Dream Big

 What do you want?  Doesn’t seem like such a hard question to answer.  However as a Lifestyle Wellness Coach my clients have taught me that it is indeed one of the toughest.  Let"s be honest; it is much easier to let someone else make choices for you. But if you want to live your best life, the first step is figuring out what that life looks like for you – asking yourself - what do I want?

 You could start with the lottery question.  If I won the lottery tomorrow what would my life look like? This question works well because it immediately removes two obstacles; money and time.  With the promise of financial security without the burden of a job, you can begin to picture your perfect day, week, month… 

 You may be saying to yourself about now that this doesn’t work…..could never happen.  Why? Is it because it sparks a feeling of fear to dream that big?  What’s the worst that could happen if you start by dreaming as big as possible, and then working from that platform to get what you want?

 Once you allow yourself to start dreaming and have put together a few things that you REALLY want to have, achieve, do, be…. The next step is to put that dream to the test.  The following 10 questions come John Maxwell’s book Put Your Dream to the Test. He tells us that If you can answer the following questions positively, then the odds of achieving your dream increase dramatically.   

You may never win the lottery, but you can still begin living your best life by dreaming big and thinking big. 

1.

The Ownership Question:
Is my dream really my dream?

2.

The Clarity Question:
Do I clearly see my dream?

3.

The Reality Question:
Am I depending on factors within my control to achieve my dream?

4.

The Passion Question:
Does my dream compel me to follow it?

5.

The Pathway Question:
Do I have a strategy to reach my dream?

6.

The People Question:
Have I included the people I need to realize my dream?

7.

The Cost Question:
Am I willing to pay the price for my dream?

8.

The Tenacity Question:
Am I moving closer to my dream?

9.

The Fulfillment Question:
Does working toward my dream bring satisfaction?

10.

The Significance Question:
Does my dream benefit others?

Social Wellness

Social wellness is about our relationships with family, friends, co-workers, and I would say in this day and age I might even add those we have “friended”. It involves finding people that inspire you; people who make you laugh; people who lift you up rather than bring you down. Social wellness means being dedicated to spending the time and energy it takes to grow and develop relationships that are important you.

 

Like vocational wellness, social wellness addresses work – life balance. It is finding things you enjoy doing outside of work; things that are fun and rewarding. This may include hobbies or giving back by volunteering in some way.

 

Social Wellness is about surrounding yourself with people who make your heart smile and finding things to do that bring joy into your life. 

 

• I take time to enjoy my family and friend
•  I maintain a strong mutual, interdependent social support system
• I give and take equally in cooperative relationships
• I help others in need.
• I find things to do that are fun.

Emotional Wellness

Emotional Wellness is being able to recognize and manage one's own emotions. It is the ability to quickly arrive at personal decisions based upon the understanding of one's priorities.  Emotional wellness is having a skill set to handle stress effectively, as well as resolving conflict in a healthy manner.  This dimension of wellness addresses goal setting; you have the knowhow to create challenging goals, with the belief (confidence) that you will be succeed. 

 Emotional wellness is about understanding that you truly are the product of what your choices; knowing and understanding that you choose what to feel and think.  Emotional wellness is about being happy...and all it takes to make that happen for you. 

• I recognize that I create my own feelings and am responsible for them.
• I am happy most of the time.
• I accept responsibility for my own actions.
• I can express all ranges of feelings including hurt, sadness, fear, anger, and joy and manage related behaviors in a healthy way.
• I resolve conflict in a healthy, timely manner.
• I am able to forgive others and myself.
• I can realistically assess my limitations and cope effectively with stress.
• I can say “no” without feeling guilty.
• I set realistic objectives for myself.
• I believe that I will accomplish the goals I set for myself.
• I am able to set priorities.

Vocational - Financial Wellness

Work - for some of you reading this you are being paid to do the things you would do for free – you are doing the thing you always dreamed of doing; for others it is simply just a job. Wherever you fall on this continuum; the most important element is your attitude about your work…whatever it might be. Vocational Wellness is making the best use of your skills and experience. It is about having a job that pays you enough to not only provide the necessities, but also enjoy the things you want to enjoy outside of work. Success in this area is having a great work-life balance that fits your lifestyle.

Financial Wellness is about the money you have, but more importantly it is your relationship with that money. Success in this area is a feeling of security in what you have and/or what you owe. It is a peace around money, rather than anxiety.

At the end of the day both vocational and financial wellness are a direct representation of the choices we made and continue to make. The good news is that it is never too late to make new choices to help you live your best life.

• I enjoy my work.
• I have chosen a job role that matches my values and lifestyle.
• I have chosen a job that challenges me, while making the best use of my skills and talents.
• I am satisfied with the balance between my work and leisure time.
• I am able to manage and control my workload.
• I earn enough money to meet my needs and save to provide economic stability for myself and/or family.
• I have a healthy relationship with money.
• I am proud of the choices I make on a consistent basis around my  money

Environmental Wellness

  When I envision Environmental Wellness I’m drawn to the book ‘Spontaneous Happiness”, by Dr Andrew Weil. In this book he refers to research Richard Louv has accomplished (and written about in his book – Last Child in the Woods) on Nature Deficit Disorder (NDD), a term coined to explain how our disconnect with nature is affecting today's children. Mr. Louv claims there are a wide range of behavioral problems in children, but also emotional and physical ailments in adults who don’t spend enough time outdoors. Scientific evidence is showing that a few of the benefits of spending time in nature include; vitamin D, eye health, and even helping with regular sleep patterns. In addition, there are emotional benefits to spending time outdoors enjoying nature’s beauty…smelling the roses.

  I would add one more piece of the puzzle when it comes to Environmental Wellness, and that is your immediate environment; that place you spend a lot of your time. These may include your home, office, and/or car. If you are surrounded by clutter and chaos, this may be playing a role in your productivity, while limiting your inspiration.

  Environmental Wellness is about enjoying the beauty of nature, as well as the beauty of our environment - those places we spend our time. It is about taking the time to smell the roses; knowing you have that time because you have created an environment of organization.

oI live in harmony with nature and the universe.

oI recognize my impact on the environment and take deliberate action to minimize my impact.

oI try to create an environment that minimizes my stress.

oI beautify those parts of my environment under my control.

Physical Wellness

Physical wellness is about the body; how we take care of this one body we were given.  This dimension of wellness addresses the food we eat, the activity we get, how we manage our health, and even personal hygiene.  Physical wellness relies on habit more than any of the other dimensions.  As you begin this first week of 2012, ask yourself what habits you may need to acquire or break to better serve you in your journey to live your best life.

• I have the energy to do the things I want to do.
•    I maintain a consistent exercise regime consisting of aerobic, flexibility. and muscular    strengthening exercises. 
•   I take proactive steps to avoid and prevent injury, illness, and disease.
• I participate in recommended health screenings.
• I get 6 to 8 hours of undisturbed sleep a night.
• I eat a diet that consists of fruits and vegetables along with whole grains. I choose lean cuts of meat, poultry or fish.   
• I limit the amount of fat, salt, sugar and alcohol in diet.
• I avoid using tobacco products.