Last week I know I didn't write a new list item and it really bugged me because I was certain there was something I could add to this list. There are plenty of opportunities for me to improve, but I just could not nail down a new thought. Normally when I run into that kind of quandary Heather is really good for coming up with something constructive, but even she was drawing a blank last week. Net result: no list item, and no change.
This week is different. I came up with this idea just now, but the reason for selecting this list item is more significant than the change itself as it should lead to other things that could use adjustment. This week's addition to My Best Me was selected for the main purpose of leading by example. Do as I say AND as I do. I need to correct something so my son does not get the idea that I condone hypocrisy; because I do not. That being the inspiration for this change leads me to think of other changes I could make in the future and that's why I'm more fired up about this than I thought I would be.
I need to put away my dishes.
There it goes. You'd think my house was an utter pig stye with the number of items I keep thinking of that regard cleaning up my mess. It's not, but I can be as lazy as most everybody else can be and especially so when it comes to my dishes.
Just about every night the wife and I eat dinner in the living room. We're usually pretty good about putting those in the sink because otherwise her little dog will whine at the plates until they're gone. Later on, however, I tend to get another snack; cottage cheese, almonds, etc. The issue is, I have a tendency to leave those dishes in the living room. This is the thing that has to change.
I can't hold Dylan accountable for cleaning up after himself when I haven't shown the willingness or ability to do the same myself. So just like the thing with the shoes, I'll be putting my dishes away every night, and uh, my napkins too. :)
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
One Step at a Time
I'm just now really beginning to understand how My Best Me is as much an exercise of confession as it is a matter of trying to improve. Every time I bring up something to improve on, it's also pointing out bad habits or shall I say, missed opportunities. And this round is no different, I'm afraid.
The only good news about this addition to the list is that it is relatively simple again. It's all about the shoes.
If one were allowed to look in our closet, which you are not for fear that I would find several new My Best Me ideas in there, one would find that my wife and I have very different ideas of how shoes should be stored. In a selfish desire to preserve my marriage, I will only be speaking about my side of the closet. I'm pretty proud of the fact that the shoes in my closet are almost always neatly arranged. The trouble is, my shoes are not always in my closet; they're all over the house. They're by the coffee table, under the desk, next to the "red chair", under the stool at the bar, and maybe, just maybe, they might be in the shoe basket by the front door. But not likely.
So this week is simple. I will pick my shoes up every night and place them in my closet, in the neat, orderly row that they should be in. Simple, huh? Well, we will see.
The only good news about this addition to the list is that it is relatively simple again. It's all about the shoes.
If one were allowed to look in our closet, which you are not for fear that I would find several new My Best Me ideas in there, one would find that my wife and I have very different ideas of how shoes should be stored. In a selfish desire to preserve my marriage, I will only be speaking about my side of the closet. I'm pretty proud of the fact that the shoes in my closet are almost always neatly arranged. The trouble is, my shoes are not always in my closet; they're all over the house. They're by the coffee table, under the desk, next to the "red chair", under the stool at the bar, and maybe, just maybe, they might be in the shoe basket by the front door. But not likely.
So this week is simple. I will pick my shoes up every night and place them in my closet, in the neat, orderly row that they should be in. Simple, huh? Well, we will see.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Stay the Course
Hmmmm, the pros and cons of having people that you know follow your blog. This is new territory for me. When I first started writing this, as you may have read, I wasn't going to really share this with anybody. Looking back on it now, that my have been a good strategy on one hand, and a not so good one on the other.
With nobody following my blog, I didn't have anybody to check in with. There wasn't anybody to run into about town that might ask how things were going, or worse yet, ask why I haven't been updating the list. For all you would be bloggers out there, here is something to consider. If people are engaged in what you're writing, they might want more. I'll let you decide whether that's a pro or a con.
On the flip side of that coin, I also didn't have anybody to encourage me. Nobody would have been interested in the list. Nobody would be wondering how I was living up to My Best Me. Nobody would be getting a little inspiration of their own to make some changes.
All in all, I'd say the pros outweigh the cons at this point and I'm grateful and humbled that you would want to read my blog. As that is the case, my item for this week is to continue to honor the list. To keep writing every week. To come up with something new to add, no matter how minor or grand. I will develop another improvement every week. After all, they are not too hard to come up with. It would appear that I am still many steps away from My Best Me.
With nobody following my blog, I didn't have anybody to check in with. There wasn't anybody to run into about town that might ask how things were going, or worse yet, ask why I haven't been updating the list. For all you would be bloggers out there, here is something to consider. If people are engaged in what you're writing, they might want more. I'll let you decide whether that's a pro or a con.
On the flip side of that coin, I also didn't have anybody to encourage me. Nobody would have been interested in the list. Nobody would be wondering how I was living up to My Best Me. Nobody would be getting a little inspiration of their own to make some changes.
All in all, I'd say the pros outweigh the cons at this point and I'm grateful and humbled that you would want to read my blog. As that is the case, my item for this week is to continue to honor the list. To keep writing every week. To come up with something new to add, no matter how minor or grand. I will develop another improvement every week. After all, they are not too hard to come up with. It would appear that I am still many steps away from My Best Me.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Skipping and a Recap!
It happened. Just when you think nobody is paying attention. Just when you think the coast is clear. You're in the fast lane and you are cruising. Somebody taps you on the shoulder and says, "Hey, what are you doing?" This person just so happens to be my friend, Jeff Thomas.
Of all my friends that I shared this blog with (all three of them) I should have known that Jeff would pay attention. He very rarely misses anything and this was no exception. On one of our very rare opportunities to hang out, Jeff just asked this weekend how My Best Me was going and why he hadn't seen anything new for a couple of weeks. The first thing I wanted to do was to begrudge him for reminding me that I had not posted anything, but what happened next was far better. He asked another question...
"How is the list coming?" he asked. And I thought, what a great question. If somebody other than myself is going to be reading this, what a great opportunity to "keep myself honest." Every so often, I should check in on the entire list and see how I'm doing.
As I contemplated what today's entry would look like I was originally planning on putting a percentage of progress for each item, but I'd really only be guessing anyways, so I think instead, I'll just do a quick report after each one of the items in the list.
So here is the list and where I stand currently with each item. Next Monday I'll get back on track with a weekly entry.
Of all my friends that I shared this blog with (all three of them) I should have known that Jeff would pay attention. He very rarely misses anything and this was no exception. On one of our very rare opportunities to hang out, Jeff just asked this weekend how My Best Me was going and why he hadn't seen anything new for a couple of weeks. The first thing I wanted to do was to begrudge him for reminding me that I had not posted anything, but what happened next was far better. He asked another question...
"How is the list coming?" he asked. And I thought, what a great question. If somebody other than myself is going to be reading this, what a great opportunity to "keep myself honest." Every so often, I should check in on the entire list and see how I'm doing.
As I contemplated what today's entry would look like I was originally planning on putting a percentage of progress for each item, but I'd really only be guessing anyways, so I think instead, I'll just do a quick report after each one of the items in the list.
So here is the list and where I stand currently with each item. Next Monday I'll get back on track with a weekly entry.
- See my chiropractor once a week at a minimum.
Doing very well at this one. I think I've only missed one or two weeks so far.
- Eat breakfast every day.
Doing pretty well at this one. Only skipping occasionally and most recently I've started to eat more protein and less carbs in my breakfast.
- Go to bed at 10pm every "school night".
Let me just tell you that this one has been the worst. I haven't had this bed time since sometime in junior high school. I'm a late night person and it has been very difficult to stick to this one. I've done it pretty well, but my wife is probably tired of me keeping her awake talking to her for half the night. :)
- Brush my teeth every night. (In addition to my daily morning brushing.)
This one I'm killing it on. I've been all over this and I have to say, it is kinda nice.
- Play my bass guitar 3 hours every week.
This one has been a bit hit or miss, but it has been better over all. I don't know if I'm getting the full two hours, but my love for bass is improving and I'm very excited about music again. Time to find another band!
- Do business invoicing once per week at a minimum.
Mostly pretty good. Stupid bookkeeping. :P
- No more sodas!
I have probably had 1 or 2 sodas a week, maybe less. And to put it in perspective, I was having several per day. So this is improvement.
- Every morning, out loud, be grateful for 3 things. Three different things, if you can.
Who knew how difficult this one would be? The hardest part is not repeating things from days before.
- Give myself a break. Allow for shortcomings and missteps.
This one I've done pretty well at. I'm committed to My Best Me and I'm honoring the list for the most part. But I'm also leaving myself room to be imperfect.
- Reduce fast food to two times per week maximum.
I've been doing much, much better at this one. Eating much cleaner and feeling a little better about it too.
- At the end of the day, say out loud three business accomplishments for the day.
Somehow I keep forgetting this one. I'm going to have to put up a reminder or something.
- Sunscreen. Everyday. On my face.
Doing really good on this one. I'm not perfect, but I'm using it very regularly.
- Read a minimum of 10 pages everyday.
Doing much better at this than I expected. Some days its a bit of a grind, but I'm still working at it.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Hitting the Books
I love to read. Many people probably don't know that about me, but I love to read. I especially love to read fiction, whether it's cloak and dagger or fantasy/sci fi, I love to read. But I haven't done it for a very long time. I am far more inclined to sit on the couch and watch TV, but it's not just because I don't want to make time to read. The real reason is, I have an issue. I just don't stop once I start.
When I've decided to read a book, that's about the only thing that happens in my life until the book is finished. I become entangled in the book and really just let everything else around me go to hell in a hand-basket. Some might argue that this is a nice quality to have, but believe me, it's started more arguments in my life than it has solved.
Business books are another matter entirely; they mostly make me want to go to sleep. :) Given my shift in focus on my business, this has got to change. I simply have too much catching up to do. I need to be a master of my area of expertise and that requires me to get more education rapidly. And that is going to require dedication and discipline. So, as I have been doing all along with My Best Me, I am going to make a small adjustment in the name of making a bigger change.
So here is the new list item. Read a minimum of 10 pages every day from a business book. Even when I'm tired. Let's add a qualifier in here too... I KNOW I will want to read a fun book after I begin that process. I will only allow myself one fun book for every three business books I read.
Ok. Time to hit the books.
When I've decided to read a book, that's about the only thing that happens in my life until the book is finished. I become entangled in the book and really just let everything else around me go to hell in a hand-basket. Some might argue that this is a nice quality to have, but believe me, it's started more arguments in my life than it has solved.
Business books are another matter entirely; they mostly make me want to go to sleep. :) Given my shift in focus on my business, this has got to change. I simply have too much catching up to do. I need to be a master of my area of expertise and that requires me to get more education rapidly. And that is going to require dedication and discipline. So, as I have been doing all along with My Best Me, I am going to make a small adjustment in the name of making a bigger change.
So here is the new list item. Read a minimum of 10 pages every day from a business book. Even when I'm tired. Let's add a qualifier in here too... I KNOW I will want to read a fun book after I begin that process. I will only allow myself one fun book for every three business books I read.
Ok. Time to hit the books.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Sunscreen
Remember, the list is supposed to be simple. Many of the things on this list should be minor adjustments that I can easily adapt to. The whole point is to make these into habits, so I have to have the time to do them all.
So yeah, sunscreen. Something to note about sunscreen... I hate wearing it. No real good explanation other than it feels icky, but there it is all the same. Another important note about sunscreen... a few years ago I had a benign basal cell carcinoma removed from the right side of my face, right along the jawline. While the scar is almost invisible, it is there. I feel it everyday when I shave, and it serves as a reminder to me that I once had to have surgery there.
When I went to get the offending spot looked at by the dermatologist, she asked, "Have you had much sun exposure in your life." My response was "I grew up in Las Vegas in the 70's. What do you think?"
So anyways, the other, more contributing factor to this list item is my lovely wife. Seems she wants to keep me around for a long time, so I guess I'll honor her wishes too.
Sunscreen. Everyday. On my face, anyways. :)
So yeah, sunscreen. Something to note about sunscreen... I hate wearing it. No real good explanation other than it feels icky, but there it is all the same. Another important note about sunscreen... a few years ago I had a benign basal cell carcinoma removed from the right side of my face, right along the jawline. While the scar is almost invisible, it is there. I feel it everyday when I shave, and it serves as a reminder to me that I once had to have surgery there.
When I went to get the offending spot looked at by the dermatologist, she asked, "Have you had much sun exposure in your life." My response was "I grew up in Las Vegas in the 70's. What do you think?"
So anyways, the other, more contributing factor to this list item is my lovely wife. Seems she wants to keep me around for a long time, so I guess I'll honor her wishes too.
Sunscreen. Everyday. On my face, anyways. :)
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Three Accomplishments
Alrighty then... The holidays are over, the new year is in full tilt, and I'm coming out the door swinging. Well, maybe I'm just heading out the door. Truth is, while I'm trying to manifest good thoughts, I'm having a little trouble powering up for the new year. While I am excited about the possibilities the new year is bringing, I'm still suffering a hangover from last year that has nothing to do with a New Year's Eve party.
I know my personal life is clouding the issue, because I'm still mourning several people that I cared for very deeply, but this really isn't so much about that. This is more tied to thoughts about business and career choices. It's about working hard and wondering if you're really just a hamster on a wheel.
One of the challenges from last year and years prior was having a sense of accomplishment in business. I worked my ass off all year last year, so you'd think I got some significant things done, but it's really difficult to put a finger on many of them. I know I'm not alone in this. How many times do we all end the day and can't figure out what we've done?
So this is the new addition to My Best Me. I am going to make sure I have some awareness to what I've done. I'm not much of a "tracker", but it should be relatively easy for me to look back on my day and find three things that I have done for that day. Three things that provide a sense of accomplishment. Finished projects, major steps forward on projects, closing sales, etc. I will say them out loud and take a moment to reflect on the good feeling it gives me to know that I have maybe improved somebody's business, improved my own business, or just plain checked something off the to-do list.
Speaking of which... I'd better get started on this day!
I know my personal life is clouding the issue, because I'm still mourning several people that I cared for very deeply, but this really isn't so much about that. This is more tied to thoughts about business and career choices. It's about working hard and wondering if you're really just a hamster on a wheel.
One of the challenges from last year and years prior was having a sense of accomplishment in business. I worked my ass off all year last year, so you'd think I got some significant things done, but it's really difficult to put a finger on many of them. I know I'm not alone in this. How many times do we all end the day and can't figure out what we've done?
So this is the new addition to My Best Me. I am going to make sure I have some awareness to what I've done. I'm not much of a "tracker", but it should be relatively easy for me to look back on my day and find three things that I have done for that day. Three things that provide a sense of accomplishment. Finished projects, major steps forward on projects, closing sales, etc. I will say them out loud and take a moment to reflect on the good feeling it gives me to know that I have maybe improved somebody's business, improved my own business, or just plain checked something off the to-do list.
Speaking of which... I'd better get started on this day!
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