Sugar. Ah, Honey, Honey

Summer time is lemonade time. And in the south, it’s pitchers of sweet tea on picnics.

A new connection on LI messaged me that she is decreasing the sugar she consumes by eliminating sweet tea and lemonade.

Within a day, a new client found out his A1C is almost double where it should be.

(Side note - A1C measures the average of your blood sugar over a 3 month period.  So he got really motivated to manage his sugar intake.)

A little warning: If you have diabetes or are dealing with an eating disorder, please pay attention to your health care team’s personal advice.  This article is for general information.

How do you lower your sugar intake, without getting into yo-yo dieting?

First, I wanted to see how you consume sugar.  So, this week I reached out to you on LI, IG, and FB.  (And if we aren’t connected on social - you are missing out.  So, wherever you hang out most, let’s connect.)

I asked if you tended to eat sugar, drink it , or avoid it.

Your responses were insightful.

20% drink

50% eat

20% limit

10% avoid

Comments included not consuming processed, but didn’t consider juice -- which is concentrated sugar -- as processed as long as it was fresh juice.

Someone else said they wanted to know how to have discipline and willpower with sugar - so that’s going to be part II

Why is this important?

This is sticky … so let’s be careful not to demonize sugar or make it a saint.

Let’s go to science.  

Sugar is not toxic, at least not in the sense that true poisons are dangerous.

The only health issue sugar is confirmed to cause is tooth decay.

Malnutrition, obesity, and even diabetes have not been shown to be caused directly by sugar itself.

All of these have multiple factors at play.

For example, if sugar is replacing nutrient-rich foods that your body needs, you may get the calories you need for fuel, but not the vitamins and minerals you need. That’s the essence of malnourished.

For diabetes, the evidence is conflicting and interesting.  In some populations in the world, an increase in sugar consumption has tracked with an increase in Type II diabetes.  In other populations, no relation has been found.

However, in some animal studies diets very high in sugar can cause diabetes like disease.

For obesity -- research is clear that you can gain weight whether you eat too much carb whether starch or sugar, protein, or fat.  However, because you can drink sugar, it is easier to get excess calories from processed sugar than from other sources.

What to do?

This is about understanding the principles vs. creating food rules

1.  Know the difference between sugar occurring incidentally in a whole food vs. in processed or concentrated form.

2.  Consume foods in combination.

It is not just about if the food has sugar in it.  It is about how quickly does the food digest and raise your blood sugar … and then if it makes you hungry quicker.

How does sugar fit in with IE?

Three components of IE that I teach you are eating what you really want and eating slowly, savoring your food, and stopping when you are satisfied.

If you are not following a medical diet, then try this experiment.  It is one I’ve used in workshops and with clients for years.

1.  Before you eat or drink something sweet, ask yourself “on a scale of 1-10, how much do I want this now”  and “on a scale of 1-10, how much do I want what I will feel like later”

2.  Second, pay attention to the pleasure of the food or drink.  Perhaps it is not savoring 3 bites of a brownie that is causing issues for you.  Perhaps it is eating multiple brownies, distracted while you watch YouTube videos.

3. Third, when you eat slowly you are more able to stop when you are satisfied.  3 bites might be enough.

How do you handle sugar? Let me know in the comments.

Men's Health Month Challenge

You know what to do to take care of your health.

• Get your physical

• Go exercise

• Eat healthy

• Drink more water

• And the list goes on

But if you are NOT doing these, you need to dig a little deeper.

Here’s my challenge to you:

1. Ask yourself WHO. Who are the people in your life that motivate you to take care of yourself?

2. Is it FUN? You will not stick with something that is painful or boring.

Ok, your annual physical isn’t going to be fun, granted. But everything else — it can be.

Family Fitness Fun!

Imagine creating memories your kids and grandkids will talk about for years. Picture them passing down a legacy of health and wellness. And make it easier for yourself to stick with a healthy lifestyle, all at the same time.

Crazy thought?

Nope.

It just takes a little fun and creativity.

(Get your Fun Family Fitness Cheat Sheet. Just email me for it — sheri@thevireolife.com)

The 5 questions below will help you.

Want the details? Check out this video.

1. What ages are your kids and grandkids?

2. How can you add fun and games? (Fun Family Fitness Cheat Sheet is waiting for you. Just email me and get your copy — sheri@thevireolife.com)

3. What technology tricks can you use?

4. How do you plan for different personalities?

5. What relationship do you want to build?

Why Your Workout Isn't Working for You

A friend called recently. After catching up, she asked me a question I often hear. "We've been trying this workout program, and it is not working right. Is it us?"

All-or-none-cookie-cutter-one-size-fits-all programs are designed to fail. And in the process, you end up feeling like a failure. Which then makes you not want to stick with a healthy lifestyle.

My friend's particular program looked good on paper. Most do.

The program included high intensity interval training (HITT). Good. But maybe not good for you.

(Wondering what a HITT workout is? Or whether a low, moderate, or high intensity workout is right for you? Jump to the two-minute mark of this week’s video.)

Back to my friend … The problem is that she had recently overcome adrenal fatigue and has an 18 month old son..

But here’s an even bigger issue with the cookie-cutter workout plan! Five days of high-intensity exercise back to back does not allow enough recovery time, even if her adrenals were 100%.

When your workout is not working for you, it is tempting to give up.

Don’t give up.

Adapt.

My friend and I adapted a change in her weight training, lower intensity movement and exercises that rebuild energy. And made sure the schedule allowed for sleeping in sometimes, too!

What about your fitness? What is working or not working for you?

If you want help sticking with your fitness plan, don’t miss my Unlock Your Hidden Health Potential free online workshop.

It is coming up June 2 and 3.

Click here for Workshop Details and Registration.

What's holding you back?

Is it fear of what others will think about how you eat (or don’t eat)?

Is it a co-worker who looks at you weird when you walk at lunch?

You are not alone.

I’ve faced this at family gathering, work parties, and in the work breakroom. I’d stretch instead of just standing there, and wow, people thought I was weird.

Interesting though, that other people starting taking my lead. Guess what? They will take your lead, too and you will inspire them through your own healthy choices.

You win. They win.

So, unleash your courage and stop holding back.

Why I Stopped Dieting

It all started because I was trying to fit in … with my family. It created a cycle of Striving. Judgement. Shame.

But also the excitement of “this diet might work” and the false-camaraderie with fellow calorie-counters.

It ended being trapped in food jail, feeling like a failure, and fearing food.

Actually, it ended with my getting free from the diet mentality to enjoy life.

I want the same for you.

Change Your Greatest Limiting Belief

Discover today how to overcome the most self limiting belief you have. It keeps you from living the healthy lifestyle you desire.

It is a simple switch.

I know from experience it takes effort to shift to the truth. I also know it is worth it.

Life Lessons on Confidence, Trust, Friendship, and Happiness

On our trip to the Tetons and Yellowstone National Park, I experienced several “ah-ha” moments.

For example, for a few years I have been intentionally eliminating what drains my energy and increasing what fulfills me. As I was getting ready for the trip, I created my usual plans.

• Pack several books to read

• Gather the lotions and potions for some self-made spa time

• Select my music for long relaxation times

Then I realized, I don’t need those things on this trip.

Why?

Discover how to create that fulfillment, completeness, and happiness in this video.

Plus, nine other life lessons you can use right now.

Hiking Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks

Doug and I just got back from a huge birthday hiking trip.  Let me know what you think of the highlights and what bucket list trip you might start planning.

So where did the idea of this birthday hike come from?

10 years ago, for my 40th birthday, I decided to celebrate by hiking at least 40 miles in Utah and CO.  

We hiked all over Arches National Park

And to Hallett Peak in the Rocky Mountains.  As you look through my website you will see several pictures from that trip.

That trip was so much fun we got the idea to hike for every “big” birthday.  Pretty good motivation to stay active when your goal is to hike 80 miles for your 80th and 90 miles for your 90th, right?

This year’s celebration included the Grand Tetons in Jackson Hole WY, the wilderness area named for the famous Jedediah Smith, and, of course, Yellowstone.

By the end of the trip - in the final clip - my sleep loss is very apparent.  And that just means lots of travel lessons I will share with you in the next video.

I share a lot of the scenery and inspiration in video I took for you while on the hikes. Grab a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy!

Let’s get started.

If your goal is simply to see the Tetons, just fly in to Jackson Hole and then hop a plane back home.  As soon as you step foot on the tarmac and turn around, there they are.

On the drive to our condo, we stopped by the Silver Dollar Saloon.  A friend had asked me to take a picture of an elk for her.  The only way I could guarantee that was taking a picture of my elk tip salad.  Fortunately, in the video you’ll see I caught footage of an elk calling.

Our first hike I experienced a life lesson on perspective.

There are at least 12 lakes in the Tetons.  We hiked to see Phelps Lake, with our focus toward the lake. 

When we turned around the rock face and canyon caught us by surprise.  It was there all along, but we didn’t see it.

So, in life, what am I seeing only one side of?  What do you need a new perspective on?

Our next hike was an oops hike.  Otherwise known as we got lost.  Which, next video I have more lessons to prevent that for you.

The first couple of days I planned easy hikes so we could get adjusted to altitude.  The hike was beautiful, despite being lost.  After passing part of this lake (later found out it’s called Jenny Lake) we headed up some steep switch backs. 

Out of breath, I kept saying “If this is an easy hike, I’m not looking forward to the strenuous ones.”

Fortunately a park ranger crossed our path and said we were headed to Inspiration Point, and passed where we needed to be a couple of miles ago.  We turned and went back down the mountain.  

That afternoon was a short hike to Leigh Lake, because we wanted to get in before the predicted storm hit.

Be aware in the mountains.  The day before we flew in, sunny skies were the forecast.  Within a couple of days the prediction changed to a snow storm. And it definitely snowed.  Enough our hiking plans got rearranged, but we still got to hike.

The morning after the snow storm we let it melt off the roads, and then headed to another lake - Taggart Lake in the afternoon.

Since the trails were so icy, we drove the next day to Yellowstone.

Following the Yellowstone adventure was our hardest hike. We trekked to Amphitheater Lake, a subalpine lake formed in granite.  The trail there is steep and we didn’t have trekking poles to help with the ice, but the views getting there are as stunning as the lake itself.

Then the next day we got to summit Taylor Mountain with Diane, our guide from Teton Backcountry Guides. We learned history and nature we would never have known without her expertise. When you hike or ski in Jackson Hole, contact them. https://tetonbackcountryguides.com/

As a quick example, Diane pointed out Indian Paintbrush, the state flower of Wyoming. For eight hours she taught us about the area.

She also explained how they ski this mountain side - once there is 3 feet of snow. “When the coneflowers are covered, we know it is safe to ski.” I was intrigued to learn how avalanches get started - even though I have no desire to ski.

The next morning we got up super early and drove to watch the sunrise over the Tetons.  We saw one of the funniest scenes.  A bison jump a fence! Did you know Bison - these huge animals - can do a 6 foot standing jump?

One of our last hikes was to Grand View Point, where you hike to a summit overlooking lakes on both sides.

Make sure to watch next week’s video as I share with you the hiking, and travel , and life lessons.

Why Habits Don't Work for You

You’ve got a friend who tried X and it worked.  You tried it and it failed spectacularly.

Why?

When your friend prepped his meals on the weekend, he raved about how it saved him time and effort during the week.  You tried it and you were miserable doing it and the food ruined in the cute little containers.

Another friend tried martial arts classes and ended up practicing every day.  They got fit so quick you were inspired to join in.  After a week, you started finding excuses to not practice and after a month you dropped yet another gym membership.

You saw a friend on social media selling a special shake that’s giving them amazing energy.  You bought it from them and it’s just giving you indigestion.

What’s the deal?

I chose the tagline for ViREO Life carefully.  Find your path.  Fulfill your potential.  The only way to fulfill your unique potential is to find your unique path.  Your path is the steps, the tactics, of your lifestyle to get the results you want.

That lifestyle is uniquely yours.  Your friends lifestyle is uniquely theirs.  Every client I work with has a totally different path.

Does that mean it is just a shot in the dark to find what works?  Absolutely not.

You apply the principles of sticking with habits and you quickly find your tactics.

Let’s take those three common examples I mentioned at the beginning.

One Principle is Enjoyment.  What is your personality?  What do you enjoy in your life?  Another Principle relates to Time.  What priorities and responsibilities do you have?

For the friend who likes to prep food - perhaps their personality likes methodical planning and their evening are committed to working late.  For you?  Perhaps you enjoy going out to eat in the evenings with your buddies -- while the prepared food goes bad in your fridge.

Perhaps your martial arts pal loves to engage mentally with their exercise and be with people, and perhaps you need to let your mind wander and have some alone time.  Sounds like a walk in the park would be a good experiment.

For the shake -- What about the Principle of Biology?   Maybe your friend was deficient in some nutrients?  What if you are sensitive to one of the ingredients?

There are several questions I use when guiding clients.  Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• What was fun in childhood?

• What fulfills you?

•  What do you like to do on vacation?

• What makes you come alive?

• What makes you laugh?

• Who do you enjoy?

• What relaxes you?

• What activities absorb you, to where you lose track of time?

Invest a few minutes today answering these and look for common themes.  Those themes will reveal the tactics you need in your unique healthy lifestyle.

A Simple Way to Break a Bad Habit

Let’s compare two recent Sunday afternoons.

Sunday One - standing in the kitchen prepping and cooking food for the week.  Strong munchies.  

So, as I’m cooking I eat a few nuts.  Then some fruit.  Then, well, you get the idea.  Not junk food, but not eating because I was physically hungry.  (The first phase of Intuitive Eating.)

Sunday Two - need to cook for the week, but I tune in to my immediate needs and realize I need a nap.

So, I honor the need and I nap.

Ta-da. There was no standing and grazing mindlessly.

When I reflected on the previous Sunday, I realized I had needed to chill and nap.  Hence, the munchies to keep me engaged and alert.  A classic situation.  

Before I give you the solution, I’ll tell you about a client with a different situation, but same lesson.  

This individual owns a business and works a ton of hours.  But they wanted to increase their exercise.

The solution is one I learned in ocean kayaking. 

In ocean sports, there’s a saying “don’t stay in when you are too fatigued to fight.”  

The problem is, you don’t automatically know when you’ve crossed into a red-zone of too tired.

What works?  Find your red flag.

The munchies are a red flag for me.  When I notice myself wanting to snack, I ask myself “am I hungry?”  If the answer is “no”, then it’s the munchies.  That signals either I’m bored or tired or stressed.  Something needs to be addressed.

On the Sunday I was prepping my healthy meals, I ignored the signal because I was so determined to get it done.  Usually, I have learned to listen.

Listening is the first step.

The business owner wanting to increase exercise also used the second step: A single go-to action.  For them, the go-to action was get outside for a 5 minute walk.  The walk re-energized mentally and didn’t add an hour to their day.  By the end of the day, with several of these 5 minute breaks, the step count got to goal and they got their work done.

For me, my go-to is a 30-60 second relaxed breathing break.  In those few seconds I can identify what my red-flag (the munchies) are telling me I actually need.  Even if I can’t meet the need right then, I keep the habit of eating intuitively.

Easy and Surprising Way to Improve Your Personality

Being healthy is only one reason to choose healthy habits.

You will improve your character and personality traits along the way.

You likely have a trait you want to strengthen. Maybe it is to be more assertive and confident. Maybe you want to be more creative.

But practicing a new way of being can be, well, risky.

Want to be more assertive and negotiate for a raise? That can be scary.

Trying to be more creative in a challenging project? What happens if you get stuck and fail?

You aren’t alone.

Here’s how five people, just like you, used Health Habits as a “training ground” for personality traits.

One client wants to be more assertive. Intuitive Eating is helping her to ask for what she really wants in the safe area of “where to eat dinner.”

Another wanted to improve his confidence for business meetings. Getting to the gym boosted his esteem, before he lost any weight.

The book The Millionaire Mind lists fitness, exercise, health, eating well, energy habits - as all vital to develop discipline, stress management, focus, and ability to take risk.

Another client increased his creativity by going against the workout norms and creating his own routine.

And yours truly? I’ve been working on mindfulness for a year or so. Intuitive Eating is a safe and fun way to practice being present.

How to choose healthy habits? That’s what this whole site is about.

If you want to speed up the process and stop wasting efforts, email me (sheri@thevireolife.com) and let’s chat. We’ll personalize your plan.

You need to B.Y.O.B. (Umm...No. Not that.)

“How can I make it easier to have a wellness lifestyle?”

When this question comes up, I notice the answer is embedded in the question.

Lifestyle.

If you don’t make healthy living part of your lifestyle, you will stay frustrated with it.

To live well, to live healthy, is not living singular disconnected actions. It is a lifestyle.

One simple question to strengthen that lifestyle is “What would my future self want me to do?”

My two week ago self chose to not wash the apples, but leave them in the bag.  My self today got an apple out of the bag and it was rotten.

My self today also went for a walk in clean workout clothes because my last weekend self folded the laundry and put it away.

What about your lifestyle?  Do you set out your workout clothes the night before a morning walk?  One of my favorite ways to prep my workout clothes is pack them in my gym bag for the whole week. 

With plastic grocery bags to bring home the sweaty ones, of course.

If you want to cook creatively in the evenings, but just cannot face standing and chopping after a long workday, could your lifestyle include some pre-chopping on the weekend?

The flow of your lifestyle will change over time.

My schedule used to be that if I wanted healthy convenient lunches, I would need to pack them all on Sunday for the week.  Now, I don’t need to do that.  

But for the days I am out during lunch, I need to already know where the quiet places - or parks are to enjoy a relaxed lunch.

All of this means you will need to prioritize your healthy lifestyle.  That doesn’t mean there is never a place for “Oh, let’s be spontaneous and road trip this weekend instead of grocery shopping and prepping food.”  It does mean that if road-tripping is every weekend, your healthy lifestyle needs to plan for it.

What to do?

In the words of Chase Hughes, “Be Your Own Butler”

Step One: What’s the most emotionally painful part of healthy living for you?  Is it rushing to get a healthy dinner on the table?  Is it missing a lot of your workouts?  Or are you tired of stressing out because you are always late?  Or ____________?

Step Two:  For that area, how can you be your own butler?  What do you need to prepare ahead?

Your future self will thank you.

Best Way to Stop Triggering a Bad Habit

Last Sunday and Monday I experienced very different days, and it was because of one choice.

For Sunday lunch I chose to eat my lunch (a “healthy salad”) rushed between church and a friend’s right-after-church wedding.  Out of the plastic container I’d brought it in.  Standing.  Hunched over, shoveling it in.  Distracted.

Sound familiar?

The rest of the afternoon I felt chaotic, tense, had poor posture.  It was just, well, yuck.

For Monday breakfast, lunch, and dinner I got out the nice china, sat “properly” at the table, and ate slowly.  All day I was relaxed, focused, productive, and had good posture.

One choice triggered multiple results.

Remember Newton’s 3rd Law “Every action creates an equal and opposite reaction”? 

In the world of your habits, every action creates multiplied and amplified reactions.

Pay attention to the “domino effect.”  Think about the last time you ate dinner while watching a movie, got mentally charged up, then slept poorly, so your appetite was increased the next day.

It’s time to try a different approach.

What is the bad habit you want to break?  Don’t focus on that habit.  Find the trigger; find the step that happens BEFORE the habit and focus on it.

I had two triggers before my rushed eating on Sunday. 

1.  I failed to have a plate for my salad.  So the container encouraged chaotic eating. 

2.  I was telling myself “I’ve only got 10 minutes” instead of reminding myself “I’ll eat what I have time for now; I won’t starve; I can finish it after the wedding” which I had to anyway.)

If you always eat ice cream every night before bed, what comes first?  

If you plan your workout for after work, but then always find yourself on the sofa instead, what comes before sitting on the sofa?

When you make these subtle and powerful shifts, you will find yourself stopping habits that don’t help you, but be prepared.  You’ll also find those around you wondering what’s going on.

After work you used to change into moccasins and that led to sitting on the sofa with your spouse for the rest of the evening.  Now, you put on your walking shoes and leads to a walk.  Plan on letting your spouse know that, well, things are changing.

Stop losing ground and wasting time staying stuck in habits that aren’t serving you.

What’s one habit you want to level-up?  What’s the trigger you’ll change to make it happen?

Next week, I’m going to show you how to use this same habit trick to remember new habits.

Six Reasons You Need to Find Your Unique Path

While growing up I suspected I had developed an unhealthy relationship with food – and sometimes even exercise.  But it was years later at a work potluck Christmas party that I knew I absolutely had a problem and had to change.

Everyone else was at the buffet ooh-ing and ah-ing over different dishes colleagues brought. 

I was in the bathroom terrified. 

“If I eat that _____ I’ll have to workout extra tomorrow. Who knows how many grams of ____ it has.”

“I want to try ____ but if I do I’ll probably not be able to stop eating it.”

“I’ll be good and just have the veggies I brought.  If I break my diet I’ll lose control.”

I realized I was the only one, apparently, who did not feel she could enjoy the food, the people, or the party and I stayed as far away from the table as possible.  Why?  I thought something was wrong with me. 

By that party I had spent almost 20 years fine-tuning my “diet mentality,” through the various diet and exercise rules I learned from the media.

And I wanted freedom.  Desperately.

I wanted to exercise just because it felt amazing and made me strong and healthy. Not because it burned calories I’d eaten the day before.

I wanted to eat a balanced meal because it was satisfying.

I wanted to enjoy a cookie without fear of eating five.

I wanted to go to a party and enjoy it all.

Scratch that.

I didn’t even know that was possible.  All I could fathom was maybe not being consumed with worrying about every morsel, gram, or repercussion after a party.

Thankfully, that part of me is a distant memory, because …

I found my path to THRIVE.

Did you see?

I released a course where I’m going to share with you the mindset, principles, techniques, tools and skills practiced by people who find – and follow – their unique path to health, wellness, and a Thriving Life.

It’s called …

THRIVE LIFE (Go here to learn more; we get started in just a few days.)

While there are so many health benefits to this way of life, the most surprising benefit has nothing to do typical health-parameters.

It has to do with relationships and accomplishing life goals.

Huh?

Let me explain.  Envision that same work party where I locked myself away in the bathroom.  If my mind had been free from food-fear, I would have been mingling with colleagues and enjoying getting to know their families, enriching my relationships.

And when my mental and emotional space is not cluttered with how many calories I eat or burn or how much I do this or that, my mind is free to be creative and pursue dreams.  Plus, there is way less stress.

Here are the six reasons you need to find your own path …

#1 – You stop outsourcing your emotional health to food or over-exercise

You can learn the difference between physical and emotional hunger.

Food was created to bring you pleasure, but it is not what heals hurts or brings peace.

Exercise has many ways that it lifts your mood, but there is a point of using exercise to escape struggles vs. helping you overcome them.

When you sit with discomfort and find what actually fills you emotionally, your strength of self grows.  Your confidence to live and handle difficult situations increases.

#2 – You have mental space to pursue your dreams

This one is huge.

When your mind is cluttered with searching for the next diet or exercise program, or finding recipes that fit the new fad, or shopping for the latest exercise gear you cannot focus on what really matters most to you in life.

It may even go deeper.  If you are staying focused on analyzing food / exercise to avoid dealing with something else, it is time to move forward. 

If you are hiding your best self behind counting this or that, trying to control every bite or workout, it is time to open the curtain and step out on your stage.

#3 – You have increased physical energy

You sleep well, you wake up with energy, and it stays consistent throughout the day so you can accomplish your goals and still enjoy family and friends at the end of the day.

#4 – Your ability to enforce boundaries, with yourself and others, improves

Food police?  Exercise drill sergeant? No more.  Either from others or yourself.

You confidently handle critics.

You also are able to tell yourself “no” when a choice does not value you.

#5 – You have more fun and are more fun to be around

When your excitement comes from discussing the latest fad exercise or diet, it is a boring life.

However, when you have recent adventures or a book you read or a funny family gathering or ____ to talk about, conversations have life in them.

You meet up with people, confident as you accept yourself and others, with less judgement.

Social situations around food are no longer stressful.

You have the physical fitness to enjoy the adventures you want.

#6 – You feel successful, because you are successful

When you learn what works for your body and your lifestyle, and you have the tools and techniques to stick with it, you reach your goals.

You feel successful along the journey because you are living what you value.

#7 – This is a bonus reason because I recently had a conversation with a client and this reason came up – so I added it: 

You become a leader and influencer for good in those around you.

This client was waiting on the inspiration to make changes to come from his circle of family and friends.  I challenged him “Think about who you want to be.  Do you want to be the person who waits to be led or do you want to lead?  Do you want to be influenced or do you want to influence?”  I challenge you, too.  When you find your path to Thrive, you will inspire others to do the same.

This is what finding your path to THRIVE brings you.  It is one of the most amazing adventures you’ll ever go on.

Go here to check out my THRIVE Life course, so you can thrive in YOUR life. 

(We start in a few days.)

What I Got Wrong in my Productivity (and fixed)

I thought I had gotten it right, and recently discovered I was still wrong.

You’ve probably been there, too.

Many years ago I was working as a Personal Trainer at a local gym, while going to grad school. I tried to be “efficient” when I would study between clients. I’d sit in my car where it was quiet. But it would be too hot to concentrate. Or I’d go to the park to read, but too distracting.

I finally figured out that I was more “effective” in the long run if I would drive 15 minutes home, study for an hour, then drive 15 minutes back, even though on my calendar it looked inefficient.

Once I had that “ah-ha” I thought I had the productivity thing figured out…but kept wondering why I wasn’t getting projects done the way I knew, at least on paper, I could.

I tried the ABC prioritizing method. Good? Yes. Incomplete? Definitely.

I tried “time-blocking.” Wow, that really did not work for me. I’d be writing for a blog or video, or preparing for a speaking engagement and underestimate how long I needed, and then my whole “time-blocks” for the day were messed up! Grrr….

I used every “trick” I’d heard of …

“Eat the frog first” from Brian Tracy

And the Pomodoro Technique to help me focus without distraction

But there was still something BIG missing.

As I’ve been helping leaders and professionals increase their energy to make better decisions and get things done, I discovered what I needed!

Energy Zones.

I was using all of these methods, which are good, but in the wrong way.

Once I incorporated what I’m calling Energy Zones, things started clicking.

Before I explain how to map out and use your zones, let me tell you my “last straw” story. I had promised a client I would create something for them that evening. It was in a software program I’ve used 100’s of times. I thought “this should take me about 5 minutes” … and 45 minutes later I was so frustrated with why I could not get the software program to work! Then I saw one tiny button I’d missed clicking.

Why? I was trying to create during a mindless-energy zone. Had I created this during a creative zone, it actually would have only taken the 5 minutes. No wonder I was still getting behind!

Ok, heres’ what this looks like.

1. Notice the times of day you naturally have more mental energy and creativity

2. Watch for the times of day you are alert, but not able to be as creative

3. Pay attention to when your mental energy drops

Then, pull out the time-blocking concept. For me that means after my morning workout, I protect my highest creative work (writing content, researching, problem-solving) at least two days each week.

Early afternoons are my alert but not creative time … strategy and planning come easy for me, so that is when I develop my online courses, answer emails, edit speaking notes.

I get energy both from moving and by interacting with people I enjoy. So late afternoons, I move to increase my energy. And then take the deep mental work I did earlier in the day and give that to my clients in their afternoon calls.

The secret sauce?

1. Increase your overall energy with the practices I provide you here.

2. Find your Energy Zones

3. As much as possible, schedule the types of activities to match your zones

Let me know in the comments what productivity and energy ideas you use!

Simple and Unique Summer Workout Challenge

Want more time with your family and friends … plus a way to increase your motivation, strength, energy, metabolism? Oh, and have things to do in the summer when you (or family) are bored?

Take this summer workout challenge for the next 4 weeks.

I’m taking it with you and going to post on my Instagram and Facebook pages what I’m doing. Check it out — and share what you are doing too!

Let’s rock this summer fun!

Do It Scared

Have you wanted to start something new … join a gym, go to a natural-food market, try a Pilates class … but you were scared of doing something wrong and looking out of place?

I get it. This past week I tried something different to build relationships with some new people. I thought I had prepared, but when I got to talking with them, within about 60 seconds I knew I was going to look foolish.

I felt uncomfortable and nervous. My face was blushed for the first 30 minutes. I also knew if I cut it short and left I would not build the relationships — and I would damage my confidence for the future.

I asked myself …

What’s the worst that can happen? I blush and look silly for a bit, they aren’t gracious, I learn something and life moves on.

What’s the best that can happen? I blush and look silly for a bit, we form a relationship, I get more comfortable and we have a great time.

When you are thinking of trying something new in your life — whether trying out a new class or ordering a healthy dish at a restaurant — do it even if you are scared.

Ask yourself: What’s the worst that can happen? If you can handle whatever that is (and I’ll bet you can), then do it. There’s a 99% chance (not a real statistic) it won’t be the worst. It will likely be closer to the best.

What finally happened for me? One person I really connected with by the end of an hour. Another person I never felt comfortable with and that’s ok.

You can fulfill your potential. Sometimes that means doing life scared.

How to Believe You can Reach Your Goals

You have some goals you want to reach.

• Complete a 5K?

• Feel more confident when you walk into that meeting?

• Be able to lift your kids (without hurting your back)?

• Be around for your kids when they have your grandkids?

• Lose 20 pounds?

To reach those goals you have to change your habits.

And to change your habits you have to believe you can, right?

This past week I learned a powerful technique to changing your beliefs and I want to share it with you:

Belief Stacking!

Whatever habit you are wanting to upgrade, write what you need to believe concerning it.

For example -

GOAL: Complete a 5K

HABIT: Run/walk 4 days each week according to training plan

BELIEF: Exercise is important to my life and I am able to stick with the training plan

BELIEF STACK: Write out 50 reasons that belief is true. Yes. 50.

The first 10 or so will be easy to write out…

1. “I have followed a walking program before.”

2. “My kids want to walk with me a couple of nights/week.”

3. “I like how I sleep better when I exercise.”

But the power comes when you have to dig deep to get all the way to 50 reasons. And sometimes you have to turn an excuse into a reason.

“My work is so busy that I don’t have time” becomes “I come up with creative solutions while I run, so I actually work faster.”

What goal and habit are you working on? Try Belief Stacking and let me know your results!

How to Create a Culture of Wellness - Part Two

How do you create a culture of wellness when you are the only employee or have just a few people working for you?

Anytime you are working on “you” and not on your business, do you fear you are getting behind? “Yes” is a common answer, but the truth is different.

When you work on you — including your health — you will grow your business. This is not pleasant to think about, but you are not your most effective working from a hospital bed that you could have avoided.

The flip of that? In this video I share how I helped a business owner move from scared he wouldn’t have enough money on a monthly basis — to stable and growing because he changed ONE thing: how he took care of his health.

You can do it, too!