What would you do if you heard that there was one simple thing you could do that would make you smarter, more creative and less likely to have senior moments in the future? You would do it right? OK. Ready? Here it is. Exercise. Move your butt. Lift a weight. Get your heart rate up. Sweat. There is simply no question that getting some exercise is critical to brain function. There are studies upon studies showing that exercise makes you smarter, more creative, a better problem solver and is the number one dementia prevention measure. One study with overweight kids which added a half hour of physical activity to the school programs showed a noticeable improvement in executive function and grades. Another study with older participants showed that regular walking and lifting weights resulted in a marked improvement in memory function. Experts aren’t exactly clear about how much exercise or even what kind is best, but they are all agreed that some is better than none, and that our brains benefit when we challenge our bodies. An expert answers some basic questions in a recent NY Times article. So if you can’t make yourself get out of the desk chair, out of your car or off the couch because you want to look better and fit into your closet full of clothes, do it for your brain.
Posts Tagged ‘Career Satisfaction’
Chill Out – Taking the Downtime You Need
In this era of knowledge work when the most prized skills are creativity, innovation, and problem solving, our biggest asset is our brain. This is the first post in what will be a series based on work by Dr. Dan Siegel and David Rock called the Healthy Mind Platter. Get the full article here. Or take it in bite sized pieces with each post. But seriously, if you ever needed an excuse to take better care of yourself, here it is.
A couple of Sundays ago I called my in laws to invite them to dinner. “What are you guys doing today?” I asked, “Oh, it is so nice, we are having a nothing day!” replied my mother in law. What she means is that they had no real plans, they were attending to stuff that piled up during their last trip, running the odd errand, puttering around. A nap was always a possibility. That’s how they refer to it: Nothing time. My in-laws, in their early 70’s, are the busiest people I know. They are constantly getting on airplanes to speak at conferences, attend board meetings, promote books, see their (hundreds of) friends, meet potential business partners. They wouldn’t miss a graduation, a wedding, a birthday party or a memorial service. They are busy. So when they get a nothing day, the take it.
Being Wrong Isn’t So Bad
Innovation is the flavor of the moment. We have organizations that ask their employees to track every activity by the hour and punish errors calling and asking us how we can help their employees be more innovative. It is a hard sell when we tell them that innovation only happens in a culture where people are allowed to make mistakes.
Career Planning
I was having a conversation with a Blanchard Certified participant recently – she was talking about her career growth and where she might go next. She was worried that she might not be able to achieve her long term goal, and that even if she did reach her goal, she might not like it. I was trying to convince her that she couldn’t worry too much about it, just to stay focused on the step in front of her when I remembered this quote:
“It’s like driving a car at night. You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” E. L. Doctorow
Got Leadership Strengths?
I just came out of a two day all hands meeting for the wonderful software company that created Blanchard Certified that I planned, executed and led. When my husband thanked me he described it as a “left handed” activity for me. I didn’t take offense – it was true. The only part that I am normally good at is leading a group, and even that skill is learned. The planning and execution of the meeting were painful for me, and the truth is that normally I wouldn’t have to do it, but my assistant who is gifted at these types of activities was suddenly out on Family Leave, and everyone else is simply too busy so it fell to me. I have never been good at logistics, but for a certain part of my career I got extremely good at them because I had to, but since I haven’t had to be in the last fifteen years or so, I am woefully out of practice. Making sure the hotel reservations were all accurate, figuring out transportation for all the different airport arrivals, car rentals, etc. was a real stretch. And the real killer: what we would eat, when and where, nearly put me over the edge.
Understanding Yourself and Others Through Temperament
Please be our guest for a free webinar on Friday, November 9. That’s when best-selling business authors Scott Blanchard and Madeleine Homan-Blanchard will be conducting a complimentary, online seminar for leaders looking to explore the impact of personality and temperament on workplace collaboration.
Understanding Yourself and Others Through Temperament
Friday, November 9, 2012
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Obstacles to Getting Needs Met
Drained of energy? Dissatisfied in some unidentifiable way? Sound familiar?
So just for now think about what thoughts (the Greek Chorus of judgment in your own head) gets in the way of your getting your needs met. Examples include:
| 1. I was raised not to ask for help |
| 2. I don’t deserve to get my need met |
| 3. My need is too expensive |
| 4. I want to believe that I am “cool” |
| 5. I wouldn’t want to spoil myself – I might get too “soft” |
| 6. I don’t want to be like (__someone you don’t respect)____ |
| 7. My need is inconvenient |
| 8. My need does not fit with how I want others to see me |
| 9. I am terrified that _(someone I do respect)___ will judge me selfish |
| 10. I have no idea how to get my need met without attracting negative attention to myselfAny of these sound familiar? What get in your way when it comes to admitting your own needs to yourself? |
Don’t be a Bad Leader
So many bad work relationships are a result of mis-matched temperaments. Here are some action focused, immediately applicable tips for leaders who are not “connecting” with their people. A short You Tube clip from Jim Harden, co-author of What Makes You Tick and What Ticks You Off.
Be What You Are
During a coaching call today my client shared an epiphany she’d just had about herself. She has spent the last few years building a business and now it is up and running and flourishing and she is bored out of her mind. She had been beating herself up for being ungrateful for her success. Recently, however she has gotten involved with a community re-building effort and which has filled her with energy and sparkle. “I feel like the old me,” she said, “I realized that unless I am planning, creating and making things happening to create reality 2 years from now, I am not really on my game.”
Some people are simply visionaries, and their genius lies in seeing and creating the future. Managing the day to day in the here and now is simply a bore to them. My client is now on track with creating a plan to replace herself running her business and find a way to leverage what she is brilliant at. A big shift from thinking she has a character flaw, to realizing that she has a unique gift she can leverage.