Appreciate the life you are living and achieve more through EnerG coach, Ellen Goldman. Your questions on balance, motivation and your lifestyle are answered through these simple tips and solutions. Get more out of your life with the help of Identity.
Ellen Goldman EnerG Coaching
Question: Can you suggest a few tips that will help me have a more calm and productive week?
Answer:
When it comes to creating a calm and productive week, the key is planning. Choose a quiet time once a weekend and devote 20-30 minutes to plan the upcoming week’s activities. I love to do this Sunday mornings while enjoying my coffee. Look at your calendar; all your appointments and meetings should already be plugged in. Next, schedule in your self-care. I’ve been in the fitness industry for 30 years, and I still plan when I’ll be getting in my workouts.
Aside from client appointments, they are the next non-negotiable appointments on my calendar. After all, if I’m not taking care of me, I’ll have no energy left to care for my business, family, and other important obligations.
Now, do a brain dump of all the “must-do’s” for the upcoming week. Some of mine are things like banking, marketing, preparing for speaking engagements, purchasing birthday gifts for Mom, grocery shopping…the list can go on and on so make sure to really focus on the most important priorities. Now bunch your chores and plug them in. For instance, I don’t see clients on Wednesday afternoons, so I do all my out of the home chores then. Monday mornings are for writing. Each one gets plugged into my calendar. Knowing when I’ll be handling all the necessities allows me to stay calm and focused on what I am doing, when I am doing it.
Last tip, by making sure there is always one fun thing to look forward to on your calendar, you’ll feel optimistic and calm knowing you’ll be rewarded for a productive week.
Question: How can I start to take responsibility for not working out? I keep saying “I’m bored and tired of doing it alone” So I don’t workout….
Answer:
I’m glad to see you thinking about the issue of taking responsibility. It obviously means you recognize that the stories you are telling yourself are excuses. Wanting to take responsibility must mean you believe there is value in maintaining an exercise routine, and that you want to do so. You might begin by asking yourself, “What is it costing you to not work out?” Worry, lack of energy, weight gain? And what will you gain by getting into a regular routine? Stress relief, zest, better health? Your motivators should be very personal and your jet fuel to get you going.
However, boredom and doing it alone can certainly take the joy out of working out no matter how motivated you are. Perhaps it’s time to completely shake up your routine and try something new. Maybe a group class would be a great way to go. Or, do you have someone who might become your workout buddy. Even a “boring” walk on the treadmill is a lot more fun when your BFF is on the next machine and you’re talking the time away. Once you put fun back into your workouts, reward your accomplishments and enjoy the benefits of fitness, you just might find it becomes the favorite part of your day.
Question: Now that my office is home, I am having a difficult time leaving my office and I am working all day and night. How can I manage this better?
Answer:
Working at home has many advantages, but it can also become a nightmare if not handled properly. I truly understand how easy it is to work all the time when your office is two feet away from your bedroom! My best advice when “work life” and “home life” are under the same roof, is to create some boundaries and rules. Ideally you will have a space for a home office, but if not an entire room, create an area meant for work only. Keep your work things together in files and organizers, and don’t allow them to creep into all the other rooms of your home. Designate a phone line specifically for your business, and don’t pick up the home line while working or the work line while attending to home responsibilities. That’s what answering machines are for!
Make sure you take a designated lunch break everyday, even if it’s only 20-30 minutes. Don’t check emails, balance the books or do any other work related tasks. Enjoy the time to refresh and relax. If possible, even leave your home and get some fresh air. When weather permits, I always take my dog for a brief walk during my lunch breaks. Create a rule around shutting down the computer at a decent hour. I’m not even going to suggest 5PM, because you’d probably think I am out of my mind! But, close down for dinner perhaps from 5:30-8PM, check back in for an hour to clean up the last urgent details of the day and then be done by 9PM. Consider taking one full day a weekend and declaring it work free. Close the door to your office, shut down your computer, and enjoy your home and leisure time. You probably chose working from home because you believed it would give you more freedom and flexibility. And that’s just what you can have, as long as you allow it!
Question: Not sure how to get myself motivated to get up early to workout. I want to get up earlier than I do, but I don’t. I lie there in bed, just hanging out until I really have to get up.
Answer:
Although research proves time and time again that morning exercisers have a much greater compliance rate than others, it’s not for everyone. Many successfully stick to routines by working out during their lunch hour, after work, or by taking classes at designated times. Are you trying to force yourself to exercise in the morning when you really would prefer another time of the day, or is that the only time you truly have to workout?
If the AM workout is really the only time due to your current schedule, here are a few suggestions that have worked for some of my clients. Lay out your exercise clothes and sneakers by your bedside where you’ll see them first thing. Put your alarm clock on the opposite side of the room where you’ll have to get out of bed to turn it off. If possible, use your workout music to wake you rather than an annoying buzzing sound. Plan a favorite breakfast treat (healthy of course) for after your workouts.
I even have one client who power walks to the local Starbucks, enjoys her coffee and oatmeal, and then power walks home. It’s become her favorite “me” time of the day. Do you have a friend who might be willing to be your morning exercise buddy? It’s hard to roll back over in bed when you know someone is waiting for you at the gym or high school track. I hope these ideas help, but above all, remind yourself how great you will feel starting your day with the energy a good workout brings, and knowing that it’s complete and you don’t need to worry about squeezing it in as the day gets more and more hectic, as they all seem to do.
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