Goals, Dreams & The Guy Who Wanted To Put His Coat On

We all have goals. Some big, some small. You might dream of someday running a 5k or a marathon.  Your goals may include things like losing 10 pounds, visiting Tibet, buying a house, learning a new language or possibly even finally getting your ridiculously overdue spring

Fact.

cleaning done before your mother-in-law gets back from Florida in early June...hypothetically speaking, of course.

Often times when someone comes in to my office, their goal is to relax and reduce their stress level. Other clients have a lot of muscle tension in specific areas that they would like to work out. This tension can be a chronic condition or discomfort due to recent events or activities. A popular goal this time of year is getting the yard work done. Yard work is an activity that very often leads to muscle tension. Some clients come in with the intention to treat  specific chronic conditions such as plantar fasciitis, carpal tunnel, and ITB syndrome, among others.

The hidden dangers of yard work

A man came in over the winter and his goal was to simply be able to take his coat off and on in the same way he had been doing for 60-something years before he was diagnosed with the dreaded 'frozen shoulder' (aka: adhesive capsulitis).

The first time he came in, I watched him wiggle and shrug his shoulder while flailing his arm around in order to get his jacket off. He looked defeated and sad. He had been through some physical therapy but still wasn't satisfied with his level of progress. "I just want to be able to put my coat on again. That's it. If I can do that I'll be happy." We worked together consistently for maybe 5 weeks incorporating a technique called Active Isolated Stretching into his massage therapy sessions. I also gave him some stretches to do at home that he was very diligent about. Range of motion in the shoulder gradually increased little by little and after about a month Frozen-shoulder-guy came in to my office very excited and said, "Look! Look at this!" He took his coat off and put it back on. Ta-da!  No arm flailing or shrugging. Mission accomplished.

I can't take all the credit for Frozen-shoulder-guy's progress. He did his 'homework' and kept up on his stretches. He was determined to meet his goal and invested his time and energy in improving the quality of his life. Sincere effort and determination are what it takes to succeed. This is true of every client I have seen regardless of their condition. You need to be willing to invest in yourself.

I think this is always true whenever we want to reach a goal or improve the quality of our lives. We have to do our part, invest the time and commit to an honest effort if we expect to succeed. There is never a short-cut or magic formula for real success.  It doesn't matter if it's building a successful massage practice, putting on your coat, running a marathon, learning a language or getting your spring cleaning done...before early June...when your mother-in-law will be back from Florida...So, on that note, I will be getting off the computer and getting after some not so hypothetical spring cleaning.