ENDURE: January 2, 2015

Congrats, You've made it! ENDURE - Year in Review Part IV

Spoiler Summary: It's the part of health that is so often overlooked.  It's the part of prevention we often want to put on the shelf and pretend we can just ignore.....but the evidence can't be ignored....and this shouldn't be either

From big changes in which party controls the US congress to Derek Jeter retiring and Lebron James heading "back home" to Cleveland.....from gas prices taking a nose dive (not complaining) to people finding new and clever ways (excluding those who went too far) to raise funds for charities-of-choice by memorializing the moment when ice-water gets dumped on their heads....2014 was another wild year.

And whether it's coming to terms with the realization that our mobile devices can cause more than eyestrain  (are you reading this on a mobile device?) or using the turn of the calendar to get a fresh start on the most popular New Year's resolutions (did you know USA.gov had such a list?); we all have a list of challenges, that stand between us and the healthiest version of ourselves.

But this is not news......I don't think I've ever met anyone who considers themselves perfect.....the question (so says the science on growth and goal-attainment) is:

Do we see "challenges to overcome"? Or do we see "flaws and weakness"?

Said another way - do we believe success (regardless of the goal) is dependent on our use of strengths to develop skills? Or do we believe it's all about how talented we are (or aren't)?

Although many, if not most people will set a resolution this year - the most clear indication that we WANT to grow and develop toward the healthiest version of ourselves (1/2 of the most popular are health related).....very few seem to succeed despite the overwhelming evidence that a lifestyle that incorporates MOVE + FUEL + RECOVER can lead to significant health change.  Giving up is so common in fact, that we often hear friends, in the few moments they have to CONNECT, talk about how fast they gave-up on their resolution rather than how much progress they've made.....but, so says the science, it doesn't have-to be this way.

This is the essence of what we call ELEMENT #4 - ENDURE.

ENDURE is not about endurance exercise per se, although we often recommend it as cheap and easy tool to help improve fitness and develop some of the skills that need polishing (all most need is a pair of shoes)....it's about setting a goal and planning a course to attain it.....it's about facing the inevitable twists and turns that pop-up and finding ways to overcome.....and whether it's at work or at home or anywhere in between - it's about committing to the effort of being the best version of ourselves....and making steady, consistent steps down that path (even if they are baby steps to start).

Can you enjoy better health?  Yes.

Is it possible to stay safe and injury free?  Yes.

Will there be personal-storms and reasons to shelve the goal in 2015? Yes.

Can you develop the skills to keep moving forward just the same? Yes - and here are just a few important bits of evidence we've been following that can help:

Find joy in the effort - it's what keeps you working toward the outcome:  even in children, when the "reward" was related to effort, progress and strategy to overcome challenges - they persisted longer.

Your ENDURE-reserves are WAY deeper than you think - believe it and they will be: when it came to "willpower", those who came to believe that had deep wells (limitless potential) were able to stick-to and maintain self-control significantly longer than those who thought of it as finite.

Sometimes it's about the conversation - with yourself: Self-talk is not only normal, but an important factor in how we view (and ultimately tackle) problems and go after our goals.  Some of the latest research suggests that not only can it significantly impact our levels of physical fatigue and motivation to persist, but, if we do it right, can impact our performance under stressful situations.

Truly, this is just the tip of the iceberg.  Whether it be a zero-injury workplace, or those extra pounds that we know is weighing us down, so much of  our ability to achieve comes down to our belief, our mindset, and ultimately our will to consistently march forward....to ENDURE.

From the Pro-Activity team - we hope your 2014 was one for the record books and we look forward to a stronger, healthier, safer 2015.

Now, go do something extraordinary,

Mike Eisenhart, PT

Managing Partner, Pro-Activity