Thursday, October 2, 2008

My twenty week journey back to perfect health - 'THE SUPER CHALLENGE'

Week 9 Day 4

What's going on in my head?

A comment from Eric really made me sit up and think and I think it needs repeating in today's post.

From Eric
Live your own reality.

"My fitness challenge has helped so much through this. Although no one is moving away, here in the states. No one is moving. As the owner of a building materials company, makes for a rough go of things. Every day I have started taking my employees (at least the ones at the main branch) for a walk. It is amazing the change in mood from just 20 minutes of movement."

Now, that's what I call a positive attitude in a negative environment. The US is going through maybe the worst time now since the great depression of '29 and when you own as Eric does, what sounds like a fairly large business you CANNOT afford to let your staff get down. Motivating, and keeping them motivated should be very high on your priority list and Eric has done this in brilliant fashion. Joseph Pilatus once said " The pre-requisite for happiness is health and fitness." to paraphrase him, and that is a fact.

If I were Eric I would be instituting a nationwide competition amongst employees in his building materials company to walk every day and I would be PUBLICLY rewarding people in each branch who walked the furthest each month, or the quickest or lost most weight or whatever, you get the picture. I would also reward employees who encouraged other employees to join the "Get Going and Get Fit Club" (You can use that eric :-))and I honestly believe he would have a much healthier (mentally, emotionally, physically, productively and financially) happier business were he to do this.

Why don't we all support Eric by committing to talk to SOMEONE in our circle, be it work social, church, wherever about getting off the couch and onto the road.

C'MON everybody, let's use those NIKE's for the purpose for which they were designed.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wear Adidas.....!

Marbella said...

Good blog Dougal, and you have to hand it to ERIC, he´s doing well in a not-so-well situation. I have been pushing walking now for quite awhile. You would be surprised how difficult it is to get people to move it. Of all my friends, only 1 walks. I find the NIKE+ Challenge such a great help in animating people to move it and move faster....
Lynda

Margaret2007 said...

I take a walk around our grounds at work twice a day during the 2 10 minute breaks we are alloted. My takeoff area is the loading dock where the smokers congregate...I always ask if anyone wants to join me...none of the smokers have, but other co-workers have. It really clears the mind to breathe some fresh air during that 8 min time!

Yes, we need to keep inviting others to find the magic that we've all come across...regular exercise!!! Great post Dougal.

juli gets happy said...

Fantastic idea, Dougal.

In Europe we have step-counting contests with online features where each employee can fill in the daily steps and it is mostly sponsored by health-insurance-companies. They even offer free pedometers for the participants. My employess will join in one challnge in November, "who is the one with the most steps"...mens sana in corpore sano.

The NIKE+-challnge is a fantastic thing, but a small pedometer is good for accoutability too. 10.000 steps per day would be great.

Eric does so well by motivating his employees every day for a walk.

Thank you for postng all this here.

Juli

Anonymous said...

Yay Dougal! Great idea.