Relationships - Time With Your Significant Other

Matrix Key - Relationships - Significant Other

Time Together



"Gifts are nice, but relationships don't work without spending time together." Anonymous

Experts suggest couples need to spend fifteen hours of quality time together each week to keep their relationship healthy and happy.  If you have been with your partner for a reasonable amount of time you could probably make a list of ten things that take time away from your relationship in any given week.  

It is important to spend time together actively participating in the same activity.  Maybe you trade off each picking an activity.  Maybe you have always talked about "someday it would be great if we could..."  In order to do so, in the WholeLife Matrix I have identified four concepts to consider:

1. Scheduling
2. Prioritizing
3. One-on-One
4. Larger Groups

As I discussed previously in the blog about time, if you don't schedule something and put it in your calendar, you can have zero expectation of it actually happening.  You need to treat your relationships with the same care and respect you would give to arriving at work on time each day, or showing up for a scheduled doctor appointment or your child's soccer game.

Experts also recommend you spend that time both one-on-one and as part of a larger group.  In fact one great way to nurture your relationship is to spend time among other like minded couples.

Are you and your significant other stuck in a rut not sure what to do?  Here is an inventory you can both fill out to discover new things you might enjoy together. Just schedule something, anything, and get going! Enjoy!

Are you ready to win?

Bring in Professional Support

Matrix Key - Health & WellBeing - Nutrition & Weight - Professional Support

"Don't wait for someone to take you under their wing.  Find a good wing and climb up underneath it." - Frank C. Bucaro

A support team of health and fitness professionals has always been important to professional athletes.  This philosophy has worked down through the ranks of athletes of all kinds - Olympic, college, even high school teams now bring in certified specialists to consult with the athletes.  

This practice has become ever more present for one reason: it works. The good news we all have access to these professionals in one form or another.  Priced to fit your budget - from the high priced at an exclusive gym to budget friendly (even free) support online.  As insurance companies realize the importance of good health in preventing disease, many have started programs where you can work with a nutritionist or weight management coach over the phone.

As I developed the WholeLife Matrix, I consulted with several professionals.  The following four types of professionals are considered the essential team as we work towards optimal nutrition and weight levels.

1. Trainer
2. Chiropractor
3. Nutritionist
4. Psychologist

These four different professionals are all about supporting your journey to balance in a safe and healthy manner.  From the exercises you complete, the foods and nutrients you consume, the alignment of your bones, to the thoughts filling your brain, these people create a perfect support structure.  

Are you ready to win?

Having Fun on Your Own

Matrix Key: Health & WellBeing - Having Fun - Alone

"One can be instructed in society, one is inspired only in solitude."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Ever talk to a really busy person who has the opportunity to be alone for a few hours, a day, or even a weekend?  It sounds like they won the lottery - the opportunity to do whatever they want, on their own schedule, with the freedom to change plans at any moment.  For people who regularly exhaust themselves putting other's needs first, a day alone can be critical for basic health reasons.  But being alone provides many benefits beyond basic recovery.  For many people, that "I've won the lottery" energy comes from the opportunity to be completely immersed in those thoughts and activities which are at the core of their personality and existence.

In the WholeLife Matrix, I consider four aspects of enjoying alone time.  I would love to hear what items you would add to this list:

1. Doing what YOU want to do
2. Absence of guilt
3. Quiet Time
4. Creativity

If you find it hard to enjoy your time alone, start in small steps.  Go for a hike or wander a new neighborhood in your city, spend the afternoon unplugged while you read a book, rent a movie you have always wanted to see, play with watercolors or crayons like you did when you were a child...the important thing is to reconnect with that thought or activity that inspires you, affirms you, and allows you to express more of your unique qualities.

Finally it is important to always remember, we are talking about balance in the WholeLife Matrix.  Time alone needs to be balanced with time with other people - and you need to look at your own table and decide on your personal balance point.  

We continue to offer our Deeper Dive into the WholeLife Matrix, a free bi-weekly discussion of different elements of the WholeLife Matrix. To join the Deeper Dive, email Ralph@Consulting2Win.com, with "Deeper Dive" in the subject line.  We will send you the log-in information for the call.

Are you ready to Win?