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23 Oct 2018

You Need More of This…

By Lora Polowczuk
As we strive to increase our wealth and good fortune, we tend to sacrifice our bodies in the process. We think by doing more that we get more. However, one night of lost sleep suddenly turns into weeks of little sleep and our bodies pay the price. Arianna Huffington, in her book Sleep Revolution, describes how she passed out one night in her bathroom and woke up bleeding from hitting her head. She passed out due to shear exhaustion. Upon doing the research, she realized that five hours of sleep a night makes your cognition operate as if you were drunk. How good are your decisions if you were drunk versus rested? Too many of us, give and give until there’s nothing left. Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for servant leadership. It is not selfish to take of yourself. (Yes, ladies, especially you!) Even in an airplane, the flight attendant says put your face mask on first, then help others. The more output you have the more input your body requires. Olympic athletes don’t down a triple caramel macchiato with a triple shot before their race so why would you do this before a big day at the office? Google Executives are known for doing meditation for focus and using float tanks for relaxation. Properly fueling and resting your body is the key to sustained energy throughout the day. Self-care is not selfish. It’s the most essential part to fuel you for the day. As playing on a see-saw when you were a kid, there’s a balance between giving and receiving. What will you start doing to recover from all your output? How can you increase your own self-method routine? Wishing you an abundant, joyful and prosperous day! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Office © Priority Retreats International
24 Sep 2018

This one tip will make you a better leader

By Lora Polowczuk
We often think the more we do, the better we advance our careers and lives. We constantly give to others and stay busy non-stop. We run from meeting to meeting and can barely think by 2pm. We eventually feel drained, exhausted, and unappreciated. This translates into
  • Unhealthy behaviors – Ever eat the entire cookie bag? Ever gain 20 pounds in 6 months?
  • Reactive tendencies – Ever express anger to someone who didn’t deserve it?
  • Isolate ourselves – Ever pull away from the things you love because you had no energy for them?
It’s time to stop the madness! Here’s how: Take short breaks every hour. 1-2 minutes. This will energize you from head to toe. Yes, it’s literally and figuratively that easy.
  1. Stretch. This opens up your body and allows you to relax. When we’re tense, we get uptight and moody.
  2. Move your body. This increases your blood flow and circulation.  Walk to Starbucks. Stop at the door and turn around. All you really needed was the walk, not the extra caffeine and sugary snack.
  3. Close your eyes. Your eyes are constantly strained form looking at electronic screens.
Why does this make you a better leader? If you start employing this practice, your team and colleagues and superiors will take notice. You become a role model for better health and increased engagement. Who doesn’t want a better functioning team, ready to be more effective, and leave on time at the end of the day? This is your time to have the energy, engagement and effectiveness every leader wants. Self-care is the new role model style. Take care of you to have more energy and motivate others. What are three more things you can do during these very short breaks?   Wishing you an abundant, joyful and prosperous day! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International
03 Sep 2018

Do you Celebrate Your Contributions?

By Lora Polowczuk
Brian took pride that his project team and dedicated employees brought forth the company’s first major product to market in record time. Before the press releases even went out, Brian already was planning their next big product. His all-star team slowly went from ecstatic to dejected. Another big project with more hours, more time, more energy. Ever been a part of something huge that no one celebrated? It sucks, right? His amazing team started dreading coming to work each day and started missing deadlines for investors. This all-star team slowly dissolved, feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. As human beings, we all want validation and acknowledgement. Here’s what you can do:
  • Acknowledge what you did accomplish each day in a journal. Too often we beat ourselves up for not getting enough done. Look upon this list at the end of the week and give yourself a pat on the back.
  • Take time to celebrate every 90 days (bare minimum!), preferably every month. Go do something fun that brings joy into your heart.
  • Identify ways to celebrate others – spouse, kids, friends, family, colleagues, team? Who doesn’t want someone cheering them on?
It’s only when you truly take the time to assess and measure how far you’ve come, that you can truly acknowledge what you’ve accomplished. You’ve done way more than you ever give yourself credit for. Take time to celebrate the amazingness that you are.   Wishing you an abundant, joyful and prosperous day! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International
20 Aug 2018

Stuck in sameness?

By Lora Polowczuk
If your same routine brings about struggle, it’s time to switch it up! Do you fall into the ABCs of “stuck”? If yes, we’ll discuss a way to get out of it. Afraid to change. Too often we crave certainty that we would rather stay afraid, activating our reptilian brain. Blame others. It’s easy to say it’s someone else’s fault. In any situation there’s your truth, their truth, and the real truth that is somewhere in the middle. Complacency.  It’s easy to get lazy and fall into routines that no longer serve you or those around you. Does any of this sound familiar? Albert Einstein said it best, The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. Here are three ways to get out of it: Add challenge: Open a door knob with your non-dominant hand. If you regularly run 5 miles add 5 miles uphill. When we have a challenge, our problem-solving skills go into hyper mode Be expressive: When do you specifically tell people exactly what you want versus hoping others will read your mind? Increase newness: Drive home a different route. Smother your spouse with affection when you arrive home. Call a friend and ask them to try a new restaurant for dinner. When we incorporate challenge, expressiveness and newness into our lives, work environment, and daily interactions, we start to grow. We establish new neural connections in our brain that cause us to think and act differently. I challenge you to do one of the above for one week. See how different you feel. See what you notice. How can you then employ this in other areas in your life, work and interactions?   Wishing you an abundant, joyful and prosperous day! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International  
13 Aug 2018

Tired of rushing around all the time?

By Lora Polowczuk
Everyday, you go from one activity to the next. It’s from meeting to meeting or from work to a hectic home life. This constant rushing around takes its toll. Do you ever take a break? You even feel that you need a vacation from your vacation. Sound familiar? 1)      Build in breaks during your day. If you’re frequently in meetings all day, schedule 45 minute meetings. Use the in-between time to move your body, stretch, or take some deep breaths. Your body will love you for this. 2)      Block out time for which you schedule nothing. Yes, absolutely nothing! Yes, read that again. Absolutely nothing. We are addicted to being busy. This doesn’t mean we are being productive. Be intentional with every moment. Scheduling time to do nothing, take a nap or do what makes you come alive in this time. 3)       7 to 8 hours of sleep a night. When you only get 5 to 6 hours of sleep at night, your cognition performs as if you were drunk. Do you really want to operate your car, conduct a meeting, or have an important conversation in this state? Probably not. Imagine being more effective at work if your cognition was faster? What would that do for your work, life and relationships? Rest is how we rejuvenate. Rest is how we keep our vitality. Rest is the key element that allows us to perform better, faster, and more effectively.   Wishing you an abundant, joyful and prosperous day! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International
21 May 2018

How You Sabotage Your Dreams

By Lora Polowczuk
Do you spend more time on distractions than your dreams? The famous saying, “Energy flows where attention goes.” is spot on. Gillian’s intense job led her to frequently check her phone to break up the intensity. This gave her a break from the daily grind. Every time Gillian saw a new social media post or text from a friend she got excited. It made her feel good and she received an extra punch to keep going on with her day. The extra punch is actually the neurochemical, dopamine, that is associated with reward, yet also involved in addiction. Over time, Gillian started spending more time on her phone than doing the required work.  Her work performance suffered and, her relationships deteriorated as social media provided a false sense of connection. Sound familiar? Gillian realized her dreams kept getting farther and farther away. It takes an of average of 25 minutes to get back on task after a distraction. How much time does this cost you during the day? How much further are your dreams because of distractions? How do you break this cycle? Here are some valuable tips. 1)      Turn off all notifications on your phone. 2)      Put your phone where you can’t see it or access it within arm’s reach. 3)      Schedule time for valuable tasks and don’t let any distractions pop up. Ready to gain more time in your day? These simple tips can save hours in your week and give you the time you desperately crave for what’s really important to you. Wishing you an abundant, joyful and prosperous day! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International
14 May 2018

Do You Nurture Chaos?

By Lora Polowczuk
Lisa sat on the cold, damp bathroom floor crying. What’s happening? I’m exhausted, drained, and overwhelmed by everything. As the tears dropped off her cheeks, she stood up slowly and looked at herself in the mirror. She could barely look. Lisa took a deep breath and said, This has to change. She took a cleansing shower. With the drops of water pouring over her, she closed her eyes and imagined how she truly wanted each aspect of her life. Lisa got out feeling refreshed and immediately put her mind and body to work. What was the biggest obstacle that she currently faced?  Lisa realized it was the pain in her back that took away her energy and caused her inability to focus. While she had to visit a number of practitioners to identify the root cause, after nine months she received the proper care and treatment. One year later, Lisa ran a half-marathon completely pain free. She had so much energy that she signed up for a full marathon for later in the year. On top of that, she served as a role model at work and received a promotion. When you look at your life garden, are you nurturing the weeds or the flowers? Too many of us go through the motions of our day with no intention. It’s time to nourish the flowers not the weeds in our life garden. “Our intention creates our reality.” – Wayne Dyer “There is always a gap between intention and action.” Paul Coelho Planting a seed of opportunity doesn’t mean that it will blossom overnight. This picture is Iris plants that were planted 2 years ago. These plants have been hit by several hail storms and never bloomed until now. If you are intentional and take action, what will blossom in your life 6 months to a year from now? Wishing you an abundant, joyful and prosperous day! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International
07 May 2018

How Toxicity Builds Up and Affects You Without You Knowing It

By Lora Polowczuk
Philip worked hard to support his family and hit his next career level as Senior Director. He thought, if I just get this promotion, all will be good. Philip started working more hours and would come home depleted and set the mail on a table along with all the other papers. The long hours took a toll and Philip slowly started gaining weight. He bought some new clothes that fit, thinking this is just a temporary set-back. While Philip desperately wanted time to connect with his friends and family, work always took the higher priority. This lack of connection could be noticed in his shallow breath, racing heart, and heartache from wanting meaningful relationships. The doctor advised Philip to start taking heart medication to lower his cholesterol. This was a wake-up call for Philip. Philip came home and said enough is enough. It’s time to make some drastic changes. He cleaned up the never-ending stacks of papers all over the house, recycling and shredding. Philip looked at the clothes spilling out of his closet, haphazardly falling off hangers and in piles. He sorted through everything he hadn’t worn for a year and donated it. Philip announced to his family they would take a short getaway vacation to get back in touch with each other. Philip sat down and realized he was going through the motions. He let this toxicity build up over time. It didn’t happen overnight. Where is toxicity in your life?
  • Do you have relationships that are no longer mutually beneficial?
  • Are your home, office, closets in need of decluttering and organization?  
  • Does your mind lead you down the road of negative thoughts?
  • What bad habits (e.g., eating ice cream at 10 pm) interfere with your best self?
  Take this spring time to declutter and purge what no longer serves you. Create open space for what you truly want to come in. Wishing you an abundant, prosperous, and joyful week! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International
30 Apr 2018

Are You In Control?

By Lora Polowczuk
Control is a double-sided sword. Angela shows us how this plays out in our daily lives. Angela desperately craved certainty in everything she did. At work, she told colleagues how to do their job and always had the right answer. Her colleagues got frustrated that they couldn’t present their own solutions to company problems and felt boxed in by her. At home, Angela ordered her husband and kids around like they were robots, ready to do anything at her command. They thought this was the only way to keep her happy, yet inside they called her a dictator. Angela got super mad and yelled at her kids for not putting the toys back in a certain way since the toys only fit back in a bin in a particular order. Yet the kids thought they were doing a good job for putting the toys away without being asked. The kids said, we just can’t win. Over time, she could feel the tightness in her shoulders and every joint of her body. She even realized at night when she went to sleep her whole body was tense and contracted. One day it all blew up.  Angela was given a warning at work that most of her employees had given their notice in one week. When she discussed this with her husband, he said, well, this is how we feel at home too, here’s separation papers. In shock, Angela took a step back. Over the next 3 months, Angela made some major changes. She realized the only person she can control is herself. Instead of acting out in opposition, she learned to respond, not react. Angela changed her attitude from “my way or the highway” to asking others for their perspectives and their solutions. She also saved her marriage and her ability to connect with her kids. Where can you let go of control of others or situations? Where can you regain self-control? It’s time to gain self-control and let go of controlling others.   Wishing you an abundant, joyful and prosperous day! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International
05 Mar 2018

The Art of Receiving: Do You Know How?

By Lora Polowczuk
Most of us work really hard for our relationships, careers, our health, and how we want to impact the world. Yet, sometimes we get really frustrated when things don’t go our way. There is one big thing to consider (especially for women). This is the Art of Receiving. Do you know how to do this? Jenny always helps everyone else, whether it’s organizing events, helping a friend out, or taking on that extra project at work. She loves helping other people, but she’s starting to feel drained by it all. One day, her best friend Sarah, invited her out to dinner. Jenny didn’t realize it, but it was a surprise party with her best friends. Jenny arrived at the restaurant with a gift for Sarah. When Jenny walked in, her eyes filled with awe and wonder as her dearest friends gathered to celebrate her recent promotion at work. As Jenny hugged each person, she thought about what she could do for each one in return. How can she give back to that person? Sarah made an announcement to the room and said don’t accept anymore from Jenny. This is her time to receive. Let’s pour into her. Jenny didn’t even know what to do. She didn’t know how to accept love from other people. She sat down, put her hands on her heart and said, I am loved. Jenny looked up with tears in her eyes and whispered, “thank you” to each friend at the party. While it’s important to not overly take from people, it’s an art to accept and receive from others, whether it’s a small gift, an inviting conversation, or a meal. What can you do to receive the blessings that the universe is sending your way? One mantra to say every morning: Why do I give myself permission to receive? Wishing you an abundant, joyful and prosperous day! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International
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