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 – Post Christmas

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Christmas, Contentment, Enjoyment, family, Friends, Joy, Love, Planning, reflection

Well, the family has gone home! It was a great two days, hanging out with my sister and her boyfriend. It was nice opening presents. It was awesome watching some movie favorites, like Raiders of the Lost Ark.

I enjoyed the holiday season this year because it was so great to revisit Phoenix and reconnect with friends and family there. It was also nice to come home and enjoy family, my Mom’s roast duck and all of the goodies I enjoy eating during the holidays.

Now it’s time to continue the celebration as we approach the New Year. This week, like the previous week will result in altered postings because I want to focus on the holidays and worry about the schedule again at the commencement of 2019.

I hope all of you had a great time with your families and friends and are looking to create the best year yet in 2019. I hope all of you have a safe and joyous New Year’s celebration.

All the best to you and your families during this precious time of the year.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday

Tags

Brainstorming, Exercise, Persistence, Reading, reflection, spirituality, Thomas Edison, Writing

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas A. Edison

Happy October!!

Here we are again at the beginning of a new week. I use Sundays to reflect on my life, reflect on the weekly goals I set the week before, and examine all my projects to determine where I am at and what I have left to do.

I realize where I made progress, realize where I messed up, and think about new ideas to move my projects and goals forward. I do what many call a weekly review. This allows me to look at my calendar, my mail, my email, my project lists, my to-do lists, my bucket lists, anything that I have some interest in. This one day a week I label my “do nothing day” but this is a misnomer. I really do things on Sunday but do less than I normally would and use the day to re-charge, re-focus, and restart stalled projects.

I think this is what Edison is driving at. If we learn that something we are doing isn’t working—we re-tool. We try again. If we realize we haven’t been doing this or that—we re-tool. We try again. If we catch some inefficiencies, we can re-work the game plan we have for a goal or project. We can try again.

If you are stuck, not motivated, and frustrated, take some time on Saturday or Sunday and re-think what you are doing. You’ll get new ideas, you’ll see potential opportunities to try something different, you’ll find avenues to travel you haven’t been down yet. Try them, explore them, take them.

This week:

Still plugging away at the Kris Gethin 4-week-to-shred workout. Still plugging away at my books and working through a 7-week course on Coursera. I’ll also be working on my non-fiction book. Spiritually, I’ll be meditating daily and reading my Bible and other spiritual works.

Have a great week everyone!

Until next time…

Dave

Reference

Thomas A. Edison Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved October 1, 2018, from BrainyQuote.com Website: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/thomas_a_edison_149049

Daily Ramblings – Daily Quote – Thinking before doing

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Contemplation, David Allen, Execution, Getting Things Done, Learning from Others, Prioritization, reflection

“Follow effective actions with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.” – Peter Drucker

Anytime I’ve taken the time to really think through a project before I begin working on it, the more effective I am. It took me a long time to realize the wisdom in this. I, like a lot of my colleagues, would just jump in and get working only to find out we wasted time, missed critical steps, or hit the wrong target.

This quote offers a simple truth: Anything we create is first created in our mind, then brought into reality. I accomplish this kind of work by thinking about what I want to do. Then, I take some time to research, investigate, inquire about what it will take to accomplish a certain goal. Most of the time, someone else has already done this. So, it makes sense to look at what steps they took and then use this as a model for my own projects. Obviously, there may be some unique steps you need to incorporate to accomplish your specific goals but always remain open to other people’s experiences. They may offer a way to do something that helps avoid problems they already experienced.

This idea was reinforced by David Allen in his book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-free productivity. He talks about the natural planning model, which looks like this:

• Defining Purpose and Principles
• Outcome visioning
• Brainstorming
• Organizing
• Identifying Next Actions

Each of these steps is natural to the way we create things. We first develop an idea and begin thinking about how that idea would look in our reality. We then brainstorm and research all of the things we need to do to make our idea a real thing. We then organize the actions we uncover during our research and brainstorming and then begin working through these actions in the form of next actions.

The real challenge in using this model or way of working is to take the time to really reflect. What do we want? How do we get what we want? Take your time. Think. Then execute. After you begin executing the action steps you’ve devised, you’ll begin to realize some gaps or the need for further action steps, particularly if this is something you’ve never done before. That’s ok. The key is to reflect each day on what we did yesterday, plan what we will do tomorrow, and execute.

Planning becomes easier when we learn the length of time it takes to do something, it also helps us figure out what is really important for the next day and helps us complete things in the order we’ve set them to be executed. Take some time at the end of your day or at the beginning of your day to choose which action steps you’ll take and then get them on your calendar, keeping in mind all of the other commitments you have made (dentist appointments, gym time, etc.). Once you have your plan in place, just knock out the steps. Then do the same thing the next day.

David Allen defines a project as a task which contains more than one step to accomplish. Subsequently, you probably have a lot more projects to accomplish than you would initially think. Take the time to brainstorm each of these projects. What do you need to do first? What do you need to do next? What other steps need to be added based on your current activities? Take the time to think through all of these things and you’ll get closer and closer to your goals much sooner and in a more organized fashion. You’ll also capture the things you learned along the way, so if you ever tackle this type of project again, you’ll have a much easier time knocking that one off of your to-do list the next time around.

Well, that’s it for today, folks. I hope you have a great Wednesday!

Until next time.

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Daily Quote – Winston Churchill – Reflection

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Beginning anew, Goal Setting, Planning, Recharging, reflection, Winston Churchill

“Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection.” – Winston Churchill

I’m a huge fan of Winston Churchill and this quote is right on this time of year. I always get giddy during the holiday season. I enjoy the giving and grateful feelings that arise during this time of year. I also enjoy the time to relax, reflect, and the process of reviewing the year and how to move forward in the new.

What did I accomplish this year? Did I hit the goals I set for myself? What could I do better? Where could I focus my efforts in the New Year?

As I review things there are a few high points. The first is this blog. I didn’t realize how great it would be to create and write a blog. It’s awesome to see people from all over the world reading my postings and responding to them. The technology of today truly has created a global dialogue where people of different countries, cultures, and languages can interact with each other, learn about one another, and exchange ideas. It truly is a great time to be alive. Who knows what the future will bring. My guess is that we’ll see new devices, new technological breakthroughs, and a whole lot more.

I’ve written quite a bit about goal setting, self-discipline, leading a balanced life, and most recently about finding and pursuing your passion or life’s work. It’s hard to pursue these things when you’re supporting a family, working 9 to 5, and all the rest, but it is possible. If you are truly passionate about something, you’ll make it happen. For me, this year was the first year of my early retirement. I’ve found out a few things about myself that are quite interesting.

Retirement really isn’t retirement to me. I still have goals, I still have things I want to do in this life, and I still have a drive for a consistent and productive day. The only difference is that I am now in almost 100% control of my day. It is quite liberating, but also requires that much more self-discipline. Have you ever heard that saying, “The more rope you’re given, the more rope you’ll have to hang yourself”? This is the potential for retirement. You can either set up a daily schedule, plot out your goals and pursue them, or surf the net all day and get ZERO accomplished. Time will go by and you’ll wake up one day saying, “Where the hell did the year go?”

This year was a year of adjustment for me. Adjusting myself to a reduced income. Adjusting myself to all the time I have. Adjusting to living home with the parents and getting used to interacting with my Dad who loses more of his memory daily.

This month I’ll be finishing two books I read this time of year as part of my reflection. The first is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. The second is Getting Things Done by David Allen. I thoroughly enjoy both books because they really get you thinking. They also provide some helpful frameworks for planning, setting goals, and pursuing excellence in all areas of a person’s life.

I’ll begin work on the first of many books this year. The first step was finding a local coffee shop I could go to for my writing. I found one! It is called the Exquisite Corpse and it is nice. It will be my haunt after I get done with my gym routine. I like writing in areas where there are other things going on. I don’t need absolute solitude to create. Right now, as I write this blog posting, I am listening to some music. Music is one of the keys to my writing.

The rest of this month, in and around the holidays, will be mapping out the first quarter of the year. What do I want to accomplish? What’s the goal for the entire year? Once I’ve got things mapped out it’s off to set up a daily schedule to accomplish the things I set out to do. I really look forward to the New Year.

Well, that’s it for today folks. I hope you’ve enjoyed my writings this year and hope to continue to improve this blog to gather more followers. It’s all about the content and I’m still refining mine.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Daily Quote – Funny Quote

Tags

family, Friends, Gratitude, Holiday Season, Johnny Carson, Recharging, reflection, Resetting

All, I’ve decided to move my Ted Talks and Funny Quotes to Sunday. It’s a good day to have a giggle and enjoy a nice video that I’ve hand-picked over a nice cup of coffee or tea, with some of your favorite music playing in the background.

Here’s today’s funny quote:

“Mail your packages early so the post office can lose them in time for Christmas.” – Johnny Carson

I’m old enough to remember the late Johnny Carson, one of America’s iconic late night talk show hosts. Johnny was a nightly companion when I was growing up because Mom and Dad loved watching him. His humor was always terrific and he had some of the most interesting people as guests.

Today’s talk show hosts just don’t hold a light to this guy. I wish all of you, regardless of your faith, a terrific holiday season, filled with joy, love, and companionship. This time of year is truly my favorite because I missed so many of these while I served in the US Army. Now, I really take the time to enjoy myself, my family and friends and relish every moment.

I can only hope that you find peace, companionship, and have some time to really enjoy your holiday season. I use this time to reflect, recharge, and prepare for another great year.

If you are one of my followers, Thank you so much for taking the time to follow my blog. I just started it this year and have learned a great deal from your blogs and find new and exciting content here every day.

Happy Holidays to all of you!

Dave

 

Daily Ramblings – Daily Quote

Tags

Goals, passion, reflection, Yoda

Today’s Quote

“Do. Or do not. There is no try.” – Yoda

Most of you have probably seen this quote multiple times. It is quite popular. Regardless, I enjoy it and it really does apply to many things in my life.

Take any goal, whether it is exercising, writing, learning, meditating–anything. If you go into it with the statement “I’ll give it a try…” you’re already on the road to failure. My bet is you’re probably not as interested in this goals as you think. Really pay attention to your internals when you think about goal setting and achieving something. You really have to want it you know?

I don’t know where I read it, but Tim Ferris mentioned this in one of his online articles I found somewhere (sorry I didn’t keep it). He said that if he doesn’t feel like doing something, he doesn’t do it. This goes with goals and things we set for ourselves. Life is about change. If you are pursuing something passionately for a few months and then one day you wake up and the passion just isn’t there anymore, my belief is that it is not worth the trouble.

Really evaluate what you want in life. Once you set a goal, evaluate it. Is it something you are really committed to? Are you willing to give it everything you have? Do you really have a goal, right now, today, that is worth your time and effort? Sometimes we have to sit still and think about what we want. In the meantime, we carry on with our lives doing the things we have to (work, paying bills, taking care of our families, etc.). As long as you set aside some time for reflection, think about what you would like to do. Think about something you are interested in achieving. You see that during one of these reflection periods something will come along. Something that will be really exciting to you. This is the thing you go after.

Anyway, this is my thought on things. I hope you are having a great start to your week.

See you tomorrow…