Loving the Chaos

This month’s 10 in 2010 challenge is to Eat Well.

Here’s the simple change to make:

make at least one healthy substitution in your current diet

Why would you want to eat well?

A healthy diet helps to prevent infections and reduces the risk of some diseases such as high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

It also helps you maintain a healthy weight and allows you to participate in an active lifestyle.

Here are the sobering statistics:

Statistics Canada’s latest Community Health Survey reports that 51% of Canadians report excess weight with more than 17% of adults — or about 4.2 million people — falling in the obese category. Things are not any better south of the border in the United States.

We all know that diets don’t work. You need to be able to make changes that you can stick with long term, not just until bikini season arrives.

Here are some simple substitutions to try:

• substitute water for soda pop and/or juice
• substitute whole grain bread for white bread
• substitute mustard for mayo or butter on your sandwiches
• substitute a high fiber cereal for a high sugar one

Pick one substitution that you can stick with – and if you want – choose more than one. The key is all about consistency.

I’d love to hear what other substitutions you think would help you to eat well. Post a comment  & let us know if you are up for this month’s challenge.

Remember to keep the momentum with last month’s challenge to Unplug More.

PS  You can always find all of the previous 10 in 2010 tips in the 10 in 2010 category on the right hand side.

This month’s 10 in 2010 challenge is to Unplug More.

Your challenge for the month is to turn off your cell phone & TV during meals.

Next week we’ll add in a new challenge.

The key is to stick with this unplugged commitment for the rest of the year.

Just keeping this simple boundary is a step toward reducing stress, more mindfulness and richer conversations.

If it’s been working for you, you might consider what other unplugged boundaries you want to create:

• check email only once per day
• decide on your TV viewing ahead of time rather than surfing
• record your favourite shows and watch them when its most convenient (and commercial free)
• limit your internet usage to specific times

• declare an unplugged day per week or month

Post a comment & share your unplugged ideas.

PS  – Remember you can always find all of the previous 10 in 2010 tips located in the 10 in 2010 category on the right hand side.

This month’s 10 in 2010 challenge is to Unplug More.

Your challenge for the month is to turn off your cell phone & TV during meals.

It’s been two weeks being unplugged.

What have the benefits been?

What have you learned about yourself?

For those of you who are seeing the benefit of creating boundaries about when and where you are plugged in, here’s another little challenge:

turn off your cell phone while driving

Most places will have cell phone legislation sooner rather than later so get with the program now. It’s a safety issue plain and simple.

What phone call is so important that you would risk your safety and that of those around you?

When you think about the boundaries you create in your life, do they reflect the things that are most important to you?

Or are you willing to blur the edges for convenience or someone else’s priorities?

Take a stand for what you believe in and let your actions reflect it.

Post a comment & let us know how unplugged is, or isn’t working for you.

PS – Remember you can always find all of the previous 10 in 2010 tips located in the 10 in 2010 category on the right hand side.

This month’s 10 in 2010 challenge is to Unplug More.

Your challenge for the month is to turn off your cell phone & TV during meals.

For some of you this one is not too hard. It’s actually a refreshing change.

For others unplugging even for half an hour is a stretch.

One of the big obstacles to having enough time to do what is important to you is not setting boundaries. That and the internal conversation you have with yourself about why you can or can’t do something.

What’s the underlying belief you are holding that encourages you to leave your cell phone or the TV on during meals?

Maybe it’s something like…

I need to be in constant touch with the office, my kids, stock market updates or ?

My multi-tasking doesn’t impact on the people around me.

I have to be busy all the time.

Unless there is a real emergency going on – like you are waiting for the birth of a child, or a call from the transplant team, you can indeed create a boundary that protects mealtimes.

During meals you have a chance to have an undistracted conversation with other people. You can pay attention to what you are eating and when you feel full. You can take time to refuel your body and relax.

Take a look at the excuses you are making for not being able to meet this month’s challenge.

If you have been easing into this challenge, raise the bar a bit. Add more mealtimes that are unplugged.

Post a comment & let us know how unplugged is, or isn’t working for you.

PS    Remember you can always find all of the previous 10 in 2010 tips located in the 10 in 2010 category on the right hand side.

Congrats to Jeannette Cholach of Thorhild AB who is the January 10 in 2010 draw winner.

We’ll be sending Jeannette a journal to help her keep track of her 10 in 2010 journey.

Subscribe to the free 10 in 2010 challenge and your name will be entered into our monthly draw.

Remember….

Small steps taken consistently create change.

This month’s 10 in 2010 challenge is to Unplug More.

Here’s the simple change to make:

turn off your cell phone & TV during meals

If this month’s challenge is causing you to hyperventilate a bit, keep reading and I’ll give you an alternative later on.

Why would you want to unplug more?

You’ll be more present to mealtimes & eating.

You’ll have a greater opportunity for conversation & connection.

You’ll give yourself a break from constant demands & interruptions.

Here are the rather sad statistics:

The average person watches 4 hours & 49 minutes of television per day.

The average person spends 6 hours & 9 minutes on social networking sites like facebook and twitter per month.

And in our multi-tasking world some people they spend some part of their day watching TV and on the internet simultaneously.

According to a United Nations report, the number of cell phone subscriptions throughout the world has quadrupled, from 1 billion in 2002 to 4.1 billion by December 2008. No wonder everyone is constantly on the phone.

This month’s challenge is really about creating a boundary that can actually help you achieve other goals. More about that next week.

And…

if unplugging at mealtimes seems to big a stretch, then ease into it and unplug for one meal a day. You can expand to include the other meals as the month progresses.

Go ahead & take the challenge – you might be pleasantly surprised at what you discover.

Post a comment & let us know if you are up for the challenge.

 PS  Remember you can always find all of the previous 10 in 2010 tips located in the 10 in 2010 category on the right hand side.

I know some of you have specific goals for 2010 that may or may not line up with the simple changes we’re going to implement through 10 in 2010.

No worries!

You can use the same “small steps taken consistently create change” philosophy with your personal goals too.

Here’s how:

Think about your goal.

Write it in one sentence.

Then make a list of some simple changes that you could make that will contribute to that goal.

Remember you don’t have to take it all on at once to ultimately be successful.

Pick one of those simple changes and make a commitment to it. When that change has become a consistent habit, go back to you list and add in something else.

If you need some ideas about simple changes you could implement for your personal goal, just ask!

Monthly draw!

And there are so many people joining the challenge I’ve decided to run a monthly draw. If you have subscribed for the 10 in 2010 Challenge, you name will automatically be entered into the draw. January’s winner will be announced next week.

Leave a comment and share:

What do you hope to change in 2010?

Before you decide where you want to go, it’s usually a good idea to figure out where you are.

Here’s a little quiz.

Answer yes or no to the following questions:

1.   Are you well rested?
2.   Do you get adequate exercise?
3.   Do you practice random acts of kindness?
4.   Do you live within your financial means?
5.   Are you living clutter free?
6.   Do you limit your electronic devices?
7.   Are you an optimist?
8.   Do you manage stress well?
9.   Do you eat a moderate and balanced diet?
10.   Do you take time for personal reflection?

How did you do?

If you answered no to any – or all – of the questions, the 10 in 2010 challenge just might help you begin to create some simple habits that will move you closer to a less stressed, more healthy and happy life.

Starting next week, we’ll focus on some simple changes related to the quiz items. Remember small steps taken consistently create change.

Here’s how you can get started:

I encourage you to keep a notebook or journal about your 10 in 2010 journey. Start by writing down your answers to the quiz and any thoughts that pop up related to it. You’ll want to review this when we get to the end of the year to see what’s changed for you.

Let’s get a conversation started. Post a comment and share your thoughts about the quiz.

PS

Remember you can always find all of the previous 10 in 2010 tips  located in the 10 in 2010 category on the right hand side.

Create change with small steps

Setting goals can be a counterproductive activity.

Or not.

It really depends on you go about doing it.

Here’s a common scenario:

You have some things that you would like to change. They might be things that you have been thinking about for a while. You might have even given them a go before but you never really achieved the results you wanted.

In your enthusiasm to be a goal-getter, there’s a tendency to take on the mega-goal:

• losing a big bunch of weight
• running a marathon
• re-organizing your whole house
• becoming debt free

Maybe you start believing the popular media that tells you that it is possible to lose 30 pounds in 30 days without exercise.

Or some other unrealistic claim.

The truth is the idea of overhauling an area of our lives can be downright overwhelming. The initial enthusiasm wears off. And so for many people, creating a mega-goal sets them up for failure. It feels like too much effort, too much commitment, too much change.

Couple that with a lack of planning and support and it doesn’t take long before life gets in the way and your goal is shuffled way down your to-do list.

Here’s another scenario:

There are some things that you would like to change. You pick one small thing to focus on at a time so that you can be consistent. You start to experience some success and you build a little momentum. As you maintain your small change, you begin to add in other micro-goals and before long you have created a new set of habits. From there anything becomes possible. With a little time, motivation and consistency, you might even achieve the mega-goal.

Sure some people can set mega-goals and make them happen. But for most people, they get sidetracked long before they do.

That’s what the 10 in 2010 Challenge is all about – keeping your focus on small changes and being consistent.

During the coming year we’ll focus on one change per month. We’ll cover some of the most important areas like finances, organization, exercise, nutrition, sleep and more. It’s up to you which ones you want to implement.

You CAN make this the year you create some positive habits.

Are you ready to take the 10 in 2010 challenge?

If yes, post your reasons for joining us. I’m looking forward to hearing your successes and challenges.

For Immediate Release – January 2010

EDMONTON, AB – The success rate for New Year’s resolutions is so abysmal that most people either abandon them by Valentine’s Day or choose not to set any goals at all. Then at the end of each year, people are often discouraged by the things they didn’t accomplish. But rather than giving up on your goals for the New Year, Laurel Vespi, certified life coach, says people just need a different approach to achieving them.

“Failure doesn’t have to be an option when it comes to making changes in your life. Instead of taking on mega-goals, which can be overwhelming, creating micro-goals lets people establish new habits with greater ease. Change isn’t always easy but it is simple,” says Vespi. “When you focus on small steps consistently, you have a much greater likelihood of success. That in turn builds confidence and momentum.”

To help people experience success this year, Vespi is hosting the 10 in 2010 Challenge. This program will take participants through 10 simple changes throughout the year. There is no cost to participate, only the desire to make some improvements in your life.

“With a little focus and encouragement, most people can create simple changes that stick,” says Vespi. “Once they have some strategies and see that it is possible to build new habits, people then have the foundation for making other changes.”

Known for her bold, funky and creative style, Vespi partners with people who are really ready to re-ignite and energize their lives or businesses, people who desire change, but are stuck in getting started, or people who start to change, but end up reverting back to the way they were before.

There is no fee to participate in the 10 in 2010 Challenge. Sign up for 10 in 2010 Challenge

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For More Information or an Interview,
Please Contact:
Laurel Vespi
laurel@stonecirclecoaching.com (780) 460-8162
www.stonecirclecoaching.com