In the summer, we need to pay special attention to ourselves mentally, physically and attitudinally, and to the special summer needs of our consumers/clients.

Get lean--eat light. Get mean--watch your focus and intentionality, and be optimisitc, and don't let the high temperatures make you 'mean' in that other sense of the word. Get green--use special marketing strategies in the summer to grow your practice/business/nonprofit like a head of lettuce!

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1. The only way to lose weight is to consume less calories than you burn. Find out how many calories your activities burn with this handy calorie calculator: http://womencentral.msn.com/fitnesshealth/tools/caloriecalc.asp

2. Calculate your daily calorie needs. Go here: http://www.bhg.com/cgi-bin/dailycalorie.cgi

3. Refresh your memory about the calorie count in food you eat. Here's a plan for 1500-1800 calories a day: http://www.bhg.com/bhg/pdf/1500calories.pdf

4. Add soy to your diet to protect your heart and arteries. According to a study done at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina [cited on www.msn.com], you could lower your cholesterol by 11% in 6 weeks and reduce your diastolic blood pressure by 6 points in the same time period by adding soy to your diet. Just 2T of soy powder daily, or 1/2 c. tofu, a scoop of soy protein powder, or a handful of roasted soybeans. [Gregory Burke, M.D., of Wake Forest's Department of Public Health Sciences]

5. Find out what types of food work best for your blood type. According to Dr. D'Adamo, author of "Eat Right for Your Type," our blood type determines what foods act like medicine, food, or poison for us. Type Os, for instance, need lots of vigorous physical exercise and need to eat meat. Type Bs are the only type that tolerate dairy well, and their best exercise is moderate and

6. Try using a "sports drink." A study which appeared in the April issue of "Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise" reveals that "athletes stave off fatigue 37% longer if they drink sports drinks -- the kind with electrolytes and carbohydrates in them. They also run faster, have better motor skills, and are mentally sharper". [reported on www.msn.com]

7. Do some reading on emotional intelligence to learn how to keep your attitude up, your energy high, and your focus sharp--optimism, resilience and intentionality. Go here for distance learning courses: http://www.susandunn.cc/courses.htm or http://www.addeq.com/

8. If you're going through a transition, or need to, or simply need an energy-boost, get some coaching.

9. To get "green," know the seasonal patterns of your particular consumers. For instance, if you work for a non-profit, summer's slow. Plan some seasonal outdoor benefits for the whole family (doggie derby, swim-a-thon) or cool indoor diversions (fashion show, bowl-a-thon). Use the extra time to plan ahead for the big push in the fall. Redo your brochures, revamp the website, plan the year's marketing strategy, and work ahead on newsletter interviews and articles.

10. Have special programs, courses and offers in place catered to the needs of your particular consumer. For instance, if you're a parenting coach, anticipate the need of parents for resources for summer activities for kids, tips on how to travel with kids, knowledge of resorts that cater to kids, how to get pet/house sitters, how to deal with problematical in-laws, what camp experience is appropriate for what age group, etc.

Be prepared -- be lean, mean and green -- and watch your energy levels soar and the money roll in.

Susan Dunn, M.A., Clinical Psychology is a personal and professional development coach who likes to help her clients make the most of their transitions. Email her for free ezine or visit her on the web at http://www.susandunn.cc