“Are you healthy?,” I asked myself as 2017 came to an end. One chapter closed to open to the blank page of the next.
“If I am not, how do I get healthy?” quickly followed.
As canned, coined, and cliche as it is, there is a reality that every turn of the calendar year provides a sense of refresh.
Around our house, there has been an extra pep in our steps—the littles heading back to a new semester at school and reuniting with friends, David and I both pausing to reflect on what our reality has been at work and what we want it to be, I feeling a refreshed resolve to put what is most important at the forefront and allow the other things to fade off as needed.
In these moments of reflection, I determined a new need for Assessment + Action toward living a healthy 2018.
Join me in making a 2×2 Commitment to get healthy by using your Strengths in a specific way this year!
An Assessment :: Am I healthy?
At the end of the year, Michael Hyatt’s Lifescore came across my desk. Enticed by its wholistic approach and visual outcome {and let’s be honest, it’s free price point!}, I took it. I loved the framework and the pointed questions.
This is me:
Though my overall score was positive, it lead me to thinking—“am I truly healthy?”
Am I living the healthy life that I think I am…and hope I am??
From Tom Rath & Jim Harter’s 5 Elements of Well Being to Hyatt’s 3 Circles of life health, there is a broad spectrum of ideas about the elements of health. Some include:
- Financial
- Spiritual
- Intellectual
- Emotional
- Physical
- Marital
- Parental
- Social
- Career / Vocational
- Avocational
- Community
These frameworks, among other conversations and convictions over the past several months have alerted me to the fact that there are some domains in which I have neglected my health.
Most notably: Sleep + Avocation.
I am certainly not, regularly, getting enough sleep. Even with our new baby aside, I have not prioritized a healthy pattern of substantial sleep. I am convinced that my brain needs it for clarity of thought and sharpness of imagination—but for some reason, I can’t bring myself to get to bed at a reasonable time.
Avocational health was a new paradigm for me. Some of my artistic and avocational loves are things I decided I must say “no” to for a season, as my life swelled with kids and work. “But,” I ask anew this year, “is there a way to maintain our rhythm and give life and health to my avocational heart?”
An Action :: How do I get healthy?
Since only a fraction of us follow through on our commitments of a new year, there has to be a better way to take action on our health than a mere new years resolution.
Just as a rabbit is filled with health as he runs, a fish is living to its full potential as it swims, and a bird soars to new heights as he flies, so are we made to live in the fullness of health when we live in our most natural Strengths.
We use our Strengths to get healthy in 2018.
That is both easy and difficult.
It is easy because using our Strengths will be the most natural and effective way to make any lasting change in our lives.
It is difficult because we are bombarded with prescriptive antidotes to getting healthy and making change. Follow these 5 steps to crush your new years resolutions…use these 3 principles to be sure you meet your goals…and the list goes on!
How do I as an individual get healthy? My most effective way will be different from your way, based on our different sets of Strengths.
Use this framework {+ my examples!} to get started in applying your Strengths to your resolve to get healthy this year!
Strengths-Oriented Framework to Get Healthy
1 :: Know Your Strengths
If you have not already, get to know what your greatest strengths really are. Put some clear words to them—define what they are and what they do for you and the others around you.
Take StrengthsFinder to get crystal clear on your Top 5 Strengths, or ask others who know you well what they see is uniquely strong about you.
Whatever your path, identify your Strengths and begin to know them well.
2 :: Know Your Health
Get a grasp on your health. Consider using Hyatt’s Lifescore or read through this article from Gallup on the 5 Elements of Well-being.
Think bigger than physical fitness and diet. See your health for the wholistic person you are and consider which specific areas you are thriving in and which could use your attention and dedication.
- Is your marriage all that you want it to be?
- Is your work satisfying and fun?
- How is your relationship with your kids and parenting going?
- What is your the status of your spirit and views on God?
- Have you made time to invest in friends?
- How about your community?
- Do you consistently do other things you love, beyond your work hours?
Reflect and give yourself an honest assessment.
3 :: Make a 2×2 Commitment
When you know your Strengths and have reflected on your wholistic health, you’re ready for your 2×2 commitment!
- Choose 2 areas of health to focus on
- Choose 2 Strengths to rely on {every day} to get you there
For example,
My two areas to get healthy are: Sleep & Avocational
My two strengths I will apply to these are: Arranger & Connectedness
For the Sleep realm, this is what it looks like for me:
Arranger gives me ability to create efficiencies in my life. It helps me to set a flexible schedule in place and adjust to make it happen. This week, I started using the Bedtime setting in the iPhone Clock app to set the number of hours of sleep I need. It gives me a 30 minute warning before bed time, at which point my Arranger goes into overdrive, closing up what must be closed for the day and making it to the pillow within 30 minutes. {It also gives me this awesome low to loud volume song as an alarm feature at wake-up time!}
Connectedness tells me that it will all be ok {because my Achiever is generally uncomfortable with going to bed when there are still things to be done!}. As I lean into this Strength more, I gain confidence that everything that was meant to get done in the day did and that it will all be ok tomorrow—especially after my brain has had time to rest and refuel during sleep!
For the Avocational realm, I’m still figuring it out, but so far it looks like this:
Connectedness {which is also kinda inseparably paired with my Belief Strength} helps me set priorities—by impact and meaning. Avocationally, that helps me pair down my wide interests to those things that build a family legacy, or help others.
Arranger helps me to reorient the schedule and events to be sure to include helping others and investing physically in my family. Over the holidays that included homemade Christmas gifts and cards—made in the hours after the kids went to bed and in a whole-family concerted effort one Saturday morning. Coming into the new year, it includes finally getting photos printed into books. Instead of the hours I have used in the past, Arranger helps me see that I need a different solution—perhaps Chatbooks is the way to go!
So, how about you?? Are you ready for your 2×2 Commitment to using Your Strengths to get healthy in a specific way in 2018?
I’d love to chat about it with you, answer any Qs you have {about your scenario or mine!}, so reach out to me directly or pop on over to our Facebook group.
LINKS | RESOURCES | CONNECT
Links & Resources from today
Michael Hyatt Lifescore
5 Elements of Well-being, Gallup
ITV 50 | The Power of Saying No {& Yes!} {balance series 5 of 8}
Use StrengthsFinder + Strengths Startup to get healthy with your Strengths
9 Steps to Life-change through your Strengths {FREE Checklist}
Connect
The Strengths-perspective can impact your marriage, your parenting, and your work!
If you’re into it or you’re just not so sure about it all, reach out, and let’s connect about it. You can catch me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, all at @isogostrong, by this handy contact form, or in our Energy Up Frustration Down facebook group.
Enjoy your day, and {be strong}!
