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“Have a Good Swim” – Life Lessons from Sue Boyles

Sue Boyles is an alum of the Big Change Program. This morning she wrote a post about her experience being totally unmotivated to get in her morning exercise. It's so good, with so much power and truth and “no-bullshit,” that I had to share it here. Enjoy!

I slept horribly last night. As in, hot, cold, hot, cold, is that a dog on my head?, hot cold, stop licking my face, hot cold…

I woke up tired and grumpy. Today is my scheduled gym/swim day. I could blow it off, but what would that tell you guys about my level of commitment if something so minor overrides my need to take care of myself.

So, I am pulling into the parking lot of the pool facility and I realize I forgot my ipod! No podcast this morning for me! Shit! That’s gonna suck.

I get into the fitness room and plop my tired ass on the mat and start stretching. Everything hurts. I’m half assing my way through this stuff, pick up some weights, and do the thing while bitching the whole time.

After 15 minutes, I give up and go down to the locker room. I’m getting my shit together and the lady next to me who just finished up her swim was packing it up. As she was leaving, she said, “Have a good swim.”

I said, “Thank you and have a good day.”

After she left, those words sunk in… Have a good swim. Huh…. It struck me that I’m in control of whether or not I have a good swim. I can make this as sucky as the weight training or I could shift my attitude and make it good!

HAVE A GOOD SWIM. I could do that! Even without a podcast or music.

I get in the pool, swim 10 minutes of freestyle, some fly, back and breast, then put on the fins. 10 minutes of that, the last lap being a full force, fastest possible swim. Then I did a relaxing side stroke and sculling, followed by freestyle for the rest of the time.

I didn’t have a good swim. I had a GREAT swim!!

I am amazed that I have so much control over how my mind can alter my perception and ultimately my day! Sometimes life throws you shit. And it sucks and it’s out of your control. But sometimes the shit is self created! And you can change it with a simple shift of attitude!

I’m still tired, but somehow rejuvenated at the same time!

Shine my friends!

Dr Howie Jacobson

This podcast is a labor of love and a way to give back to the world that has given me so much. That's why there aren't any sponsors (except me :).

My day job is helping leaders and their teams master their mindsets to remove all obstacles to heart-centered high performance.

Here are three gigs that I do:

1. Trigger-Free Leadership: Executive and Senior Leadership Mentoring and Facilitation

I work with high performing executive teams in organizations — and executive teams that need to become high  performing. My focus is mindset mastery, because it’s our mindsets that either support high performance or get in the way.

At this level, everyone’s got the skills and experience to excel and contribute at the highest level. What holds people back is mindset stuff: specifically the triggers that get them out of creative engagement and into fight-or-flight defensiveness.

My practice is all about teaching people to respond differently to those triggers by updating old maps — essentially removing the glitches that the triggers grab onto.

2. Executive Coaching: Quick Wins for High Performance

I work with individual executives and leaders, one on one. The program is called Quick Wins for High Performance, and what we do is, we work strategically on one or two areas that are holding you back and keeping you from performing at your best.

We reverse engineer the presenting problems — too much work and not enough time, underperforming employees and teams, maddening organizational inefficiencies, etc — and identify and rewire the suboptimal mindsets that are behind those problems.

The work is all about updating your mental maps so your actions and responses are always appropriate, proportionate, and strategic.

3. High Stakes Conversations for Fast Growing Small Business Teams

I help small business teams have high stakes conversations with skill, humor, and grace. When people feel safe, they can do their best, most creative, most collaborative work.

So that's what I do. If you'd like any of those results, drop me a line and tell me about yourself.

You CAN Change Other People!

Well, that's what Peter Bregman and I claim in our provocative book of that title.

What we really mean is, you can bring out the best in the people around you. If you think you're powerless to help people change, it's because you've been going about it the wrong way.

Discover our straightforward, replicable process here: You Can Change Other People.

Music

The Plant Yourself Podcast theme music, “Dance of Peace (Sabali Don),” is generously provided by Will Ridenour, a kora player from North Carolina who has trained with top Senegalese musicians.

It can be found on his first CD, titled Will Ridenour.

You can learn about Will, listen to more tracks, and buy music on his website, WillRidenour.com.

Gratitudes

Thanks to Plant Yourself podcast patrons – Kim Harrison – Lynn McLellan – Brittany Porter – Dominic Marro – Barbara Whitney – Tammy Black – Amy Good – Amanda Hatherly – Mary Jane Wheeler – Ellen Kennelly – Melissa Cobb – Rachel Behrens – Tina Scharf – Tina Ahern – Jen Vilkinofsky – David Byczek – Michele X – Elspeth Feldman – Leah Stolar – Allan Kristensen – Colleen Peck – Michele Landry – Jozina – Sara Durkacs – Kelly Cameron – Janet Selby – Claire Adams – Tom Fronczak – Jeannette Benham – Gila Lacerte – David Donohue – Blair Seibert – Doron Avizov – Gio and Carolyn Argentati – Jodi Friesner – Mischa Rosen – Michael Worobiec – AvIvA Lael – Alicia Lemus – Val Linnemann – Nick Harper – Bandana Chawla – Molly Levine – The Inscrutable Harry R – Susan Laverty the Panda Vegan – Craig Covic – Adam Scharf – Karen Bury – Heather Morgan – Nigel Davies – Marian Blum – Teresa Kopel – Julian Watkins – Brid O'Connell – Shannon Herschman – Linda Ayotte – Holm Hedegaard – Isa Tousignant – Connie Haneline – Erin Greer – Alicia Davis – Heather O'Connor – Carollynne Jensen – Sheri Orlekoski of Plant Powered for Health – Karen Smith – Scott Mirani – Karen and Joe Crabtree – Kirby Burton – Theresa Carrell – Kevin Macaulay – Elizabeth Rothschild – Ann Jesse – Sheryl Dwyer – Jenny Hazelton – Peter W Evans – Dennis Bird – Darby Kelly – Lori Fanney – Linnea Lundquist – Emily Iaconelli – Levi Wallach – Rosamonde McAtee – Dan Pokorney – Stephen Leinin – Patty DeMartino – Mike and Donna Kartz – Deanne Bishop – Bilberry Elf – Marjorie Lewis – Tricia Adams – Nancy Sheldon – Lindsey Bashore – Gunn Marit Hagen – Tracey Gulledge – Lara Hedin – Meg from Mamasezz – Stacey Stokes – Ben Savage – Michael K – David Hughes -Coni Rodgers – Claire England – Sally Robertson – Parham Ganchi – Amy Dailey – Brian Tourville – Mark Jeffrey Johnson – Josie Dempsey – Caryn Schmitt – Pamela Hayden – Emily Perryman – Allison Corbett – Richard Stone – Lauren Vaught of Edible Musings – Erin Hastey – Sean Owens – Sagar Naik – Erika Piedra – Danielle Roberts – Michael Leuchten – Sarah Johnson – Katharine Floyd – Meryl Fury – for your generous support of the podcast.

Disclosure

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2 comments on ““Have a Good Swim” – Life Lessons from Sue Boyles

  1. Melynda says:

    So needed to read this today. Thank you!

    1. Howard says:

      Sue will be happy to hear that her words were helpful and timely!

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