O'Keeffe Henszey - May 2013
You don't always need internal motivation. Sometimes it's the other little things that make all the difference.
I had my teeth cleaned on Tuesday at a new dentist office that goes with my new insurance plan. The hygienist recorded in my chart that I floss twice a year, which is true. When the dentist--a fun, relaxed guy who goes by the name Dr. J--saw this, he said, "Wait, twice a year or twice a week?" "Yes," I confirmed with no sense of shame. "Twice a year."
Fortunately--I can't believe I'm telling you this--I'm blessed with excellent saliva that has the right composition to take care of most of the plaque. Thanks, Mom and Dad. Dr. J even joked about how envious he is of people like me.
Of course Dr. J agreed.
But my genetic blessing provides no benefit around the gum line where only the floss can get. Luck is no longer on my side after all these years and x-rays showed early signs of trouble.
So I resolved to change my behavior.
Realizing that I had no internal motivation to floss and that earlier attempts had failed within days, I said, "Dr. J, I have a proposition. I know myself too well. The only way for me to succeed is if I make a promise, to myself and to you, that I will floss every morning and night and then email you to tell you that I did." I use this strategy with my clients all the time, so I know it works. "Would you be willing to humor me with this effort?"
Henszey - May 2013
When you want an adventure, how much do you dig into details and plan?
How would you prepare a group for a 10-mile hike through the desert carrying 25% of their body weight in a backpack on their back?
Numbers and calculations are swirling in my head as I plan for the exact adventure described above. It looks like this: Burn time (MSR IsoPro) per 227-g / 8-oz. canister Appx. 60 minutes. 4 minutes to boil 2 cups water. Need to boil 66 cups over four days with six people. That’s 132 minutes, or 2 hours 12 minutes. If each canister boils for 60 minutes, then I need a little over 2 canisters. A canister weighs 13 ounces, so the total weight is 39 ounces.
Sounds tedious, right? The above figures are part of my effort to identify the minimal amount of fuel I need to lead a 4-day camping trip inside the Grand Canyon with five other people. We leave on April 20 and I can’t wait!!
When we decide to go on an adventure or vacation, we get to choose how much planning we will do. Sometimes it’s way more fun to just buy our plane tickets or hop in a car and go.
If a person is leading a group hiking through the hot Grand Canyon, you can’t wing it! Everyone needs to stay safe and healthy because medical help is not close by. This means limiting the weight of each pack. This means carefully identifying what is essential to the trip's objectives and what can be left behilnd.
Everything is a trade-off. Just like in life. Read the rest of this blog on Milwaukee's own Get Active Today. (There's only a few paragraphs left.) Then join me for next year's trip!
Henszey - March 2013
Summary: To flourish, fill your life with good relationships, positive emotions, engagement, meaning, and achievement.
We all want a full life--one that goes beyond surviving to thriving. Did you know people who are flourishing in life have stronger immune systems, have deeper friendships, live nine years longer on average, and make more money over their lifetime?!
O'Keeffe Henszey - February 2013
Summary: Happiness is more about moment-to-moment experiences, not a plateau that we seek to find.
Ever wonder how to get some real day-to-day happiness in your life? EVERY DAY?! It's easier than you might think!
Most of us would agree that life would hardly be worth living if we're not happy at some level. You would think that to win in the game of happiness, it's important to strive to achieve certain goals that we find meaningful.
O'Keeffe Henszey - January 2013
Summary: You can break away from certainty and explore.
As humans, we all want certainty. We like knowing that our gas tank actually has a gallon left when the warning light flashes, that the first day of school for our kids is always the first Tuesday after Labor Day, and that our paycheck is auto-deposited every other Friday. These certainties provide routine and conserve our energy, so we can deal with bigger problems.
On the flip side, routine is routine! Like the movie Ground Hog Day, it doesn't leave much to the imagination.
O'Keeffe Henszey - December 2012
Helping Seniors Downsize
Folks, I am excited to introduce a new senior downsizing business I have developed, called Peace of Mind Transitions LLC. It complements my coaching services and my hope is to build it into a flourishing, robust business over the next ten years. When seniors want to downsize after living in a home for 40+ years, I will help them jump-start "who gets what," clear out the house, and organize the move.
O'Keeffe Henszey - November 2012
Summary: Our fears don't have to stop us from taking action.
How many of life's decisions have we each made based on fear and our need for certainty? We might gain peace of mind by knowing exactly what will happen but on the flip side, it’s also very limiting. It’s possible to squeeze more out of life and still feel some sense of safety. It’s a two-step process: testing our limits and recalibrating.
O'Keeffe Henszey - October 2012
Stress is everywhere in the workplace. We all know that sleep, nutrition, and exercise play a role in stress reduction. But what else helps? Certainly not watching replacement refs make calls at the end of a Packer game.
Think of your favorite place to be. Somewhere that you escape to once a year or once a week if possible, where you feel completely relaxed and at ease.
O'Keeffe Henszey - August 2012
You don't always need internal motivation. Sometimes it's the other little things that make all the difference.
I had my teeth cleaned on Tuesday at a new dentist office that goes with my new insurance plan. The hygienist recorded in my chart that I floss twice a year, which is true. When the dentist--a fun, relaxed guy who goes by the name Dr. J--saw this, he said, "Wait, twice a year or twice a week?" "Yes," I confirmed with no sense of shame. "Twice a year."
Fortunately--I can't believe I'm telling you this--I'm blessed with excellent saliva that has the right composition to take care of most of the plaque. Thanks, Mom and Dad. Dr. J even joked about how envious he is of people like me.
Of course Dr. J agreed.
But my genetic blessing provides no benefit around the gum line where only the floss can get. Luck is no longer on my side after all these years and x-rays showed early signs of trouble.
So I resolved to change my behavior.
Realizing that I had no internal motivation to floss and that earlier attempts had failed within days, I said, "Dr. J, I have a proposition. I know myself too well. The only way for me to succeed is if I make a promise, to myself and to you, that I will floss every morning and night and then email you to tell you that I did." I use this strategy with my clients all the time, so I know it works. "Would you be willing to humor me with this effort?"
Facing reality and improvising on the river on a recent trip to Norway (Julie)
Guest Writer: Robert Biswas-Diener - August 3, 2012
When circumstances become uncertain, it's time to improvise.
Below is a guest blog entry from my colleague Robert Biswas-Diener. He's a thought leader in the area of positive psychology and courage. Thank you, Robert, for contributing this.
One of the topics I really enjoy teaching is the art of improvisation. When most people think of improv their minds jump to the popular TV show "Whose line is it anyway?" or they think of quick-witted actors making funny, off-the-cuff jokes. True improv is more than comedy, however; it is an approach to experiencing each moment on its own terms and dealing with what life presents you in the moment. In this respect, improv bears something in common with mindfulness practices that are so popular in positive psychology. More importantly, improvisation can be a tool for living a better life.
