It is one day until New Year’s Eve and 2 days until a fresh start. New beginnings mean different things to different people. And we don’t have to reserve Jan. 1st for all new beginnings! I feel as if I had a fresh start on Dec 19th after visiting family. I felt invigorated by seeing our loved ones and the visit solidified that the most important gift we can give anyone is our “attention”. I made a pact with myself to “pay attention” and give my 100% attention to others when they speak and want to share something important to them. It is so easy to glance at your phone or continue to work while your partner or child wants to speak.
Onward to today’s hacks:
Fitness Hack – when you are debating whether or not to workout, visualize how amazing you will feel physically and how accomplished you will feel mentally when you are done the session!! That should be enough to pluck you from your cozy bed or comfy couch. Think about the regret you will feel for skipping the workout and how any regret will last hours longer than the actual workout! Always give yourself 10 minutes of running or biking or rowing or swimming or weights and if you really hate it, then stop. But I am pretty sure that most days, you will finish the workout and your breakfast will taste so good. You will be energized and you will be your best self for the rest of the day! (and you will feel pretty proud as well!!)
Lifestyle Hack – to-do lists are great but I also suggest organizing your tasks into buckets either mentally or on paper. For example, I try to do phone calls on certain days and at a certain time rather than making them all day long. Each phone call is super important and necessary but it distracts me from writing, coaching, researching and learning. So I have phone call blocks and writing blocks and research blocks and coaching blocks and learning blocks. I also try to bucket “general maintenance” which includes banking, accounting and general paperwork which is necessary but none of it makes me a better speaker, author, coach or consultant!
Product Suggestion – a journal! I have kept a journal for over 30 years. It started as a training log but has evolved into a “life log”. I write down everything that matters to me in my journal. That includes:
a) workouts since those are small daily wins and accomplishments for me each day.
b) how I felt on that day – sad, happy, angry, lonely – then I can see patterns in my actions and feelings and can try to remedy them or replicate them.
c) aches and pains and illness – then I can track the events which may have led to those issues.
d) what I did that day – I love looking back and seeing comments such as “visited family” or “started the drive to Florida at 4:30 am – stopped at 8 pm – stayed at this particular hotel and found a great grocery store”.
Yesterday, I just looked back at what I was doing during the last week of 2020 and I read that I missed family and that I was bored because we were essentially “shut-in” due to Covid! So this year, I plan to do everything to make myself happy even though I am away from family and still shut-in!! We will get take-out sushi, plan a great walk, binge watch The Morning Show or Ted Lasso and be grateful for what WE DO HAVE!!