We are sedentary for 21 hours a day, according to juststand.org. The Washington Post wrote that the average office worker sits for about 10 hours a day, a combination of work and at-home chair-surfing. It’s a no-brainer that all this sitting is bad for your health. Yet many of us are unknowingly putting ourselves at risk for major health problems. 

One morning last week, I drove about 5 hours to a conference in Indianapolis, IN. That afternoon I sat in 3 hours of informative sessions, followed by a couple of hours of sitting while socializing over dinner and chatting with colleagues. That’s about 10 hours of sitting. Yikes!

Today, I sat in the car on my way to work, sat at my desk catching up on email, and sat in 3 hours of meetings. Sound familiar to you?

Fortunately, everyday isn’t like this for me. But it is for many.

Why Not Sit?

Here are 5 powerful reasons to get off your duff.

1. Numerous studies have documented the risks of too much sitting. Prolonged sitting increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, high blood pressure, and depression.
2. After 30 minutes of sitting, the enzymes that break down fat drop by 90%.
3. We only burn about 1 calorie per minute while sitting. Standing instead of sitting burns 20 to 50 more calories per hour.
4. After 2 hours of sitting, good cholesterol drops by 20%.
5. Sitting too much can lead to muscle and joint problems.

What If You Exercise?

Experts say that vigorous exercise before or after work may not be enough to overcome the dangers of over-sitting (okay, so I made that term up).

One study by Dr. James Levine, obesity researcher for Mayo Clinic, sought to determine why some people gain weight and others don’t even when they eat exactly the same food. As a control factor, researchers didn’t let subjects exercise during the study. The results of the study revealed that “the people who didn’t gain weight were unconsciously moving around more.”

Researchers urge us to view sitting time and exercise independently. “It is not good enough to exercise for 30 minutes a day and be sedentary for 23 and half hours,” said Dr. Alter, Senior Scientist, Toronto Rehab, University Health Network (UHN), and Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences.

Exercise alone does not counteract the negatives of sitting all day.
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Furthering the point, an article published in the Journal of Physical Activity & Health highlights that people in the high fitness group had only about a quarter of the risk of developing metabolic syndrome (a compilation of risk factors) as the lowest fitness group.

How To Get Off Your Duff

At this point, hopefully you can acknowledge that excessive sitting is a risk we should aim to avoid. The next logical question is, How do I sit less?

A statement by the British Journal of Sports Medicine urges Americans to “stand, move, and take breaks” for a minimum of 2 out of 8 hours in the work day, but with an aim of 4 hours. In other words, spend at least 2 hours out of your chair.

Check out this terrific infographic by visual.ly. It provides a few suggestions for how we can move more: stretching, walking in place, or doing jumping jacks.

Stand to talk on the phone. When conversing with a colleague, stand instead of sit. Don’t send an email to Robert who works down the hall; get up and go talk to him.

One university professor gives her class a “5-minute-activity-break”  in the middle of any class that lasts longer than an hour. Some companies hold standing meetings or meet while walking through a nearby park. Company exercise clubs are growing. Devices like the Apple watch will even tell you when it’s time to get off your duff.

Take a walk on your lunch break. A 20 min. walk increases blood flow and creativity, enhances brain activity, and improves memory and cognitive performance. A walk actually helps you be more productive.

Today, stand up and go for a walk to help you be more productive!
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Stand up desks are growing in popularity. As I’m writing this, my laptop is sitting on a stack of books on my desk so I can stand and write.

Stop Sitting, Be Productive, Stay Healthy

Clearly, sitting has become the latest danger to our health, whether we are fit or not. Exercise is important but doesn’t fix this particular problem. We should find alternative ways to welcome others than, “Come in, have a seat.” Let’s promote a more healthy work and home environment. We must get creative. We must get moving. We must get off our duffs.

Question: What is one way to move more today? Leave your ideas in the comments to this post.

The post 5 Powerful Reasons to Stop Sitting and Move More Today first appeared on The Excelling Edge.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act but a habit.”

This quote from Aristotle is one of my favorites. Habits form the foundations for how we live, work and play. Whether or not we’re intentional about them, our habits shape who we are becoming. Where are your habits leading you?

Where are your habits taking you?

We all have habits and daily routines. Many we aren’t even aware of. However, due to the power of habits in our lives, we would be wise choose our habits deliberately.

John Maxwell said, “I can predict the long-term outcome of your success if you show me your daily habits.” Ten years ago, my habits were clearly not setting me up for long-term success. Thankfully, I’ve employed more intentionality in recent years and have been cultivating habits that will pay off for years to come.

Your daily habits shape the trajectory of your life.
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To get you thinking about your own habits, I’ll share with you 11 habits that are helping me cultivate a life of excellence.

Consider how many of them you may already be doing or which ones you’d like to put into action more consistently.

1. Be An Early Riser. This is one of the toughest habits I’ve ever developed. Yet, it pays off every single day. Starting my day at 5:00 AM provides me with some guaranteed quiet time (more on that next). It also makes me feel like I get a head start on the day, pursuing excellence before other people even drag themselves out of bed. Here’s a how-to guide to help you.

2. Start Every Day with a Power-Packed Morning Ritual. My morning ritual is one of my favorite parts of the day. This is really when I invest in myself, feeding my mind and body. My morning ritual is 2 1/2 hours long. Regardless, use the time you have to start your day with high impact activities like prayer, reading, journaling, exercise, meditation, eating breakfast, etc. The point is to be intentional with how you start your day!

3. Live Each Day with Purpose. We were made for a life of excellence [link]. When we pursue that excellence daily, we live with passion and we operate from our sweet spots. My purpose and passions have become clearer to me over the last few years. It takes effort, but it is so worth it.

Now, I look forward to welcoming each morning and feel more continuity and fulfillment in my life. If you’re still figuring it out, you are in good company. The links above will help you out.

4. Exercise. Where do I start? If we want to be our best selves, we have to cultivate a habit of exercise. Exercise strengthens us physically, but also mentally. People who exercise regularly  feel better, are healthier, cope better with stress and adversity and are more successful than those who don’t. Some studies have found exercise to be just as good, if not better, than medications for forms of anxiety and depression.

All it takes is a minimum of 3 – 4 days of 30 min. of sweat producing activity. In his book, The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg says that exercise is a keystone habit, one that spurs the development of other positive habits.

5. Sleep Well. If you’re not regularly getting enough sleep, you’re probably experiencing a number of consequences. When we get 7 to 8 hours of sleep we are more creative, make better decisions, have more energy, experience better health and perform better than people who don’t.

Need some tips to help you sleep better and develop this habit? Check out my 5 Powerful Tips To Help You Sleep Better Tonight.

6. Eat Well. As the saying goes, “Garbage in, garbage out.” Fortunately, people in America are becoming a bit more nutritionally aware. Healthy food options are more widely available than they have been in the last 50 years. Most grocery stores have entire sections devoted to healthy eating. My wife and I continue to find ways to eat healthier and since we’ve begun this pursuit I’ve lost weight, gained muscle, and had more energy throughout the day.

7. Keep a Journal. It doesn’t have to be lengthly and can include anything you’d like to track, summarize, reflect on, etc. There are even apps to make it easy. If you are a leader, journaling is doubly important as you grow and process through change and decisions. I find that journaling helps keep me balanced and thinking more clearly. Keep a record of your pursuit of excellence. Be flexible, be consistent.

8. Connect with Others. Family, friends and colleagues are crucial to a life of excellence. They help us to flourish. The people around me speak wisdom into my life, share ideas and serve as a sounding board. They support and encourage me. They show me love. Feeling accepted and having at least one or two people that you can go to with anything will carry you through the good and turbulent times.

9. Rest. Do you look forward to the weekends? What about vacation? Mentally and physically we need rest. Our bodies know this and give us reminders when we’ve been pushing too hard. As a Christian, taking time for rest is a biblical mandate that, admittedly, I struggle to follow sometimes. I like results as much as you do, but my faith comes from God and not my own abilities. If he can rest after creating the universe, I can rest too.

10. Play. As we grow up, we can easily forget that this is essential to a life of excellence. Play inspires our creativity. It rejuvenates us. It enables mental agility and problem solving. These are all essential for pursuing excellence. Play games or sports. Explore and go on an adventure to somewhere new. Do something artistic. Most importantly, smile, laugh and have fun.

11. Learn Something New Everyday. If you want to live a life of excellence, you have to keep learning and growing. Today, there are so many ways to learn. I’m a naturally curious person, so this one comes easy to me. But, the point is to better yourself daily. Knowledge is power. Here’s a few ideas for how to do this during your morning commute.

Worth the work

You are probably already utilizing some of these habits. You may just do them once in a while. The key to habits is consistency. However, as Benjamin Franklin found out, we can really only create one or two new habits at a time. Pick a new habit to develop, one that you think will really make a difference for you. Work at it; solidify it.

I use Coach.me to help get my habits off the ground. You can track whether or not you accomplished your habit each day. It will even remind you if you’d like. Regardless, keep track and build momentum as you go. If you miss a day or two, just get back on the horse again.

Remember, our daily habits are shaping the trajectories of our lives. Where do you want your habits to lead? If yours aren’t taking you there, it’s time to adjust your route.

Question: What is one habit that is helping you live with excellence? I’d love for you to share your ideas in the comments to this post. 

• App: Coach.me
• Book: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
• Post: You Were Created for a Life of Excellence
• Post: Ignite Your Fire: Where to Look to Find Your Passion
• Post: 5:00 AM: Up And At ‘Em (How Incremental Change Made It Happen)
• Post: 5 Questions to Reinvent Your Morning Routine
• Post: Discover Your Sweet Spot – Find It and Live It 
• Post: 8 Advantages Leaders Gain By Journaling
• Post: The 5 Ingredients of a Fulfilling Life
• Post: Think Smarter, Play Harder, Be Better: Sleep
• Post: Why Should Leaders Encourage Employees to Get More Sleep? 
• Post: 5 Powerful Tips To Help You Sleep Better Tonight 
• Post: Why You Should Step Away from Your To-Do List…and Play! 
• Post: Are You Getting The Most Out Of Your Commute?

The post Cultivate Excellence Daily first appeared on The Excelling Edge.

How do you respond when your spouse, friend or family asks, “How was your day?” If you are like most people, it is all too easy to unload the various frustrations, injustices and wrongs you encountered. We tend to do this rather than highlight the good experiences from our day. Some term this the negativity bias. Put simply, it is our natural tendency to focus on the bad instead of the good. We do this at work, at home, with our children and so on.

To be honest, the negativity bias isn’t all bad. This natural bias helps us detect and avoid danger. However, when we become overly focused on the bad (i.e. pessimism) at the exclusion of the good, it can lead to a host of concerns:

• depression
• anxiety
• trouble sleeping
• lower life satisfaction

In Dr. Martin Seligman’s latest book, Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being, he wrote, “So to overcome our brains’ natural catastrophic bent, we need to work on and practice this skill of thinking about what went well.” Think about it. Most of us spend more time analyzing our mistakes and missteps than relishing our successes. Allow me to introduce you to one of the simplest, most powerful, scientifically validated skills that I teach people on a regular basis.

It is called Three Good Things. Each day, we should answer two basic questions:

• What are 3 things that went well?
• What caused that good thing to happen?

If you want to lessen your chances for depression, sleep better and increase your happiness and satisfaction in life, then make these two simple steps a daily practice.

Step 1: What went well today?

Write down Three Good Things that went well today. It doesn’t have to be something important (ie. I got a promotion at work). In fact, it very well may be something small (ie. My daughter climbed into my lap and said she loved me last night). The point is to write it down, document it. You can use a journal, pen and pad, whatever suites you.

Step 2: What is my reflection on what went well?

For each thing that went well, write a sentence or two about why that happened. Choose one of these questions to get you started:

• “Why did this good thing happen?”
• “What does this mean to you?”
• “How can you have more of this good thing in the future?”

It really is that simple. They key is to do it. Make it a habit. Make Three Good Things part of your daily routine.

My challenge to you is to practice this exercise for at least one week. Research shows you’ll experience benefits of doing so for up to 6 months! So, what do you have to lose? Or rather, what may you gain?

Question: What is one thing on your Three Good Things list today? I’d love to hear from you?

The post 2 Simple Questions That Will Make You Happier Today first appeared on The Excelling Edge.

The post 5:00 AM: Up And At ‘Em (How Incremental Change Made It Happen) first appeared on The Excelling Edge.

To begin our adventures in 2013, my wife, Laura, and I took a walk on the moon. Okay, well, not quite. Actually, we visited White Sands National Monument in New Mexico. Prior to our exploration of what seemed like another world, we surveyed the exhibits and learned about what makes White Sands so special. We learned that these beautiful gypsum dunes are constantly moving and changing. While some dunes move only a few feet per year, others are making strides of up to 30 feet per year. That just blew me away. The dunes that move the furthest are changing the most and do so as they gain and lose tiny particles of the gypsum every day. It happens little by little.

Like the dunes, we can leverage the process of taking small steps daily to achieve bigger results in our lives. This is the power of incremental change. Over the past year, I’ve been building the momentum of incremental change in a few key areas of my own life: (1) Getting out of bed early, (2) Daily Bible reading and (3) Exercising. It has been a struggle, but one that has been completely worth it.

For example, I used to get out of bed leaving myself just enough time to do the absolute essentials and make it to work on time. Believe me, I value my sleep. Using the power of incremental change, I slowly moved back the time I wake up (with some adjustment to bedtime too). Now, I am up at 5:00 AM each day and make progress on a few of my priorities before the busyness of the workday takes over.

Based on my experience, I highly recommend you build momentum through incremental change for 4 major reasons.

1. Makes Molehills Out of Mountains. Taking this approach will give you a more manageable perspective on your overall goal by helping you focus on the little things. It keeps you from feeling overwhelmed by the overall project or change you are striving for. I can read a few chapters of the Bible each day, but planning to read the entire text in one year is a bit overwhelming.
2. Mobilizes Daily Discipline. In The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, John C. Maxwell wrote, “You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” I have found this to be true in my own life. When you focus your efforts on daily discipline, you are creating the momentum you need for greater success, one day at a time.
3. Maximizes Motivation. We are all motivated by progress, learning, change and growth. In Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Dan Pink cited the work of Harvard’s Teresa Amabile who found in her research that the single greatest motivator is “making progress in one’s work.” “The days that people make progress are the days they feel most motivated and engaged,” writes Pink. By focusing on and tracking our daily or weekly progress, it provides us with the levels of motivation we need to continue the journey.
4. Multiplicity. No, I don’t mean the 1996 comedy, starring Michael Keaton and Andie MacDowell. I’m talking about a compounding effect. John Maxwell talks about how the things you do today, will pay off even bigger down the road. The sand dunes may change a few granules at a time, and by the next year or even 5 years, the entire landscape will have shifted. This compounding effect, small things today paying off significantly down the road, can change the trajectory of your growth, relationships, career and more.

When you build momentum through the power of incremental change, you’ll increase your focus on the process, build new routines, increase motivation and see greater results over time. Ultimately you’ll be on your way to pursuing your true potential.

Okay, so now that you are convinced to build momentum to achieve more, consider the areas of your life where you can take advantage of incremental change. I’ve gathered a short list to help start your brainstorm:

• Weight Loss
• Stop Smoking
• Improved Attitude
• Writing a Blog
• Reading the Bible
• Building Strength or Endurance
• Getting Out of Debt
• Starting a Business
• Improving the Performance of Your Team

Got a few ideas? Great!

Next week, I’ll outline 4 essentials to identify that will increase your chances of following through on your goals and even your resolutions.

Links: (posts, books, links, etc.)

• Book: Drive by Daniel Pink
• Book: 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth
• Place: White Sands National Monument

Question: What super-sized goal are you going to apply the power of incremental change to? Join the conversation by leaving a comment below.

The post What I Learned About Change From A Walk On The Moon first appeared on The Excelling Edge.