Busy… Busy... Busy.  It’s the story of my life.  I tend to get too busy for my own good – between work and home life – to stop and ponder what I’m putting my precious hours into.  I recently had a heart-to-heart with my 17 year old twin sons Justin and Travis about their time management.  You can just imagine how that discussion went, right?  Teenagers and time management are like water and oil – they just don’t mix
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Twin Lakes are tucked in the Sierra National Forest just north of Huntington Lake, the Kaiser Wilderness covers 22,700 acres of pristine meadows, granite-speckled lakes and rugged peaks.

After that conversation, I asked myself the same questions:  Am I prioritizing my time to the things that really matter in life?  Am I using the excuses, I’m too busy, I don’t have the time or that I’m too tired?  Well, we only have 24 hours in a day, no more, no less.  Nine of my hours are spent away from the home working to earn a living.  With 6 to 8 hours needed for sleep that only leaves us with about 6 to 7 hours to pick up kids, cook dinner, do homework (either yours or your children’s), clean house and then to do it all over again the next day.  I would love to hear what this looks like for the healthcare professional – especially from those who put in the long 10, 12 or more hours.  If you’re like me, I just might have about 2 hours – if that – of quality time for my family or myself.  And I say, let’s make that time count! 
 
Our health and time for exercise are things that we often prioritize way low on the list.  This can only catch up to us in our later years, if not sooner.  Making health our number one priority will help us efficiently and effectively do all the necessary and busy things in life that we can’t do if we’re not healthy.  
 
I hike for my physical, mental and emotional health.  It really does make me feel better physically. It not only clears my mental state but it makes me feel like the stressors of my life shouldn’t take such a hold of my life.  This is why I encourage you to get up, get out and get healthy!  And if you feel guilty leaving the kids behind, don’t!  There’s plenty of hikes that are fit for your kids and your dogs. Not only will you introduce your kids to nature while you’re spending quality time with them, you’ll also encourage exercise to keep their minds, bodies and spirits healthy.  Our kids need more of this in our dominating digital world – don’t you think?
 
I recently went on one of the best hiking trips ever!  I hiked with my family to the Upper Twin Lakes which is above Huntington Lake in the Kaiser Wilderness.  I was in awe of this place and highly recommend it.  It’s only a 75-mile round trip from the Fresno/Clovis area and worth every second.
 
I want to share it with my fellow Community Medical Center peers.  Please join me for a guided hike on Sunday, September 18 at 7 a.m. and in putting health first!  Getting back on track and trail should be fun and I can’t wait to hear where it leads you.
 
Community employees: Details about the hike are in the email sent to you in today’s All CMC email. 
 
Truong Nguyen
Community Medical Centers
Information Systems, Clinical Analyst