Be, Be the Bamboo to Lose Weight and Improve Your Wellness

Don Grier

One of my favorite movies is Caddy Shack.  One of my favorite lines is when Chevy Chase tells Danny his philosophy on life and golf.  He says, “Stop thinking. Let things happen and be, be the ball.”  Chevy then goes on to hit a perfect golf shot blindfolded.  Danny then tries after prodding from Chevy and sends the ball into the pond. Why am I discussing a comedy movie on today’s Change Well podcast?  Like Chevy, I want to pass on some hard-learned lessons using a fitting metaphor.  Hopefully, my metaphor will lead to a successful wellness journey without the need to fish your ball out of a pond.  So, to all the Dannys and Danielles out there, if you want to Change Well, be, be the bamboo.

Why did I pick bamboo, of all things, for my words of wisdom?  Bamboo has many characteristics and traits you should strive for to improve your health and wellness.  Here are a few reasons to be like the bamboo when facing life’s challenges. You can listen to the podcast here

1.  Bend, but don’t break. 

Bamboo, when facing a stiff wind, bends but does not break.  Likewise, when you face a challenge or stressor, you should adapt to the challenge, bending but not falling back to negative behavior such as stress eating.  Practice the resilience of bamboo and be flexible.  If things do not go your way immediately, adapt and go with the flow.  The storm will pass, and you will be stronger when facing the challenge.

2.  Build a robust root system. 

Bamboo is slow-growing.  You do not know the plant is taking root for the first five years.  But during this time, bamboo grows in an extensive root system.  Likewise, a person trying to grow healthy and mentally resilient must nurture a system of habits that will nourish them to become a new, better person.  The first tendrils of wellness may not seem much.  In my case,  my first tentative steps to wellness were small.  I started walking around the block and changing my late afternoon cupful of M&Ms for an apple.  I started with only five minutes of meditating and listening to a poem to nourish my soul. 

But this network of habits built upon each other over time and spread. I tracked the increasing support system of positive, nourishing habits with a phone application called Streaks, which showed growth and consistency.  I went from 5 minutes of meditating to 30 minutes of prayer and 2,000 steps to 10,000.  Like bamboo, the changes from this network of habits were not very noticeable at first but formed a robust root system that nourished explosive growth in wellness over time.

3. Build upon your foundation for explosive growth in wellness.

The five years bamboo spends building roots underground pays off in rapid development.  Once the root system is set, bamboo explodes upward, growing up to thirty-five inches in a single day and thirty meters high overall.  Once you build a network of reinforcing wellness habits, you should seize on it like bamboo and grow to even higher goals.  Once you have your wellness habits set, it is important to keep pressing forward by redefining your goals and changing your why.  Here is an example from my wellness journey. Once I hit my target weight, I pushed on to a new goal of walking fifty miles in one day to support Veterans.  After that, I changed it up, became a certified cycling instructor, and participated in five hours straight in spin classes to raise money for St. Jude’s Hospital.  Having spent all that time and effort building your foundation, be like the bamboo and explode upward, building on each goal using your root system for nourishment.

4.  Adapt to the environment. 

Another fantastic quality of bamboo is that it grows in many different climates. It is resistant to disease and pests and needs little water.  In fact, during hot, dry periods, Bamboo leaves curl up to conserve water.  In a drought, some of the leaves even fall off to self-mulch. 

When you embark on your wellness journey, the adaptability of bamboo provides a powerful example.  If the weather turns cold, like in Des Moines, Iowa, look for an indoor venue to keep your walking habit up.  In my case, I walk around the Des Moines skywalk.  If you are on a work trip out of town, look to the concierge lounge to load up on the vegetable plate instead of having a heavy dinner on an expense count.   You can thrive like bamboo in any environment with some planning and forethought.

5. Strength through simplicity. 

Bamboo’s strength comes from its simplicity.  Unbelievably, bamboo has more compressive strength than concrete and has a comparable strength-to-weight ratio as steel.  This strength is due to its uncomplicated design, a hollow fibrous tube with few leaves or branches.  Likewise, when structuring a strong wellness practice, you should avoid the clutter of fad diets and the latest trends and exercises.  Instead, focus on simple and effective walking practices, sufficient sleep, a well-balanced diet, and quiet time away from stress.  Focusing on the simple and decluttering your life from stressors will strengthen you against life’s challenges. 

The Well-Led Guidelines

Don Grier

PjWe at Wellness Leadership, LLC believe that today’s best-led organizations focus on the wellness of their employees first! Gone are the days when you had to decide between mission and people.  The best way to accomplish the corporate mission is to enable your people to fulfill their purpose! 

Our well-led guidelines operate within the risk management domain.  Every Project Management Professional knows that there are three critical constraints of project management, also known as the Iron Triangle of Project Management: scope, schedule, and budget.  They also are aware of the significant risks that impact these components.  For example, we all know that disagreement among stakeholders over requirements or vision can lead to scope creep and, in turn, impact budget and time.  Likewise, a delay in an external dependency, such as a related project, can impact the schedule and cost.

Yes, the average PMP can rattle off the key risks from the PMI manual and may even be able to come up with a mitigation plan for that risk.  However, in my thirty years of experience running projects and teams, I have seen more projects and organizations go off the rails by inadequately accounting for employee wellness.  Here are just three examples.

  1. A project scheduled its critical initial deployment one week after Diwali.  Consequently, when a problem arose just before the release, the vital resources from the India delivery center needed to be on hand to correct the problem.  The US-based leadership team had addressed the timing for Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks but needed to remember the critical holiday time for most of the resources for their global team.
  2. A key developer and informal project leader needed to trust the underlying architecture and voice his opinion to management.  Instead of discussing and addressing the concern, the project lead indicated that the architecture was used on thousands of projects.  The developer only wanted to make a minor recommendation, but due to the lack of attention, they left the project, taking some critical resources with him.
  3.  A project was pushing toward a tight deadline and shifted to a mandatory work schedule.  The new schedule impacted the employee’s non-work appointments, such as school and daycare pick-up, causing anxiety and resentment.  As a result, absenteeism increased, and productivity decreased, impacting the schedule even more.

I could name many more examples, but it would fill an entire book.  Instead, I have categorized the top fifteen wellness considerations for projects, programs, and organizations, along with approaches to address these considerations

Five Summer Time Tricks To Stay Fit

Don Grier

Summer officially starts tomorrow, June 20, but the heat index has already crept into the 100s in Austin for a few days.   If you want to continue to Change Well with physical activity, we all need a few tricks to stay cool when it is hot.  Here are a few techniques I use to keep active during the doldrums of August. 

1. Sunrise, Sunset.  They say the early bird catches the worm.  But I say the early walker catches the cool breeze. (ok, make that a warm breeze in Texas).  The good news for those working is that the sun rises earlier and sets later in the summer.  That means you don’t need to search for a flashlight to take your walk before or after work.  I always use the early and late sun to walk before or after work (or both).  This way, I catch the morning sunrise or glorious sunset when the temperature is less hot.  You rejuvenate yourself before a busy day or decompress after a stressful one.  Nothing soothes stress better than birdsong carried on a cool morning breeze or seeing the sun touch down over a shimmering pond.   To change up the lyrics a bit from a song from Fiddler on the Roof:

Sunrise, Sunset,
Sunrise, Sunset,
Avoid the heat of day,
Cool breezes fade after the morning,
Turning into a stifling haze.

Sunrise, Sunset,
Sunrise, Sunset,
Wait until the evening comes,
Take a walk with the moon and birdsong,
That way, you can walk extra-long.

2.  Stay Cool In The Pool. Playing in the pool is one way to exercise and avoid heat exhaustion. But what if you are not Michael Phelps or Katie Ledecky?  I am assuredly not a great swimmer.  I did not know how to swim until I was a plebe at West Point and never got out of the rock squad (those who sink like a rock).  I still do not know how I passed with a C- since I nearly drowned during the timed swim.   

You can engage in activities in the pool other than swimming, even if you’re not in the best shape.  The one that helped me when I was first beginning my weight loss journey was water aerobics. Weighing in at 350+, I entered the pool because it was the only thing I could do without my joints protesting.  Once I overcame my initial self-consciousness of being the youngest in the class, I found that water aerobics provided a fantastic workout. The best part was that I didn’t need to be overly coordinated.  It was my first step in reclaiming my fitness, and it’s still a reliable exercise option when the weather gets hot. 

For all the young parents out there, playing with your children in the pool is not just a way to beat the heat but also a fun way to stay in shape.  When my oldest daughter was learning to swim (not from me, the Rock, but from classes), we used to have a blast playing a game called Butterfly.  I would lift her and toss her in the pool, singing, “Butterfly, butterfly, how high can you fly?”.  She would then swim 15 feet back to me and respond upon return, “Over the trees and meadows!”.   We sometimes repeated that for about 20 minutes. This is how she learned how to swim, and I got my weightlifting done. The bottom line is to be creative when staying cool in the pool and enjoying precious moments with your children.

3.  Drink and Know Things. One of my favorite lines from Game of Thrones is when Tyrian says, “I drink, and I know things.”   I even have a T-shirt with that saying. This is good advice for the summer as long as, unlike Tyrian, you drink water instead of wine and know when to stop and stay hydrated.  You may be saying that advice is obvious.  I might agree.  But here is something that is not as obvious.  You can drink a lot of water and not remain hydrated.  Here is what I mean.

I went on a Kennedy Walk (50 miles in one day) during a hot day. I kept stopping at water stations along the way and became waterlogged. However, around mile marker 35, my muscles cramped up terribly, and I became woozy.  Then I realized that I had not been taking enough electrolytes and had sweated out most of the salt in my body.  I stumbled to a nearby store and was crestfallen when they ran out of Gatorade.  Luckily, they had some jars of pickles.  So I ate some pickles and drank pickle juice and got better.  The story’s moral is that staying hydrated means also watching your electrolytes.  So drink electrolytes with your water, or you’ll be in a pickle.  Ok, that was corny even for me!

4.  Buddy Up.  I usually walk alone to listen to the latest David Baldacci book.  But in the summer, I know enough to buddy up when hiking.  First, it will keep you motivated.  But more importantly, you can watch out for one another.

If I have to exercise in the heat, I try to find a friend to come with me.  This advice has saved me on several occasions directly and probably a lot more indirectly.  Here is an example.   I enlisted my youngest daughter to come with me on a walk one early fall day.  Even though the place we were walking in was wooded, we unfortunately got a bit lost.  Plus, the temperature, which was supposed to be in the low eighties, jumped into the nineties (never trust a weather report).  We finally found our way out, but it would have been scary if I had been alone in the woods in the heat. 

5.  Switch it up with indoor activities.  Lastly, summer is an excellent time to switch up with some indoor activities.  My go-to exercise will always be hiking in nature.  However, it is time to try something indoors when it is 110 in the shade.   Summer, for me, is an excellent time to take on a new Peloton exercise series or to catch up with some low-impact on YouTube with Paul Eugene. Also, if I want to go on a walk, I can always catch up with the latest stores at the mall or what is happening at Costco.

These are five ways to beat the Summer heat and keep your fitness progressing.  Other recommendations include wearing sunscreen and head covering outdoors, bringing a wet towel to cool off, or, better yet, taking a cool shower after working out.  Lastly, do not forget about your pets when you take them outside.  The first rule of “Sunrise, Sunset” is essential for a dog’s paws.   So take them out before the sidewalk gets too hot.  Remember these rules so you can continue to change well, even in the summer heat!

The Gift of Fatherhood: 5 Ways It Shaped Me into a Better Person

Don Grier

I am looking forward to Father’s Day this Sunday.  I cherish every gift my children have given me over these 36 years of Fatherhood, from plaster cast moldings of their handprints to more recent gifts to events and workshops.  I also love getting some barbeque and a few beers.   But the greatest gift of all is the opportunity, along with my wife, to raise four empathetic, brilliant, and kind adults.   Quite frankly, I believe that instead of getting gifts this Sunday, I should be giving gifts back for the opportunity of being a Father. 

Fatherhood is not always given proper recognition in today’s society. But today’s blog is not focused on the positive impact of fathers on their families and communities. I have written a previous blog called Let’s Celebrate Fathers as Builders. Today, my focus is on the positive benefits of being a father for the father himself.  Indeed, I am healthier, happier, and kinder through my vocation of Fatherhood, and I thank the Father above for giving me the mission!

Here are five ways being an engaged Dad has made me better.

1. It made me more patient. I still need work in this area, but I cannot imagine how I would have turned out if we had not had kids. From the start, I have been an impatient person. My Papaw gave all his grandchildren a nickname. Mine was “Walkie-Talkie” because I always walking, talking, and going places. 

I was hurrying to the top and impatient about anything that got in the way.  But being a father has a way of slowing you down. For example, you can’t walk fast if you are trying to lead a toddler to take their first steps, teach your kid math, or take your daughter to buy a prom dress (especially if it is my middle daughter 😊).  If you don’t take the time to listen, you will miss your child growing up.  Plus, why are you hurrying in the first place?  You will blink, and your children will all be grown up.  So follow that lyric from the old 70’s song by Wayne Newton, Daddy Don’t You Walk So Fast.

Daddy, don’t you walk so fast

Daddy, don’t you walk so fast

Daddy, slow down some ’cause you’re makin’ me run

Daddy, don’t you walk so fast

2.  It made me lighten up.  Unfortunately, impatience was not the only thing that I needed to work on as I took on my role as a Father.  To say that I am an intense, serious person is an understatement.  I am strictly Type A by nature and find it hard to loosen up and have fun.  Some of my current friends would disagree but did not know me before fatherhood.  Here is an example of my intensity. 

My mom went with me to back to school day back in my junior year when we moved to Texas.  Every 15 minutes, we would have to switch classes and meet the teacher.  I walked directly to class while people were trying to flag me down and say hello or joke.  In her Jersey accent, my mom would say Donn…nie, why didn’t you say hi to those cute girls saying hi to you?  I said something like Mom, we have to get to class, and I do not want us to be late.  As always, I was too focused on the mission and what was next.  I did not have time to have fun or laugh.

But it is hard not to laugh and have fun with your children.  They have an excellent way of humbling you and making you see the humor in everyday life.  How can you not laugh when they smile at you, dance with crazy legs to the Back Street Boys, or even put their pants on backward?    These are just a few of the things.  I also had a hidden gift for kid songs and stories.  I had always written poetry and stories, but they were all serious and overly dramatic.  But as a dad, I found I had a knack for stories.  My oldest daughter and her friends still remember “The Tales of Super Guinea and Sharky Shark” and Super Fanny Pack Mom. 

3.  It helped me stay fit and get healthy. Being a dad is a catalyst for maintaining your health, and if you lose your health, a prod to turn it around.  When the children were younger, staying fit to keep up with them was relatively easy.  I even made up fitness routines for shopping when I could not exercise alone.  Here is an idea for dads who need to get groceries with the kids in tow.  It is called Crazy Cart.  I used to go to HEB with my two middle children in twin seats in the shopping cart and my oldest daughter running alongside me.  We see how fast we could run up and down the aisles shopping while other shoppers jumped out of the way.  Our record for $100 in groceries was under 8 minutes!  Later, I loved playing soccer with my son in the backyard.  When he was little, I let him get ahead, and then I would return and win until I could not!

Later, as they got older and entered their school sports, I gained weight by focusing on work and making money for the family.  Then, wanting to be around them as they struck out on their lives made me want to get healthy.  I remember my son’s high school graduation, which was one of the catalysts for me returning to shape.  Weighing in at 350+, I was ashamed to be in his picture.  The fact that he was happy for me to share that day spurred me on to better for him and myself.  Four years later, I was 170 pounds lighter for his college graduation.

4.  It helped me with empathy and emotional intelligence. From our discussion so far, you can probably tell I did not have a high EQ before becoming a father. Dads have to become more empathetic and emotionally aware as they adjust to their children’s different talents. Each kid is unique, with a different way of reacting to you.   For example, I have the Dad voice of all Dad voices.  However, it is highly counterproductive when dealing with my middle daughter.  It’s a liability more than an asset with all the kids, but that is the empathy side.  I had to find different ways to connect with each kid and meet them where they are.  

5. It helped me become a better team player.  Lastly, being a Dad made me a better team player, especially with my wife.  As parents, you need to present a united front.   Kids are adept at finding any difference in their parent’s opinions and using it to their advantage.  Also, a family unit is built on loyalty, teamwork, and sacrifice.  Individual contributors need not apply. 

So there you have it—five ways the gift of fatherhood made me a better person.  I want to close with a poem that I wrote about the most outstanding achievement of any father and his wife.  A great family.  I wrote this poem at my youngest daughter’s graduation ceremony after seeing a picture of my four children at that event.

Some invest in stocks,
Others purchase gold,
Other invest in real estate,
And Futures bought and sold,

But we invest in our kids,
My lovely wife and I,
And moments like your graduation,
Make me want to cry,

With a heartfelt exclamation,
And thankfulness unbound,
With joyfulness and love,
And smiles all around!