ENDURE: May 16, 2014

It's a Game of Odds.....Are You Rolling the Dice?

Spoiler Summary:  "No risk no reward?"; If the reward is having a long, healthy life, maybe the saying should be: "no understanding of risk, a low likelihood of reward."

Last week I was asked to be involved in a meeting related to prevention and safety that was going to spend some time talking about the cultural or "group-behavioral" aspects of health and safety.  This topic, being the kind of thing that my team at Pro-Activity has spent most of our waking hours focused on over the last 15 years (and admittedly some of our non-waking hours), made it right up my alley, so I was excited to be a part of it.  Truthfully, it's the type of thing we've done many times before, but what I really liked about this one, the brainchild of a couple of guys who are deeply involved in safety in their workplace in conjunction with the location's manager, was their emphasis on risk and risk-reduction.  From the title slide, to the videos, to the questions & answers, they spent time relating injury to risk - which is really at the heart of prevention......knowing the odds of something happening (good or bad) and then adjusting until the odds are in your favor......actively choosing to avoid games where the odds of losing are much higher than the odds of winning......actively avoiding the random roll of the dice.  This is such an important concept and one that sometimes gets glazed over, so I applaud them for going after it so directly.

What's really cool is that the theme seems to be emerging in many of the places we've been asked to consult. Whether it be the safety leader I recently sat down with who emphasized a focus on risk, to the many people who are starting to talk about and understand their 10-year "risk score" (a mathematical prediction of having a cardiovascular "event" based on certain bio-markers and health-behaviors), to a multidisciplinary effort aimed at identifying and lowering the risks of sprains and strains that we're involved with, the concept of "risk lowering" keeps coming up - and it's like music to my ears.....because that's where ACTION lives.

Accurately judging the "likelihood", i.e. weighing "the odds" and making a choice associated with a predicted result (based on our knowledge and experiences) is one of the most important bits of thinking we do. When we take the time to understand the consequences, and be aware of the risks, putting the odds in our favor gets so much easier.  For example, knowing that staying active is a way to stay healthy well into retirement is valuable but easy to ignore.....however, knowing the specifics, that for every unit of fitness (as measured in "METs") a man maintains into his retirement-years lowers his risk of dying by 11% even with a diagnosis of high-blood pressure (as was reported earlier this week by researchers funded by the American Heart Association), can help guide us to the actions that will work.  Marathons for everyone?  Not necessarily.....but if you have high blood pressure, doing what it takes to maintain an exercise capacity of 8 METs (and therefore nearly cutting your risk in half) would certainly put the odds more solidly in your favor.

The same is true for injury risk.  Knowing for example that repetitive bending has been associated with back pain is definitely helpful, but easy to ignore.  On the other hand, knowing that frequent bending increases your odds of the #1 ergonomic issue worldwide (impacting 26% of the world's population) by more than 200% (as reported recently in two prestigious medical journals) might make it worth the effort of setting up the work, whether on the job or at home, in a low impact manner; to remove the risk entirely or, if nothing else, to plan in a break to "extend" and let the tissues recover.

Lowering risk and playing the odds definitely doesn't guarantee success.....sometimes even the most unlikely situation can happen.....despite a 97+% likelihood that it won't happen, occasionally "snake eyes" comes up......I just don't know if I'd bet my life on it.  As always, let us know how we can help you understand your risks and put the odds of achieving your goals in your favor.

Have a great week,

Mike E.

MOVE: May 9, 2014

The Willingness to Keep Solving Problems

Spoiler summary: The success paradox: the closer you get to success, the harder you have to work to keep succeeding.....it's not all rainbows and unicorns.....but succeeding, even without complete success, is a series of good problems and continued development.

It's soccer tryout season in the Eisenhart household.  For those folks that have kids who play competitive soccer, you probably know what I'm referring to.  It's like preparing for the big recital for musicians, or preparing for the science fair for the academically inclined or preparing for the belt-test for various martial artists......it's about taking all of the effort and learning that's happened over the last year and letting it fly....executing, and it's stressful for all involved.  It reminds me a little bit of the college application process - maybe there's a "safe" school (or in this case team) where you're pretty sure you'll be accepted and probably do well even without pushing too hard......there could be a "stretch" school, where things would have to go just-right to pull it off and the challenge and stakes would be very (maybe too) high....and then there's the "challenge" school, where it's not a guarantee by any means, but you're pretty sure you can pull it off, and you'll likely develop faster if you do.....Goldilocks: not too hot, not too cold....just right.

Although my son (7) is only starting to care.....my two daughters (10 & 12) are serious and focused.  Somehow (with a dad that grew up with only a fleeting interest in the sport) it has become their passion.....or if you read last week's note, their "geek-dom" (I blame it on their mom).  They have been working hard all year with the goal of improving their skills and pushing forward in their pursuit to be the best they can be, a life-lesson I truly LOVE to support.  So far, it seems to be going pretty well.  They both appear to have solid clubs who are interested; and with me being a big believer in "hard work pays off", I'm happy for them both.  So the last couple of nights, as we get closer to "offers", and the decision of where (and for whom) to play, I've started to try to interject the questions that I hope will help them process through the decision (ultimately their decision) of which opportunity to pursue.

"What if you get an offer from XYZ (stretch) club?", "What if you get two offers that both seem really great?", "What if you have to decide on one before you hear from the other?", "What's the most important thing to you in deciding?", "What's the thing you think could lead you down the wrong path?", "If you opt for a new, harder challenge, are you ready to keep working as hard as you have this year?", "Are you ready to work harder if you need to?", etc.

As I watched them struggle to think through the questions, it was remarkable to me how similar the conversation was to the many professional conversations that my team has with folks who are also beginning to succeed, whether that be with health change, injury-prevention or goal-achievement.  Often the conversation starts lighthearted enough, a little celebration of the success to date, but then it gets to a point where the work that it took to green-up the grass begins to come to light. From there, it's not a big jump to realize that it's going to require continued work, maybe even more work, to keep it green.  It wasn't green simply because it was in better soil or started as better seed or because they had some magic fertilizer, but it was green because someone painstakingly cared for it....they nurtured it.....a sustained effort for long enough (however long that had to be) - and that today's finish line is tomorrow's starting line.  Although this is not really a story about green lawns or soccer-loving children, it is a story about the always looming question "is long-term success worth the effort?"......"are you satisfied with succeeding today or are you after success that passes the test of time?"

The GREAT NEWS IS - we are in early May and we have been fortunate enough to see and hear about many early successes in 2014 by people who we know to be working very hard at it.  Just this morning I got a note regarding one of the folks I know has been working hard and who has achieved 75% of his weight loss goal - a major accomplishment.  However, no different than my daughters, this success comes the reality for both this individual and my team as they assist, that it isn't a finish line, but an invitation to step into a bigger or faster moving game, with tougher competitors and perhaps under the even brighter lights of friends, family and colleagues who are closely watching....and maybe even getting inspired.

Success is not without problems.....it just comes with different and newer problems.  Real problems....but good problems.  I have no idea what color uniforms I'll be cheering-on next year, maybe no different than the ones I cheered on this year.....but I do know that as long as my kids, friends and clients are chasing challenges it won't be easy or without stress.....different maybe.....but by definition, still difficult. I will however know that it'll be very much worth the effort.

Have a great week,

Mike E.   

MOVE: May 2, 2014

Embracing the Inner Geek

Spoiler Summary - Although by research standards the larger (or more complete) the data-sample, the more reliable the findings....but when it comes to health, prevention and safety, there is a ton of power in knowing a geek or two.

It's official - I'm a geek. How do I know? Well, the Amazon computer said-so.....and therefore, it must be true.  There it was, in the last email they sent me (along with books on Triathlon, books on neuro-behavioral science and books on fitness & wellness), staring me right in the face: "The Geeks' Guide to World Domination".  On the one hand I wasn't at all surprised.....I've come to terms with my geeky side (and my desire to take over the world) - so it was natural.  So natural in fact, that when giving a presentation to folks I've never met, I tend to introduce myself almost with a warning label: "I want you to know, this isn't just a job for me and my team....it's a passion....we live, eat, breathe and sleep this stuff.....so bear with me if I get all fired up".  People laugh a little....and then a few minutes into the presentation you can almost see them thinking "he wasn't kidding....".  

On the other hand, when I saw the Amazon ad, I sort of found myself thinking "is it that obvious?" and I laughed. So naturally, I googled the author and I found that there was a CBS news clip of him promoting the book.  The first question he was asked was "what's the difference between a nerd and a geek".....his answer was so good I almost bought the book.  He said (paraphrasing), "a nerd is defined by something they can't do (social situations, etc), a geek is someone that is so passionate about what they do that they are willing to put almost everything else on the back burner".....and there it was.....a definition that reflected like a mirror. The defining characteristic NOT being knowledge but rather PASSION.

He went on to say "there are tech-geeks and fantasy-football geeks and geeks of all kinds....." and gave examples of how a person gets so locked in that they want to know every little detail and share with anyone who will listen.  Of course, this book is not hard science....and it's not the first to describe the highly-knowledgeable and passionate type (Malcom Gladwell called them Mavens several years ago), but it's an interesting theme that keeps coming up. Maybe even more interesting though is the effect that geeks have on their piece of the world....the more they learn and share, the more likely their peers, friends and family are impacted by their passion.  Ever find yourself rattling off stats or figures about an athlete or team or even sport that you're not even that interested in because a friend or colleague was so passionate about it that you couldn't help but learn too?  Ever found yourself really considering changing your diet or exercise habits because a co-worker was so excited about the change that they've got you thinking "I should do that too".

Facts and figures, stats and studies provide the evidence that can help us to put the odds in our favor, something we need to do if we want the best long-term results....but the PASSION of those around us is one-thing that most quickly helps to get the ball-rolling.  If you're a health or safety geek, that is, someone who is passionate about preventing accidents or disease....I urge you not to sit on the sidelines but wear it proud and share your passion too......it might change (or even save) a friend's life.  If you're a person who wants to get healthier or stay safe but you're not "super motivated" or don't know where to start.....I urge to find a geek.....and take notes.....not because world-domination is likely in their future.....but because passion is contagious and therefore health change could be in yours.  Once the ball is rolling, it's not nearly as hard to keep it rolling.

If you can't find a geek, let me know....I know where to find a few.

Have a great week,

Mike E.

ENDURE: April 25, 2014

Believe You Can and You Just Might

Spoiler Summary: Optimists have all the luck.....and the health....and the happiness.  OK, not all of it, but more than half the glass.

On Monday I was lucky enough to catch a video stream of Meb Keflezighi as he became the first American to win the Boston Marathon since 1983.  In the final miles as the chase from younger and (historically) faster runners was cutting into his lead I found myself literally out of my chair, so hoping that history would be made for a runner who not only seems to be a generally likable person, but for the city of Boston as they came back from tragedy.  Not only was the win historic, it was unlikely....as Keflezighi started to break away from the pack before the halfway mark of the race....almost assuredly a gutsy but premature move.  Had he been caught, the talk would've been that he made a surprising tactical error.....a rookie mistake even....but no guts, no glory I guess.....history was made because at some level he believed he could.

What about you? In the moment of truth, when the chips are down, which voice do you typically listen to?  Does the voice that questions the likelihood of success and warns you of the risks persuade you to give up? Or is it the one that says "c'mon, you've got this" that tends to win out?  In the face of adversity do you tend to invoke a "this too shall pass" approach or scramble in fear that "this could ruin everything if I make the wrong bet"?

Optimism is powerful stuff....not only in the proverbial "glass half-full" sense, but in the research that shows some impressive advantages that optimists enjoy over their more pessimistic peers.  Whether it be from a health perspective or in regards to work-performance or in measurements of happiness and life-satisfaction, several studies have shown those individuals with strong optimistic traits appear to have a leg-up.  Now this is not to say that pessimism doesn't have its place.  After all, if we never consider the lasting effects of dangerous choices, we could easily overstep into the category of unchecked-risk.....but in general, optimism has shown to have enough influence on achievement that anyone with a goal in mind should consider it when planning their pursuit.  But what if a person is not "naturally" optimistic?  What if pessimism is more natural for a person....are they doomed?  Well, by definition they probably think so.....but the coolest part of the research on the topic is that optimism can be learned, fostered and grown.....a really important finding.

Like most things, it helps to know where you're currently at by using a tool like the optimism questionnaire on this University of Pennsylvania website (you may need to create a free account to complete) and then building a plan.  Or, if that sounds like more time than you've got, consider these three key traits that appear to differentiate:

1. Permanence - when adversity strikes, optimists tend to see it as a temporary thing, pessimists see something permanent.

2. Wide-reaching - when something goes wrong, optimists tend to see it as a single moment, a compartment, whereas pessimists think catastrophe in all facets of life

3. Personal - while in the midst of a setback, optimists chalk it up to an external factor rather than looking inward to finding personal flaws or weaknesses.

But then what?  What can you do about it?  Like most things related to health, prevention and performance we can greatly increase our odds of success by getting our ELEMENTS in line:

Give you brain a breather - MOVE - research has consistently shown significant and beneficial neuro-chemical changes associated with exercise in as little as two weeks.  From better blood-flow to changes in chemicals that help our brain's cells communicate, getting active works.

Call off the dogs - FUEL - persistent inflammation has been linked with almost every form of chronic disease.  Certain diets promote inflammation, others reduce it.  If the body is constantly fighting something, it can be quite a bit harder to see the silver lining.

Inside the washing machine - RECOVER - recent research has shown that during deep, restful sleep the brain literally washes away harmful byproducts.  There's a reason why people are foggy after a poor night's sleep and why sleep quality is linked with test scores - it matters.

Build on experience - ENDURE - every time we overcome a challenge, no matter how small it might seem we are able to reference and rely on it when faced with the next challenge.  The act of succeeding itself and then celebrating the success builds resilience for the next pothole we face.

Been there, done that - CONNECT - learning from and building on the experience of others can act like a challenge simulator....lots of learning, without all the bumps and bruises.

Although it's unlikely that we will find ourselves leading the Boston Marathon anytime soon, we all face moments that feel like heart-break hill.....except without the cheering fans.  The people of Boston have become another excellent example that when those moments hit and our resilience is pushed to its limit, we can find more strength than we knew was there.....and nearly-39 year old Meb Keflezighi, one year later, has shown us that when you believe.....anything is possible.

Now go do something extraordinary,

Mike Eisenhart

Managing Partner, Pro-Activity