Success is Built on CHARACTER

How did you answer this question from last week? “What is YOUR Game Plan in ONE area of your life?” Did you take time to reflect? Did you make a decision backed up with ACTION in order to move ahead in your life?

We are now five months into 2016. What have you done differently to make 2016 different than 2015? In order for you to make a difference in your life something has to change NOW not later. Or maybe you don’t want to lead the life that God intended you to live. Maybe you’d rather keep putting off what you know you “should” do.  After all, it is easier to listen to that little voice telling you all the reasons why you can’t versus why you CAN.

Last week, I told you about Terrence Wood who made a commitment to himself and his family to make a difference in his life, and he is willing to do whatever it takes. Despite the fact his heart is in his business of helping young athletes with his company Before You Go Pro, he doesn’t bemoan the fact he has to work two jobs right now. He knows that will not last forever. He doesn’t make excuses that he’s busy with his wife and four children. Terrence is all about ACTION not excuses. His attitude is DO WHATEVER IT TAKES.

Jim Rohn says, "Personal success is built on the foundation of character, and character is the result of hundreds and hundreds of choices you might make that gradually turn who you are at any given moment into who you want to be.  If that decision-making process is not present, you’ll still be somebody – you’ll still be alive – but you may have a personality rather than a character, and to me that’s something very different.  Character isn’t something you were born with and can’t change, like your fingerprints.  It’s something you must take responsibility for forming.    You build character by how you respond to what happens in your life, whether it’s winning every game, losing every game, getting rich or dealing with hard times.  You build character from certain qualities that you must create and diligently nurture within yourself, just like you would plant and water a seed or gather wood to build a campfire.  You’ve got to look for those things in your heart and in your gut.  You’ve got to chisel away in order to find them, just like chiseling away rock to create the sculpture that has previously existed only in the imagination. But the really amazing thing about character is that if you’re sincerely committed to making yourself into the person you want to be, you’ll not only create those qualities, you’ll strengthen them and re-create them in abundance.  Building your character is vital to becoming all you can be.”  

Often times I hear people stuck with thoughts of not being able to move forward, not thinking they can change.  Excuses such as I’m too old, too young, I don’t have any time, “my boss is too controlling,” it’s not politically correct, I don’t have any flexibility with activities due to young children, school demands, I’m too tired when I get home from work, and the list goes on and on.  What I think Jim Rohn is saying, in the above paragraph, is that character building is a choice, and fortunately, we live in a country where we CAN make choices. 

Our 33 year old daughter made the choice almost two years ago that her health and well-being was important.  She wanted to be able to keep up with a schedule of working full-time, being a wife, raising two young children, being involved with several volunteer organizations, as well as getting involved in activities which would help her grow professionally as well as personally. She has been committed to no excuses, doing whatever it takes, and being consistent. 

Planning weekly meals, having healthy snacks available, and finding a workout program that would work for her were all a part of her Game Plan.  Now two years later, she has been able to maintain her desired weight, has developed a stronger body, has done an incredible job balancing life’s demands, and continues to do whatever it takes to be the best she can be. There are lots of opportunities to not follow through, lots of reasons to skip a day of working out, lots of opportunities to make excuses, but she has established a new norm for herself. Yes, there are sometimes even weeks that things are seemingly out of control. That’s life. What, to me, shows character is when someone takes a setback in stride and gets back on track moving ahead once again. It’s all part of the Game Plan.

Jon and I have been privileged to be around some talented athletes, special administrators, and special people of character. Commitment, no excuses, consistency and striving for excellence were those choices these people made as young 18-22 year olds which have now translated into those same character choices later in life. People with character don’t talk about why they can’t do something. Their conversations are how they CAN continue to pursue their dreams.  You don’t hear excuses about “what if” but you hear a commitment to personally learning, growing, the importance of family, and accolades of what a particular coach, teacher, mentor, family figure etc. instilled in them as a young person.

As Jim Rohn said, “Personal success is built on the foundation of character, and character is the result of hundreds and hundreds of choices…”  We all have those moments, at one time or another, of struggling, wanting to quit, frustrated with the roadblocks of bureaucracy or the lack of leadership by a boss. I’m of the belief that each block in the road, each naysayer on our life’s path is put there for a reason. We have to find out what that reason is so we can move forward. A person with character is NOT a quitter when the going gets tough. A person with character continues to move forward. I believe a person dedicated to building his or her character is on the path of living a life of significance.

I look at each one of our children and their spouse.  They all have been challenged with a variety of circumstances and road blocks.  They all have been frustrated and stressed.  But, what I admire in them is they’re building their character.  They’re making hundreds and hundreds of choices in all areas of their lives that are “gradually turning who they are at any given moment into who they truly want to be.”  As Jim Rohn says, “You build character by how you respond to what happens in your life.”

It’s back, once again, to whether you choose excuses, rationalizing, or blame as to why something is not working.  Or instead do you choose to focus, to do what’s in your control, to eliminate excuses and blame, and your Game Plan is to take one step at a time leading you to your dreams and desires.

I wish you a week looking at solidifying your healthy mindset building on the foundation of your character. 

Do You Have a Game Plan?

Which ONE of the suggestions from last week “spoke to you?” Which one were you willing to commit to for the next 30 days? What did you want to change in order to bring more significance to your life and therefore, the lives of those around you?

For me, I decided I wanted to continue with my thank you notes especially to my grandchildren. They are all getting old enough that telling them how much we are proud of them in whatever they are doing is important. I am a big handwriting person as handwriting connects memories to our brain even decades later so these notes are all handwritten.

I recently watched a video from Terrence Wood who played at CU about the same time as Jason. He now has his own business helping young athletes get ready for the next level. His website is http://www.beforeyougopro.com/ and is an online mentoring site. If you have an athlete, in any sport, or you know of someone, I would strongly suggest you send them to this website. Terrence has an incredible understanding, personal experience, and background to help young athletes understand what it takes to move to that next level.

With that said, Terrence posted on FB a video where he is talking about having a Game Plan. (He also has a weekly live radio show with top people who give their personal thoughts and experiences as someone who has gone to that next level.) His words profoundly struck me as words to lead each of us, in any area of our lives, to a life of significance.

In last week’s blog, the topic was whether or not your actions reflected your priorities. Terrence, I think, takes a step back and talks first about having a Game Plan. If you have a Game Plan, “nothing can stop you.”  Often times when we’re upset, depressed, and even ready to quit it’s because we don’t have a Game Plan. Now I will add that the Game Plan also needs to be realistic. If as a young person just beginning in the work force your game plan is to be the manager in your accounting department within the first few  months, that probably isn’t realistic. The question Terrence asks is, “What’s in your heart? What are you passionate about?” That takes quiet, personal time to answer that question.

Often times, we are all guilty of looking around at what everyone else is doing and that’s what we want. Often times, we’re listening to people who don’t have our best interest in mind or if they do their view of what we should and should not be doing is different than our own. “It doesn’t matter what everyone else has! It also doesn’t matter where you are right now. What matters is your Game Plan to show where you’re going!”

I loved the honesty and direct message from Terrence in this video. As it turns out, he filmed the video during the night audit shift at a hotel.  He is married, has four beautiful children, he has his own business which he’s developing and growing, yet he needed a second job to help pay the bills. Despite the fact he has written books, has his own website and clients, and he has his own weekly radio show, Terrence is willing to do whatever it takes to reach his dreams. “I am waiting patiently for my Game Plan to come to fruition, so I don’t have to have this night job.”

I don’t care if you’re in your 30’s, 40’s, 50’s or older having a Game Plan in areas of your life is a necessity in order for things to change for the better. You might decide your Game Plan revolves around your spiritual growth, your financial status, your personal health and wellness etc.. Whatever it is it must be something you want to do, it must be something that’s in your heart, and it must be something you’re passionate about. AND as Terrence says, “Stop looking at everyone else! Stick in your lane! What everyone else is doing doesn’t matter.”

For me, a Game Plan can be big or small. (I prefer the sports analogy using the term Game Plan, but we’re also talking about Goals.) Last week’s blog was looking at areas in your life that you want to improve. You were to choose ONE area of your life you wanted to change, and then commit to ONE suggestion/activity. The final step was to then TAKE ACTION for the next 30 days. Terrence is willing to do whatever it takes to bring financial freedom to his family, to live out his Game Plan full time without the need of a second job, and he’s moving forward with his heart and passion. Can you say the same thing with your dreams and desires?

“Who has the heart to make it out of their current situation?” Who is willing to do whatever it takes to reach your dreams and your desires” Who is willing to put in the work, the dedication, gain skills, listen to coaches/mentors/teachers/bosses who you respect? Who is willing to fail knowing that each failure is one step closer to reaching that Game Plan? Who wants to lead a life of significance?

What is YOUR Game Plan in ONE area of your life? Last week’s blog and this week’s go hand-in-hand. I wish you a week of reflection, thoughtful time, and a decision with ACTION backing your desire to move ahead in your life.

Enjoy a safe and fun Memorial Day coming up on Monday.

Do Your Actions reflect Your Priorities?

Did you take time to reflect on your intentions? Did you focus on being intentional in all that you did this past week? It takes a change in your mindset and your actions to reach a level of significance.

Before I begin, I want to qualify this week’s blog. Timing is everything. I am quite aware that May is a very hectic month especially if you have children in school. However, now that I think about it further, when is our life NOT busy? Summer brings its own challenges with different routines and schedules, vacations, sports etc. Then there’s the fall with a new school year starting and football has begun. I mention football since our lives revolved around Jon’s schedule at CU and now Jason’s schedule at MBU. But wait, then there are other sports beginning, AND the holidays which takes us through October, November, December and January. Of course basketball is in full swing now and oh, don’t forget March Madness, Easter and spring break. Throughout the year, college students are working around their projects, papers, midterms, finals, and the list goes on and on. In other words, life is busy for each of us (even those of us retired) no matter what time of year it is.

Can we agree that everyone has a busy life? Everyone has a long list of what they’d like to get accomplished, everyone has people in their lives who are important to them, everyone has a job/school goals and desires, everyone wants free time, and everyone wants to be healthy in mind and body? With that said, is it important to YOU to lead a life of significance? Are your actions reflecting what’s truly important in your life? Do the people in your life whether it be family, friends, colleagues, employees, team members etc. know that they are important to you and you want to add value to their lives?

I think we all take for granted, on some level, that we will wake up and have another day on this earth. We all “put off until tomorrow” things that we think we can do later. I think we all know “on some level” that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed yet that’s not a comfortable topic for many. I’m not talking about having a will, nor am I referring to planning for financial security when you’re older although both ARE important.

What I want to discuss are whether your actions consistently reflect what you value.

No matter your age; male or female, your marital status, whether you have children or not, whether you’re a college student, beginning a new career or you’ve been in your career for a length of time, we all must focus on what we value and what we want to be remembered for once we leave this world. I, for one, believe that we CAN have it all. We CAN have a successful career AND have a close knit, healthy family. We CAN be healthy in both our mind and body. I’m of the belief that we can use AND vs. either/or. What it takes is BALANCE, and it takes PRIORITIZING! 

As a teacher, throughout my 30 years, it was very important to me to do the very best job I could to give value to my students in order to prepare them for middle school and life in general. However, the most important part of my day was to be sure each student felt valued, respected, and had a “can do” mindset even through struggles and failures. In addition, it was important to me to balance my life of being a mom of two wonderful children who had many interests and commitments, as well as a husband who had an extremely demanding and time consuming job himself. It was important for me to have meal times together, to prepare a healthy meal, to have time for all of us to talk and stay in touch with what was going on in everyone’s lives.  Being healthy both physically and mentally have always been important, however, I have had to continuously work on these areas more when I was working than now.

In addition, it has always been important to me to send my family and friends cards with a hand written note on their birthdays and anniversaries. It’s always been important for me to hand write thank you notes even today which now include my grandchildren. It’s always been important to me to read and learn more about my craft, learn more about being a better parent and now grandparent, learn new ideas about organizing my schedule, our family’s schedule etc. Those were MY values. What are yours?

The first part is to know what you value. Next is the question of how are you going to accomplish those things? My values are not necessarily yours, but I give you my perspective to give you some ideas. I will say, no matter your circumstances, the keys are PLANNING, CONSISTENCY, and ORGANIZATION. I realize some of you are going to stop reading right now as that is something you don't want to hear, but at least get through the following questions…

How would you answer these questions for yourself?

*Are you more organized in your job than you are in your personal life?

*Do you find your job takes precedence the majority of the time over your family?

*Do you remember, after the fact, that it was a family member’s birthday or it was either Mother or Father’s Day and you call to apologize?

*Are you constantly wondering what you should fix for dinner at 5:00 in the evening?

*Do you find with things at home you are doing most things last minute and many things fall through the cracks, but you’re in control at work?

*Do you find you and your spouse/significant other have little time to talk and find out what’s happening at each other’s work, what’s been on their mind etc.?

*Do you find the only conversation you have with your spouse/significant other is about the kids?

*Do you find that you’re tired at the end of every day and seldom feel satisfied with what was accomplished?

*Do you find yourself not eating breakfast and/or eating more fast food meals than home cooked meals?

*Do you say thank you, you’re welcome, and please occasionally or are they a habit no matter if it’s your children, your spouse/significant other, your colleagues your team members etc?

*Do you find your clothes not fitting as comfortably as you would like, yet you chalk it up to just getting older?

*If you value your health and overall wellness, on a scale of 1-10, how would you rate yourself on: eating nutritional meals, avoiding sugar, drinking a lot of water, and getting in some kind of cardio at least 3-5 days a week?

These are only a few questions to get you to think about whether your actions reflect your priorities. So how did you do? Are there areas of your life you can make a small change that will have huge rewards in the long run? Keep in mind we’re talking about overall habits knowing that we all slip once in a while. What’s usually the norm for you? Is it important to you to get better and lead that life of significance? 

Remember John Maxwell’s quote, “No one stumbles upon significance. We have to be intentional about making our lives matter. That calls for action ---and not excuses. It’s easier to go from failure to success than from excuses to success. Action is what converts human dreams into significance.”

PLANNING! CONSISTENCY! ORGANIZATION!

Think about some of these suggestions and pick ONE that you’re willing to commit to for the next 30 days – the time it takes for a habit to begin:

1   1.  Take 15 minutes to plan the meals for the week and make up your grocery list. Take into consideration the nights the kids have softball etc. Can that night be a crock pot dinner?

2   2. Set aside 15 minutes at least twice a week, if not more, to sit down with your spouse/significant other without interruptions. Go over what’s happening at work, other things on your mind, or just enjoy some down time with a beer or glass of wine. (Establish an expectation with the kids that this is a mommy and daddy time without interruptions.)

3   3.  Plan ahead to be sure you have what you need for a healthy breakfast. PROTEIN! All it takes is a shake with fruit in a shaker, and you’re out the door.

4   4. Sit down for 15 minutes once a week with your spouse/significant other with your calendars (on your phone or a planner). Go over ALL activities happening in that week which will affect the other person eg. an evening commitment which will bring you home later than usual, any school activities, a game/sporting event for you and/or the kids. Include things you will need help with eg pick up the kids, help with getting ready for something, help with…(This is a focused time NOT a reminder as you’re going out the door that you’ll be home late, for example.)

5   5. Take 30 minutes and put all birthdays, anniversaries in your phone calendar so it’ll come up yearly. Do this once and you’re done! I know this is “my thing” but I can tell you, as a recipient of cards and written words, these are cherished.

6   6.  I learned this from my beautiful mother-in-law: once a month pick out cards for all birthdays, anniversaries, gradations, baby or wedding showers, weddings etc. Address the cards, put a stamp on, and have it ready to go. In addition, put into your phone calendar the day you will need to send the card in order for it to get there on time. This usually will take you 15 minutes once a month!

     7.   Organize ONE area of your home that needs attention. Plan on taking ONE hour and focus on three piles: one is for anything that can be recycled, another is for anything that can be given away to Goodwill, the church a nonprofit etc., and a third is for trash. You CAN do one hour. Then plan another day for ONE hour.

8   8.  Go through your clothes first. Make four piles: one is for those clothes that fit or are slightly tight but you love them, another is for anything that you haven’t worn for at least a year, another pile is for those clothes you must keep for sentimental value although be careful with this category, and then any clothes that are so worn and old that they can’t even be used for rags. GIVE away what you can. We all can let others benefit rather than have our drawers and closets stuffed with clothes that we really don’t ever wear

    9.    For 30 days, write ONE hand written thank you note (text messages do not count) to someone for something they did for you, or for a gift they gave you, or they took the time to go out of their way to help you. That will take you 5-10 minutes! Saying thank you is always great BUT a written note means you took extra time just for them. 

1   10. Routines are built into consistency. When do you have meals, for example? This is even more important when you have kids. They need to know when they’re going to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That time may vary 30 minutes one way or the other, but we all need to establish times for eating. That’s HUGE for our digestive health!

1   11.  Set aside 30 minutes 2-3 times a week to go for a run or do some cardio workout. Involve the kids with your exercising, or take them with you when you go for a walk, bike ride, etc.

If we strive to be the very best we can be there MUST be planning, consistency, and organization to whatever we do. If we can improve in at least ONE area of our life then it’s easier to do the same in another area and another etc. Notice that time can’t be an excuse if you follow any of the 11 suggestions listed above. Most things are going to be 15 minutes and only one is an hour. If you can’t find 15 minutes to plan and organize to make a difference in not only your life but in the lives of your family and the people you work with then life will continue to be stressful and frustrating. If living a life of significance is important something has to change.

Remember:

“Success is winning

Significance is helping others win

Success leaves a fingerprint

Significance leaves a footprint

On the hearts and minds of others.”

Remember:

We all have 24 hours in a day. It's NOT that we don't have the time...It's that something is NOT a priority.

I wish you a week of looking at the list above and deciding ONE of the questions which “spoke to you.” What do you want to change in order to bring more significance to your life and therefore, the lives of those around you? Second choose ONE of the 11 suggestions, or something else, that you will commit to doing for the next 30 days.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Living a Life of Significance

Did you take time to reflect on your habits, your routines, and how you can get back to having an increased level of energy each day? Which ONE of the suggestions did you decide to focus on for the next 30 days?  I hope you don’t settle and accept the “no energy” as the norm.  We ARE in control and there ARE things we can do.

It’s been a very special time taking in all the beautiful thoughts and reflections from the kids this past Mother’s Day. Each of us tries to do the best we can at the time, but it’s nice to hear that I did have an impact, on some level, as to who they are today as young adults and parents themselves. I am so very proud to be their mother.

The heartfelt words and celebrations on Facebook about all the mothers were so uplifting and heartfelt. It was not taken for granted that I was able to call my mom once again this year. At 88, she is doing very well, and I feel blessed to still have her in my life, my children’s lives, and my grandchildren’s lives!

This brings me to the topic for this week’s blog. My latest reading is John Maxwell’s book Intentional Living; Choosing a Life That Matters. We each have our own story whatever that is, and deep down don’t we all want our life to matter? Don’t we each want to make a difference while we’re on this earth? John references one of my favorite movies It’s a Wonderful Life. Remember George Bailey? He was always choosing to do what he believed was right for others. There comes a point in the movie where George experiences a crisis and begins to believe that everyone would be better off without him. Unlike the rest of us, George is able to view his town and others’ lives as though he never existed. During this time, he began to realize that he had made a positive impact each time he took action to do what he knew was right and each time he helped others. His life did matter.

Living a life that matters, living a life of significance is what I hope we all strive to accomplish. I know during the time when I was a new mother I didn’t know very much, I didn’t have my mom around to help guide me, and I often times was going purely on doing what I thought was going to help this young baby grow up to be healthy and happy. Fortunately, I did have a wonderful neighbor and colleague who was there as a support system and encourager. In addition, being a teacher, I was learning things about discipline in the classroom that could transfer to being a parent. Thank you, Foster Cline and Jim Fey with your Discipline with Love and Logic philosophy.

Yes, it did help to be a teacher, but when it’s your own children it’s not quite as easy. I did know, early on, that my role was to be a parent NOT a friend. My role was to have boundaries, give opportunities to make choices, encourage, support, and give chances to try new things etc. I told many parents that their job was not to be their child’s friend that if they did their job as a parent when their children were growing up then they would be their child’s best friend when they were grown.

In the book, John Maxwell says “Don’t let the word significance intimidate you. Don’t let it stop you from pursuing a life that matters. When I talk about significance, I’m not talking about being famous. I’m not talking about getting rich. I’m not talking about being a huge celebrity or winning a Nobel Prize or becoming president of the United States….To be significant, all you have to do is make a difference with others wherever you are, with whatever you have, day by day.

What’s the key to a life that matters? It’s living each day with intentionality. When you intentionally use your everyday life to bring positive change in the lives of others, you begin to live a life that matters.” One of the many things I love about John Maxwell’s books and his messages is that each of us can change. “If your story isn’t as meaningful or significant or compelling as you want it to be you can change it.”

The best stories are those that come from experiences. Those are the stories that are told from the heart; sometimes with tears, sometimes through mistakes and failures, sometimes with pure joy, sometimes through laughter etc. When you think about it, isn’t intentional living about living your very best story?

“If you want to live a life that matters, don’t start when you get good; start now so you become good.” We all start something new doing things wrong, making many mistakes but as long as we learn what’s wrong, make changes and try again we’re on the road to getting better. When baby #2 came along, I at least had a little better idea of what to expect. This time the learning came with the fact that raising baby girls is different than baby boys and each child is unique, special and with their own skills and talents. I knew that in the classroom, now I was learning it as a mother. As a parent, I was learning through actions. There were many decisions made on a daily basis from the time the kids were babies to their entry into elementary school. Of course, then there were those middle school years and before I knew it they were graduating from high school heading off to college. Looking back, they weren’t always the right things to do, but I was doing my best based on love.

In my 64 years, I didn’t have the term intentional living, but instinctively I knew that I did want to make a difference in my husband’s life, in my children’s lives, in the lives of my students, and in the people that I met. Being authentic, walking my talk, loving my husband and children through the fun times, the times of celebration but also loving them through the tough times, through the times of crisis those were even more important. This is my continuous journey of being the best me that I can be.

Over this Mother’s Day celebration, I hear words from my children that bring me to tears, things that I didn’t know they felt, and things they remember that I didn’t know mattered to them. PRICELESS. I know Amanda shared some of the things her daughter, Sophia, said about her that she didn’t know about herself. Sophia’s words reaffirmed she was a good mom despite her own uncertainty. The beautiful accolades people shared on FB about their precious mothers both living and those that have passed away confirm the fact that living an intentional life is possible and is a key to why we are on this earth.

Throughout our lives, we strive to be successful as a person, as a spouse/significant other, as a parent, in our careers, with our health, etc. etc. “Intentional living is the bridge between success and significance.”

“No one stumbles upon significance. We have to be intentional about making our lives matter. That calls for action ---and not excuses. It’s easier to go from failure to success than from excuses to success. Action is what converts human dreams into significance.”

According to John Maxwell, “When I die I cannot take with me what I have but I can live in others by what I gave.” That is what I want in my life. My husband, my children, and now my grandchildren are my reasons for doing all that I do. Living a life of significance!

I wish you a week to reflect on your intentions and your focus on being intentional in all that you do. This will begin to change your mindset and your actions reaching a level of significance.

ENERGY!

Were you able to take some reflection time this past week? Any “ah ha” moments to help you move forward? What did you discover as to the types of people you are surrounding yourself with and who are in your close circle?

Here it is the second day of May!! Spring time is a time of renewal, rebirth, and a freshness in the air. Those of us in Colorado are finally seeing the sun and warmer days after a dreary week of 30+ temperatures, rain/snow, mix and cloudy. For the most part, this is the time when the flowers and trees are blooming (sorry allergy sufferers), the grass is greening up and needing to be cut, and the temperatures are starting to warm up.  Another part of spring, especially for those of you with children in school, it’s the time where your calendar is packed with choir concerts, final dance recitals, spring sports are in full swing, end of the year programs, banquets, prom, graduation, etc. etc.  Whew! 

ENERGY!  We all need more of it, right? After a long night with little sleep due to a sick child, a crying baby, tossing and turning in anticipation of a tough meeting in the morning, thinking about another day with people who look at the glass half empty and only know how to complain, going over and over that “to do” list in your head etc. We all need more energy! 

What do you do for a pick-me-up when you’re dragging?  Interestingly enough, most people will have 3-4+ cups of their favorite coffee throughout the day.  They didn’t have time to make breakfast, pack a lunch or both so they stopped off at a fast food place just to grab something quick.  Getting up a little earlier to exercise is definitely NOT in the picture, and hydrating with water is also out of the question….caffeine!  I need caffeine.  Sound familiar?

Before I go any further, I do want to acknowledge those of you who ARE paying attention to your health and ARE doing the “right” things. I love getting Elsa’s post in the mornings as she’s finished her exercise session in front of the TV in her basement. Garet is usually there as well, and we’ve also seen the pictures of Zane joining in on occasion. (Hysterical!) Breakfast, during the week, is a protein shake which is fitted into also getting the kids a healthy breakfast and ready for school.

If we take the time to sit back and reflect on our habits it’s easy to see what we SHOULD do, so why don’t we?  It’s that same excuse raising its ugly head again…TIME. 

Remember, however,…we all have 24 hours in a day, so it’s not a time problem, it’s a priority problem.  It’s the story you’re telling yourself.  If you’re engaging in some of the behaviors listed above on an occasional basis that’s one thing.  If this is your mainstay than yes, it is a problem.  We all have those times, and maybe it’s the last six weeks of school for you, where we are not in control of our time as much as we’d like.  If it’s a limited period of time, you may just be in survival mode.  Unfortunately, however, survival mode tends to flow into being the norm: “energy” drinks, coffee, no exercise, skipping breakfast, junk food, fast food meals etc.   With these bad habits contributing to your lack of energy, it now becomes an endless cycle. The story you keep telling yourself about having no time IS NOT WORKING!

So what are we to do?  First, acknowledge there is a problem.  Second, decide if this truly is just for a short period of time and then get back into your healthy eating, drinking, exercising routine.  Third, take a hard look at how you’re coping with not having energy.  What is ONE thing you can do to start to make a change? 

Here are a few suggestions:

Find ONE thing you’re willing to do starting tomorrow and repeat, consistently for an entire month – that’s 30 days!  If you’re really committed, you’ll write daily in some kind of notebook or journal on how you’re doing and what you’re noticing about your energy level.

The night before, make a list of the essential things that must be done the next day. The key word is essential. If other things get done then that’s a plus but the focus is on only the essential things.

Start to do more planning ahead of time. Plan Your weekly meals knowing which nights are busy therefore a crock pot meal would be a great choice. That also means making up the grocery list for that week and getting to the store. Maybe it’s once a month you do all the birthday gifts and card shopping. Consolidate your errands into one or maybe two trips. 

Turn the TV off, put your phone on the charger, AND put the computer down 45 minutes to an hour before you go to bed.  Your mind needs a chance to “wind down.” Besides, here’s a perfect opportunity to catch up with your spouse/significant other as to how your day went, reminders of what’s coming up, fyi about the kids, and just general adult conversation.

Have on hand a healthy trail mix bar like ones from Trader Joes or make your own No Bake Energy Bites when you get that hunger urge around 3:00 in the afternoon.  Almonds or walnuts, small amounts of yogurt are also good choices.  Have something that is easy to grab when you need that extra boost.

Get a pedometer and monitor the number of steps you take each day.  The goal is to increase that number by at least 50 steps each day.  Set your baseline on Day 1.

Breakfast is a must and protein is an essential part of this meal.  From personal experience, there are a lot of “junk” shakes out there.  I can attest to either the Shakeology or the Evolv shakes as having clean, good levels of protein, and healthy ingredients which will keep you feeling satisfied until lunch.  AND it takes less than five minutes to mix up.

For one entire month, commit to NO FAST FOODS. If you can’t go that long at least try one week then two etc. Your body needs time to adjust and start to learn what healthy food really feels and tastes like. 

Limit your caffeine intake to one cup of coffee in the morning.  Choose other ways to hydrate like water with a dash of concentrated lemon or lime juice for the rest of the day. I enjoy mixing up a pitcher of our Evolv Fuel or Fix drinks to have on hand.

NO soda, 5 Hour Energy, or any “energy” drink.  These are so loaded with sugar and “hidden sugars.”  

Create a routine during the week, and even on the weekends, with a regular bed time and the same wake up time.  (That is unless you have small children who may determine those times for you.)

Commit to a 20 minute walk once a day.

Women, in particular, complain about fatigue but actually the problem is dehydration!!  Are you drinking enough water?  A good test is if your pee is clear or a pale yellow then you’re getting enough fluids.  Focus on what you’re drinking.

Yes, you need carbs.  However, if you’re eating white bread, cookies, white pastas etc. your blood sugar will spike and then you crash which leaves you without energy – you’re exhausted.  Take these out of your food choices for the month.

Choose complex carbs like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and focus on having these at each meal.

What’s your choice?  Which one will you pick to pursue for 30 days?

I wish you a chance to reflect on your habits, your routines, and how you can get back to having an increased  level of energy each day.  I hope you don’t settle and accept the “no energy” as the norm.  We ARE in control and there ARE things we can do. 

I’d also like to take this opportunity to wish all the mothers out there a very HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!! I feel very blessed to still have my 88 year old mom still with us. She blesses me with her positive outlook on life, her willingness to change and adapt to new situations, and her love for all her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Feeling very blessed.