We are half way through 2008 - can you believe it? - and so I have been reflecting on what I have achieved this year so far and what else I want to achieve for the rest of 2008. I would have to say my biggest achievement is the birth of my daughter Hollie. What is your biggest achievement this year?

This half-way point might be a good time for those of you who left New Year’s Resolutions by the wayside long ago, to use the new financial year as a fresh start. You could define a new vision for 2008/2009 with some new goals to see you through the rest of this year or for the entire new financial year. Just in case you want to do this, we have some information and tips for you to get to work on creating your Personal Vision Statement.

What is a vision statement?
A vision statement is a picture of what you want your life to look like in a designated timeframe, whether it is a year from now to ten years from now. It represents a dream that is beyond what you think is possible and it takes you out beyond the present. It’s a roadmap of your future and outlines the direction you are headed.

What does a vision statement look like?
A vision statement can take many forms. It can be written down on a piece of paper, it can be a collage of pictures and words on a piece of cardboard, it can be an audio or visual recording you have made of a collection of images and/or sounds.

Why create a vision statement?
Just like a street directory clarifies the direction in which you need to drive your car to get to your desired location, a vision statement clarifies the direction in which you need to move to get to your ideal place in life. It is like beginning with the end in mind - if you know where you are going you will be able to get to your destination much more quickly and easily. Would you try getting to a location you have never been before without our street directory?

How to create a vision statement?
Creating a vision statement can be an exciting and creative process and you can have lots of fun with it. Here are six easy steps to follow:

1. Set aside some quite time where you will be uninterrupted for at least half an hour.
2. Prepare all the materials you will need to complete your vision.
3. Create an ambience that will stimulate creativity with music, pictures, candles or scents.
4. Choose a date in the future, one year from now is a good start, or perhaps a special date like a
birthday or anniversary.
5. Start imagining what you want in your life, what you want to create, where you want to be, and what
you want to be doing.
6. Go for it, be creative and have fun.

Ideas for creating your vision statement
Here are a few different ways to complete a vision statement and I have listed some ideas below. Some of my clients choose to use one of the methods and some get a real kick out of using two or more.

Letter from the future
You will need a blank piece of lined paper and a pen. The letter from the future is a letter that you write to yourself one year from now (or the special date you chose). You write a letter outlining all that is happening in your life. Write it in the present tense as is it is happening in your dream life. Be as descriptive as you can and address all the senses, what it looks like, what it feels like, what it tastes like, what it smells like, what it sounds like.

Vision Board
You will need a big piece of cardboard, scissors, glue, coloured pencils and old magazines. Using pictures, letters and words from the old magazines cut them out and glue them on the cardboard to represent your dream life.

Whichever method you choose to create your personal vision, put it somewhere you can see it daily and use it as a constant reminder of where you are going. You can review it on your special date and reflect on all that you have achieved in that time.

Benefits of a Vision Statement
Vision statements create a vivid image in your head that will provoke emotion and excitement. It creates enthusiasm and poses a challenge that inspires you to take action, achieve yours goals and move forward.

Now you have all the tools you need to predict your future.

Danielle Ferris, Head Coach
ShapeShifters - supporting, guiding and motivating women to achieve their ideal weight, health and lifestyle goals

Hello Julia again….

Ever noticed how stress creeps up on you? At first it’s nothing but then all of a sudden you’re not sleeping and things snowball out of control! It seems never ending - but do you take action to do something about it?

Let me tell you from recent personal experience don’t ever, ever put off doing something about your stress levels! I have had a rather stressful week. Little sleep added to the mounting nightmare then to top it all off I missed a flight to Sydney for an important conference (big oops and massive stress!).
It was Friday night and I had 20 minutes before I had to meet friends for dinner in Gouger Street. I was at the Central Markets so it made sense to get a massage from one of the many little places there.

I got a neck and shoulder massage and OH MY ….! It was (and I don’t say this lightly) better than Haighs chocolate! My left shoulder had tightened up so much it was causing a massive headache and I felt like my shoulders were around my ears! But after that simple 20 minutes on my neck and shoulders it was as if a world of pain and stress just melted away and I could see clearly, think clearly and just felt HUMAN again!

As a Remedial Massage Therapist I could talk for pages about the HUGE rang of benefits of massage but really when it comes down to it, it makes you feel good! And when you feel good that spreads to everyone around you!

The endorphins you get from massage are the same as when you exercise; not to mention the toning and toxin removing and a myriad of other health benefits. And there are so many types of massage out there for all types of price ranges!

Go to the Central Markets or any of the Westfield shopping centres and get one of the Chinese massage quick fixes! The only problem with that type of massage is it’s a one size fits all type approach - and it can be quite painful if you haven’t had a massage in a while.

Then there are day spa’s. They are awesome when combined with a facial or a pedicure but you pay for the ambiance and the products so it tends to be a once off or special occasion. Not to mention that the beauty therapists aren’t often trained extensively in massage, so it tends to be a light, fluffy ‘put you to sleep’ kind (which means you may miss out on the therapeutic experience but the perk is you might catch up on missing sleep!).

The dream person to find is a massage therapist who is in between. The benefit of these people is that they are mid priced and they get to know you and your body.

They will tailor the massage to just what you need and want which can change each time you get a massage, due to a number of different reasons.

The massage is more than just removing the knots from your body - or at least it’s more than that for me as a client on the table. It’s a chance to “let go” both emotionally and physically in a safe, warm place.

This advice is not just for mothers but fathers as well! You both need to be on the same page to be able to communicate well as partners and parents!

Bottom line - Get a massage! It makes you feel so good! Get them regularly as it helps to keep that good feeling lasting longer in the body. Speaking professionally, a lot of people wait until they are in pain before getting a massage and it takes so much more time to undo that damage than if you get a regular massage before there is a problem. Besides, prevention of stress and pain is always better than cure!

Julia Fry
________________________________________________
monsoon massage & infant massage centre owner
certified infant massage instructor
trainee doula
secretary of Future Families Inc

040 77 24 628
www.monsoonmassage.com.au

Are you struggling with those last few baby kilos?
I am - well I was until this week. Let me explain. My daughter is 16 weeks old and I started exercising when she was 6 weeks old. Prior to falling pregnant I had just completed the first stage of my weight loss journey and I had lost 20 kilos. The additional 15 I was left to lose to get down to my healthy weight range was put on hold until bubs was born.In the past 10 weeks I worked much harder than the time I lost the 20 kilos plus I was eating healthier than ever. To give you an idea, when I lost the 20 kilos my exercise for the most part consisted of walking on weekends for one or two hours. For 10 weeks I have been working out a minimum of 7 times a week, some weeks more than 7 times. As opposed to brisk strolls I have been jogging, yes jogging (I can’t believe it either) on my treadmill and elliptical trainer for 40 minutes - every day. Plus three times a week I do weight training. So I have been pretty displeased to say the least in the results this hard work has been getting me.

Now, back to my struggle with the excess baby kilos - there were 4 of them to be precise, 4 friends who long overstayed their welcome. I put on 14 kilos during my pregnancy and lost 10 within the first two weeks. For 10 weeks I have worked my butt off and the scales have not been accommodating. I used to find weighing in a joyful experience because I consistently lost kilos. It is quite novel (to put it nicely) to have 10 weeks worth of weighing in with nil weight loss.

I became so concerned and frustrated that I even asked my GP for advice. Her theory was that it took me nine months to put the excess weight on so it was going to take me nine months to lose it. I decided not to take her theory on, especially since a) she was a size 8 and b) she is not a mother. I decided that I was going to prove her theory wrong. I would love to hear from you if you have got back to your original weight in less than 9 months. I have posted this article in the Parent Wellbeing forum so that you can add your personal comments.

Something extraordinary happened this week. I lost more than one kilo. That is not as extraordinary as to how I actually achieved that result and what I learnt from the experience - so I thought I would share it with you.
One week ago today I woke up with a nasty headache that lasted a couple of days, I decided to give exercise a break for two days. On the third and fourth day I didn’t exercise because I had so many early appointments booked. My first tip is to you is do your exercise at the most convenient and enjoyable time for you every single day. For example, if I don’t exercise in the morning the chances of me exercising that day decrease dramatically.

On the fifth day I hopped on the scales to work out what I had cost myself on the scales by not exercising for almost a week. Lo and behold I was amazed by the most beautiful number I saw - right there in front of my eyes. I had lost 1.4 kilos! In my 20 kilo weight loss experience there was not one single week that I lost more than one kilo. I realised at that moment I was exercising too much and not eating enough.

How good did I feel knowing that I had to either decrease my exercise or increase my calorie intake to continue losing weight? Do I have to answer that? Of course I am not advocating that you do this but I do have some tips to share about what you could do if the kilos are not budging.

1) Start recording what you eat so you have a record, this way if you aren’t losing weight you can adjust your menu plan. My plan is to start eating more calories every day and having a record of what I have eaten in the last ten weeks helps me do this easily. Contact ShapeShifters and request a complimentary copy of our Thought for Food journal.

2) Consult a dietician who specialises in assisting you work out your metabolism type and who will provide you with an appropriate low GI weight loss plan for you to follow. This way you can make sure you are eating the right amount of calories - not too little and not too much. If you would like such a plan, with or without coaching support, we can help. ShapeShifters has secured a 12 week weight loss program from an accredited practising dietician.

3) Review your exercise regime. Are you exercising too much or not enough? There are many professionals who can assist you work out how much exercise is recommended on a daily basis, for example, personal trainers. Visit the resources page of www.healthyandhappy.com.au and you will find a (growing) list of recommended personal trainers. The Department of Health and Ageing recommends that for adults the minimum amount of physical activity required to enhance your health is 30-minutes of moderate-intensity activity on most, preferably all days of the week.

4) If the kilos are not budging then try something different. Don Berwick (who happens to be the CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement) says “If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you have always got”. This point was proven in my case - I did something different and it worked. If I stop losing weight down the track then I will try something different again.

5) In response to my GP’s claims that it will take me 9 months to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight I say “It’s mind over matter, not mind over fatter.” I truly do not believe it will NOT take me 5 months to lose my excess 3 kilos - I will keep you updated in future blogs.

Danielle Ferris, Head Coach
ShapeShifters - supporting, guiding and motivating women to achieve their ideal weight, health and lifestyle goals

Many of us are so busy working inside and outside of the home that we can neglect to take care of ourselves.
Taking care of you can be as simple as giving yourself time to think about what you truly desire in life. The time you need to ask yourself the burning questions about what you want to achieve in your life and where you are going. So take some time out of your day to stop, think and listen. Just 10 minutes is enough to get started.

If you time to stop, think and listen to what you really, really, really want it will enable you to set priorities and significantly reduce your stress levels. Allocate the majority of your time to do the things you love. Have daily, weekly, monthly and year long goals. Being able to focus in on what you want allows you to create a schedule that fits in only those activities that bring you closer to achieving your goals.

“I am my best person when I have less on my plate.” Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love said during a recent interview. How can you be your best person?
Here are my key tips to working out what you want so you have less on your plate.

1) Schedule yourself at least 10 minutes each day to think about what you love
2) Spend most of your time doing or planning to do what you love
3) Brainstorm and write a list of things you love - let your imagination run wild
4) Choose 5 you must complete in the next year - what is important right now?
5) Think about how it will feel to achieve these things you love
6) Write down one action you can take to achieve each of these goals
7) Take that action within the next 24 hours and plan your next step
8) Learn to say no to things that don’t contribute to you achieving your goals
9) Write a list of all the excuses you have for not doing the things you want to do
10) Laugh at all of the excuses you have made and move on

Danielle is a qualified life coach and supports women to achieve their life, business, career and health goals.
She has a ten-week old daughter Hollie.
Visit www.healthyandhappy.com.au or www.danielleferris.com