Daily Ramblings – Planning

Over the last few weeks, we’ve looked at the 4 dimensions of life. Now, it’s time to discuss how to organize our lives around these 4 dimensions to ensure we stay balanced and improve our effectiveness by addressing each one of these dimensions on a weekly basis. Planning is something that can always be improved and if done correctly, will save you a lot of time and worry in the future, in relation to any activity you do.

Tools

First, let’s discuss the tools that we need before we begin. Obviously, you’ll need a calendar. You’ll also need a pen or pencil. Finally, a paper journal broke out by day or an electronic journal. Here’s what I use:

• I use Google Calendar for my calendar tool
• I use Todoist as my cloud-based to do list
• I use a journal called the Productivity Planner produced by Intelligent Change
• I use a blank composition book for brainstorming

Reviewing the Previous Week

This is something I learned from the author David Allen who wrote the book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. This practice is also provided in the Productivity Planner. It is literally a section in each week of your planner pages. Anyways, to begin, examine anything you’ve received in the last week that you have not processed. This could email you’ve received, voicemails you’ve received, missed calls, social networking responses, any mail you’ve received you haven’t opened or processed, etc. Literally, any input you have not looked at and made a decision about should be the first thing we tackle.

Next, you’ll want to look at your goals and see what steps you’ve completed and what steps are left. Typically, these are multi-step projects that we all track in our heads or on paper. Anyway, you’ll want to look at all the projects you have and what you are doing to move them forward.

Questions to ask during your review:

• What did I get done last week (wins)?
• What did I not get done last week?
• Did I learn anything new last week?
• What will I commit to this week that will allow me to finish my top 5 tasks?

Planning the upcoming Week

Now that you know what you have to do, it’s time to determine what is really important out of all the things on your to-do list, project list, and goals list. Now that you have determined what your top 5 things are, we next move to our dimensions.

• How will you schedule learning something new (Intellectual Dimension)?
• How will you schedule spending some time with your friends and loved ones (Social Dimension)?
• How will you schedule some time for exercise (physical dimension)?
• How will you schedule some time for your spiritual activities (spiritual dimension)?
• These should all be scheduled on your calendar.

Here’s how I’ll tackle my week:

Physical Dimension:

Weight Lifting Mon-Tue; Thu-Fri

Cardio Wed – Sat – Sunday

Social Dimension:

Dinner with Mom and Dad each night; Chatting with my Sister and Brother at least 1 day this week

Intellectual Dimension:

Continue to watch Game Theory on The Great Courses Website; continue reading Kissinger book; continue reading Brooks book

Spiritual Dimension:

Meditate am 10 minutes; 20 minutes pm

Read my Bible morning and evening in conjunction with meditation

Character building – Courage is the character trait I want to work on this week (physical and moral)

Web sites referred to in this posting:

https://www.intelligentchange.com/ This website is the company that sells the Productivity Planner I referred to

www.todoist.com This is the cloud-based to do list I use. I can access on my PC or phone.

http://gettingthingsdone.com/ David Allen’s website for the GTD methodology.

Until next time…

Daily Ramblings – The Spiritual Dimension

The 4^th dimension of life is our spirituality. Spirituality involves taking care of that part of us that is devoid of the physical body. It is that essence of who we are—the true self. Some call it Soul, some call it the spark of God, others believe the Soul is non-existent. Regardless of your belief systems, spirituality is the pursuit of beauty, wisdom, connectedness, mindfulness, love, God.

When I consider my spiritual life, I look for my relationship with God. I believe that we are Soul. It is not my Soul or your Soul, but Soul. If we possess Soul, we would have to be something else.

Regardless of your worldview, spirituality is important. You can satisfy your spiritual pursuits by creating music, poetry, writing, or singing. You can attend church, a mosque, a synagogue, or a meeting with like-minded individuals. You can contemplate, meditate, pray, or project.

For me, the most important part of my spirituality is expressing divine love or charity. Giving of one’s self for another is one of the most spiritual things we can do in this life. It involves empathy, dedication, loving, and caring. In some cases, it takes great discipline, maturity, and courage.

I like teaching other people. I like to compliment others when they do something well. I like to help people solve problems. I enjoy reading my Bible and learning the lessons passed along by our creator. I enjoy meditating daily and gleaning the wisdom that is always there, waiting for us to recognize it.

The spiritual dimension of life is an interesting one. In many cases, it is the most neglected of life’s dimensions, until trouble comes. Maybe a financial problem, maybe the health of a relative, maybe our own health goes south and then we reach out to God for help.

The same follows for the previous dimensions. You ignore the mental dimension (learning), your skills will slowly become irrelevant to the marketplace, you ignore the social dimension and you will slowly run out of friends, if you ignore the physical dimension you will lose your flexibility, your ability to fend off sickness, and a whole host of other issues.

How do we pursue a spiritual life? Simple. Follow whatever your belief system is to its fullest extent. If you are an Atheist, you live your life to the fullest, because this is the only one you get. If you are a Christian, you help others, go to Church, pray, and all the rest. The same follows for any other worldview you hold. Follow the dictates of your worldview and dedicate yourself wholeheartedly to it. No half measures, no excuses, no deviation. Truly embrace the religion you hold dear. If you disagree or have any doubts about your religion’s view of reality than it’s time to find a new one. When you move on to that next one, dedicate yourself to it. Put it all on the field.

How I pursue spirituality in my life. I read my bible when I get up in the morning, then meditate for 20-30 minutes. I also record any dreams I remember, as soon as I wake up. I attend religious meetings once a month and attend larger meetings when they are scheduled every 3-months or a year. I read religious books constantly (typically I read 3 books simultaneously). I read my bible again before I go to bed and meditate again for 20-30 minutes.

Meditation is something anyone can do, regardless of religion. In many cases, meditation will augment your religious studies by focusing your attention more on the various topics you may be learning. It also expands your consciousness so you can solve problems, understand why something is occurring in your life, or experience a deeper love of life. If you’re new to meditation I would start with either the Calm mobile app or the Headspace mobile app. They can be found on iTunes or Google Play. Both of these apps start with guided meditations and move on from there into more advanced techniques.

If you haven’t tried this before, you may want to start keeping a dream journal. Here’s a great article you can read that will point you in the right direction for what to write in your journal, heck even references to various dream journals you can buy on Amazon. (see http://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com/dream-journal.html)

What other ways can we expand our spirituality? Well, you can study other religions, read other Bibles from worldviews that are different from your own. You can participate in charitable events like volunteering at a soup kitchen. If you would like to study other religions here are a list of worldviews you can start with:

Judaism

Muslim

Buddhism

Jainism

Zoroastrianism

Shinto

Hinduism

Christianity

There are much more, but these are some of the more popular religious systems today. Read about their history, their holidays, the key tenets of their belief systems, and anything else that interests you. At a minimum, you’ll be more open to other religious faiths and understand why they believe the things they do.

If you wish to contribute your time or money to a charity, there are huge lists to choose from on the Internet. I would recommend choosing a charity that is near and dear to your heart. Maybe you want to help the homeless, help battered women, help people with special needs, veterans, or work with animals or animal shelters. Whatever your cause, you can find it out there and volunteer.

Another area that is interesting is the practice of performing random acts of kindness. I discovered this site a few years ago, and have been acting out on some of the ideas and stories that are published there. Here’s their website if you are interested: https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/ I’ve really gained a lot of joy from doing some of the things they suggest. You are only limited by your imagination.

In closing, remember that you cannot help others if you cannot support and take care of yourself. Loving yourself is not selfish, but necessary if you are to love and give to others. Try some of these things I’ve mentioned in this and my other articles on the 4 dimensions of life. Send me a note if any of them bring you results.

Until next time…

Daily Ramblings – The Social Dimension

Tags

Commitments, Communicating, family, Friends, Husband, Listening, Lover, Synergy, Wife

Human beings are definitely social entities. We all want friends. Most of us want to be with our families. We enjoy our children. We enjoy going out and doing things with our loved ones and friends. The list goes on and on.

The Social Dimension of life is yet another part of the four dimensions of life described by Steven Covey in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This dimension is critical to effectiveness because it requires that we interact with others. We have to listen. We have to make our point. We have to keep our agreements. We have to protect. We have to love others. We have to serve others.

Here are some key points. The habits that address this dimension are Habit 4, Habit 5, and Habit 6. All of these habits compose what Covey calls the public victory. Habits 4, 5, and 6 are dependent on a person’s ability to do Habits 1, 2, and 3. Habit 4 is “Think Win-Win.” Habit 5 is “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Habit 6 is “Synergize”.

Habit 4

Let’s start with thinking win-win. In order for us to survive as a species, we all have commitments and agreements we enter into. To make money, we have to show up to work on time, perform our jobs to our employer’s satisfaction, and interact with others to accomplish the goals of our employer. This requires that we agree to certain things in exchange for certain things. We also make commitments to the phone company, the bank, the utility companies and so on, that we will pay a certain amount of money each month at a specified time for the services these entities provide us. Beyond these common agreements, there are other agreements that we also have committed to.

If you are married, you commit to taking care of your partner, remaining in the relationship, and being true to them. These are the implied commitments we make when we take our vows or holy sacraments. What about chores, paying the bills, fixing the cars, getting up to feed the baby, and all of these little mini-agreements. Win-Win agreements mean that both parties are satisfied with these agreed-upon relationships. The Husband wins and the Wife wins. When we keep our word, perform something nice for our partner without any expectation of reward, we make a deposit in what Dr. Covey calls the “emotional bank account”. Think about it. Isn’t it nice to come home to find a clean home, the smell of a meal permeating the kitchen, and your wife smiling when you walk in the door? To flip the tables, isn’t it nice when you are in bed and sick, to have a husband waiting on you hand and foot to take care of you and your responsibilities while you get well? This is the Win-Win habit.

Habit 5

Seeking first to understand, then to be understood is all about communication. This habit dictates that we listen and speak in the same proportion that we have a mouth and two ears. It is more than active listening (uh huh, etc.), or even reflective listening (so you are saying this, is that right?). It is empathic listening, which Covey describes as really being able to sense what another person is saying by the combination of what they say and more importantly what they do not say. It also involves non-judgement. It is truly offering what Covey calls psychological air. The ability to discuss anything without judgment or interruption until you truly understand what the other person is communicating. Once you have confirmed your understanding, then, and only then, do you get to make your point. Interestingly, Covey states that if you truly follow this method of listening, many times there is nothing to add on your side because you ultimately end up agreeing with them. If not, both parties are both very open to one another’s ideas and are really geared up to committing to a win-win solution to a problem.

Habit 6

Synergy occurs when we can create more together than we could working alone. The best example of this is having a child. A man or women could not produce a baby on their own. They need the opposite to do this. In this case, 1 + 1 = 3. This is synergy. But it is even more dramatic when you have more than one person. In these cases, you could have 1 + 1 + 1 = 5, 10, or 1000. The state of synergy is all about a team of people who interlock like a puzzle. Each contributes their special talents to the team’s efforts to create things that no one or two people could create themselves.

People vs. Things

One more point as we wrap up this week’s installment to the Four Dimensions. Things don’t take a lot of time, but people do. It takes time to build a relationship of trust. It takes time to cultivate a long-term relationship. People need time.

If this article accomplishes anything, I would hope it would inspire people to take care of their relationships. Spend time with your kids, spend time with your wife or husband, spend time with your good friends or lovers. Really spend time with them.

When you go out to eat with a loved one, put the cell phone away. I swear to God. If you go to any restaurant today, it is guaranteed you’ll see two people sitting in front of one another looking at their phones. Not talking, but texting and interacting on social media. Is there anything more upside down than that? I hate to tell you this folks, but the people you think are your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn aren’t. There is a caveat to this: If it’s your Mom, Brother, Sister, cousins, wife or husband, that’s the exception. At best, and I really mean at best, these folks are electronic pen pals. You are not going to establish a meaningful relationship with someone by clicking like on a funny video they posted yesterday or retweeting a quote they posted. You build relationships, meaningful relationships by doing things that are meaningful to them.

Going to a Star Wars movie when your girlfriend isn’t into that isn’t a gesture that builds a relationship unless she is going to please you. Going to a “girly movie” that she will enjoy, even though you don’t, is what I’m talking about. Doing something for someone else because you love them and you know they enjoy those things is what matters. Particularly if you do not expect anything in return. Making your wife a nice breakfast on Sunday morning, even if you can’t cook that well is another example. Bring home flowers just because. Going shopping with her and watching how her eyes light up when she sees a dress she wants or a nice pair of shoes. Going to a coffee shop and letting her tell you about her week and just listening. Spending time with your Mom and Dad, hanging out with your brother, taking your dog for a walk (Animals are people too). Hopefully, you get the gist of this.

Putting this into Action

Plan your week and identify the people you want to spend time with. Real time. Maybe it’s a night out with your wife. Maybe it’s helping your brother with a home project, followed by a home-cooked meal. Maybe it’s playing Scrabble with your Mom or watching a movie with Dad. Whatever your ideas are, plan them out and commit to going and leaving more than enough time to really spend a good amount of time with the important people in your life. It all pays off, believe me. It all comes back to you.

Until next time…

Daily Ramblings – The Mental Dimension

Tags

Learning, Meditate, Reading, Sleeping, Writing

What is the Mental Dimension?

It is the dimension of our lives that deals with the intellectual side of our lives. Today, the ability to learn new things and use these new concepts to survive has become paramount. Learning new things on a computer, a mobile phone, or a tablet. Learning new skills like programming, a language, or public speaking are all available now with a few mouse clicks or tapping on our phone or tablet.

How do we keep our mental dimension strong? Here are a few ways:

• Read daily
• Meditate Daily
• Sleep at least 7-8 hours per day
• Write daily
• Learning

Reading

Reading is one area that all of us could do more of. Luckily there are apps like Kindle, Nook, Google Books, and Scribd. All of these are a quick download. You have to buy books or find free ones, but these are all fully accessible on your mobile, tablet, or computer. I enjoy reading broadly. This is one thing that Steven Covey recommends in his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Reading broadly means we read about things that normally do not capture our attention. For example, I used to just read action, science fiction, and history books. Now I try to engage in love stories, poetry, mystery novels, non-fiction (everything) and a whole lot more. The key is to keep the intellect striving for new things, broad-minded topics, and concepts.

Meditation

Meditation is the other area that will strengthen the mental dimension. Meditation has a whole bunch of benefits, one being a calming effect. Speaking of calming, you can get an app called Calm that will provide you with daily meditations, weekly meditations (each day for 7 days), and much more content. I’ve also tried Headspace but didn’t like their interface as much.

Meditation will also teach you how to focus. Focus is critical and a lot harder than you think. When you first begin meditating you’ll discover that your mind will wander quite a bit. Some who follow Zen Buddhism label the mind a “monkey”. So true. Anyways, the practice of meditation will help you calm this Monkey through various techniques, which is really beneficial. Just a few minutes of quiet each day can really prime you the rest of the day. That being said, mornings are not the only time to do this. You can meditate in the morning, lunch time, or even the evening before you head to bed. The key, just like exercising in the Physical Dimension posting, is consistency. It is much easier to establish a habit if you are doing the same things at the same time each day.

Sleep

Sleeping is such a wonderful thing. It replenishes us, repairs us, resets the brain and allows it to collect, store, and assess all the inputs it received during the day. It also can be a time of high adventure when we wake up in one of our dream worlds. Sleep is really important for your mental health. The deep REM sleep that most doctors talk about is only achieved a few times throughout the evening. This is the key part of your sleep time when the brain receives the most benefit.

If you have difficulty sleeping, you may want to try a few things I’ve found across the web:

• Turn off and put down your electronic devices. These devices put out a lot of light and are really stimulating for the brain. Stay on these things too close to bedtime and you’ll have a hard time shutting down.
• Avoid Caffeine, Sugar, and Alcohol, after dinner. These are all highly stimulating and will reduce the quality of your sleep.
• Take a hot shower or bath.
• Read a chapter in your favorite book.
• Meditate or contemplate.
• Listen to relaxing music (ambient is one genre that is terrific for this).

Writing

Writing is the last topic I’ll cover, but frankly, if you’re reading this you are already writing for your own blog and understand the benefits of writing. Writing allows us to refine our thinking and refine the way we bring out that writing to the page. I always try to write things out on paper first, but today, I’m being lazy. The writing is going on the word document and will be pasted into my blog today.

There’s a reason I like to write by hand, however. I have two journals I keep up with twice a day. The first is my 5-minute journal, which is a gratitude journal. The second is my productivity journal, which is nothing more than a focused planner. Both are hardcover books and are written in by hand. You can investigate these journals for yourself at https://www.intelligentchange.com/

Writing by hand allows you to connect the physical with the mental. Writing by hand uses more muscles, tendons, and nerves than clacking away on a keyboard. This neuro-muscular connection actually impresses your writing into your mind more effectively. So, I write by hand in one of my 90 cent journals. I normally by 10 at a time and these last me a couple of months.

Learning

One area I don’t want to forget is learning. What do you want to know? What do you want to learn? Are there any areas you’d like to tackle that you feel weak in that could benefit your life tremendously? Want to learn how to cook? Want to learn to do accounting? Want to learn about a foreign country? Want to learn how to speed read? The possibilities are endless.

One website I’d recommend if you have 15 dollars to spare each month is Great Courses +. Here is their website: https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/home This service is also available for iPhone and Android devices. Currently, I’m taking a course on Game Theory. Why not right? Anyways, whatever you want to learn, you have the ability to learn more and find more information than at any other time in our history. Take advantage of it. Learning is the final linchpin of the Mental Dimension. Learning is the exercise our brains need to stay pliable and expand. Try to learn something new each day, regardless of how small that little bit of information is. The little things we do each day build up to really big things.

Until next time…