Taming the monkeys: Part V and thinking SMART

In my last post on taming the monkeys and “… what ‘not’ to do,’ I stress the importance of keeping our a.m. routines simple to avoid becoming overwhelmed. I also promised to touch on our evening routines. So why is an evening routine important? It prepares us for a successful tomorrow. Key focus areas in the p.m. might include: 1) spend time with family, 2) work on a task and/or goal; 3) review the day and 4) prep/plan for the following day. In addition, working SMARTer, not harder, is vital to success in every endeavor (in my opinion). And a second equally important component—or glue—holds it all together. But first, how do we work SMARTer? Create plans/goals that are: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-based (Trackable). Over the past month and a half, I’ve discovered myriad planning tools, but here’s a good place to start: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/smart-goals.htm. More planning tips and the glue that holds it all together next time.

What does your evening routine look like?

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Taming the monkeys: Part IV and what ‘not’ to do

In my post, “Taming the monkeys, Part III… ,” I began sharing insights on planning, plus a link to time-management thought leader Ben Hardy. Several of his articles tout the importance of planning because, according to another Ben (Franklin), If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail. First thing’s first: plan a morning (and evening—more on that later) routine that sets you up for success. As Hardy says: You make or break your life before 8 a.m. Bonus material: here’s what not to do: change too many things at one time. Keep it simple, or you’ll become overwhelmed. Hardy, himself, swears by these straightforward steps: wake up, drink water, take a cold (optional) shower, get dressed, meditate/pray, visualize/set goals, create/work. Personally, I skip the cold shower and incorporate yoga stretches into my mornings. But allow Google to be your friend as you plan a customized routine. For more ideas, visit https://21dayhero.com/morning-routines-guide/ and https://www.scienceofpeople.com/morning-routine/. Coming up: think SMART.

What three things comprise your morning routine?

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

I’m over it

We’re almost one month into the new year already and it’s been a big fat bust so far. First, in my quest for balance, I jumped in feet first and overextended and overcommitted myself (see #12 in Confessions of a fraud), and second, my immune system suffered because of it. Not only did I miss several days, I flaked out on multiple commitments. It seems that with everything I want to do and yes, even need to do, it’s easy for me to become overwhelmed and deplete my reserves. Yet, when this happens, I am crabby and zero good to others. I cannot expect to run on autopilot with no respect for my energy levels. So how do I find balance? I need to ask myself: What drains me and what feeds me?—then eliminate the one and do more of the other—because if I don’t start practicing self-love on a consistent basis, my sparkle might begin to dull with time.

When is enough, enough for you?

[Image credit: David Castillo Dominici, FreeDigitalPhotos.net]

I’m working on it

[Image credit: Stuart Miles]

One of my goals for this year is to improve myself by breaking a bad habit.  The good news: at any given time, I have several to choose from.  The bad news: at any given time, I have several to choose from.  With so many areas of my life I’d like to improve upon, you could say I’m in a constant state of flux.  This isn’t so bad unless I become overwhelmed with all the changes I’m attempting to enforce, like working on being more spontaneous, speaking up, making better choices (and then not complaining or regretting the ones I do make), improving my body image, being more timely — to name a few.  But I notice that when I try to work on too many modifications at once, my common MO is to shut down and withdraw.  It seems easier to just talk the talk and forget about the walking part.  Not to mention, it sometimes leads to those unpleasant funks.  To keep on track, I need to focus on one thing at a time, and then pat myself on the back when I succeed.  After all, it’s not like anyone else is keeping score.

What’s one thing you’re working on to improve yourself this year?