This article brings us to the end of our 8 part series on winning the game called your life. Is there any other game more worth winning? Winning your own game will not only provide you with a healthy, vital, rich and fulfilling life, but also allow you to inspire and contribute to everyone around you. Yes, winning the game of your life helps others win theirs.

In previous articles we outlined the 6 keys to winning the game of life. We also identified the 6 traps that most people fall into, robbing them of the ability to win the game. Finally, we learned the solutions to winning the game. These are the secrets that the small minority of the population winning the game of life use to get amazing results in the same 24 hours and environment we all have.

While simple, the fact is that I know it can still seem a bit overwhelming. Where should I start? I already feel so stressed, how could I add even more to my plate? This is where seeking help in the form of a coach, doctor, or professional can be the difference between bitter defeat and massive, sustainable victory. In this article I will provide some guidance for finding the right person or people to help you on your journey.

In seeking a professional to work with, a great start is that they are either a doctor or have a professional certification. This is not to say someone outside of regulated professions cannot provide benefit – it is just a bit harder to know for sure. A doctorate degree indicates a level of commitment and decision making ability that is crucial.

To win the game of life as we have defined it, it is essential to find a professional who is focused on wellness as opposed to fixing problems and symptoms. Restoring you to where you were is no longer good enough so be sure to find someone who can help you reorganize to a new level. It is a great idea to ask a potential coach what their highest vision for the care they are providing you is. For more information on Reorganizational Practices visit www.reorganizational.org.

Next, look for a professional who uses technology that can track your progress by monitoring several body systems. The nervous system impacts all body systems and is therefore important to measure. Posture is perhaps our most important structure and should be monitored over time.

It is valuable to look for a professional who is current and up to date on the latest research and techniques. A high quality website can be an excellent indication of this. I also personally seek out coaches and practitioners who are the best in their specific fields and train closely with the developers of the techniques they practice.

To win the game of life, you need to find a doctor or practitioner who will work WITH you, not just ON you. It must be a collaboration based on your specific goals. They should provide lectures, workshops and educational materials to support you over time.

Because the solutions to winning the game of life are Awareness, Behaviour and Structure, make sure the doctor works with and measures all three. This is essential to achieving sustainable, long term results.

Finally, once a detailed intake and assessment is completed (to determine your goals and establish your current baseline), you should be presented with several options to ensure you are in control. The choices should include both short and long-term options as well as predetermined re-evaluation intervals.

I hope you have found this series of articles beneficial and you are now inspired to take responsibility for winning the game of life. Now more than ever our communities and society need people to step up and start winning. Do it for yourself, but also do it for your family and loved ones.

If you need some help feel free to contact me, or attend any of our free workshops designed to teach you how to win the game of your life.

« Any person who contributes to prosperity must prosper in turn. »
E. Nightingale

One of the most important determinants of success in any endeavour is focus. We tend to attract what we focus on and the more we focus, the more it grows. Our success requires focus. This is why it is important that the doctors, coaches, advisors and fiduciaries we work will possess a focus that is consistent with the results we are looking to achieve. When what WE want is very different from our doctor’s (or any other advisor) the outcome often leads to frustration, disappointment, and failure.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to give a lecture to trainer Tom Irvine of Quest Personal Training Studio’s fitness class at St. Lawrence College. I have been speaking and demonstrating NSA for his classes for years. This time, I chose to speak less about what I do and more about the different approaches in chiropractic and what the differences were. After all, I did not want to turn a potential future chiropractor off of the profession if they were not personally interested in MY focus in practice.

With so many techniques and systems within chiropractic, the best way to break down our differences was where we place most of our focus. I defined 4 distinct groups:

1. Pain and symptom treatment focus. These chiropractors aim to ‘fix’ your pain and symptoms and do so as quickly as possible. Success is defined as the pain going away and treatment is focused on achieving that goal.

2. Pain and symptom prevention focus. These doctors feel that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure so focus more on stopping problems before they happen. This may be in the form of regular ‘maintenance’ care and prescribed exercises. Success is a lower frequency of problems in the future. A doctor in this group may sacrifice the quick ‘fix’ of a symptom to ensure an injury more fully heals to prevent a future flare up.

3. Optimizing function focus. While pain and symptoms may be addressed, the focus is on getting your body functioning at its’ optimum. This may include optimal movement, immune system function, and in the chiropractor’s case definitely optimal nerve function. This doctor recognizes that pain and symptoms can be a part of a well functioning body so will not treat them at the expense of the whole. Often, these chiropractors are “subluxation-based” and recommend regular check-ups to ensure being in tip-top shape.

4. Evolving strategy focused. These doctors recognize that a living human is not a static entity and that there is an opportunity for everyone to develop new strategies for health and life. They know that once function is optimized, there is still another level to go. There is no ceiling to our potential for awareness, adaptability, resourcefulness, vitality, and happiness. The goal of these chiropractors is to help their practice members develop never-ending refinement. They also recognize that new physical strategies can impact our emotional, mental and spiritual lives. These doctors see pain and symptoms as a calling for more awareness and new strategies, not something to do battle with.

Of course, most chiropractors do not fit into only one of these categories. They do, however have one in which they place the most focus. One is not better than the other but they will definitely get different results. In my experience, when you start to take care of optimal function and evolving strategies, the symptoms often take care of themselves.

The great thing is that you get to choose which one fits best for you. A great way to find out what your doctor’s focus is to ask them what their highest vision for you in care. This also applies to any other coach or advisor you employ (a financial advisor focused on getting you out of bankruptcy will get very different results than one focussing on building your legacy for generations to come)!

Make sure your doctor’s focus is consistent with yours. What I look for in any coach is someone who is a little bit beyond me. Someone who will stretch me just beyond my comfort zone and makes sure I am learning something new. If you can identify your health focus above I would encourage you to choose a doctor 1 level past it.

“The more presence and congruence you possess, the less force is required in any endeavour”

–       Dr. Donny Epstein

The happiest and most successful people in any walk of life have certain traits in common. One of those traits is that they constantly learn new things. They study, they read, they listen to audio programs, they take courses, they attend seminars and they seek out the best teachers in the world. These successful people understand that regardless of what they have achieved in the past, stagnation (maintenance) equals death. They know that you are either growing or dying. This goes for business, relationships, fitness and health.

Only 2 Paths to Happiness

As I have written about many times in the past, human needs psychology tells us that only 2 things will provide us with true happiness and fulfillment – growth and contribution to others. The more we grow, the more we are able to contribute. Unfortunately, the “North American dream,” our culture has sold most people does not include either of these. A life of study hard, get a good job, marry the right partner, buy a house and car, maybe have some kids, and then sit back and enjoy the next 50 years of your life simply doesn’t deliver as promised, does it?

New Dream?

What if the real “North American dream,” was to live a life of never-ending learning, adventure, refinement and sharing? Would this guide your actions differently?

Many of you know that I have always been relatively fit and athletic. A few years ago my fitness regimen looked essentially the same as it had when I was in high-school. Same workouts, worse results and zero motivation. I was merely going through the motions. Had this continued can you see where this would have ultimately taken me?

You Need Coaches to Succeed.

Even though I thought I knew a lot about fitness I decided that I needed coaches. Over the next  2 years two amazing trainers – Tom Irvine and Tyler Touchette – helped me to completely change my path. Today, I have discovered the sport of Olympic weightlifting (more on that in future post) that I am learning more about and improving in every day. I study it, learn it, and practice it.

Most importantly, I am excited about my fitness again, can’t wait to get into the gym, and am getting results that will serve me for a lifetime.

Start Here!

How can you apply this to your life? How can you not only find success, but be happy, fulfilled and excited while doing it? There are many ways, so I created a list to help you get started.

1. Decide what is really important in your life. What areas of your life deserve the commitment to never-ending learning and refinement? Make a list.

2. Take on a new project. I took on Olympic weightlifting in the area of fitness. Perhaps a new professional course or a family project.

3. Refine, refine, refine! I constantly refine my chiropractic skills at seminars and workshops. What keeps you up at night wanting to get better at?

4. Get a coach or mentor. I have health, chiropractic, business, and fitness coaches. Remember, the best athletes in the world still have coaches.

5. Only use the services of those who are constantly learning. You can only lead if you are learning and you should demand that of your leaders. Ask your doctor, financial planner, accountant, consultant, coach, trainer, teacher, barber, chef, shoe shine boy what they are doing to improve their services. This will create a new culture of growth in your life (and maybe theirs).

Play a Better Game

If the “North American dream,” isn’t working for you, choose a new dream. Play a new game. Choose happiness, success, fulfillment and growth. When the old dog learns new tricks, it doesn’t get old!

« Money won’t create success, the freedom to make it will. »
Mandela