Mission 4

Fitness (Mission sponsors: Jennie Hendricks, Joe O’Keefe, & Ken Guild)

•    Time to switch gears and think flexibility.

•    Often ignored, a safe and efficient flexibility routine can yield better overall results.

•    Your mission this week is to stretch before, during, and after 3 separate workouts.  For example, on Monday stretch before the workout, on Wednesday stretch during the workout, and on Friday stretch after the workout.  Pay close attention to how your body responds.  How do you feel after you stretch?  Ask yourself why you would stretch before, during, and after a workout?  Which did you prefer?  Think about the primary benefits at the moment such as recovery and preparation for activity?

•    Try a new flexibility routine such as foam rolling; also known as self myo-fascial release (SMR).  Ask a trainer about the benefits and protocols of foam rolling.  Even better, spend 30 minutes engaged in a flexibility session with a trainer and truly realize the power of working with someone for improved flexibility and corrective techniques.

•    Sign off with your ID code in the log-book at the fitness desk.

Nutrition (Mission sponsor:  Amy Peck, MS, RD, CPT, Master Personal Trainer)

BODY SIGNALS

•    How hungry are you right this moment? Now take an extra minute, close your eyes and really scan your body from top to toe to read signals of hunger, thirst, tiredness, pain – what is your body telling you? Think about your emotional state as well. Are you happy, sad, mad, stressed, or worried about something?

•    It is easy to get so busy with our daily lives that we forget to listen to our bodies. This makes it hard to respond appropriately with what we really need and can lead to an unhealthy disconnect with your physical self.  If your body requires fluids and you don’t notice you may find yourself reaching for food instead. If your boss makes you mad, do you grab a candy bar instead? Certainly when you are tired it is easy to overeat for “energy” when what you really need is rest.  While we can’t always address every bodily need at the moment we notice it, just “naming the need” will help you separate out what will really help you and what will end up hurting you in the short or long run.

•    Your mission this week is to take a few moments each day to tune in to your body, and to try to figure out what it needs. Focus on simply naming the need and when possible addressing it in a healthy way by resting when you are tired, eating when you are hungry, drinking when you are thirsty, and recognizing emotions honestly.

Personal Coaching (Mission sponsor:  Heidi Michaels, Professional Life Coach)

TOLERATIONS

•    Tolerations are the things or situations in your life that annoy you or make your life more difficult or frustrating.  They may be small irritations (burned out light bulbs) or huge problems, but everyone has tolerations. It’s amazing how much these annoyances drain your energy and distract you from doing the things you want, and having the success you desire.  The key is to eliminate as many of your energy drains as possible, and to let go of the things you cannot change.
•    Tolerations usually fall into one of several categories, so below I’ve listed a few of the most common.  The first step to eliminating these annoyances is to write them down.  In the spaces below, write all the things you can think of, large or small, that are tolerations for you.
•    Include very tangible, like the blown out light bulb, to the elusive, like relationships that irritate you to no end.

•    Include also ongoing complaints, especially the stuff you’ve put up with for so long that you barely even notice.  (Forgetting to restock an item, back log of emails, a friend who never returns your calls)
Work:

Home:

Family relationships:

Friend/Co-worker relationships:

Personal habits/health/my body:

•    Now, commit to tackling at least one toleration a day, be sure to cross it off your list once it’s taken care of, and prepare to be amazed at how unburdened you will feel and how successful you will be.

•    Let me know how this goes…email Heidi@nowsthetime4u.com by Friday!

Skillful Living Tip (Mission sponsor:  Merv Tugendhaft, Assistant Fitness Director)

•    “Once you agree upon the price you must pay for success, it enables you to ignore the minor hurts, the peer pressure, and the temporary failures.” – Vince Lombardi

•    No success comes without any sacrifices. Some are bigger than others, but nevertheless, they are unavoidable.

•    As long as you are in “personal” agreement with your goals, and YOU believe in them, it will give you the strength to ignore those “minor hurts” and “sacrifices”.
•    Along the way, you will come along friends and family members who will try to corrupt you and take you away from your goals. At those times, you have to stay focused and think about your goals and those “sacrifices” you need to make in order to be successful.

•    In the extreme, you might want to consider a new support group!

•    In the past, I have addressed “temporary failures”; don’t get discouraged by them, but view them as a learning experience. Try to figure out why you temporary failed! This way, you can avoid the same mistake(s) in the future, even before you get to them or be tempted by them.