Trigruence

The Four D's of Organization

Messy, unorganized spaces can drain your energy.  For a quick energy pick up, set a timer for 15 minutes, clean, and organize your space during that time, like a race.

 

Some people are naturally more inclined to organize than others. I work from piles… always have. I’ve taken time management and organization courses – I could probably teach those courses; I simply will  not use the systems over the long run.

 

Others (and you know who you are) are so organized they can find a paper they wrote in college 15 years ago. It’s neatly filed in a three-ring binder and organized brilliantly. I admire those folks but don’t want to be one… I don’t want to dedicate the time and effort to working against my natural set, but I do realize the importance of having some sort of a system.

 

A (relatively) neat workspace is important to productivity and if that is all you need to be productive, don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. If you need to complete a task and file it away before you begin the next one; then don’t let those “crazy multi-taskers” convince you to do several things at once. That system will not work for you either.

 

When I was in the corporate world and we had cleaners come thru our offices nightly; I used to put a “Do Not Touch This Pile” note on my piles. That drove my assistant nuts, but I knew where everything was. Being self-employed now I can get by without the note.

 

If the piles get too out of control try this exercise. Make one pile. One. Even if it makes it to the ceiling (I’d be proud of that if it was me…) Then get yourself a big trash can and go thru the pile one piece at a time and:

 

Do It – execute what you need to do for that piece of paper – NOW

Delegate it – give it to the appropriate staffer

Delay it – be careful here… put it in a system (tickle file) if you can get to it later

Delete it – piece by piece into the trash

 

This is a great quarterly exercise if you are a pile person who would like to at least demonstrate your desire to organize. If you do it four times a year, you’ll probably have a pretty good sized pile. Have at it – and if you get a pile that does go floor to ceiling, please send a pic!

Remember GIGO?

Garbage In – Garbage Out. If memory serves me, this was a basic tenant of computer programming; what you put in you get out. Then the personal development industry grabbed the concept to describe what happens with negative or positive thoughts.

 

What do you feed yourself daily? Do you eat for momentary satisfaction or for longevity and health? Fats and sugars to satiate the taste buds or lean proteins and fresh fruits & vegetables to nourish your body?

 

What about the things you feed your mind? I recently worked with a client who was mildly obsessed with the TV show “24.” He was watching old episodes on streaming video… 3, 4, 5 episodes at a time. Sometimes starting at 10 pm and finally crawling into bed at 2:30 in the morning. The next day he felt anxious and tired, unable to focus on work and overwhelmed with a feeling of worry.

 

No kidding… what is “24” about anyway. Hey, I like the show too; and if you feed your mind a high dose of tension-filled, terrorist-crazed fantasy for 3 or 4 hours a night – and then go to bed so your sub-conscious can further develop those scenes; how would you expect to feel the next morning?

 

What about the books you read? How many books do you read? Do you read for escape and fantasy or to challenge your thinking and expand your competencies?

 

What about radio? Are you a talk radio junkie? Do you listen to music in your car or are you playing CDs that will stretch you vocabulary, your thinking, and your knowledge?

 

What types of conversations do you have? Do you associate with people who inspire you or are your conversations nothing more than inspired gripe sessions about the economy, the world, politics, etc.?

 

And now for a little practical reality. Restrictive diets don’t work in the long run because deprivation is not a healthy or viable way to live… we occasionally want and need the cherry pie or extra loaded pizza. A good move or an hour of “garbage TV” can help to reduce stress by letting the day fade to fantasy – just don’t watch too much and certainly not right before you go to bed.

 

Reading fiction can improve your vocabulary and your ability to paint compelling pictures with words; so, find a balance between fun fiction and books that will elucidate your world.

 

Talk radio and music will entertain you for a little while and may also numb your ability to think on your own. Are your thoughts your own when having political discussions or are they the talking points of the radio host? Be careful to whom you give control of your mind. When you listen to good recorded information from a source you trust and want to emulate; at least you are in control of what food you are feeding your mind.

 

“Here’s how we will save the world” conversations over a hot coffee or cold beer can certainly stimulate your mind and help you realize and verbalize your core convictions about important topics. And conversations about philosophy, spirituality, your purpose in life, etc., will stretch you in ways that political debates cannot.

 

So, like most things in life, it comes down to balance. A little spicy with the sweet… a little rock ‘n roll with the inspirational… a little sports with the spiritual. And as always, it is your choice… and it is your mind and your life. So choose wisely.

 

 

 

 

Decision and responsibility

Too many of our kids are fat. Yes, I know we should use PC terms... but the truth is they are fat. And calling it something else doesn't change the fact that they are - fat. I was a fat kid. I grew up eating really, really well. Mom cooked up great Greek dishes all the time... including those decadent deserts. Back then we used to say I was "husky" and I had "big bones." Big bones, yeah right. Today at 5'10 and 162 lbs I can tell you; my bones are not big... and I am also not fat.

How do these kids  get so fat? Well, we could go on and on about the lack of exercise, too much TV, too many electronic distractions, no PE in schools, virtual Wii sports (I wonder if you break a virtual sweat playing these things?), and on... But today I want to focus on food.

Decisions and responsibility. It drives me nuts when I hear parents talk about how their child decides what they are going to eat... or the parents blame the cereal companies, fast food restaurants, ice cream companies for their child's obesity. HUH? Hold on for a second --- Who's earning the paychecks in the family? Who has the driver's license to go to the market and buy food? Who is making the decisions?

time to face the reality that what you buy, bring home and stock the shelves with is what they are going to eat. So let's start buying some real food and leave the cupcakes, chips, Frito's, pies, and other junk food on the shelf. There are so many preservatives they'll be good for another hundred years or so... so if you change your mind, they will be there.

One other observation, not scientific by any stretch - just an observation. I have not seen fat kids with slim, athletic, healthy-bodied parents... haven't seen them. Eating well is not that tough to do. Start simply by eliminating the stuff that you know is unhealthy/fattening. Add in some seasonal fruit. Substitute healthy snacks for the junk food. And parents - please - you are the boss, not the kids. You know what's best... they know what they think tastes good. Make eating healthier a family decision. Do what you say and they will follow.

Take it from a former fat kid --- it's no fun being portly, husky, big-boned, jolly or fat when you are a kid. You want your children to succeed in life, start now by giving them a foundation of health, vitality and strong self-esteem with a healthy, vibrant body and clear-thinking mind.

Oh, and by the way... all this healthy eating will do wonders for you too!

No Your Weight... and three other weight loss ideas

Everyone knows diets don't work. Zig Ziglar, one of America's best-known motivational speakers and trainers points out that the first three letters of diet are D-I-E!

Most people who are trying to lose weight have a pretty good idea of what they should do... and what they shouldn't eat. So, I'm not going to get into a message on nutrition; but rather, provide four ideas which may be different and which will, in combination or individually help you to shed some pounds.

First. No your weight. Yes, 'no' is spelled correctly. Instead of focusing on what you weigh daily, try this approach. Prior to beginning your weight-loss regimen, weigh yourself each morning and record the number for ten days. Let's say the numbers range from 183-185. Your goal is, over the next 10 day period to no longer see 185. Let's say that for the next ten days the range is 180-183. Congratulations... but don't think of yourself weighing 180 pounds. Instead think of yourself never seeing 185 again. And the next ten days focus on never seeing 183... and so on. This makes it a bit of a game... just another 'weigh' to look at it. No your weight.

Second. Instead of thinking, "I'm hungry - I should eat" try this thought instead, "Hungry is good." Not hungry to the point where your stomach is growling and you are feeling light headed because of a hypoglycemic crisis... but hungry when you are feeling light and alert. Think about wild animals - or even the pets you have at home. What do they do after feeding? Sleep. But when the lioness is hunting in the wild she is hungry, lean and fast. Hungry is good. Hungry is light and lean. Hungry is clear-minded and alert. Enjoy the feeling. Be proud of yourself for gaining control of this thought. And pretty soon you'll notice food is for fueling your body... like it should be.

Third. Brush your teeth. Simple. Effective. Brush your teeth after every meal and you likely won't want to eat that extra food late at night... or have the big dessert after your dinner. Besides, in the time it takes to put away the dishes and brush your teeth, your brain has gotten the signal from your stomach that you are indeed fed. So the craving for extra food goes away. Clean mouth. Fresh breath. Full tummy. That's a winning combination.

Fourth. Give some consideration when you get a craving... is it your body that needs fueling or your taste buds that need to be satiated? If it is your body, then eat. But if it's your taste buds (and they can be powerfully persuasive) you need to over ride the input. That's when the first three pointers will help. Start to get control of your taste buds and you'll build your self-discipline. Build your discipline and your confidence grows. Build your confidence and you create a new lifestyle.

And you already know that wellness is about lifestyle... not about diets.

What do you do just before you go to sleep?

The answer to this question can range from a rating of G to XXX. We're going to keep it clean.

What you do in the moments before you sleep will have an effect on the quality of your sleep, how you feel when you wake up, and over a period of years - the quality of your life. Before you leave the conscious world and slip into sleep; your mind is extremely vulnerable to outside inputs. It's a period of time when your conscious filters are gearing down to turn off for the day - exposing your subconscious to whatever sounds may be around you... and whatever thoughts you may have planted before slipping into dreamland.

Three simple tips follow which will help you sleep more restfully. And since so many of us are sleep deprived... and since we need to sleep for our physical, mental, and emotional well-being... it makes sense to do it well, doesn;t it?

Tip #1. Bed if for sleep and only one other thing (I told you we're keeping it to a "G" rating). ANd that other thing IS NOT watching television. There are all types of great arguments about how TV actually stimulates your brain rather than relaxing it but I'll go with one simple point. You are leaving your mind wide open to be influenced by people who don't care about you and advertisers who want to manipulate you. And as you are dozing off the rational filters you trust to protect you are going to sleep too, leaving your subconscious wide open an unprotected for the assault. You want to sleep better? Get the TV out of your bedroom!

Tip #2. Try a simple meditation to slow your mind down before going to bed. Do this somewhere other than bed if possible; then when your thoughts have slowed, slip into bed and into good sleep. A simple meditation is to be in a dark room, close your eyes and focus on the "light" that you see. some people see a fixed spot, others see moving colors of lights. Give it a moment - the light will show up. You'll find yourself drifting off on a thought because your mind may not be used to being idle. That's OK. When you finally catch yourself on the thought simply say to yourself, "Let's go back to the light..." and turn your attention back. You will notice over time that your thoughts will slow and the amount of time you spend focusing on the light will increase. You may also notice yourself drifting into a place of no thoughts at all. When you do, you've achieved a meditative state. There's lots more about meditation that you can research; I've found this simple method a way that most people can accomplish easily and quickly.

Tip #3. After your thoughts have slowed with the meditation - go to bed. Give yourself something pleasant to ponder: paint a picture of where you want to be, consider your goals, think about having a productive fruitful day tomorrow, suggest to yourself you will sleep well and rise early feeling well-rested and energized for the day. Plant some positive expectancies and let your subconscious work with those thoughts all night long.

When sick - take it easy

Getting sick is never fun. Getting sick isn’t something to look forward to. And hopefully, getting sick isn’t something that happens to you on a regular basis. But when it happens you do your best to get thru it with as much speed and as little discomfort as possible.

I’m fortunate in that I don’t get sick often… but when I do, I do it right! The last time I had the flu, or anything resembling the flu was 11 years ago. I’m just getting thru the end of a recent bout now. This one lasted for about 5 days – so I guess that averages out to about ½ day of illness a year over ten years… no complaints there!

I’m not big on over-the-counter meds available for colds and flu because they usually upset my stomach so much that I have to stop taking them. So I stick to basics: plenty of rest, light easy-to-digest food (soups), lots of water and, as needed, occasional homeopathic remedies. I also sip on the following mixture: hot water, honey, lemon and cayenne extract. This is wonderful stuff! The cayenne extract (liquid – you can buy at health food stores) is the magic. It is like liquid fire – so be careful with how much you put into the mix…but add it to your tolerance. It seems to just “burn” those nasty little viruses right out of you!

So, here are some things I’ve learned about what to do and not do when sick.

Rest. Get plenty of it. Don’t “push through”. Don’t load up on energy drinks, coffee or whatever else provides energy for you. Rest. This is what your body needs and this is how your body heals itself. Get comfortable, take naps, get reacquainted with your bed and let your body have what it needs or else…

No Guilt. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather lose 3 or 4 days and allow myself the time to get well than work thru the illness only to become more seriously sick and be down for weeks. How many people develop pneumonia or other debilitating conditions because they didn’t take the time to heal with a minor infection? I’d rather lose 4 days than 3 or 4 weeks… that much time is really difficult to catch up. So, no guilt about taking the time off. Your world will survive with you out of the game for a few days. Be good to yourself and rest – guilt free!

Eat well and stay hydrated. Now is not the time to eat junk food. Chances are your stomach won’t allow that anyway! Eat lightly and eat regularly. I’m partial to soups when I’m sick. Yes – chicken noodle! (there is actually solid research that shows the benefit of “Jewish penicillin when you have a cold or flu… so don’t laugh… just go buy some good soup for when you need it). Remember, your body is fighting an infection so eat food that is light and easily digested. Oh… and drink lots of water. Not soda – water. Not iced tea or lemonade – water. Sure, some fruit juices (watch the sugar content) are ok… but chances are you are dehydrated from your cold/flu… so load up on the hydration.

My final thought is on thoughts. When you spend a lot of time sitting, resting or dozing; your mind may tend to wander… maybe a little too much. And if you don’t feel well physically, sometimes those thoughts are negative, non-productive or just plain stupid. Don’t take them seriously. This is not the time to consider your problems. If you are running a fever, your brain is being “cooked”. Don’t add fuel to the fire buy trying to solve your problems now. Any insights you get are coming thought the filter of a sick, stressed and infected body. So, no matter how heavy those thoughts are; do yourself a favor and dismiss them. You know that you’ll have better solutions when you are feeling healthy, strong and vibrant. So watch some fun movies. Read something light if you can. Just don’t take your thoughts seriously.

Time now for me to run out and get some more soup… and a stupid movie! This is about all I can do for serious thinking today!