What to believe?

Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them - work, family, health, friends and spirit, and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls - family, health, friends and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.
- Brian Dyson

Set aside 10 minutes to complete the New Me lifestyle contract. Thinking through your personal goal will greatly increase your chances for success.
 

How many times have you made a New Year's Resolution for better health? Although you may have had the best of intentions your plans for a slimmer, less stressed, more healthy you never happened. Many of us are feeling more stressed and have gained weight due to the hectic lifestyle we have.

 Instead of giving you a long list of the do's and don't for good health we want to start the New Me in 2003 program helping you to create the time and support you need to be successful. The best way to get to your goal weight is to focus your attention on what you will actually do. In the next few pages you'll read about setting up a support system and creating a plan to move forward.

Making change takes time. Going through the following goal sheet will help you make your health a priority and worthy of your time.

Creating Support
The people on your team are hopefully supporting you in your goals to lose weight. Having support is a key factor in achieving success. Here are just a few of the benefits of having social support:

• Linked to longer life expectancy and better immune functioning
• Assist in recovery from illness and one's ability to copy with stress and loss
• Provides people with emotional assurance and acceptance.
• Extends people's access to information, goods and services.
• Co-workers, families, friends and healthcare workers can support us in the following ways:
  · Listening - Listen without giving advice
  · Share experiences - Knows what you are going through
  · Practical - Any help they give will make it easier for you to succeed.
  · Motivational - Someone who "pumps you up" and keeps you going.
  · Emotional- Provides a sense of being cared for and loved. Usually comes from family or close friend.
  · Technical - Comes from real experience, good tips and advice. (May be a professional)

In order to get the support you need, identify the person or people that you will ask to support you in making a change:

Person(s):

Identify how these people can support you:

Tips To A Successful Team!

• Set team goals and individual goals
• Be supportive of each other
• Conduct a weekly team meeting to monitor goals
• Share healthly recipes
• Exercise together and/or plan weekly activities
• Maintain exercise logs and/or food journals
• Take a group photo "before" and "after"
• Keep a log of pounds lost by the group.
• Most importantly, HAVE FUN!

Supporting one another through coaching

 Coaching is a conversation that elicits best thinking and decision making so people can create results that are important to them. Coaching is not advice giving it is helping someone find his/her own answers. Coaches spend less time telling and more time asking people questions that can help create a path from where they are to where they want to be. That is why in this year's program there will be a "Questions for Reflection" section in the weekly materials. You can answer the questions with your teammates or answer them in a journal. These questions are to draw on your past experiences, feelings and knowledge. Hopefully the answer will become the action needed to achieve your goals. After all, we all have our own best answers.

LIVE FOR LIFE felt is was appropriate to fill out a contract for change in week one to outline what is needed for your desired change to become a reality. Please take ten minutes to fill out the information below, it will ensure you have a plan to take the action necessary to meet your goals.
 

New Me Lifestyle Contract

Below is a contract for you to sign with your teammate to make your intention of a healthier lifestyle a reality. Please invest the time to fill out the information below and review it with your teammate.

STEP 1. Select a Behavior to Change

A. Identify a target behavior that you want to change:
1.

Example: I want to lose weight.
I want to feel better.

Identifying the benefits of your new behavior will increase your motivation for wanting to achieve this behavior change.

STEP 2. Identify the Benefits of Changing This Behavior

A. Identify the benefits of your behavior change:
1. ____________________________________

2. ____________________________________

3. ____________________________________

Examples:

• I will feel better about myself
• I will have more energy.
• My life will be less stressful.
• I will enjoy a higher quality of life.

STEP 3. Identify Your Goals

Realistic and achievable goals are the foundation for a successful healthy behavior change. A long-term goal identifies the desired overall behavior change, whereas short-term goals allow the task to be broken into smaller units that seem easier to achieve.
Little by little, as the short-term goals are accomplished, the long-term goal is achieved.

A. Identify your long-term goal:
1._______________________

Example: I will manage my time to allow a half- hour per day for exercise.

B. Identify your short-term goals:
1. ______________________
2. ______________________
3. ______________________

Examples:

• I will make my time for physical activity a priority.
• I will choose healthier options to eat each day.
• I will arrange my "to do" list by priority.

STEP 4 Take the Target Behavior Test

It is difficult to accomplish a successful behavior change if you are not ready to commit to a change.

If you answer "no" to any of the questions in the following Target Behavior Test, it is important that you either consider choosing another behavior which appeals to you or set a more achievable goal that allows you to answer "yes" to all questions in the Target Behavior Test.

A. Target Behavior Test
1. Changing this behavior is important to me. o Yes o No
2. I have a positive attitude about my ability to successfully change this behavior. o Yes o No
3. I am likely to be healthier or live in a healthier environment if I change this behavior. o Yes o No
4. I am willing to devote the time necessary to change this behavior. o Yes o No
5. I have chosen a target behavior that I will be able to measure or count. o Yes o No
6. I have selected an achievable goal (e.g., "I will lose one pound per week by increasing my level of exercise" is probably a realistic goal. "I will lose twenty pounds this month" is probably an unrealistic goal and may be unsafe.) o Yes o No
7. I can identify others who will provide support for my behavior change. o Yes o No

STEP 5 Identify Strategies for Accomplishing Your Goal

Identifying strategies is a three-part process. First, list ideas for possible strategies to achieve your goal. Next, consider the obstacles that might keep you from reaching your goal. Finally, consider ways to overcome such obstacles.

A. List possible strategies for achieving your goals:
1. ___________________________________________ _______________________

2. ___________________________________________ _______________________

3. ___________________________________________ _______________________

Examples:

• I will schedule fun things so they become part of my daily routine.


 

• I will make a "to do" list.


 

• I will remain focused on my lists and tasks at hand.

B. List possible obstacles to achieving your goals:
1. ____________________________________

2. ____________________________________

3. ____________________________________

Examples:

• Unexpected things may happen that will interfere with my scheduled fun time.
• Some things on my "to do" list may take longer than expected.
• My children's needs may take precedence.

C. List solutions for overcoming your obstacles:
1. ___________________________________________ _______________________

2. ___________________________________________ _______________________

3. ___________________________________________ _______________________

Examples:

• I will adjust other priorities rather than eliminate my free time.
• I will remember to prioritize unexpected things as well as expected things.
• I understand that at times of illness my children's needs may take precedence; however, I will make

STEP 6 Alter Your Surroundings for Change

The people and things that are around you can greatly influence your behavior. By creating supportive surroundings, behavior change can be a successful and satisfying process. Examine your support system (work atmosphere, home environment, family, friends) and alter these surroundings to assist you in achieving your goals.

A. How will you create a work atmosphere and a home environment in which it is both difficult to practice the "old" behavior and easy to practice the new behavior?
1. _____________________________________

2. _____________________________________

Example: Share work and home responsibilities with others.

B. How will you build a support network for yourself?
1. _____________________________________

2. _____________________________________

Examples:

• I will spend time with other people who share similar recreation interests.
• I will ask my supervisor to positively acknowledge my successful efforts to manage my work efficiently.

Enlist the support of a few friends. Try using the following Contract for Behavior Change.
New Me in 2003 Change

I, ______________, pledge to meet the following goal:

My friend who signed this contract below, agrees to provide me with the following supportive actions:
1. _________________________________________
2. _________________________________________

We will meet on _______________ (date), to discuss my behavior change progress and to confirm support for my behavior change efforts.

Your Signature/Date __________________________________
Signature of Supporting Friend/Date ______________________

STEP 7 Reward Yourself

Choose enjoyable, positive rewards to motivate yourself to a successful behavior change. Make sure you reward yourself for the attainment of your short-term goals as well as your long-term goals.

Hints about rewards:

• Take care to reward yourself appropriately for your achievements.
• Reward yourself as quickly as possible when you are successful.
• Adjust your rewards as necessary.
• When you first begin to change your behavior, reward yourself each time you are successful; after your target behavior is well-established, reward yourself less frequently.

 A. List rewards appropriate for accomplishing your short-term goals:
1. ______________________________________

2. ______________________________________

B. List the reward for accomplishing your long-term goal:
1. ______________________________________

Examples:
 

• I will tell myself how well I am doing and think about how I feel better, physically and mentally.
• I will treat myself to a massage.

STEP 8 Implement Your Strategies and Record Your Progress

It is time to actually begin your behavior change. As a brief review:
1. Consider the benefits of your behavior change.
2. Be clear about your goals.
3. Use behavior change strategies that you believe will be successful.
4. Plan to encounter and overcome obstacles.
5. Alter your environment to support your lifestyle changes.
6. Be sure to reward yourself.
7. Have fun.

A. Click here to access the Goal Tracking Chart or your own custom-designed chart to record your progress. Please print this page and keep it in a convenient place to monitor your weekly goals.
Update your chart regularly and use it to identify not only your progress, but also the situations that promote the behavior and those that discourage the behavior.

STEP 9 Make Adjustments

If, after reviewing your tracking system, you determine that your success is not occurring as you had hoped, review your goals, barriers, and social support and make appropriate adjustments. Remember, persistence is important. However, if the behavior change process is all work and no fun and you are beginning to dread the change or feel like quitting, it may be time to alter your approach.

Example: I feel guilty about having time to relax and therefore do not enjoy my time. Until I have given myself enough time to rethink relaxation time, I will participate in activities that have a dual purpose - relaxation and quality family time.

Take making a behavior change one day at a time. Stay focused on today's challenges, and getting as much satisfaction and pleasure out of today as you can. It means letting go of the past and the future, just for today. It means living today in the best way you can. It means deciding not to think about how hard it might be to live the rest of your life. You don't have to live the rest of your life today. You only have to get through today.