I was listening to an interview with Sam Mitchell, Hawthorn football club star, and he had some wise words to say, that are applicable to all of us every day.

Firstly, he was initially overlooked in the draft because he was considered “too short and too slow”. It was the era of Anthony Koutifides a formidable goliath of a player and this was considered to be the player prototype that all players should be in the future. But Mitchell had skill and awareness, a little like another “slow” Carlton player called Greg Williams who even won a Brownlow Medal. What Mitchell lacked in speed, he made up for in other areas.

He was asked about whether Hawthorn could win 4 premierships in a row and whether the players felt any pressure. He said that the focus was never on the “big picture” but was always on the small tasks that needed to be completed each day and each week to continue the improvement cycle.

In a similar way, once we have established our own health goals, we should then just focus on the daily tasks that need to be completed. Break that up even further and we come to the health goals of each small chunk of the day. Consider the various components:

• Waking routine
• Pre-breakfast routine
• Breakfast
• Morning routine, including morning tea break
• Lunch
• Post lunch to end of work day
• End of work to return to home
• Home routine after work
• Predinner
• Dinner
• After dinner
• Sleep

If you can aim to to achieve success in each chunk, then your daily routine will be on track, and you will automatically move in the direction of achieving your health and wellness goals.

Be Well

In Health and Wellness