5 Tips to Avoid Common Pitfalls
I am bracing myself. For what? The fact that my once quiet gym will be crowded with those starting their New Year’s resolutions. The good news is that by February there should be plenty of room and machines to choose from during my early morning workout. All kidding aside, resolutions do hold some value but many fail.
The value of interruption
Sometimes it’s best to avoid January 1st as the start date of our resolution. Why? Once we have made the internal commitment to improve postponing taking action sends the unconscious message that ‘this too can wait.’ Those who have successfully quit smoking have shared that they made a point to throw away half of their last pack. Friends who have committed to losing weight often begin in the middle of the week or the middle of the month. The importance of pairing our decisions with immediate action is key to keeping our internal promises to ourselves.
Looking ahead to 2017 perhaps we should reconsider our approach to New Year resolutions.
If you find yourself constantly distracted at the office unable to work on a task, it’s time to leave. Too often the tyranny of the urgent robs our time and prevents us from dedicating our attention and time to projects.
Despite being a highly-organized individual, I still grapple with worry. Last year with a looming deadline ahead I had an epiphany. As I began to chip away at my unsavory project it hit me- a phrase that was almost audible in my mind- “Action Defers Anxiety”.
“Change is as good as a vacation”. Perhaps. With today’s portable digital technology, many of us can enjoy the benefits of working remotely outside of the office.
There is a lot we were never taught in school. Beyond learning how to cook in high school home economics class most of us were never taught how to be productive. Like most professionals my indoctrination into the tenets of productivity was a self-taught effort fraught with countless mistakes, missteps and the satisfaction of finding a system that works.
Is the tail wagging the dog? It’s a question worth consideration if we honestly examine our daily life. Are we in control, or have we built our own prison? Welcome to Friday’s Food for Thought, brought to you by Open Mortgage, where better is possible.
Can you think in tweets? Even better can you communicate with others as you would if you sent a twitter post? It’s a skill that warrants examination as our society is increasingly distracted. Even our prospective senior homeowners have increasing demands for their attention from various media.
What is conscious living? It is the intentional practice of creating the life we want through a series of decisions. Perhaps a better way to define this mindset is to describe what it isn’t. Choosing a career based on money alone. Choosing a partner based primarily on looks. Buying a home based on the image you want to project or what others have. Today we will reveal several keys to living a conscious life.
You groggily gulp coffee as you head out the door to your car and jump on the interstate hoping for an uneventful commute. As you enter your office your pulse quickens as your stack of paperwork and voicemail light flashes greeting your return. The unrelenting pace of our workday continues through the early evening hours. In the rush, you most likely missed an important midday appointment: lunch. Welcome to Friday’s Food for Thought brought to you by Open Mortgage, where better is possible.
You may benefit from adding some bullets to your life. Today most, including myself, make extensive use of online calendars on their desktop computer or mobile phone. After all shouldn’t we leverage technology for increased productivity since “there’s an app for that”?