Living Your Best?

 Are you living your best?  How do you know if you aren’t?

In Jeff Olsen’s book entitled “The Slight Edge”, he states we are moving in a direction of either improving or declining.  There is no static.  If you aren’t making the right choices and creating your best life then you are making poor choices that results in a life on the downward slope.

At first, I didn’t believe his statement to be true.  After several weeks of self-observation and personal research, I’ve discovered it is remarkably true.  I’m not very happy about that.

When I look at my life as it is, there are a few things I’m doing well and getting better at.  I’m pleased with the progress.  There are small things that I do everyday that have resulted in the phenomenal successes I am experiencing.

However, there are a couple things that I haven’t paid much attention to, they seem to be coming along, holding their own.  But I’m not tracking them regularly and I even take advantage of how successful they once were.  I’ve not been deliberate about taking action to keep them on the right path.  I believed some unseen momentum would keep them tracking properly.

When I look more closely and really see them in a different light - the light of TIME, where I am today vs 1 year ago, 5 years ago, etc - they are in fact, declining.

For example, I pride myself on staying fit.  There once was a time when I could do 40+ push-ups in a row, without stopping or being (too) out of breath.  Today, I can do 5, and, with a bit of a struggle.  Ugh.

So, I’ve just gotten down on the floor and done those 5.  That number 5 isn’t very many, a dismal number compared to the prior 40.  But I plan to do another 5 in two hours, and another 5 before brushing my teeth, and another 5 before bed.  That’s 20!  Only half of my previous ability but still 20 more than yesterday.

Keeping up with my new improvements scheme, I’ll do 140 in a week.  I’ll be strong enough after a week to do sets of 10 rather than 5, doubling the weekly number.  By the end of the year, I’ll have probably reached 1400 push-ups total.

I’ll finish out December gazing at my well developed arms and making plans for push-ups in 2013!  One slight change over time equals big improvements...

What small thing can you change today that will add up to Living Your Best?

Share it with me, I'd love to know.
Dawn
dawn@bodywisebodywork.com

If you could do it all over again, would you?

When you think about how young you were, all the things you used to do, and how much you fit into a single day - would you do it again?

If you're saying 'no', then you probably don't have the energy or motivation or ability to.  So, what happened?  I regularly see clients who are beginning to have trouble doing the things that the 'younger' generation take for granted.  Things like standing up or sitting down, going up and down stairs, getting into and out of a car.

There's a simple solution to all if these problems but while it's simple, it's not easy. 

I've used a question in my practice for quite some time to make the point:  How many times do you stand up and sit down in a day?  For most people, it's between 50-75 (or more).  Let's say it's 75 times and you weigh 150lbs - that means that your legs moved about 11,250 a day.  That's a lot of weight!  Say you find yourself sitting and it's the 76th time, do your legs say "Wups, that's your limit!" and refuse to stand you up?  Not at all.  So really, we don't know how much your legs can lift in a single day...

If you're having difficulty standing up and sitting down, that means your legs haven't been getting the practice they used to get (and/or they aren't lined up the way they should be to do it correctly).  Your legs aren't getting the practice and repetitions that the 'young' legs are getting. 

The simple solution is to get those legs moving, and moving more often.  Get back to those things you used to do!

If you experience pain when you begin moving more, book a complimentary 15 minute BODYMAP that will identify the cause of the pain and get you moving again www.bodywisebodywork.com

ROCKETPOPS!

The simplest thing in the world to do is make a rocketpop.  While makeing a rocketpop is easier than pie, why would you need to?  Take the time to really understand their purpose and you'll see why you, your family, friends, and coworkers shouldn't live without them.

1  You never make just one - rocketpops are meant for sharing.
2  You can't eat it immediately, you have to wait for it to melt a little so you can pull off the top.
3  Once opened, you can't dilly dally, you have to eat it or it will melt.
4  You can't eat it too quickly or your brain will freeze.
5  You can't talk while eating your rocketpop or it'll drip all over your clothes - rocketpops are meant to eat in silence.
6  You get a multi-sensory experience:  The cold, the taste, the feel, and the great outdoors (one should never eat a rocketpop indoors).
7  You are bound to the people you share rocketpops with, like participating in a native ritual with only your tribe members.
8  You need a strategy for eating the last bit, it falls off the stick if you don't bite the bottom just right.
9  You just feel a whole let better after eating a rocketpop.
10  You see everything in perspective afterward:  Conflicts are manageable (if they still exist), naptime is easier, the sun doesn't seem so hot, and you just can't imagine how life could get any better than it is already.
 

Same dog, New tricks

In celebration of all things wiser and now a year older (namely me) - I've rolled out a new look on the BODYWISE site... feel free to check it out and give me feedback.  I'd LOVE to hear from you about it:  www.bodywisebodywork.com

This is a transition site that will stay with me until Laura Blaine's schedule becomes available.  Find out about Laura's web design expertise by visiting her site:  http://signaturedesignworks.com/ 

Another wise woman!!

EFFORTLESS ERGONOMICS

I gave a talk today entitled:

EFFORTLESS ERGONOMICS: Three keys to making your workstation work better for you (and a new chair isn't one)

What you should know is that the right equipment helps, but it doesn't replace what your body needs to do on it's own.  Check out this diagram that demonstrates what I'm referring to.  The chair looks pretty good but is useless given the body position:

How many times doe we find ourselves so focused on work that we don't realize that we are doing this very thing?  It doesn't have to be this way, in fact, I can give you the tools to ensure this doesn't happen to you.

If you'd like more information about the remedy, I'm happy to share so contact me!   I'd also love an opportunity to present the facts about ergonomics to your colleagues, give me a shout and I'll contact your business...

NEVER do this on Friday's...

I was told that one should never make an announcement on a Friday.  Maybe because Friday's are reserved for resignations.  They also said never send a newsletter on Friday.  Perhaps in the efforts to wrap up a work week, readers are less likely to see it due to the push to get everything done.

Whatever the reason, I'm bucking the system and not following either recommendation.  I'm SO EXCITED about this news that I couldn't wait another day.  What better way to start the weekend than by sharing great news!

The Big Announcement: 

BODYWISE is Expanding

2012 is a year of growth and I’m pleased to share that I’ve been invited to join a clinic!   That’s right, I’ll be working side by side with a group of professionals in Totem Lake.  This clinic is right beside the Puget Sound Birth Center, where my youngest was born almost 3 years ago, and near the hub of Evergreen Hospital’s Medical complex.  I’m excited to serve more pregnant and post-partum clients. 

My hours will be expanded to include the Clinic - Kirkland and the Studio - Bothell.  Choosing a location will be easy when booking online.

Current clients will continue to receive the benefits of FAST treatments or can choose to split FAST into straight-up, best-in-the-industry massage or focused, therapeutic exercise rehab.  

This marks an important shift for BODYWISE.  It will allow me to grow my knowledge base by treating more and diverse clientele while working alongside other medical professionals.   I love the supportive and collaborative environment that a diverse staff offers.  And the benefits get passed on to you directly.

I’ll announce the Grand Opening event along with special deals when the date is finalized.  You can still reach me at the same phone number, email, and web address as always.
206.898.5327
dawn@bodywisebodywork.com
www.bodywisebodywork.com

Thanks for your continued support!  I look forward to another health filled and prosperous year with you.

The new office information is:
Eastside Natural Medicine
13128 Totem Lake Blvd NE, Ste 104
Kirkland, WA 98034
425-814-2045

You’ve Got an IQ - Know Your PQ, too!!

IQ, or Intelligence-Quotient, is used as a predictor for things like educational achievement, job performance, and income.  While the debate continues about whether IQ is inheritable, it has been proven that those with higher IQs tend to seek out more stimulating environments that further increase their IQ.

In essence, if you’re smart, you are on the look out for environments that support and increase your intelligence.  This is no less obvious to me than watching my kids grow.  There are some toys they used to play with often, and then they stopped because the toy wasn’t challenging or stimulating any longer.  It’s no easy task to keep children occupied  and content when you need it the most, like on long flights or in a waiting room.  

That brings us to the question, what is your PQ? 


One of the world’s foremost motivational speakers and brilliant business minds, Jim Rohn, said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” 

There it is - the People Quotient.  This happens to be a measurement of your People Smarts.  It includes abilities such as understanding others, expressing yourself, and collaboration.

At the end of the day, does PQ really matter anymore?  With all the ways in which we communicate that don’t require us to be face to face - email, voicemail, IM, etc - it may seem that having a high PQ is unnecessary.

However, there are still plenty of service industries.  There are businesses who are thriving because they have nailed the PQ in their service, marketing, and sales.  Restaurants, grocery stores, farmers markets, and fast food are prime examples of how maintaining a high PQ can sustain them through tough times.

PQ is linked to what you value.  When your values match up to the people around you, your PQ score naturally gets higher.