Healthy High Achiever Blog

Yesterday, I got a few understandable email responses to a broadcast I sent, wondering why I would be recommending a business / marketing document to Performance Lifestyle subscribers?

It was about The Attention Age Doctrine 2 written by a business mentor of mine named Rich Schefren. I’m recommending you read this document for reasons that are multi-fold. 

First, most of us are doing business every day in ways that are wearing us down. I learned this first hand by spreading my attention and my energy way to far, at various times in my career, and nearly driving my self right into the ground.

It took me a long time to understand that the way we achieve our goals in life and business has EVERYTHING to do with how we look, feel and perform. Burnout, weight gain, overwhelm, and living deconditioned… are not inevitable states of getting older, or of life itself, they are consequences of our life(and work) style.

Where and how you focus your attention is a big part of your lifestyle.

Performance Lifestyle and the training we do around this idea is all about how you manage your energy, including but not limited to the quality of the food you eat and your activity levels in the process of achieving your goals. We teach you how to live athletically so you can thrive in the face of relentless demand on your time, space and energy.

Part of this equation is where and how you spend your energy.

Rich is talking about our attention, essentially where we spend our energy each day in our business. If your business is not set up right, it’s going to take it’s toll on YOU. From the business perspective I have learned a great deal from Rich about personal energy management (PEM) and have factored it into the Performance Lifestyle model.

His business message is relevant to Performance Lifestyle. So much so, I’m actually kicking off the next Performance Lifestyle Training at Rich’s Strategic Profits Event in Disney World this February.

What he’s talking about in The Attention Age Doctrine 2, is where we spend our attention (energy) and the affect that Web 2.0 is going to have on this, in our business and personal life.

For example, just this past couple months, I launched a MySpace and a Facebook page… the two leading social networking sites

http://www.myspace.com/myperformancelifestyle 

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=633911411

I wanted to get to know social networking in a big way, especially with the new release of www.MyTrainer.com in the coming month - a social network around free workout video’s provided by the worlds best fitness trainers and lifestyle experts.

…within weeks, I realized I had to come up with a lifestyle strategy around social networking because I quickly realized this was sapping my energy. It was like having a part time job on top of my career! I had to figure out how I was going to direct my attention. Fascinating little journey because I, like you, only have so much energy.

Now, I know in the Attention Age Doctrine, Rich Schefren is talking about where you are putting your attention from a marketing perspective, but I’m suggesting you also look at it from the standpoint of how you are managing your energy.

Remember, attention requires energy. Think laterally for 90 minutes and you’ll consider this document brilliant. There are some real gems in there.

The second reason why I feel this document is worth 90 minutes of your time, is this. I serve achievers, people who are up to big things in their life and business, who are overspending their energy and living on the downward trend of overwhelm, exhaustion and overweight which go hand in hand.

In the Age of Achievement (as I refer to it) where and how you spend your attention (energy) every day in the process of achieving your goals is mission critical. Where and how you are you spending it? Get a handle on this, learn how to do it effectively personally and professionally and it will do wonders for your health, success and quality of life.

No conversation about looking, feeling and performing better is going to do you the good your seeking if the conversation isn’t also about how you achieve your goals with your health and well being in tact. It’s not "about" losing weight or eating better, or exercising. You do these things so that you can achieve your goals…

If you felt my email was outside of my bounds, then I would suggest that you expand your scope. I never send an email that is not relevant to your health, personal performance and success.  

I look forward to talking soon, and I hope you are doing great! I really value you as a subscriber a client and a friend.

Enjoy reading The Attention Age Doctrine.
 

As we prepare the launch of www.MyTrainer.com for the new year, I came accross The Performance Interviews the other day and boy did I find a gold mine of wisdom and insight, and I wanted to share it with you. 

As you go through the Interviews, ask yourself…

What does Performance mean to you?

Where does Performance show up in your life?

These interviews are done by Value Click Media with online media professionals, you will learn much about what performance means in that context, but also in so many other areas of life.

Listen in and then share your thoughts on Performance.

Can a diet guru or fitness trainer or anyone in your life for that matter, really hold you accountable?

NO.

Well maybe for a very short period of time, or a one-time reminder, otherwise, only you can do that.

Today it has become a marketing tactic to sell "accountability" to ensure you are doing something that you are not currently doing. It sounds like it would be valuable to have someone do that, but what’s really happening is the creation of codependency.

If you need someone else to hold you accountable to taking action, to acting in your own self interest or in the interest of others, then there are other issues going on.

For example, holding someone accountable to "workout"; this does not require accountability, as there are countless people who do this simple act out of pure desire every day.

Do you desire exercise when you are overwhelmed, exhausted and overweight? No. So is it accountability you need or a better lifestyle?

There is value to having a drill sergeant in your life, at times, but those times when you do, are few and far between. And, few people like the job. Even those who promise "accountability", they really don’t want to be your oxygen tank.

Be accountable to what’s going on in your life, to what enables you to show up, able to perform and act… and you will be able to do what you want or know you need to do.This was a big realization in my own life.

There are reasons why people don’t workout… and it’s not because of a lack of accountability.

It may seem like tough love, but it’s really not. Being personally accountable is actually easier than being co-dependent on others for basic functions in your life.

Only 3% of the 10% below and of the population as a whole lives a Performance Lifestyle (at the moment), a lifestyle that enables them to thrive, that promotes their health and success at a high level… that is normal and natural. (ironic as it may seem).

You have heard me talk about the "97%" who struggle with diet, weight and long term health issues, including chronic fatigue and more…

So, how are we doing? Cancer prevention researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle and the University of North Carolina decided to find out recently by categorizing over 5,000 Americans based on their overall health behavior. They found that people tended to follow one of these seven lifestyle patterns (from best to worst):

10% Health-Promoting Lifestyle–(good diet, with high activity level, little or moderate drinking and little smoking).

25% Good Diet Lifestyle–(good diet, but sedentary, with little drinking and little smoking). 17% fitness Lifestyle–(poor diet, but high activity level, with little drinking or smoking).

Related Results

25% Passive Lifestyle–(poor diet, sedentary, with moderate drinking and smoking).

5% Drinker Lifestyle–(fair diet, with heavy drinking, moderate activity and moderate smoking).

16% Smoker Lifestyle–(poor diet, sedentary, little drinking, but heavy smoking).

2% Hedonistic Lifestyle–(fair/poor diet, moderate activity, with heavy drinking and smoking).

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