Is there anything in your life that you would like to be different than it is right now?
Perhaps to lose weight? Meet a mate? Make more money?
This is the big fundamental issue we all face, because most of us would like to change or improve certain aspects of our lives. If you find yourself in this camp (and who isn’t there at least some of the time), then you will find the following steps very handy and useful. It is a process you can follow to "change anything in your life".
1. Know What You Want Rather Than What You Don’t Want
No matter what, you have to decide what you do want so that you have something specific to move towards. The reality is that most of us focus on what we don't want in our lives or don't want to experience. For example:
➢ I don’t want to be alone anymore.
➢ I don’t want to be overweight.
➢ I don’t want to be broke anymore.
The reason this is so important is that we gradually create what we focus on in our lives. Understand this key concept: where you put your attention is where you get your results. Think about it: if most of your attention is invested in pushing away the things you do not want, you inadvertently remain focused on exactly those things.
Following the examples outlined above, you remain focused on being alone, being overweight, and being broke. Doesn’t sound too pleasant, does it? Of course not, but many people do it their entire lives.
Conversely, we are suggesting you focus on what you do in fact want to be true in your life. Instead of the above consider thinking:
➢ I look forward to having a beautiful man/woman in my life who is a great fit and match for me.
➢ I look forward to living happily at 125 pounds (or whatever your desired weight is).
➢ I look forward to making $250,000 next year.
Understand that this doesn’t mean that you necessarily now know exactly how you are going to make it happen. That would not be realistic. However, the creative process necessary to get you there will never be sparked if you’re endlessly focused on what you don’t want. Therefore focusing on what you do want is a crucial first step to catalyze yourself into positive, forward-moving action.
2. Cultivate the Belief That It’s Possible
In order to achieve what you desire, you must first truly believe it is possible. This may seem obvious, but you would be surprised how often people want an outcome in their life they don’t really believe is possible.
Consider the example of losing weight: many people want to enjoy the benefits of permanent weight loss, but when questioned they realize they don’t really believe it’s possible. Here is a great question to ask yourself:
On a scale of 1-10, where 1 means you don’t believe permanent weight loss (or whatever your goal is) is truly possible in your life, and 10 means you couldn’t possible believe it any more, where would you put yourself right now?
This is a great question to ask yourself frequently to chart your progress. The rest of the steps outlined in this article are essentially designed to increase your level of belief that your goals are possible in your life.
3. Cultivate the Overwhelming Motivation To Succeed
Some people are naturally motivated to make their goals and aspirations happen. For these people, it’s relatively effortless. While it would be nice if we were all like that all the time, not everybody necessarily has the urgency to bring their vision to light. They may have the capability, but not the urgency.
For those to whom this urgency does not come easily or naturally, they must at times “manufacture” the urgency, or else they run the risk of stagnation. One “trick” if you will, for doing this is to become very clear on the pain that inaction will ultimately bring. If you don’t take action to lose weight, meet a mate or increase your income, where will you be in a year? In 5 years? How about 10 or 20? Realizing the pain that will result from inaction is powerful motivator for many people. It can often then be enhanced by contrasting this pain/misery with the enormous pleasure that is going to result from taking action.
4. Change Your Patterns, Change Your Life
As a quick experiment, I want you to cross your arms. Notice which arm is on top and which is on bottom. Now reverse the order. If your left arm was on top, make sure it is now on the bottom.
Feels strange, doesn’t it?
Now try the same experiment by interlocking your hands so your palms are touching and your fingers are interlaced. Which thumb is on top- your right or your left? Now switch everything around so your fingers are still interlaced, but the other thumb is on top.
Funny how that works?
These are patterns in your life. They are physical patterns, but they are also metaphors for the emotional and psychological patterns in your life.
These patterns show up in how we think about ourselves (“I am good” vs. “I am bad”), how we think of others (“I like people like him” vs. “I don’t like people like him”) and what we expect to be true in our lives (“I can be thin and happy” vs. “I will be overweight my whole life”). Of course these are simple examples, but they communicate the basic point.
They also show up in our behaviors. For example, turning to food when we are stressed; acting with rage towards others when we are upset or scared (or bottling it up completely, by contrast); looking towards others for reassurance that we are “okay”.
Here is the important thing to understand: our current patterns have gotten us to EXACTLY where we are in our lives right now.
They have gotten us no more and no less. Therefore, if we stick to the same patterns, we are not going to change, and the circumstances of our lives are not very likely to change either.
In order to get the changes we want, we have to change our patterns; we have to change our approach. When it comes to weight loss, for example, maybe this means following the “Eat To Live” approach for a month and mixing it up.
Maybe it means being open to getting outside feedback and coaching to help you uncover and correct your negative patterns. Maybe it is as simple as saying “no” to somebody you generally say “yes” to or vice versa.
One great thing we find again and again at PEERtrainer is that an interruption in negative behaviors or emotions can lead to powerful results. We get lots of amazing fan mail at PEERtrainer and have for years. One of the key reasons for this is that we provide tools and services that help people interrupt their negative patterns.
What is interesting is that PEERtrainer is growing faster than it ever has. The reason is that we keep taking action and introducing new ways for people to interrupt their old patterns by creating new products and services. We have new email programs, new blogs, and a new “go at your own pace” coaching program that people are loving.
All these new tools increase the odds that we will provide what people need to help them make the change towards the life they desire. We know this because you tell us. We listen to you and bring new things to the table to create the most helpful offerings we can.
This is the same thing that you can do in your own life: keep creating new patterns and behaviors that replace the old ones you are letting go of.
5. Create New Patterns to Replace the Old
After you have learned to interrupt your old habits, begin the search for positive alternative behaviors. Options are all around you that you can start developing immediately. Ask yourself, “what is the experience I really want to be having in my life?” Ask yourself that question and “listen” to the answer that comes back from within. Where does it guide you? Where does it want to lead you? What new behavioral options does it incline you towards?
This is a very important step. If you neglect to do this, you will likely return to your old habits. The more you do this, the more you create positive neural pathways in your brain that increase your sense of pleasure and reduce your frustration or pain.
For example, there are an infinite number of things you can do at night instead of mindlessly snacking, or binge or emotionally eating.
Make a list of all the positive things you can do at night that don’t involve food (other than a basic, healthy dinner). Here are a few ideas to get you started:
➢ Become a night “exerciser”
➢ Join a volleyball league
➢ Join a bowling league
➢ Go to the theater
➢ Take an art class
➢ If you are in our coaching program get in the habit of listening to the coaching calls in the evening.
➢ Hang out with friends.
Regardless, stay laser focused and persistent. Find the positive alternatives.
6. Reinforce, Reinforce, Reinforce (then Reinforce some more)
The sixth step is to reinforce this behavior over and over again. Repetition is the mother of skill. This is why we send out a tip
of the day email each and every day- it helps to reinforce positive patterns over and over again each day.
There is a reason why our coaching program is 12 weeks- it gives us time to not just teach, but also to reinforce the material. Throughout the week, you are sent activities, articles and assignments to help “condition those new muscles”.
Similarly, the online peer group you become part of in the coaching program provides you with a group of people who are also laser focused on developing new mental patterns. This total “reinforcement from all angles” is why people are having such great results, or are gradually developing an unshakeable belief that they will get where they want to be.
Hypnosis is another tool that you can use to attack the change process. PEERtrainer has written a review of hypnosis and weight loss. This is a proven reinforcement tool.
7. Embody the “Gratitude Attitude”
While this may sound rather cliché, it’s actually quite an important part of the process. Very often we are intensely results driven in our lives. This is a normal part of making a living and dealing with the daily concerns of life. That said, we are too often so busy getting from point A to point B (literally and figuratively) that we lose our ability to slow down and truly appreciate the mystery and wonder that is so much a part of life. I recognize this may sound “corny”, but I am still going to challenge you to really consider what I am saying.
I am talking about the kinds of things mystics and poets have written about for eons: the innocence of your child when she brings you a picture she has just colored in, a flower garden in spring, the sun setting- even things as simple as eating a meal with a friend.
We are all guilty of losing sight of the beauty and wonder around us much of the time, and yet there is real value in being able to “get back to it”. For me, the best way to “remember” these things is to be grateful, meaning to commit to find moments in my day to deeply appreciate my life; to be grateful for all that I have in spite of the normal ups and downs that come.
I think this is such an important part of the process because it brings our attention back to what we do have, rather than endlessly focusing on what don’t have yet. Shifting out attention to this positive place of gratitude is a great (and in my opinion necessary) “balancer” to the intense and avid pursuit to make changes in our lives and achieve our goals.
Gratitude reminds us that while it’s great to pursue our goals in life, having happiness and wholeness ultimately results from a choice that comes from within.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Five Goals
1. Take more pictures. Find out what it would take to get Photoshop. Work on editing. Learn how to tag people in a picture. Name all my pictures.
2. Keep up with emailing my mom while she's in Florida. She wants to be in the loop. Email and call her a few times this week.
3. Exercise and eat more consciously. Stop with all the pop and junk food. Start eating healthier and making choices that coincide with my goals.
4. Work on a Valentine's Day craft. Find something, look into the material needed and do it!
5. Buy lots of Lean Cuisines.
2. Keep up with emailing my mom while she's in Florida. She wants to be in the loop. Email and call her a few times this week.
3. Exercise and eat more consciously. Stop with all the pop and junk food. Start eating healthier and making choices that coincide with my goals.
4. Work on a Valentine's Day craft. Find something, look into the material needed and do it!
5. Buy lots of Lean Cuisines.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Sunscreen
Wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.
Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing.
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.
Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.
Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.
Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing.
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.
Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.
Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen.
Monday, November 2, 2009
For the lazy little slugs like me :)
I found this on a website called littledumbman.com.
7 Must Read Productivity Steps to Finally Getting Things Done
I wrote this article as a “master guide” to productivity. Well OK, I don't know about a "master guide" but one thing is for sure: implementing these steps will help you increase your output if you implement them towards the tasks that you’re passionate about.The process I’ve documented below is the one that I personally use, and frankly, I have had excellent results. Before jumping in, try not to treat this like every other article (scan, consider, forget). Write down the steps, see how they specifically apply to your situation, and by all means, be sure to put them into action!Remember, nothing changes until you change, or as I like to say, change isn’t change until you change!Here are the 7 Master Steps to Productivity
Step #1: Write Down What You Want to Accomplish and Give it a DeadlineMost people know to do this but few actually put this step into action. It’s critical that you define each task that you want to accomplish and give each task a deadline.Paul Meyer said, “If you’re not making the progress that you would like to make, and are capable of making, it is simply because your goals are not clearly defined.”Written goals with deadlines (when seen daily) will drive you to be more productive. Without knowing “exactly” where you are going, you will most likely stagnate.Let’s use the example of me “losing weight” for illustration purposes:
It certainly wouldn’t be productive for me to think, “I want to lose weight.”
The best thing for me to do is to give myself a deadline to accomplish the goal. Then place my desired weight with the respective deadline in a place where I will see it daily (like my vanity mirror). Finally, I should create a picture in my mind of “me” at my ideal weight. This picture will help drive my actions.
Step #2: Create a Simple Plan for Getting Things DoneIt’s obviously not enough to just have a written goal with a deadline. Having a goal is like having “the address” to where you want to go. The address will certainly help you get to your destination, but it’s not enough. You also need a “plan,” or “directions” to get you from where you are, to where you want to be.Do you have a plan for achieving your goals? Where is your plan documented?Back to our weight loss example:A weight loss plan may look something like this:
Run on treadmill for one hour daily
Plan all meals (limiting calories to 1700 a day)
Read motivational “weight loss” material for 10 minutes daily prior to lunch.Your plan should be detailed, specific, and have a direct impact on your goal.
Step #3: Schedule Critical Tasks DailyHaving a goal and a plan is still not enough. Now you must schedule your critical task! Critical tasks are tasks that directly impact the achievement of your goal. If your goal is to write a book, a critical task may be to write for 2 hours a day.In our weight loss example, here’s how we would schedule our critical tasks:
7:00am – 8:00am – Run for one Hour on Treadmill
11:00am – 11:10am – Read Motivational Weight Loss Material
8:00pm – 8:15pm – Plan Meals for Next Day and Track ProgressHave you scheduled your critical task? Do you know what they are?Note: Never have more than three critical tasks.
Step #4: Eat that “Ugly Frog” First The “ugly frog” represents a critical task that you are reluctant to perform. The best thing to do with an ugly frog is to eat it first.In our weight loss example, the ugly frog would be:• Running on the treadmill at 7:00am.Eating the ugly frog daily is usually the difference between success and failure. Do yourself a favor and eat that ugly frog at your first available time-slot.
Step #5: Focus on the task at HandBroken focus is the number one reason goals aren’t accomplished.Paul Meyer said, “Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.”You must stay focused on your critical tasks just as the sailor is focused on the port in the harbor in which he is headed. Don’t let anything side track you from completing your critical task on a daily basis.Back to our weight loss example - Here are a couple of things that could break my focus if I was trying to lose weight:
A family member brings donuts over to the house
At 7:15am (while on the treadmill) I remember that I need to return a friends phone call and decide that is more important.The key is to remain focused in the face of distractions. Distractions will come, just as sure as you’re reading these words right now. You must expect distractions and maneuver around them.What distractions do you have? How can you maneuver around them? You must carefully allocate your time. Your daily task selection is critical.You should always ask yourself:
Is what I’m doing right now in alignment with my goals?
Is this a level 10 on the critical scale, or just a level 5?
Am I focused on my top 3 critical tasks?
Step #6: Just Say “No”Just say no to tasks that are not in alignment with your goals. The word no is probably the biggest time saver there is so increase your “no” ratio if you want to increase your productivity.The number one person you’ll probably have to say no to is yourself. Your mind is good at coming up with new things to do to get you off track. So remember, just say no, because the quickest way to stop a man with a good idea, is to give him two.Back to our weight loss example; there will be many opportunities for me to say “no:”
If I’ve planned a healthy lunch (based on my diet plan), and someone asks me to join them at a steak house…It’s best if I just say no, in a nice way, as eating a steak for lunch is not in alignment with my goals.
Step #7: Track and Report Your ProgressFinally, there’s nothing like some good ole’ peer pressure to get you motivated. Tell someone about your goal and keep them posted on your progress!This is how the tracking and reporting process would work in our weight loss example:
I would tell my wife, “I will lose 16 pounds by December 31. This is how I’m planning on completing this task, and I will update you on my progress every Saturday at 8:00am.”Knowing that I have to be accountable on a specific goal, on a specific day, to a specific person, is a great motivator. This level of specificity is a very important part of productivity.The goal and deadline should be clear, the plan should be clear, the critical task should be clear, the scheduling of the task should be clear, and the reporting process should be clear. If there’s clarity, there will be progress.In conclusion, don’t let this article be just another good article. Decide to put these steps into action to significantly increase your productivity. Remember nothing just happens, you have to make things happen and you start by getting into action!
7 Must Read Productivity Steps to Finally Getting Things Done
I wrote this article as a “master guide” to productivity. Well OK, I don't know about a "master guide" but one thing is for sure: implementing these steps will help you increase your output if you implement them towards the tasks that you’re passionate about.The process I’ve documented below is the one that I personally use, and frankly, I have had excellent results. Before jumping in, try not to treat this like every other article (scan, consider, forget). Write down the steps, see how they specifically apply to your situation, and by all means, be sure to put them into action!Remember, nothing changes until you change, or as I like to say, change isn’t change until you change!Here are the 7 Master Steps to Productivity
Step #1: Write Down What You Want to Accomplish and Give it a DeadlineMost people know to do this but few actually put this step into action. It’s critical that you define each task that you want to accomplish and give each task a deadline.Paul Meyer said, “If you’re not making the progress that you would like to make, and are capable of making, it is simply because your goals are not clearly defined.”Written goals with deadlines (when seen daily) will drive you to be more productive. Without knowing “exactly” where you are going, you will most likely stagnate.Let’s use the example of me “losing weight” for illustration purposes:
It certainly wouldn’t be productive for me to think, “I want to lose weight.”
The best thing for me to do is to give myself a deadline to accomplish the goal. Then place my desired weight with the respective deadline in a place where I will see it daily (like my vanity mirror). Finally, I should create a picture in my mind of “me” at my ideal weight. This picture will help drive my actions.
Step #2: Create a Simple Plan for Getting Things DoneIt’s obviously not enough to just have a written goal with a deadline. Having a goal is like having “the address” to where you want to go. The address will certainly help you get to your destination, but it’s not enough. You also need a “plan,” or “directions” to get you from where you are, to where you want to be.Do you have a plan for achieving your goals? Where is your plan documented?Back to our weight loss example:A weight loss plan may look something like this:
Run on treadmill for one hour daily
Plan all meals (limiting calories to 1700 a day)
Read motivational “weight loss” material for 10 minutes daily prior to lunch.Your plan should be detailed, specific, and have a direct impact on your goal.
Step #3: Schedule Critical Tasks DailyHaving a goal and a plan is still not enough. Now you must schedule your critical task! Critical tasks are tasks that directly impact the achievement of your goal. If your goal is to write a book, a critical task may be to write for 2 hours a day.In our weight loss example, here’s how we would schedule our critical tasks:
7:00am – 8:00am – Run for one Hour on Treadmill
11:00am – 11:10am – Read Motivational Weight Loss Material
8:00pm – 8:15pm – Plan Meals for Next Day and Track ProgressHave you scheduled your critical task? Do you know what they are?Note: Never have more than three critical tasks.
Step #4: Eat that “Ugly Frog” First The “ugly frog” represents a critical task that you are reluctant to perform. The best thing to do with an ugly frog is to eat it first.In our weight loss example, the ugly frog would be:• Running on the treadmill at 7:00am.Eating the ugly frog daily is usually the difference between success and failure. Do yourself a favor and eat that ugly frog at your first available time-slot.
Step #5: Focus on the task at HandBroken focus is the number one reason goals aren’t accomplished.Paul Meyer said, “Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.”You must stay focused on your critical tasks just as the sailor is focused on the port in the harbor in which he is headed. Don’t let anything side track you from completing your critical task on a daily basis.Back to our weight loss example - Here are a couple of things that could break my focus if I was trying to lose weight:
A family member brings donuts over to the house
At 7:15am (while on the treadmill) I remember that I need to return a friends phone call and decide that is more important.The key is to remain focused in the face of distractions. Distractions will come, just as sure as you’re reading these words right now. You must expect distractions and maneuver around them.What distractions do you have? How can you maneuver around them? You must carefully allocate your time. Your daily task selection is critical.You should always ask yourself:
Is what I’m doing right now in alignment with my goals?
Is this a level 10 on the critical scale, or just a level 5?
Am I focused on my top 3 critical tasks?
Step #6: Just Say “No”Just say no to tasks that are not in alignment with your goals. The word no is probably the biggest time saver there is so increase your “no” ratio if you want to increase your productivity.The number one person you’ll probably have to say no to is yourself. Your mind is good at coming up with new things to do to get you off track. So remember, just say no, because the quickest way to stop a man with a good idea, is to give him two.Back to our weight loss example; there will be many opportunities for me to say “no:”
If I’ve planned a healthy lunch (based on my diet plan), and someone asks me to join them at a steak house…It’s best if I just say no, in a nice way, as eating a steak for lunch is not in alignment with my goals.
Step #7: Track and Report Your ProgressFinally, there’s nothing like some good ole’ peer pressure to get you motivated. Tell someone about your goal and keep them posted on your progress!This is how the tracking and reporting process would work in our weight loss example:
I would tell my wife, “I will lose 16 pounds by December 31. This is how I’m planning on completing this task, and I will update you on my progress every Saturday at 8:00am.”Knowing that I have to be accountable on a specific goal, on a specific day, to a specific person, is a great motivator. This level of specificity is a very important part of productivity.The goal and deadline should be clear, the plan should be clear, the critical task should be clear, the scheduling of the task should be clear, and the reporting process should be clear. If there’s clarity, there will be progress.In conclusion, don’t let this article be just another good article. Decide to put these steps into action to significantly increase your productivity. Remember nothing just happens, you have to make things happen and you start by getting into action!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Ra-ra-rambling
Today has been an unproductive day, but I'm loving every minute of it. I've sat around and watched a million episodes of Roseanne today! :) Love, love, love that show!!! One of my all time favorites.
I'm having a hard time concentrating on something right now. It's like I feel like I can't do enough around my house. I also feel like I have given up on working up again. Why is it so hard to do this? I'm not even slipping into my eating disorder ways. It's more like...not caring anymore. I care about what I look like, I care about being healthy, however, I think I've taken a 180.
I will figure this out :) I love analyzing. Sometimes it's mentally draining because I can over*analyze certain things a lot. I'm always trying to figure out more about myself and others. Motives. Behaviors. So interesting. Which is why I have really been leaning towards working with mental illness and psychology. I gave up the idea for a bit and leaned towards nursing. But, my heart loves helping those in need mentally.
Anyways, this was just a little ramble. Will try to keep up with writing more often. Why do I find that so hard to do most the time?
I'm having a hard time concentrating on something right now. It's like I feel like I can't do enough around my house. I also feel like I have given up on working up again. Why is it so hard to do this? I'm not even slipping into my eating disorder ways. It's more like...not caring anymore. I care about what I look like, I care about being healthy, however, I think I've taken a 180.
I will figure this out :) I love analyzing. Sometimes it's mentally draining because I can over*analyze certain things a lot. I'm always trying to figure out more about myself and others. Motives. Behaviors. So interesting. Which is why I have really been leaning towards working with mental illness and psychology. I gave up the idea for a bit and leaned towards nursing. But, my heart loves helping those in need mentally.
Anyways, this was just a little ramble. Will try to keep up with writing more often. Why do I find that so hard to do most the time?
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Unleashing...
I close my eyes and the first thing I see is me....in a picture....but this picture hasn't been taken yet. I'm standing there and I have this cardigan on, oatmeal, maybe merlot, and a nice tee underneath with a pair of cute shoes, dark jeans, a belt, and a watch and some jewelry. I envision my nails being longer...most likely from getting them done and always having shampoo and conditioner, all the body lotions, scrubs, make-up. I just want to keep up with myself!! I want be able to wear the clothes I want to wear, have my hair done and dyed and kept up.
I'll be moving soon, which I'm looking forward to more than anything else. I want the independence. I want more power and control. I don't want to control everything, but maybe work on control myself. Regardless....a new home of my own. Can't wait.
Part of me wants to turn this into something creative. Turn it into a blog for others to really read and feel inspired by and look at cool pictures. Maybe share my own thoughts, pictures, poems, etc. I just have this creativity bug in me. Must unleash it!!!!!
I'll be moving soon, which I'm looking forward to more than anything else. I want the independence. I want more power and control. I don't want to control everything, but maybe work on control myself. Regardless....a new home of my own. Can't wait.
Part of me wants to turn this into something creative. Turn it into a blog for others to really read and feel inspired by and look at cool pictures. Maybe share my own thoughts, pictures, poems, etc. I just have this creativity bug in me. Must unleash it!!!!!
Monday, July 13, 2009
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