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Fitness | Pam Kamensky
Pam Kamensky is a Certified Personal Trainer &
Group Exercise Instructor with over 20 years’
experience of personal training and teaching
fitness classes. She also works as Group Fitness
Director for Complete Fitness at both South Hills
Locations. Pam has worked as a Master Trainer
for TurboKic, and currently serves as an AFAA
Examiner. She holds numerous certifications,
including AFAA, NETA, TurboKick, Promise
Enterprises, AFAA Cycle and SilverSneakers.
Complete Fitness’ New Location:
South Fayette @ 3089 Washington Avenue
Bridgeville, PA 15017. Call 412-221-2345 or
visit www.yourcompletefitness.com
Seven Ways to Live a
More Balanced Life
Balance. What does it mean to have balance in your life? Is it
possible to do it all and keep everything functioning smoothly?
Imagine a circus performer on a tight rope. You can picture her with
eyes fixed on one spot, focused, yet in constant motion, shifting
weight from side to side, teetering, and making tiny adjustments to
counteract the pull of gravity. That visual alone reminds us that the
act of maintaining balance requires us to make constant adjustments,
be focused, and yet remain flexible.
All of us want and hope for balance. But doing it all means
something has to suffer. To do it all means all of your obligations,
interests, and passions will have to be divided among your available
time. Sorry. That’s the fact, Jack. No way around it. Here are seven
ways to take control of those things that you think you have to do,
and that which you should or need to do.
1. List your current priorities on paper.
As circumstances change, so,
too, will your priorities, and therefore your schedule. Any shift in
circumstances: work-load, family, finances, health, etc. should require
that you revisit your written list of priorities.
2. Calendar or timeline all regularly scheduled activities.
List everything, including leisure and time spent sleeping. Closely
estimate the amount of total time each activity requires.
3. Circle all activities or obligations that contradict your present
order of priorities.
This is going to take some courage. In some
instances, it takes a non-objective 3rd party. Here’s a personal
example: One of my weekly activities was a late evening class at a club
35 minutes away. I taught the class for years and felt the students
would perish if I gave it up! It took a friend to point out that by
keeping the class, I was actually hurting my young family in terms of
loss of time with them, and the increased stress that it caused by
knowingly staying in the circumstance. Giving up that class was far
less painful than I imagined. Much to my surprise, not even one
student “died.” In fact, it was rumored that life went on, and they
eventually fell in love with a new instructor.
4. Take immediate action.
Each item you bravely circled now needs
to be removed. These aren’t areas that you are going to try to do
better. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. The change doesn’t
have to be permanent, but MUST be immediate. If the act of
relinquishing responsibility, inconveniencing others, or change has
you frozen in your tracks, look at your top three priorities and find
the courage to endure a few uncomfortable moments for lasting peace
of mind.
5. Broadcast your priorities:
This serves as both a constant reminder
to yourself and a means of personal accountability. In communicating
your priorities, you also establish your boundaries.
6. Listen for cues from others.
Sometimes we are too close to a
situation to be able to make clear decisions. Listen to the questions
and comments of those you most trust and admire. Has your
significant other suggested that you look tired, seem distant, stressed
or stretched too thin? Have you seen a change in the behavior or
mood of one or more family members? When every day begins to feel
hectic, rushed, and stressful, I know it’s time to take a look at what
I’m doing. I also take cues from my family. When my normally happy
two-year-old son suddenly seemed cranky, needy and unruly,
I recognized that he was responding to feelings he was picking up
from me.
7. Do you mind if I get back to you on that?
Practice saying that
phrase. If you know you should say “no” more often, yet find yourself
saying “yes,” just to be accommodating, try using “Thanks for
thinking of me! Can I get back to you on that?” Just a few days will
give you the time you need to evaluate the opportunity to see how it
fits with your priorities and, if need be, politely decline.
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Home Remodeling 2008
