Having spent some time the last few months trying to look at my life and how to adapt to a new paradigm, I am constantly amazed that what works best, for me, is what I have done in the past that worked. In my instance, it is not so much a reinvention but a separation once again of the wheat from the chaff. Below is a list of things that I think any person can apply to their life and be the better for it.
1. "You are today, the sum total of your best ideas!" The situations you deal with today or have dealt with in the past are because of you acting on what you thought was, "A Good Idea." I think sometimes the opposite of baggage, is savings. Think of all the other things you be doing or thinking of if you weren't juggling three maxed credit cards? Think of the emotional stability you could enjoy if you learned to process or even forgive a past transgression. (It once took me ten years to forgive one person but it can be done). If you got a DUI last week, that was your best idea at the time. If you spent too much money over the weekend, that was your best idea. If you met the person of your dreams in the most unlikely place and pursued that person until you both created a wonderful life and future, that was at the time, your best idea. All of us have a conflict of good ideas dozens of times a day; Subway or BK, apple or ice cream, sleep in or swim. Your action on what you think is best is why you're at where your at. You are on your way to your goals or moving further away from them because you're acting on what you think is your best idea. You can clarify your best idea by relating to your Chief Definite Aim, "Do my actions reflect my goals?" Maybe even add, "minute to minute." to the end of the statement. By doing this you will realize what you want to do and how that will affect you are often two completely different realities.
2. "Why stand when you can sit, why sit when you can lay down?" Sitting on the couch until late at night is not getting anyone closer to a healthy life. Rest is as important to a balanced life as exercise. Even if it is impossible to sleep, get in bed at the same time each night. What you do between getting in bed and falling asleep is up to you.
3. Read. Almost every study shows that challenging the mind or stimulating the imagination, does more for our brains than almost anything. The world seems to have two types of people, those that love to read and those that never do. But the 'never do's' don't usually hate reading, their just not interested in what they see and don't have the habit. While laying in bed, read for thirty minutes; trashy novels, history, fiction, or autobiography's. Want to climb a mountain or run a marathon, there are so many great books and essays that will speak to you. Start off with reading something that you watched and liked. Books on movies can seem pedestrian but often give much more back story to the characters and often times have completely different story lines and more satisfying endings. Movies often start from books, Dracula, Frankenstein, Lord of the Rings. Read a classic. Don't know what a classic is? Its generally a book that you know the title or a character but have never read. In all Barnes and Noble bookstores is a stand alone shelf with their reproduction of classic works from Mark Twain, Kipling, Jane Austen, Jules Verne, HG Wells, Jack London and may more. Have you ever read Hemingway? What did Catch-22 really mean?
Start a home savings account. Not for a home, in your home. There are much smarter people than I when it comes to money, but I know that a lot of people save nothing. I also know that much like a weight loss program, if you don't see results you begin to get discouraged. I suggest two savings programs. First you need a clear plastic gallon jug, water jugs do quite well. Now put all you coins in them when you get home. Oh, you've heard of this one? You may even have one. When was the last time you dropped into it? One tip is when recieving change for a transaction ask for the new gold one dollar coins. I find I am less likely to spend coin than I am bills. Usually business will only have one or two in the till anyways and is a great bump in the bucket. Have a reason for your coin collection like a vegas trip or a vacation or Christmas presents and celebrate cashing in. Also, pay yourself to read. Reading is as much an investment in your time as any positive thing you do and you should be rewarded for it. Use a $5, $10 or $20 book mark for each book you read. You are investing several hours into the book, think of how much you would have spent had you been doing something other than reading. Then take your book mark and put it in a book for safe keeping, something ironic or subtle. When you reach fifty or one hundred dollars, trade the bills up. It can get quite substantial. This is your disaster fund. If you have to bug out fast or bail someone out fast, you have the resourses on hand to handle the situation.
Wake up 3 hours before you need to be at work. It is important to start the day off right, not just for breakfast, but mentally and physically, even spirtually. By getting up early you give yourself plenty of time to get ready, pack a lunch or snacks. It also allows you uninterupted time to get in touch with yourself. Stretch. Read ten minutes of the bible. Create affirmations about how you want your life to be. Write. Run or do some push ups and sit ups. 15 minutes of exercise guarantees clarity and gives you a sense of accomplishment before the battle of the day begins.
Begin a GTD, Getting Things Done, list. Sit down every day either before going to bed or when you wake up and write down in the order they come to your mind all the things you need to do for the day ahead. Then reorder the list in priority of importance, not what you want to do, its not a popularity plan. By getting the most important things done right away you will find that your life for the rest of the day will go more smoothly, especially at work. I have found that by doing the first 20% (or the most important things on your list), that the remaining 80% usually take care of itself. The next time you create your GTD list add the items from the previous list that did not get done. You may find that they never get done, in which case they solved themselves by your new focus or they really were not that important anyway. You may find that there are too many things on your list to do get done in one day. Thats okay. Maybe you assume to much responsibility and need to find a better balance, the list will discover that. Maybe you worry too much and what your focusing on is not really as important as many other things. Maybe you really are as lazy as people tell you. As you complete your task, don't cross it out, write, "Done" next to it or an appropriate response that you attempted to complete it, "LM" next to a phone call, "Cxl" next to a canceled meeting or appointment.
Pull some weeds, really. Again getting up early allows you the ability to connect with yourself on a personal, physical, spiritual level. By spending five minutes pulling weeds you are connecting with the outdoors and sensing accomplishment. Your also doing housework. If you don't have a yard, then water your plants or start a herb garden over your sink. Its not about keeping everything alive, we all know plants don't last forever, its about connection and growth.
Its okay to let the dishes rise in the sink. Life is not dependant on how clean your house is. hour to hour. However take pride in where you live, even if you don't like the crappy, cramped place your in right now. Make adjustments to your life and finances to move up. Start something every day towards improving the situation. Waiting for the timer on the microwave to chime, wash something, put something away, wipe something off. Vaccum or sweep during commercials. It is envitable that situations will arise where you will have less time than needed to clean your place up before someone sees it. Small daily steps may not make the mental conviciton any better at the time but may lessen the effort that needs to be done when it counts.
Make TiVo work for you. TiVo and DVR's have revolutionized television watching. Of course you can work your usual comfort shows but don't hesitate to record shows that teach you something with a bit of humor or excitement. A one hour show can be watched in under 40 minutes when you fast forward commercials and slow spots. Dirty Jobs, Mythbusters, the history channel, Trading Spaces, as examples all do an excellent job of teaching you something while making a point.
Working out is obviously a key to living a good life. How you choose to exercise is secondary to consistency and finding just the right exercises each and every time you train. It must be challenging and appropriate to fitness goals and the capacity of your health. It is my empirical belief that aside from a medical condition, no person is more than six months away from being in the best shape of their life and looking they way they want to work. It takes sacrifice and investment but it is in my opinion a fact.
An incomplete list to be sure. Each of us is as different in our needs for success as the next. This is not the list of the lazy or univested, these are not the foundations for a life of excuse or addiction. This is a means of betterment. Creating in simple steps a life of purpose.
1. "You are today, the sum total of your best ideas!" The situations you deal with today or have dealt with in the past are because of you acting on what you thought was, "A Good Idea." I think sometimes the opposite of baggage, is savings. Think of all the other things you be doing or thinking of if you weren't juggling three maxed credit cards? Think of the emotional stability you could enjoy if you learned to process or even forgive a past transgression. (It once took me ten years to forgive one person but it can be done). If you got a DUI last week, that was your best idea at the time. If you spent too much money over the weekend, that was your best idea. If you met the person of your dreams in the most unlikely place and pursued that person until you both created a wonderful life and future, that was at the time, your best idea. All of us have a conflict of good ideas dozens of times a day; Subway or BK, apple or ice cream, sleep in or swim. Your action on what you think is best is why you're at where your at. You are on your way to your goals or moving further away from them because you're acting on what you think is your best idea. You can clarify your best idea by relating to your Chief Definite Aim, "Do my actions reflect my goals?" Maybe even add, "minute to minute." to the end of the statement. By doing this you will realize what you want to do and how that will affect you are often two completely different realities.
2. "Why stand when you can sit, why sit when you can lay down?" Sitting on the couch until late at night is not getting anyone closer to a healthy life. Rest is as important to a balanced life as exercise. Even if it is impossible to sleep, get in bed at the same time each night. What you do between getting in bed and falling asleep is up to you.
3. Read. Almost every study shows that challenging the mind or stimulating the imagination, does more for our brains than almost anything. The world seems to have two types of people, those that love to read and those that never do. But the 'never do's' don't usually hate reading, their just not interested in what they see and don't have the habit. While laying in bed, read for thirty minutes; trashy novels, history, fiction, or autobiography's. Want to climb a mountain or run a marathon, there are so many great books and essays that will speak to you. Start off with reading something that you watched and liked. Books on movies can seem pedestrian but often give much more back story to the characters and often times have completely different story lines and more satisfying endings. Movies often start from books, Dracula, Frankenstein, Lord of the Rings. Read a classic. Don't know what a classic is? Its generally a book that you know the title or a character but have never read. In all Barnes and Noble bookstores is a stand alone shelf with their reproduction of classic works from Mark Twain, Kipling, Jane Austen, Jules Verne, HG Wells, Jack London and may more. Have you ever read Hemingway? What did Catch-22 really mean?
Start a home savings account. Not for a home, in your home. There are much smarter people than I when it comes to money, but I know that a lot of people save nothing. I also know that much like a weight loss program, if you don't see results you begin to get discouraged. I suggest two savings programs. First you need a clear plastic gallon jug, water jugs do quite well. Now put all you coins in them when you get home. Oh, you've heard of this one? You may even have one. When was the last time you dropped into it? One tip is when recieving change for a transaction ask for the new gold one dollar coins. I find I am less likely to spend coin than I am bills. Usually business will only have one or two in the till anyways and is a great bump in the bucket. Have a reason for your coin collection like a vegas trip or a vacation or Christmas presents and celebrate cashing in. Also, pay yourself to read. Reading is as much an investment in your time as any positive thing you do and you should be rewarded for it. Use a $5, $10 or $20 book mark for each book you read. You are investing several hours into the book, think of how much you would have spent had you been doing something other than reading. Then take your book mark and put it in a book for safe keeping, something ironic or subtle. When you reach fifty or one hundred dollars, trade the bills up. It can get quite substantial. This is your disaster fund. If you have to bug out fast or bail someone out fast, you have the resourses on hand to handle the situation.
Wake up 3 hours before you need to be at work. It is important to start the day off right, not just for breakfast, but mentally and physically, even spirtually. By getting up early you give yourself plenty of time to get ready, pack a lunch or snacks. It also allows you uninterupted time to get in touch with yourself. Stretch. Read ten minutes of the bible. Create affirmations about how you want your life to be. Write. Run or do some push ups and sit ups. 15 minutes of exercise guarantees clarity and gives you a sense of accomplishment before the battle of the day begins.
Begin a GTD, Getting Things Done, list. Sit down every day either before going to bed or when you wake up and write down in the order they come to your mind all the things you need to do for the day ahead. Then reorder the list in priority of importance, not what you want to do, its not a popularity plan. By getting the most important things done right away you will find that your life for the rest of the day will go more smoothly, especially at work. I have found that by doing the first 20% (or the most important things on your list), that the remaining 80% usually take care of itself. The next time you create your GTD list add the items from the previous list that did not get done. You may find that they never get done, in which case they solved themselves by your new focus or they really were not that important anyway. You may find that there are too many things on your list to do get done in one day. Thats okay. Maybe you assume to much responsibility and need to find a better balance, the list will discover that. Maybe you worry too much and what your focusing on is not really as important as many other things. Maybe you really are as lazy as people tell you. As you complete your task, don't cross it out, write, "Done" next to it or an appropriate response that you attempted to complete it, "LM" next to a phone call, "Cxl" next to a canceled meeting or appointment.
Pull some weeds, really. Again getting up early allows you the ability to connect with yourself on a personal, physical, spiritual level. By spending five minutes pulling weeds you are connecting with the outdoors and sensing accomplishment. Your also doing housework. If you don't have a yard, then water your plants or start a herb garden over your sink. Its not about keeping everything alive, we all know plants don't last forever, its about connection and growth.
Its okay to let the dishes rise in the sink. Life is not dependant on how clean your house is. hour to hour. However take pride in where you live, even if you don't like the crappy, cramped place your in right now. Make adjustments to your life and finances to move up. Start something every day towards improving the situation. Waiting for the timer on the microwave to chime, wash something, put something away, wipe something off. Vaccum or sweep during commercials. It is envitable that situations will arise where you will have less time than needed to clean your place up before someone sees it. Small daily steps may not make the mental conviciton any better at the time but may lessen the effort that needs to be done when it counts.
Make TiVo work for you. TiVo and DVR's have revolutionized television watching. Of course you can work your usual comfort shows but don't hesitate to record shows that teach you something with a bit of humor or excitement. A one hour show can be watched in under 40 minutes when you fast forward commercials and slow spots. Dirty Jobs, Mythbusters, the history channel, Trading Spaces, as examples all do an excellent job of teaching you something while making a point.
Working out is obviously a key to living a good life. How you choose to exercise is secondary to consistency and finding just the right exercises each and every time you train. It must be challenging and appropriate to fitness goals and the capacity of your health. It is my empirical belief that aside from a medical condition, no person is more than six months away from being in the best shape of their life and looking they way they want to work. It takes sacrifice and investment but it is in my opinion a fact.
An incomplete list to be sure. Each of us is as different in our needs for success as the next. This is not the list of the lazy or univested, these are not the foundations for a life of excuse or addiction. This is a means of betterment. Creating in simple steps a life of purpose.
4 comments:
As Gary Larson would put it..."Can I be excused now, my mind is full?!" =)
I went out and bought a commercial grade power washer a while back. My wife thinks I've lost it! I'm ready to PWR WASH anything!! Get out and wash your house today. Now there's a sense of accomplishment!
Thanks for the pearls, Comm!
dpc
I'm at work at 6:40am this time of year. No, I am not going to get up at 3:40am.
Otherwise, all good thoughts - put me in mind of Hyrum W. Smith.
Hey Comm,
Can I get your permission to print this, frame it and have it posted in every room of my house?
Excellent post!
Love It!!--I've been out of sorts with Lake Placid coming up and this is just what I needed...thanks for helping me get my head straight.
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