Capital Life Works

Mark Twain once said that New Year’s Day was “the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions.  Next week, you can begin paving hell with them as usual.” I don’t know how many people began laying concrete the first week of January.  What I do know is that by the end of January, 33% of all the people who claim to have made a New Year’s resolution will have buried them in the sand.

I doubt anyone will find this startling.  New Year’s resolutions are notorious for being easy to proclaim and difficult to keep. Creating changes in our own lives is always more complex and complicated than we imagined.  We are often unknowingly unprepared for the task.  Besides, no law says you have to keep your resolution. On the other hand, there is no law that says you can’t start over. 

Personally, I stopped making New Year’s resolutions.  As I wrote last year in my blog, “The New Year’s Resolution Revolution“, my resolutions would become tangled up with my Christmas lights.  I regarded them as a holiday tradition; neglecting to confer them with any true value or measure of personal significance.  For me, adhering to the international but arbitrarily assigned starting date of January 1^st was distracting.

This is not to say that resolutions are obstacles to making a change in your life.  On the contrary, they are an excellent if not vital tool for navigating your way through the change process.  If you made a New Year’s resolution that has slipped or is slipping away from you, take a moment to reassess.  Ask yourself if making the change you thought you resolved to make still appeals to you.  If any part of you says “yes”, it is because you harbor a real desire to do it. So, ignore the calendar and use that aspiration as your new starting point.

However, take a moment to assess where things fell apart or never came together the first time out.  Identify the soft spots.  Otherwise, you risk repeating what you did before and wind up with the same unsuccessful results.  Besides, you to avoid initiating or reinforcing negative behavioral patterns.  They are such a waste of time and energy.   What is important now is for you to direct your attention and intention toward creating a brand new beginning and achieving a fulfilling outcome.

Making a change in your life requires you to engage in an ongoing process of thinking and taking action.  If you are, as I was, under the assumption that making a resolution is the first step of the process, let go of that thought.  You cannot put the cart before the horse and expect to get anywhere.  Your resolution has to be a declaration of an action you decided to take in order to affect a specific change in your life.  It is not something you can just whip up. It is a contemplative action.  It requires some soul searching.  An epiphany would be even better.

Be certain your resolution has real meaning.  At a minimum, it has to pertain to a change you deem is in your best interests to make.  Preferably, it is a change you are passionate if not enthusiastic about making.  Ideally, you comprehend this change as a means of exercising more control over your life.  Unless your change fits into one of these categories, you will never be able to develop or sustain the motivation and commitment necessary to achieve your desired change. 

The more meaning you attach to your resolution, the more likely you will keep it.  Meaning expands your focus, enabling you to view the change you want to make as an instrument of self-control. This intensified perspective promotes a deeper appreciation of the importance or consequences of your own thoughts and behaviors.  It raises the stakes. You are definitely less likely to break your resolution.  Instead, your fortitude feeds your own sense of motivation and commitment.  A perpetual cycle begins that inspires you to keep moving forward and creates and automatic lifeline that rescues you from the rough patches that you are sure to encounter.

In addition to establishing a meaning, your resolution has to set forth the purpose of the change you want to make.  This is where you flip your focus around and zoom in on the primary goal you hope to achieve.  I use the term “primary” because the change process actually requires you make several changes, which means making supplement goals.  Focus in on the details of your goals until you can with all honesty, certainty and clarity that they are reasonable, realistic, measurable, and can be broken down into manageable steps — baby goals!

The combination of all your goals is what constitutes a plan of action, another requirement of the change process.  However, if the primary goal is off, it will skew all the others, and you will never develop a viable plan.  Any action you take will yield a mistake or chaos, definitely not a desirable change.  Without any plan, the meaning or purpose of your resolution becomes irrational, irresponsible or superficial.  There is no source of motivation of commitment – no reason to keep going.  Any efforts to change will be frustrating or void. Your resolution will be nothing more than an inconsequential or exasperating thought that you push, wish, or let fade away. 

If you want to begin again to make a change in your life, formulating a resolution is a way to catalyze your thoughts and action.  Take the task seriously and put your heart and soul into it. The care and attention you devote to crafting your resolution correlate directly with your chances of success.  Besides, making a significant change in your life can take anywhere from six weeks to six months – or more—to achieve.  A resolution can sure come in handy.

Tricia Ferrone, Capital LifeWorks, http://www.capitallifeworks.com

If you’re in the market for a new job, “Finding Your Next Job” is the Capital LifeWorks program that can help you transition to “newly employed” smoothly and successfully. A combination of one-on-one personalized workshops and private coaching sessions, “Finding Your Next” will give you the clarity and confidence you will need to move ahead quickly and land a new job. 

“Finding Your Next Job” will help you:

• Realize your highest market potential given your professional experience and credentials
• Explore your job “wish list” and set priorities that will turn your ideas into a strategic, practical plan of action
• Create a specific, customized job-search plan that will propel you forward with purpose, direction and confidence
• Recognize and act on job opportunities that are the right fit for you
• Develop the mindset and behaviors that will keep you focused, organized and excited about your goal every step of the way
• Discover and sustain the drive and focus within you that will enable you to hurdle any obstacle

In an aggressive job market, you need to give yourself a competitive advantage.

When you enroll in “Finding Your Next Job” you’ll start working with your own personal counselor right away to create an individualized course of action that will take your career places others are only dreaming about. Others may “wing it” or wait around for a job to find them. But they won’t come close to what you can achieve with a proactive mindset, an expert counselor and a uniquely focused, personalized job search plan.

Take the first step toward your new job today.

Contact Capital LifeWorks to enroll in “Finding Your Next Job” and pay only $200 for the entire program, which includes:

• four 50-minute private, confidential sessions with your own personal coach
• in-between session communications with your coach
• workshop materials and any research conducted by on your behalf
• all time spent by your coach reviewing and preparing for your personal sessions 

When you register for “Finding Your Next Job” you’ll also qualify to receive additional 30-minute post-program sessions at a special discounted rate.  You can use as many of these sessions as you need for:

• Preparing for specific job interviews
• Adjusting to your new job and to the changes it will bring
• Brain-storming on any new questions or issues that may arise after you’ve completed your program
• Focusing on new goals as your career moves forward

Don’t put it off. The sooner you sign up, the sooner you’ll have a new job.

Capital LifeWorks wants to hear from you!  Please don’t hesitate to call or email with any questions you might have.  Program fee can be paid in installments. All communications are confidential.

It’s campaign time! That means, for the next month many of you will be devoting practically all of your time and energy to someone other than yourself or to a cause dear to your heart.  In keeping with campaign tradition, the closer you get to Election Day the less attention you will  pay to your own health and well-being.  Victory and passion work hand in glove but at times our passion causes us to put ourselves under a bus – especially a campaign bus.  Hindsight, that wonderfully convenient tool, allows us to pause.    

What we actually know but seem to forget is that staying as healthy as possible for as long as possible is good for us but  especially beneficial to the campaign. Yes, it is a challenge, but that is exactly why Capital LifeWorks, with the help of Anne Pizzoli (a certified personal trainer with 20 years of campaign experience) compiled The Campaign Trail Mix.  It offers a variety of diet/nutrition and exercise tips that can help you maintain your stamina during this next month. Keep it as a crib sheet of what you can do, or should avoid doing, in order to stay strong, perform more effectively and be of greatest value to the campaign.

 The Campaign Trail Mix

1. When it comes to diet, go for balance.  However, since eating balanced meals is out, don’t think of your food intake in terms of “meals”.  Instead, aim for balancing your diet over the course of a few days. Whenever possible expand beyond the two basic campaign food groups – pizza and donuts.  Incorporate lean protein (like fish, chicken, or beans), fresh vegetables (especially leafy greens), or fresh fruit (especially apples and berries) into your diet every chance you get.

2. Be prepared for stress-induced marathon snacking by keeping a stash of “healthy” snacks (such as nuts, fruit, rice cakes, carrot sticks, dark chocolate, honey wheat pretzels, soy chips, peanut butter, and low-fat yogurt) on hand.  Chances are you will over indulge, but “healthy” snacks will not drag you down as much as junk food will.  As for general snacking, a good rule of thumb to follow is that a protein bar is better than a granola bar, and a granola bar is better than a candy bar.  

3. When the cashier at McDonald’s asks, “do you want fries with that?” just answer “no” — even if you really do want them. Opt for a side salad.  (This will get easier each time you do it!)  If you MUST eat fast food, choose foods with the lowest sodium and fat content.  If you are CHOOSING to eat fast food, just think of all the weight you’re going to gain and what it will take to lose it.  Reconsider. 

(FYI, the websites of most fast food chains include nutritional information for their menu items.  Plan your meal before going into the restaurant – stick to your plan — and then get the hell out of there as quickly as possible.)

4.  Stay hydrated.  Drink 8 to 10 8oz glasses of water a day.  This is probably the easiest and most important tip for maintaining a healthy body and mind. Although eating certain foods, like soups, or even the ice cubes in your cocktail count toward your daily water intake, focus on drinking pure water. Give your immune system a boost by adding a few drops of lemon juice to your water every other day. This will help get you through the campaign and recover from the post-campaign crash you will most likely experience. 

5.  Consider drinking low fat milk (or low fat chocolate milk) in lieu of sodas, juices and energy drinks that contain “empty” calories. It is a more nutritious way to boost your immediate energy, and it will help your body convert all the other stuff you eat into energy.  

6.  Pay attention to your caffeine intake and alcohol consumption.  Over indulging in either one (or, worse, both) will wreak havoc on your nervous system.  Moreover, too much caffeine will rob you of the restful benefits of whatever sleep you manage to get; staying out drinking will rob you of the opportunity to get some restful sleep.  Both will interfere with your cognitive and physical functioning, and make you look really awful.  Everything in moderation and you will be on top of your game if you have to unexpectedly spin a story, advance an event or handle any other campaign related responsibilities. 

7.  Drop and give yourself 50 sit-ups, push-ups, or crunches several times a day to keep your blood flowing.

8. Sneak away and go for a short brisk walk.  Even a simple a 10-minute getaway, especially during daylight hours, can help relieve stress, anger, irritability and anxiety – and you can be back at the desk before anyone notices you’re missing.

9. Okay, if you can’t leave your chair, try neck rolls, shoulder shrugs, forward bends, lunges – just stretch!  Do this often during the day and don’t wait until some part of you starts to ache.  However, don’t make any fast and furious moves.  Give your muscles a chance to know you’re switching gears.

10. Get some resistance bands and/or a jump rope — simple, inexpensive, yet effective equipment that you can use whenever you want — especially in between meetings or while sitting on conference calls that seem to take forever.  (That’s only if an intern is taking notes!).

11. Care to make a bigger investment?  Buy a stability ball and some medicine balls for exercising specific muscle groups and targeting your core – the center of your energy!  Throw in a BOSU, some dumbbells and perhaps some body bars and you may never even want to leave.

12. Check out the hours of operation at the local fitness studio or health club.  If you are already into Zumba, yoga or Pilates, see if there are classes you can drop into.  You just never know – it’s possible.

Campaign time is definitely not a time to initiate healthy lifestyle changes.  You can do that after the election.  However, even one month of not eating right, minimal exercise, and very little rest will have a negative impact on your health and well-being. But, there are options you can exercise and choices you can make  to minimize that impact  and maximize your efforts on behalf of the campaign. Go for the win -win! 

Feel free to write in with any additional items to add to the Campaign Trail Mix.  Wishing you all good luck and good health!

Tricia Ferrone

If trying to maintain balance in your life makes you feel like a tightrope walker, you’re not alone.  Most of us have so many demands on our time and energy, life can feel like a three-ring circus.  Take this quiz to see how well you are meeting responsibilities, while also recognizing and fulfilling personal needs and wants.

1. The only way I can successfully manage my life is to take care of myself physically and emotionally.   True/False
2. By nurturing my own life, I  increase my capacity to help others.  True/False
3. I eat healthfully and exercise regularly.  True/False
4. I get medical check-ups, visit the dentist twice a year, and take preventative measures to maintain my physical health and well-being.  True/False
5. I set aside personal, quite time for myself on a daily basis either to meditate or simply to let my thoughts drift.  True/False
6. I acknowledge the changes of seasons and engage in activities that coincide with each season (i.e., going to football games in the fall, going swimming in the summer).  True/False
7. I engage in activities that nurture my creativity, such as writing, cooking, painting, dancing or some other creative pursuit.  True/False
8. I feel my life is enriched when I reach out to other people. I make a point of spending quality time with my family and friends.  True/False
9. My personal relationships are honest, responsible, and satisfying.  True/False
10. I notice and heed signals that tell me I’m out of balance:  stress; anxiety; irritability; confusion; resentment; lethargy; insomnia; changes in appetite.  True/False
11. I listen to and honor the requests my body makes with respect to my:  needing more rest; needing more sleep; drinking more water; eating healthier foods; exercising or not over-exercising.  True/False
12. When I need or want to, I say no to requests for my time.  True/False
13. If I have something planned for myself, I don’t just toss it aside when someone makes a request of me.  True/False
14. Even when I’m busy, I still manage to find some time to do things I want to do.  True/False
15. I am happy.  I regularly experience well-being, contentment, even joy.

If you answered false more than true, you may want to take a look at the questions to which you answered false and see if you can incorporate something of  its message into your life.  Please don’t hesitate to contact me at Capital LifeWorks if you would like to explore this issue further.

Best to all, Tricia

The key to keeping your balance is knowing when you’ve lost it. Anonymous

If I had a dollar for every package of M&M’s I ate during my lifetime, I would not be sitting here blogging.  I would be blogging from my yacht moored off the Bahamas.  Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating, but only a little.  I’ll admit it took me a while to get used to the blue ones, but I learned to accept them.  Because the truth is, I love M&M’s. 

My relationship for M&M’s began during my early childhood.  Often, my mother would surprise my sister and me by giving us each a pack.  She knew our preferences — peanut for my sister, plain for me.  It was a special treat.  I ate them one at a time.  A pack would last all day.  Unbeknownst to my loving mother, I developed an early attachment relationship with M&M’s that would have a fundamental affect on the rest of my life.        

As my brain developed and I started to learn the difference between right and wrong, M&M’s became a reward I would receive for being a good girl.  The behavioral conditioning was fine with me.  I no longer had to wait to for a treat.  M&M’s were my behavioral frequent flyer miles.  I could earn them.  However, the control I gained in securing M&M’s provoked a loss of control with respect to eating them.  I could down a pack in less than an hour.   

Young and unaware of the consequences of my actions, I decided to take a risk.  I began trading M&M’s with my sister and acquired a taste for the peanut kind.  How foolish of me for not embracing them years ago.  Nevertheless, I made up for the loss when I reached adolescence and became somewhat financially independent.  I was at a developmental stage when I could buy all the M&M’s I wanted – whenever I wanted.  I could treat and reward myself to my heart’s content.  I was in M&M bliss.

By early adulthood, I started buying in bulk.  I would get two packs at a time.  One was to indulge what had become my passion.  The other one was to share.  The little candies never melted in my hands.  They never had a chance.  Even worse, my self-discipline slipped through my fingers.  I never paused to consider my actions.  I just gobbled with abandon.  Such were my M&M halcyon days.  

Fast forward to my years working on Capitol Hill when M&M’s became my favorite comfort food.  I had no problem justifying them as “food” and attesting to their nutritional value.  Did you know a pack of M&M’s has more fiber than a medium apple?   Did you know a cup of M&M’s provides 23% of the recommended daily amount of calcium?  What a great way for a busy gal to add fiber to her diet and fight osteoporosis.   

My penchant for M&M’s was no secret.  I had a dispenser on my desk.  People gave them to me as gifts or as peace offerings.  Interns quickly learned they could gain my favor if they helped replenish my supply.   When we changed offices, the movers found enough M&M’s behind my desk to feed a kindergarten class.  I was not embarrassed.  I was amazed I had let so many get away.  What a waste.

M&M’s had become my daily pick-me-ups and my main source of sustenance during late night sessions.   (That’s a lot of M&M’s.)  I ate them to feel good.  If I was feeling good, I ate them to feel even better. They were my lifesavers (no pun intended) during stressful times.  They were my antidote for any unfavorable situation that occurred or might occur.  I chose not to acknowledge it, but they were no longer a treat, comfort or passion.  They had become my drug of choice.

Then, one late night it happened.  A prolonged Senate session wiped out my supply.  I ran to the candy machine in the basement of Russell Building to get an emergency pack.  As I watched the machine go into motion, I immediately sensed trouble.  Sure enough, the pack never cleared that stupid metal spiral thing.  All of my attempts to tilt, tip, and bang them free were futile.  They just hung there.

A passing Capitol Police officer offered assistance but to no avail.  Jokingly (okay, half jokingly), I suggested he use his gun.  We could shoot them out!  I learned you really should not joke with the Capitol Police that way.  I also learned that my years of using M&M’s as an emotional crutch had caught up with me.  It was time for an intervention.

In order to break my M&M dependency I had to submit to a reality check.  I had to acknowledge that my relationship with M&M’s was nothing more than a bad habit.  I had been engaging in candy-coated self-destruction.  Eating too much of anything is never a good idea.  Ingesting piles of fat-laden calories is a really stupid idea, especially when there are so many healthy alternatives available.  

I had to admit that my emotional eating never made any situation better.  If anything, my own behavior actually made unhealthy situations even worse.  It was time to act like an adult and to take responsibility for my actions. It was up to me to push back hard against my own habitual thinking and behavior in order to stop the madness. 

It wasn’t easy and there were a few slip ups along the way but, eventually, my determination paid off.  My self-discipline returned.  The abuse stopped and I renegotiated my relationship with M&M’s.  I still think they are the best candy in the whole, wide world.  However, I love them (and me) enough to let them go.  Now, only on rare occasions will I let them melt in my mouth.  But I will always hold a special place for them in my heart.

Tricia Ferrone/Capital LifeWorks

“Find Your Great Work” is an animated short by Michael Bungay Stainer.   This video packs a mountain of information and will help you to focus on what is going on  — or not going on — in your current work life.  It will also foster insight as to what you can do differently to up the quality and purpose of your work.

Dr. Esther Sternberg of the National Institute on Mental Health gives a brief but information-packed discription of how stress affects us and what doctors are learning from the latest research on stress.   Watch it now:   Understanding Stress

The other day, a woman I had just met asked me what I did for a living.  (The first question everyone in DC asks.)  I told her I was a life coach.  The blank expression on her face was an indication that I needed to qualify my answer. (Something I’ve gotten used to doing.) 

In an attempt to keep things simple, I told her I help people finding ways to manage their lives.  For instance, I help people develop a comfortable work-life balance.  Right then, she interjected and vehemently stated that it would be impossible for her to have a work-life balance. Her job was too important and required too much of her time.

My response to her was that she already had a work-life balance.  Everyone who works and has a life has one. The question is whether a person is comfortable with her work-life balance and, if not, what might she do to achieve a better fit?  The more comfortable the balance, the less resistance a person experiences in her life.  It cuts down on the struggle. 

She then volunteered to tell me she thought having a work-life balance meant spending half of her time/energy at work and the other half on her personal life.  I might have been surprised to hear that had I not read so many coaching blogs and learned that a number of people share her definition of work-life balance.  

I told her there were no ratio requirements.  I also explained that, in this respect, the word “balance” did not mean equal in portion. It was a matter of proportioning your time and energy in accordance with your values and priorities.  You create a lifestyle that is in balance with, and actually a reflection of, what you feel is important in life and what you need and want out of life.

For a few seconds, she scrunched her face into a contemplative expression.  Then she said she didn’t believe it was possible to just create a lifestyle because “life comes with obstacles”.  I told her she was right.  Knowing what you want doesn’t mean you will automatically get it.  More often than not, a person has to work at achieving their desired work-life balance. It’s a process requiring patience, persistence and, most importantly, self-awareness.  Still, it is a fundamental part of your lifestyle.

My words were provoking more scrunching. I decided to provide an example of what I was trying to convey.  I told her about a recent client of mine who had been experiencing conflict in her life. My client was a seasoned, talented, high-salaried professional who was feeling gravely anxious and frustrated. It was obvious that she had a work-life imbalance and that an adjustment was in order, but it had to be the right adjustment.

When we started working together, my client was somewhat aware of what she did not want in her life, and completely unaware of what she did want. Without being able to identify her true values and priorities, there was no meaningfully connection between them and her lifestyle. The basis for establishing a comfortable work-life balance did not exist. 

We needed to work on her self-awareness, and she needed to start at the very beginning. Dutifully, she went back to the basics, which meant mindfully contemplating the material and non-material aspects of life. This is important and necessary work and one of the greatest self-awareness tasks a person can undertake. However, for anyone who has become disconnected to, or who needs to determine, his or her true values and priorities it is an essential exercise.

Very soon, my client was able to make sense of her conflict.  She had spent years working long days and giving herself to her job in order to prove herself and climb the corporate ladder.  During which time she developed some serious work habits.  At some point, her core values and priorities had shifted. However, it was not until she went through her self-awareness exercise that she realized she no longer needed to climb the ladder; prove herself to anyone; or work crazy hours.

She devoted herself to breaking her old work habits, and became aware of opportunities and options for re-adjusting her work-life ratio.  All of which took patience (with herself), persistence, and continual exercises in developing self-awareness.  Making these types of lifestyle changes is not something you accomplish overnight. Doing so requires you  change your thinking and behavior – which are habitual.  Breaking a habit is a process that fuses difficulties, false starts and stops, and victories. It takes time to develop a new “comfortable” zone.

As a footnote, I mentioned that different people have different circumstances and situations in their lives, but the formula for attaining balance was the same.  For example, I worked with a client who needed to find new a new job, which was definitely a priority in his life. Unfortunately, he had gotten into the habit of focusing more on what he could not do than what he could do. As a result, he was not spending nearly enough time and energy on meeting his priority, and he didn’t realize how he was contributing to his problem until he started to develop his self-awareness.  Only then was he able to re-focus his time and energy and take truly proactive steps towards getting a job.  Once he got moving, it was not long before he was successful. 

By now, the woman I was speaking with was staring intently at me.  I reminded her of what she had said earlier in our conversation that her job “required too much of her time”.  I asked, “Did you really mean that literally?  Are you cool with that?”  She rolled her eyes and informed me that she “wasn’t into that self-awareness stuff”.  She seemed uncomfortable.  I changed the subject.

Below is an op-ed I wrote that appeared in the 4/19 issue of THE HILL.

Long days, high stress behind Capitol Hill exodus

By Tricia Ferrone

How ironic is it that after working on historic healthcare legislation exhausted staffers are ready to close the books on their own history-making careers on Capitol Hill. Staffers from both sides of the aisle literally worked night and day negotiating and drafting the 1,990-page bill. Now, with their work done and their strength sapped, fatigued staffers are saying, “I’m done.” No one should be surprised when many of these talented, dedicated people leave the Hill in search of a healthier work environment.

Staffers considering leaving the Hill will weigh several factors in making their decision, but work-related stress may be a determining factor. As one senior staffer noted, “For the last year and a half, we worked constantly at a fast-driven pace and sacrificed our personal lives. Now that it is over, it is time to move on.” The precedent already exists. According to research conducted in previous years by the Congressional Management Foundation, half the staffers who plan to leave the Hill cited work-related stress as a primary reason for going. They also said unpredictable schedules and unmanageable workloads are their greatest sources of work-related stress.

Constant and prolonged stress is detrimental to anyone’s health. It increases a person’s chance of developing a host of serious — if not deadly — physical and psychological diseases and disorders. It disrupts cognitive processing and makes a person more prone to injuries and accidents. For staffers, their lack of sufficient rest, exercise, and nutrition compounds the situation and makes stress management nearly impossible. Immersed in their work, they risk a mindset wherein they become passive about their own health and well-being. In an effort to perform their jobs to the best of their abilities, they unknowingly risk harming themselves — and in so doing harm their productivity. 

As a former staffer, I know that even a little downtime can help combat the effects of stress. I also know that work-related stress is not restricted to any specific group of staffers. It is omnipresent, and no staffer is immune to its immediate or long-term effects. Huck Gutman, chief of staff to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), acknowledged the seriousness of stress on Capitol Hill to me. “Chiefs of staff frequently discuss the difficult conditions in which our legislative staff work, leaving them exhausted and with little time to develop the fullness of life that each of us should be pursuing.” Congress needs to be mindful of this situation, especially as begins a seven-week legislative stretch.

Although staffers are frequently overburdened and underappreciated, they remain passionate and devoted to their work. They accept the Hill’s high-stress environment as tradition and even a rite of passage — the message is: Fasten your seatbelts and ride the wave. They focus more on intrinsic rewards, like the satisfaction of participating in the legislative process. However, staffers are human and they will reach a saturation point. Why and when they reach that point depends on where they are in their careers and how work-related stress affects their quality of life.

Baby boomer staffers already on the brink of leaving may find working in a high-stress environment harder to justify. Few will stay longer than necessary. Gen X staffers with a growing appeal for a comfortable work-life balance will find attractive job opportunities off the Hill harder to resist. They will not hesitate to exercise their options. As for Gen Y staffers, they may be motivated and dedicated but they place a high value on quality of life. They also expect employers to help them balance their professional and personal obligations. It’s a good guess they will not be inclined to tolerate the Hill’s high-stress environment for too long.

A shift in staffers’ work attitudes already exists. Staffers no longer plan to spend most of their professional careers on the Hill. Now, on average, a staffer only spends collectively about five years working on the Hill. That is a high turnover rate particularly for an institution valuing dedication of service. It is quite possible that the rate will surge as more Gen Y staffers join the ranks. Congress may need to put its seatbelt on. It definitely needs to put its thinking cap on because when staffers leave they take their institutional, legislative, and political knowledge and experience with them.

Staffers leave the Hill for a variety of reasons. Work-related stress should not be chasing them away. If the current situation continues to fester, Congress may soon face a brain drain — serious problems attracting, developing and retaining an experienced workforce. The efficacy of the Congress will suffer, and any way you do the math, it’s the American people who will lose in that equation. The time is now for Congress to take some pages from its own legislation and practice some in-house healthcare reform.

Tricia Ferrone served as personal assistant to Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) from 1988-2008. She is now a life coach, living and working in Washington.

(I am grateful to Personal Trainer, Doug Murphy, for this outstanding “blog” in which he shares his expert advice and guidance on successful, healthy dieting.) 

Are you putting in 110% effort in the gym but still not seeing the results you had hoped for? The problem might not be in your workout routine. Although you may be following a rigorous strength training and cardiovascular program, a vital link may be missing — proper nutrition. I’ve found over the years that most of my clients will focus and push themselves during a workout, but they all tend to go astray on the diet component of the program. The sad fact is nutrition is about 90% of the battle when it comes to getting in shape. The results will not happen without the right balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and total calories!

This is where the meal diary comes in. It’s similar to a personal diary, but rather than recording the day’s events, you write down everything you eat and drink. This can be done in a workout log or even in a standard notebook. Simply divide each day into sections: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and between-meal snacks. All beverages need to be included-water, coffee, tea, milk, alcohol, etc. Little extras like condiments on your sandwich and cream in your coffee also need to be written down. Basic rule of thumb: if it goes in your mouth, it goes in the diary. Recording this information for a week will open your eyes to a lot of potential problem areas that may be slowing down progress toward your goals. It’s surprising how many nutritional mysteries can be cleared up by keeping a written record.

The following are actual quotes from clients of mine, before and after they filled out a meal diary for a week:

The “after” comments were all made before I even had a chance to review the diaries with each client. It’s amazing how writing down what you eat for a week can illustrate problem areas so clearly.

Once you have the diary filled out for a full week, it’s time to review it. Your objective is to see how well your nutritional efforts are supporting what you’re doing in the gym, or as I refer to it: the good, the bad, and the ugly. What are you doing well? What needs improvement? Are you getting too much or too little of certain items? Are there foods that should be cut out entirely?

The first thing I look at is beverages. Believe it or not, this area is every bit as important as solid food intake. Are you drinking enough water every day? If you’re walking around in a state of dehydration, this will affect not only your workout results but also your health.

Water is vital to so many processes in the body, including:
1. Transporting nutrients
2. Digestion and elimination
3. Building muscle (muscles are composed of over 70% water)
4. Burning Bodyfat
5. Keeping the body cooled
6. Hydrating the skin
7. Energy level (nothing will make you fatigue faster than dehydration)

If you are in any state of dehydration, the body will slow down all processes to conserve water. Do you really want to hold back your ability to build lean muscle and burn body fat? Follow the ACSM standard and be aware of urine color throughout the day. If it’s not almost clear or the palest yellow, you’re dehydrated and need to consume more water. Be aware that any caffeinated drink is a diuretic, it will flush water out of your system. And for those using creatine, you must consume even more water than the normal individual. Creatine helps hold water in the muscles to make them appear larger and fuller — without enough water, you’ll experience muscle cramps.

What about other beverages?
Sometimes excess calorie consumption comes in liquid form, and that’s not a good thing if you’re trying to lose weight or get better muscle definition. Although fruit juice is relatively healthy (compared to a soft drink), it can sabotage your efforts through high sugar content and calories. Eating whole fruit is always a better choice because you’ll get more fiber and nutrients, without the heavy calorie toll of the juice. Alcohol takes a one-way trip to your body fat stores, as well as impairing muscle performance the following day. Try to avoid or consume in moderation. One word about protein shakes: know what you’re getting. This can be an excellent way to get more protein in the diet, but be aware of fat, sugar and calories. The real danger can be at the smoothie bars located in gyms. A concoction loaded with peanut butter, chocolate and bananas is not the best choice unless you’re an individual who has a hard time gaining weight. A large shake with high-calorie ingredients and yogurt can turn into a nutritional disaster when trying to get lean. As I once joked with a gym owner: “fatten ‘em up at the juice bar and they have to keep coming back to work it off!” (He didn’t see the humor, but you get the point).

Whew! That was just beverages! Now what about your solid food intake?
First of all: breakfast. I know it’s cliché, but breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Your body has gone eight hours or so without food or water, and your metabolism will stay sluggish without food. Eating breakfast not only gives you energy for the day, but it also helps elevate your metabolism (your body burns calories during the process of digestion-this is also part of the reasoning behind eating 4-6 small meals per day). Skip this meal and you’re slowing down your metabolism-nobody wants that! I advise busy clients who are in a rush in the morning to have at least a cup of yogurt, piece of fruit, protein bar-just get something in your system to get your body started . Avoid the fast food joints-a slimy fried piece of something with cheese between 2 English muffins is not a good nutritional choice! General rule of thumb: if you can get it at a drive-thru window, it’s probably not a healthy food. Remember, we want to get your day off to a good start. Consuming excess fat and calories for breakfast can set the tone for the whole day-don’t do it!

So what about this 4-6 small meals per day? As I mentioned above, it helps elevate metabolism because every 3 hours or so your body is having to digest a meal or snack. This process requires calories, so you’re helping your body get leaner. The smaller meal size helps ensure that your body will have enough nutrients for immediate energy requirements, without storing a lot of calories as body fat. This is the problem with large meals: your body only needs a certain amount of food to keep you functioning healthily. Any amount in excess of this will be stored-as fat. With the 4-6 small meals, the aim is to give your body enough of the nutrients it needs to build lean muscle, while minimizing fat storage. Additionally, the body can only digest so much protein at one sitting. For an individual trying to put on muscle size, this allows him to get the extra protein he needs in a way that the body can efficiently utilize it. The constant feedings will also help maintain a stable blood sugar level, keeping your energy level constant.

As you can see, portion size plays an important role. The nutritionist’s rule is that your protein source should be the size of your fist or a deck of cards (chicken breast, steak, etc); it is also a good rule to follow for intake of starchy carbohydrates. Large quantities of potatoes, rice, pasta, and bread can quickly add up in terms of calories and body fat storage. Although I have serious issues with the Atkins Diet, I do believe we all need to cut down in this area.

A common thread I see in every meal diary is a serious lack of fruits and vegetables. There are so many nutrients that you can only get sufficient quantities of in this food group. Eating a variety will aid your training efforts and energy level. It’s so easy to increase your intake. If you’re on the go, pack a small cooler with portable fruits and vegetables (precut carrots, apples, bananas, broccoli, etc.). Add frozen fruit to a protein shake in your blender. When getting a deli sandwich or salad, load it up with all your favorites. One nutritionist advises trying to eat a variety of colors. Color is often determined by nutrient content. For example, foods high is beta-carotene are an orange color (carrots, yams, sweet potatoes, pumpkin). Fruits and vegetables will also add the fiber your diet needs to help in digestion and elimination.

The little things add up. That creamer you put in your coffee. The whole fat mayo on your sandwich. Is it worth delaying your progress? That “little bit here and there” adds up if you have the cup of coffee 3-4 times a day and eat out for lunch. Why do it when there are lowfat and nonfat alternatives? Another thing-the candy dish at the office or home. I hear the justification all the time : “one little piece won’t hurt me.” Maybe not, but it won’t help you. How many times a day are you dipping into that candy dish? The results on the meal diary may shock you.

As important as it is to eat breakfast, it’s just as important to avoid late-night eating. Those midnight snacks before bed are headed to one place-body fat storage. If you must, make it a healthy low-calorie treat.

To make the most of the meal diary tool, analyze the results in combination with your workout log. Do they both add up to progress in your program? Look for trends-when do you tend to eat less healthy or stray off course? What causes this? Do your eating habits suffer when you work long hours? What about weekends? Business or pleasure travel? Times of high stress? Boredom? How did the day’s meals correlate with your energy level and quality of workout? If you are trying to gain weight, are you getting enough quality calories? If trying to lose weight, how many calories are you taking in? Can this be reduced?

Remember that the process of working out tears down your muscles — it’s the proper nutrition and rest that will help rebuild them. Are you giving your body everything it needs to accomplish this? Protein’s main job is to build and repair muscle — are you getting enough? Feeling fatigued by mid-afternoon? Excess caffeine and sugar intake can lead to an energy crash later. As you can see, it’s not necessary to make huge changes. A little tweaking and modifying of your current diet can lead to greater progress toward your goals. It helps to be aware of what you’re eating: calorie content, protein, carbohydrates, fats. Know what you’re putting in your body. It’s all very simple. What you eat will do one of two things: it will either help you build lean muscle, or promote storing body fat. Remembering this will help you to make healthier choices. Fried fish or grilled salmon? Fresh berries with whip topping or fudge cake? I think you know the answer…

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Be sure to visit Doug’s site for more information about his personal training services and programs, and for additional expert advice on health, fitness and nutrition.