Be Relentless

"I don't care how good you think you are, or how great others think you are - you can improve, and you will. 

Being relentless means demanding more of yourself than anyone else could ever demand of you, knowing that every time you stop, you can still do more. 

You must do more. The minute your mind thinks, "Done," your instincts say "Next."
- Tim Grover

Career
How are you going to be relentless in your career? Is it playing it safe, avoiding risk like so many of your colleagues around the conference room table? Or, is there another door waiting for you to kick open?

Safe = Death

With so many changes, pressures, and expectations on leaders in today's world of work, taking the same old tired path of safety and excuses is unacceptable. 

There is only one option...so what are you waiting for?

Personal
Finding the proper balance between our professional and personal lives is a never ending challenge. The solution is not as complicated as you might think.

Commit to connecting with those you love on a very regular basis (daily, weekly.) Call, visit, text, facetime, tweet, or spend time with them....it doesn't matter how you do it...just make sure they hear from you no matter what. 

Fitness and Nutrition
This might be the most difficult because society has basically allowed us to default to an endless list of excuses so we can avoid being healthy, and eat piles of garbage on our couches night after night.

Stop it. Download MyFitnessPal, start tracking what you put in your body, and for God's sake get up and move each day.

When was the last time you took the stairs and didn't feel like dying after one flight? 

How About You
Life is an amazing adventure...and we can achieve so much more than we ever thought possible. However, corporate cultures, society, and the obsession with "busyness" has created the myth that a relentless attitude is somehow odd.

I'm calling BS on that. Being relentless is the only way to live.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Pass the Tchotchkes ...I'm Developing A Wellness Plan

I'm a big fan of wellness programs. As a long time HR-guy I'm sure you're not surprised. If done well, they can impact the health plan spend for the organization. After all, the real goal of any wellness plan is to spend less money on the company sponsored health plan.

Let me say that again...

...the real goal of any wellness program is to spend less money on the company sponsored health plan...

Fitness Matters
I am passionate about fitness. My own...my family's...and my colleagues. Just take a look around you today and you will see the obesity epidemic raging across the workplace. It's as if our definition of "fit" has changed, and we accept a new normal.

That's not right.

The risks of obesity have devastating effects on health, life, and yes, health care costs. Yet for some reason we have confused the primary goal of wellness programs as being...well...wellness.

One of the outcomes of an effective program is improved health, and might even include a new passion for personal fitness (oh, if that were true all the time!) But in reality, fitness actually is a secondary goal.


Accountability is Required
Healthcare costs are such a massive amount of each state as well as the Federal budget that we almost accept that as normal too. 

Just from my own experience as a Vice President of Human Resources for a mid-sized hospital, I oversaw a rapidly increasing health plan expense line that seemed to have no end in sight. One of the approaches to flatten that cost curve was to implement a wellness program...

...that held employees accountable, and rewarded them for their verifiable results.

No self-reported fitness.
No questionnaires that simply give points toward a company logo stress ball.
No trust...only verifiable results (think fitness tracker, doctor visits, etc.)

Sorry all, but without hard core accountability, your wellness program is a gigantic waste of money that not one executive will support.

Ever.

How About You
Are you considering implementing a wellness initiative in your organization? If so, make sure it is more than just a feel good program that promotes "a healthy lifestyle." No one suddenly "gets healthy'" because their employer rolls out a program with no accountability.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Wellness Isn't About the Workplace

Now before my HR friends get all wound up hear me out. Let’s think for a minute about what wellness is ultimately intended to achieve:

- lower benefit plan costs

- fewer missed days of work; and,

- theoretically a healthier workforce

Let’s be honest. Do you actually believe large employers have launched program after program simply because they felt a passion for the personal health and “wellness” (which is a very odd word if you think about it) of their workforce?

Um, no. It’s capitalism, remember? 

So What Is the Deal?

If any of you are still reading let’s take this a step further. I’m a fitness fanatic. I work out a lot, push myself (too) hard…and eat healthier than I have to. I’m motivated to stay healthy and strong. But it has nothing to do with any workplace program that was ever launched at the organizations where I worked…and I’ve launched some really good ones!

When was the last time you heard a woefully out of shape colleague announce to the team “thank God the company launched that wellness program, now I can finally get healthy!"

Um, never.

In my view there are only two instances when workplace wellness programs make an impact. 

1. Financial incentives are put in place.

2. The employee experiences a personal health crisis or scare.

That’s it. No amount of pedometer propaganda or limited availability of sugary drinks in the cafeteria can come close to the power of money and the fear of dying.

Nothing.

So Why Even Launch Wellness Programs?

The answer here is simple. Once employers understand what the real drivers of these programs are (save money, reward employees who either are motivated by money or literally are scared to death due to their own lack of motivation and now poor physical health) only then can real progress be made.

Be honest with yourself about why these programs are useful.

Align your incentives properly.

Make sure your leaders participate as role models.

How About You

Are you fired up about wellness program that are based on grandiose ideas but in reality are not aligned with what really matters? Make the changes necessary, and get moving. For the minority of employees that will truly embrace your program it will make a world of difference.

And that makes all of it worthwhile.

I’d love to hear from you.

No Excuses. 

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Toxic Sleep

I've spent years working out....and stopping...then starting again. It's not an uncommon cycle for many of us. I tried various strategies, programs and tricks to keep myself motivated. None of them had the staying power to help me move from being a "talker" about fitness to actually becoming committed to my health, until the summer of 2013.

Physical Health Is Not Enough

If you asked me if I knew working out and eating clean were good for me I would obviously answer yes. But if you asked me if I knew how to commit to being healthy I would only recently be able to answer.

That's the funny part. My brain knew the right answer, but I did not fully realize the powerful difference eating clean and regular exercise would make in my life.

For the last fourteen months I've had a different answer when I'm asked about health and fitness. 

Life Is 90% Mental

My transition from knowing I needed to workout, to understanding that I needed to be committed every day has changed me.

Completely.

My world starting moving faster than ever before. Yours may have picked up speed too. Balancing the many hats we wear in life, managing nonstop changes in the workplace, and pushing myself to take on new challenges for the first time in my career all happened during this period of time.

...but I couldn't figure out how to quiet my mind when it was racing with so many thoughts, ideas, and pressures.

...but I couldn't find the right formula to balance my energy for the responsibilities I had to deliver on.

...but I couldn't "do fitness half way" and find any peace.

Peace.

So I went all in. I realized the combination of eating clean, a decent amount of sleep, training at a high level, and pushing myself harder than ever before actually brought a sense of calm I had not experienced in the past. 

Think about that for a moment. My commitment to health actually slows my life down, gives me some control, and brings me peace each day.

How About You

What techniques do you use to quiet your mind? Do the vices in your world include a commitment to building energy through hard work in the gym or at home with a DVD or workout routine? 

Is your network part of your fitness lifestyle? Do you fuel your body to build the energy you will need to be successful? Or, do you allow stress to be a convenient excuse to sit on the couch and make unhealthy choices.

Find some peace today.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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An Offer You Shouldn't Refuse

I’ve noticed an increasing number of tweets, posts, and general comments about the pressure we’re facing in our lives.  Work has taken over much of our waking hours, and when we’re not at work, thinking about work, or staying up late catching up on work, we’re trying to be a Super-Hero Dad/Mom/Coach/
Volunteer/ Son/Daughter/Friend/Candle-Burner.

How’s that working out for you?

Here’s My Offer

I’m into fitness.  Not in a crazy way, but I’ve struggled more than enough over time being in shape and out of shape and then back in shape again.  I finally got to the point that I decided to just stay in shape.  I feel better, have more energy, and can keep up with my work (and my kids) a heck of a lot better.

But I know there are many people who struggle to stay focused.  It’s not that they don’t want to add a level of fitness to their life, it’s just that they lack one key piece of the puzzle -> a training partner.  So just like Project Social provides support to those trying to get their legs under them in the world of social media, I’m offering to help you literally get your legs under you. 

Obviously we can’t pound out the push ups side-by-side, nor is this intended to be a guilt-laden commitment, but we can certainly leverage the power of social media to keep each other motivated, engaged and supported.  I’m open to all options whether its a daily tweet, text or email -> it's your call.

How About You

Have you been thinking about attacking your busy schedule, stress, and feelings of being overwhelmed?  Please don't use the lame excuse that  you don't have the time.  Get fit, get healthy, get going!  Plus, it’s no fun training alone.  I’m all in if you are.

I’d love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

pics courtesy of canihelpyousir and skimble