YOUR LIFE A-Z: MULTI-TASK

MULTI-TASK IN A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

MULTI-TASK

There is no better time that now to become proficient in the art of MULTI-TASKING.   To MULTI-TASK is to live in optimal organization in order to squeeze the zest out of life.  As you make your to-do list, (and you are doing that now aren’t you?) think in terms of organizing your list in ways that you can accomplish several things.  What gets done while you are doing laundry?  What three activities can you sweep together into one?  For instance, when doing your taxes it a good time to do a budget review and tweak the budget for next year, making sure there are plenty of dollars saved for that vacation.  In the United States we over-work and under-play.  It is time to reverse that but in order to make a dent in the amount of time and energy we waste each day, it is important to MULTI-TASK.  Organize your day, your week, your month and your year with key MULTI-TASKING actions that keep you moving forward and saving valuable time for playing while MULTI-TASKING your chores.  Think about adding music to the background of your chores to enhance your mood.  Add some humor and laughter into the mix of daily activity to boost your morale.  MULTI-TASKING does not have to be all about hard work, it can be about play too.  If play and laughter are not on your to-do list, it is likely that it won’t happen.  You must plan for it just like you plan for dinner.  It is the balance of MULTI-TASKING that fills your day with positive opportunities.

YOUR LIFE A-Z: DE-STRESS

ENJOY THE FLIGHT AND DE-STRESS

DE-STRESS

 I often ask my clients to tell me what they think his/her stress level is like on a scale of 1-10.  When he/she is asked to scale the question I most likely hear the answer 8-10.  If at first I ask the client to detail the stressors in his/her daily life, often I hear, “Well my life is not all that stressful.”  Asking someone to scale the amount of stress is a less invasive question, instead of what is stressing you?  We have talked about many DE-STRESSING tools already but I want to bring you back to the most important tool, which is deep breathing.  To DE-STRESS your body you must learn to relax your entire body.  This is best done with focused attention with your breath from the top of your head to the very tip of your toes.  I suggest you set the timer and begin with five minutes of focused attention breathing in and letting the belly rise and exhaling pulling the belly in against the backbone.  If you lose count just start over until the timer stops.  Learning to DE-STRESS and practicing DE-STRESSING techniques when stress levels are between 3-5 help you prepare to practice correctly when you really need to DE-STRESS.   A really good organic herbal green tea can help the cells feel massaged and restored.  Stress tears our body down at a cellular level and we must repair the body at a cellular level.  DE-STRESSING techniques need to be broad focusing on every angle of your life.  What will you need to do to bring the scale down to a 5-6?  Activate that plan. 

YOUR LIFE A-Z: CERTAINITY

BE PREPARED AND FLEXIBLE

CERTAINTY

CERTAINTY is an illusion.  CERTAINTY can be changed in a moment’s notice.  Many people do not believe in the Divine or God because there is no CERTAINTY in that.  Guess what, there is no CERTAINTY that you will wake up tomorrow morning either.  It is important to make educated and calculated decisions in your life but do not let yourself drop into a dark space if those decisions do not pay off just like you thought they would.  You are responsible to investigate, research and educate yourself about the decisions you are moving toward but you cannot know the future.  Do the best you can and always do your home -work.  CERTAINTY is illusive and not something that one can count on.  Can you name the things in your life that you think are CERTAIN?  Go ahead and list those CERTAINTIES.  Then think about those CERTAINTIES by asking yourself, what is plan B?  Plan B is a necessary insurance policy about the CERTAINTY that you think that exists.  CERTAINTY is easy to default to, especially if one does his/her homework. CERTAINTY cannot be counted on.  CERTAINTY is a helpful target and the target needs to be as stable and planned as possible.  CERTAINTY is also helpful when making important choices in your life. Choosing the right college, the right health plan, the right retirement plan, and making those choices viable in your life are very important.  CERTAINTY often needs to be reduced to the question, “If I choose this, what is the worse that can happen? 

YOUR LIFE A-Z: ATTAINABLE

ONE STEP AT A TIME STILL REQUIRES YOU STICK YOUR NECK OUT

ATTAINABLE

ATTAINABLE is something that is achievable and within possibilities. Sometimes you might be keeping yourself miserable because you are a daydreamer verses someone who has realistic goals.  Goals need to be attainable.  Your goals on your list need to be examined.  For instance, if your goal is to live in Costa Rica and you live with someone who hates bugs, tropics, and humidity then you need to ask yourself if you want to break up you relationship in order to move to Costa Rica? Thus, you must ask the cost of your ATTAINING your goal physically, emotionally, spiritually and financially and if you are willing to pay it?  How many things on your goal list are realistic or just something you want to drop into your lap?  Guess what, that is not what is going to happen.  Keep your goals ATTAINABLE.  ATTAINABILITY helps you feel good about who you are and the progress you are making in your life.  For instance if you need to lose 100 pounds, best lose it ten pounds at a time.  Then you feel a sense of pride, success, and motivated to continue.  As you are placing goals on your list, ask yourself how ATTAINABLE are they and when will it be ATTAINED.   Place some easy ATTAINABLE goals throughout your list to keep you moving toward goals that are more difficult to ATTAIN.  What do you want to ATTAIN in the next thirty days?  How will you do that and what do you need to make that goal ATTAINABLE? 

YOUR LIFE A-Z:WHEN

WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO BE YOU?

WHEN

When is an important word because WHEN allows us to put a start and stop time on any project.  Without the word WHEN added to any project, idea, or dream usually nothing happens.  WHEN are you going to change?  WHEN are you going to eat healthy? WHEN are you going to save money?  WHEN are you going to make new friends or get out of your rut?  Are these questions making your feel guilty or are they motivating you?  WHEN can be a motivating word that gets you up off of the couch and out into the life you want to live.  Stop being so afraid of new experiences and procrastinating.  WHEN are you going to stop being bossed around by your fear?  WHEN are you going to take charge of the changes you want to make in your life and make those changes?  There is not better time than right now to get started.  You are reading this blog for a reason.  Get up and do something active about your goal or dream right now, even if it is making a post-it note and placing it on the door you go out of every morning.  Let the post-it note read,  “Do one thing to reach your goal today.”  Maybe you need a post-it note on your door to remind you of what your goals are and be sure to place a due date on each of them.  The word WHEN is an important tool for success.