(U)niversal Things I Recommend

I’ve been getting alot of questions about what I recommend for wellness or just life in general. Like Oprah, here are a few of my favorites things ….

“Healthy Profits: The 5 Elements of Strategic Wellness”by Sandra Larkin and 30 Additional Authors
GREAT resource for individuals to put together a wellness action plan in these five areas simultaneously (physical, emotional, social, intellectual, occupational). Includes assessments and sample plans along with advice from 30 wellness professionals. Also, can be used as a corporate small group plan or given to corporate employees to aid with the new Healthcare Reform which includes workplace wellness. See www.healthyprofitsbook.com

You On A Diet”by Dr. Michael F. Roizen, and Dr. Mehmet C. Oz
Best book I’ve read for telling exactly what goes on in the body and how to move toward positive health.

“Eat This Not That”by David Zinczenko
You see and read about your favorite foods to make better choices. Yum and Yuck all at the same time.

Costco
I LOVE Costco’s organic fruit and vegetables. You don’t have to think about what to buy. Just roll up and LOAD UP!

Prevention Magazine
Best magazine for all around health and wellness along with tips and ways to make wellness stick.

Exercise TV
If you own cable, this is FREE. There are 10 minute to 1 hour exercise videos with variety. I love this! No excuses for lack of time.

Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit
Creative ways to stimulate the mind and body. Can include “teams” of people for a team challenge. Yes!

Silk Soy Milk
I use to turn my nose up at soy milk until I tasted it. This is really good and it’s good for you. I drink about three 8 oz glasses a day. Dairy doesn’t like me so it’s a good move towards health.

Guidepost
The articles are motivating and inspiring. We all need a little of that right about now.

Keeping a food journal.
Yes, this is work AND you will see what you are doing right and where there are gaps to improve. This was very telling for me because I was NOT getting enough calories each day. That’s why I was not losing weight. I would not have known that unless I kept the food journal.

Keeping a time log.
More gunts and groans AND it will help you manage your time and set those needed boundaries. People will steal your time. Don’t let them.

Sandra Larkin, CWPM
Certified Wellness Program Manager

www.sandralarkin.com
www.healthyprofitsbook.com

November 1st, 2009 - Posted in ABC's, emotional, health, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, time management | | 1 Comments

(S)ecrets of Success In Four Strategic Steps

Success is defined differently by every person. For some, it means a promotion, gaining material possessions, creating additional income, realizing internal growth or helping and serving others. However we define success, it’s personal and just right for us. Others cannot define it for us or tell us what our success should be. Each of us comes up to the table to feast on success in terms that we desire and a definition that we super impose on it.

We don’t just wake up one day and proof we’re successful. We can’t rub elbows with the rich and famous and automatically claim to be a self made success story. It’s our journey and effort that puts us dead center into our self made success definition where others see our effort, sacrifice, gains and losses. Others respect and support our “why” for keeping the light burning to reach our dreams.

There are secrets to success and they come in four (4) strategic steps.

Success Strategy #1. Define what success means to you.

What does it mean to you? If you can’t define it, you can’t measure it and you don’t know when you have reached milestones to get there. For example, success means to me “Helping businesses make money and people become successful.” Short, simple and a continual reach. I will never “arrive” at success but get a continual conformation that I have reach this eight (8) word sentence. Define it in simple terms, easy, quick and make it fun!

Success Strategy #2. Develop A Flexible Plan of Action

If we proclaim,”Ok, I’ve defined what success means to me. Now, come and get me.”, we’ll probably be standing the same spot a year from now without making any movement towards our goal. Some people seem to think that sitting, waiting, quietly with hands folded in their lap will bring success to them. In some cases, it might but for most of us it requires action, a little bit of planning, alot of patience and a huge amount of flexibility.

Put a five (5) to ten (10) year plan together on how you THINK you might get there with resources and action steps. THINK is in BIG letters because it most likely WON’T happen according to our plan. Our plan is a guide that will have twist, turns, road blocks, successes, failures and frustration. Knowing that leads us to Success Strategy #3.

Success Strategy #3. Learn To Be Patient. Your Going To Need It

Once you make the proclamation that your on the road to success, the Universe will test you to see if you have what it takes to reach the success you desire. You will plant many seeds where most won’t sprout. When just a few do, you will reap a fresh harvest of internal growth, legacy to others and success they way you defined it. It probably won’t come close to the plan you developed but it will come in the right measures, the right people and the right opportunities.

For example, I started off in Information Technology and ended up writing a book, coaching people to improvement and success, owning my own business(s), becoming an international speaker and corporate trainer. A far cry from what I wrote down on paper many years ago. The journey was interesting and frustrating and it still continues to energize me.

Success Strategy #4. Don’t Leave Dead Body’s In Your Path.

We can become extremely focused on obtaining success that we leave behind our family, friends, co-workers, and even the family dog or cat. They lie there all beat up by our harsh words, negative attitude, actions or inaction with no consideration that they are an important part of the process and most likely come first. If we have patience and enjoy the journey, our relaxed demeanor actually draws success to us rather than push it away. Emulate someone you want your family and friends to be proud of. Someone who gains the respect and trust of others and are happy for your milestones of success. Someone that others will want to help and be drawn to rather than run away from.

Like we’ve heard before … Success is a journey. Enjoy the process, the pain and exhilaration of the action to reach your goals and dreams. It’s in the process that we grow, learn and impact others to learn and serve. Continue to be patient and practice a positive attitude.

Be healthy and fabulous!

Sandra Larkin, CWPM
Certified Wellness Program Manager
www.sandralarkin.com
www.healthyprofitsbook.com

August 24th, 2009 - Posted in ABC's, attitude, intellectual, occupational | | 1 Comments

(Q)uit Living With Two Thieves

Have you been living with two thieves? How can that be? I don’t see or hear them but they plague us day after day. The two thieves are Regret and Worry. Regretting decisions from our past that we think may have turned out better. Worrying that an unknown consequence awaits us in the present or future.

We need to lasso these thieves by answering this question “Will we choose to live in yesterday or today?” It’s a deliberate decision not to let past experiences or uncontrollable situations steal our joy or our future. When we begin to emotionally multi task we live in the past and disregard that which is right in front of us (today) and that which we can control (future). When we emotionally multi task we tend to live in the past, present and future all at the same time. We need to live in the moment, right now, while not regretting the past and not worrying about the future.

Think of this …We live in the best time in history with our advanced technology in medicine and personal conveniences. Our society is educationally focused on health and well being. We live in a free nation with liberty and personal rights. Each one of us has health to some degree. Even if we lose everything, someone somewhere loves us and will help us get back on our feet.

A Quick Cheat Sheet

Don’t worry about yesterday live for today.
Emotional multi tasking lives for the future.
Don’t let others steal your joy.
We always think we have tomorrow. Do we?
You can always make more money but cannot buy back time.
Life is not a dress rehearsal. We don’t get another performance.

August 12th, 2009 - Posted in ABC's, emotional, habits, intellectual, occupational | | 0 Comments

(P)erspectives Of Change

Here we go again… CHANGE. Some of us embrace it. Others, loath it. Even the written word can generate these feelings. Such as “Make Different:, “Replace”, “Shift”, “Exchange”, “Transform”, “Modify”, “Alter”, “Vary”, “Switch”, “and Transfer”. Each word generates a unique personal comfort level based on past experience. We must learn to manage through the path of change so most of these words generate a consistent comfort level.

#1 Stay Focused On The Final Outcome

Acknowledge the situation for the facts. Try hard not to manufacture interpretations of what could or should be. Stay on point and take “getting personal” out of even “personal situations”. This requires you to remove your view to a 30,000 foot level.
Define how it affects your ultimate goal. Changing times require a look at your target also known as your goal. How does this change effect where I want to go, the resources I need to get there and my ultimate time table.
Slow down to find a workable solution. Life is not a race. It’s a process. The same goes for your career, relationships and even health. Start brain dumping.

#2 Be Proactive

Realize you have limited knowledge when it comes to some changes.
Seek the perspective of others to encourage creative solution. We don’t know it all and are not expected to. People love to create and design solutions especially when it’s not involving them directly in the issue. Who can you bounce off an idea or potential solution to?
Broaden your “advisory council” by finding people who have been in similar situations. Others have had similar experiences that can be tapped into. In addition, others have resources they can put you in touch with.

#3 Prepare For Confusion

Realize you cannot plan for every contingency. Be flexible to put aside any feelings of failure to work through the issue.
Stay positive and put away emotions. It doesn’t help the situation to cry, whine, shout, or get angry. In a nutshell, a positive outlook will enlist a host of creative solutions. A negative outlook locks down your creativity and results.
Look long term beyond the challenge. A bad day does not mean your having a bad life. So, a bump in road or change in direction doesn’t mean you will not obtain your long term goal or effort.

#4 Be Courageously Creative

Brainstorm all ideas and pathways. Bits and pieces make up one or more workable solutions. Brain dump.
You don’t need steps 1-100 to begin. You don’t need all the steps defines and in place to take the first step. A lot of times, the first step leads to the next 10. Humans don’t come with a crystal ball to see the correct path or step. So be courageous.
Update your strategy as you move along a new direction. Be flexible to change paths always keeping in mind your long term reward. Integrate new ideas or resources for creative solutions.
Involve others in the process. To go it alone is to own all the responsibility for the success and failure. Involves others to help forge new pathways and share in your success.
Stay motivated by knowing that tackling change provides you with enormous life values. You benefit by tackling new demons and have the experience to help others through the same or similar process.

Final Steps

Continually share your knowledge and experiences so you and others can grow personally and professionally. Change is a great teacher for the present and future. Use him wisely.

August 11th, 2009 - Posted in ABC's, change, intellectual, occupational | | 0 Comments

(K)now The 5 Areas of Beautiful Strength

I walked into a national sporting goods store and saw a Nike tee shirt with the phase “Strong is the new beautiful”. Up until then, I never thought about beauty or health in that way. With so much media attention paid to an “image” of beauty, we sometimes lose focus on what beauty and strength can be in other life areas. This also apples to men as beauty and health are gaining a greater focus on their side of the fence.

I stopped to think about if I was developing strength in the five areas of strategic wellness: physical, emotional, intellectual, social and occupational. Where is my strength in each area? Am I working towards strength? If not, let’s get to the big WHY?

Are my muscles strong to lift and bend? Are they lean and flexible? Can I stretch and just plain move?
Have I dusted out the cobwebs of any emotional issues or pain and begin to heal the past hurts?
Am I doing enough to educate myself by attending free webinar’s, reading, blogging, joining online user groups for support and inspiration and attending professional development classes?
Then there’s the social aspect with community, friends and family. Have I been reaching out, going out and or just plain being out? With the busyness of the past few months, we tend to hunker in for the long winter.
Finally, am I planning on reaching my full occupational potential? If yes, what plans do I have to increase my value as an employee and reach new heights in my career?

Our hearts desire can be strong. Each of us will ask our own strength questions to see how heart healthy we’ve become. Beauty follows with confidence, joy, youthful expression and a positive attitude of wealth and happiness.

Be healthy and fabulous!

Sandra

April 22nd, 2009 - Posted in ABC's, Uncategorized, attitude, emotional, health, intellectual, occupational, physical, social | | 0 Comments

(J)ustifying Our Measuring Stick

Where you ever in a conversation where you didn’t totally agree with someone. Your kinda looking at them sideways trying to understand their point of view but are not quite getting it. This happen to me recently. Jim was telling me how he “coached” a co-worker into looking at their own personal measuring stick to measure results.

Jim was approached by a co-worker, Kevin, and given a great compliment. Basically, that the job he was doing was “great” and that Kevin could never measure up to the work ethic or results of Jim on this particular project. Jim commented that we have our own personal measuring sticks on how we measure results. Kevin should use his own measuring stick to find his own “job well done”.

I agreed with Jim on using his own personal measuring stick. The first person we need to please is ourselves. That’s what produces our self confidence for the future. In contrast, our measuring stick is made up of many inches.

Inch one -past personal and professional experiences
Inch two -family upbringing
Inch three -work ethic
Inch four - failures in life and business
Inch five - successes
and … so on

But ….. what if …. our personal measuring stick is too low and we use this as a way to quit, avoid and not strive for success.

Joining my own thoughts to Jim’s would look like this.

We have our own personal measuring sticks on how we measure results. We should visualize a measuring stick that is much longer. Those inches should reflect a variety of expectations

what is required to complete the job
how my management team will measure me on a “job well done”
how does this fit into my personal and professional development plan
the areas of growth I need to be successful
s-t-r-e-a-t-c-h-i-n-g and g-r-o-w-i-n-g even though it’s uncomfortable

When we stop striving we settle. Right now in history, we have tremendous opportunities. Regardless of the economy or our financial status, we can continue to stretch ourselves to prepare for a greater future. Our measuring stick should be growing by yards as our experiences and development increase. We are forging the inches on this stick to be even better for future opportunities.

Keep adding inches to your personal measuring stick. To stop striving is settling. Status quo may not always be the way to go.

Be healthy and fabulous!

Sandra

September 16th, 2008 - Posted in ABC's, Uncategorized, attitude, change, intellectual, occupational, performance, productivity | | 1 Comments

(H)abits - The Good, the Bad and the Better

Did you ever say or hear someone say “Hey, that’s just a habit I have.” Normally this is an excuse for our behavior that someone noticed and pitched a hissy fit. Otherwise, we probably would have gotten away with it because it goes un-noticed by us. Each of us determines our own habits. Yet other people use their own measuring stick to “call us out”.

If we look at it from the flip side, habits can also be positive and can dramatically impact our health and well being. They also affect how other people see us which leads them into a our healthy behaviors.

For example,

brushing and flossing our teeth before we go to bed
eating 5 fruits and vegetables a day
taking vitamins
deliberately taking time to relax and/or meditate
going to church
cleaning up our desk at the end of the day
planning a to-do list
scheduling preventive screening appointments
reading one book per month
returning phone calls and answering emails
exercising at least 3 times per week
being on time
going to the dentist twice a year
drinking 6-8 glasses of water per day
being positive and friendly
balancing our checkbook
paying our bills on time
journaling
taking a nap on the weekend
getting to bed around the same time each night

If we incorporate one good habit each month, we would have changed 12 behaviors towards health and wellness in one year.

Action Plan

Make a list of less than desirable habits and another list of habits you would like to adopt over the next 12 months. Use the list above to jog your memory.
Rank the healthy habits in order.
From your top 5 new habits, which ones can you move on quickly and which require other people, resources or sometimes money.
Begin and chart your progress on a blank calendar.
At the end of the first month, look at your progress and see how far you reached.
Begin another healthy habit at month two.

The word “habit” gets a bad rap. When we combine the habit with something that is good FOR us then we are on the road to being

healthy physically, emotionally, intellectually, socially, and occupationally
a mentor and role model for others to start and succeed at change
positive and energetic
someone that everyone WANTS to be around

Be healthy and fabulous!

Sandra

September 4th, 2008 - Posted in ABC's, change, habits, health, intellectual, occupational, physical | | 0 Comments

(G)et and Keep Your Business Etiquette

I must have been living in a hole over the last few years. In the last 6 months I’ve noticed that business etiquette is a thing of the past. Not only that, it’s getting worse by the day. I’m talking about the common courtesy of doing business in a professional manner. This type of behavior is becoming acceptable and the “way to do business”. I think it’s getting out of control.

So what does less than stellar business etiquette look like. Let’s break it down to the deliverer and the receiver.

From the person who delivers it ….

not returning phone calls because you deem the matter unimportant <or> don’t want to talk to the caller
not answering emails because you don’t have time
deciding not to respond to an invitation because they will “figure it out”
forgetting to act on what you said you were going to do
over promising but under delivering <or> not delivering at all
scheduling people for meetings even though you see their calendar is blocked off for that time
being late for meetings
having speaker phone conference calls at your cubicle when there are people working in theirs
hijacking peoples time
being dishonest with a business partner by making yourself look “bigger than life”
intentionally refusing to end a business relationship when the common goal is no longer valid
scheduling meetings then canceling that day

To the person who is the receiver it appears …

myself and my business are not important enough for you
you have poor time management skills
your ego is bigger than our relationship can handle
lack of trust for future projects, promotions or referrals
lack of respect for my valuable time and money
weak leadership ability
your not as great as you think you are so get over it
I won’t work with you because I’m not putting up with this behavior
NEXT! I can find another person to do business with, give referrals to or promote within the company
this is a small part of the behavior of your entire organization including the leadership team
this behavior is intentional!

What you will hear are excuses like lack of time and lack of resources. We need to S-L-O-W down, take a deep breath and realize that this type of professional behavior molds our business reputation for our entire career. Not only that, it follows us around the globe. I’ve had this happen to me. I use to work with a man who was a cross line associate in an organization on the east coast. Fast forward many years later, 500 miles, a different company and he became my BOSS. Take a peak at a short video presentation on this story http://sandralarkin.com/BizEtiquette.htm.

Let’s get back to putting people and business relationships as a semi top priority. For some of us, we can kick it up a few notches and make a huge difference in our careers. For others, one notch may be just too much to handle. Remember, its your career for the long haul and your designing it with all your cumulative actions.

Be healthy and fabulous!

Sandra

June 5th, 2008 - Posted in ABC's, attitude, business etiquette, intellectual, occupational | | 0 Comments

(E)ducate Yourself Professionally And Proactively

And the survey says…..

57% of U.S. workers say that they have the necessary education and training to get ahead in their current career *
72% of U.S. workers say they have taken special courses or retraining to improve their job skills*

What does this say about occupational wellness and the need to keep thinking and moving ahead? It’s necessary and a vital part of our workplace wellness.

I am a big proponent of “If your not growing, your growing mold” (Sandra Larkin). This is a comical statement comparing ourselves to moldy cheese or bread all green, brown and stale. But… do you want to BE THAT associate who is unwilling to keep up with the job, the industry, new technology and new and innovative ways to try something different or manage our time? What does that say about the respect for your job, industry and fellow associates? What does it say about respect for yourself?

In today’s workplace time and stress go hand in hand. Sometimes this stress is

the people
the process
inadequate tools
lack of proper time management techniques
P-R-O-C-R-A-S-T-I-N-A-T-I-O-N
lack of direction
less than stellar accountability

No time to take a class. Too busy. Gotta go. See ya! How can we be accountable for huge job responsibilities, when we can’t take care of our own occupational wellness to be and look sharp on the job?

Accountability - the most dynamic work in the dictionary that keeps us moving forward in any area of life. In this case, with your professional education and commitment to be proactive. We need to be accountable so that others can count on us to be at our best in the workplace.

Here are some questions to ask in beginning to move yourself into being proactive about you professional development.

I have or keep a list of all the training and development classes I have attended in the last 2 years?
- Yes! Am I USING any of the techniques and improved processes?
  - Yes! Pass go and collect your $200 dollars. This is alot less money that you probably made in a bonus and/or raise because you’ve been using the training you successfully completed.
  - No! Go back and revisit the manuals or original trainer to help me move forward in these areas.
- No! Go back and develop the the training list to see exactly what you have taken and can use.
Does my management team have a professional development plan for my career at the company?
- Yes! Find out the details of what is in store for you in the next 2 years.
- No! Be proactive and request a meeting to discuss your professional development and the benefits to your organization.
Does my organization budget professional development dollars for the year that I can tapped into?
- Yes! Great. Look at your development plan and start searching for training on or off-site.
- No! Now we are at the proverbial crossroads. Do we go into our management and ask for professional development dollars <or> pay for it ourselves?

When our organizations do not have a professional development plan or dollars to accommodate. What can we do?

Start by looking at your career past, present and future and create a professional map? This will tell us where we have been and where we want to go in the next 3 to 5 years.
List all the classes you have taken to reach your ultimate goal.
Research your local community colleges and business groups to find out who is offering low cost classes or complimentary engagements (a.k.a. free). You can learn from business professionals who have already forged the path.
When there are absolutely no funds available through your company or yourself, go to your local library. Ask the staff to assist you in finding library resources (books, CD’s magazines, newspapers, local events) to move you towards your professional development goal.
Seek out a mentor in your industry or your workplace. A mentor can help guide you in the process and plug you into their experience of professional development.
Inquire at your company Human Resource department if there is a company library of books or CD’s to be “checked out”.
Start a workplace occupational development committee to bring in low or no cost speakers for lunch and learns or workshops.

Ready, set, go! Your now in the drivers seat of your own professional development. Neither lack of funds, time or an unwilling employer should stop us from being the best at our talents and abilities. Now, go out and be FABULOUS!

Be healthy and fabulous!

Sandra Larkin

<* Source: Pew Research Center for the People and the Press (2006)

January 28th, 2008 - Posted in ABC's, Professional Education, intellectual, occupational, physical | | 3 Comments

(D)aily Workplace Health Commitments Improve Our Performance

“Exercise! Eat healthy! Keep a food journal! Yeah, right. I don’t have time to take a break at work how do you expect me to take better care of myself!”

Many of us have repeated this mantra over and over again only to find ourselves stressed out physically and emotionally. Been there, done that! Unfortunately, I ended up with more serious physical problems that swirled out of control. When I was sitting in the doctors office waiting for my MRI results, I wasn’t thinking about how the next project or the next meeting. I was thinking about if I was going to be around for the next day. Funny, and this was all for

the love of the job
the thrill of the chase
my commitment to my employer and teammates who could not live without me
ego
money
fame
position
status

By ignoring my daily health commitments, I put my family at risk in more ways than one financially, physically, emotionally and socially. Who was benefiting from my ill health and not so stellar attitude? It wasn’t me and that was the most important person I needed to take care of.

Professionals place high expectations on themselves. Good for the employer. When we cannot distinguished when we are in the the “51% zone”, then our health and productivity start to plummet. The “51% zone” is when you are giving 51% or more of you physical, emotional, social and intellectual energy to one particular event or period of time. For example, you are professionally devoted to your position, this is great! But when you cannot shut it off enough to take a break, go to the restroom, take lunch, exercise, or be somewhat social with your co-workers, you’ve probably crossed the 51% zone. The whooping benefits can be … drum-roll please …..

headaches
migraines
upset stomach
anger or short temper
shortness of breath
overweight
overwhelmed feeling
acid reflux
bad attitude
poor eating habits
tired
achy breaky feeling
loss of energy and feeling of importance

Some people are energized by being totally enveloped in the 51% zone. Wonderful! Please make sure you are seeing your physician at least 2 times per year for a complete checkup. Sometimes intensity that makes us feel great doesn’t show up on the outside but still may have internal silent effects that you not be aware of.

Each person’s prescription for energy and productivity is different. Here are some suggestions to move yourself away from the 51% zone.

Give yourself permission to take a break or lunch. Start by affirming that it’s okay to take move away from the desk. No one will get hurt in the process. My teammates can go on without me for 15 minutes or more. When you come back, look around. Is everything the way you left it? More than likely, yes!
Take the steps to move from floor to floor. This will move you one step closer to any fitness goals you have established. The immediate benefit is that your burning more calories and getting you circulation moving. Hey, you may even meet some really interesting people that you haven’t seen for awhile in the stairwell.
Start your own personal walking program even if you need to do it alone. We had a parking garage on the lot where our building was located. I would walk up the garage levels (creates resistant) and take the garage steps (increases cardio) in 32 degree weather or above. Why 32 degrees and not ALL degrees? Basically, I didn’t want to have to deal with ice in more ways than one. The benefit is that I lost weight!
Graze on healthy alternatives during the day. Suggestions would be left over salad, nuts, fruit, or 100 calories healthy snacks. Your local grocery store has alot of healthy offerings. It’s a matter of taking the one time and discovering what’s available.
Be in silence. When it just gets too much go to a quiet place in your office building or complex or even your car to be in silence. Sometimes we need to quiet all those demands in the form of people and projects to get ourselves in shape for the next round of meetings. Silence helps us sort-out the real from the imaginary and helps us take control of our attitude.

These are all suggestions we have heard or read before over and over again. It’s time to make the commitment to take control of our daily health. Small changes will not impact you negatively but will allow you to keep in the race longer. They will increase your productivity and health a little more each day.

Be healthy and fabulous!

Sandra

January 21st, 2008 - Posted in ABC's, occupational, performance, physical | | 1 Comments

Sandra Larkin

(U)niversal Things I Recommend

(S)ecrets of Success In Four Strategic Steps

(Q)uit Living With Two Thieves

(P)erspectives Of Change

(K)now The 5 Areas of Beautiful Strength

(J)ustifying Our Measuring Stick

(H)abits - The Good, the Bad and the Better

(G)et and Keep Your Business Etiquette

(E)ducate Yourself Professionally And Proactively

(D)aily Workplace Health Commitments Improve Our Performance

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