What’s Your Definition of Wellness?

by | Aug 19, 2009 | Goal Setting, Health, Pilates, Stress Management | 0 comments

You Can Achieve Wellness Success!When was the last time that you sat down and really thought about your definition of what wellness means to you? Have you ever written down your thoughts, ideas, and personal definition?

Do you think of wellness only from the standpoint of how you look, or being a certain weight or size?  Or do you know you’re well because you have the energy and endurance to enjoy your favorite activities,  and have the stamina to play with your children and grand kids?

Perhaps it means that you’re happy instead of battling with your inner-self  and fighting to overcome moments (or a lifetime) of depression.  It might mean that your medical checkup is showing a strong heart, cholesterol and blood sugar in a normal range, and even though your chronological age is 55, by comparison you have the body of a 30 year-old! Wellness might be a sense of inner peace and calm, or the spiritual connection you feel with your Higher Power.

Maybe your definition is:  I’ll be well when I complete my first Marathon, or swim a mile without stopping, or my dog and I will both be well when we consistently take walks together (for the rest of our lives!)   I’m sure there are lots of things that you can put on your Wellness Checklist! 

That’s step one…  Know  what’s important to you and what it means to you personally to BE WELL! It really doesn’t matter what the rest of the world thinks about your definition, as long as you are confident with what you want and are striving to achieve it.  And if you haven’t clearly figured out for yourself what Wellness really means – you may be in a cycle of self-sabotage feeling like you’ll never achieve your goals because your brain and body aren’t in sync with what those goals really are!  So take some time this week to contemplate and create your Wellness Wish List.

A Wish is a thought, a dream that has yet to come true.  Speak it out loud and write it down to light the flame of inspiration in your brain and body.  And you will begin the creative process to bring it to life.

Give your dreams a deadline and they shift into goals. Every goal has specific and measurable action steps that must be taken to achieve success.  And as Napoleon Hill once said, ” Whatever the mind of man can dream and believe, it can achieve.”

But, we might not be able to do it alone!  Some things, definitely!  But there may be some of your wellness goals that will move forward farther and faster with a little friendly support! It may be having friends, family or co-workers in your corner and on your “team” all working together to help each other stay on track.  Or perhaps seeking the advice of your doctor, a personal trainer, nutritionist or other professional to guide you with the right information and exercises to help you reach your goals.

While some of us (myself included) are a bit shy to sometimes reach out for help…  It truly is all around us.  And think of it this way – when you deny someone else the opportunity to help you, you deny them the privilege of a feel-good moment in their life. Everybody likes to lend a friend a hand! And the folks out there who are in the wellness and health professions are passionate, driven, and I think probably divinely inspired,  to want to help others succeed and offer support and guidance!  USE YOUR RESOURCES.

You’ve got a list of your Wellness Goals.  Now make a list of your Wellness Resources. What friends, family, co-workers, professionals, and organizations can assist you in moving forward to help make your wellness wishes come true? Put the names of all these folks down next to the items on your Wellness Wish List that you think they can assist you with.

Now…Why wait another minute? Reach out to someone on your list and see what happens.

Oh, and I should say, please don’t be discouraged if some bozo you put on your list has a brief moment of insanity and doesn’t give you the positive feedback and support you were hoping for.  Just know that in this moment, they are not the right person to hang with to move your butt forward to Wellness Success!  Love ’em anyway and call somebody else for support!  Do not let their potential laughter or negative attitude steer you off course.  Their reaction is their problem, NOT YOURS!  Perhaps in time you’ll get an apology for their bad behavior, but either way…  Stay on track.

Enjoy a “Champagne Moment” to Celebrate Your Success!

There are stories about how Joe and Clara Pilates helped their clients celebrate success with “Champagne moments.” Every time someone had a breakthrough, successfully completed an exercise that they had been struggling with, or just generally had a WOW moment.  They were rewarded for their success!  All action stopped in the studio, the cork was popped  on a cool bottle of Champagne, and everyone toasted to their success.  I’ve heard rumors that this was a very frequent occurrence in the studio!  How much fun and memorable would it have been to enjoy a Champagne moment with Joe!

So who’s your Joe?  Or Joe(s).  The mentor and friends you want to help toast to your success?  And what kind of celebration will really mean something to you? It might be a Champagne toast, or  going shopping with a friend to buy  a new outfit, or a night on the town!  Take a moment to cheer yourself on and be sure to share that moment with others. Everyone loves a celebration!

What’s Next?

Well, first I’m going to suggest, “let’s get there first!”  Why put extra unnecessary thoughts in the way that might block progress. Stay focused on your current Wish/Dream/Goal list.  Chances are you’ve got more than one thing on your list and plenty of fun things to play with to tweak your wellness program.

Achieving our goals is a process.  So enjoy the journey!  Each step forward is a cause for celebration.  Might as well wait until we’re at the top of the hill to take in the view, instead of worrying about what we’re going to do when we get there.

There will be new choices and opportunities for us to see and explore! f you’re a big picture thinker, and the What’s Next really needs to be answered for you.  Then  chances are you already know the answer.  So write it down!  Then live in the moment, don’t worry about what’s happened in the past, enjoy today, stay on your path,  and your “what’s next” will show up right along with your Wellness Success!

Aliesa George: Over the past three decades, Aliesa George has helped assist people with their personal health journeys by sharing, teaching, and developing Pilates, Foot Fitness, and other Mind-Body programs.

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