A recent session at the weight loss program was "My Time, My Values" What time do we spend on certain activities and how important are they? I was reminded that I need to do the big rocks first. If you pour sand in jar and then put in the pebbles and last the big rocks, the big rocks don't fit. Reverse the order and it all fits. The big rocks are your primary values, the pebbles are the things you must do and the sand is all the other stuff. The Jewish New Year is this weekend, a great time to look at my values, make amends and do better next year. This weekend is also stewardship Sunday where we kick off the pledge drive at church, another great time to look at my values. Yesterday I talked to my Grandma for the first time in months, we were both feeling guilty for not keeping in better touch. I will do better going forward. What do you value? Lattes, charity or saving for your retirement? Is it all balanced? Getting clear about what the big rocks are for your time and money puts things in perspective and leads to a more balanced life.
Show me your check book and calendar and I will tell you what your values are. We all have the same number of hours in a day, how do you spend yours? My values have shifted a bit this year: less TV, more volunteering and exercise. I am a financial advisor. I help people with money management, retirement income planning and other aspects of comprehensive financial planning. Weight management is not so different. It is fundamentally about what do you value. I am not sure why it took me so long to make that connection. I work around my daughter's schedule because I value time with her over my practice. I fit in my exercise daily and have made my health a big rock. I give of my time and money to the PTA, my under grad college and to my church, and through church I give time and money to the Inter Faith Council (IFC) which runs a shelter and food shelf . Once a month I serve lunch at the IFC. I have begun adding spiritual practices this year and am expanding this in my life. I find that writing these blog is a type of spiritual practice for me, as is focusing on what is right for my body (food and exercise choices). This will continue to evolve for me, how my values are expressed.
Are there time wasters, money wasters, or calorie wasters in your life? When I do waste time money or calories I try to be mindful of what I am doing, not going through life unaware of the choices I am making. I can see from the size of the butts in America that some of us consciously or unconsciously do not value health. Our body size is a direct reflection of how we value diet and exercise. A dutch friend called it "hamburger bodies" . The good news is that now that I have made the connection I have the power to make better choices, to live my values and to do the big rocks first.
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I'm a HUGE Stephen Covey fan....have been since 1988 when he published his seminal work, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People..and I use his son Sean Covey's books and workbooks for teens when I work with adolescents. Once I saw someone demonstrate the "big rocks" concept in front of a leadership group with an actual glass container, rocks, pebbles, sand, and water. It was a great visual lesson of how important it is to lead with the bigger rocks. My relationship with God, taking care of my body, nurturing my soul, and giving to others I love and my community are my big rocks too. My actions, when aligned in that direction, produce a more balanced and healthier life.
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