This week I am asked to look at 5 energy drains in my home and environment. I need to figure out a plan to address them and look to resources who can help me with that.
Now I had to laugh because in a previous time, I had done this exercize in this same book. My answers are still there and they are very different from what I am starting to let roll around in my house. My resources are different and my reward for completing this goal is the funniest of all - Get chinese food and rent a movie. That's a random Friday night for me.
And I am anti-chinese food right now...
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Absolute Yes List
This week the chapter talked about an Absolute Yes list. This list deals with your personal top priorities for next 3 to 6 months. It should have no more than 5 items on it.
I have been thinking about this list since Friday. It has had a lot of things put on and taken off. I have really massaged it down to the following - in order -
1. weight loss/fitness/health - I need to take care of this now. This is it, this is the time. It's MY time ( I sound like such an advertisement don't I????) and I WANT to be an AFTER ( HA! see)
2. My friends - I have different "pockets" of friends. I have my friends from Freeport, I have my friends from college, I have my music friends, I have my work friends, ,kiwanis friends etc. They don't all overlap - in fact very few do. I am tasking myself with maintaining them better. For example - I feel that my Freeport friends are slipping away. As a group we need to make more of an effort, especially now that 3 live far away.
3. Finish organizing the closets and drawers in my house
4. Stop working and sign off by 6PM each night. Unless I have a conf call with a customer or I am on call I will not be working at night. Additionally no more using work as an excuse for missing church.
5. Tidy up the loose ends in the house - mount the mirror, lose the bookcase and love seat, get chaise lounge moved in, remove mirror in LR and repaint, Hang wrought Iron candleabra.
I have been thinking about this list since Friday. It has had a lot of things put on and taken off. I have really massaged it down to the following - in order -
1. weight loss/fitness/health - I need to take care of this now. This is it, this is the time. It's MY time ( I sound like such an advertisement don't I????) and I WANT to be an AFTER ( HA! see)
2. My friends - I have different "pockets" of friends. I have my friends from Freeport, I have my friends from college, I have my music friends, I have my work friends, ,kiwanis friends etc. They don't all overlap - in fact very few do. I am tasking myself with maintaining them better. For example - I feel that my Freeport friends are slipping away. As a group we need to make more of an effort, especially now that 3 live far away.
3. Finish organizing the closets and drawers in my house
4. Stop working and sign off by 6PM each night. Unless I have a conf call with a customer or I am on call I will not be working at night. Additionally no more using work as an excuse for missing church.
5. Tidy up the loose ends in the house - mount the mirror, lose the bookcase and love seat, get chaise lounge moved in, remove mirror in LR and repaint, Hang wrought Iron candleabra.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Week 4 The Challenge
Morning pages. This is the big challenge.
They are suggesting that one write 3 pages longhand every morning in your journal before the hectic day starts. They suggest morning because night time tends to make the journal a venting mechanism rather than a spiritual guide to be being "better".
I started with their suggested thinking items:
This MOrning I feel...
I'm always daydreaming about....
My nagging inner voice keeps telling me...
The thoughts that roll around in my head....
My soul longs to....
My inner critic tells me....
What I am most grateful for is....
I have 2 days under my belt in this format. It's interesting what comes out the mind when using a brainstorming technique. In short whatever comes to mind for each section is written down. No editing just keep moving forward.
Its truly interestingg.
They are suggesting that one write 3 pages longhand every morning in your journal before the hectic day starts. They suggest morning because night time tends to make the journal a venting mechanism rather than a spiritual guide to be being "better".
I started with their suggested thinking items:
This MOrning I feel...
I'm always daydreaming about....
My nagging inner voice keeps telling me...
The thoughts that roll around in my head....
My soul longs to....
My inner critic tells me....
What I am most grateful for is....
I have 2 days under my belt in this format. It's interesting what comes out the mind when using a brainstorming technique. In short whatever comes to mind for each section is written down. No editing just keep moving forward.
Its truly interestingg.
Week 3 Finding your lost self
This chapter dealt with spending time with yourself. By spending time with oneself, unplugged from TV, phonse, computers, cell phones, pagers, blackberrys, one is better able to be in tune with their physical and emotional needs.
The take action Challenge is get your datebook out and schedule some uninterrupted time for journaling, meditation, community support, or dream journaling.
I have taken some alone time that I normally have on the calendar and transformed that into "me" time. For now I will be using it for journaling or blogging. I will be breaking into yoga at some point with meditation. Identifying that time as mine really makes a difference in my mental stamina.
The take action Challenge is get your datebook out and schedule some uninterrupted time for journaling, meditation, community support, or dream journaling.
I have taken some alone time that I normally have on the calendar and transformed that into "me" time. For now I will be using it for journaling or blogging. I will be breaking into yoga at some point with meditation. Identifying that time as mine really makes a difference in my mental stamina.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Week 2 results
So far I am pleased to say that most of the relationships in my life have made the cut.
I have identified a couple of relationships where I need to personally do some more work to be able to make an informed decision.
I have identified a couple of relationships that need re-hab'ing as well before I make the decision.
Overall, I think these works in progress are good. I have noticed that I crave approval and some of my relationships are based on that. In order for them to be good for me, the relationship needs to move to equal ground. At least the basis of it does. I like having relationships with people who have qualities I can learn from and traits that I aspire to. But I don't want to be in the relationship, learning these things, if we don't start on equal footing somewhere.
Take my Voice Twin. She is 10+ years younger than I am. Meeting her had me a little bit intimidated, which she and I have since discussed. In reviewing that intimidation closer, it was a combination of fearlessness- a good quality and one I have sporadically. Nice to see in one that age and one I wish I had more of at that age. It was also a feeling of inadequacy as she is much like I was at that age - but more. I feel that in many ways she is light years ahea of me in self assuredness and confidence in her abilities. She doesn't give off the appearance of needing approval.
I do need the approval. I know this. And its something I want to change. To not care so much in that approval others is a big deal to me. TO be so confident in my ability that I do not give a rats ass about someone else's approval is a big deal to me. I'm so-so at it. I've gotten better as I get older but I want to keep working at it.
My Voice Twin is good at showing that face to the world. I use her as a model of how I want to be.
What's nice about this relationship for me is I get to impart some wisdom of my years when it's called for. She's not shy about asking and I like that. I like being able to pass some of my experience on. It's a strange relationship for me as I don't have that many younger friends. 2 actually. I was selective about both too. Voice Twin and Kathy are the two that I have that are younger by a significant amount and I am usually the youngest. So I like this.
For me, the approval thing is all about self confidence. As long as I am confident in my abilities than the need for the approval won't be so strong. At the same time, I won't stand for people capitalizing on my weaknesses and the weaknesses of others. I stand RIGHT up to that. I won't be taken advantage of or belittled. I despise people who will take you down because you have a gift or a talent. God didn't just hand one person every gift in the world. He doled them out across mankind. So perhaps one person is a genious at science and uses that gift in one way, another is musically gifted, another might be gifted with perfect pitch but just an adaquate musician, another might be an organizational genious but can't sing a note. Maybe someone has musical talents, but there true gift lies elsewhere.
So you see, I feel that there is some significant progress here and I have selected some models of what qualities I need to work on in relationships I already have. I have also identified some qualities that need to be addressed and dealt with in a re-hab of it's current status in the relationships. I am going to continue working on that while I gear up for week 3
I have identified a couple of relationships where I need to personally do some more work to be able to make an informed decision.
I have identified a couple of relationships that need re-hab'ing as well before I make the decision.
Overall, I think these works in progress are good. I have noticed that I crave approval and some of my relationships are based on that. In order for them to be good for me, the relationship needs to move to equal ground. At least the basis of it does. I like having relationships with people who have qualities I can learn from and traits that I aspire to. But I don't want to be in the relationship, learning these things, if we don't start on equal footing somewhere.
Take my Voice Twin. She is 10+ years younger than I am. Meeting her had me a little bit intimidated, which she and I have since discussed. In reviewing that intimidation closer, it was a combination of fearlessness- a good quality and one I have sporadically. Nice to see in one that age and one I wish I had more of at that age. It was also a feeling of inadequacy as she is much like I was at that age - but more. I feel that in many ways she is light years ahea of me in self assuredness and confidence in her abilities. She doesn't give off the appearance of needing approval.
I do need the approval. I know this. And its something I want to change. To not care so much in that approval others is a big deal to me. TO be so confident in my ability that I do not give a rats ass about someone else's approval is a big deal to me. I'm so-so at it. I've gotten better as I get older but I want to keep working at it.
My Voice Twin is good at showing that face to the world. I use her as a model of how I want to be.
What's nice about this relationship for me is I get to impart some wisdom of my years when it's called for. She's not shy about asking and I like that. I like being able to pass some of my experience on. It's a strange relationship for me as I don't have that many younger friends. 2 actually. I was selective about both too. Voice Twin and Kathy are the two that I have that are younger by a significant amount and I am usually the youngest. So I like this.
For me, the approval thing is all about self confidence. As long as I am confident in my abilities than the need for the approval won't be so strong. At the same time, I won't stand for people capitalizing on my weaknesses and the weaknesses of others. I stand RIGHT up to that. I won't be taken advantage of or belittled. I despise people who will take you down because you have a gift or a talent. God didn't just hand one person every gift in the world. He doled them out across mankind. So perhaps one person is a genious at science and uses that gift in one way, another is musically gifted, another might be gifted with perfect pitch but just an adaquate musician, another might be an organizational genious but can't sing a note. Maybe someone has musical talents, but there true gift lies elsewhere.
So you see, I feel that there is some significant progress here and I have selected some models of what qualities I need to work on in relationships I already have. I have also identified some qualities that need to be addressed and dealt with in a re-hab of it's current status in the relationships. I am going to continue working on that while I gear up for week 3
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)