Focus. I lack the ability to carve out my day into what matters most. I have so many plates spinning that I cannot deal with the minutaie, and yet, the devil is in the details. However, there’s this swell guy at work who says that it’s incumbent upon one’s personal chances of success to take a moment to focus, and to shut out all the distractions, and to set up your approach for everything you’re hoping to accomplish. I believe in this. Here’s the first part of my focus. I want to write down my plan for this month, first in abstracts, and then in fleshed out terms.
First, something from Dr. Stephen R. Covey’s The 8th Habit. On page 58, he mentions that by making four simple assumptions in our lives, we’ll have better, more integrated experiences.
For the body – assume you’ve had a heart attack ; now live accordingly.
For the mind – assume the half-life of your profession is two years; now prepare accordingly.
For the heart – assume everything you say about another, they can overhear; now speak accordingly.
For the spirit – assume you have a one-on-one visit with your Creator every quarter; now live accordingly.
I’m going to try and live by that over the next 30 days and see what that nets me. But let’s get more specific.
Body
I am going to eat better. By “better,” I am going to reduce my calories, as I’m eating more food than my body needs. I’ll stick to all the healthy foods I’m eating, but have a little less of everything. I’ll eat consciously, being certain I know what I’ve taken in. I will keep my body’s fuel tank at 3/4 the whole day, never eating too much (overfilling) and never letting the tank hit empty.
I will do AT LEAST 30 minutes of exercise daily, unless something pleads for a break. Today’s effort was 5 miles of biking and some pushups. Not enough, but better than skipping it.
Mind
I will focus daily on what matters most, and plan my day accordingly. I will attempt to execute against those plans. Distractions, I’ll attempt to put off until a later time. I will stay mindful of what personal improvements I’ll need to help me move forward into these new aspects of my career. This needs LOTS of work.
Heart
Boy, this is a tough one. I’m catty. But I am trying. I’ve just recently realized that I *do* sometimes stop myself before saying something that might be a problem. Who knows? I’ll try hard to stay reserved and focused with my opinions.
Spirit
I’m about as spiritual as a monkey. In fact, had I not read something just today about how the brain interprets what are usually considered “religious” experiences, I think I’d have doubted I’d ever had anything close to a spiritual event. That said, I think I’ll revisit this one later.
Accountability: So far today, accountability to me surrounds my eating. I think I’m doing plenty of good fitness stuff, but I’m not really doing my lion’s share of effort on keeping my calorie content in check. Today, so far so good. I had a nutritious smoothie at home, a half banana too, and I just had some almonds for snack. I’m drinking green tea to stay hydrated. Lunch will likely be a bowl of cereal and maybe some fruit. I’ll check in tomorrow to give you the day’s summary, food wise.
Here’s hoping life goes well. How are you?
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