Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Sunday – Problems and Loss

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creativity, Emotions, Experience, God, Loss, Planning, Problems, Spiritual Lessons, Thinking

When times are hard, some people complain. And as they complain about the hard times, they shut themselves off from the opportunities that lie within their troubles.

Other people have learned to be patient. They look for the lessons within their hardships or troubles.

Sri Harold Klemp – Love—The Keystone of Life

My wife lost her car keys and has had to depend on others to get her around until she finds them. It’s a pain, but what’s the lesson? Have a place to put your keys each time you come home? Stop driving around so much?

When things like this happen, the frustration can be utterly maddening. Each day there is the possibility of a problem. Maybe you wake up not feeling well, maybe you get blindsided by a bill you weren’t expecting. Maybe that one thing you always expect to be there, stops working. All of these problems crop up all the time. In some cases, problems crop up that are the same, despite being disguised in different costumes.

I learned over the last few years, that it is best to let our emotions subside before making any decisions. You see the emotions preclude us from thinking of a plan to solve the problem. Have you ever heard the quote: “I was so angry I couldn’t think straight”? This applies here. When we jump into action with a plan while the emotions are still high, we tend to make matters worse. So, be patient. Another quote comes to mind: “This too shall pass”.

This quote reminds us that love is the only way to get the solutions we need. When we complain, are angry, scared, upset, or berate ourselves for being “so stupid”, we cut off the source within us that has a solution. When we relax and the emotions have subsided, we are more clear to begin thinking of solutions to a particular problem. Maybe we do some research to see what others did to solve their problem that is like ours. Maybe we talk to family members who may have had a like problem they had to solve. Sometimes the only place we can go is within.

I came to the realization a while back that there really are no problems. We are the ones who define a problem for what it is. What if we decided that a problem wasn’t one. What if, instead, we decided it was a lesson to learn.

If you look at all the problems you’ve had in life, you’ll discover like I did, that problems come in categories. Health, finances, relationships, etc. You’ll also see that some problems, once solved, never return. This means you’ve learned the lesson.

Like my wife losing her keys, I lost my wallet a few years ago. I accidentally left it on the trunk of my car when I was gassing up. Then I drove off and it fell off alongside the road. I was freaked out when I got home. Luckily, a good Samaritan arrived at our door a few hours later bringing the wallet back with the money inside. I learned a big lesson. Never carry anything more than what you need in your wallet. So now, I only carry my driver’s license and my debit card. Nothing else. Should I have another situation where my wallet is lost, there’s nothing in it that cannot be replaced easily with a few phone calls or website visits.

The key lesson: Let the emotions subside before making any decisions. You’ll make better decisions and solve the problem. Another key lesson: You define what a problem is. In some case, you can live with whatever happens and get on with your life.

If you’d like more insights into solving problems here’s a link to a free e-book: https://www.eckankar.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Secrets-of-Divine-Creativity_ebooklet.pdf One of the messages on the cover is: All problems come with answers.

Here’s a final note. God never gives us a problem we are not capable of solving. So when you get hit upside the head with a problem, realize that there is a solution to it. Most of the time, it is within you.

Have a great Sunday, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Small Things Turn into Big Things

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Action Steps, Analysis, Brainstorming, Overwhelm, Planning, Procrastination, Small things, tasks

We had some friends over on Saturday. They took Mom and Dad out to lunch. When they got back, we all congregated in the living room and talked about all kinds of things. One of the topics was overwhelm and a lack of time. Interestingly, we all came to the conclusion that taking a complex set of tasks and reducing that down was the best option. When you do that, time decompresses.

Think about the last overwhelming task you had to do. How long did you procrastinate because you did not know where to start. With each moment of procrastination, the pressure increases, and you begin to think you have no time to do anything. This is the time to decompress time by pulling apart that big project, whittling it down to individual tasks, and attacking those individual tasks one-by-one.

When you begin knocking out these little tasks, the bigger task they are a part of begins to get easier. You begin to see how the project will be finished. This occurs when you can break it up into smaller tasks. The project is no longer daunting. It is simply a collection of small tasks that must be completed in a particular order.

Steps

Look at your project

What has to happen to finish it

What phone calls, people, places, and materials are involved?

Make a list of every single thing you can think of to get this project completed.

Each “single thing” are the tasks you have to complete in order to finish the project

If you run across a “single thing” that is still too complex to deal with, break that down too!

Once you have all these things written down, take some time to organize these tasks by time and category.

What tasks have to happen first?

Once you come up with a semblance of order, begin to knock out these tasks

Re-evaluate

If you take the time to do this, you’ll find your “big” projects are just a collection of little tasks–tasks that are done easily and without any stress. Take the time to go through this exercise, particularly when you get the feeling of overwhelm. You’ll find that this exercise simplifies the project, and will help you overcome feelings of overwhelm.

I hope all of you are having a great day! Here’s to Monday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Reflection

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4th Quarter, Categories, Fall, Mental, Monday, motivation, Physical, Planning, reflection, Social, Spiritual

Here we are again, folks! Another Monday and another week.

This week I’d like to talk about reflection. This time of year I do a lot of reflection. Where did I start? Where am I now? Where do I want to go?

How did you do this year with your goals? Did you hit most of them? Did you miss any? Did you find that one or more of your goals just weren’t something you really wanted to commit to?

Each year is a time for learning. We learn what we want. We learn what we do not want. We learn our likes and dislikes. As we change, so do our preferences. So keep this in mind when you set out to tackle next year.

When I set goals I start with categories. My categories are physical, mental, social, and spiritual. I got these categories from a book I read each year, called The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Steven Covey. These help me achieve balance so I do not focus too much on one thing and neglect something else.

The physical area is where exercise, diet, sleep, and all the rest reside. The mental is where learning, writing, and thinking come into play. The social is how, who, and when I connect with other people. Finally, the spiritual is how I approach my religious path.

You can choose any categories you wish, but these work really well for me.

So as I reflect, this is how my year’s been.

Physically, my exercise habit suffered tremendously over the last few years. I tried to keep up with it during lockdowns, but to no avail. I have never been one to really do a serious workout routine at home. If I purchased any exercise equipment, it would be a waste of time and money. I would not use it. For me it is the physical act of going to the gym that makes all the difference. So, this year’s focus will be back on getting to the gym consistently.

Mentally, I did pretty good. I am on track to read my 60 books this year. I also hit my goal of individual learning, about mid-year. Nothing to tweak here, other than what things I want to learn in the new year. Now that my wife’s Master’s degree is completed, I’ll get back to working on my books. I have a lot of ideas, but this year the focus will be on my book idea I started a few years ago. The goal is to complete a first draft by the end of next year.

Socially, I am challenged, because I help out to frail parents who both have compromised immune systems. We have all been vaccinated, but I still feel uncomfortable getting out in large crowds. So, my social life outside the house will involve meeting people as I run errands, the gym, and of course online with Facebook and this blog. I have made some good friends this year with my blog. Here’s to more in the new year. I am also socializing a lot with people I game with. My brother and other gaming friends are awesome to play with. Call of duty, Far Cry 6, and a new game I found, Mafia City are all a blast!

Spirituality is one of my strengths. I do a lot of work in this area, and will continue to do so in the new year.

As we approach the end of the year, I’ll continue to reflect and contemplate on what I want to do in the new year. Hopefully, by giving you the example above, you’ll see how you too can figure out what you want, where you’ve been, and where you want to go in 2022. I wish you the best in whatever you decide to do.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Flexibility

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Contingency planning, Flexibility, motivation, Planning, Plans, Projects, reality

I read a lot of blogs. I do not comment on all of them, but I read quite a bit. One common thread I have read about, particularly with people who are dealing with tragedy, addiction, or other challenges, is their ability to be flexible and adjust to whatever comes. This is this week’s theme–flexibility.

How many times do you get blindsided by something in one or more of your projects? All the time, right? Someone drops the ball on this particular task, some order you placed for supplies is late, one of your key team members gets sick. The list goes on and on.

We had a saying in the Army. “No plan survives reality.” This is a quote that rings of truth every time I look back at any project I participated in. Nothing survives reality. So, it is important to plan. What we should take into account are risks to our plan that we need to account for and plan for. The Army called these contingency plans. When this thing happens, we will do this. When this thing happens we will do this. See?

So, when you are tackling all your projects this week, take a look at past projects and where the problems arose. You’ll likely see a pattern. Once you know the patterns of problems that tend to arise when you begin a project, you’ll be better prepared to handle them. Flexibility comes into play when something happens you did NOT plan for.

Flexibility allows you to sidestep a problem or deal with it, without it breaking you in half. There’s a story I read (author unknown) that discusses trees and how the ones that survive are the most flexible. They bend with the wind. The more rigid a tree is, the more likely it is to get snapped in half when the winds come. So take this metaphor and apply it to your life. The more flexible you are, the more likely you are to survive the storms of life.

Well, that’s it for today, folks.

Have a great Monday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – I’m back…

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Brother, Evaluating, family, Fun, Good times, Laughter, Monday, motivation, Planning, Scheduling, Sister

I’m back, after a great week with my brother and his girlfriend, We all had a great time, and we all got to celebrate my Mother’s 78th birthday. My sister came down, so all of the siblings were here, along with the gal.

How do you get back on track, after a long vacation? For me, it’s my to-do app, set up with recurring tasks. All my daily to-dos are recurring, so my to-do list literally tells me what I need to do. It’s great!

While my brother was here, I was surprised with an early birthday gift (My birthday is in October). The birthday gift was a 2TB storage drive for my Xbox. After installing it, which took about a minute, I now have 1.7TB of storage remaining. What a treat! I’ve also started playing Call of Duty, Mobile. It is Call of Duty’s way of allowing folks to play their game, who cannot afford an XBOX. I have to say it is quite a good game. I play it on my iPad, and use an Apple-specific controller. It’s great fun. I’ve also decided, since I enjoy so many games, that I’ll stick with Call of Duty Mon-Friday, and then play some new games on the weekend.

Today, I’m knocking out the cobwebs and getting back on track. I recently received an inner prompting to take stock of my life, look at what I am doing every day, and make some adjustments. I get this prompting from time-to-time, and it is a great way to evaluate, consolidate, and reorganize. A friend of mine recently retired and asked for some advice. I told her, find a hobby, list out the things she has always wanted to do, but never had time, and put together a list of daily things she could do to start getting all these things moving. She asked, “Why?” I replied, “Because, binge watching Netflix will get old real quick.”

The point I’m making here is that when you have a lot of time, it is easy to waste it. Retirement does not mean you quit life. It means you enjoy it more fully. If you have recently retired, take a look at your life. What works? What doesn’t work? Then, make a list of all the things you want to focus on for the rest of your life. It could be writing a book, going back to school, learning a musical instrument, taking up drawing, creating a reading list, or even join a book club. The possibilities are endless, and you’ll have fun deciding what you want to do with yourself.

For me, my focus is on learning, reading, writing, spirituality, staying in shape, and gaming. Gaming is my hobby, so I don’t do any gaming, until I’ve knocked out my daily tasks. Life is not without some form of self-discipline. My exercise habits waned during the pandemic, so this is something I will be revisiting for sure. The older I get, the more quickly I get out of shape. Whew!

I’m also doing something different this year. My religious path, follows a different calendar than a traditional one. Our New Year starts on the 23rd of October each year. So, November will now be my January. So, plan on my yearly goals, aspirations, and plans in October instead of December. I’ll get this out to all of you, after I’ve done some thinking, planning, and scheduling.

Well, that’s it for now. We had a great time with family over the last week. It was so much fun, having family meals, playing board games, talking about our memories, and just laughing and laughing. Here’s to family.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Goal Assessment

Tags

2021, Covid, Goals, Planning, reconsolidating, refocusing, reorganizing

Here we are again! It’s Monday!!

We are quickly approaching the last quarter of 2021. Can you believe it? Now is the time to begin looking at your goals for the year and figuring out where you are. Are there some goals that have slipped your mind? Are there goals that are on track? Take a look at your list of goals for the year (personal, work-related, etc.) and see where each one is. Then decide which ones you want to continue putting effort into, which ones you haven’t dedicated much time to, and those that are behind schedule.

Once you’ve done your quick evaluation, decide which ones you are going to keep, which ones you’ll put on hold, and which ones need more attention. Then get to it. There’s plenty of time left in the year, whether your goals are fitness related, work-related, relationship-related, whatever.

Goals are important guideposts for our lives. They help us decide what is important to us, and guide our day-to-day activities. Some of you may have only a few goals, while others have a laundry list. You are the only person who can decide what is important to you, so if you have some goals that just aren’t cutting it, cut them loose. Focus on those goals you really want to accomplish and let go of those goals that you either resist doing or just don’t have as much time as you thought you did when you created them at the end of 2020.

Setting goals is a very individual thing. Your goals may be totally different from mine. What you consider important, I may consider frivolous. You see? But goals are important. The number of goals, types of goals, and what you set as a goal are all yours. What I’ve discovered personally is that some goals are driven by the social consciousness. They are goals that are extrinsically motivating.

What I mean is we set a goal because of outside pressure, not because we really want to achieve them. These goals tend to be the first ones to fade as we engage in the work needed to accomplish them. It’s ok to let these go, if you feel resistance to them each time you begin to work toward them. Maybe it’s not the time. Maybe it isn’t as important as we thought they once were. Now, let me be clear. There are some goals that we may resist, but still need to focus on. Exercise is one example. Most people resist exercise because it is uncomfortable. Most people resist writing or reading or learning or whatever. Sometimes we need to discipline ourselves to accomplish the important goals. These should not be tossed away, but we should take the time to understand why we are resisting them and also why they are important to us.

Another aspect to consider is your current situation. If you live in a country or region that has experienced lockdowns because of COVID surges, this may also play a part into your decision making. You cannot control what your government wants to do. So, if one of your goals was to get out and about, but this is restricted, you may want to let that one go, until you are sure that your government will not impose lockdowns again.

Well, that’s enough for now. Take stock of your goal list and make any adjustments you need to make. Now is the time to get re-focused on what we want to do for the rest of the year. I wish you well in your endeavors.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – The Dreaded Mondays

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Dreading Monday, forward thinking, Friday process, Monday, motivation, Planning, Working Through it

Well, folks. Here we are again. Another Monday and a start to a new week. Do you experience a feeling of dread on Mondays? I know I used to, particularly when I was working full time. For some reason, I always dreaded that first day of the week, despite a relaxing weekend that preceded it.

It is the weekend, particularly those weekends that are very relaxing and joyful, that always made me want the weekend to continue and never end. How do we overcome this feeling?

I never could. But, I discovered that digging into work quickly, ended this feeling of dread pretty quickly. I also discovered that if I prepared for Monday on Friday, it was less of a challenge heading back to work and putting my work hat back on.

Every Friday I would look at my plan for the upcoming week. What meetings did I have? Who was I going to meet? Was there any personal appointments or business to take care of (car maintenance, dental appointments, etc.).

What did the weatherman say? This will help you figure out what you’re going to wear. By planning out all these things for Monday on Friday, I took away some of the dreaded Monday feelings and also could really enjoy my weekend, knowing everything was ready to go for Monday.

If you always experience the “dreaded Mondays”, try this out. You may experience what I did–less dread, less stress, and an easier and faster adaptation to the work environment on Monday morning. Once I got into the office, got my cup of coffee and got to work, the quicker the dread left.

Have a great week, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – New Spreader

Tags

calendar, emergencies, flex-time, Flexibility, Planning, To-do Lists, unexpected priorities

Today’s task that overrode all others was putting together a spreader for the folks. Most of the spreaders at Home Depot, Lowe’s, and a specific store in our area called Menards’ only carry spreaders that need to be assembled, at least those spreaders that are reasonably priced. Anyway, when I have something to do for my folks, that becomes the priority of the day. My stuff can wait. I took a break from assembly to come in and enjoy some coffee, but will be heading out soon to finish up. Almost done!

The reason I brought this up is that despite our need to control every facet of our day, there are times when something needs to be done and you can’t push it off or reschedule it. Unpredictable things, emergency things. This is one of the key reasons to plan your day with some flexibility in mind. One of my Mom’s friends mis-stepped on the landing going into her house and broke her ankle.

Each of us has our priorities. We have home maintenance, personal hygiene, bookkeeping, errands, our jobs, etc. These things can be planned, but some room should be left in your calendar as “flex-time”, then if you have to step on something due to an emergency or some other unexpected priority, you have the ability to move your calendar around.

For me, since I am retired (thank God), I really only need to put important meetings on my calendar. The rest of my day I run with my time management app (Any.do). Then I have the flexibility built in. The key is to get all the things on my list done for the day, it doesn’t matter what order I do them in, or when I do them. It just matters that I finish all I have on my daily to-do list, most of which is recurring daily.

Well, that’s it for today. There are literally hundreds of ways to run your day. Each of us needs to find out what works best for us. These will change as we do, but you understand what I’m saying. Have a plan, but plan for the unexpected. The only way to do this is to leave some flexible time open on your calendar.

Well, folks, that’s it for today. Have a great week!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Checklists

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Checklists, Eat the Frog, Games, motivation, Motivation Monday, Planning, Sam Levenson, tasks

Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.

Sam Levenson

Have you ever watched the clock? When I am doing this, I realize that I am experiencing resistance. I can’t wait for the thing I’m doing to end. If you catch this yourself, take a moment. Perhaps this task is something you really don’t want to do. If you are in a position to choose, I’d recommend putting that thing on hold for a while. There’s no sense in doing something you do not enjoy or are not motivated to continue.

If you are in a position where the task you are doing must be completed or is mandated by your employer, find some ways to make it tolerable. I used to make things into a game. Let’s say you have to make some uncomfortable calls. Eat the Frog and get it done. Eat the Frog is the phrase used to get the stuff done you really don’t want to do at the first of the day, so you can get on with your day and avoid procrastination. Let’s face it folks, regardless of what you decide to do with your day, there is always something about that task that isn’t so fun. Get that stuff done first!

I find for myself that having a list of things to do each day is the best way to avoid clock watching. Plan out your day, list out the tasks you need to do each day, and knock them out. One by one. Knock one down, then off to the next. If your day is sufficiently planned with all the activities you need to get done, you’ll be motivated to keep checking them off as you go and the faster your day will go (psychologically). The closer you get to the end of your list, the easier it becomes, and the entire process is really motivating, when you know that once you complete those tasks you are done for the day, to do whatever you want to do. Make sense? When I come to work in an “unplanned” state, nothing is written down and no checklist is in place, my day is absolute drudgery.

Planning, creating lists, and checking them off each day is a terrific way to get things done, avoid the clock watching addressed by Sam Levenson, and get your stuff done, so you can do what you want to.

Have a great week, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Planning

Tags

Achievement, failure, measurement, off track, on track, Plan, Planning, Success, troubleshooting

If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.

Jim Rohn

I believe that planning is more important than the goal itself. Obviously, we have to have goals, if we want to accomplish anything in a systematic and organized way. The real question for me is how will we achieve what we set out to do? We can only do this by putting together a plan.

Plans can be simple or very complex. It all depends on the goals you want to accomplish. A goal of simply going to the gym would be less complex than writing a novel, for example. The key to planning is realizing what you need to do and then coming up with an order of operations to achieve what you want.

One of my goals each year is to read 60 books. This works out to 5 books a month or about 1,25 books each week. Do I get this detailed? No. I just keep reading continuously throughout the year, reading multiple books simultaneously, and knock them off of my list in Goodreads. I monitor my progress, but my plan is pretty simple. Read an hour a day, a minimum, and you’ll get there. So far, so good. As you can see, the plan is pretty simple. It has also delivered consistently over two years.

Diet and exercise can be more complex. You have to monitor what you eat, monitor the supplements you are taking, and track the exercises you are doing, the weights you are lifting, water intake, sleep schedule, etc. This one is more complex than reading books. You have to put a bit of work and planning to ensure you hit all of the checkmarks required for achieving your goals, whether it be weight loss, improved cardiovascular capability, or strength gains.

I also set goals for myself when I play video games. My current favorite is Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War. I am currently playing the Zombies part of the game and each day I set out goals that I want to accomplish. Do I want to earn a particular camouflage for this weapon, clear out a particular reticle for a sight, or do I want to earn so many crystals? I realize you may not understand what I’m talking about, but you can set goals for literally anything you want to. I like setting goals for daily activities, because it makes it more of a game to me, and keeps my motivation up when I achieve a milestone of sorts for all of my goals. It also makes it easy to measure and assess that I’m on track with a goal or not.

Plan folks. If you have a plan you can adjust it as you go, particularly if it isn’t working. Without a plan, you really don’t have any ability to gauge what you are doing or measure where you are. Both add difficulty and frustration to everything you will try to achieve. When this is added in, it is highly likely you will quit, because you aren’t seeing the success you need and you don’t know how to troubleshoot what you are doing to get something done. Make sense?

Have a great Monday, folks!

Until next time…

Dave