Next week I'll be catching up with a group attending a leadership programme which began in December. When I last saw them we discussed their wellbeing objectives for the Christmas Holidays and, if we're being honest, many of them weren't that optimistic about their chances of staying focused in the face of seasonal socialising and the temptations of extra eating and drinking.
However, in anticipation of seeing the group again, I got in touch with them this week to see how they'd got on. And their responses were surprisingly positive. Between them they've managed to:
- Begin or maintain a regular exercise routine
- Walk more
- Maintain weight or lose some weight
- Improve their work-life balance
- Make better food choices and eat more healthily
- Join a gym or begin exercising at home
- Reduce cholesterol levels
- Increase water intake
- Improve sleep routine
- Eat more regularly
- Reduce alcohol intake
- Reduce consumption of caffeinated drinks
It's impressive stuff and it's clear what has been the secret of success. Yes, they all made commitments to themselves but I know for a fact that they'd made similar commitments in the past. What's different this time is that they have a specific date by which to have made noticeable progress with their commitments as next week they'll come together as a group again and will be checking up on each other. Everyone is motivated to have positive news to tell.
So as we're all thinking about new beginnings at the start of a fresh year, encourage your teams to remember the three golden rules of success with wellbeing.
1. Choose your objectives carefully. Simple lifestyle changes are best to begin with as you can plan them clearly and they enable you to feel you are making progress right away. Select something from the list above or pick one of your top three wellbeing objectives and commit to making progress with it this year. Write down what you are aiming to achieve, what good looks like and all the ways in which success with this objective will make a positive difference to your life.
2. Pick a specific deadline by which you will review your success and schedule interim review points along the way so you can ensure you're always on track. For most wellbeing objectives 6-8 weeks is plenty of time in which to experience dramatic and positive change. Make a note to review your progress every 2-3 days leading up to this deadline. If things aren't going according to plan, modify your approach quickly.
3. Add some accountability. Share your goals with others who you know will encourage you, support you, challenge you or compete with you. Find someone, or a group of people, who will provide you with all the help you need to succeed. Sometimes you'll need a sympathetic ear, sometimes you'll need some tough love. Make sure you know where to go to get the support you need, whenever you need it.
Spread these guidelines throughout your organisation and you'll greatly improve the chances of everyone succeeding with their wellbeing where they've struggled in the past. Trust me, they'll thank you for it.
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