MOVE: March 21, 2014

Wake-up - The Hibernation is Over

Spoiler summary: say it out loud and this Spring can be about more than new growth on the trees & shrubs.

YES! As I write this, today is the first day of spring. The ice is melting and we've seen the last of "ol' Man Winter" (at least on paper) - very welcome news by just about everyone.  So it's with that in mind that I ask - how will you make this the most meaningful spring it can be?

Sure, early Spring can be a tough transition - there are still a few cold days waiting to surprise us, and the body's defenses can struggle to keep up when one day it's cold and the next is warm.  I know I've already felt a little bit of my biannual "change in seasons sniffle"; but that won't last - we'll get to the other side of the transition and be staring-down the heat of summer before we know it.

So instead of rushing THAT, maybe it's a good time to look for "the thaw". The thaw is term I use for another transition - one that people go through when they come to the realization that it's time to  make a change; it's before they catch "the fire" to change; the very beginning moment of an awareness that they're not satisfied with their current results and they're ready for a new beginning.  It's a strange feeling for some - like the fuzzy mind and sluggish body of someone waking up.....and Spring is the PERFECT time.

So how do you know when you're thawing to the safer and healthier actions of prevention? When you can see a new or better you in your mind's eye AND you have the courage to say your goal out loud.  The thaw is not only about wanting something - you can still be frozen and "want it".....the thaw is about wanting it bad enough to tell someone else.....even if not in its final form, it's about personally owning your goal enough to "try it out" on others, and it's a sure sign of thawing.

Ever find a friend saying "can you imagine if I quit smoking?" Or "I wonder what I would look like 25lbs lighter" or "what would it be like if we exercised every day?"  Of course it doesn't have to be these exact questions, but questions like them are a sign that a person is considering a change, and they're testing the idea out on you because they care about your opinion.

To this I say AWESOME! And...I hope you'll be supportive.  Change is hard and it takes a ton of courage to try something new....we each have a hand on the thermostat when it comes to our loved ones - if we squash the thaw with our response, it's like lowering the temp - the person will undoubtedly refreeze....but with the right support any one of us can experience new growth that comes with warmer, brighter moments.

At about the same time this note will get delivered, I'll be challenging a group of folks (Friday) to "thaw-out" a little as part of a meeting I'll be attending.  So even though by the time you read this the thaw portion of the meeting will likely be over - I'll ask you the same 2 questions now:

What's your goal? And do you want it badly enough to say it out loud?

I hope so - but if you're not quite ready to say it to a friend/family member or coworker - just send us back a note, we'd be honored to hear about your next adventure.

Have a great week,

Mike E

MOVE: March 14, 2014

As in Chemistry, in Life

Spoiler Summary: what does basic Chemistry have to do with changing habits?.....maybe more than you think.

As I've said before, I think one of the most important insights in regards to health, prevention and safety was said by William James in 1887:

"When we look at living creatures from an outward point of view, one of the first things that strikes us is that they are bundles of habits."  

This quote is important not because it's so deep or profound....but because it's not.  It's simple and very straight forward - almost everything we do is a habit loop - simple enough.  What James likely didn't know (or fully grasp) was the neuroscience behind it and how as we increase repetitions of the habit, the loop is reinforced over time.  It makes me think of 5th grade Chemistry some.

Think back to 5th or 6th grade science class.....all of those sponge-like little brains ready to roll up their sleeves and try something really cool.  Maybe it was something made famous by Mr. Wizard's World or MacGyver or some other clever character.  Maybe you made a battery out of a lemon, or completed a basic circuit - it didn't really matter, whatever it was - it was cool.  For me, one of the very coolest experiments was making sugar crystals.  It was probably because I LOVED sugar (remember that scene in "Elf" - yes, like that).....but even without a mind-numbing treat, it was still a great way for me to understand a concept that I still use today......and even though my grade school science teacher probably explained it far more eloquently at the time - here's what I remember:

First, there was a bowl of Chex-mix - this was "the mixture" - a bunch of unrelated items all thrown into the same space.  They went together in combination, but it was pretty easy to see how they were different and distinct, and easy to pick out those really crunchy little toast pieces. Then, there was the solution - this was the sugar-water.....and although it could be separated, it was painstaking and slow (crystal experiment). Last, there was a pile of salt, which represented a compound....something where an actual chemical bond existed between sodium and chloride.  We could make a solution out of it, but without science (or magic) we couldn't break it down any further than the salt it was.

To me - habits are very similar.  New habits are a mix of things that can go nicely together, but are easy to pick out.  Think about the person who is trying exercise for the first time.  He or she may not "look the part" and they may feel awkward.  Maybe it's too much for them and they remove themselves.....and the habit is toast......but maybe they ignore that voice inside and keep going.  They try it for a while and eventually they get into a routine.  They might even start to feel confident in the routine and seem more natural at it.....but it didn't happen easily....it was slow, and painstaking.  Eventually, they look forward to it.....it feels right, like a "solution" (get it?)......but it's not a completely unbreakable bond.....and they know it.  Hopefully they don't give up....hopefully they keep going and start finding ways to build it into their life, to share it with their friends and families to where it becomes part of who they are.  People start referring to them as "healthy" and "vibrant".....and they are excited to share the energy they've built up for it.  They are not only gaining interest on their investment, it's compounding greatly every time they share.  At this point - the person has fundamentally changed.....they are no longer a person trying to figure out how to "fit in" the mixture.....they are no longer worried about finding the right "solution".....rather, they are altered, changed, and there is no looking back.

When you're ready to go from mixture to solution.....and eventually to the strong bonds that make up a compound.....we're ready to talk about how you can put the elements to work for you.

Have a great week,

Mike E.

MOVE: March 7, 2014

Zoom out and then Zoom in.....

Spoiler summary: Big picture, small picture, details.....they all matter when you're trying to be the best you.

A few months ago I was sitting in a conference and the age old topic of "forests" and "trees" came up.....you know, being so deep into the details (trees) that you lose sight of the main point of being there in the first place (forest)......it's a common issue and one that on occasion I get stuck re-learning the balance of.  Of course there were two sides - the folks who couldn't see the trees and those who got lost amongst them....and so it goes.

So which is it?  Big picture or the details that matter most? Are you a forest person or a trees person?  Well.....maybe it's a both thing. Jim Collins, a well-known business author that I enjoy is known for his style of comparing the best against the "also-ran." In one of his most recent books he uses the phrase "zoom out and then zoom in."  Although he's typically talking about business leaders and the businesses they run, it's a principle that makes total sense for health & prevention too.  

Zoom out - what's the real goal here?  What are you really after?  What's the real "job" you're looking to do? Maybe it's increasing your quality of life....or increasing your overall well-being. These are the kind of zoom out, big picture goals that matter at first. Once you've got it - then ZOOM IN - what exactly does the goal mean? How will you know you're successful? How will you measure it? Maybe it's being able to confidently stand by and witness your grand kids get married (that's a pretty specific moment of well-being right?)....maybe it's to work for thirty years and walk out the door fit and ready to enjoy the good life (specific quality of life)......whatever it is, zooming-in to that level gets you amongst the trees........and that's where the roots live, so once you know which forest you want to be in, you can start cultivating the soil and growing roots.

The last few weeks have been busy and exciting.  More people at every turn seem to have come to terms with what their own "zoom out" is. Many are realizing how important and delicate the balance between health, safety and prevention really is....and how much better they feel in the moments when that balance is achieved......for them (and for many) we think it's getting very near the time to zoom in.  Maybe that's you.

For those that have the zoom-out, we're ready to get to the roots - so don't be surprised that if in the moment, when we see that glimmer of readiness in you - we challenge you to zoom in - to get down to the details and push into the sometimes uncomfortable place amongst the trees where the little things make a big difference and get things done.

A safe workplace is achievable.  Prevention is attainable. A long and healthy life is worth it - and anyone, with the right tools who's willing to do the work of cultivating the soil can get there.  If you see us before we see it in you - just let us know when you're ready to zoom in.

Have a great week,

Mike E.

MOVE: February 28, 2014

Dream Big…..We’re with You!

Spoiler Summary: The inspiration of motivation - An appreciation of achievement is a celebration of effort

Think of something that you're really proud of.  Something that you've done in life that wasn't necessarily easy, but was totally worth the effort because to you it was a big deal. Maybe not a big deal by someone else's standard, but by YOUR standard, based on the situation you were in, it was.  Have you thought of something?  Remember, no accomplishment is too small - the only criteria is that it had enough of an impact that you were proud of the achievement....even if it took a while for you to realize exactly how much it meant.  Now replay that moment or series of events in your mind a time or two and try to remember as many details about it as you can - relive it.

Now, the harder part.....think a little deeper about the situation - what was it that kept you going when the inevitable obstacles popped up? What kept you focused long enough and with enough intensity to get you all the way to the accomplishment?  What was it that drove you? Maybe you wanted to prove someone wrong. Maybe you wanted to prove someone right.  Maybe you were just too stubborn to give up. Maybe your cause was just too important to let anything stop you....maybe you simply cared too much to allow yourself to give in.....so you didn't until you achieved.

We consider ourselves immensely fortunate that we get to witness and experience such achievements - to see the unbelievable and so often contagious happiness that moments of achievement carry with them. Yet - without the effort and trials and even the setbacks along the way, those moments might not be as powerful. Without the layer upon layer upon layer of hard work combined with the doubts, fears and insecurities the joy might not be as explosive.  Would your big-deal be as important to you without understanding how hard or complex or challenging it was to accomplish it?

In 2012 we decided to give this phase of the journey a name, to put a label on it so we could raise our awareness to it, recognize and even celebrate when our clients and friends were in the midst of it.  We called it "the pursuit" and began to refer to people as being "in pursuit" (or #InPursuit if you're a Facebook or Twitter user) when we saw that drive and passion coming to the surface.  Although locally we often work to help our athletes MOVE better or faster, being after an athletic achievement is not a requirement for being in pursuit.  There are many folks who we work with in the corporate or industrial setting for example who are equally in pursuit of their health, safety and prevention goals. We celebrate the pursuit for increased quality of life via better quality FUEL for the customer who stops in to buy lunch in the same way that we celebrate the pursuit of the Physical Therapy client who is working hard to RECOVER.  We honor the sacrifices made by the parents, caregivers, co-workers and friends who ENDURE the ups and downs, the triumphs and the setbacks that are so intertwined with the pursuit of big things and we embrace and hold in high esteem the community of doers who have taken an active approach in helping us to CONNECT the opportunities to make things better with the resources that can.

As I hope you've come to expect from us by now - we've got big plans that go along with our big dreams......and they include you.  You'll see more and more of the evidence of what really works (and if you ask....what really doesn't) while in pursuit. You'll hear more stories about individuals and groups who are in pursuit and how they solved the puzzles and trials along the way.  If you stop in at BaseCamp31 at the right moment, you'll smell and perhaps even get a taste of some of the exciting pursuits that we're after.

It is our sincere hope that despite the challenges and trials that have already popped up in 2014, your pursuit has you "all in".  If being a doer of amazing things was easy, everyone would do it.  It's not easy.....but when you're in pursuit, it's doable - and we're with you all the way.

Now go do something extraordinary,

Mike Eisenhart, PT

Managing Partner, Pro-Activity

CONNECT: February 21, 2014

CONNECT: Please Pass the Brain Fuel

Spoiler Summary - some of the latest science confirms what many of us already know - "what" you know is a direct function of "who" you know (and try to keep up with)

Ever wonder why the human brain is so wrinkled looking?  OK, me neither......but now that I mention it....why IS the brain all wrinkled up? Apparently this is a longstanding question that has stumped everyone from evolutionary biologists to neuroscientists. OK, that's not the real puzzle - they have a pretty strong clue that it's wrinkled because it doesn't fit inside the skull.  That it literally gets too big and starts to fold inward to save space and maximize surface area at around 6 months of gestation for important function-areas (you can read about it HERE if you're really bored).  It seems strange to me that such an important piece of the puzzle simply doesn't fit.

But why? One very interesting theory is of stress and growth - structural changes as humans became more sophisticated thinkers.....that, similar to muscles, when the brain was taxed and then well fueled, it grew....and grew....and grew (gives a whole new mental image to the term "muscle head" I guess).  But what kind of exercise could possibly get that result?  Was it related to use of tools by early-humans?  Or how about just a result of more widely available food? Both of these theories have been researched, however the most widely accepted theory centers around a different exercise. Know what it is?

It's one of the most difficult things we do every single day. It's something that can result in big errors when our brains our tired....something that has been at the root of many conflicts at both personal and global scales.....and something that takes a lot of practice to get skillful at.  The answer?  Communication with others using language.....the gauntlet that every parent throws down at their young child when they say "use your words."

Did you ever stop and think about how amazing this really is? In a split second your brain is able to take in tone of voice, word choice, body language and environmental cues and compare them to historical events and context to "figure out" exactly what a person means when they say something to you.....tougher than it seems.

Even more interesting, is that it's not only something we can do, it's something we seem to need for our health.  We learn the vast majority of what we know by watching, interpreting and imitating others, especially those we come into contact with regularly and lack of social contact has been linked to everything from poor brain development to mental illness.

75% of every healthcare dollar in America is spent on chronic disease......the vast majority of which are preventable......

So how can you impact the health of the world around you? Talk about it with your family.  Try something active with your kids or friends....keep growing your brain....and keep the conversation going.

Have a great weekend,

Mike E.