FIT 4 THE CAUSE FORMS EDUCATIONAL ALLIANCE WITH OCEAN VIEW SCHOOL DISTRICT

Funded completely by a specifically directed donation from William H. Powell (our Mentor Of The Year honoree at this year’s Gala), we now provide dance fitness physical education to 225 fourth and fifth grade students at two elementary schools in the Ocean View School District in Oxnard, California. The student populations at these two elementary schools are extremely low income, comprised largely of the children of farm workers and military personnel.

Working under the legal, administrative and operational umbrella of F4TC, several instructors affiliated with “Dancing With Our Future Stars” will be teaching dance fitness physical education to these students three days per week, five hours per day from March 13 through June 12. “DWOFS” is the brainchild of Jewell Powell, one of our long-time volunteer Zumba® instructors at Many Mansions and the wife of the afore-mentioned Bill Powell. Many of you remember her Bachata dance performance at our recent gala.

With this program, not only are we increasing the number of our unduplicated beneficiaries by 225 individuals (now pushing 500 total), we are entering into a substantial business relationship with a public school system. It is this type of relationship and future relationships with other public entities that expand our reach with the many special populations we strive to serve.

DONATE NOW

Your donations directly support these programs that provide therapeutic exercise and nutrition education to vulnerable children, at-risk teens and fragile seniors mostly at low-income levels.

PUSH, PELT, PEDAL, PUMP, PADDLE AT THIS YEAR’S FUN RACE

EMAIL CINDY@BRPUBLICRELATIONS.COM TO REGISTER FOR AUGUST 12TH QUADRATHALON

Bay Club Thousand Oaks will host a four-event Quadrathalon on Saturday August 12 as a fun and unique way to raise funds for Fit 4 The Cause, which provides exercise therapy and nutrition programs for those who cannot afford gym memberships or attend a gym. Fit 4 The Cause also provides wellness education to those in need, including at-risk children/teens and fragile seniors in various locations.

Limited to the first 60 people who register, the Quadrathalon will begin at 8:00 AM with a one to three mile run (depending on lap/speed preference and obeying rules of the road). At 9:30 AM participants will burn through an indoor one-hour cycling class immediately followed by an hour-long strength-training sweat fest. The grand finale requires the plunge into the club’s Junior Olympic-size pool pushing through 10 lengths of movement. Showers are required before this water-soaked final event. Race participants can find creative strategies to splash their way to the finish.

Participants will refuel at an après-race carb-load festival in the Bay Club parking lot.

People of all fitness levels are welcome and we suggest training and conditioning in preparation for the race. All participants will receive completion medals with special prizes for those wearing superhero-themed athletic wear.

“We call this a race but it isn’t competitive. It’s a fun event with the goal to complete rather than compete,” said Fit 4 The Cause Founder Cindy Rakowitz.

“When the Bay Club Company acquired Spectrum Athletic Clubs in March of 2015 one of our main goals was to give back to the residents of the cities we serve. We are very excited to be able to offer our unique facilities and top fitness professionals such as Donna Connor to support Fit 4 The Cause and the Thousand Oaks community,” said Anastasia Alexander, Area Manager, Bay Club Thousand Oaks.

The $100 registration fee includes race bibs, tanks or tees, the four sporting events and after-party eats. All proceeds will support Fit 4 The Cause programs. Participants can also raise additional funds for Fit 4 The Cause programs via their own easy-to-build webpage provided by the organization.

Lauren C. Smith and Stephanie Marlin, local fitness professionals experienced in running, cycling and swimming events and co-leaders of Tuesday Tribe Training, are excited to co-chair the race. Tuesday Tribe Training is a Conejo Valley-based, 550-member community group providing free outdoor hike-related gatherings for its members. Race participants are welcome to hike, run, walk or jog with Tuesday Tribe Training and can ask to join their private page on Facebook. Race participants can also join the free 8:30 a.m. Saturday community strength class at The Stadium. Swimming and cycling practice opportunities will also be available for pre-event training.

Simultaneously, Fit 4 The Cause and Bay Club Thousand Oaks will launch a Fitness Mentor program where the National Council of Certified Personal Trainers will offer a scholarship to an applicant interested in finding a new career in fitness and seeking their personal trainer certification. Scholarship applications will be reviewed and selected by Fit 4 The Cause and Bay Club Thousand Oaks.

GEAR now available on our website

Proceeds support Fit 4 the Cause Programs

Join us for Diabetes Awareness Indoor Cycling Event at Studio BPM in Agoura Hills

Saturday, May 13th, 12:00-2:00 PM
Pre-registration required, limited to 20 indoor cycles.

FUEL OUR ENGINE

We are now crowd funding to allocate dollars toward our mobile gym. Please assist us with our mission to purchase a van with gym equipment for our growing beneficiaries throughout Southern California by donating here.

Our fundraising history is consistent.  Our board members, donors, beneficiaries, employees and volunteers get down, dirty and drenched at our annual sports endurance marathons and then clean up in their best formal wear for the Gala.  Last year we got filthy at The World Famous Mud Run at Camp Pendleton. We all finished the race and continued our stamina by selling out our very first Miracle of Movement Gala.  This year, 30 waterlogged swimmers completed a 5000-yard relay race hosted by The Miller Family YMCA.  Once again, we are continuing our endurance, sprinting toward our January 21st Gala at North Ranch Country Club, asking our sponsors to join the party.  Our sponsor roster grows rapidly:

Another Year of Improving Our Community’s Health Through Exercise Therapy & Nutrition Education

Our licensed, insured fitness trainers and nutrition team serves 200 beneficiaries today after only two years of receiving IRS determination.  We are proud to report that we keep our operations slim with our office space donated and the generosity of services from our prestigious board of directors and enthusiastic volunteers.  Our highest operating expense is insurance since we provide fitness and nutrition services to populations with special needs.  Our daily operation consists of a founder who acts as Executive Director dedicating all of her time to growing and sustaining this new business and two part time employees.  We ensure compliance through our hands on CPAs who manage our bookkeeper and we are establishing a pipeline to grant providers through a dedicated grant coordinator. 

Our community partners including The Southeast Ventura County YMCA, Many Mansions, Studio BPM, New Chapter Fitness at The Stadium, Community Conscience, Kids World Entertainment Center, Zumba Instructor Network (ZIN®) and KO Boxing provide the necessary resources, training venues and fitness hardware to serve our beneficiaries.  Here is a photo review highlighting this year’s accomplishments:

New Year-New Beneficiaries

Lesli Moore Dahlke (Lifetime Achievement Award recipient) beats Cancer through commitment to strength and balance training and Sebastian gets a “four-legged” trainer/ service dog with Fit 4 the Cause community support. A Superdog for Sebastian campaign matches this little love bug with a service dog providing assistance with Sensory Deprivation Disorder.  Studio BPM hosted a cycling sweat fest for the cause. 

Fit 4 the Cause and Many Mansions work together improving health through wellness education for their residents.  Two local non-profit organizations determined to make a difference provide ongoing Zumba®, basic exercise and nutrition education. Rewarded through seeing more fitness lifestyle oriented behavior our wellness education programs are particularly relevant to the seniors, moms and teens residing at Many Mansions. 

All better: Shelley Yukelson became boxing addicted while Mandy Duenas gets strong after a high-risk pregnancy.

Community Action

Whether its working with community partners like Kids World Entertainment Center on Down Syndrome Awareness or visiting Government Employees on behalf of Combined Federal Campaign we spread fitness fever wherever we go. We even have supporters spreading the word for us like Bobby Feldman (pictured with his daughter) after completing the LA Marathon. Led by Lauren Rytterager-Nickel, we participated in the global Push Up Campaign benefiting Military Veterans. 

One Heck of a Board

Left to right: David Adelman, Henry Eshelman, Chris Woo, Hallie Blau, Kimberly Bordonaro, David S. Kestenbaum, Cindy Rakowitz, Lauren Rytterager-Nickel (Program Director), Dee Levy, Jill Stocker, Anita Pressman and Lorne Label. (Not present) Eric Hunt, Kathleen Milford, Brian Sullivan, Michael Shore and Robert Kahn.

Mini-Documentary Premieres at the Gala

HERE’S A LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES

Video Production master Carter Northrup has been documenting our events from Saturday’s community classes to our swim relay wet-fest.  One hot summer day in July, we interviewed our gala honorees at a DTLA production facility.  Stephani Victor, Leslie Moore Dahlke, Heywood Friedman and William Powell shared their stories.  This mini-documentary debuts at the January 21st, 2017 Gala at North Ranch Country Club.  Interested in the excitement-Contact Cindy Rakowitz, Cindy@brpublicrelations.com  about sponsorship now (we sell out). 

WE ARE TONING UP-CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE

Celebrating our two-year anniversary of IRS determination, we now provide exercise therapy and nutrition education services to 200 unduplicated beneficiaries.  Our service provision focuses on helping individuals or groups who need to get healthy through sustainable fitness programs.  Working closely with medical professionals, we tailor programs for low-income groups, diabetics, fragile seniors, at-risk teens and others across the mobility spectrum.  We depend on licensed professionals who can volunteer their time to help us implement our mission.  Our village keeps growing as we monitor our beneficiaries whose vital signs are dramatically improving.  As strategically planned for 2017, Fit 4 the Cause will only share net event proceeds with other non-profit organizations as an extraordinary exception to our policies.  As our beneficiaries and affiliates grow, our efficient operational costs continue to increase.  Our greatest challenge is finding the licensed fitness professionals who can serve the many groups and individuals who desperately need our services.  We will continue to provide physical fitness programs for our beneficiaries and donors in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties.  We think globally and act locally and as a result, we are filling a gap by keeping people healthy. We thank our board’s marketing chair, Christopher Woo of C2 Technology and Small Dog Creative for visually capturing our service evolution on our revamped website.   

WINNING THROUGH SPINNING

F4TC is extremely thankful to Studio BPM owners, Marcus and Stacey McKinnon for this new collaborative affiliation serving our local community’s health needs together. 

When a board member has a child with a health concern, our Fit 4 the Cause community jumps in to pump their bodies raising funds and awareness.  Although several F4TC board members have personally contributed to help Kimberly Bordonaro’s son get a service dog—our partnership with BPM STUDIO in Agoura Hills will do even more.  On Saturday, September 10th at Noon, 20 cyclers fill 20 bikes to benefit A Superdog For Sebastian. 

Sebastian is like any other 5 year-old boy.  However, Sebastian has autism and Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD).  Sebastian’s SPD gives him a super hero body.  His autism gives him a super hero brain. One great addition to this is to have a special-trained super hero dog to be by his side.  Sebastian’s SPD causes him to be extremely hypo-sensitive in many areas.  He doesn’t feel pain and other sensations like most people do.  This makes him want to impulsively run, spin, crash and jump so he can get the sensations his body craves.  Sebastian has trouble focusing in loud, busy places like the school auditorium or restaurant.  Many times, he does not  want to leave the activities or places he likes and prefers to control his situation because of this and may have a “sensory meltdown.”  This superhero dog will aid in safety awareness, undesirable behaviors, social interactions, balance and comfort during high anxiety situations. 

WE ALL GOT WET—NOW THE GALA IS SET!

After four months of arduous crowd funding, six teams of swimmers dove in, swam 5000 yards and thoroughly exhausted themselves for the cause at The Miller Family YMCA. Living with three cancers, our gala’s Lifetime Achievement Award winner Lesli Moore Dahlke completed the race with grace.  Other swimmers with joint pain, diabetes, high blood pressure and other ailments powered through their 50 laps (100 lengths) and accepted their victory medals with waterlogged glee.  Last year our board and fitness followers dashed through the mud before cleaning up for our Miracle of Movement Gala—this year we got soggy and soaked, cleaning up nicely again for our Winter Solstice Formal set for January 21st at North Ranch Country Club. Join our Champions, All-Stars & Player Sponsors because our last gala sold out!   For sponsorship inquiries please contact cindy@brpublicrelations.com or dee.levy@bbsihg.com. We expect 325 guests as we honor our champions, Lesli Moore Dahlke, Stephani Victor, Heywood Friedman and William Powell. 

DANCE DANCE DANCE!

For the third consecutive year, we enter “Thriller Dance” mode celebrating Halloween through 2.5 hours of community movement.  Everyone is invited encouraged to dress in their creepiest attire while moving to the beats led by Amanda Welti and her Zumba team.  One of our 2017 Gala honorees, William H. Powell is the Vice President of Casa Pacifica’s board, kicking off another wonderful collaboration between two serious minded non-profit organizations.  We look forward to working closely together, tackling our community’s mental health concerns and providing mentorship through strategic wellness education programs. 

SOAKED & STOKED

SPONSOR A SWIMMER OR TEAM

The New Wavers	The Moby Dicks	Slippery When Wet
Swim Reapers	Razzle Dazzle Razorbacks	Aquaholics
	Team Sub-Marines

2017 INSPIRATION AWARD RECIPIENT
MEET STEPHANI VICTOR—THE PERFECT OBSTACLE SMASHER

This USC film grad and actress Stephani Victor is living her own gold medal with an improbable script. Loading her car in 1995, she was pinned against her vehicle when an out-of-control car veered into her driveway. In order to save her life, both of her legs required amputation. Stephani’s will to live was astonishing and she was determined to overcome this unthinkable, catastrophic experience. While intensive care, this actress/film director had a dream of making a documentary film about her recovery. Suddenly her life’s worst tragedy became the backdrop for her most important film, “The Lengths I Will Go.” Three years and 13 reconstructive surgeries later, she took her first adaptive ski lesson. Since then she has won 5 Paralympic medals, 4 World Champion titles and 5 Overall World Cup titles. Stephani’s passion for pursuing excellence and living life to the fullest includes giving back to her community. She has volunteered on the Council for Disability Awareness. She has tirelessly contributed her voice by giving moving presentations to prison inmates, inner city schools and fund raising events for multiple non-profit organizations. Chosen by the USOC, Stephani serves as an Athlete Ambassador for Team of Tomorrow to spread the Olympic ideals of peace, goodwill, tolerance and harmony. Stephani will appear in our exclusive video premiering at our January 21st, 2017 Miracle of Movement Winter Solstice Formal. The Olympic committee will be announcing the World Championships race schedule in the near future. Stephani may have to be in Tarvisio, Italy in January as part of her effort to qualify for the Pyeongchang Olympics. If Stephani and Marcel (spouse/coach) are in Los Angeles, they will certainly attend our gala.

Save the date: January 21st, 2017 at North Ranch Country Club
Miracle of Movement: Winter Formal 6-1030PM

Meet our 2017 Honorees

CLICK, REGISTER AND DROP FOR 90 SECONDS

June 25th at 1PM: Stevenson Fitness in Oak Park. You can register as a participant or support a friend!

https://www.crowdrise.com/ca-oak-park-fit-4-the-cause/fundraiser/laurennickel

JOIN THE MICRO DONATION REVOLUTION TODAY

Search Fit 4 The Cause through www.bstow.com and round up your spare change for charity through credit card transactions. Please note that platforms like BSTOW require a lot of information for registration. Popular with millennials, it might seem robust for some boomers. There are other wildly successful platforms working exactly the same way including Acorns, Digit and Robinhood. We recognize this-and we trust our collaborators in this mobile space. Crowd funding platforms like BSTOW raise millions for legitimate non-profit organizations. Please check out BSTOW’s website and social media pages to learn about their founder, Jason Grad and his philanthropic vision. Check out our featured page https://bstow.com/project/fit4thecause/

ALL THAT JAZZ

Our community partnerships Spring into action with shopping events, music festivals and concentrated wellness education events at Many Mansions. Above photos feature board counsel David Adelman with marketing committee member Holly Hendrix and President, Dee Levy with board member, Dr. Jill Stocker. Once again, our philanthropist of the year, Heywood G. Friedman, Law offices of Friedman &  Bartoumian championed our presence at this community event with a $1500.00 contribution in honor of his mother, Dolores Greenberg Friedman. 

CALIFORNIA JAZZ & WINE FEST IS APRIL 17

SAVE 20% with code 16RAK
BUY TICKETS NOW WITH CODE 16RAK

WE ARE GETTING WET! 

Last summer, Fit 4 the Cause’s board of directors along with an estimated 60 additional team participants dove into the mud at The World Famous Mud Run and raised nearly $16K for health needs.  This summer we are taking it to the water reinforcing our mission to produce numerous, diverse group exercise events.

Your support of our swimmers directly funds free fitness training programs for those who cannot afford gyms or personal trainers under normal circumstances. We keep our operational costs lower than most non-profit organizations and need your donations to keep our lights on. Our ongoing program development engages vulnerable children, adults and seniors throughout Los Angeles and Ventura County bringing physical education to after-school programs, one-on-one assistance for fragile seniors and free community classes for low income residents and social service agencies. We are proud to live at the non-profit intersection where fitness, wellness and medicine meet.  You will be hearing from our event’s swimmers soon who will be sharing their links to our crowd funding site. 

NEW FACES

Fit 4 The Cause is excited to have Dr. Jill Stocker (4th from right) and Dr. Lester Summerfield (far right) join its Board of Directors, just in time to attend the March 30 meeting at North Ranch Country Club.

Per founder Cindy Rakowitz, “Dr. Stocker and Dr. Summerfield bring medical, therapeutic and practical field expertise, expanding our capabilities and reach while developing impactful programs for the diverse communities we serve. They both contribute wisdom, wit and verve to our group and we’re grateful for their commitment and service.” The organization’s board is bulking up with medical professionals, truly becoming the non-profit intersection where fitness, wellness and medicine meet.

VOLUNTEER TOWNHALL

Want to get involved, but don’t know where to start? How about coming to one of our monthly Volunteer Townhalls? This month’s meeting was an energetic blend of new and returning faces and wall-to-wall enthusiasm. Warning: attendance and volunteering could be habit forming! Townhalls are held on the first Wednesday of every month at the home of Dee Levy in Oak Park. Food, drink and lively conversation are all provided, the only thing missing is you!

SAVE THE DATE

Our next Miracle of Movement/Winter Solstice Formal is set for January 21^st, 2017 at North Ranch Country Club.  Honorees will include author, photographer & cancer survivor, Lesli Moore Dahlke (who is also swimming with us), philanthropist Heywood Friedman (Friedman Bartoumian LLP) and mentor, William H. Powell (Officer & VP, Casa Pacifica Board and Chairman of the Board, Granite Construction Company. 

SPRINGING INTO AN ACTIONABLE APRIL

• We thank volunteer Aurora McCauley for hosting a one-week store promotion at Edge of Fashion, donating 20% of proceeds to Fit 4 The Cause.
• Led by the amazing Amanda Welti, our Zumba crew surprised Rotary of Westlake Village street festival attendees with an energizing flash mob.
• We now provide cardio kickboxing style classes for the “Break-Through Student Assistance program offered by CVUSD and continue our free community classes for vulnerable children and fragile seniors in various locations. 
• Look for a Push Up Campaign in June benefiting veteran assistance programs at local gyms in our hood.

CELEBRATING ANOTHER YEAR—BRING IT 2016!

Our humble grass-roots charity work began in 2010, raising money for causes through sporadic kickboxing classes.  Appealing to the community, our fitness fever concept captured the hearts of many.  In 2014, we formed our non-profit corporation and submitted our exhaustive application for tax-exempt status.  Miraculously, the IRS and the other relevant government agencies bestowed this “honor” upon us in 90 days.  Non-profit experts agree this is unprecedented given the heightened level of scrutiny that new non-profits face today.   

FLYING IN THE PERFORMANCE ZONE

Wellness Education with Many Mansions Residents

One year after receiving our tax-exempt status, we are now operating in the “Performance Zone”.  We devote every day to ascertaining our community’s health needs and it is our pleasure to serve strong with a smile.  Our first “Miracle of Movement Gala”, at which we honored several inspirational community residents who have “smashed” their health obstacles, was literally a sell out and we were fortunate to be able to share proceeds with Ballet For All Kids. We enjoy a sustainable relationship with Many Mansions by providing health education to its low-income residents and our individual training programs for special populations who cannot attend traditional gyms under normal circumstances is blossoming.  All we need are more licensed fitness professionals who will selflessly donate their time at least once a month with a special needs individual along with space provided by fitness facilities.  If you are interested in joining our Movement and Sound volunteer team, please email admin@fit4thecause.org.

NEW TALENT AND AFFILIATIONS

Jonathan Williams, owner, New Chapter Fitness

We are now a proud member of the “Community Conscience” family with Ventura County office space “Under One Roof”, living with other non-profit health agencies serving the greater Conejo Valley. We now have a Junior Executive Director; a QuickBooks certified bookkeeper; a dedicated grant writer and continue to attract premium talent to our Board. Additionally, we are attracting new fitness talent and health club affiliates to our movement and sound team.  We are very excited to announce a new affiliation with New Chapter Fitness and its owner Jonathan Williams. Operating out of The Stadium in Agoura Hills, Jonathan, a veteran trainer for 13 years provides a unique experience. “It’s basically Fusion Fitness. The idea came from wanting to provide something fun and interactive for people of all ages,” Williams said. Williams has a degree in business and sports medicine from Pepperdine University. 

IS THAT A CALENDAR IN YOUR POCKET?–HANDWRITING IS NOT ERADICATED

Last year’s Holiday calendar featured the selfless fitness professionals who volunteer with our organization.  This year, we focus on the determined individuals who are pummeling their health related challenges – cancer, paralysis, amputation, cerebral palsy, autism and Parkinson’s disease.  Our viral spirit spread to the eastern seaboard where we are developing relationships with new communities in New York City.  Please contact admin@fit4thecause.org to request a copy of the new pocket-sized calendar.

Your perpetual support powers our undying devotion to give to those less fortunate – bringing movement and hope to those spirits who are crying for a better life.  Your dollars improve quality of life for many through our robust programming.  Your donations go direct to funding equipment and exercise therapy for small groups and individuals who need to improve functionality for everyday tasks. 

Let’s celebrate another year of health and happiness.  Thank you for all that you have done to help catapult this new little village into something tangible, relevant and meaningful.

MARATHON MAN KICKS OFF RUNNING SEASON BENEFITING FIT 4 THE CAUSE

Oak Park Resident and high-risk property insurance expert, Robert (Bobby) Feldman is gearing up for the 2016 Sketchers Performance Los Angeles Marathon’s 26.2-mile race on Valentine’s Day this year.  From Dodger Stadium to the Sea, this race has a maximum net race finish time of six hours and 30 minutes from the time the last runner crosses the start line.

This Allstate Financial agency owner tirelessly serves his community with outstanding professional service in Los Angeles and Verdugo City.  His priority is assisting families in protecting homes, cars, commercial vehicles and businesses. Bobby has provided sophisticated service with Allstate for over 16 years. 

Sought out for his extraordinary barbecuing talents Bobby shares his savory, mouth-watering cuisine for fundraisers and ProVisors events. After losing a lot of weight, he advocates the fitness lifestyle, knowing that if you work hard through training, you can reward yourself with controlled calorie intake. 

Bobby owns bragging rights to completing the Las Vegas Rock and Roll Marathon in November 2015. He’s a committed family man, enjoying his lovely wife Lisa and two daughters.  Help Bobby raise dollars for Fit 4 The Cause Programs here.

WE HAVE EARNED OUR R RATING

R=Registered! Our humans in motion logo is now officially registered with The United States Patent and Trademark Office.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Admission is free to this LOVE YOURSELF Valentine’s Day event at Kid’s World Entertainment Center, 1-4PM in Oak Park.  We appreciate your generous donations benefitting Fit 4 the Cause educational programs including Dune Citi’s no-nonsense basketball training curricula for low-income males and females, 5-18 years old.

Our weekly community class at DePaz Energie is free and open to all fitness levels.

New Year, New Way, New You!

Chances are your inbox will be filled with a hundred or more emails about how you can start off the New Year in the best possible way. You will hear about a zillion new diets, a host of ways to feel better after all the holiday bingeing, and you’ll get dozens of tips on setting goals and making resolutions to feel good and get all that you want from your life.

What if I told you that you don’t need to wait until January 1^st? What if I told you that you can start right now…right this very minute? What if I told you that I have a proven method that is so easy that you will think, “Hmmmm….why didn’t I think of that?” What if the power of positive change is right at your fingertips and always has been?

How would you feel if on New Year’s Day you were already on your way to great health and wonderful well-being? It’s absolutely possible and if you continue to read this, you are on your way!

First, let’s look at some of the reasons why we so often struggle with sticking to our goals and making the lasting change we know that is best for us. We all have a Saboteur that lives within us…that resides in our heads. This Saboteur really likes things just the way they are and actually fears change.

“Whenever we initiate change, even a positive one, we activate fear in our emotional brain….If the fear is big enough, the fight-or-flight response will go off and we’ll run from what we’re trying to do.”   ~ M. J. Ryan from the book, ‘This Year I Will’

Research has shown that when we set about a task or goal that is too big, our brain rejects it. That is why I always recommend small, easy steps that are realistic because they are actually doable for you.  When I work with my clients I incorporate a method called Kaizen which was created by the Japanese and is used throughout the world, both personally and in businesses. Kaizen actually means “good change”. The theory about this method is that we can achieve continuous, incremental improvement through small steps over time that are in alignment with our specific goals and desires.

What it really means in more simple terms is that we break down our tasks into very small steps and then choose the one that is easiest to accomplish first. Your brain recognizes the success in accomplishing that task and virtually opens up, becoming more receptive to the next task.

If you are committing to eating healthier and adding more veggies to your diet, start small. Add a salad to your lunches for a while and then to both lunch and dinner. It will fill you up and you’ll eat less of the other foods. The next step might be to add more chopped veggies to your salads. The step after that could be adding a side veggie to your dinner.

For instance, if your goal would be to cook more meals at home, start with one dinner at home each week. Choose Sunday or a day that would be easiest for you. Eventually add another evening and then start making a lunch or two. Find foods that are already cut up for you and ready to throw quickly together. The easier you make your task, the more likely you are to succeed. The truth is that if you make your changes too big and too fast, you are less likely to stick with it.

Next and as equally important is to announce out loud what you intend to do. You are making a verbal commitment, like a pledge to yourself. Share that commitment with others. This makes it real and alive.

Be accountable to someone else and you will find that you become much more accountable to yourself.

Stay aware of the voice of your Saboteur that may be trying to derail you. Recognize it and shut it down. Remember why you chose to accomplish these goals in the first place. If you start to have doubts, write down three reasons why you want this change. This will reaffirm your commitment and quiet your Saboteur.

Create positive momentum and keep it going. Once you have achieved even the tiniest part of your goal, acknowledge that you now have momentum and that you need to keep the ball rolling. Pat yourself on the back but then tackle the next goal that might just be a bit harder. You can do it. Each time you do, it gets easier.

Let go of perfection! This is the most important of all. We will quickly stop doing things if we think we aren’t doing them well enough. Perfectionism is just a big old excuse. It is the first thing that sets us up to fail. Allow yourself to follow the 80/20 rule. Do your best 80% of the time and that is good enough.

So, here’s the recap:

• Small steps that are realistic and doable
• Do the easiest thing first
• Announce your intentions out loud, share them with others to support you
• Be aware of the voice of your Saboteur and shut it down
• Create positive momentum by recognizing what you have accomplished so far and keep it going
• Let go of perfection paralysis and use the 80/20 rule

I can personally vouch for this method as I have seen so many positive changes in my own life come from using these tools. There’s no limit to what you can achieve, so start now!

Edie Ruge is a Health and Wellness Coach offering unique strategies in guiding people to achieve their wellness goals. She specializes in weight management, stress reduction, increased energy and overall improved health. Edie’s integrative and holistic approach helps people lead healthier, happier and more balanced lives. 

www.ThePromiseofHealth.com 

https://www.facebook.com/edierugehealthcoach

A Second Helping of Gratitude

I was driving near my home the other day and I always make a point to glance over towards the wash that surrounds my neighborhood. As luck would have it, I spotted my favorite bird, a Snowy Egret. I walked over just in time to see him in graceful flight overhead. I then looked back to see that there was yet another Egret lingering in the shallow water, so I lingered as well. It felt great. No, actually it felt luxurious. Taking a moment like that to appreciate nature is one of life’s little luxuries. Louie Schwartzberg, the famous time lapse photographer, has devoted his life to showing us the beauty and fascination of nature and all that surrounds us. He says “Gratitude touches your heart” and he believes that Nature teaches us mindfulness. He encourages us to really look at things and take time to be in awe. I stood there in awe of my Egret and the gratitude took me to a place of great comfort and serenity. Gratitude not only affects us on an emotional level, but gives us a sense of purpose in a world that is often focused on having and doing rather than on being. Gratitude frees you to be more loving and accepting of people and of situations. Gratitude helps you to view life’s struggles as lessons to be learned and appreciated rather than as failures.
The added benefits of living with gratitude are improved health, reduced stress, better sleep and more fulfilling relationships.

Dr. Martin Seligman of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania and founder of Positive Psychology, a branch of psychology which focuses on the empirical study of such things as positive emotions, strengths-based character, and healthy institutions, says that satisfaction has a large correlation with gratitude and much smaller correlations with age, education, income, intelligence and attractiveness.
So, at the end of the day, when we truly count our blessings, it is the gratitude of who we are inside and who we love that fulfills us the most. Just how do we cultivate gratitude into our lives on a regular basis? Here are some wonderful steps you can take each day:

1) Keep a gratitude list. Start off each day with a list of what you are thankful for and reflect on it again before you go to bed at night. Try sharing it with a friend or loved one.
2) Express your love, thanks and appreciation to others often. Make sure to be mindful all throughout the day, finding ways you can thank someone for even the smallest courtesy or act of kindness.
3) Write a gratitude letter to someone who was or has been meaningful to you in your life. Let that person know how something they did or do for you has had a positive effect on your life. Send or give that letter to that person. This can be one of the most important ways to bring gratitude into your life.
4) Negativity and gratitude cannot exist simultaneously in your mind at the same time. When you are feeling anxious, worried, or stressed about something, immediately switch your thoughts to what you are grateful for. A feeling of calm replaces the anxiety.

Tips for Enjoying Your Thanksgiving Meal in a More Meaningful Way:

Fill your plate with all that you love, but add extra veggies this year! The original Thanksgiving feast was about celebrating the bounty of the Earth. Let’s get back to basics by eating whole, unprocessed foods. Savor each bite and chew well. When you feel like getting up for a second helping, stop and focus on the people you are sharing this wonderful meal with instead. After the meal is finished, have each person speak and say something they are grateful for. You can look up meaningful and inspirational quotes ahead of time and print them out like little “fortunes” for people to pick from a bowl. They can stand up and read their quote and express what that might mean to them. This is a beautiful way for people to express their love and gratitude. This just might be the best Thanksgiving ever!

Edie Ruge is a Health and Wellness Coach offering unique strategies in guiding people to achieve their wellness goals. She specializes in weight management, stress reduction, increased energy and overall improved health. Edie’s integrative and holistic approach helps people lead healthier, happier and more balanced lives. 

www.ThePromiseofHealth.com   

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