Point to Ponder:
Do you proactively and strategically approach the holiday season or do you let the holiday season dictate you, your goals and your health?
Joy! The season of gratitude is here and we know what’s coming: family, friends, food, fun, football, parties, emotions running high, sugar, more sugar and runny noses. It’s also the season of fluctuating temperatures, sleep deprivation, allergies, congestion, the cold and flu…which all lead to distractions. I promise I’m not trying to be the Grinch, rather I’m just being realistic about the time of year we are approaching so we can be proactive, stay well, kick-butt and crush the remainder of 2018.
Personally and professionally, this is one of my favorite times! Personally, I love the traditions and magic of the holidays. Professionally, I love encouraging and celebrating gratitude and joy with you. We love it so much that a few years back we printed shirts and sweatshirts with “Grateful” and “Choose Joy”. Then, starting this week we’ll continue with our in-class annual Grateful-gram tradition. We believe in the power of expressing gratitude so much that during the final 5 minutes of each class we’ll provide gratitude note cards so you can write 1 or 21 Grateful-grams. In addition, we’ll take care of the postage too. All you have to do is write the card and address it in class—we’ll get it mailed. Now, back to my original point. Having worked with women my entire professional life, this is a tricky time of year for us and it can go south fast! Therefore, if we want to stay healthy and be our best, we must enter into this season aware of the common obstacles and with a proactive plan of attack.
So, what’s the game plan coach? I’m so glad you asked. The game plan is to adopt and approach the upcoming months with a honey badger mindset. Don’t laugh-—let me explain:
The honey badger has nasty grit and grit has been listed as the #1 character strength that most predicts high achievement. Grit is the ability to work hard for a long period of time toward a focused goal and keep moving forward in spite of obstacles, challenges and failures. The honey badger isn’t the largest animal, but pound for pound, she is Africa’s most fearless and gritty animal. She's even listed as the most fearless in the world. Without hesitation, the honey badger will fight a lion, cobra, and crocodile. If you’re thinking what I’m thinking, you may be thinking the honey badger isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer for wanting to fight those deadly predators. True, but she’s fearless, tenacious, focused and relentless to the end. Once she sets her mind on the prey she gets lazer-like focus and accomplishes her goal. She’s got mad grit! Respect!
Along with grit, the other 4 character strength predictors for high achievement that I also believe the honey badger possesses and will keep us well and our best throughout the end of the year are:
2. Self-Control- The ability to control oneself, in particular one’s emotions and desires or the expression of them in one’s behavior, especially in difficult situations. This doesn’t mean you can’t indulge rather focus on taking care of yourself. Keep iGniting, eat as clean as possible, get good sleep, stay hydrated, say “yes” to only to what you really want to say “yes” to and say “no” to the rest. Stay focused on your and your families goals so you can get through the remainder of the year healthy and thriving.
3. Zest (Passion)- Any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling. Stay focused on your “why”. Only you know what that is, but remaining focused on this will keep you enthusiastic about your goal and life.
4. Gratitude- The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. Gratitude is everything. It’s difficult to have a bad day if you are grateful. An attitude of gratitude certainly affects your health, your relationships and the ability to be successful and thrive in life. It will either make or break a person as well as the holidays. Plus, grateful people have greater live longer.
5. Optimism- Hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something.
Like gratitude, science has proven that optimistic people have a better immune systems, heal and recover faster and therefore have greater longevity than that of a pessimist. Furthermore, when we look for the good in people and in life, we will find the good in people and life. This leads to gratitude, which leads to a healthier everything.
All in all, I know the honey badger isn’t the cozy and sweet holiday-like animal, but don’t think for a second the Monarch Butterfly doesn’t have the mindset of a honey badger. You don’t migrate from North America to Mexico without having serious grit, self-control, zest, gratitude and optimism. The honey-badgers also has thick skin which is why taking her down is nearly next to impossible. So, remember last week’s journal—about the four agreements, not making assumptions or taking things personally, because this affects our health too! Let’s attack the remaining two months of 2018 by being proactive, staying gritty, practicing self-control, living with passion, expressing gratitude and being eternally optimistic.
Action Item:
Attack the remaining two months of 2018 by being proactive, staying gritty, practicing self-control, living with passion, expressing gratitude and being eternally optimistic.
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