At an annual retreat last year, my Forum undertook the task of outlining our core values as a group. This exercise helped us crystalize and express the key matters that we held in common as a group of passionate, hard-working entrepreneurs. After a healthy debate, we agreed on the following core values:
- We operate in an environment of complete confidentiality, trust, honesty, mutual respect and without judgment.
- We embrace life, are passionate, are willing to push our comfort zones and take risks.
- We believe in continuous learning, education, growth and value creation.
- We are committed to the group and we hold ourselves and each other accountable.
- We value our mental, social, physical, emotional and spiritual health.
- We value our intimate relationships because they give us the ability to support, care, sacrifice, give strength, be happy and a better person.
- We believe that we have a responsibility to give back to our community and to the world.
In order to live these values, we set a number of goals for the group, which included a “Health Challenge” that required us to focus on our health and hold ourselves and each other accountable to living this core value.
The first step was for each member to obtain a full health assessment. We were fortunate to have as one of our members a former professional football player who runs a fitness business. He generously volunteered to conduct a one-hour personal interview with each member of the group and provided detailed feedback to each member.
We then booked a session at the local University, which has a high-quality sports training centre that supports local, professional and national team athletes. Each member completed a series of physical tests to assess their strength, flexibility, body fat and other factors. Based on the results of these tests, which were shared with and discussed by the group, each member established their individual health goals for the year.
There were a number of exciting accomplishments within the group as we set out to achieve these goals. From rehabilitating injuries to embarking on new training programs to rediscovering a passion for mountain biking, our group pursued this core value with gusto. Personally, this health challenge helped me achieve my long time dream of competing in the Boston Marathon! It was a great pleasure to share with my Forum the thrill of running this historic event in front of thousands of cheering spectators.
As a wrap-up to our health challenge, we planned a mini-retreat last year that specifically focused on living this core value. We hired an adventure company to organize a weekend of physical and team challenges that tested the group’s efforts of the past year. These challenges included orienteering, mountain biking, white-water rafting, cliff jumping and team-building exercises. It was a fun and exciting way to celebrate the efforts that each of us had made during the past year toward improving our health!
As an EO member, the Forum experience is one of the highlights of membership. The level of trust, friendship and mutual respect that existed in our Forum group provided us with a perfect opportunity to challenge each other to live out our health-oriented core values. Thanks to my amazing Forum, I'm healthier and happier than ever!