Struggling to reconnect

Writing is an effort. The last month or so has been hard for me to reconnect with the creative muse. This month and early February will see fewer blog posts as I work on fresh new ideas for 2010. What are some of your insights, ideas and thoughts for business in America? Lots of people want to criticize the "here and now," but few actually provide new solutions or creations to adapt in this new decade. Stay tuned for more creative ideas and recommendations to help make your life, your business and the non-profits you care about more successful!

Personal Branding

Whether or not you own a business, we all have a personal brand. It is more than our religion, race, gender, political ideology or even self-perception. It contains many things and is really a 360°, three dimensional view of what we are too the world.
Through the work of business planning, business owners think about their business identity, but ultimately as leaders and simply people, we should all look to our own brand. Are you honest, smart, pleasant, reliable, attentive? Do others seek your counsel, do you keep secrets or share them? How do you treat your fellow human? Your pet? What do you eat, how do you exercise and what priorities do you have?
This time of year, most people think about resolutions. Why not look to some things in your brand you want to do more of? This is often a phrase or affirmation to measure your priorities every day. Here are few examples:
• I am thankful for all of the people in my life.
• I celebrate my health and take care of my body.
• I find time for joy each day.
• I seek to act and speak with good intent.
Try to focus on your brand and the positive you wish more of. It is a new decade and a new year. Make the most of yourself and your brand!

Healthy tips

Help! I have felt sick for nearly a month, and the holiday season of eating and drinking hasn’t helped. I tried to get back to the gym. I feel even worse afterwards. What can I do to shake off the holiday sickness and blues?
All kinds of people feel the same way! The New Year’s paradox of hitting the gym and getting back into fitness is both desirable and often hard. You have been overindulgent for a while and your body has adjusted to getting too much in excess – food, alcohol, rest and even stress.
Studies have shown that moderate, regular exercise boosts the immune system and decreases the rate of respiratory tract illness. Your immune system fights most effectively when it isn’t stressed. Don’t make the mistake of trying to go back full force into a workout schedule. A single rigorous exercise session or event may make you more susceptible to infection. Pay attention to your body. There is the good “push” of effort, which is different from pain or over exertion.
After illness, injury or being sedentary for 2 weeks or more, you need to ease into your workout regime. Start with a nice long walk, light cardio, tennis, easy jogs or whatever might be comfortable for you. Think of it as ½ speed and effort in the beginning. Usually a week of this will get you back to your normal workout levels. Consistency is the key.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The best way to stay healthy is to simply maintain a healthy lifestyle. Some key steps to defeat that post holiday malaise: eat fresh fruits and veggies, avoid processed foods, decrease sweets and sugars, wash your hands regularly, get good quality sleep, and exercise regularly!
As we enter a new decade, make a fresh commitment to reserve at least 30 minutes a day four times a week to move your body. Your body will thank you and you will maintain an optimum level of health, as long as you stay consistent!

2010 - Making changes

Well, 2010 has brought some unexpected changes to life. One of the things which has become very clear over the last year is the importance of having boundaries and protecting myself. For some entrepreneurs, we end up focusing so much energy on our business, it is much like a child. We nurture it, feed it our energy, time and care and then we wonder why there is little energy left for ourselves.

I has been also a stunning realization that no one is going to take care of me, but me. You would think I would have realized that as a younger adult, but unfortunately, I wanted to keep believing that if I cared for others, particularly my partner, it would all work out. Sadly, that is not the case.

No matter how much we love, we must love ourselves first. It is not a self-engrandizing or selfish love, but the recognition that we must be responsible for our own happiness, our own success and our own life.

So take a moment, care for yourself and reconcile your feelings with the burden of self-awareness. For how else can we grow if not through the lens of introspection?