BNGIowa

Dirty Habit

I must confess, I have a dirty habit. It is a good habit, though. I am one of those who wipes down the shower. Every time. Well, not if I am staying at a hotel. 

It is an engrained habit. It is also one of the best housekeeping tips I can recommend. I never have to spend hours trying to clean hard water or mildew stains. 

It takes about 5 minutes to wipe down the shower. That's a small investment of time for a huge payoff. I really dislike cleaning a dirty shower. The motivation to keep my habit is high. 

Since it is a habit, I just do it and never even give it a thought. I am faster and better at than I was when I started. There is no substitute for practice, you know.

What habit can you add to your business that takes 5 minutes a day and offers a huge payoff? Maybe you can prioritize your to-do list and put the most challenging task first. Pick something that will improve your life or your business and make it a habit. I have heard it only takes 21 days to make an action a habit. 

New Year's Resolutions. Pick One

Image via Wikipedia

Everyone knows the drill.  You make New Year's Resolutions and bet on how long it's gonna take you to fall off the wagon.  I just wanted to share what I've learned over the past couple years.

2008: I was feeling a little guilty for not reading enough.  My New Year's Resolution was to read 2 books a month for the entire year.  By the end of November, I'd read 24 books and people were telling me to stop reading and start doing.  In short, I was addicted to my books.  Reading was now a habit.

2009:  My doctor had told me that my Body Mass Index was a little high.  That's a polite way of saying "You're fat".  My all-time high was 210 lbs.  I weighed in at 196 on January 1 of last year.  To achieve a healthy BMI, I needed to be under 175.  Now, I am really lazy.  So, there was no exercise involved.  I just watched my portions for the first half of the year.  After being diagnosed with hypertension in July, I started watching my sodium intake.  It's amazing what happens when you start reading nutrition labels.  The only processed food I have in my house now is Cheerios (because they are supposed to lower cholesterol).  I weighed in again on Dec 31...173 lbs.

So, now I've got to figure out what my resolution is for this year.  But, I think the key is to pick one and only one thing to focus on.  Once you've experienced success, it makes you more confident that you can tackle anything.

Health Coaching - The New Necessity

Just watch the television for any 30 minute period of time any day and you are guaranteed to see the next 'hot' thing in becoming slim, having more energy, and retarding the aging process.  There is now so many quick fixes that one can become overwhelmed and actually in worse shape than before.  The options for nutrition, fitness and supplements is confusing and even dangerous when you are not educated on these subjects.  Improper implementation, the wrong combinations, inappropriate workouts for your body type and condition and not focusing on the fundamentals will inevitably endin poor results, frustration and possible complications.

To say the least, the average American needs to have some guidance and leadership when looking to achieve health results that last and actually create a greater level of function.  With this being said, a qualified health coach/advisor is a necessity for anyone looking to make quality change in their health and life.

Health coaches are found in many different forms and levels of education.  Some health coaches have a certification in a specific line of health promotion such as nutrition, fitness, mental health, etc.  Others can have a wider variety of training with a combination of the fore mentioned topics.  Still others, such as specialized chiropractors, have a doctorate level education in the previous topics along with biomechanics, physiology, neurologic health, child development and successful implementation strategies to maximize results.  Based upon training of the coach, your level of help will differ dramatically.

What one should look at when considering a health coach are the following;what are you wanting to accomplish, how much time do you want to devote, how bad do you want to achieve your results, how many resources do desire to have at your disposal, what types of facilities do you want to have access to, how much do you want to invest in your health and who would you feel confident in trusting your health with.

The bottom line is this: if you want results, you NEED a coach.  Just like elite level athletes have specialized coaches to reach their goals, you need them too.  It's just a matter of what you want and how important your health is to you.

Make the investment in your health this year. Just like Cousin Eddy says on 'Christmas Vacation', "It's the gift that keeps on giving!"  This investment in your health will always 'keep on giving'. 

For more information visit www.maxlifeiowa.com for a complete list of upcoming programs and opportunities to learn more about how to protect your most important asset, your health.

Which One Are You?

The world around us is crazy! Most of Americans live a life that is 100mph everyday wtih very little time for the things that are truely important to them. For some reason we have decided to put our faith, family and health at or near the bottom of the list of priorities. Unfortunately, we have put work, our social lives and the 'things' in our life at the top of the list. For some this may be fulfilling for a period of time but long term this never results in happiness and success. Just ask Tiger!

My question for you is which one are you? Are you a person who truely values and sets aside the time to address the 'real' priorities in life or are you fixated on the insignificant things that create more stress and dis-ease on a daily basis?

Be honest with yourself. What do you spend your money on? What is the majority of your time spent on? What do you go to bed thinking about at night? Where do your thoughts wander to during your day? Do you feel fulfilled and happy during your days?

This is not meant to be depressing, rather, it is meant to make you think about your life and hopefully make you more aware. Your degree of awareness in your life ultimately determines the choices you make and life is all about thousands of choices everyday.

I challenge all of you to take the time to sit down before the beginning of this new year and take an evaluation of your life and your priorities. What is important to you? What are your core values? How much time, energy and money do you put towards each of them?

From these questions, get an idea of where you are at. Knowing this you can then start to put a plan of action together to make this next year more 'centered' on the BIG things in life, the things that leave a smile on your face and a feeling of joy and fulfillment. You MUST invest in YOUR life.

Take the time...You ARE worth it!

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Dress Code Enforced. Be Courteous. Follow the Rules.

I am very pleased that Victor and Becca wrote about our BNG meeting where we discussed, What Kind of Ball Are You? It was a stimulating discussion and I was very impressed with the BNG members.

Here is my part of the story.

I love golf. I mean, really love it. I started playing golf when I was in high school. My dad and my brothers played golf. We watched golf on TV. Growing up, I thought Arnold Palmer was the most important man in America. 

My mom took up golf at age 63. My son and daughter play golf. My favorite times were on a golf course in Arizona when my mom and dad and my husband and me and our kids all played golf together. That is one of the cool things about golf, different ages and different ability levels can play together. Like in golf, in my life, I have friends who are very different from me yet we can enjoy being friends. They make my life richer. In my work, I value the chance to team with a diverse group of people.

From the time I started playing golf, I was best at hitting the t-shot. The long shot. The big shot. If I could do something different in life, I would own a driving range and hit golf balls most of the day and instruct others about the big shot the rest of the day (and pass along my advice on living a good life).

In my life and in my work, I like the big idea. I can't turn off the ideas in my head. I am always coming up with ideas. But I don't stop there. You can't play golf only hitting the drive. You have to finish the hole. You have to chip and putt. Sometimes those shots aren't much fun, but they are necessary to finish the hole. I start with the big idea, then, I know how to finish.

In golf, I am responsible for my own score. I play the game alone or with others. The others don't have to be similar to me. I follow a set of rules. Yep, that sounds like my life and my work.

Contact me for Arbonne products or Graphic Design: bgordon@myarbonne.com or www.barbgordon.com or www.bgordon.myarbonne.com.

In the News

It is always exciting when your company is in the news . Especially when the new is good! Check out this link to an msnbc story about the cutting edge science from Arbonne. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29462920/

Good Judgment

I heard on a TV news report that some doctors and scientists believe children (under age 20) increase the chance of getting brain cancer if they use cell phones. Since the skull is still thickening, the energy from the phone can penetrate the skull futher than in an adult. Still, other scientists don’t agree.

As I was watching the report, I thought about cigarettes. Warnings of the cancer risk from cigarette use was once promoted as false. The season premiere of Boston Legal was on TV last night. The main story line was about “big tobacco” and the debate about cigarettes and whether or not smoking causes cancer. In that story, big tobacco was found guilty. So how come kids still start smoking and get hooked? There is certainly enough credible information available that proves smoking is harmful. Are they really falling for the cigarette ads?

I wonder if this cell phone debate will be similar. Most people won’t be willing to give up their phones. But do children really need cell phones?

Individual good judgment can’t be replaced by science.

Sunscreen Tips

Did you know:
Skin cancers occur three times more commonly than breast and lung cancers combined. 1,000,000 new cases of skin cancer occur in the United States each year.

Have you heard of UVB and UVA? Confused about what that means? Just remember the last letter. B in UVB means burning rays. The rays of the sun that cause burning and therefore possibly skin cancer. The A in UVA means aging. The rays of the sun that cause wrinkling and sagging.

Well no one really wants burning or aging, so you want to use sunscreen to block the sun's rays. To get the full effect of the protection from a sunscreen product follow these tips:

1.Apply 1/2 hour before going out in the sun.
2. Reapply. Common advice is that sunscreen should be reapplied every 2–3 hours. Other research has shown that the best protection is achieved by one reapplication 15–30 minutes after the sun exposure begins. Further reapplication is only necessary after activities such as swimming, sweating, and rubbing. Use common sense, if you start to feel a burn, reapply.
3. Keep sunscreen in a dark, cool place. Exposure to heat and sun lessen shelf life.
4. Use an unexpired product. Replace your sunscreen at least once a year.

Check out the Arbonne products:

1. Baby Sunscreen SPF 30.      
2. Save Face & Body Sunscreen SPF 15.
3. Damage Control Waterproof Sunscreen SPF 30.
4. Lip Saver, Lip Balm with SPF 30.
5. After Sun Lotion. This formula contains avocado oil that moisturizes and repairs dry skin.
6. Hair Protectant. Enjoy the sun and water without getting dry, damaged hair with this conditioning spray that detangles and adds a natural, healthy luster.
7. Self Tanner. Step into the shade and develop a deep, dark tan without the damaging effects of the sun thanks to this SPF 15, botanically-based self tanner.
8. Tan Enhancer. Increase the duration of tans, real or shade-made, with this SPF 15 formula that moisturizes skin while preventing sunburn and lengthening tan life.
9. Bronzing Powder. Get color that sparkles and glows, naturally, with this luxurious bronzing powder that will leave you looking sun-kissed.

Contact me to learn more about these products. -Barb

Smile, it helps.

Maybe you heard there has been flooding in Iowa. Lots of it. Cardensaraid has a link to some photos. My personal experience with this latest torture by Mother Nature was on Thursday. My mother-in-law was flooded out of her apartment.

She called at 5:30am and told my husband and me that she was standing in 3-inches of water. She wasn’t crying. She didn’t exaggerate. She even mildly protested when my husband said he would skip work and drive the hour and a half route to her town to help her.

My husband spent the day drying out what he could and moving most of the rest to higher ground. This was a very sad and physically exhausting experience. And, it isn’t over yet. She has to find a new apartment and move into it.

The remarkable thing about this story is that my mother-in-law is 90-years-old. She gets up every morning and does “her exercises.” She takes a walk three evenings a week and manages her own household. There is a saying, “Attitude is everything.” Observing the attitude of grace and strength my mother-in-law mustarded under this type of pressure was inspiring.

Balance with Energy

During my high school years, I had a part time job. I was a straight-A student. I was a student athlete too. OK, I was on the golf team. Anyway, I was busy. I think I was able to juggle all my responsibilities because I had energy and motivation. The energy was easy, I was young and healthy. The motivation was easy too, my parents were very convincing.

My part time job was in a truck stop cafe. It was in a little town called Ankeny. Ankeny isn't so little now and the cafe has been replaced with a huge hotel. I was a waitress. This required me to move quickly, remember orders and make coffee. I made lots of coffee.

I noticed that "older" people drank lots of coffee. I guess they liked the taste and the energy boost. I never acquired a taste for coffee, but as I have gotten older, I understand the need for an energy boost. I don't care much for soda (or pop) so I was very happy when Arbonne introduced the NRGGO3! Fizzing Beverage. The key ingredients are chromium, green tea and guarana.

Besides the energy boost, I like
1. the convenience
2. the value
3. the healthy alternative

This beverage comes as a tablet that I put in a glass or bottle of water, no more cases of cans. The cost is as low as $1 per drink, much less than the popular canned energy drinks. It isn't full of chemicals either, so I can add this to my healthy diet. If you would like to try this new drink, contact me.