Are you ever at work and the task that you're handling just flows and gets done without much effort? It's almost as if your brain and creativity just explode and you slice through the task with ease. That feeling, the flow, is an awesome feeling but how often do you have it? Wouldn't it be great if you could somehow bottle that feeling and release it when you need it most? Easier said than done.
There are probably a lot of variables that go into achieving this feeling and like most things, they are totally different for everyone. However, with a little thought, most of us can most likely identify a handful of things that help promote their inner creativity. Here are 11 tips I've found to work. If you have other steps or rituals, let us know!
Are you using the right medium to communicate your work and message? Your medium is the outlet that you communicate with. This can be a nurse, writer, speaker, artist, etc. Maybe you have the message right but it's not being shared through the right medium. This happens to lots of super creative people who find themselves in jobs they don't like with lots of restrictions. Creativity knows no limits. Try a new outlet and see if your creativity improves.
Just go ahead and start writing. Know before you begin that this will be the worst thing you have ever created; it's then impossible to be disappointed. More often than not, as you get moving, creative ideas will come to you and it is nowhere near as bad as you first pictured. Sometimes you just need to have the courage to take that first step towards creating what you desire.
Say to yourself "I will work on this for 1 hour" or "I will write a minimum of 500 words before standing up". We can't always be creative but every single one of us can make ourselves work on something for a set period of time as short as one hour.
Start creating whatever is in your mind; writer's block is often overcome this way. If you sit there for 30 minutes and nothing is coming, you're not going to get anything. Get up and do something that you love. Go for a walk, calm and center yourself, play with your kids, meditate. There is always a way. As I read in a fortune cookie once, "Many a bad move is made by standing still". Those 30 minutes have at least been spent moving towards creating rather than stagnating doing nothing.
Whenever I feel like I'm in a creative rut I sing or dance. Take some time to just totally let yourself go. Put on a song that you love and sing and dance to it and you'll get yourself out of all those negative thought patterns and in a really positive place. Really let yourself go. One way to get to a new level is to sing louder than you ever have done before. It leaves you feeling amazing and creativity just flows after that. WARNING: You might want to vacuum your house while singing this loud. It saves other people's ears and is super productive too!
I find that your best ideas come will come to you when your mind is still. When you're too deep into a project struggling to get creative, it makes sense to have a mental reboot every 30-60 minutes. Just go for a walk. Get some fresh air into your lungs and a change of scenery.
Creativity comes in ebbs and flows. Some days you might just be so uptight and tense that you need to take the day off. It's not unproductive because rest is essential to gear yourself up for the days when you really exert yourself. If you have the opportunity spend time with friends, family or doing something you love just for the sake of it. You'll come back to it tomorrow with a fresh mind and fresh ideas.
Do you sometimes find it tough to get creative because you feel like you just don't have enough hours in the day? I get it all the time. Truly deep creative thoughts don't usually come to you within the first 30 minutes of creating something, they come as you dive deeper into it after spending at least one hour there. It's tough to get that deep without the time.
What would benefit you is to set aside a few hours to become a master of your time. Batch similar tasks all in one, start reducing pointless internet browsing, etc. Then you'll be able to experience deep creative flow once again.
I see babies as naturally creative. They know no limits and no fears. Watch a baby for a while and see how they just do things. They are totally focused in this moment, not at all held prisoner by their past. Imitate their aliveness by spending time with them and you will find beautiful ideas flowing through you that you never thought you could access before. This leads me to the next tip ...
Being in the moment is without question the best thing you can do for creativity. If you are thinking about the past, you are limited by it. By being here and present you have access to all the precious gifts that you have now. This is a process of concentrating the mind and the best way for this is through meditation.
You hear meditation defined a lot of ways but it is really just concentrating, which is concentrating your mind on this moment. Practice concentrating 100% on reading this article until the end or the feeling of the keys you are typing. Life is a meditation practice and opportunities are everywhere. The creative benefits can only really be experienced, they're fantastic that's all I can say. It's a whole new level of living.
Sometimes, we spend too much time indoors between the four walls of our homes and at our desk and lose touch with our natural roots. Long spells in natural environments refresh the spirit. Nature is the ultimate creative inspiration. Have you ever looked out across a still river or up at the skies on a dark night and just been awe-struck? They're the beautiful experiences that life is made of. Doing this will invigorate your spirit, body and mind so they are all fresh and aligned towards creativity once again.
Written on 5/6/2010 by Richard Shelmerdine. Richard writes passionately about his love of spirituality and self improvement over at RichardShelmerdine.com.
Unique Ways To Access Your Natural Creativity
Posted by SoMeOnE at 8:31 AM Labels: Business, Entrepreneur, How To, Writing
Complete Your First Book with these 9 Simple Writing Habits
Posted by SoMeOnE at 9:59 AM Labels: How To, Most Popular, Writing
Your first book isn't going to happen by itself. If writing a novel or non-fiction book is something you've dreamed of, the only way to make that dream a reality is by putting it into action -- day by day.
And the best way to do that is to develop some simple habits that will make the dream a reality, one step at a time.
I've learned a lot about writing habits over the years. As a journalist, a freelance writer, and a speech writer, I've written thousands of articles over the last 17 years. I've also written a novel, numerous short stories, a couple ebooks, and am now working on a non-fiction book. It's a struggle, daily.
But I've found that certain habits go a long way, and after awhile, they're not as difficult as they are during the first week or so. Get past that first-week hump, and it'll get easier. And that dream of your first book will come true.
Note on forming habits: I recommend trying to form only one of these habits at a time, starting with the first one and working downwards. Focus on each for at least 2-3 weeks, until it is ingrained. Then move on to the next.
The most important habit you can form is the daily writing habit. Even if you only write a page or two in a day, that's OK. The important thing is to do it. Eventually, you'll get there. Some days will be good, some will be not so good. Still sit down to write. It's important that you have one dedicated time for writing. You might do more, at other times, but make that one time be sacred. It might be first thing in the morning, right after lunch, right after work, or right before bed. Choose a time that you can do every single day, without fail. Dedicate at least 30 minutes to writing ... at first. Later, you'll need at least an hour, preferably two.
Get into the habit of focusing on the writing, and not the tools. You need to block out all distractions, especially Internet and email. Disconnect from the Internet, turn off the phones, plug some headphones into your ears to block out other distractions, clear your desk. If you use a pen and pad, choose simple ones. If you use a computer, use the simplest word processor or text editor possible. I recommend Dark Room or WriteRoom or some variant thereof -- just plain text, with no formatting, in full screen mode. It's you and the words and nothing else.
This can be as simple as how many words you wrote today. Check your word count when you finish, and log it in. You could also add in notes about what you wrote, how you feel about it, etc., but the important thing is to log it in so you can see your progress over time. It helps enforce the daily writing habit, and it motivates you to keep going.
You will probably be thinking about your book all day, if you're engrossed in it, but it's good to make it a habit to think about your book at certain times of the day. Exercise is a great time for that, as is house cleaning, driving, walking, government work, and any other activity where you don't need to think much. Make that time dedicated to thinking about the book.
You will have ideas at different times of day, in different places. You will overhear dialog that you want to remember. You will think of brilliant character flaws while at the grocery store. You'll think of eccentric plot twists while driving. You need some way to capture ideas -- I suggest a notebook or index cards, but whatever works for you is fine. More importantly, you need to make it a habit to write your ideas down wherever you go.
There will be days when you don't feel like writing. That may actually be every day. But if you let that stop you, you'll never write a thing. Instead, you need to make it a habit to just start writing. It doesn't matter what you write, or whether it's any good. Just start. Make your fingers move. I find a good way to start is by typing something ritualistic, such as my byline on an article, or common formatting stuff. That gets my typing going, and then I just continue that. Once you get started, you might find that writing will come easier. In any case, get into the habit of just starting, no matter what.
In addition to the routine writing time you designate (in Item #1 above), there will be other times when you'll want to write. Especially when you get a burst of energy or inspiration. You need to get into the habit of taking advantage of those times, and sitting down and writing immediately. Even if you're not at your computer, have your idea notebook, and just start writing. Inspiration comes at the most inopportune times -- you need to use it whenever it comes.
The dreaded word for many a writer, but revision is one of the most important aspects of the writing process. No one gets it right in the first draft. No one. If you aren't willing to revise, you might as well not write. But you don't need to develop this habit right away. Get into the writing habit first, and then begin developing rewrite habits. My suggestion is to begin half an hour of rewrite time, daily, after a month or two of developing the writing habit.
Most writers won't bother with this, but that's a mistake. If you are serious about your writing, a book bible is a must-have. However, you can work on that last. This is ideally a binder with everything about your book contained in its pages: plot outline, character sketches, notes, bits of dialog, small details, scene description, research, etc. You'll find this extremely useful. The habit to develop: get a binder, write notes on characters, plot, scene, dialog, and keep it updated, as soon as you're done writing. So: write, log it, then update your book bible.
Written for Dumblittleman.com on 09/12/2007 by Leo Babauta and republished on 4/30/10. Leo offers advice on living life productively simple at his famous Zen Habits blog.
How to Deal With Annoying People
Posted by SoMeOnE at 11:09 PM Labels: Communicating, How To, Workplace
We’re both familiar with irritating, frustrating and annoying people. Learning how to deal with them is an art-form, because what works for me, may not work for you.
There are a lot of facets that come into play when someone is annoying you. Are they bothering you, because you genuinely don’t think they ‘vibe’ with you? Or, is the universe sending someone to show you what you have to work on?
If you only take one thing away from this article, let it be this: honesty always works. The longer you try to be nice to someone, the more you’re making other people believe that you actually enjoying hanging out with them.
There’s no need to be unnecessarily blunt about it, but if someone becomes too pushy, you have to be honest about what’s going on and let them know. It sucks, but if you value your time, it has to be done, and it doesn’t have to be done in a harsh manner.
Sometimes things aren’t what they seem, and most important of all, often the person you’re annoyed by is there to show you where you need to focus internally.
Ignoring has to be one of the most common strategies you see people use. It can work well, but if the person is persistent, you can’t ignore them for long.
Dealing with annoying people is always easier the more comfortable you are in your skin. If someone is bothering you, the best way to stop it is to tell the person, which I will talk about in a second.
The first response we have is to be nice towards everyone. Being negative in any way is frowned upon, but what most forget is that telling the truth is more important than being nice. You have to respect yourself.
Telling the truth doesn’t mean being rude or obnoxious in any way. You have to find your own groove, but chances are that you have to tell people what you think if you’ve got a small crowd bothering you all the time.
If nothing else works, tell the person exactly what you feel. Again, being overly harsh is unnecessary. Just telling someone that you don’t want to hang out with them right now is not the end of the world.
This takes some courage, but in the end, it is the most honest and simple way to deal with the situation. Luckily, most people don’t need to be told, because they are smart enough to pick up subtle hints that you aren’t interested.
Think about when you were last bothering someone; did they tell you to go away in a particularly effective and nice way?
The way I often learn new things is by flipping the roles. If I want to learn how to tell people to go away, I look inside and think about if I’ve ever been in a position where someone else wanted me to go away, especially if it worked.
Learning how to deal with annoying people is uncomfortable, because if you care about others, you want to be nice. It’s your first instinct, and that’s cool, but it doesn’t always work.
When it becomes a problem is if you’re giving your time away to someone you don’t want to. Sometimes it takes more than being nice to resolve a problem in your life.
The next time you’re in a situation like this, think about your options and the consequences they have.
Written on 4/26/2010 by Henri Junttila. Henri is addicted to living a free and passionate life. He runs the Wake Up Cloud, where he shows you how you can learn how to find your passion and live consciously.
How To Design Your Circle of Friends
Posted by SoMeOnE at 1:46 PM Labels: Happiness, How To, Relationships
There is a lot of talk about time management, career management, project management and even life management. Today, I am going to suggest to you the management of something which I think is very important and very much ignored: your circle of friends. Or better yet, the design of your circle of friends.
Think about it: every week, you spend quite a few hours with your friends. The proper circle of friends for you can be a lot more than a bunch of people you hang out with or tweet to. Having the right friends can mean:
- Very fun experiences together, you look forward to every time;
- A powerful connection, based on your core common points;
- A deep sense of respect and appreciation for each other;
- The ability to be comfortable, authentic and open with them;
- Knowing you have your back covered by great people.
These friends are usually not bad, but if you’re only building your circle of friends like this, it’s important to realize they may not be the best friends for you and in a way, you are wasting the potential for much better friendships. What you need to do is proactively build you circle of friend, following a couple of steps:
- Decide what you want
This is the crucial starting point: deciding the key traits you want your friends to have. This step allows you to filter the people you interact with and the time you dedicate to each one, to maximize the positive outcomes.
Pick up a pen and paper, and actually write down these traits, after you think about them really well. But make sure you don’t write too many traits; otherwise you’ll create such a strong filter you’ll end up with no circle of friends. - Get out there
Once you decide what kind of people you want to befriend, it’s time to go out and meet them. Start thinking about the kind of places and activities where you have the best chances of meeting people fitting your desired profile, and get involved.
If you like people who value self-improvement, go to personal development trainings. If you like people who are passionate and energetic, take a dancing class. If you like people who are fun and sociable, go to parties or sports bars. There are tons of opportunities out there. Pick the right ones, get out there and be sociable. - Say yes and no
Meeting new people and discovering some you enjoy interacting with is usually not enough to make new friends. You need to have more interactions with these people to continue getting to know each other and see where it goes. Take the initiative; ask people out for coffee or lunch, throw a party, talk on the phone if you like it, and so on.
At the same time, it’s important to cut down on the interactions with people who are already in your social circle and you realize they do not really fit the friend profile you’re looking for. Otherwise, especially if you also need a decent amount of alone time like me, you will have little time for finding and interacting with people you enjoy more.
 | Written on 4/10/2010 by Eduard Ezeanu. Eduard is 80% communication coach and 20% something more. He also writes advice about people skills and personal development on his blog, People Skills Decoded. You can follow him on Twitter at @eduardezeanu. |
Imagine a scenario where you actually loved getting up in the morning. I’m not just talking about those occasional weekends or days off where you actually have no plans (or only plans made and loved by you). I’m talking about every single day. Before you scoff at the ridiculousness of such a concept and flick on further down your reader just stop . Indulge me for a moment.
If I were a genie and could grant you anything you wanted, don’t tell me you wouldn’t be interested in finding a pastime (career, hobby, part-time adventure) that not only paid the bills but actually made you feel – what’s that word? – good. And I’m talking gooooooood. Like so darn happy you smile at strangers on the street, walk with a little bounce in your step, constantly update Facebook with perky little notes, and basically just spend every day feeling like a kid does on Christmas.
Sounds annoying, doesn’t it? Unless it’s you of course.
So let’s assume for starters that you still need regular income. To start with we’re going to need this muse of yours (thank-you, Mr. Tim Ferriss ) to occupy only a set amount of time. Perhaps half an hour each day, with weekends off. That’s doable, isn’t it? Of course I’m talking about a solid 30 minutes committed to changing the way you live your life. All in one block.
The idea of introducing part-time passion like this is that it eases you in to the next step. Which is to gradually move you to a point where you are making a living from doing what you love. Where your part-time passion has replaced your full-time job. Sounds good, doesn’t it? I managed to do this about 5 years ago. I was in a mid-level management position which I was kinda sick of. Ok, hated. And I was doing some part-time Personal Training before and after work. It took me a full year of being over that job to toss it in and have enough courage to try running a full-time Personal Training business. But at least I got there.
Where would you like to be a year from now? What would you love to be doing?
If you’re not at all sure what your passion might be, then I’d recommend taking some time to identify your strengths. Here are 3 easy ways to get started on that:
By this point you should be starting to get a little excited. Even the act of thinking about how cool it would be to actually love what you do should get the motivational juices flowing. But if you’re still really not sure what you’d like to do – or perhaps you feel like there’s so many things to choose from – then try this.
Find a clean piece of paper and a pen. Write down the numbers 1-10. Think back over past weeks, months, even years – which events/activities stand out as being joyous or exciting for you? If you can’t think of anything, consider those events you reacted to in others with excitement, even jealousy. You might like to consider the following categories as a memory-jogger or just for ideas:
· Travel
· Creativity
· Social connection
· Helping others
· Making deals
· Re-selling goods
· Teaching
The long and short of it is that you want to highlight those times when you feel most alive. What makes you feel creative, happy, free, a sense of belonging?
Now that you have your passion in mind it’s time to start making it happen. This is actually the easiest part of the process so far. Remember back to the start of this article? You’ve already committed to setting aside 30 minutes per day to work on your passion, so set the timer and get started. Try not to worry too much about how you can turn it into money, just focus on action. And, if you have several possible passions in mind, then choose one and start with that. Commit to it for 21 days and then decide if you’d like to keep going or start afresh.
Here’s how you might fill that 30 minutes –
Do this diligently and sooner or later you’ll feel ready to take the next step: offering a discounted version of your service, applying for a freelance position, sharing your knowledge with someone who can help you get ahead. This could be the moment when that part-time passion suddenly really does seem like something that might one day replace your full time income. Soon as you make that first measly dollar from it you’ll have the immediate excitement of knowing that if you can make $1, you can make $100, then $1,000. You get the idea. A year from now (or less if you’re not such a scaredy-cat like I was) you just might not be imagining that lovin’ the morning scenario anymore. You’ll be living it.
Written on 4/6/2010 by Kat Eden. Kat is a Personal Trainer from Australia. Visit her blog Body Incredible to be inspired with the latest nutrition tips, weight loss advice, and motivational thinking. .
Doing Battle With Procrastination? Here's How to Win – For Good
Posted by SoMeOnE at 5:19 AM Labels: How To, Procrastination, Productivity
Sometimes I get emails from Dumb Little Man's readers – and it's always lovely to receive these! One problem that people often mention is procrastination. They know that this bad habit is holding them back, but they're not sure how to beat it.
All you procrastinators out there – even those of you who told me not to write about this because you'd no longer have an excuse! – listen up. Here's my four-step battle plan for beating procrastination right into the ground:
Are you winning the war on procrastination? What are your tips from the trenches?
You're going to have a hard time beating procrastination if you don't recognize your enemy. Procrastination is a cunning creature and can sidle onto the daily battlefield in various guises:
Sometimes, you know you're faced with the enemy. You've just spent the last half-hour Twittering and looking at amusing pictures of cats online; procrastination's got you by the neck. Other times, procrastination wears the guise of productivity. Surely, getting your inbox cleared out is important? Well, maybe it is but are you just using that as an excuse not to get on with your really important work?
Procrastination often wins by making small, incremental gains. Those five minutes of reading the newspaper turn into twenty. That coffee before making a start on work turns into a half-hour natter with your colleague.
Recognize the enemy – and that's half the battle won.
If you're going to beat procrastination – especially if you've done battle and retreated wounded in the past – then you need the big guns.
My favorite way to blast procrastination right back into oblivion is what I call the just make a start method. When that cloud of procrastination hovers over a task, the best way to banish it is to dive right in. Get your hands dirty. Don't stop to think too much. Just open up that Word document, find that file, or pick up that phone. Taking action is the fastest possible way to send procrastination running.
Some of the other big guns that will obliterate procrastination are:
There's no point tackling procrastination head-on if you're not protecting your flank. Don't leave yourself open to attack. People do this all the time by working so much that they burn out, or by forgetting the physical aspect of procrastination.
You need what the army calls R&R – rest and relaxation – if you're going to perform well. Trying to work long days, or working every weekend, is going to leave you wide open to procrastination's lure: when you're tired or stressed, it's hard to stay motivated. Learn to leave work at work.
And, like any soldier, you need to stay fit. Getting regular exercise – just half an hour's brisk walking each day – is enough to really improve your focus. Stay well hydrated, and eat sensibly. You might have laughed in the face of procrastination in the morning, but huge lunch and a couple of beers aren't going to leave you in good shape for the afternoon.
Finally, recognize that there will be times when procrastination gets the better of you. You'll have days when you don't accomplish any of the tasks on your to-do lists. You'll lose whole afternoons to web comics and Facebook. You'll spend whole weekends watching DVDs, even when you planned to finally give the house a spring-clean.
Don't let one lost skirmish turn into surrendering the war. You're always stronger than procrastination, and you can bounce back. The more often you win, the easier it'll be. Never retreat – never give up! Pick yourself off the ground, and start the battle again.
Written on 4/05/2010 by Ali Hale. Ali writes a blog, Aliventures, about leading a productive and purposeful life (get the RSS feed here). As well as blogging, she writes fiction, and is studying for an MA in Creative Writing.
As a kid, I was exposed to a strong reading culture. Although my parents were not well educated, they clearly understood the importance of reading and our house was full of books. I remember visiting friends’ houses and being amazed at how little books they had around!
The benefits of reading are enormous, and we could probably come up with hundreds, but for me, there are a few benefits that really stand out. Let's talk about the benefits and then I'll discuss how to fit reading into your busy, non-stop life.
I suppose most of us would agree that reading is a beneficial thing, but making time for reading can be a real challenge. Here are a few things I’ve found useful in trying to build this rewarding habit.
It’s a shame that our education systems so often turn kids off books, but if you’re enjoying reading, then you’re likely to keep doing it, so go and find a book you love!
Like so many other people, I spend a lot of time ‘reading’ on the Internet. The benefit of the Internet is that I have access to an enormous amount of information and can access it with an ease which would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. But there is a downside, of course – there is so much information that I easily get distracted, and end up flicking from one site to another, never really reading anything in detail.
So the first bit of advice I would give for really getting into a serious reading habit is – switch off the computer! Pick up a real book, sit down and start to read.
I keep several books by my bedside and I usually read a chapter before I turn out the lights. This can be a really good way to end the day – it distracts you from any problems you might have had during the day so that your mind can settle down, and can make you feel sleepy.
Carry a light paperback around with you. When you find yourself waiting for something, on the train or bus, or just bored, you can get the book out. Reading will alleviate your boredom and can make your journey fly.
Yes, they’re still out there! Libraries have changed a lot in recent years and are now hubs of information. But the main activity of the library is still to provide books, and there is little more enjoyable than spending a couple of hours perusing the shelves, delving into the pages and choosing a few really good reads.
It’s important that reading is not a chore: it should be a real pleasure – something to look forward to! I remember, as a teacher in the UK, witnessing the endless initiatives to get kids to read. They almost never met with much success. And then, suddenly, everyone was reading – kids, adults, old people – sitting in cafes and on railway stations and airports, sitting on benches and walls and even on the floor – just reading. Why? Harry Potter had somehow managed to inspire a huge chunk of the population. People found that reading the Harry Potter books was enjoyable, and so they were busily turning page after page while the world went by.
Written on 3/31/2010 by Mark Harrison. Mark Harrison writes about personal growth, communication, and increasing personal wealth. Check out his new book, Thirty Days to Change Your Life.
How To Shape Your Lifestyle to Improve Your Fitness
Posted by SoMeOnE at 5:49 AM Labels: Health, How To
Fitness, in the past, has not been a big part of my life and I imagine that's true for many people reading this. I want that to change.
I don't like running out of breath, aching after minimal movement and not being able to do the things I want to do just because I'm not physically prepared for them. For the longest time I felt this was just who I was. I was the computer geek, someone who wasn't built for sports or to be fit and healthy.
The reason for this though wasn't because I had any physical impediments preventing me from participating in sports or working out. It was simply because I felt a disconnect between my lifestyle and fitness. The two categories seemed worlds apart. I've completely flipped that belief around.
There's still a long way to go before I consider myself "fit," but over the past few months I've been shaping my lifestyle to support fitness rather than trying to fit in a run or a few push ups in the deep recesses of boredom. It's a subtle shift with a big impact. Here are some of the tactics I'm using:
The world's greatest athletes didn't get to where they are by segmenting their life and fitness in two different boxes. You don't have to dedicate every waking hour to a healthier you, but it's obvious to see that forming a lifestyle that is conducive to fitness is far more powerful than trying to transplant the latest buzz-wordy routine into your day. Now, how are you going to shape your lifestyle to improve your fitness?
"Training" and "working out," while convenient descriptors bring up thoughts of slogging away at a gym for hours, feeling helpless and basically doing things you don't want to be doing. And that's why I say, don't train.
Starting a traditional training regimen has two fundamental flaws:
The approach I'm taking is much simpler. First, I chose one exercise that I loved: the pull up. It's a difficult exercise, but the technique is easy to pick up and for a skinny guy like myself it's quite powerful for building strength. Then, for the next 2 months, this is all I did. 100% of my focus went towards maintaining 2-3 sets of pull ups, 3 times per week. Now, at the 4-5 month mark I've also adopted doing floor presses with dumbbells, and am working them into my habits quite effortlessly.
Yes, this is essentially the same as regular training, but the key difference is that you progressively work towards forming fitness habits with the path of least resistance and tailor the habits to your specific goals and desires, as opposed to adopting a whole new set of routines in one swoop. Save the effort for when you lift weights or go for a run; the process of adopting the fitness lifestyle should be met with the utmost simplicity.
Why are you trying to improve your fitness? If you answered "Uh..." then don't worry, that's normal. You know you should improve your fitness, and you "get" the benefits, but you're not sure of that higher purpose to spark change in your life.
Say you're overweight and sit at home all day watching television. You've adapted to this lifestyle since it's comfortable - you're not going to want to do away with it unless there's a very compelling reason. Personally, I want to improve my fitness because I envision a life of travel and sports like kayaking and swimming, and these would be considerably more fulfilling if I was physically more capable.
Creating a purpose is difficult since there's so much choice in the world. So, don't be too concerned if it takes time to discover your reason why; just make sure that you do come up with one. Oh, and it helps if your purpose comes from within (such as wanting to be the best version of yourself) rather than based on external motivations (like how other people perceive you).
Everything that is holding your back from your fitness goals is "background resistance" that needs to be eliminated. For me spending too much time on the computer has been my biggest crux which I've made significant progress in overcoming with a little bit of patience mixed with pragmatism.
What is holding you back? Limiting beliefs? Lack of money? Distractions? Identifying these detractors sets you on the path to overcome them. Write them down on a piece of paper, prioritize them from most painful to least painful and set a plan to cut these detractors from your life.
Written on 3/18/2010 by David Turnbull. David is an ectomorph who writes about what it's like to live the life of a skinny guy. He's trying to defy his ectomorphic genes through strength training and eating copious amounts of food.
Although we might still have the archetypal view of college life involving keg parties, frat houses and last-minute panics when a paper’s due, many of us integrate our studying into the rest of our lives. Whether you’re taking a PhD over many years or simply learning a foreign language before your trip this summer, your studying is going to take up time – and it needs to fit into your life.
If you’re struggling to find space for studying along with everything else, here’s how to make sure you have the time to study and to live:
Step 1: Look at the Big Picture
How much have you got going on in your life right now? What might you need to give up in order to have time to study?
We often end up too busy, trying to “have it all” or trying to life-hack our lives so that we keep stacking up achievements. Often, though, just cutting back on our commitments a little can make life a lot more relaxed and straightforward.
Do you need to put some of your goals or activities aside, for a time? What can wait for a few months or years?
Step 2: Look at Your Weekly Schedule
Once you’ve taken a long-range view of your life, narrow in on your weekly schedule. What regular commitments do you have? (Perhaps you work 8-4 each day, you take your kids out every Saturday afternoon, and you’re in church each Sunday morning.)
What gaps of time do you have free for studying? If you can, find times when you’re easily able to concentrate: if you’re a “morning person” then use that! You may be able to adjust your schedule slightly to suit your best studying hours – for instance, if you normally do chores on Saturday mornings but you also study best between 8am and 11am, then can you switch to doing chores during your “slump” time in the afternoon?
(If you’re not sure what times of day are your best hours for working, try the Productivity Heatmap from Productive Flourishing)
It’s particularly crucial to identify regular times for studying if you don’t have any regular deadlines – perhaps if you’re learning purely for your own interest, or if you’re working on a very long term goal like a PhD. Building studying into your schedule will help ensure that you don’t let it slide week after week.
Step 3: Have a Good Space for Studying
No-one can study effectively with the television on, clutter everywhere and no space to spread out books and papers. Having a good space for your studying means making sure that you’re somewhere which gives you the physical conditions that help you to concentrate.
That might mean:
Step 4: Learn Good Study Habits
If you’re going to study and live a full life, you’ll want to use your studying time as effectively as possible. That means developing good habits: not just to help you concentrate and avoid distractions, but also to make sure you’re not spending hours and hours doing something in an ineffective way.
There are lots of books aimed at students who want to improve their studying: your college or local library should be able to point you towards useful resources (e.g. on essay writing or exam technique).
The University Blog has great advice about all aspects of the student experience, but focuses particularly on studying well.
Step 5: Figure Out How You Learn Best
Some of us are kinetic learners – we like to do things, and we’re more likely to remember something if we’ve learnt it in an active way. Others are auditory learners – we have great recall for things we’ve heard. And others are visual learners – taking extensive written notes and using diagrams to understand a new concept.
In fact, most of us will find that we can learn in all those ways, but we’ll have a marked preference for one or another. I know that I personally much prefer to read a book than listen to it – but I know several people who find audio books a far better match for their way of learning.
Don’t struggle along with a technique that isn’t right for you, just because it’s how your friend, partner or colleague learns best. If you know what style suits you, then try to focus your studying on that; if you’re not sure, try out different techniques.
If you’re fitting studying of some description into your life, how are you doing it? What structures or habits are helping you?Written on 3/14/2010 by Ali Hale. Ali is a professional writer and blogger, and a part-time postgraduate student of creative writing. If you need a hand with any sort of written project, drop her a line (ali@aliventures.com) or check out her website at Aliventures.