Author: Kimberly A Edwards

New Years Goals

Smart GoalsWe’re well into January of our new year. How are you doing with your goals/resolutions?

Many people set new years resolutions. Many set new years goals. Many do a combo of the two. Many do none.

It’s great to have goals, aspirations and dreams. The challenge we face is just as my life coach trainer posted on her blog: “Can you be guided by your feelings?” We get all emotional about it.

In order to be successful in life we must be realistic. Have you ever gone somewhere with anticipation and high expectations then were let down because it all turned out less than what you expected? I have!

Our lives are the same way. We get an idea for something. We get excited and anticipate its outcome. We do one of these things:

  • Mentally picture it at the finish without any goals or effort to get it done.
  • Set goals to accomplish our idea without any forethought to get it done.

What’s wrong with these things?

“Good intentions don’t really matter if they don’t lead to good actions.” -Ash Sweeney

Being emotional and allowing our feelings to drive us is a disaster waiting to happen. So, what do we do you ask? This is what you do:

Setup S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Specific (and strategic):  Linked to position summary, departmental goals/mission, and/or overall School of Medicine goals and strategic plans. Be as specific as you can.  Answers the question—Who? and What?

Measurable:  The success toward meeting the goal can be measured.  Answers the question—How?

Attainable:  Goals are realistic and can be achieved in a specific amount of time and are reasonable.

Relevant (results oriented):  The goals are aligned with current tasks and projects and focus in one defined area; include the expected result.

Time framed:  Goals have a clearly defined time-frame including a target or deadline date.

Examples:

Not a SMART goal:
Author will improve their writing skills.
Does not identify a measurement or time frame, nor identify why the improvement is needed or how it will be used.

SMART goal:
The Department has identified a goal to improve communications with administrative staff by implementing an internal departmental newsletter.  Sally will complete a business writing course by January 2015 and will publish the first monthly newsletter by March 2015.  Sally will gather input and/or articles from others in the department and draft the newsletter for supervisor review, and when approved by supervisor, distribute the newsletter to staff by the 10th of each month.

It’s common to miss the intended target date. There’s nothing wrong with this as long as there’s action. Extend the date to fit the need. Just do not give up.

This is usually where emotions and feelings take over. We begin to feel down and upset that we’ve missed our deadline date. Don’t allow this to happen. Keep plugging away at it. Leaving your emotions on the sideline allows for you to make progress. It’s important to resolve within yourself that your negative inner voice will not take over. Set in place a series of positive affirmations that you can refer to when you begin to get down.

“Successful people in life or business push through their feelings and in some cases ignore them! They step out and do things despite how they feel.” –

It is important not to be so hard on yourself if you make a mistake.

Mistakes are just practice while you become proficient. —Kimberly A Edwards
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Live audaciously! Be bold. Check your feelings/emotions at the door. Step into a new life with this new year.

I Will Fight

I Will Fight

This Christian life is not easy.

I have an Enemy that is real.
I face battles that feel overwhelming.
There are times when I’m tired and I want to give up.

I will fight.

I Will Fight is an audio track recorded by Pastor Steven Furtick to help you get focused and to prepare you for the challenges ahead. Download the free track and build it into your daily rhythm. Whether you’re getting ready to work out, to suit up for your next game, or you’re in the car in need of a quick lift, you have an unstoppable God whose strength and power can help you push through and continue the fight – no matter what you’re facing.

You need guidance to move forward? Contact me NOW for life coaching sessions! We’ll work together to help you move forward.

“The Doctors” share health benefits of massage therapy

Watch this short video to hear benefits of massage therapy.

It’s important to notice the warming signs of pain. When pain is present, dis-ease is present.

There’s a list of the benefits of massage linked on this site. Check them out to see if massage will benefit you. If so, contact a massage therapist who can help you by using AMTA’s FAM [American Massage Therapy Association — Find A Massage Therapist] option.

If you have any questions and/or concerns, contact me. I’ll do my best to answer your question. If I do not know the answer, I’ll find it for you or refer you to someone who is able to help you.

Don’t forget; stretching helps prevent injury in activities. Stretch before and after a work out to avoid injury.

Mindset: Fat talk

What does your inner voice tell you?

Disclaimer: While I am not endorsing Special K, I do endorse the message being sent in the video.

Watch this video:

We’ve all been brought up listening to everyone and everything around us. That includes negative talk. It sends subliminal messages to us about ourselves. We then adopt those things we’ve seen and heard without realizing it.

We are not defined by our circumstances. We do not have to accept the negative feedback. We can fight it. We can trade the negative for positive.

Learn to reset your inner voice and mindset to a more positive mindset.

Contact me for some Life Coaching session today.

Motivation

Let’s get motivated

Restore your mind, body & soul

This video is powerful in that it challenges one to just get moving.

Do you struggle to just get out of bed each day? Watch this video.

When you feel stuck it’s time to get unstuck. What’s the obstacles in the way? Contact me to setup life coaching sessions to propel you to your dream. You don’t know what your dream is? Let’s work that out.

We all have a dream. I can help you come to know your dream.

Contact me NOW!

Tricks to Deal With People Who Offend You

hug

Life can throw us some curveballs.

Leo Babauta is the author of zenhabits and several publications.

Some days are better than others. Leo outlines three tricks on how to cope with interruptions in our life at the link I provided at the very beginning.Sometimes, ok, all the time, many people are just plain rude and obnoxious… like a toddler in their terrible two’s. Click zenhabits link above and read Leo’s post.

Body, Mind & Soul From a Technological Point of View

Electronics Battery ChargeEverywhere you turn today you see someone caressing an electronic device, whether it be a mobile phone, mp3 player or tablet. When left uncharged, those electronics eventually run out of power. We are like this also; if we don’t recharge and restore our power, we run out of power too.

Have you ever been so busy and focused on a project that you forget to eat or drink and maybe even rest? Think for a minute about what happens to you. If you’re being honest with yourself, you will agree that you become exhausted and less productive which gets in the way of projects being completed in a timely manner.

Below are definitions of who we are:

The mind is defined in one aspect as: the faculty of consciousness and thought.

The body is defined as: the physical structure of a person, bones, organs and flesh.

The soul is defined as: the principle of life, regarded as a distinct entity separate from the body, and commonly held to be separable in existence from the body; the spiritual part of humans as distinct from the physical part.

What are some of the causes of us being exhausted and drained? I’ll list some below.

  1. Over worked
  2. Not enough rest
  3. Not eating properly

This is where the rubber meets the road. We tend to believe we need to give 110% of ourselves and end up not taking care of ourselves. We tend to say yes to everything because in our minds we’re afraid if we don’t we’ll upset others, leading to us losing our job or losing friends. As a result, we end up eating on the run because we’re in a hurry to get somewhere or to do something else. Eating on the run typically means fast or junk food because it is quick and easy. Because of this, there’s more dis-ease today than ever before. Many researches are busy working out the causes, but, if we simply stop, step back and look at the big picture it will all come into focus. If we’re being true and honest with ourselves, we’ll see all the causes I have listed above.

The other aspect of this is that society has fed us so many lies that it causes us to create these unhealthy lifestyle habits. Looking back in history at the people in our lives and the influences they’ve had on us may reveal the lack of effective leadership or perhaps overbearing leaders. The leaders I’m referring to are parents, teachers and other authorities in our lives.

We need to learn to take back our lives and stop allowing others to influence us negatively. Here’s some tips to help you get started:

  1. Stop listening to the overbearing & toxic people.
  2. Seek positive levelheaded people to surround you.
  3. Stop saying yes to absolutely everything that is put in front of you. Choose only what you know you can handle well. It’s a matter of priorities. What’s most important? The rest can be left for others to handle. In order to deal with this we need to let go of perfectionism as well. It’s not the end of the World because something didn’t go over a certain way.
  4. Get proper rest. This is different for everyone, but generally means 6-8 hours.
  5. Eat good food and not overdo it. Portion control is key.
  6. Take time in the day to pray and read God’s Word. This is key to restoring our soul.

Recap: We sometimes need to change or recharge our batteries.

I offer Biblical Life Coaching sessions for anyone who finds themselves at a fork in the road not knowing which way they want to go. Contact me to set up a consultation session to determine your needs.

Post-Surgery Recovery

back-massageThe rehabilitation post surgery is a vital detail to recovery. While in rehabilitation, your body is relearning proper movement and muscle strengthening. It is common for massage therapy to be a supplement to how rehabilitation is done, or used along with standard rehabilitation procedures.

It is a known fact that massage therapy improves the circulation of blood and nutrients which is very important post-surgery to improve the quality and duration of the healing process. Massage therapy is also used to assist in breaking up already developed scar tissue and prevent to build up of more.

Also, the combination of better blood circulation with relaxed musculature also provides the body with the ability to supply the skin and organs with more oxygen and nutrients. This is important to keep a strong immune system to prevent infection and accelerate the rate at which your body recovers.

Even if the surgery is not due to injury, there is no end to the benefits you can receive. If you have not had surgery before, there are still benefits to massage therapy. Athlete’s can prevent the chances of injury with massage therapy. The stretching and working of problem areas can increase the range of motion while keeping the body more agile.

If you or anyone you know suffers from post surgery pain and would like to attain a better quality of life, those in the Inland Empire region, please contact me today to book a session.

Massage For Anxiety and Depression

anxiety-word-sphereResearchers at the University of Miami followed 37 breast cancer patients who received massage therapy or practiced progressive muscle relaxation for five weeks. Women in the massage group reported feeling less depressed and angry, and they had more energy. In a University of South Florida study of high blood pressure patients, those who got 10-minute massages three times a week for three weeks lowered their higher number by 11 points.

A review of more than a dozen massage studies conducted by the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine concludes that massage therapy relieves depression and anxiety by affecting the body’s biochemistry. In a series of studies including about 500 men, women, and children with depression or stress problems, researchers measured the stress hormone cortisol in participants before and immediately after massage and found that the therapy lowered levels by up to 53%. (Cortisol can drive up blood pressure and blood sugar levels and suppress the immune system.) Massage also increased serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitters that help reduce depression.

If you or anyone you know suffers from anxiety and or depression and would like to attain a better quality of life, those in the Inland Empire region, please contact me today to book a session.