Some parents don't listen to their children unless they're misbehaving, but wise parents are proactive and involved; they know what their kids are up to, especially when they're quiet.
This is something we all know, but when we're putting out fires at work, we may neglect other important areas of our lives.
Our personal health is one of those areas.
A lot of people don't think about their health until something goes wrong. Even then, they may neglect the body's messages: poor sleep, chronic tiredness, nagging aches and changes in the bodily functions they take for granted.
But health isn't defined as the absence of disease and good health care is not just the treatment of illness.
I define health as the optimal balance of the important areas of your life and achieving your positive potential in each of those areas.
Just as your organization has mission and vision statements, I believe each of us should have a personal mission statement and a vision that serves as a compass. By looking at our compass as we go about our daily lives - rather than when we're already lost - we are more likely to stay on track.
My personal mission is to achieve my positive potential in life and to help others achieve theirs. At work, I try to do more than solve each patient's list of medical problems. I seek to see the whole person, their challenges in the context of their emotional, physical and social health, and to help them achieve their personal goals.
But few of us will achieve our goals unless we articulate them.
Each day, I look at my mandala - a large circle with 10 smaller spheres around its perimeter. Each of the spheres represents an important area of my life: my family, mental well-being, emotional health, rest and play, spiritual health, social health, physical wellbeing, work, financial well-being and environmental health.
Each day, I take a moment to consider just two of those spheres. On Monday I may think about my family and social life. I have chosen three or four goals for each sphere, and I use them as guideposts.
My goals for my family are to spend enough time and attention with my spouse and children, to nurture each relationship and to maintain a loving and supportive home.
To attend to your health and to find balance in your life, you can't afford to wait until your next vacation or serious illness. You can't wait for a quieter time to start eating healthier meals, catching up on sleep, cutting down on alcohol, quitting smoking or starting an exercise program. You have to recognize the priorities in your life and add them to your schedule until healthier living becomes a routine.
I get to bed by 9: 30 p.m. to wake up each day at 5 a.m. I'll swim 80 lengths at the pool and be back home in time to have breakfast with my family and drive my daughter to school.
During a busy day, I schedule time for a healthy lunch and a shorter rest break during the morning and the afternoon.
A healthy life balance doesn't come naturally.
Our lives are in constant motion and change is inevitable, but to be at our best we should strive for that dynamic balance.
