Your Healthiest Year Yet!

Over the last few months my business partner and I have been reviewing our companies financials, marketing plan, organizational structure and overall feelings about the direction and health of our business. From our discussions we’ve come up with goals and strategies for a successful 2010 by creating specific financial measures and departmental objectives and discussed what we could modify, change, continue or improve for next year. Of course our team has been with us every step of the way and has provided valuable input and support. Each week we have a habit of reviewing our following week’s performance as well as each month and each quarter. As a business owner it’s vital to keep a pulse on our company’s performance as everyone’s livelihood is at stake. Have you figured out why I’m sharing this information with you yet and how it relates to health?

The fact of the matter is that so many of us go through the appropriate steps to ensure our success as an employee, a manager or a business owner. Each day we wake up, shower, and eat breakfast (I hope you eat breakfast...but more importantly I hope you shower!) drive to work (or bike), review our daily dash board, answer emails, communicate with the appropriate authorities and diligently go about our tasks. With time and effort we hope that our months and years of hard work will pay off so we can continue moving forward with life in beautiful San Luis Obispo County. The question I’d like to pose is this; do you have the same strategy when it comes to your health? Do you take time to review your “health performance” throughout the year? Do you also review your blood panels as you do your profit and loss statement? Do you place as much importance on your daily workouts as you do your daily performance at work? Have you created a specific plan and strategy for reaching your goals? As a responsible member of your team, manager or owner I know you take time to have team meetings at work to discuss the health of your company; have you taken time to discuss the personal health of your family?

The trouble with much of our educational system is that it attempts to teach us the skills and concept to get ahead in the workforce but not necessarily the skills and concepts to sustain and improve our health. For example, how much emphasis do you see placed on health and physical education compared to science and math? I understand that great mathematic skills may help our students land a high paying job but it really doesn’t matter much if they have a heart attack at the age of 40 due to unhealthy behaviors. Much of this personal education is left up to chance. The reason I say “chance” is because health has a tendency to be passed down from generation to generation. If your mom and dad were overweight there’s a good chance that you’re overweight as well. If your mom and dad were active and took you on a daily bike ride and encouraged you to participate in sports or other physical activities there’s a good chance that you’re a healthy and active individual. I grew up in an environment where sports and physical activities weren’t necessarily discouraged but the benefits, planning and education behind good health wasn’t taught. My mom was the epitome of healthy cooking but unfortunately she didn’t take the time to teach me anything about it (I’ve since taught myself). And while most of our family friends considered my mother a “health nut,” she sadly succumbed to cancer at the young age of 41. Unfortunately my mom missed her annual medical exam one year and forgot to reschedule until the following year. It was during this time that a tumor had the opportunity to grow. What if she never missed that appointment? If the doctor had located the tumor earlier would he have been more successful with the treatment plan thereby improving her chance to live? I’ll never know the answer to that question but I do know that if a business owner or manager skipped their budget and marketing planning process for 2010 they would have an unsuccessful year or perhaps fired for his or her negligence.

The take home message from this article is a simple one and a good reminder. We take many things for granted but let’s not let our health be one of them. While last year was a challenging year for many of us we have the opportunity to create a successful 2010 and I encourage you to take the same care with your health and the health of your family as you do with everything else in your life. Take time to discuss health with your significant other, your family, children, and your children’s friends and with your co-workers. Take as much care and planning with your health as you do the education of your children or your retirement plan. If you do, you may find you’ll have to contribute more to your retirement as you may add years to your life.