Four Life Lessons My Kids Taught Me On Vacation

I just spent a week with my wife and four children flying from Chicago to Florida then visiting a number of cities.

Six personalities. Six preferences. And Six expectations.

Kids are amazing. In a matter of moments they can teach you something about yourself without even trying.

Sometimes it catches you off guard and other times it creates a defensiveness because of what it exposes in ourselves.

Here are Four Life Lessons My Kids Taught Me On Vacation:

1. Their Fun Is More Important Than My Agenda

I’m a planner by nature. I chose the flight time, hotels, locations, everything. Since I travel an absolute ton, it’s just easier to start.

The problem becomes when I’m not willing to deviate from my carefully planned agenda since I’m the assumed travel expert.

One night we stayed at a hotel that had a great pool. The kids absolutely loved it and it was just what we needed after a long day and it was the perfect night.

It meant going to bed later than the schedule and a later start in the morning but they were having so much fun.

The first impulse was “I know best and stay on schedule.” But I decided it was best to let everyone just play and enjoy themselves. (you know, like we were on vacation!)

This meant being willing to change the evening agenda and getting “off schedule” and a later start the next morning.

But it was SO worth it in the long run.

Life Lesson Learned – plans need to be flexible

2. Their Attention Is More Important Than My Personal Time

This is easier said than done especially when you’re fresh after a night of rest. It’s an admirable goal. But in reality…

For example, on the flight I just wanted to watch a movie on my iPad. Other times I just wanted to read in the morning.

I struggle in this area when I just want a few minutes to myself during the day. I can be difficult and this is an area of growth for me.

If it wasn’t one child, it was another. And of course, right after I put my headphones back on or found my place again in the book.

Yet what seemed like an interruption was actually an opportunity to interact with one of my kids in the moment.

At the moment it was a challenge to remind me that this trip was about them not me. And this meant any time to myself (which was few and far between) was actually a blessing but not necessary.

I also wanted to give my wife a break. This resulted in letting her workout in the morning while I hung out with the kids and not always doing what I would’ve preferred to do (read or write).

This meant less me and more we time. And something I cannot undo so I’m glad I changed my attitude.

Life Lesson Learned – their attention is what I really want

3. Their Opinion Matters More Than My Presumed Wisdom

Even though I feel I may know best being an experienced traveler, I found myself listening to what they were saying.

This meant setting my opinion aside and hearing their request. They think differently with being kids and something see things in a fresh way.

One day we had a chance to choose where we were going to spend the night. I use hotels.com and have a ton of choices and free nights. So, I decided to let my older boys look at the pictures and determine their preference.

They absolutely loved I asked their opinion and let them choose the location. It led to a great hotel and experience.

Sometimes I just needed to ask their opinion and really listen to their suggestions. It may not be my preference but I wanted them to know their opinion is important to me.

Life Lesson Learned – their ideas are just as important and possibly better

4. Their Experience Is Worth My Sacrifice

In the end, I wanted to create memories for my family. Part of this for me is really thinking through the trip in advance. My planning would enhance their experience.

But even then I would factor in my own experience and justify it that everyone else would appreciate and enjoy it.

Since we had a lot of free time throughout the week, it left margin to really allow them to breathe into the schedule of what they would enjoy.

One day it meant driving extra so my older sons to see the Miami Heat arena and shop in their store (this was a sacrifice since I’m a HUGE Bulls fan and loath the Heat). It was something they really wanted to do and looked forward to it all week.

Each night before bed I would ask each child this question: “what did you enjoy most about today?” And this answer almost always surprised me.

The very thing I would’ve thought they enjoyed the most was often #2 or lower on the list.

Life Lesson Learned – their perception of the experience is the most important

Closing Challenge…

This was the first vacation that had this much margin in the schedule. It also gave me an opportunity to really spend more time with each child and hear what they wanted to do.

It meant playing when I wanted to relax more but those times were the moments that my kids will remember the most. I found that my reading time or the extra workout could wait.

There were still regrets that I wish I could go back for a do-over. But it was definitely a growth trip for me personally. I will do our vacations differently from now on as a result of these four life lessons my kids taught me on vacation.

Closing Question…

How can you implement any of these life lessons into your next vacation?

Are You Missing the Power of a Nutrition Keystone Habit?

Have you ever noticed in your life there are certain things that if you do them, other things seem to fall in line almost naturally?

Nutrition has become a very important area of my life. I’ve learned so much about myself as a result of nutrition: my preferences, my cravings, my addictions (sadly), basically, my habits.

As a kid, I loved playing with dominos. They key was the first domino. If it was in the right position, it would be a catalyst for all of the other dominos to fall.

A keystone habit has a similar domino effect. Once the keystone habit falls, other habits will fall next as a result of this first catalyst domino.

A Keystone Habit creates a chain reaction which change and rearrange your other habits as you integrate the habit into your life.

The Keystone Habit becomes small changes or habits that people introduce into their routines that unintentionally carry over into other aspects of their lives. They have a ripple effect into other parts of life, creating positive change unexpectedly. Charles Duhigg, in his NY Times best seller book, The Power of Habit, was key in introducing us to the concept of a keystone habit.

Let me give you an example: Keeping a Food Journal

If someone focuses on weight loss, they may choose to keep track of what they eat. If this is a new habit, it would be difficult at first remembering to even write down what they had eaten.

But once someone developed the habit of recording what they had eaten, they learned so much more. In fact far more than they would even realize about their behavior.

They learned certain patterns they never even realized. They seems to always snack around 10am. If they ate unhealthy for one meal, they were FAR more likely to eat unhealthy for the next meal until the cycle was broken. They tend to snack right before bed due to the munchies watching tv.

Research shows that those that stuck with this keystone habit of keeping a food journal lost twice as much weight as everyone else because the journal heightened their awareness.

So how can you develop a Nutrition Keystone Habit (NKH) in your own life?

1. Define WHAT Is Your Nutrition Keystone Habit

Every person is unique in this area. What may be a keystone habit to you may completely fail for me.

The key is really looking at your pattern already and looking for clues to uncover your NKH.

Let me give you some examples:

• Buying healthy food
• Creating meal plans for the week
• Purging the kitchen of any and all unhealthy or tempting foods
• Healthy snacks
• Strong first meal of the day
• Eating family dinners

You may find more than one that resonate with you but remember, a keystone habit is like a domino and effects everything else.

2. Define HOW To Implement Your Nutrition Keystone Habit

Once you decide WHAT is your NKH, now you need to determine HOW to implement it into your daily routine.

For example, my NKH simply came down to planning ahead. When I don’t plan ahead, I react. And my reaction defaults to quick and easy / eating out / ordering in / little to no “true” nutritional value.

Planning ahead looks like this in our house:

• Pre-chosen (not reactionary) groceries
• Meal plans for the week (lunch and dinner) which include the benefits of desired leftovers
• Prep (extra grilled chicken breasts / cut-up vegetables)

Ironically, my same NKH of planning ahead at home with the family, holds true for me on the road. I choose hotels with a great breakfast. I choose restaurants that will allow me to stay within the style of eating (Paleo) that is best for me. I also find a Trader Joe’s of Whole Foods for healthy snacks.

Why? Because planning ahead is my Nutrition Keystone Habit and affects everything else for me nutritionally.

Once I have a plan, everything else seems easier for me in nutritionally and I find my greatest gains and successes.

Closing Challenge…

So, have you thought of your Nutrition Keystone Habit yet?

If so, do you know how to implement it into your everyday life?

It takes thought and time to determine your NKH but once you do the difficult work of figuring it out and leveraging it, everything else should naturally become easier.

Motivated, busy professionals need to find “tricks of the trade” that can produce exponential results. And the area of nutrition is a key place to start.

I challenge you to think through and find your Nutrition Keystone Habit to leverage and affect everything else.

Be willing to learn about yourself. Think about your nutrition habits and which one trumps all the rest. There will be your NKH. You will be surprise what will happen as a result.

Closing Question…

What is your Nutrition Keystone Habit and how will you implement it into your daily life?

How To Determine The Ideal Workout Time Each Day

Four Ways to Just Know When You Should Workout

Jen works out every morning. It’s her time and the very first thing she does five days a week.

Scott works out at the end of the day. After the office, he heads straight to the gym. He loves nothing more than to get rid of the stress of the day before going home.

Cindy takes an extra long lunch break so she can walk around the path of her corporate park offices. She doesn’t miss a day whether others join her or not.

Larry does everything he can just to fit in a workout whenever he can. His schedule changes all of the time and so do his workout times so he slips them in when he can.

When is the right time for you to workout?

Some of you have the exact same schedule and routine all of the time. You may work in an office at a 9-5 type of job and never travel. Your schedule simply never changes.

Others have complete variety in your schedule and every day is a new adventure.

The key is to try and really think through when is the best time for you to workout that will give you the highest return on your investment and not just go through the motions and no rep is left behind.

There are Four Ways to Just Know When You Should Workout:

1. Know Your Schedule – When “CAN” You Workout?

Surprisingly, many people “just do their workout” and never really think about their schedule and when it best to workout.

But if you have any variety within your day, you need to consider your schedule:

• Do you have an early day ahead? – If so, you may need to workout later in the day “that day” to ensure you workout or you just may need to get up very early (I wish you the best!)
• Are you traveling? – I find when I travel my workouts could be at any point in the day because it depends on my unique travel schedule. And I’ve accepted and embraced that reality.
• Do you have long hours today? – if you have a very long day, you may want to break the day up with a workout. Get creative.

Just don’t succumb to the biggest lie people believe about working out which is click here…

The point is thinking ahead of when is best for you to workout given your schedule.

2. Know Your Energy – When Is “BEST” to Workout?

It’s suggested you should ALWAYS workout in the morning since you never know how your day will go. And working out early kicks your body into gear in multiple ways (metabolism / energy / focus, etc).

Succeeding to both points, this may not be your best “energy time” of the day. And if that’s you, then working out at a higher energy point in your day may be your best option especially to see positive and even exponential results.

For example, I struggle with adrenal issues. I’ve unfortunately zapped my adrenal glands and if I push myself too hard, can put myself down for days without doing much of anything.

As a result, I’ve found that during these times, the best times for me to workout is late morning when my energy is the highest. Is it ideal? Not a chance. But I have the flexibility in my schedule when I work from home to make these changes.

Remember, if the goal is to maximize your workout times, know your energy and when is best for you and your body.

3.  Know Your Season – What is “DIFFERENT” in my Life Right Now?

You may be in the midst of training for a marathon (whatever length) or a triathlon (sprint or olympic) due to a Fitness Goal this year. So, for a stretch of time, your workouts are laser focused. Everything you do revolves around your training.

Others are in the midst of a timing-based workout: P90X3 for 90 days. Focus T25 for 60 days, etc.

This season affects when and how long you workout. So adjust, and not only fit it in but allow enough time to maximize your training.

Other seasons could be a heavy travel schedule, large project at work, new job or child, etc.

These seasons are usually short term but require a change in your workout schedule.

Unfortunately, this is the very time when most people just stop working out. They don’t adjust their workout schedule and a result, it’s the beginning of the end of their workouts, the very thing they actually need during this season.

Be willing to adjust and keep the gift of the workout in your routine. You may need to schedule it at an usual time for a season but it will be worth it in the long run.

4.  Know Yourself – When Will You “ACTUALLY” Workout?

Some of us know that if we don’t workout in the morning, “baby, it simply ain’t happenin’ any other time” is the reality no matter what else is going on in your life.

Great. Know yourself.

Others know you can workout whenever in your day if you’re committed to your workout. This is me. If I’m committed, I’ll adjust (especially in light of my health issues right now).

But only you can answer this question for yourself.

And IF you only have ONE TIME you can workout, then here is your warning: do everything you can to guard that “only time” you can workout.

This means being willing to get to bed earlier so you take away your excuse for being tired and “needing” to sleep in longer in the morning.

It also means planning ahead (getting your clothes out, workout DVDs set or music ready to run) so you’re not wasting valuable time in the morning.

Know yourself and what it will take for you to actually workout. Then take away every excuse so you make your workouts a priority and a reality.

Closing Challenge…

I have a high level of faith in motivated, busy professionals because they know how to get things done.

Yet ironically and sadly, I hear all of the time, the workout time is often the first time to go when life gets crazy. I understand it but don’t accept it.

Or maybe you’re stuck in a workout rut and need a change of pace. Make the change today!

You know fitness is a HUGE area of being physically better and a must within your routine.

I challenge and encourage you to think through your workout times on a consistent basis. Adjust as necessary so you can see the success you want and need in this area of your life that only you can do.

Closing Questions…

What CAN you workout?

When Is BEST to Workout?

What Is DIFFERENT in my Life Right Now?

When Will You ACTUALLY Workout?