Managing Goals

Goals Can - Friend or Foe

By the time you read through this post you will understand where I have been and why I have not posted again for a while.  I do look forward to getting back to a regular schedule of posting 2 -3 posts per week.  I am hoping for 2 during the week and then Sunday to pay respect to God and what he has done for me.

I have not been keeping track of my diabetic statistics and again you will find out why in a moment.

I do want to welcome all visitors and we continue to attract new ones even when I take time out from posting.

I also ask you continue to pray for the 239 passengers on Malaysia flight MH370.  I also ask that you continue to pray for Gabby and that his conflicting diseases can be managed to a successful recovery.

Original Goal Posting

Set goals be realistic was my original post on setting goals and being realistic.  You can refer back to that post to see what my long term vision and goals entailed.

But if you do not want to go back - basically I was outlining how I want to get back into playing golf on a competitive basis as a reward for my work in getting my health under control. I think it is important to have these dreams so that when we are down or when the disease appears to be winning - we have some tools and weapons to use to fight off depression, anger, frustration, or any other down feelings.

When Goals Conflict

So I have basically two major goals I am working towards - health management and playing golf on a competitive basis again.  There are other goals and things I want to do but one is a needed goal and the other in my mind is a reward goal.

This past month these two goals were in conflict with each other and that is not good.  The goal of competing again was not clear or specific enough to measure - that is when a goal can go wrong.  I stated I wanted to be able to compete and in the beginning it meant just go out there and be able to play a couple of days at a tournament, not get tired, and post a respectable score.

Does not appear to be harmful at that level. Last week, I competed in my first event that meant something - The Tennessee State Sr. Olympics Qualifier.  If I could land first place in my age bracket I would go on to Nationals and if I posted a qualifying score of 80 I could go to nationals.  For me, to post an 80 is no problem as I have been practicing and knew I could do that.

All the time a goal change was happening in my mind and I did not recognize it and did not keep it in check or manage it.  My mind switched from thinking about competing and being respectable to "Let's do this and go to Nationals!"  I had set an unofficial goal and a goal not well defined in my mind.

I started spending each waking hour and moment on practice and that along with some unplanned time management scenarios, I was not getting to the gym as regular as I needed to and also found myself eating more on the course versus out of my kitchen.  My "healthy" goal started to take a back seat to my golfing goal - all because I was not planning or managing to the original goal.

So my weight has gone up a couple of pounds and my blood glucose levels have increased - to levels back last year when I was early in my journey.

So there I am stuck in a mindset where my mind, heart, and soul is driving out goals that I was not prepared to handle or manage properly.

The good news is, I did successfully qualify for Nationals next year - but at what price and was it all worth it. Now that it is all over, I would say no.  It is a big deal to be going to Nationals but not at a price of missing my health goals - so while the golf goal was helping me manage my health goal - it was a friend.  However, when it dominated and I forgot my health goal - it was an enemy or foe!  

BEWARE OF GOALS WEARING A CLOAK OF GOODNESS WHEN THEY ARE TRULY CLOAKED IN DISASTER.

In the Moment Goal Management

During the course of play - I did use some very good methods to overcome events that were impacting my golf game and I think explaining how I got through the round then can be matched to how we can use Goals and Goal Management to help us with our disease.

I am a member of the American Diabetes Association as you are aware.  Marty98 (we have handles) posted a comment a while back to someone who was struggling and Marty98 said something I could relate to - Managing In The Moment. She was discussing how she sometimes uses this just to get through the day - like okay "Now it is time to tie my shoe" and she focuses on the moment to get through it.

In golf, we call that "Managing your score, one shot at a time."  This is what got me thinking, how do we use these special techniques to help us get through our daily events and through life without this disease getting us down.

In my round of golf I was teamed with someone who would not stop talking and thought he was "Mr Know It All."  Now to a guy like me, that hurts as I know I am Mr. Know It All and I want no competition.  Not actually true but some of my close friends would find this funny.

So I was bothered the first day and shot a horrible score which took away the concept of winning.  So My goal on day 1 was to win but by the end of the day, I had a new goal - just qualify.  All along neither of those goals matched my original goal but they were the ones in my head that day.

On the second day I was paired with him again in the cart.  I was bound and determined I was not going to let him bother me.  To qualify, I had to shoot an 80 in my age bracket.  So I started off well but 3 holes into it he was getting to me again and I shot a 42 on the front side.  That meant I had to stay very clean for the back nine and shoot a score of 38 which is only 2 over par - the perfect score in golf.

As I made the turn or started to play the back nine, I tried to put myself in the moment and play one hole at a time.  As luck would have it, I boogied hole 10 and was now at the point I could only drop 1 more shot in the next 8 holes.  I was really in a bad way now and had to tighten my focus and goals.  I switched to one shot at a time and worked on taking the score out of my mind.  It was almost like "okay time to tie your shoe now."  But in my case it was I am here now and how do I get this ball in that hole in regulation.

I was successful in "living in the moment" or "one shot at a time" and it helped me reach my over all goal - qualify for Nationals.

How Does This Apply to Diabetes 

I think they are very similar in many ways and managing the "beast" within us is an every second job.  However, none of us can live that way and things do get in our way so we must be prepared to change and adopt as life throws us curves.

Blood Glucose Level

We have a meter, a finger prick, and an instant reading on how our blood glucose level is at that given moment.  We can live in this moment to decide what to do.  If it is high, maybe a little walk to bring it down is important.  If I am a little low, maybe I need to eat something.  Or maybe it is okay but I have not eaten for a while so should I consume some food or not and how much.

The meter can be used to define for us a current situation and then we train ourselves to live by the reading.

On a longer term basis, we have our A1c that is a 60-90 day average of our blood glucose reading.  I am always amazed at this knowing our bodies know how important all of this is to be able to have an average built into our blood DNA.  This helps us establish a more realistic goal - what do I want to be at the next test.  We reach this goal by monitoring our meter and making sure we monitor our blood glucose level "in the now."  It is simple then to monitor - go in, take the test, and see how we are doing with our goal.  Much like my qualifying 80, I am okay - could do better but I reached my goal.  Or maybe I did did not qualify and what can I do better the next time.

From there it is time to look at the next visit and determine what the new goal will be and how will we manage to that goal.

Life's Interfering Moments

Like my golf game, life throws things at us on a regular basis - just to keep us on our toes.  When these events hit - like our meters, we need to manage through the moment or take one shot at a time - okay breath, relax, deal with the change, and put a new course in place.

Many times people ask what I do in these situations when frustration hits, or depression comes calling, or maybe I am happy and want to celebrate.

There is no easy answer and since I am in computers and not a psychologist ,  I am not the one to answer the question.  However, I do have some things that I use to help manage through the event and stay the course:

1. Change is going to happen, learn to embrace the change and put a plan in action.  If you know the Serenity Prayer, you learn to accept the things you cannot change and change the things you can.  In simple terms, learn to know what is in your power to control and manage, the rest give it up to your Higher Power to help guide you through those times

2.  Breath or relax.  Make you first reaction to a change as taking a breath and slowing down your mind so you are in control not your emotions.  Give you mind a chance to do what it does best - rationalize what it knows and move you out of harm's way.  Often times we fight this and that causes us to stay worried as we have no plan to manage the moment.

3. When depression sits in, I have learned to identify it quickly.  I am lucky as I am not clinically depressed - so keep in mind, I am not talking to those who are.  I am talking to those of us who can manage it on our own.  Once I identify I am depressed, I get myself up and usually go exercise to get the mind and body working again.  Or I read a good book or listen to Christian music - find something that lifts you up.

I hope all of this makes sense.

May God grant us the ability to live in the moment and not think of the past and worry about the future.  May he allow us the wisdom to know how living in the moment and making each moment a success will allow us to reach our goals with success.  May he also help us set goals that make sense for us and not the other guy.

Bob,

 

I Still Hate Exercise

But my body does not!

BS - 113 this morning.  Since I have missed exercise for two days while on my golfing spree - and my sugars were up this morning - I would discuss exercise and diabetes and how I am doing

My love for exercise

If you did not catch my first post on this, please read, but I do hate exercise and I still hate it.  I have been at it for two months now and I can say the lifestyle change has been great and my body now desires the workout.  But for me - I still hate going to the gym to work out.

I have always walked the dog for 2 miles - say one and sometimes two times a day.  Many times I cannot walk the dog and my wife walks the dog - like a kid I picked up the dog and now she has to take care of him.  She is so sweet!

This exercise probably helps but not that much.

We diabetics need to do more.

My routine now is 1 hour on the tread mill where I start with a pace of 3.0 for 5 minutes to warm up.  Then I increase the speed to 3.5 and every 5 minutes I raise the incline 1 degree.  There are times I will raise the speed to 4.0

This is followed by 45 minutes of lifting weights - various forms of lifting.  I will focus on legs one day and arms the next day.  However, each day they both get some work out.

How does exercise help control blood sugars?

• Improves your body's use of insulin
• Burns excess body fat, helping to decrease and control weight (decreased body fat results in improved insulin sensitivity)
• Improves muscle strength
• Increases bone density and strength
• Lowers blood pressure
• Helps to protect against heart and blood vessel disease by lowering 'bad' LDL cholesterol and increasing 'good' HDL cholesterol
• Improves blood circulation and reducing your risk of heart disease and stroke
• Increases energy level and enhancing work capacity
• Reduces stress, promoting relaxation, and releasing tension and anxiety

Too much stress?

Intense exercise can have the opposite effect and actually temporarily increase your blood glucose levels right after you stop exercising. This is especially true for many people with diabetes. The body recognizes intense exercise as a stress and releases stress hormones that tell your body to increase available blood sugar to fuel your muscles.  If you have diabetes you may need to check your sugar after exercise to see if this happens to you. 

I do not take my kit as I do not do extreme exercise but I might be getting there.

Are there times we should be careful?

In some cases, you should hold off on exercising if your blood sugar is very high and your body is producing ketones. Ask your doctor about if and when you should hold off on exercise.

How does exercise help control blood sugars?

Normally, insulin is released from the pancreas when the amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood increases, such as after eating. Insulin stimulates the liver and muscles to take in excess glucose. This results in a lowering of the blood sugar level.

When exercising, the body needs extra energy or fuel (in the form of glucose) for the exercising muscles. For short bursts of exercise, such as a quick sprint to catch the bus, the muscles and the liver can release stores of glucose for fuel. With continued moderate exercising, however, your muscles take up glucose at up to 20 times the normal rate. This helps lowers blood sugar levels. At the same time insulin levels may drop in anyone not taking insulin so the risks of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar is minimized.

My request of you!

Please do your body justice and start doing something today.  I cannot explain how great I feel these days and the energy level is up there.  I cannot say it is all exercise; but on the days I do not go my body knows it.  My lovely wife has been asking me for years to go exercise versus sitting around on the couch or working at my desk.

As always, she has been 100% correct.  So I am pleading with you, Get Up, Get Going, and Get To Doing Something!  This will be your new motivator and we will all use this to make changes.  Your body needs it and your loved ones will enjoy the new you.  You being the closest loved one you have.   But most of all, your blood sugars will enjoy not being so high.

If you stay with something for 21 days it becomes a habit and it will become a lifestyle change.

For a guy who hates to exercise - my body now asks for it and it keeps me motivated, 

Set a goal - take 15 minutes out of the day and promise yourself you will do something today requiring some exercise.  If you do nothing - take a 15 minute walk after a meal.  If you walk a little, add 15 minutes or increase your walking speed.  If you are walking a lot, them time to do something else.  

But please - add some exercise - do not be like me and let it go for so long - make it part of your daily life style. I promise - you will appreciate the move you just made.

God grant us all the ability to Get Up, Get Going, and Get To Doing Something!  May he give us the internal strength to motivate ourselves and to take care of these precious temples he gave to us.  We are only in them for a short period of time; so lets treat them as well as we can.

Bob,

Set Goals - Be Realistic

What is a goal and how do I manage them

Before going moving on, I am still blown away by the number of readers showing up.  Yesterday, we added a new country - Australia.  To our friend in Australia, welcome and hope you find some interesting material in the blog.

I am easy to find on the internet but if anyone wants to email a question directly - bob.dant@gmail.com is the way to do that.  I will try to respond during my night time hours.  Everyone is welcome to email - this is my goal and intent - Make a difference to this community.

BS - 97 fasting this morning (this is amazing and awesome).  Just one month ago I was bragging to the doctor I was getting close to 115 as a fasting level.  Now I am averaging 100.  That is down 57 points from when I started in March 2013.

BP - 107/72 (home machine) - HR 52

In my professional life, I am a consultant who has helped companies turn around, I have invented technologies, and I have managed thousands of people.  I have helped companies establish visions, set goals, define measurable objectives, and put in place tactical plans to deliver on the vision.   I have helped many people establish career goals and then develop a plan to get there.

But in my daily life, it is difficult to apply those thought patterns to help me change - and many of us diabetics do have to change.  So I thought I would take this post and see if I can make this simple and explain how I used my professional knowledge to help me drive my life style change.  Again, if you have specific questions - go ahead and email.

Long Term - What (Vision)?

I think this is the most difficult for a diabetic.  Long term, you are and will be a diabetic.  There is no cure, we can only manage or make it better.  There are other diseases out there that are like this - we are not alone. Some of them are deadly and take lives.  With us, we can control and make life style changes that will add to our life; but it is an everyday struggle.

So our long term feels like it will never come.  So my suggestion is to think of your life and managing your disease  in 3-5 year stages as a business does.  Bill Gates did not set a vision to own and run a 90  billion dollar company of Watson did not set out to build IBM.  They went there in stages and you must as well.  So pick something that is out there on the horizon that you can enjoy and make that your vision.

A vision is something that we can see in our mind's eye.  Your mind is a mighty weapon in all of this or it can be your worst enemy.  It has the ability to allow you to see into the future and see your self in a happy place.  Let it do that.  Sit back and say - 3 years from now here is something I would want to do that I would really enjoy.  Sit quietly and allow your mind to work its wonders.

What was one of my visions - I want to be able to play a competitive round of golf as a super senior.  When I am age 65, I can play in that category and I know I will enjoy it because I play golf and I loved playing competitively.  Now I am smart enough to know I cannot just wake up when I am 65 and play golf again.  I need some goals, objectives, and a plan to get there.

Here is a vision or goal I think we should be extremely careful with as it can set us up for quick failure - I need to loose 40 pounds.  I think this is disaster waiting to happen.  I will discuss why this dis not work for me and another thought that did.  But that will be in a later post.

Goals - Milestones we can reach

To move forward then I had to start developing goals for myself.  Goals are just places we want to be in the future.  It is not a measurable item, just a state that we can check in on once in awhile and see how we are doing.  So what were my goals:

• Be fit enough to allow me to play three consecutive days without getting tired during a tournament
• All of this while under the stress of winning or doing well
• Develop a swing that provides consistency and can hold up under stress
• Develop a short game to get me out of trouble when I get into trouble
• Develop an eating style that allows me play and focus on golf - not what time is it and when is my next eating to take place.  Or better yet, eat some higher carbohydrate foods that help provide energy. WOW, a diabetic eating high carbohydrate food and not experiencing a sugar high then a low - what a lofty dream. 

These were just simple break downs that I could check in on, say every six months, and do a gut check if I am doing better.

In case you are reading other material like goals and objectives - know that these terms have often been exchanged for each other.  I like saying goal as it feels to me like it is a place I want to be.

Objectives - Measurable progress

Each of the goals are broken down into objectives that help drive to a completed goal.  At this level I must start thinking about things I can measure that will provide activity monitoring and making sure I am moving forward.  You see, the mind's eye can be your best friend or enemy.  It can give you the perception things are going well when they are not.  So to keep a check on it, we verify and measure with objectives.

So how do I break my goals into objectives.  Well let's just take being fit.  When I am 65, I will be ridding in a cart so you do not have to walk long distances. But I need to have my knees in shape and my heart strong enough so it does not get tired and I do not want to run out of energy so I have to work on stamina as well.

My objectives are simple - these are just a couple:

• For my knees, I know I have to be around 120 pounds of leg lifts of 3 sets of 10.  One of the things I work on in the gym daily.  I am at 90 pounds now - so I can break it down on a monthly basis and see if I am improving.
• Be able to walk on the treadmill for 2 hours with 15 minutes of that at an incline of 3 and a pace of 4.  I am at 35 minutes on the treadmill and can do 5 minutes on my goal.  I can measure this monthly and see how I am doing.

 Making it work weekly to keep you going

Now for the real trick, or the secret I use to keep myself up each week and try to stay positive and reach my vision, goals, and objectives.  I see where I am at mentally, emotionally, and physically and try to break the week down like a vision, what do I want to be able to accomplish this week. 

With my new swing change, I am struggling and my scores going the wrong direction.  Sound familiar.  So instead of quitting and being discouraged, this week I am working specifically on my hand action at impact of ball.  I have a tendency to cast versus swing through the ball.  So instead of worrying about my score or how good or bad I am playing, this week I have made it a mission to develop a good feeling for the proper hand action. I need short term steps to keep myself on the journey.  It is too easy to quit and say the vision was too much to achieve.  

I do this same thing with my diabetes and life style change.  I find myself being up and down and could not figure out why - I should feel good all of the time - I have gotten myself off medications.  But it is not that simple, I need to establish new goals as I have reached some of my old ones.  I needed something to help me stay focused on this disease and not ride the emotional up and down.  My new goal was to get involved and make a difference to this community. That is a nice vision and then I had to break it down into some goals.  One goal - start a blog.

This blog is my diary and journal.  I am in control and can say what I want - it provides a release valve.  I am also encouraged by the many readers - I am amazed at how many people felt alone like I did.  I do not know your faces, names, or who you are - but I do see the count of readers daily.  It makes me feel a part of a community of caring people.  I can once again develop a vision, goals, and objectives around my disease and manage it daily without losing hope.

May God bless you in your journey and help your mind's eye give you a journey you can see and enjoy achieving.  

Bob,