Do you love playing sports? Enjoy playing board games? Is there still a competitive spirit within you? Well… just like playing any game… you can win or lose right? Most games or sports that we play… we can either earn points or be penalized. In my last post I discussed the importance of creating a set of rules for your healthy eating habits and lifestyle. Setting guidelines or rules that you can follow is the first step. Now… we must identify how you can earn points to win the game of health.
Creating a Menu of “Action Steps”
Your “Action Steps” should be more like a menu for you to choose from. You may not be able to complete the same action step every single day…so by having a menu to choose from…your daily action steps becomes easier to help you accomplish your goal. You may have certain action steps that can be accomplished daily… some may be accomplished weekly… and some can only be accomplished once a month. The idea is to create a series of as many action steps that you can do daily, weekly, monthly or maybe quarterly that will move you forward towards your health goal or outcome.
Creating Your Point System
Your point system is in alignment with your action steps. Each action step you accomplish is worth points. Now… some action steps can be worth more than one point depending on the difficulty or importance of the action step. Most of my coaching clients choose anywhere from a 10 to 15 point day…but you can design your health game to whatever point system you choose. You should have a minimum of at least five to ten daily action steps that you could accomplish per day and add some more difficult action steps that could be worth more than one point per day.
An example of a simple point system would be 10 points per day which equates to 70 points per week (unless you give yourself a day off or use the weekends as a break from your point recording)
I would personally use the point system to earn a day off or have a cheat day on the weekend. So let’s say you earned 10 points for five or six days straight… then you earn a day off from recording your points. You can also still have a 70 point week… but for every 10 point days you earn… you can give yourself two bonus points per day. If you have five consecutive 10 point days… then you earn an additional 10 points for your week… and earn a day off.
Most of my clients may create points for multiple areas of life… not just health. But let me give you an example… how to create a point system for HEALTH and let’s say your goal is to lose 10 lbs. Maybe you would create a menu of action steps and point system that consist of:
- Drink ½ my body weight in water (1point)
- Take vitamins (1 point)
- Drink green tea instead of coffee (1 point)
- No processed or fast food (1 point)
- No candy or junk snacks (1 point)
- No alcohol for the day (1 point)
- No eating after 7pm (1point)
- Protein shake (1 point)
- Follow meal plan for the day (2 points)
- 60 minutes of cardio (5 points)
- Weight training ( 5 points)
- Fitness class (5 points)
- Complete a daily juice fast (5 points)
Creating Penalties
Most of your points should have a corresponding penalty. In my seminars I talk about the Law of Polarity… which states everything in the Universe has an opposite. If there is an up… there has to be a down. If there is a right…there has to be a left. Hot can only exist in its polarity of cold. And points can only exist with corresponding penalties.
If you reward yourself a point for a daily “Action Step” than you must penalize yourself for not completing your 10 point day. For example, if you fail to accomplish a 10 point day… you are required to execute a penalty that next day for not reaching your goal of 10 points. So maybe a consequence of 100 sit-ups before bed may be appropriate. Keep in mind that your penalties are intended to “forward the action step” or assist in the attainment of the goal…it’s not intended to be a punishment. It may be something that could be more “distasteful” as an “Action Step”…but not a punishment. You do not receive a point for a penalty.
My wife has competed in a couple of those Spartan Races… and it has several difficult obstacles within the race. Once of the obstacles was a rope climb… and she had mentioned that there was a handful of people on her team that couldn’t make it up the rope. If a participant can’t make it up the rope.. they have to do a bunch of Burpees. Now… if you don’t know what a Burpee is… it is an exercise that kind of sucks and most people don’t enjoy doing them. But it is a physical exercise that will still enhance your fitness level… but is not the ideal exercise that you want to do. That is what a penalty should feel like!
Examples:
Daily “Action Step” point Corresponding Penalty
60 minutes of cardio 100 sit-ups before bed
Follow meal plan Juice or shake day
Keep Track of Your Points
Know your points! If you were playing in a game… or watching a sporting event… I would bet that most people are aware of the score if they really want to win. Why wouldn’t you do the same for your game? Keep track of how many points you earn each day and make a spread sheet that you could look at daily. Most of my coaching clients have a spreadsheet that they email me weekly so I can keep them accountable to their goals.
Reward Yourself
Choose a reward for attaining your weekly points and choose an ultimate reward when you accomplish your end result goal. For example, if your weekly point total is a maximum of 70 points (including BONUS points) and every week you attained that for one month straight… then at the end of the month give yourself a small reward of maybe a dinner out or a massage.
Enjoy creating a point and consequence system to win your game of Health & Vitality and remember to register for Empowered Mastery’s FREE online Virtual Summit called Quick Start to a Healthy YOU on October 18 & 19 2016.
Live Life to the Fullest!
Master Paul Melella Jr
*My personal Proof Reader and Grammar Editor is away on vacation. Please excuse any poor grammar. 😉