Stephen Covey died today. He was the author of the highly acclaimed “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” as well as “First Things First” and many other motivational books. If you carried around a daily planner before the days of the smartphone, chances are it was a FranklinCovey version, through which he brought his time management system to life.

Perhaps more impressive, he was a father of nine, a grandfather of 52 and a great-grandfather of two! He died from complications of an injury he sustained while riding his bike this spring – at the age of 79. Seventy-nine and out bike riding. Love that.

I had almost forgotten how many of the little mantras I mutter throughout the day to keep myself on track came from him, a man I’ve never met in person, but whose words and ideas were so powerful I’ve carried them with me and made them my own.

“Begin with the end in mind.”

“Is my ladder leaning against the right wall?”

“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

“Put first things first”

Covey famously illustrated that last gem with a demo using big rocks, smaller rocks, sand, and two buckets. He’d have a participant in one of his seminars fill up a bucket with sand and then see how many big and small rocks she could fit in. (Hint: Not many!) Then, he’d have her fill a second bucket STARTING with the big rocks, followed by the smaller ones, and ending by pouring in the sand, which sifted easily through the cracks to fill the spaces in between the rocks. Result? Everything fit. His analogy was simple; in your day, put the big rocks in first – your family, your most important projects, your health. Without that level of prioritization and focus, they may be squeezed out by far less important tasks.

I can’t tell you how often this has helped me as I face my own sandpile of to-do items. Making my health, my husband, and my children non-negotiable priorities followed by my most important projects (professional or personal) is a habit that serves me. Without it, I could get sucked into the Facebook/Pinterest/NYTimes.com abyss. I could cross twenty unimportant things off my list, leaving the one or two that would really make a difference undone. I may feel “productive” but would my productivity have an impact?

So today, will you identify your own BIG ROCKS? Will you make a list and take care of those rocks before you do anything else? What a way to honor Stephen Covey’s legacy – and build your own in the process.

If you had a magic wand and could grant yourself one wish, what would it be? When I ask women that question, here are some of the answers I frequently get.

– More hours in the day

– To quit my job

– Sleep

– A housekeeper

– Someone to cook for me

– To feel caught up on my to do list

– A million dollars

– To lose __ pounds or to change a specific body feature

Thematically, as women, you want MORE TIME, MORE ENERGY, and to FEEL BETTER IN YOUR BODY. Or you want the things that you believe will deliver one of those benefits, like the list above.

The health and wellness industry KNOWS this, and as a result, it’s riddled with companies promising quick fixes –  magical solutions to your problems. I jotted these down today in Barnes & Noble from a quick glance at some magazine covers…

“Burn 500+ Calories Fast”

“Bikini Ready in 7 Days”

“Lose 6 pounds in 8 days”

“Experts Reveal Secrets to a Slimmer Body in Minutes”

” Look 5 years younger – it’s all in the Hair!”

“Miracle Creams that really work”

“More energy INSTANTLY”

I can’t make this stuff up. The question is, do you believe them?

It’s incredibly easy to fall prey to these marketing ploys because we WANT to believe that a quick fix exists! But every time you give in to one, you know in the back of your mind that it’s not magic you’re buying; it’s a hoax. There’s that glimmer of hope that THIS time will be different, but the story always ends the same way – with a half used bottle of potion, a discarded magazine, a big credit card bill and a lack of results. There’s no magic in that.

Daniel Burnham once famously said, “Make no little plans, for there is no magic in them to stir the blood.*”  Soul stirring…now that’s where the magic happens. It’s no surprise then, that soul-stirring services are exactly the kind we’re creating at Nourish. We are on a mission to support our clients with the very things that will help you reap the benefits you desire – MORE TIME, MORE ENERGY, and TO FEEL BETTER IN YOUR BODY. And we’re not making promises we can’t keep.

Our coaching clients experience life-changing benefits from our services. Some might even call them magical.

If you’re ready to stir your soul and experience the magic, we’re ready to help. One hour invested in a Mini Health Makeover will show you exactly what we can do for you. Talk to us today. Restore your belief in the best kind of magic  – the kind that you create when you put your heart and soul into it.

PS – You don’t have to live in Cincinnati (where we are) to benefit from the programs we’re developing at Nourish. Many of our services can be provided by Skype or by phone just as easily as they’re done in person. We’d love to work with you.

*Okay so Burnham actually said men’s blood but that sort of dilutes my point here, so I took a little creative license….forgive me.