universe (www.tut.com to sign up and get a daily inspirational note sent to you).
"The best shortcut of all to the life of your dreams, is knowing that you've already arrived."
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