When everything is going well, your life is like a well constructed piece of music - everything in it's place and a place for everything. You move effortlessly from task to task, like fingers flying over the keys. Any piece of music is possible when you are in this frame of mind, you have boundless energy, life is amazing AND you are enjoying every moment of it.
Then something knocks you out of your "tune" of thought, "life" they say, sometimes gets in the way. We find it hard to hit the right keys, everything seems jumbled, like you are just hitting the keys in any random pattern. Sometimes you make music, sometimes though it's just a wall of sound.
I can't remember the last time my life played like a symphony. It's not that I like disharmony you understand, but the fact that I am constantly pushing myself to do new things, try something different. Change things around.
When that happens of course, our fingers don't know the correct notes we have to play. We have to look at our hands and the music score to see what we are doing or trying to do. We have to practice, we get things wrong, we hit the wrong keys, we get frustrated, and sometimes if we don't master the new score, we go back to our old familiar piece of music.
So what can you do?
Well, you don't have to change everything at once. We are of course coming up to that awful time of the year again. I am of course talking about New Year's Resolutions. This is where we decide that we hate everything about our lives and decide we are going to change EVERYTHING - and I do mean everything.
We throw away the old scores, nope not playing those again. I am going to bite the bullet and learn that uber difficult piece I've said I would learn one day, then my life will be perfect.
What if I were to tell you there was another way - yes the challenge. One day at a time, we can choose to try something new. We don't have to throw everything away. What we do, is that we keep the symphony playing in the background, but we add new pieces to the scores of our repertoire each day. Believe me, it's a much easier and faster way of getting more out of life.
Signing off with many thoughts and beautiful pieces of music to follow...
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Step into that role
Uggh, seems like my brain just doesn't want to gel at the moment - I'm reading stuff, but it's just not sticking.
I worry about the "normal" working day, you know the 9-6 routine that businesses say is an effective use of time. Well I don't know anyone who can switch it on at 9 and turn it off at 6 and be productive for the gap in between. OK there are times when you can just churn through it,but is that a good use of the hours you have been given? I know that when I force myself to work during those times, actually these times, I will discard 9/10ths of what I work and edit it like crazy to the last bit. So why force it? Why bother?
Well, sometimes near enough really is good enough.
But sometimes I drive myself crazy trying to craft the perfect piece of prose when in reality it doesn't have to be perfect just completed. As I have found out many times a couple of days later when I've read backsome of the words I thought I had written, only to find out they weren't as good as I thought.
One of the comments my friend said to me in a fit of the frustrations was:
"Just do it, step into the role and be ..."
And of course that is what we should all be doing. Are you a painter or someone who would like to get the paints out when he has the time. Or what about the aspiring photographer who never remembers to take their camera with them. How are you going to be THAT person, you know the one you say you want to be, if you don't step into the role?
One of the reasons I feel is that we don't want to be "found out"
What if I'm not good enough we ask ourselves. What if they can tell I'm a fraud, that I'm really no good at this.
Says who?
As you know there will be people who tell you repeatedly that you are notgood enough. If they shut up for five minutes, we all have our own littlecritic sitting on our shoulders whispering in our ears. Hear him? You'renot good enough, who do you think you are?
Now, do me a favour, hold up your right hand. Now using your index finger I want you to reach across to your left shoulder and POKE HIM ON THE NOSE. Poke him hard enough and he's going to fall off.
Anyone else having a fit of the giggles at the thought our critic now sitting with a bruised rump and a sore nose on the floor behind us.
Right, now he's off nursing his bruised ego, we can get on with whatever it was we said we wanted to do.
We can do amazing things, if we allow ourselves to step into the role and be that person. And the beauty of it is - we can play more than one role if we have the desire and the passion to do so. And anyone who says we can't, well they're probably not stepping into their roles either.
Which role are you going to step into today?
I worry about the "normal" working day, you know the 9-6 routine that businesses say is an effective use of time. Well I don't know anyone who can switch it on at 9 and turn it off at 6 and be productive for the gap in between. OK there are times when you can just churn through it,but is that a good use of the hours you have been given? I know that when I force myself to work during those times, actually these times, I will discard 9/10ths of what I work and edit it like crazy to the last bit. So why force it? Why bother?
Well, sometimes near enough really is good enough.
But sometimes I drive myself crazy trying to craft the perfect piece of prose when in reality it doesn't have to be perfect just completed. As I have found out many times a couple of days later when I've read backsome of the words I thought I had written, only to find out they weren't as good as I thought.
One of the comments my friend said to me in a fit of the frustrations was:
"Just do it, step into the role and be ..."
And of course that is what we should all be doing. Are you a painter or someone who would like to get the paints out when he has the time. Or what about the aspiring photographer who never remembers to take their camera with them. How are you going to be THAT person, you know the one you say you want to be, if you don't step into the role?
One of the reasons I feel is that we don't want to be "found out"
What if I'm not good enough we ask ourselves. What if they can tell I'm a fraud, that I'm really no good at this.
Says who?
As you know there will be people who tell you repeatedly that you are notgood enough. If they shut up for five minutes, we all have our own littlecritic sitting on our shoulders whispering in our ears. Hear him? You'renot good enough, who do you think you are?
Now, do me a favour, hold up your right hand. Now using your index finger I want you to reach across to your left shoulder and POKE HIM ON THE NOSE. Poke him hard enough and he's going to fall off.
Anyone else having a fit of the giggles at the thought our critic now sitting with a bruised rump and a sore nose on the floor behind us.
Right, now he's off nursing his bruised ego, we can get on with whatever it was we said we wanted to do.
We can do amazing things, if we allow ourselves to step into the role and be that person. And the beauty of it is - we can play more than one role if we have the desire and the passion to do so. And anyone who says we can't, well they're probably not stepping into their roles either.
Which role are you going to step into today?
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Keep Moving
It's not that we fall off the bandwagon that's the problem, the problem is if we stay where we've landed.
Interesting word isn't it "bandwagon" what it means and why we use it for when things aren't going quite to plan. Well I've not fallen off the bandwagon per se, rather I have had to get off it for a couple of weeks.
My father hates it when my mom has visitors, she puts herself through all sorts of stress to ensure my visitors have a good time and in doing so of course, her normal schedule rather takes a beating. He knows what it's like though he's a POM too, so when I say "hate" he understands all too well what happens. Thanks daddy :-)
Saturday - it was time to get up, get ready and go to the gym. I've managed a couple of workouts each week during mum's visit, but nowhere near as many as my "normal" schedule covers - so I knew it was going to hurt. I could have delayed the re-start of course, I was exhausted and I am running a low level cold/chill. I don't like exercising when I am sick as the body usually has far too much going on to kill the germs tocope with re-building muscles as well. Then I wondered if the reason why I was running the cold was in fact because my body was complaining about the lack of exercise. So I went. It's Sunday now and my muscles are still not very forgiving in the non-aching department, but you get that.
So what am I trying to tell you in my normal rambling fashion is this:
* You do what you need to do.
* You pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start the re-climb back towhere you were before you landed
* You try and understand why you fell off and hope that you can learn fromwhatever "mistake" that caused it and you try to do better next time.
* Understand that every day you can and do redefine the term "normal"
Interesting word isn't it "bandwagon" what it means and why we use it for when things aren't going quite to plan. Well I've not fallen off the bandwagon per se, rather I have had to get off it for a couple of weeks.
My father hates it when my mom has visitors, she puts herself through all sorts of stress to ensure my visitors have a good time and in doing so of course, her normal schedule rather takes a beating. He knows what it's like though he's a POM too, so when I say "hate" he understands all too well what happens. Thanks daddy :-)
Saturday - it was time to get up, get ready and go to the gym. I've managed a couple of workouts each week during mum's visit, but nowhere near as many as my "normal" schedule covers - so I knew it was going to hurt. I could have delayed the re-start of course, I was exhausted and I am running a low level cold/chill. I don't like exercising when I am sick as the body usually has far too much going on to kill the germs tocope with re-building muscles as well. Then I wondered if the reason why I was running the cold was in fact because my body was complaining about the lack of exercise. So I went. It's Sunday now and my muscles are still not very forgiving in the non-aching department, but you get that.
So what am I trying to tell you in my normal rambling fashion is this:
* You do what you need to do.
* You pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start the re-climb back towhere you were before you landed
* You try and understand why you fell off and hope that you can learn fromwhatever "mistake" that caused it and you try to do better next time.
* Understand that every day you can and do redefine the term "normal"
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Cold porridge
Mark Twain said it best when he stated:
"I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life. The problem is that I can't find anybody who can tell me what they want"
Most people know what they "don't" want
Most people think they know what they do want
But - not many people are specific enough to make their dreams, thoughtsand ideas come alive to themselves never mind the person they are speakingto.
A couple of simple questions for you:
* If you had to describe to me what you thought success was for you, couldyou do it?
* If you had to tell me what your biggest goal is - could you do it?
Simple enough? Perhaps!
Imagine your goal was "cold porridge" could you make it sound interesting enough for me to want to try it?
Because to me that is the biggest test of any goal. Can you make it interestingenough for me to believe in it? Can you make it come alive in such a waythat YOU believe in it? Would you be willing to eat cold porridge basedon your own description? How about immerse yourself in it? Weird? perhaps- but I hope it has you thinking hard and long about how.
If your goals don't pass the cold porridge test, it's definitely time to:
* Change your goals and / or
* Change the way you think about them
"I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life. The problem is that I can't find anybody who can tell me what they want"
Most people know what they "don't" want
Most people think they know what they do want
But - not many people are specific enough to make their dreams, thoughtsand ideas come alive to themselves never mind the person they are speakingto.
A couple of simple questions for you:
* If you had to describe to me what you thought success was for you, couldyou do it?
* If you had to tell me what your biggest goal is - could you do it?
Simple enough? Perhaps!
Imagine your goal was "cold porridge" could you make it sound interesting enough for me to want to try it?
Because to me that is the biggest test of any goal. Can you make it interestingenough for me to believe in it? Can you make it come alive in such a waythat YOU believe in it? Would you be willing to eat cold porridge basedon your own description? How about immerse yourself in it? Weird? perhaps- but I hope it has you thinking hard and long about how.
If your goals don't pass the cold porridge test, it's definitely time to:
* Change your goals and / or
* Change the way you think about them
Use a Mentor
Don't be afraid to use coaches and mentors, they can and will help you become better / do more / see things differently. Believe me we can't be an expert in everything, so why not use their services to shortcut your own personal and professional development. Let me give you an example of one group of mine:
I know I go on and on and on about my personal battles with diet, exercise and weight loss, but I am NOT a dietician nor am I a personal trainer -though I do use the services of both, plus a few other people and organisationsas well who can help me.
My personal trainer is also a dietician - though I am not that strict with her eating plans as I should be. My first session a while back she said "right, we'll start with 7 kilo dumbbells and see how you go ... hmmm that's too easy - here's the 9's...)
My diet is predominantly based on a lifetime of trial and error, but what seems to work for me is a low carb diet. When I eat too many carbs I do stack the weight on :-( the weight loss comes about by removing most of the refined carbs in my diet... and through brisk walks.
With that in mind, let me say this:
* What works for me, may not work for you
* Get advice
* Your mentors and coaches will change as you change and grow (or shrink as the case may be)
* Start slowly if you haven't exercised in a while
* Be willing to push yourself even if you don't want to doit.
* Don't just use the scale as the only measure of success
I know I go on and on and on about my personal battles with diet, exercise and weight loss, but I am NOT a dietician nor am I a personal trainer -though I do use the services of both, plus a few other people and organisationsas well who can help me.
My personal trainer is also a dietician - though I am not that strict with her eating plans as I should be. My first session a while back she said "right, we'll start with 7 kilo dumbbells and see how you go ... hmmm that's too easy - here's the 9's...)
My diet is predominantly based on a lifetime of trial and error, but what seems to work for me is a low carb diet. When I eat too many carbs I do stack the weight on :-( the weight loss comes about by removing most of the refined carbs in my diet... and through brisk walks.
With that in mind, let me say this:
* What works for me, may not work for you
* Get advice
* Your mentors and coaches will change as you change and grow (or shrink as the case may be)
* Start slowly if you haven't exercised in a while
* Be willing to push yourself even if you don't want to doit.
* Don't just use the scale as the only measure of success
Facing Life
"We cannot avoid life by not facing it. The more you face it, themore energy you create" --Sylvia Sims, The Young Ones
I was reading on the internet about the program "The Young Ones" - no, not The YoungOnes, but "the young ones" - The basic concept was to take 6 "famous" celebs who are now in their 70's and 80's and put themback into 1975 - and the time when they were in their heyday. The reasonbeing, these 6 people had suffered everything from strokes through depression - but were willing to undertake a week in the house to see if theycould turn back time.
The BBC stated:
"Could it be that we have the power to think ourselves young again?That’s the extraordinary claim of an experiment first conducted 30 yearsago which the BBC re-staged."
The results were staggering. The power of mind over matter was played outover and over again. People who had relied on sticks were walking unaided.One lady was running down the garden complete with 2 dogs in tow.I am seriously in awe of what was shown and proven - we do have the powerto do whatever we want to do, all we have to do is believe we can, evenif we don't believe it in the beginning.
So my question to you, well several
What would you do if you thought ANYTHING was possible?
and perhaps more importantly
Would you be willing to give it a go?
Are you going to let life get in the way or are you goingto give life everything you've got?
I was reading on the internet about the program "The Young Ones" - no, not The YoungOnes, but "the young ones" - The basic concept was to take 6 "famous" celebs who are now in their 70's and 80's and put themback into 1975 - and the time when they were in their heyday. The reasonbeing, these 6 people had suffered everything from strokes through depression - but were willing to undertake a week in the house to see if theycould turn back time.
The BBC stated:
"Could it be that we have the power to think ourselves young again?That’s the extraordinary claim of an experiment first conducted 30 yearsago which the BBC re-staged."
The results were staggering. The power of mind over matter was played outover and over again. People who had relied on sticks were walking unaided.One lady was running down the garden complete with 2 dogs in tow.I am seriously in awe of what was shown and proven - we do have the powerto do whatever we want to do, all we have to do is believe we can, evenif we don't believe it in the beginning.
So my question to you, well several
What would you do if you thought ANYTHING was possible?
and perhaps more importantly
Would you be willing to give it a go?
Are you going to let life get in the way or are you goingto give life everything you've got?
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Last Idea
If you consider that we are only as good as the last idea we had, on ascale of 1-10 how would you rate your:
* Self
* Creativity
* Leadership style and ability
* Managerial qualities
* Marketing
* Relationships - yes I did say relationships. Do you stillhave date nights? Do you still organise time out with the kids / teens?Would your teens still want to spend time with you if you haven't had adecent day out idea in years? Answer - probably not.
Now go back to the beginning of this list and start again. How would yourate yourself based on your last idea of how to make you a better person.
When was the last time you let your creativity have full reign withoutsomeone (usually your inner voice) telling you it's rubbish and you shouldstick to carrot farming (or whatever you do for a day job). Go slosh paint,write a poem, knit a scarf, find a way to make someone's life easier withthat crazy invention you've had simmering for 20 years...
And before you say anything else - just 4 words
IF NOT NOW? WHEN?
I've said it before, and I will repeat it until I am blue in the face ifI have to ...
You will not live forever
The graveyards are full of people who died without reaching their fullpotential
So
How do you want to be remembered?
Now, let the ideas flow
And if you really have no idea how to do that - not only do you and I needto talk, you also need to take some time out, pencil, paper, go for a walk,sit in an armchair and listen to Bach or whatever works for you... butyou do need to do it.
One final caveat
No idea is stupid. In fact sometimes the silly ones are the best.
To every last idea we will ever have ... and then some
* Self
* Creativity
* Leadership style and ability
* Managerial qualities
* Marketing
* Relationships - yes I did say relationships. Do you stillhave date nights? Do you still organise time out with the kids / teens?Would your teens still want to spend time with you if you haven't had adecent day out idea in years? Answer - probably not.
Now go back to the beginning of this list and start again. How would yourate yourself based on your last idea of how to make you a better person.
When was the last time you let your creativity have full reign withoutsomeone (usually your inner voice) telling you it's rubbish and you shouldstick to carrot farming (or whatever you do for a day job). Go slosh paint,write a poem, knit a scarf, find a way to make someone's life easier withthat crazy invention you've had simmering for 20 years...
And before you say anything else - just 4 words
IF NOT NOW? WHEN?
I've said it before, and I will repeat it until I am blue in the face ifI have to ...
You will not live forever
The graveyards are full of people who died without reaching their fullpotential
So
How do you want to be remembered?
Now, let the ideas flow
And if you really have no idea how to do that - not only do you and I needto talk, you also need to take some time out, pencil, paper, go for a walk,sit in an armchair and listen to Bach or whatever works for you... butyou do need to do it.
One final caveat
No idea is stupid. In fact sometimes the silly ones are the best.
To every last idea we will ever have ... and then some
Two magic words
* Sometimes we forget to say them,
* Sometimes we may feel that they're not needed so don't bother, and
* Sometimes we need to remember what it felt like when they're not saidto us
But why should we use them - surely if you do a good job the "rewards"will speak for themselves.
Well I don't know about you, but failing to use these 2 words can be thedeath knell to a person's motivation.
Your employee has worked hard to get something finished, in fact they'vetaken it on themselves to do more than was expected. He delivers the finisheditem and ... nothing - not a word. Now it could be that you as a managerhad been particularly busy that day - hence why you needed to delegatethat particular task - but how motivated is your employee going to be nexttime you ask him to do something? Would he "go the extra distance"next time? I doubt it. And yet it doesn't take much to do the right thing.A walk through the office at the end of the day, "Hey Jim, sorry Iwas busy earlier - thank you for getting that done so quickly for me, itmade my day a lot easier"...
I don't know about you, but I feel a heartfelt and genuine "thankyou" can and does make a massive difference.
Who do you need to say "thank you" to?
* Sometimes we may feel that they're not needed so don't bother, and
* Sometimes we need to remember what it felt like when they're not saidto us
But why should we use them - surely if you do a good job the "rewards"will speak for themselves.
Well I don't know about you, but failing to use these 2 words can be thedeath knell to a person's motivation.
Your employee has worked hard to get something finished, in fact they'vetaken it on themselves to do more than was expected. He delivers the finisheditem and ... nothing - not a word. Now it could be that you as a managerhad been particularly busy that day - hence why you needed to delegatethat particular task - but how motivated is your employee going to be nexttime you ask him to do something? Would he "go the extra distance"next time? I doubt it. And yet it doesn't take much to do the right thing.A walk through the office at the end of the day, "Hey Jim, sorry Iwas busy earlier - thank you for getting that done so quickly for me, itmade my day a lot easier"...
I don't know about you, but I feel a heartfelt and genuine "thankyou" can and does make a massive difference.
Who do you need to say "thank you" to?
50 things you need to be happy about...
This may sound quite an easy thing to consider.
Write down 50 things you are happy with.
For instance you might be happy about
1. The weather, because you can get the washing dry outside
2. Your kids progress at school
3. The great cup of coffee you've just had
4. The amount you saved on your grocery bill today
5. The fact that it is the weekend and you get to lie in
6. Your weight loss to date
7. A great mark from your last assignment
8. A new business deal
etc
Why should I ask you to write down 50 things you are happy about? Well,I feel there is so much negativity running around us, pulling at us like a swift flowing river before you know it, you are not as motivated as you were when you woke up this morning. But by focussing on the things you ARE happy with you can counter the negative.
It may take you just a few minutes to write these down, or it might take you half an hour. But believe me - it is half an hour worth spending. I keep mine in my hand phone so I can go back and re-read them. It helps keep me focused and motivated. I hope you try it.
Write down 50 things you are happy with.
For instance you might be happy about
1. The weather, because you can get the washing dry outside
2. Your kids progress at school
3. The great cup of coffee you've just had
4. The amount you saved on your grocery bill today
5. The fact that it is the weekend and you get to lie in
6. Your weight loss to date
7. A great mark from your last assignment
8. A new business deal
etc
Why should I ask you to write down 50 things you are happy about? Well,I feel there is so much negativity running around us, pulling at us like a swift flowing river before you know it, you are not as motivated as you were when you woke up this morning. But by focussing on the things you ARE happy with you can counter the negative.
It may take you just a few minutes to write these down, or it might take you half an hour. But believe me - it is half an hour worth spending. I keep mine in my hand phone so I can go back and re-read them. It helps keep me focused and motivated. I hope you try it.
The Weekend !
I love Saturday's, they are my project days. It also gives me a chance to catch up on those silly things I don't get to do during my normal week.
Things like: talking to people - sorry I do feel like I neglect some people sometimes. Then there are the emails that I need to read and action, work that needs to be completed, and regular stuff that never stops. I also tend to get up really early and just hit morning walks.
I like to start my day with a few simple things. The habits and rituals that make my day seem "right".
* I make my bed as soon as I get out of it.
* I have a shower and put on clean clothes - yes even on painting days.I have several sets of "work" gear and there is nothing worse than wearing yukky stuff. So I start my day with a "clean" slate.
* I make myself a cup of black lemon tea and today I am going to make myself some breakfast - protein based so I won't need to eat again until "lunchtime". So far though I have also washed the dishes left yesterday, put away the ones they had left on the drainer andcleaned the kitchen surfaces...
So why should I tell you this mundanity? Well I feel it is important formany reasons.
1. I am normal - I have the same things to do as you do. Where perhaps we differ lie in the things I have stopped doing.
2. Habits are important. Some habits are essential - the trick to getting more out of every day is to make habits and rituals that work for you. Then slowly you can begin to remove those habits and behaviours that perhaps don't serve you as well.
3. Sometimes just getting on and doing it, is the right thing to do. People hate me when I say - just do it ... usually with an added aside "well it's all right for you". Is it? I work anything from 60 - 80 hours a week - but in the main it is thoroughly enjoyable. I love what I do (most of the time - see told you I was normal). But perhaps one of the reasons is because I do have the benefit of being able to share my thoughts with a wide community of people, across quite a diverse range of disciplines. Some of you will know me from my work, others via my dance company where I spent most f my life, and of course via my own social network. My point to you is that to get more out of each day you need to love what you do, and if you don't then either "fake it" and pretend that you do (you do get more done that way) or find work that you do enjoy.
4. Intersperse "work" with play. That is what I do on my daysoff - aka Saturday and Sunday. These 2 days I work from home where I can balance the needs of my family, the house I am completely re-decoratingand my urgent need to exercise and write.
Given that it is the weekend, and usually most people's days off, why not take a look at those habits and rituals you engage in. Are they serving you ? Or do you need to make a few changes?
Things like: talking to people - sorry I do feel like I neglect some people sometimes. Then there are the emails that I need to read and action, work that needs to be completed, and regular stuff that never stops. I also tend to get up really early and just hit morning walks.
I like to start my day with a few simple things. The habits and rituals that make my day seem "right".
* I make my bed as soon as I get out of it.
* I have a shower and put on clean clothes - yes even on painting days.I have several sets of "work" gear and there is nothing worse than wearing yukky stuff. So I start my day with a "clean" slate.
* I make myself a cup of black lemon tea and today I am going to make myself some breakfast - protein based so I won't need to eat again until "lunchtime". So far though I have also washed the dishes left yesterday, put away the ones they had left on the drainer andcleaned the kitchen surfaces...
So why should I tell you this mundanity? Well I feel it is important formany reasons.
1. I am normal - I have the same things to do as you do. Where perhaps we differ lie in the things I have stopped doing.
2. Habits are important. Some habits are essential - the trick to getting more out of every day is to make habits and rituals that work for you. Then slowly you can begin to remove those habits and behaviours that perhaps don't serve you as well.
3. Sometimes just getting on and doing it, is the right thing to do. People hate me when I say - just do it ... usually with an added aside "well it's all right for you". Is it? I work anything from 60 - 80 hours a week - but in the main it is thoroughly enjoyable. I love what I do (most of the time - see told you I was normal). But perhaps one of the reasons is because I do have the benefit of being able to share my thoughts with a wide community of people, across quite a diverse range of disciplines. Some of you will know me from my work, others via my dance company where I spent most f my life, and of course via my own social network. My point to you is that to get more out of each day you need to love what you do, and if you don't then either "fake it" and pretend that you do (you do get more done that way) or find work that you do enjoy.
4. Intersperse "work" with play. That is what I do on my daysoff - aka Saturday and Sunday. These 2 days I work from home where I can balance the needs of my family, the house I am completely re-decoratingand my urgent need to exercise and write.
Given that it is the weekend, and usually most people's days off, why not take a look at those habits and rituals you engage in. Are they serving you ? Or do you need to make a few changes?
Curosity kills the 'cat' - NOT you !!
Kids are amazing, they have a million questions - and they all start with "why"? followed by "where" "what" "how" and "when" - to kids - nothing is impossible. For kids the question is when, rather how can something be achieved.
"why not" they say.
Why not indeed.
When did we stop being curious about life?
When did we stop wondering what it would be like if... ?
When did we forget that life is a game, and one that we need to play to enjoy.
Yes I did say "play" - I feel you get more done when you enjoywhat you are doing, and I can almost guarantee you are smiling as you aregetting stuck into life. I know there are times when it feels like the weight of the world sits on our shoulders, when the news is filled with stories that make you want to cry. BUT what would happen if we didn't watch the news, didn't hear about the bad stuff, would we be sad "just incase" something horrible was happening somewhere in the world? "Does that mean we are burying our head in the sand? I don't think so, I feel it is this - we are doing everything in our power to be everythingwe can be, and we can do that by asking ourselves and our world the right kinds of questions.
"why not" they say.
Why not indeed.
When did we stop being curious about life?
When did we stop wondering what it would be like if... ?
When did we forget that life is a game, and one that we need to play to enjoy.
Yes I did say "play" - I feel you get more done when you enjoywhat you are doing, and I can almost guarantee you are smiling as you aregetting stuck into life. I know there are times when it feels like the weight of the world sits on our shoulders, when the news is filled with stories that make you want to cry. BUT what would happen if we didn't watch the news, didn't hear about the bad stuff, would we be sad "just incase" something horrible was happening somewhere in the world? "Does that mean we are burying our head in the sand? I don't think so, I feel it is this - we are doing everything in our power to be everythingwe can be, and we can do that by asking ourselves and our world the right kinds of questions.
Your Goal !
Mark Twain said it best when he stated:
"I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life. The problemis that I can't find anybody who can tell me what they want"
Most people know what they "don't" want
Most people think they know what they do want
But - not many people are specific enough to make their dreams, thoughtsand ideas come alive to themselves never mind the person they are speakingto.
A couple of simple questions for you:
* If you had to describe to me what you thought success was for you, could you do it?
* If you had to tell me what your biggest goal is - could you do it?
Simple enough? Perhaps!
Imagine your goal was "cold porridge" could you make it sound interesting enough for me to want to try it?
Because to me that is the biggest test of any goal. Can you make it interesting enough for me to believe in it? Can you make it come alive in such a way that YOU believe in it? Would you be willing to eat cold porridge based on your own description? How about immerse yourself in it? Weird? perhaps- but I hope it has you thinking hard and long about how.
If your goals don't pass the cold porridge test, it's definitely time to:
* Change your goals and / or
* Change the way you think about them
"I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life. The problemis that I can't find anybody who can tell me what they want"
Most people know what they "don't" want
Most people think they know what they do want
But - not many people are specific enough to make their dreams, thoughtsand ideas come alive to themselves never mind the person they are speakingto.
A couple of simple questions for you:
* If you had to describe to me what you thought success was for you, could you do it?
* If you had to tell me what your biggest goal is - could you do it?
Simple enough? Perhaps!
Imagine your goal was "cold porridge" could you make it sound interesting enough for me to want to try it?
Because to me that is the biggest test of any goal. Can you make it interesting enough for me to believe in it? Can you make it come alive in such a way that YOU believe in it? Would you be willing to eat cold porridge based on your own description? How about immerse yourself in it? Weird? perhaps- but I hope it has you thinking hard and long about how.
If your goals don't pass the cold porridge test, it's definitely time to:
* Change your goals and / or
* Change the way you think about them
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
You Tell On Yourself
- By Anonymous
You tell on yourself by the friends you seek,
By the very manner in which you speak,
By the way you employ your leisure time,
By the use you make of dollar and dime.
You tell what you are by the clothes you wear,
By the spirit in which your burdens you bear,
By the kinds of things at which you laugh,
By the records you play on your phonograph.
You show what you are by the way you walk,
By the things of which you delight to talk,
By the manner in which you bear defeat,
By so simple a thing as how you eat.
By the books you choose from a well-filled shelf–
In these ways and others you tell on yourself.
So really there’s not a grain of sense
In trying to keep up a false pretense.
You tell on yourself by the friends you seek,
By the very manner in which you speak,
By the way you employ your leisure time,
By the use you make of dollar and dime.
You tell what you are by the clothes you wear,
By the spirit in which your burdens you bear,
By the kinds of things at which you laugh,
By the records you play on your phonograph.
You show what you are by the way you walk,
By the things of which you delight to talk,
By the manner in which you bear defeat,
By so simple a thing as how you eat.
By the books you choose from a well-filled shelf–
In these ways and others you tell on yourself.
So really there’s not a grain of sense
In trying to keep up a false pretense.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
You can do it for you
Tell yourself you can do it if you …..
and then write down a few ideas.
- nothing is stupid
- nothing is outrageous
- nothing is considered un-doable
until you decide it is.
and then write down a few ideas.
- nothing is stupid
- nothing is outrageous
- nothing is considered un-doable
until you decide it is.
Personal discipline
If someone isn't ready to change, if they're not committed to the process 100% then nothing you nor I can do will make an ounce of difference.
Saturday and my normal garb is gym gear (no surprises there)... But it did lead into an interesting conversation with the guy on the check out at the supermarket ...
mum and I keep trying to motivate dad to exercise more
"well he has to want to"
HE says he does, but doesn't seem to want to do the harder stuff
"then he's not ready"
He says his metabolism has slowed down and doesn't have the energy
"I'm sorry, but that's rubbish - if you choose to feed yourself inferior foods and don't exercise, of course you are going to slow down. It's nothing to do with your metabolism per se, BUT everything to do with what you think your metabolism is doing"
Huh
"Look my trainer is 56, completely ripped and is a few weeks off competition to compete for a body sculpting title..."
The rather overweight woman standing at the next checkout kept trying to hide the rubbish she had bought, and was staring rather guiltily at me.
NOW - I'm not saying you shouldn't eat it, just
a) don't make excuses as to why you are overweight and unfit - I did and you know what - it didn't fool anyone, including me.
b) if you do want to eat, for goodness sake enjoy it - what is the point in feeling guilty about eating "bad" stuff - if you want it, eat it and enjoy it, savour it in fact, just don't make excuses.
And being ready to change of course does not just apply to health, fitness and weight loss - but everything. Every goal you set yourself needs to be determined alongside whether or not you are ready to handle the workload, the process of working through and working out whatever needs to be worked out, and whether or not you have the strength of character to make it work. Some people call it will power, I just want to know whether you are ready to change your behaviours and your actions from ones that were not suiting you to ones that will.
Given that we are in the midst of a chocolate and all round sugar fest that is Easter. Eat, drink, be merry - don't feel guilty, but be prepared to do the work needed to get rid of the excess next week.
Saturday and my normal garb is gym gear (no surprises there)... But it did lead into an interesting conversation with the guy on the check out at the supermarket ...
mum and I keep trying to motivate dad to exercise more
"well he has to want to"
HE says he does, but doesn't seem to want to do the harder stuff
"then he's not ready"
He says his metabolism has slowed down and doesn't have the energy
"I'm sorry, but that's rubbish - if you choose to feed yourself inferior foods and don't exercise, of course you are going to slow down. It's nothing to do with your metabolism per se, BUT everything to do with what you think your metabolism is doing"
Huh
"Look my trainer is 56, completely ripped and is a few weeks off competition to compete for a body sculpting title..."
The rather overweight woman standing at the next checkout kept trying to hide the rubbish she had bought, and was staring rather guiltily at me.
NOW - I'm not saying you shouldn't eat it, just
a) don't make excuses as to why you are overweight and unfit - I did and you know what - it didn't fool anyone, including me.
b) if you do want to eat, for goodness sake enjoy it - what is the point in feeling guilty about eating "bad" stuff - if you want it, eat it and enjoy it, savour it in fact, just don't make excuses.
And being ready to change of course does not just apply to health, fitness and weight loss - but everything. Every goal you set yourself needs to be determined alongside whether or not you are ready to handle the workload, the process of working through and working out whatever needs to be worked out, and whether or not you have the strength of character to make it work. Some people call it will power, I just want to know whether you are ready to change your behaviours and your actions from ones that were not suiting you to ones that will.
Given that we are in the midst of a chocolate and all round sugar fest that is Easter. Eat, drink, be merry - don't feel guilty, but be prepared to do the work needed to get rid of the excess next week.
Judging a book by its cover
It doesn't matter what business we are in, however in my opinion we are in the business of building relationships. But before those relationships can be forged, people have a "nasty" habit of judging people by what they see and hear. So:
When people arrive at your place of business what do they see?
* Can they look at your signage and know they have reached the right place?
* Can they get in easily enough or does it take a genius to know which door amongst dozens of other options which one is yours?
* What does your reception look like?
* What does your receptionist look like?
* Are they greeted with a smile?
* Are they greeted at all or are they told to sit and wait and someone will be out shortly
* Are they offered refreshments?
* What sort?
* Have they been before - is the service consistent?
* What about the surroundings? Is the waiting room dingy, is the paint peeling off the walls, or is it light and airy and welcoming?
* What about the people who work at your place of business? Are they dressed well, have a warm and welcoming smile and are pleased to be there? What about you - the business owner?
* Are you dressed to impress or distress your visitors?
* How do you sound? Are you bored, pleased or annoyed at the distractions and visitors?
But what if your business is mainly telephone based - does it matter what you look like? Only to yourself - and it is entirely up to you if you want to sit in your undies at home and answer your sales calls - but how do you sound? You can tell an awful lot about the tone and timbre of a person's voice. Record yourself if you have to, but make sure you don't put people off with your bored tone of voice.
What about your online presence?
* Your website - is it easy to do business with you or is it soooo busy you can't work out from the mish mash of colours, fonts and whirring wotnots what you want people to do?
* What about your social presence - are you consistent with your message? One very big hint regarding social media - people don't want to be "sold" they find social spamming to be just as annoying as email spam - so the rule of thumb is 1 "sales" message to every 50 no-sales message you send out.
* Make sure the people on your facebook pages or tweet streams are enhancing not distracting from your business. If they're not, ask them politely to raise their game... if all else fails - hide their news feeds or if you feel you must - remove them completely.
What about your home?
What do people see when they walk through your door? I had this discussion with my teenagers again last night - my back door opens directly onto the kitchen and directly in front is the sink ... thanks goodness my clients don't make house calls - especially last night. I wouldn't mind but school / TAFE is closed for the Easter break, so it's not like they don't have the time...
* When was the last time you looked at your business through the eyes of the people who arrive there?
* Is it time to do so again?
* Is it time to raise your game?
When people arrive at your place of business what do they see?
* Can they look at your signage and know they have reached the right place?
* Can they get in easily enough or does it take a genius to know which door amongst dozens of other options which one is yours?
* What does your reception look like?
* What does your receptionist look like?
* Are they greeted with a smile?
* Are they greeted at all or are they told to sit and wait and someone will be out shortly
* Are they offered refreshments?
* What sort?
* Have they been before - is the service consistent?
* What about the surroundings? Is the waiting room dingy, is the paint peeling off the walls, or is it light and airy and welcoming?
* What about the people who work at your place of business? Are they dressed well, have a warm and welcoming smile and are pleased to be there? What about you - the business owner?
* Are you dressed to impress or distress your visitors?
* How do you sound? Are you bored, pleased or annoyed at the distractions and visitors?
But what if your business is mainly telephone based - does it matter what you look like? Only to yourself - and it is entirely up to you if you want to sit in your undies at home and answer your sales calls - but how do you sound? You can tell an awful lot about the tone and timbre of a person's voice. Record yourself if you have to, but make sure you don't put people off with your bored tone of voice.
What about your online presence?
* Your website - is it easy to do business with you or is it soooo busy you can't work out from the mish mash of colours, fonts and whirring wotnots what you want people to do?
* What about your social presence - are you consistent with your message? One very big hint regarding social media - people don't want to be "sold" they find social spamming to be just as annoying as email spam - so the rule of thumb is 1 "sales" message to every 50 no-sales message you send out.
* Make sure the people on your facebook pages or tweet streams are enhancing not distracting from your business. If they're not, ask them politely to raise their game... if all else fails - hide their news feeds or if you feel you must - remove them completely.
What about your home?
What do people see when they walk through your door? I had this discussion with my teenagers again last night - my back door opens directly onto the kitchen and directly in front is the sink ... thanks goodness my clients don't make house calls - especially last night. I wouldn't mind but school / TAFE is closed for the Easter break, so it's not like they don't have the time...
* When was the last time you looked at your business through the eyes of the people who arrive there?
* Is it time to do so again?
* Is it time to raise your game?
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Take a call !
Have you ever been tormented by the thought of making the wrong decision? What if I were to tell you there are no wrong decisions, just different outcomes, would that make it easier to break through?
We have a choice - we are faced with a or b, but what happens if the one you choose should go wrong - how will you ever cope? This is the no-win scenario - whatever choice you make you are going to beat yourself up over the decision. I knew I should have gone with the other choice. See I told you it would go wrong ...
But if you consider that there are no wrong decisions, just different outcomes - you can imagine how liberating that is. Liberating because it means you can make changes to your current circumstances knowing you can handle whatever comes your way as a result of your choice.
Jim was told he had to follow in his father's footsteps and work in the family firm. Jim dutifully went to business school, studied hard and qualified - then went to work every day in his suit and tie hating every minute of it. Jim had always dreamed of being a teacher, but he knew his father wouldn't help pay his tuition fees if he went to teachers college - so he did his job and hated every minute of it.
I'm sure you can relate to Jim - what would you have done in his shoes? What should Jim have done? What should Jim do now?
Well in this particular case there aren't just 2 options open to Jim. Stay where he is and be miserable or chuck it in and go back to school and have his father disinherit him. Nope, there are many options. Go to night school, take distance learning modules, offer to teach business modules to his fellow workers, or approach the local college with a proposal for a course he would like to run. What is holding him back? HE is. Everything that could possibly go wrong is running through his mind leaving him completely stuck. And as a result, he can't see the many options that are open to him.
Next time you are faced with making a decision - difficult or otherwise, get out your paper and pen and write down the pros and cons of each option. If you can't think of any - then imagine you are giving your best friend some advice. Just remember 2 things -
1) whatever happens - you can handle it. And
2) there are no wrong decisions, just different outcomes.
We have a choice - we are faced with a or b, but what happens if the one you choose should go wrong - how will you ever cope? This is the no-win scenario - whatever choice you make you are going to beat yourself up over the decision. I knew I should have gone with the other choice. See I told you it would go wrong ...
But if you consider that there are no wrong decisions, just different outcomes - you can imagine how liberating that is. Liberating because it means you can make changes to your current circumstances knowing you can handle whatever comes your way as a result of your choice.
Jim was told he had to follow in his father's footsteps and work in the family firm. Jim dutifully went to business school, studied hard and qualified - then went to work every day in his suit and tie hating every minute of it. Jim had always dreamed of being a teacher, but he knew his father wouldn't help pay his tuition fees if he went to teachers college - so he did his job and hated every minute of it.
I'm sure you can relate to Jim - what would you have done in his shoes? What should Jim have done? What should Jim do now?
Well in this particular case there aren't just 2 options open to Jim. Stay where he is and be miserable or chuck it in and go back to school and have his father disinherit him. Nope, there are many options. Go to night school, take distance learning modules, offer to teach business modules to his fellow workers, or approach the local college with a proposal for a course he would like to run. What is holding him back? HE is. Everything that could possibly go wrong is running through his mind leaving him completely stuck. And as a result, he can't see the many options that are open to him.
Next time you are faced with making a decision - difficult or otherwise, get out your paper and pen and write down the pros and cons of each option. If you can't think of any - then imagine you are giving your best friend some advice. Just remember 2 things -
1) whatever happens - you can handle it. And
2) there are no wrong decisions, just different outcomes.
Don't lose Momentum
Missing a day makes it much harder to start again - consequently you are more likely to miss several in a row, losing momentum. After you lose momentum several things happen
You are more likely to give up completely - have you ever ridden a bicycle, have you ever tried to stop without putting your feet down? Almost impossible isn't it - yet keeping the momentum going, albeit slowly means you don't tend to fall off... well this is the same with any goal. Stopping for one day is the equivalent of falling off the bicycle because your momentum has stopped. And it's much harder to begin again.
You will struggle to begin again and when you do - One thing I know for certain is this - it takes much longer to get back to where you were BEFORE you lost momentum and stopped, consequently you are always trying to catch up with yourself. Exercise is a good example - you can't exercise once and expect to remain fit for the rest of your life. Getting fit is hard, but keeping the fitness levels up is much easier once you have reached a certain point. Once you have reached that point, you have the chance / opportunity to push further and harder. Dieting and weight loss is another great example of course. You're good for a couple of days / weeks - you lose a couple of pounds / kilo's and then something comes along and your "willpower" deserts you and before you know it you've re-gained the lost weight and a bit more besides. It takes an inordinate amount of strength to say no to temptation, but it takes even more to begin again after you've lost momentum and stopped for the gazillionth time.
No-one is ever THAT busy you can't find a couple of minutes out of the 1440 we are given each day to work on what you say is important to you. All we ask is that you do something today, don't worry about tomorrow - today is all that counts.
* I can fit in 2 x 30 minute exercise sessions today
* I can eat a healthy lunch, I can eat a healthy dinner, I can cut back on the sugar in my tea - just for today
* I can phone a client
* I can do my homework today, in fact I'm going to do it right now
* I can keep my room clean today
* I can wash the dishes in the sink
* I can take the dog for a walk
Today
Keep an eye on the long term yes, but make each day THE most important day for you there is.
So what are you going to do today?
You are more likely to give up completely - have you ever ridden a bicycle, have you ever tried to stop without putting your feet down? Almost impossible isn't it - yet keeping the momentum going, albeit slowly means you don't tend to fall off... well this is the same with any goal. Stopping for one day is the equivalent of falling off the bicycle because your momentum has stopped. And it's much harder to begin again.
You will struggle to begin again and when you do - One thing I know for certain is this - it takes much longer to get back to where you were BEFORE you lost momentum and stopped, consequently you are always trying to catch up with yourself. Exercise is a good example - you can't exercise once and expect to remain fit for the rest of your life. Getting fit is hard, but keeping the fitness levels up is much easier once you have reached a certain point. Once you have reached that point, you have the chance / opportunity to push further and harder. Dieting and weight loss is another great example of course. You're good for a couple of days / weeks - you lose a couple of pounds / kilo's and then something comes along and your "willpower" deserts you and before you know it you've re-gained the lost weight and a bit more besides. It takes an inordinate amount of strength to say no to temptation, but it takes even more to begin again after you've lost momentum and stopped for the gazillionth time.
No-one is ever THAT busy you can't find a couple of minutes out of the 1440 we are given each day to work on what you say is important to you. All we ask is that you do something today, don't worry about tomorrow - today is all that counts.
* I can fit in 2 x 30 minute exercise sessions today
* I can eat a healthy lunch, I can eat a healthy dinner, I can cut back on the sugar in my tea - just for today
* I can phone a client
* I can do my homework today, in fact I'm going to do it right now
* I can keep my room clean today
* I can wash the dishes in the sink
* I can take the dog for a walk
Today
Keep an eye on the long term yes, but make each day THE most important day for you there is.
So what are you going to do today?
Laughter is the best medicine
"You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm"
Colette
* When was the last time you laughed so hard your face and ribs hurt?
* How good did you feel afterwards?
* How long did the feel good effects last?
* How many times did you go back over the reason and find yourself smiling?
We can be forgiven for thinking life is a serious business and yes it has certainly been stressful of late here in the Southern Hemisphere with storms, fires, cyclones, floods and earthquakes, let alone the wars, the unrest and the many deaths we hear about across the rest of the world. I'm not saying we shouldn't be serious or worry, but just for today could you do me a favour and not listen to the news in the car going home, nor watch the news or the current affairs programs when you are eating dinner. tonight. Oh and reading the news wires via the internet is out too today (unless you really are waiting for news of loved ones caught up in the disaster zones around the world). Turn it off and give yourself a break.
Life is about balance. You may not think the news stories are impacting on your state of mind and your ability to get things done, but believe me - they do - BIG TIME. If all we do is worry, how can we get the things we want done, done? We can't - our lives go into a holding pattern. And before you say stop being flippant - believe me with 2 deaths this week, one an uncle and one a friend of a friend - believe me when I say I can assure you I'm not. But life is about balance.
So today I would like you to have a bit of fun - for me, for you, for the families who have lost someone they care about - it's time to remember the good times. But not too much, just a little (kidding you can have as much fun with this as you like). The why is important - we need to remember some simple things - without sunshine AND rain there would not be a rainbow. Without hills you wouldn't see the beautiful valleys. And so it is with us, we need to remember the highs when things are a low.
So - how can you inject a bit of fun and laughter into what could be just another dark day?
Colette
* When was the last time you laughed so hard your face and ribs hurt?
* How good did you feel afterwards?
* How long did the feel good effects last?
* How many times did you go back over the reason and find yourself smiling?
We can be forgiven for thinking life is a serious business and yes it has certainly been stressful of late here in the Southern Hemisphere with storms, fires, cyclones, floods and earthquakes, let alone the wars, the unrest and the many deaths we hear about across the rest of the world. I'm not saying we shouldn't be serious or worry, but just for today could you do me a favour and not listen to the news in the car going home, nor watch the news or the current affairs programs when you are eating dinner. tonight. Oh and reading the news wires via the internet is out too today (unless you really are waiting for news of loved ones caught up in the disaster zones around the world). Turn it off and give yourself a break.
Life is about balance. You may not think the news stories are impacting on your state of mind and your ability to get things done, but believe me - they do - BIG TIME. If all we do is worry, how can we get the things we want done, done? We can't - our lives go into a holding pattern. And before you say stop being flippant - believe me with 2 deaths this week, one an uncle and one a friend of a friend - believe me when I say I can assure you I'm not. But life is about balance.
So today I would like you to have a bit of fun - for me, for you, for the families who have lost someone they care about - it's time to remember the good times. But not too much, just a little (kidding you can have as much fun with this as you like). The why is important - we need to remember some simple things - without sunshine AND rain there would not be a rainbow. Without hills you wouldn't see the beautiful valleys. And so it is with us, we need to remember the highs when things are a low.
So - how can you inject a bit of fun and laughter into what could be just another dark day?
Thursday, February 3, 2011
What's the intention
"Success depends on where intention is"
Gita Bellin
* Don't give yourself room for doubt. When something doesn't work quite as well as you thought it should - remember the scientists and the inventors - do you think they "succeeded" every time? Of course they didn't, but each time they didn't succeed, they had eliminated one answer and paved the way for a new line of thinking. And so can you.
* Don't allow yourself room to back out of doing what you know needs doing. Sometimes the hardest step is the first one, but once you have taken that step the rest can not help but follow.
* Don't use negative words about yourself or your goals, and don't allow other people to derail your plans either. If you are constantly being told by someone that you will fail, I would say - you need to limit your association with them, tell them "with all due respect, but I would appreciate your support not your negativity" ... and if they can't do that, well I would say they don't deserve to associate with you.
Gita Bellin
* Don't give yourself room for doubt. When something doesn't work quite as well as you thought it should - remember the scientists and the inventors - do you think they "succeeded" every time? Of course they didn't, but each time they didn't succeed, they had eliminated one answer and paved the way for a new line of thinking. And so can you.
* Don't allow yourself room to back out of doing what you know needs doing. Sometimes the hardest step is the first one, but once you have taken that step the rest can not help but follow.
* Don't use negative words about yourself or your goals, and don't allow other people to derail your plans either. If you are constantly being told by someone that you will fail, I would say - you need to limit your association with them, tell them "with all due respect, but I would appreciate your support not your negativity" ... and if they can't do that, well I would say they don't deserve to associate with you.
Health is Wealth
1. Breakfast:
As it sounds after a period of 6-8 hours sleep you do need to “break your fast” and you do that by eating something. But don't go for the sugary cereals and full fat milk, why not try scrambled eggs and a piece of wholemeal toast with tomatoes. The protein helps to keep you full for longer, the wholemeal toast and the tomatoes gives fibre and some vitamins... And it doesn't take long – if you use a microwave and a toaster, a couple of minutes and you’re done.
2. Water:
Aim for 2-4 litres a day, especially if you sweat a lot, it’s warm weather and you’re exercising. Water helps the body flush out the rubbish. And it doesn't have to be “plain” either. Think Soda Water – no calories, herbal teas (hot or cold), add a slice of lemon or other citrus, cucumber or mint to give it a different taste. And try drinking it ice cold – apparently the body has to burn calories to warm up the water to body temperature. It may not be a lot of calories, but every little counts.
3. Vitamin D:
If you spend most of your time indoors chances are going to be good you will be deficient in Vitamin D. Myriad pieces of research indicates that this fat soluble vitamin does more than prevent rickets, but can aid the body to absorb calcium and according to some of the information I've read, may promote weight loss and prevent certain types of cancer.
4. Vitamins and minerals:
The other minerals and vitamins we may not be getting through our diet are also important of course, so make sure you are taking a good multi vitamin as well.
5. Good fats:
Think olive oil, nuts, seeds, fish and avocado. Limit (get rid of entirely) the trans fats – those things that create margarine, and are in most take away sandwiches you buy at the deli as well as most (if not all) the processed cakes, biscuits, pastries, potato chips (crisps) and everything else it seems.
6. Processed foods:
And talking of which, and you know what I am going to say here – don't eat these in any quantity if you want to lose weight. Our bodies are a finely tuned machine, so why would we want to give it inferior fuel? Think performance car and cheap engine oil – you would never do it, but we do it to our bodies ALL the time.
7. Avoid white:
rice, bread, sugar, pasta etc etc. All these do is spike your blood sugar, giving you an instant “hit” – the chemistry is interesting, but basically as the body takes in the white stuff, it has to produce insulin to process it ... once the body has processed it and stuffed it in your fat cells for later use when you need energy to outrun that sabre tooth tiger the body experiences a major slump and what happens then – you crave more “white stuff”. It takes a couple of days to stop thinking in terms of “white” but believe me this one trick can save you a whole chemistry lesson of trouble... think diabetes 2 prevention for starters. But if you can't bear the thought of not having your “white stuff” ensure you have some good quality protein with it to minimise the “damage”. And while we are on the subject – check the labels for things like corn sugar, corn syrup or High Fructose Corn Syrup as this has all but replaced “sugar” in processed foods and soft drinks.
8. Halve it:
Or better still opt for the entree size servings when you go out to a restaurant. Most people don't realise just how large restaurant portion sizes have become. We feel we want “value for money” and that means having food and lots of it on our plate when it is served. Opting for the entree size servings not only saves us hundreds of calories per meal, it’s cheaper too
9. Halve it #2:
If you have a lot of weight to lose it can seem too hard to eat the tiny portions stated on some “diets” – so in the beginning of your modified eating plan a good rule of thumb would be – whatever you were going to have, have half the amount. So if you were planning on eating 2 pizzas for dinner, eat 1 and save the other one for tomorrow. If you normally ate a loaf of bread in one sitting, eat half. 3 chickens – eat 1 ½ and so on. As you begin to lose size you will be able to reduce your halves again. 1 pizza becomes half a pizza and so on.
10. Halve it #3:
Desserts and other “sweet stuff” – the same rule applies to this section of foods. I no longer eat dessert or very much that could be labelled “sweet” – it has taken me years to wean myself of the stuff, but now I rarely even think about it. Occasionally I will have some yoghurt, but not very often as the “diet” stuff is full of aspartame, and that is one chemical I do not like to put into my body, and the flavoured stuff is full of sugar and fat... tastes great, but it is now something I keep for a treat. If you do want dessert, share it with someone else.
11. Chocolate:
This one deserves a mention of its own. If you do eat chocolate, a good idea is to forget the milk version and the marketing miracle they call “white chocolate” which is just sugar, fats and a variety of chemicals mixed together to make it taste wonderful and opt instead for the 70+ cocoa version. It may take some getting used to, but break a tiny piece off and put it into the roof of your mouth and let it dissolve slowly. Believe me you get all the highs of chocolate without the calories.
12. Take it with you:
What am I talking about? Lunches and snacks. Prepare your “work” meals the night before and take them with you, that way you can’t be tempted to run out and grab the first thing you think about when you get hungry.
13. Don’t take money with you:
A good rule of thumb, don’t carry money with you. This one works especially well at lunch times. If you don’t have it with you, you can’t spend it and more importantly you can’t spend it on inferior calories.
14. Walk:
Walking is a great way to move things along internally (if you get my meaning) – they didn’t use to call it a constitutional for nothing you know. Set your alarm for 40 minutes earlier than your normal get up time, then get up and get walking. I have a range of circuits based on time. My 30 minute morning walk is a wonderful way of waking up the mind and of course the body. I tend to walk on an empty stomach, but that is a personal choice. If you find yourself getting light headed try eating a piece of fruit before you go out. And don’t forget the water.
15. Rewards:
Never reward yourself with food or alcohol. Weight loss should be a happy journey to the size and shape you’ve always wanted, so why ruin the process by eating something you know will de-rail your progress? Now some people may say that denying yourself everything is a bad thing – but given what goes into the “rewards” if you think about “sweets / fast food / take away” etc then surely it would make sense to reward yourself with something that is going to make you feel better? So what kind of rewards? Well a good idea is to have them set up ready for the milestones. Losing 5lbs you may want to treat yourself to a foot spa or massage. Losing 10lbs you may want to reward yourself with a new pair of trainers or pair of track pants. Losing 15lbs you may want to go through your wardrobe and donate all the clothes that are just too big for you these days ... what better reward than that – but I would recommend not re-stocking your wardrobe just yet if you have more weight to lose, better to buy one or two pieces in a smaller size and to keep pushing on.
16. Alcohol:
As much as I hate to say this, but too much alcohol isn’t good for you. What is too much – well that is not for me to say, but just looking at the calories is a great start. For example a bottle of wine on average is about 560 calories. Have you any idea how much time it takes to burn off those kinds of empty calories? Well a week or so ago I did a time trial on a static bike at the gym. It took me 44 mins of cycling on level 4 at an average speed of 107RPM to burn off just 300 calories. That’s an awful lot of cycling (about 21km’s actually).
17. Incidental exercise:
I’m sure everyone has heard of use the stairs not the elevator. Well there is more to incidental exercise than stairs. Get off the bus 1 stop earlier and walk the rest of the way. Do your own housework and gardening. Clean the car. Walk the dog. Walk the neighbour’s dog if you don’t have one. Go dancing. Challenge the kids / grandkids / nephews / nieces to a game of twister. Play Frisbee. Re-decorate the house – believe me climbing up and down the step ladders is a wonderful way of burning calories and tightening the legs and butt. Get off your chair and walk to your colleagues desk to deliver a message rather than using the email. Hide the TV remote control so you have to get up and change the channel. Get frisky – not only does it burn calories, the natural high just makes you feel better. And before you tell me you don’t have the time, all I am asking you to do is think about how you can get more exercise (incidental) into your day, sometimes you would be surprised at how easy it can be.
18. Do it anyway:
There are times when even I don’t want to exercise, I may not feel particularly “well”. I may be feeling tired or stressed. When that happens I usually go anyway. I always keep a set of work out gear in the car and I like to get changed before I leave the office. I may only do half an hour on the static bike, but that half an hour can release those feel good hormones we often hear about. “The runners high” is our reward for working out.
19. Get support:
Weight loss may seem to be a lonely journey if you are doing it on your own. My gym started a 12 week weight loss program and even the boss is on the chart. My name is there along with his and 37 others. Seeing your name up there and to see the numbers come slowly down can and does give you the incentive to continue.
20. Do it for yourself:
Don’t lose weight because someone told you to (unless it’s a doctor or health professional). Find your own reasons to lose weight, they will be unique to you. What do you want to look like? What do you want to wear? What size? Do you have a health reason? Do you want to lose weight and get fit for a specific reason eg., running a marathon? When you have your reasons lined up your daily actions should be easier.
21. Don’t buy it:
If you know you have a tendency to eat certain foods you know are absolutely no good for you – then don’t buy it and don’t keep stock piles of them in the cupboards, cars or other places just in case you “get hungry”. Limit your temptations to once in a blue moon and then only buy a very small portion of whatever it is you are craving. Chances are going to be good if you don’t start eating / drinking “it” again your mind will eventually get over it.
22. Don’t stress:
For some reason we do seem to stress a lot. Some stress can be considered good for us, deadlines that we cannot get out do tend to focus the mind. It can also help us forget to eat. Too much stress however can cause a myriad of problems and our reaction may be to eat for comfort or drink to drown your sorrows. If this is you, it might be a good idea to deal with whatever is causing your stress and / or speak to someone who can help you.
23. Sleep:
Sleep is essential we all know that. Too long without sleep and our body starts to go into stress mode, our cognitive functions are compromised and believe it or not it is harder to lose weight if we don’t get enough sleep. Aim for 6-8 hours a night as this allows our body to repair itself. If like me you struggle to get enough sleep (insomnia) again you do need to work out what is causing you to lie awake, or wake repeatedly throughout the night. Several things to try:
a. Try and go to bed at the same time each night
b. Try having a bed time ritual – for example: turn off the computer and the television a good hour before going to bed, shower, clean your teeth and limit the caffeine and alcohol. Write your must do tomorrow list and forget about the tasks that you need to do. Set 2 alarms if necessary if you feel you may oversleep.
c. Don’t eat too late – your body may be processing foods and give you indigestion which may be the cause of your inability to sleep
d. Listen to music – preferably something without lyrics, keep it low and drift off.
e. Read – preferably not Stephen King who has a philosophy with his writing that says he wants you “to sleep with the lights on”.
24. Habits: We can all be guilty of bad habits we don’t think we have. Make a study of your day, what do you do? When? Why? Are you in the habit of buying a cup of coffee on the way to work every morning? Does that coffee now come with a biscuit on the top and a muffin because you “forgot” or didn’t have time to eat breakfast? Do you have a glass of wine after work while you cook and prepare dinner? Does that one glass turn in to half a bottle before you stop?
25. Do it for yourself: Finally - Remember you need to ensure that whatever you do, you can maintain. Start small, add a new suggestion to the ones you have adopted each week and see if you can maintain that before you try another one. We are after “over life success” not overnight success.
As it sounds after a period of 6-8 hours sleep you do need to “break your fast” and you do that by eating something. But don't go for the sugary cereals and full fat milk, why not try scrambled eggs and a piece of wholemeal toast with tomatoes. The protein helps to keep you full for longer, the wholemeal toast and the tomatoes gives fibre and some vitamins... And it doesn't take long – if you use a microwave and a toaster, a couple of minutes and you’re done.
2. Water:
Aim for 2-4 litres a day, especially if you sweat a lot, it’s warm weather and you’re exercising. Water helps the body flush out the rubbish. And it doesn't have to be “plain” either. Think Soda Water – no calories, herbal teas (hot or cold), add a slice of lemon or other citrus, cucumber or mint to give it a different taste. And try drinking it ice cold – apparently the body has to burn calories to warm up the water to body temperature. It may not be a lot of calories, but every little counts.
3. Vitamin D:
If you spend most of your time indoors chances are going to be good you will be deficient in Vitamin D. Myriad pieces of research indicates that this fat soluble vitamin does more than prevent rickets, but can aid the body to absorb calcium and according to some of the information I've read, may promote weight loss and prevent certain types of cancer.
4. Vitamins and minerals:
The other minerals and vitamins we may not be getting through our diet are also important of course, so make sure you are taking a good multi vitamin as well.
5. Good fats:
Think olive oil, nuts, seeds, fish and avocado. Limit (get rid of entirely) the trans fats – those things that create margarine, and are in most take away sandwiches you buy at the deli as well as most (if not all) the processed cakes, biscuits, pastries, potato chips (crisps) and everything else it seems.
6. Processed foods:
And talking of which, and you know what I am going to say here – don't eat these in any quantity if you want to lose weight. Our bodies are a finely tuned machine, so why would we want to give it inferior fuel? Think performance car and cheap engine oil – you would never do it, but we do it to our bodies ALL the time.
7. Avoid white:
rice, bread, sugar, pasta etc etc. All these do is spike your blood sugar, giving you an instant “hit” – the chemistry is interesting, but basically as the body takes in the white stuff, it has to produce insulin to process it ... once the body has processed it and stuffed it in your fat cells for later use when you need energy to outrun that sabre tooth tiger the body experiences a major slump and what happens then – you crave more “white stuff”. It takes a couple of days to stop thinking in terms of “white” but believe me this one trick can save you a whole chemistry lesson of trouble... think diabetes 2 prevention for starters. But if you can't bear the thought of not having your “white stuff” ensure you have some good quality protein with it to minimise the “damage”. And while we are on the subject – check the labels for things like corn sugar, corn syrup or High Fructose Corn Syrup as this has all but replaced “sugar” in processed foods and soft drinks.
8. Halve it:
Or better still opt for the entree size servings when you go out to a restaurant. Most people don't realise just how large restaurant portion sizes have become. We feel we want “value for money” and that means having food and lots of it on our plate when it is served. Opting for the entree size servings not only saves us hundreds of calories per meal, it’s cheaper too
9. Halve it #2:
If you have a lot of weight to lose it can seem too hard to eat the tiny portions stated on some “diets” – so in the beginning of your modified eating plan a good rule of thumb would be – whatever you were going to have, have half the amount. So if you were planning on eating 2 pizzas for dinner, eat 1 and save the other one for tomorrow. If you normally ate a loaf of bread in one sitting, eat half. 3 chickens – eat 1 ½ and so on. As you begin to lose size you will be able to reduce your halves again. 1 pizza becomes half a pizza and so on.
10. Halve it #3:
Desserts and other “sweet stuff” – the same rule applies to this section of foods. I no longer eat dessert or very much that could be labelled “sweet” – it has taken me years to wean myself of the stuff, but now I rarely even think about it. Occasionally I will have some yoghurt, but not very often as the “diet” stuff is full of aspartame, and that is one chemical I do not like to put into my body, and the flavoured stuff is full of sugar and fat... tastes great, but it is now something I keep for a treat. If you do want dessert, share it with someone else.
11. Chocolate:
This one deserves a mention of its own. If you do eat chocolate, a good idea is to forget the milk version and the marketing miracle they call “white chocolate” which is just sugar, fats and a variety of chemicals mixed together to make it taste wonderful and opt instead for the 70+ cocoa version. It may take some getting used to, but break a tiny piece off and put it into the roof of your mouth and let it dissolve slowly. Believe me you get all the highs of chocolate without the calories.
12. Take it with you:
What am I talking about? Lunches and snacks. Prepare your “work” meals the night before and take them with you, that way you can’t be tempted to run out and grab the first thing you think about when you get hungry.
13. Don’t take money with you:
A good rule of thumb, don’t carry money with you. This one works especially well at lunch times. If you don’t have it with you, you can’t spend it and more importantly you can’t spend it on inferior calories.
14. Walk:
Walking is a great way to move things along internally (if you get my meaning) – they didn’t use to call it a constitutional for nothing you know. Set your alarm for 40 minutes earlier than your normal get up time, then get up and get walking. I have a range of circuits based on time. My 30 minute morning walk is a wonderful way of waking up the mind and of course the body. I tend to walk on an empty stomach, but that is a personal choice. If you find yourself getting light headed try eating a piece of fruit before you go out. And don’t forget the water.
15. Rewards:
Never reward yourself with food or alcohol. Weight loss should be a happy journey to the size and shape you’ve always wanted, so why ruin the process by eating something you know will de-rail your progress? Now some people may say that denying yourself everything is a bad thing – but given what goes into the “rewards” if you think about “sweets / fast food / take away” etc then surely it would make sense to reward yourself with something that is going to make you feel better? So what kind of rewards? Well a good idea is to have them set up ready for the milestones. Losing 5lbs you may want to treat yourself to a foot spa or massage. Losing 10lbs you may want to reward yourself with a new pair of trainers or pair of track pants. Losing 15lbs you may want to go through your wardrobe and donate all the clothes that are just too big for you these days ... what better reward than that – but I would recommend not re-stocking your wardrobe just yet if you have more weight to lose, better to buy one or two pieces in a smaller size and to keep pushing on.
16. Alcohol:
As much as I hate to say this, but too much alcohol isn’t good for you. What is too much – well that is not for me to say, but just looking at the calories is a great start. For example a bottle of wine on average is about 560 calories. Have you any idea how much time it takes to burn off those kinds of empty calories? Well a week or so ago I did a time trial on a static bike at the gym. It took me 44 mins of cycling on level 4 at an average speed of 107RPM to burn off just 300 calories. That’s an awful lot of cycling (about 21km’s actually).
17. Incidental exercise:
I’m sure everyone has heard of use the stairs not the elevator. Well there is more to incidental exercise than stairs. Get off the bus 1 stop earlier and walk the rest of the way. Do your own housework and gardening. Clean the car. Walk the dog. Walk the neighbour’s dog if you don’t have one. Go dancing. Challenge the kids / grandkids / nephews / nieces to a game of twister. Play Frisbee. Re-decorate the house – believe me climbing up and down the step ladders is a wonderful way of burning calories and tightening the legs and butt. Get off your chair and walk to your colleagues desk to deliver a message rather than using the email. Hide the TV remote control so you have to get up and change the channel. Get frisky – not only does it burn calories, the natural high just makes you feel better. And before you tell me you don’t have the time, all I am asking you to do is think about how you can get more exercise (incidental) into your day, sometimes you would be surprised at how easy it can be.
18. Do it anyway:
There are times when even I don’t want to exercise, I may not feel particularly “well”. I may be feeling tired or stressed. When that happens I usually go anyway. I always keep a set of work out gear in the car and I like to get changed before I leave the office. I may only do half an hour on the static bike, but that half an hour can release those feel good hormones we often hear about. “The runners high” is our reward for working out.
19. Get support:
Weight loss may seem to be a lonely journey if you are doing it on your own. My gym started a 12 week weight loss program and even the boss is on the chart. My name is there along with his and 37 others. Seeing your name up there and to see the numbers come slowly down can and does give you the incentive to continue.
20. Do it for yourself:
Don’t lose weight because someone told you to (unless it’s a doctor or health professional). Find your own reasons to lose weight, they will be unique to you. What do you want to look like? What do you want to wear? What size? Do you have a health reason? Do you want to lose weight and get fit for a specific reason eg., running a marathon? When you have your reasons lined up your daily actions should be easier.
21. Don’t buy it:
If you know you have a tendency to eat certain foods you know are absolutely no good for you – then don’t buy it and don’t keep stock piles of them in the cupboards, cars or other places just in case you “get hungry”. Limit your temptations to once in a blue moon and then only buy a very small portion of whatever it is you are craving. Chances are going to be good if you don’t start eating / drinking “it” again your mind will eventually get over it.
22. Don’t stress:
For some reason we do seem to stress a lot. Some stress can be considered good for us, deadlines that we cannot get out do tend to focus the mind. It can also help us forget to eat. Too much stress however can cause a myriad of problems and our reaction may be to eat for comfort or drink to drown your sorrows. If this is you, it might be a good idea to deal with whatever is causing your stress and / or speak to someone who can help you.
23. Sleep:
Sleep is essential we all know that. Too long without sleep and our body starts to go into stress mode, our cognitive functions are compromised and believe it or not it is harder to lose weight if we don’t get enough sleep. Aim for 6-8 hours a night as this allows our body to repair itself. If like me you struggle to get enough sleep (insomnia) again you do need to work out what is causing you to lie awake, or wake repeatedly throughout the night. Several things to try:
a. Try and go to bed at the same time each night
b. Try having a bed time ritual – for example: turn off the computer and the television a good hour before going to bed, shower, clean your teeth and limit the caffeine and alcohol. Write your must do tomorrow list and forget about the tasks that you need to do. Set 2 alarms if necessary if you feel you may oversleep.
c. Don’t eat too late – your body may be processing foods and give you indigestion which may be the cause of your inability to sleep
d. Listen to music – preferably something without lyrics, keep it low and drift off.
e. Read – preferably not Stephen King who has a philosophy with his writing that says he wants you “to sleep with the lights on”.
24. Habits: We can all be guilty of bad habits we don’t think we have. Make a study of your day, what do you do? When? Why? Are you in the habit of buying a cup of coffee on the way to work every morning? Does that coffee now come with a biscuit on the top and a muffin because you “forgot” or didn’t have time to eat breakfast? Do you have a glass of wine after work while you cook and prepare dinner? Does that one glass turn in to half a bottle before you stop?
25. Do it for yourself: Finally - Remember you need to ensure that whatever you do, you can maintain. Start small, add a new suggestion to the ones you have adopted each week and see if you can maintain that before you try another one. We are after “over life success” not overnight success.
The massive leap
"Don't be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated. You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps"
David Lloyd George
I am a great believer in the little steps we take each day make the biggest difference to the way our lives turn out. But there are times when we do have to go "cold turkey" and make a massive leap forwards if we want to break an impasse.
For instance, stopping smoking can be done if you make up your mind not to smoke any more. Seriously, you don't need patches and gum because apparently the effects of the nicotine are out of your body within a couple of days and if you can get over those first few days you are well on the way to breaking that particular habit. Remember if you think you can, you can.
Do you drink sweetened tea or coffee? Same deal applies, it takes a bit of getting used to, but believe me you can - because I did it. One day I took 2 spoons of sugar in my tea, the next - none. Now I don't even have milk. It was a decision I made and once I had made it, I didn't go back.
What have you always wanted to do but had never found the courage to do it? Perhaps now is the time to decide that you will - after all, if not now - then when?
Pick one item and make the necessary adjustments to your schedule. Always been afraid to throw a dinner party at home - then pick a date, choose a couple of friends and keep the menu simple. What matters most is that you did it and far less about the food you are serving.
Building on each single success (however small they may look to other people) means you can and have made a massive leap forwards, and if you can do one thing, then you can do many others. The hardest part I feel will be deciding which item on your goal list you want to tackle next. And you know what's exciting - there is no limit to what we can achieve when we start thinking about it and making the odd leap forwards.
Signing off, with many thoughts and many exciting plans and projects to plan and implement.
David Lloyd George
I am a great believer in the little steps we take each day make the biggest difference to the way our lives turn out. But there are times when we do have to go "cold turkey" and make a massive leap forwards if we want to break an impasse.
For instance, stopping smoking can be done if you make up your mind not to smoke any more. Seriously, you don't need patches and gum because apparently the effects of the nicotine are out of your body within a couple of days and if you can get over those first few days you are well on the way to breaking that particular habit. Remember if you think you can, you can.
Do you drink sweetened tea or coffee? Same deal applies, it takes a bit of getting used to, but believe me you can - because I did it. One day I took 2 spoons of sugar in my tea, the next - none. Now I don't even have milk. It was a decision I made and once I had made it, I didn't go back.
What have you always wanted to do but had never found the courage to do it? Perhaps now is the time to decide that you will - after all, if not now - then when?
Pick one item and make the necessary adjustments to your schedule. Always been afraid to throw a dinner party at home - then pick a date, choose a couple of friends and keep the menu simple. What matters most is that you did it and far less about the food you are serving.
Building on each single success (however small they may look to other people) means you can and have made a massive leap forwards, and if you can do one thing, then you can do many others. The hardest part I feel will be deciding which item on your goal list you want to tackle next. And you know what's exciting - there is no limit to what we can achieve when we start thinking about it and making the odd leap forwards.
Signing off, with many thoughts and many exciting plans and projects to plan and implement.
3 Stories as a way to Inspre
Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech tells 3 stories as a way to inspre the new graduates as they go out into the world to make their mark. The last story is perhaps the most poignant, but I'll let you listen yourself. The entire speech lasts just 15 minutes - but the lessons are priceless.
I hope it inspires you as much as it did me
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/steve_jobs_how_to_live_before_you_die.html
I hope it inspires you as much as it did me
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/steve_jobs_how_to_live_before_you_die.html
Overnight Success
Creeping bad habits are those things we never think we have - until we try and stop doing something - you know:
* the glass of wine with dinner
* the cigarette and a glass of wine at the end of a "hard" day ... (BTW - hard? compared to what?)
* telling yourself you'll go to the gym tomorrow because you're too tired right now
* missing your sales target because you didn't pick up the phone or meet with your clients
* failing to sit down and work on your business plan or write your book / program - because you want to watch that program ... hint - that's what PVR's a for :-)
You may think you have a valid reason, but let me tell you something right out of the school of very hard knocks - the issue never goes away - in fact it usually gets worse. And we procrastinate because we don't want the "the pain" that usually goes with fixing it.
I have had a weight management issue for decades - no really I have. I've been the classic 'yo-yo" dieter most of my adult life. Add in a sedentary job and my problem just got worse. Add in the fact I could disguise a lot with choice of clothes and my height, but who was I kidding - and I knew it wasn't fooling many people when a client turned around and uttered the awful words "I used to be BIG like you" ... OUCH
She became my trainer
Little by little, week by week my strength improved, my shape started changing. I stopped making excuses as to why I couldn't train - and did even more. Did it hurt - yes - but usually only my pride. Oh yes, and I stopped using food as a reward.
And then it dawned on me, the creeping bad habit I had gained could now be turned around. I could use the same technique to get fit, lose the size, gain the shape I've wanted most of my adult life AND - well the possibilities are endless once you have confidence in yourself and your abilities. And now you know why I push myself so hard...
For those of you who have been keeping note, I have re-set my 100 day challenge, and my partner and also my trainer will be working with me to achieve my goal of 200 push ups - and I have to say they will be "boy" ones, not the girly ones I had anticipated being capable of at the beginning of the year. Why 200 push ups? Not sure, but it's been on my bucket list for years. Before I started with Hils I couldn't do 1 - tonight I surprised even her with the strength I had gained. My creeping bad habits have been replaced with creeping good ones. It's taken about 6 months for the catalyst to take place - and it will probably take another 6 months to achieve the ultimate goal. But every day is a chance to create the habits that will get me there.
Of course you may not have a health / weight / fitness challenge like I have - but that doesn't mean the technique can't work for you and your goals.
* What are your creeping bad habits?
* What are they stopping you from doing?
* What new habits do you need to cultivate?
* What goals are on your ultimate life list? Remember the caveat - if you had all the time, energy and money in the world - what would you do right now? Me, I'd probably be planning a trip to basecamp everest ... hmmm - wonder how fit you have to be to do that? makes mental note to find out...
* What tiny step can you take to get you off and creating your new creeping good habit which will get you there?
I don't believe there is anything such as an overnight success - what I do believe in though - is we are all capable of "overlife success"
* the glass of wine with dinner
* the cigarette and a glass of wine at the end of a "hard" day ... (BTW - hard? compared to what?)
* telling yourself you'll go to the gym tomorrow because you're too tired right now
* missing your sales target because you didn't pick up the phone or meet with your clients
* failing to sit down and work on your business plan or write your book / program - because you want to watch that program ... hint - that's what PVR's a for :-)
You may think you have a valid reason, but let me tell you something right out of the school of very hard knocks - the issue never goes away - in fact it usually gets worse. And we procrastinate because we don't want the "the pain" that usually goes with fixing it.
I have had a weight management issue for decades - no really I have. I've been the classic 'yo-yo" dieter most of my adult life. Add in a sedentary job and my problem just got worse. Add in the fact I could disguise a lot with choice of clothes and my height, but who was I kidding - and I knew it wasn't fooling many people when a client turned around and uttered the awful words "I used to be BIG like you" ... OUCH
She became my trainer
Little by little, week by week my strength improved, my shape started changing. I stopped making excuses as to why I couldn't train - and did even more. Did it hurt - yes - but usually only my pride. Oh yes, and I stopped using food as a reward.
And then it dawned on me, the creeping bad habit I had gained could now be turned around. I could use the same technique to get fit, lose the size, gain the shape I've wanted most of my adult life AND - well the possibilities are endless once you have confidence in yourself and your abilities. And now you know why I push myself so hard...
For those of you who have been keeping note, I have re-set my 100 day challenge, and my partner and also my trainer will be working with me to achieve my goal of 200 push ups - and I have to say they will be "boy" ones, not the girly ones I had anticipated being capable of at the beginning of the year. Why 200 push ups? Not sure, but it's been on my bucket list for years. Before I started with Hils I couldn't do 1 - tonight I surprised even her with the strength I had gained. My creeping bad habits have been replaced with creeping good ones. It's taken about 6 months for the catalyst to take place - and it will probably take another 6 months to achieve the ultimate goal. But every day is a chance to create the habits that will get me there.
Of course you may not have a health / weight / fitness challenge like I have - but that doesn't mean the technique can't work for you and your goals.
* What are your creeping bad habits?
* What are they stopping you from doing?
* What new habits do you need to cultivate?
* What goals are on your ultimate life list? Remember the caveat - if you had all the time, energy and money in the world - what would you do right now? Me, I'd probably be planning a trip to basecamp everest ... hmmm - wonder how fit you have to be to do that? makes mental note to find out...
* What tiny step can you take to get you off and creating your new creeping good habit which will get you there?
I don't believe there is anything such as an overnight success - what I do believe in though - is we are all capable of "overlife success"
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