January Joy

JANUARY BLUES

It's Saturday today. The last day of Jan. The weather has suddenly turned colder. It's overcast, cold, wet and I feel really happy. I'm happy but sad at the same time because January is over. Yes, you did read that right - Jan has been my most consistent and favourite month that I can ever remember. My log cabin in the woods month. My partner, Cathy feels the same. Jan is a long month - and this one felt really long! That's because I've squeezed an extra 3 quality hours per day in. That's 90hrs or the equivalent to just over two extra work weeks !!! It's actually felt more like 3 months in one, because I've been aware and present in mind for as much of it as possible. 

2014 was a fun year, but a lot of it was out of my control. I was socialising and partying a lot and the weekends were filled with laughter & friends or sleep & recovery. It was hectic with little respite, so come December, I was drained and at a low ebb. I looked/felt tired and my body was knackered. I needed a regroup and some focus. That's why I've loved January 2015 so much. I've relished every day. I've gone to sleep contented and tired after a full day and been excited to get out of bed again in the mornings to learn, improve & assess my progress. I've been doing things that I love to do and I can feel a new path laying out in front of me. Again, I'm reading more of Geoff Thompson (thank you Geoff for being my life adventurer, explorer & guide), I've just read a whole passage on his life where he's taken the exact same steps I am making myself right now! He's at this place of great wisdom today after investing 10 years focussing on his path and I'm so lucky to have re-affirmation this is my right path because he has so kindly shared this knowledge with us. My aim is to continue my new focus throughout the rest of the year and beyond and maybe I'll be in a position of great wisdom akin to Geoff and also doing the things I love every day a lot sooner than 10 years time. However long it takes, I'm ready to embark on this journey and enjoy each day as it comes.

Making The Most Of It

I've been hearing a lot of talk from those around me - negative stuff about January, the weather and life in general. I don't think they even know what they are saying. They can't wait for Monday to be over, can't wait for the weekend, can't wait to get back into bed, can't wait for January to be over. 

It's sad... I want to shake them! They're in the prime of their life and wishing it away, failing to appreciate what each moment of the day brings and missing being in the moment. 

A Break In The Clouds

A good example of appreciating the day happened this morning. Leaving the comfort of our room at an early hour, I marvelled at the extreme changes in weather from the day before. Embracing the cold wind and hail, I felt exhilaration as we walked in the maelstrom. Suddenly, the clouds parted and 'God's fingers' - golden rays of sunshine - burst through a break in the clouds for a fleeting few moments. I stopped to soak up the moment and capture it on my camera, while other people around me bowed their heads and pushed steely on - looking miserable, caught up in their own thoughts and completely oblivious to the amazing and beautiful event taking place. 

Life Is A Game

LEARNING THE RULES

Here's a post I read a while back on likening life to a video game. It's pretty funny looking at it like that, life....one big game. But it's kinda right. This is a game. There's choices and moves and decisions to unlock new 'worlds' and new levels to get to once you've mastered the current one. If we looked at life more that way, maybe we'd all be better at it.

The thing is, the game of life can be tough. It can be dull and it can be a bit of a downer at times. We haven't got much time on this planet, but we can certainly make some good decisions to make the most of the time we've got. We can improve our bodies, change our routines, remove our bad habits, enhance our minds and make better decisions to improve the game and enjoy playing it for the most part. We just need to understand the rules.

Make Everything A Game
My partner and I make fun times of everything we do - every mundane task has a little game attached to it. Like food shopping for example, where we split off separately and race around the store getting the ingredients; seeing who has the best memory and who's first back to the till. Cooking becomes an efficiency test; playing up against the clock for the best use of time making a new recipe - always with a bit of kitchen tango thrown in. And there's always some treats set aside to reward any cost and time savings.

We also take pleasure in sharing all the chores and mundane tasks. It often pays dividends to volunteer, because extra 'brownie points' are awarded – which can be redeemed at a later date. Where there's 'specialist' jobs like driving (my partner likes to be chauffeured), there's other jobs which can be 'owned' – she's therefore become the master in charge of all journey refreshments and takes pleasure in having the right refreshments on hand. We're both tested on our respective jobs - and we'll pull out all the stops to ensure the journey has been properly planned; the vehicle prepped, maps sorted (with pit-stops) and the right snacks/drinks ready along with all eating/drinking apparatus organised. The trip is optimised to be the best possible journey. This may sound a bit obsessive to the outside observer, but we make everything involved with a trip more enjoyable and collaboratively, it soon becomes second nature ensuring all the bases have been covered. Consequently, we love a traffic jam and there's rarely any arguments on a journey, because contingency plans have been factored-in, plus having reserves on hand, means our blood sugar levels are always primed to keep us happy in any unforeseen travel circumstances.

The principles for making life a game, can be applied to a whole array of live situations – both good and bad. If something really isn't going as planned, when there's options available, the plan B can be just as fun anyway. And if things are really not going well....then, just like a game, it can be packaged away/switched off or rebooted and played again some other time.

Think it - Do it

MAKE IT HAPPEN

How many times have you:

– Forgotten to call someone back

– Left something important behind 

– Missed out on something because you meant to put it in your bag 

– Missed a deadline
– Forgotten to jot something down or set a reminder to do it

Countless times I bet. Has it been because you've been in the middle of doing something else? Likely. Maybe that other thing was more important or fun at the time? Or was it simply because you were being inefficient or worse, lazy? Whichever - you've missed out on something good - something that was going to benefit you in some way, because you didn't do what needed to be done. It's very easy to make the mistake of putting off something until later. I've learned the hard way and that's why I've changed for the better. Ever since making this change, I've experienced countless successes where I can say I've had what I needed because I've stuck fast to a very simple rule. 

Think it - do it

As it comes to mind - grab a pen and write it on the back of your hand - or take out your phone and set a note/reminder. Even better, If you have an iPhone, take a screen grab of the note and save it to your lock screen. There are times when a note will do the trick - but if it's something that's within your grasp - ie. Getting something out of a cupboard to stick in your bag - like a passport. Do it immediately. If it's a quick and easy job - even though it disrupts what you're currently doing - slot it in and do it now while it's in your mind. If it's going to hold you up and miss a deadline or something that requires a bit more time to do - there's another rule...

The 2-minute rule

If something can be fixed, prepped/lined-up or at the least, a reminder easily set for a better time to do the task at hand - and it's a '2 minute job' - do it. For anything longer, the reminder itself fits in the 2-minute window. Do it. As you think it - do it. You may be in the middle of dinner or in a deep and meaningful conversation. Do it. If you just say 'Think it - do it' - if anyone asks why you're breaking the chat or seemingly preoccupied with your phone/notebook - pass on the rule so they can benefit too! Otherwise, just excuse yourself and quickly go somewhere out of the way where nobody can see you.

It's simple
You just need a pen/pencil and paper/notebook - or if you're tech-minded - do as I do and keep an iPad or an iPhone (or equivalent) with the notes app accessible in an easy place - ready for when the moment comes. Sometimes the moment arises when I'm in the middle of watching a film, having dinner, in conversation, driving (use dictation) or even in the middle of the night half asleep - I still jot down that reminder, note, bit of inspiration where it's ready to make good of when it comes - because thoughts are just thoughts at the end of the day and they can come and go if not captured.

Going The Extra Mile

INSPIRATION BLOCK

I woke up this morning feeling a bit blank-minded. This isn't something new - I've had this a few times lately. There's been no urge to jump out of bed and write my daily blog and little enthusiasm for getting on my computer in general. Partly it's because I've realised that I do actually need 8 hours sleep every day. Listening to an audiobook on sleep called Night School - it says to sleep when you feel tired and see when you wake without an alarm. So for the last few days, I've tried it - and found that going to bed at 8.30 is gonna lose me a girlfriend and a load of friends. The conclusion - I need 8 hours to perform at my best.

Not having any inspiration is putting a bit of unnecessary strain on myself, taking up the free time in an unproductive way and I've considered staying in bed and skipping the journal altogether at times. I've been dealing with self-doubt and the negative voices - and fighting them back. Pretty much having an even better, more productive day as a result. I don't want to have internal conflicts at 5am, so, I've changed my routine. I now listen to and read something inspirational at night and first thing in the morning, then jot down some notes on things that interest me, I would like to work on or improve in myself. That way, if I'm not immediately inspired to write - I now have a few subjects ready to work on throughout the day. I've got the Blogger app on my iPhone now, which is great. It's perfect for looking at topics for conversation and adding to them when I get those moments of inspiration when I have free time rather than put pressure on myself to finish up posts fist thing in the morning.

Beyond The Finish Line
So it's one of those mornings when I'm feeling a little lacking in what to write - I've just listened to one of Robin Sharma's podcasts about the 'last mile' theory. This talks about not only putting the effort in early on - but carrying on performing at a high level right through to the end. So, I've started this blog and made some promises to myself. I mean to go on as I've started. I've just re-read some of my earlier posts and I can see when the enthusiasm was at a high. We can't perform at 100% all the time but we should aim to have maximum output as much as we can. I believe another good practice for success is to actually aim past the finish line - as the 100m sprinters do, focussing on 10m past the line to stay at peak performance that bit longer. Giving 110% over time is how we make the biggest imrovements. I've been doing this with my rowing warm-ups. It's really tough starting off a work-out with 3x6o second sprints - aiming for a peak level target on each with just 30 seconds recovery in between. It's uncomfortable and I'm doubting myself all the way through, but I've managed to win myself over every time and finish within the target. I constantly amaze myself how effective this technique is and how we're capable of pushing our limits. This is great in sport and will be sure to apply this method in other areas in my life too.

One more point on diets:
Another diet that I'm willing to try at a later date - is the 4 day fast. I've been watching a really informative documentary on the benefits of reducing calorie intakes this morning. This documentary, -'Eat, Fast and Live Longer' is available for a year to watch on iPlayer. Here's some further information on the fasting benefits for prolonging a healthier and longer life.

Water fasting

Boosting immune system

IG-1

Sleep On It

CREATIVE DREAMS

Sometimes the best ideas come to us while we are sleeping. It's true. Try it the next time you've got something tricky that you need a creative solution for. Works every time for me. In my line of work (graphic design), I have to constantly work out solutions to creative challenges. Sometimes, the answers just aren't coming to me easily, so rather than keep staring at the screen/notes/doodles, I'll stick it up on the walk and walk away. The answer may come while I'm riding my bike home, picking up some shopping or going for a walk. It's usually when I'm doing something where my conscious creative brain is switched 'off'. This doesn't mean my mind is not working on finding the answers, it's just doing the work to find answers in the background.

More often than not, the best ideas will come to us in the morning. I'll wake up after a good night's sleep - return to the doodles/notes/screen and see straight away if the ideas were worth working on in the first place. I'll be able to clearly see if the best course is for starting again and usually, if a new angle is required, something good will 'pop' into my head and I'll be on my way to getting the job done. It's both strange and amazing how this works!

Sleep Is Key
Switching your brain off - finding silence and allowing inspiration to flow, is key to getting the most creative ideas. I always try and shut myself off in a quiet room during the day (difficult in an open plan office, but hey) and block out the noise with some headphones. The 5am mornings have been the most beneficial for having true silence and solitude. A lot of my best thinking has been done early in the morning. You can use sleep as a problem/solution finder for pretty much every situation. Just lay down and give a few moments before going to sleep - take some deep breaths and focus on the thing you want to solve for a few moments. Then tell yourself all will be resolved in the morning and push these thoughts out of your mind (I visualise closing a door) before falling to sleep.

A good example is what happened to me yesterday. I'd misplaced my car keys from a week ago. We live in a fairly small apartment and there aren't many places these keys could be. I have a routine for putting all keys and coins, wallet and phone in the same place every day and there's a pot for anything else. However, the keys were nowhere to be found. I checked all pockets and bags and racked my mind back to the previous weekend when I had the keys to remember what I was wearing and track my movements. For some reason, I had a though of 'black' being next to them - so I checked my black trainers, to see if they've fallen in, checked my black satchel and still no joy. I was starting to think I'd dropped them...so I decided to sleep on it. This morning I woke, opened the dresser on autopilot, lifted up my black leather gloves and there were the keys! I'd removed my gloves from my pocket to put away in the dresser and my keys had obviously been entwined in some way.

Next time you are stressing yourself about something, make a mental note of it and before going to sleep - have a few moments to think, write it down so it's clear from the conscious mind and see what happens in the morning.

Take Action

MAKE IT HAPPEN

Having knowledge and doing nothing with it is the same as having no knowledge at all. You have to apply what's been learned and do something useful with it to make it a benefit.

It's so easy to get everything we need. All the info and he tools are out there to be learned in schools, researched in libraries and gained in every way imaginable online. There's a lot to wade through though before getting the answers - you can't just take what you first read as 'gospel'. There's a lot of different opinions and ways of doing things and you have to find what works for you.

To get the best out of our learnings, we still have to filter out what's good and bad information and take the best advice from those around us that have learned and had success from their experiences. It takes time, will power and effort to source/digest information, assess/trial and learn what works for us. Unfortunately, we're pretty lazy if we allow ourselves to be. Discipline has to be instilled in us in the same way a child has to be shown right and wrong and a pet has to be trained. Without our parents or school teaches around it's up to us to be the role models and disciplinarians. We have to keep tabs on ourselves and take action. 

Rewards
It's really important that we treat ourselves when we've put in the hard work. If something is really hard to do and arduous to keep doing - chances are we'll give up if there's easier more fun things to do instead. Take regular assessments of your progress and set manageable milestones where you can check your progress. Think of it like a game - and that way it will be more fun.

If you're on a special diet, set a target with a reward at the end. Make it something special, one of the treats overindulged on like chocolate - but try and make the treat the best it can be. There are loads of great new raw chocolate, organic, vegan, high in anti-oxidants chocolate brands out there which are a better alternative to the high in sugar, processed varieties. I'm allowing myself to eat special raw chocolate snacks only once a week - on a Saturday night and it's helped cut out all cravings in the week now I have a goal.

Choosing Alternatives

IT'S ALL UP TO YOU

In just a few weeks, I've made some measurable changes that have had a really positive impact to my life path. Removing alcohol from the house, and not going to the pub have helped me to be more disciplined, get better sleep, have more energy, eat better food, use free time constructively and save money. Through adjusting my sleep pattern and resetting my body clock, there's now a couple of extra peak performance hours in my day. Taking certain foods out of my diet has meant I've burnt off some excess body fat and dropped 13lbs (5.8kg). Having a schedule of exercise has meant I'm moving, thinking, feeling and performing better all round. Having the extra time to make assessments on progress in the form of a blog, plus leaving space for creating every day means I am improving my mental capabilities as well as the physical. And all of these changes are happening because of me.

Taking the time to research ways on how to improve myself, I've been presented with lots of new information - digested, understood it and made decisions based on sound reasoning. I've taken action, made good decisions and chosen viable alternatives where necessary. Alternatives to things like: having a few pints of beer and staying out late, snoozing in a warm bed longer, lounging around eating junk and watching trash TV. There are a lot of alternatives that are seemingly easier to do but there are also alternatives that are just as easy, fun, tasty etc. but will show a different result at the end. Alternatives that, if followed consistently, will make us fitter, faster, stronger, brighter and better. 

Here's a reminder for some simple decisions and alternatives:

Eat In More

Buying groceries rather than ready meals - especially in bulk quantities, will save money. We know exactly what's going into every meal so always choose healthy, organic, un-processed and nutritious food over the alternatives.

Plan Ahead
Preparing meals in advance, will also help with discipline and save time. My partner and I now make this part of our quality together time early on a Sunday morning and we're always exited to try new food and look forward to making our meals every week. 

No Alcohol When Socialising

There's so many alternative beverages when you're at home but pubs, bars and restaurants have mostly sugary, carbonated and alcoholic drinks. If you have alcohol - try paleo drinks like Gin, Ciroc vodka (made with grapes), dry white wine or cider and avoid carbonated sugary mixers or juices if possible. I will have fresh press apple juice or an organic ginger beer/ale mixed with ice and water in a pint glass - and add a shot of whiskey or vodka if drinking alcohol. A glass of red wine has also got anti-oxidants and not going to harm you - but so has eating certain vegetables. I've had just as much fun meeting, catching up with friends without the alcohol and been far more controlled when it's come time to say goodbye, eat and get to bed early. 

Move Around More

Walking everywhere and doing it 1.5 - 2 times as fast, will speed your metabolism and burn calories/lower cholesterol. Take stairs up 2 at a time and never stand on an escalator. 

Eat Less Sweets And Junk Food

Swap the crisps for nuts, the sweets for fruit and if you want extra treats - restrict them to 1-2 times a week - ie. The weekend. There's great alternatives to mass-produced chocolates and sweets that are made with raw chocolate, sweetened with honey or maple syrup instead of processed sugar. They may cost a little bit more but you should only need a little bit if you've eaten well. I've removed all snacks from my day during the week and look forward to having with a film on a Saturday night - this is all I need. There's lots of alternatives to diary and if you want bread, try rye or spelt alternatives. Swap out oil and butter for coconut oil when cooking and avoid at all if possible.

Remember to think first: What's the alternative...?

Whatever you're doing, take a thought before acting and ask yourself - do I need this? Is it going to benefit me and are there better alternatives?

Check the Internet and you're bound to find out!

Stay Energised

WAK EARLY AND TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR MIND

Easy to read/say – but difficult to stick to. Waking at 5am every day - especially if you've had a hectic week and had less than your 8hrs sleep per night, can leave you feeling a bit low in energy. And no matter how good your diet has been, you need a little help sometimes. But rather than grabbing a caffeine fix, try some of these tried and tested alternatives.

Go for a walk: This one works wonders for me and deserves to be at the top of the list - but it's often the last method that I use in favour of a quick fix. The other morning, I had to unexpectedly leave the house to go collect something from a local shop. I was feeling a bit below par, a little tired and not very focussed - likely because I'd not eaten enough and gone to bed an hour later than intended. It was 6am and freezing outside. I didn't want to go. I put on my warm jacket and fast-walked the 10 minute journey. Being outside in the cold January air and looking around at the frost-covered cars - witnessing the serenity before dawn and catching a glimpse of the beginnings of a sunrise - got me back on track and the creative juices flowing.

Cold water: Splashing ice cold water in your face first thing in the morning - OR if you're really bold - jumping into a cold shower - will quickly jolt you to life. The cold will reduce swelling around the eyes and the shivers will help tone your muscles and pull your skin tight. I've made the face splach a regular edition to the routine....I'm yet to try the shower method though...

Give yourself an extra Boost
Try some of these energy boosting, brain enhancing products...

Matcha
Matcha is an organic powder ground down from green tea leaves. The Japanese have been drinking it for hundreds of years and it's been favoured by Buddhist monks and students to keep them focussed. Until recently, all matcha reserves had been exhausted in Japan, by a sudden revival in it's consumption. This revival is taking the UK by storm and as it's popularity grows, expect to see it more frequently in coffee shops. The low supply and new high demand mean it's expensive to buy, but Holland and Barrett are doing a pretty good deal at the moment.

Here's a list of it's potential benefits: 
1. High in Antioxidants
2. Also loaded super-antioxidants: Catechin, EGCg
3. Enhances Calm
4. Boosts Memory and Concentration
5. Increases Energy Levels and Endurance: energy boosting Matcha Green Tea Super Drink
6. Burns Calories
7. Detoxifies the Body
8. Fortifies the Immune System
9. Improves Cholesterol
10. Amazing Flavour (add some honey to sweeten)

If you wish to read a more extensive description on the benefits, click here for the full low-down on Matcha

Matcha v Coffee
We have an almond milk matcha latte instead of coffee some mornings. To see if swapping your Coffee for Matcha makes sense...read the verdict

Vitamin B12
If you're often feeling tired and low in energy, you may have a vitamin B deficiency. Vitamin B12 helps in the production of healthy red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body. It can typically be found in red meat, cheese and eggs and thus vegans tend to suffer from having a lack of B12 in their diet. For a full list of symptoms and remedies, click here. And here's another site that gives info on the how's and why's of B12.

I've found the B12 Spray is an easy way to get a fix - they also do a spray for vitamin D too.

Bee Pollen
The honey bees feed bee pollen to their young. It is a complete food source and rich is vitamins. Considered a 'super-food', it's been used by cultures around the world for a multitude of health applications. I've been taking a pill once a day in the morning with fruit - you can extend to 4 times a day. There's an extensive piece written on the bee pollen on this site and below, are 10 reasons to why adding bee pollen to your daily diet could benefit you.

1. Energy Enhancer
2. Skin Soother
3. Respiratory System Improvements
4. Treating of Allergies
5. Digestive System Benefits
6. Immune System Booster
7. Treats Addictions
8. Supports the Cardiovascular System
9. Prostate Aid
10. Aids with Infertility Problems

For a full description on the benefits of Bee Pollen, read more here.

Ginseng

I read about the benefits of Ginseng just this morning. Generally it has been linked to better blood flow to the brain, aided relief from stress symptoms and helped to improve memory functon. I've not tried it yet but copied from here and replicated below. Read on for more:

– Ginseng can be used to improve the health of people recovering from illness. It increases a sense of wellbeing and stamina, and improves both mental and physical performance. Ginseng can be used to help with erectile dysfunction, hepatitis C, and symptoms relating to menopause, and can also be used for lowering blood glucose levels and controlling blood pressure.

– Ginseng has been shown to reduce the levels of stress in both men and women. Those that take ginseng regularly are able to withstand higher amounts of physical and emotional stress.

– The root of Asian ginseng contains several active substances called ginsenosides or panaxosides that are thought to be responsible for the medicinal effects of the herb. Asian ginseng is “cooling” while American ginseng is “warming”.

– Because of its adaptogenic effects, it is widely used to lower cholesterol, increase energy and endurance, reduce fatigue and the effects of stress, and prevent infections. Ginseng is one of the most effective anti-aging supplements, with the capability of alleviating some major effects of aging such as degeneration of the blood system, and increasing mental and physical capacity.

Siberian ginseng is well known for its ability to fight fatigue and ward off colds and flu.

Please note - If you're feeling tired and low in energy a lot of the time, you should consult your doctor before trying any of the above remedies.

Peak Time Performance

"

THE RIGHT TIME TO PERFORM

We're on day 23 - just over 3 weeks into the new focus regime for 2015. The discipline has been applied consistently. It's been a steady march on the chosen path. Friday's are always time to reflect on the week, so it's time to evaluate and see if there's been any marked improvements.

Health:

I've been following a fairly low impact exercise routine that includes yoga, pilates and boxing. I cycle to work and back most days a week. I've also introduced a new strength training programme. I can clearly see/feel that the 3-4 times a week yoga & pilates, has improved my movement/flexibility and posture. The cycling, and gym work has helped up my general fitness, strength and stamina levels. In regards to the injuries - my neck has more mobility and my shoulders and right bicep appear to be getting better/stronger. Through diet, I've lost almost a stone in weight! (13lbs or 5.5kilos) and my definition is coming back through. My energy levels are up because I'm sleeping and eating much better and I'm able to cope with stress really well. 

Wealth:

Introducing the dry Jan rule has been an easy way to save money as there's been no money spent on alcohol. The Paleo diet means I've stuck to a very simple diet: eggs, fresh vegetables, lean meat & fish - fairly in-expensive too. Also, having a restrictive diet makes eating out a bit tricky - consequently, there's been little of that either. It's been fresh, home-cooked non-processed simple meals all round. But on the couple of times I have eaten out, the bills have been very low - especially as there's no alcohol in the mix!

I've spent some of my new free time organising my accounts, expenses and tax receipts - which has already saved on accountancy fees. I may also be saving considerably more money with a tax rebate too!

Happiness:

I've found some really great inspiration and info on the Internet - I'm actively learning, improving and creating every day. I feel and look healthier physically and mentally. Creating space for me at the most productive time in the mornings, means I have plenty of time throughout the day to accommodate others' needs. I'm more grateful of what I have and in a better mindset to appreciate the things around me that were taken for granted before. I have a positive outlook every morning and ready for what the day brings. 

Being at your best

Nobody wants to hang around with dull, depressive & negative people. But we do like being around energetic, uplifting, happy and positive people. So, which one are you today? How often are you like this? In your morning 5am comms meetings, take a bit of time to give yourself a daily check - kinda like the pilots do before flying a plane. This is how mine goes:

• How's the body feeling?
• Do I need to stretch?
• Am I rested/do I need more sleep?
• Is my mind clear/focussed?
• What's on the agenda?
• What nutrition do I need?
• Am I ready to take on the day?

According to sleep studies, you're optimum time for being the most productive is from about 7am til about 11am - then it drops to around 3pm when your energy is at it's lowest. So, If you can nap - do it at 3pm but keep it short because your energy goes up again at around 5pm (dropping off at around 9pm). If napping's not an option - this is when we tend to reach for caffeinated drinks and sugar fixes - switch for water and fruit & nuts instead. If you're going to bed earlier, you can change your internal body clock for optimum productive time to start at 5am. This gives you a few hours of quality time on your own to think and create.

I've realised making this extra time has had a massive improvement on my mental wellbeing. I'm one of the uplifting and positive people you'd wanna hang around with again. I believe everyone can benefit from doing this - and particularly introverts (see Meyers Briggs post) and the interesting book Susan Cain has written on the subject of living in a predominantly extroverted world. It can be energy sapping for an introvert if they don't get that time alone. I've found myself hiding from people at work, friends and my beloved girlfriend because I've not had the me-time during the day. If left for longer periods, this has manifested in periods with very low moods and extreme introversion whereby going deep in to my cave for recovery. While looking up the benefits of solitude, I stumbled upon Susan's insightful book which talks about introversion and coping in a predominantly extroverted world. I work in an open-plan office but as we're now able to 'hot-desk', I've managed to move away from distractions and into the designated quiet areas, which has left me in a much better place to produce good work.

I'm sure there's a lot of introverted thinkers out there who, stuck at their desk in an open environment, just don't have the luxury of being able to move to another place to work. Having everyone out in the open is a relatively new phenomenon and something that we need to look at in the workplace if we're going to have a happy, productive team.

For me, working in a creative role, keeping away from distractions and having a place of calm & order is key to ensure I'm at peak performance for longer to produce the best output.

Porter Steps

TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE BIG GOALS

On first reading, this statement may seem a little odd. Hear me out first, with a little story....

I remembered when I got my first proper job (some time ago now) and how I used to write down all the things I wanted to buy with my hard earned cash. Little things mostly but important to me at the time. Aahh, how much simpler life was back then! I started off by making a list, then working out how much I could save over time and how many pay cheques it would take to get these things. I realised that I could get the first thing on my list - those Nike Air max - sooner, if I made some changes to how I spent money through implementing improvements in my routine. Things like making my own sandwiches every day, cutting out buying snacks and alcohol and maybe doing the odd job on the side. I had no credit card back then or overdraft - in fact, ATM's weren't so readily available either, so no access to quick cash either. The only option was to earn the money and plan out my goals for when I could spend it. 

This first item on the list wasn't particularly life-changing but something special that I'd really wanted since getting my job. Sticking to a routine day after day for a month had still been tough but I'd managed to acquire my new shoes with the money from my first pay cheque - it was a real boost in confidence. This method worked because I knew what my goal was and what I had to do for a month. It felt like a special achievement and very gratifying when I rewarded myself. After pay day, I could have gone back to the old routine but I'd made a wish-list and some of these items were going to take a lot more than a month to get. 

The next month was a lot easier to stick to because I'd gotten used to the routine of making my own food for lunch - I also started to focus on improving the lunches, mixing it up a bit. So the second month flew by and I bought my Leather Filofax (I actually may dig my old one out again!). This was the place I could write my lists in, organise my schedule and write down the goal dates in my diary.

The 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th months were all rewarding in small but significant ways. Rewarding in stuff I'd bought myself, but also as I'd discovered newer ways to save and make money, became a master at sandwich making and saw great changes in my health, wealth & productivity. And after 9 months of putting away £100, I reached my big goal and bought myself a second hand Korg-M1 Keyboard - acquired 6 months quicker than I'd originally planned. It was (and still is) the very same keyboard that my favourite band, Depeche Mode used in producing their songs! These keyboards cost £1500 new - more than double what my salary was back then in 1992 and not something I thought I could afford on the money I was being paid. 

The moral of this story can be summed up like this:

- Make goals: big and small

- Make realistic time-lines

- Work out a routine

- Start working on what's in front of you right now: ie. the smaller goals

- Reward yourself regularly: it'll make the tasks more enjoyable

- Regularly assess what you need to get to the next goal

- Keep your focus on what's immediately ahead: the small incremental stuff

- The big goals will come sooner than you think 

Another story springs to mind when we walked the Inca trail. 88km over 4 days of walking 6-8 hours a day up and down steps through mountain passes. The going was fairly tough and some of us who were suffering stomach cramps and not adjusting to the altitude well, were not having a great time. But when we climbed the sun gate at 5am on the morning of the 4th day and saw the sunrise over the temple ruins at Machu Piccu - the reason for taking the arduous pilgrimage became clear. I'll never forget the feeling and this memory will always be there to remind me - namely, that doing the things which are the hardest, will give us the greatest rewards. 

27,000+ Porter Steps

When we do something tough - it's based on our perspectives, measured by comparisons to what we've accomplished before. Life can feel like an up-hill struggle but we're all capable of so much more than we think we are. The impossible is being made possible all the time (check out these climbers on El Capitan for a reminder). The thing with making big goals, is that we get caught up with how difficult they seem from the perspective we hold at the time. Doing the inca trail was tough at the time, but I've had far tougher challenges since - because my measures have changed as my perspectives have changed. The porters on the Inca trail walk those thousands of steps day after day, week after week - some with the weight of a person on their backs and wearing shoes made of car tires! Others run the inca trail in under a day. If we keep giving ourselves challenges, we can all reach our goals.....one step at a time.

Final note and acknowledgement:

I try not to just copy and paste but I do keep referencing from blogs, insights and wisdom gained from others. It's because they've taught me, re-affirmed what I already knew plus inspired, encouraged and reminded me to keep on the path I've chosen since since starting Jan 1st 2015. I'm putting the effort in and using the learnings to embark on a steady rise UP on my new chosen path rather than down. If I haven't done so already, I will pass on and continue to show my gratitude to these teachers.

You should find the following links (and many more great blog posts held on their sites) useful.

This is what James Clear clarifies about marginal gains referencing the British Olympic Team & British Tour de France winners and he makes a good point on setting schedules which are tougher to stick to than goals.

Getting What You Want

POSITIVE IN - POSITIVE OUT

Ever really taken notice of what being upbeat can do to your day? You possibly just take it as a bit of a surprise when asked how your day went. 'It went well', you'd say cheerily, without another thought - when on other not so good days, you'd maybe block out thinking about it at all, because it just didn't go well. Sometimes, on a regular day, good things can tend to go your way for no apparent reason. You haven't done anything different but it just seems a better day.

There's lots of factors that can affect your mood, but there's a trick to ensure a higher percentage of your days go well. It's pretty simple - you just tell yourself before going to sleep - 'Tomorrow is going to be a great day' and you'll wake up with that mindset. And if you feel good, and put that smile out there to face the word, you'll have an upbeat impact on others. Good feelings & positivity will be contagious and you'll receive back smiles with whoever you show them to. It reminds me of a stunt I saw a year or so ago. Here's the video:

Sleep And Eat Well
You get up early after a restful night's sleep. You eat a nutritious breakfast, watch, read, listen to some inspirational stuff. Before you leave the confines of your home, you take a minute or two to look out the window where you see a clear sky and the first orange glow of a sunrise on the horizon. There's a new playlist on your iPhone, and a book to read. You smile at people as you navigate the public transport system. You get a seat. You're unfazed when the packed train is delayed - you're early anyway. Throughout the day, your smile gets you a free coffee, a good table and a premium service at the restaurant. Later in the afternoon, helpful customer service advisers go above and beyond to make a usually tedious banking and mobile services call effortless. A colleague thanks you for helping out and you get a small gift from them. You have a productive and rewarding day working and return home to a happy house, because you've bought and made dinner. You plan your fun for the weekend - something new. Sleep comes easy. It's just a normal day and it's been a good one because you've done something called: 'getting out on the right side of bed'.

Practice Positivity
Last night, I watched some of The Secret on Netflix and had a read of my partner's book called Magic - both are by Rhonda Byrne. From my understanding, The Secret pretty much talks about the rules of attraction and Magic about the practice of getting things you want by thinking positively.

These books/film are a reminder that if you put out positive thoughts, you'll get positive results back. If you focus on the negative - you're already talking yourself out of getting a positive outcome. If these books work for you, great - use whatever it takes to be a more positive person and others will want you around and to be around you!

I particularly like the message these books contain about being thankful & grateful. Not sure about being reliant on getting rich by visualising money - sure, it can happen seemingly by magic, but you can't beat a bit of commitment and hard work to be truly successful. Writing a self-help book sure seems to be a good formula for attracting money though, but nobody likes a cynic, so I'm going to do the magic gratitude exercise and stick a cheque on the wall tonight.

Another book worth reading (or listening to) about being successful is Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers - if you're going to visualise success as part of your daily magic exercises, it makes sense to understand that it usually takes a lot of hard work over time to get there. His other books are worth a read (or listen too on iTunes or audible etc.). I will definitely listen to these again.

Essential Rules For Attraction 
To get on in life, you need to be reliable and decent in thoughts/action.
To make friends and be respected, always acknowledge others and ask how they're feeling. Know that we are all equal. Give compliments and allow opinions. Look people squarely in the eyes, remember names & shake their hands firmly.

I couldn't resist putting some quotes on here. On being decent: these wise words from Wilson Mizner
'Be nice to people on your way up - because you'll meet need them on your way down'

On quick success, Mizner also wisely said:
"Do not be desirous of having things done quickly. Do not look at small advantages. Desire to have things done quickly prevents their being done thoroughly. Looking at small advantages prevents great affairs from being accomplished."

And also this one about slealing quotes:
"If you steal from one author it's plagiarism; if you steal from many it's research."

More from Wilson Mizner here

And just to make sure I'm not plagiarising Mizner's work and actually researching - here's another wise quote:
"It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err."
Mahatma Gandhi

Inspiration Overload

AN APPETITE FOR LEARNING

It's getting a little bit crazy in the mornings. Whereas I started the year with a blank mind and let the thoughts manifest on to the virtual page. I'm now having internal conflicts about what to write, when to write, how much to write and I've created a log-jam of new material to read, absorb and use - which I have to do before I can honestly write about the benefits. I need to de-clutter and get some order back!

I'm hungry for learning but I don't have enough time or the right head space to properly absorb all of it in a day. Every time I find another teacher or subject that interests me, I'll stumble upon another and another. There's just so much great stuff to learn.

So, starting from today, I'm going to set aside 2 hours to read, listen and watch my new material. I've added a reminder in my diary and a list of the things I'll be learning. I've allowed a bit of time to take notes after each one - as a way to help absorb the learnings and provide some reference for the content of my next post on them.

Quiet time

It's so easy to get overloaded and stressed by running a business, looking after a family or trying to fit relationship, work, friends, exercise and quality me-time all into one day. You don't need the extra stress from having inspiration overload.

I've started the day with just my blog window open and ended up with 17 tabs of inspiration. I've got over 70 podcasts lined up and 4 new books to read. Consequently, I'm behind on my blog. Today's topic was a subject about something completely different - but I've taken inspiration from what's right in front of my nose instead - having too much information to digest. Reading Paul Brunsun's piece about overload, I've remembered to 'stack' my reference pages out of sight - ready for a later read. A great tool for doing this is Pocket. It bookmarks all your pages into one place. You can add Pocket to Chrome as an extension and assign a keyboard command for even more efficiency.

{pause.}

I've just done something I should be doing more of - ie. taking time to look up. Quiet time and inspiration taken by lifting my gaze away from my laptop and peering straight ahead at the blue sky and view over London today. it's a beautiful crisp day - I'll have to get outside for a walk today too.

Looking out of the window in front of me, reminded me again of Leo Babauta's page from the other day. A reminder to be in the moment, to be present in the here and now, to breathe and be still. It also reminded me of Geoff Thompson's 'Everything is Scripture' podcast - everything I'm now looking at out of my window, is scripture and an inspiration. 

I will go back to these teaching again in the future....but for now, back to a bit of quiet reflection and on to my learning for the day

Setting Social Standards

TAKING THE PLUNGE

Today, I'm taking some bold steps out into the world. I'm opening myself up - sharing my content and baring all to see. This is not something I've felt comfortable with before.

I'm a private person and never been a big fan of social sharing platforms - ie. Facebook. There, I've said it. Yes, I confess there's a bit of a mistrust issue at the heart of this statement. I'm sure there's a lot of us out there. I couldn't really see the point of it other than for filling time while waiting for a bus. I also just don't trust it - or myself to use it. I have more productive ways to use my time! Maybe it says something about the type of person I am - or likely this is more of a global phenomena. See the links at the end to get a perspective from younger and older social media perspectives...

I have a handful of close friends that I regularly see and speak to directly and none of these were my friends on Facebook. I realised that my relationship with Facebook was feeding a paranoia I was holding against social media in general and it was stopping me from using it and any of the other alternatives properly. I believe this mistrust underlies something else that I'm masking, which I intend to find out over time.

The internet is a bit of a mess. Let's face it, there's so much going on out there - it's amazing and overwhelming at the same time. There's stuff to make you joyful, struggle to fight back tears or just plain angry - all in the space of minutes! It has the power to move us in many ways. It can make or break your mood/day. So, we need to set limits for its time & usage – I found this nice article this morning on the subject.

Praise where it's due
How many people spend their valuable hours preparing insights into learned life-lessons and blindly sharing them with the world - never receiving any praise for what they've given us? A lot of people I reckon. I'm a big fan of the unsung, faceless hero. I like doing things this way too - giving anonymously. But it's also such a lift, when someone tells you you're amazing - when you've unknowingly helped or done something to inspire others - performed a selfless act or just been doing what you normally do. Your mum is one of those people. When was the last time you contacted her to say how amazing she is? Watch her face light up when you tell her from the heart. Selfless givers or grateful receivers - we can all be be those people.

The web is a place where everyone has a chance to give & teach & inspire others. We're all connected and our actions affect everything and everybody around us. So, name calling, blaming and belittling - it all impacts on us. Every time I read a negative comment/review on someone else's website - whatever it is they've done, good or bad, I'm left feeling for the person that's been hit-up with negativity. It's not even my product, service, story etc. yet I'm affected by it - I feel it. If people were more accountable and took some time to think about the consequences of their words/actions - we'd have a much better society. We know this. We just need to remind ourselves more often.

I'm discovering cool, informative, inspiring stuff and learning so much, every day. I focus on the positive and turn away from the negative. I've made a list of the people that have inspired me - and I'm in the process now of thanking each one of them individually, for passing on their story. I believe there's a moral duty to pass this information on too, hence why I'm overcoming my Facebook and social media phobia.

Moral integrity
The web has a collective of good and bad out there. Everything and anything you could want to find - is there. Diving in and swimming around in the ever-changing virtual world, is like joining a school of fish. It's exciting being a part of this phenomena. I found myself on Reddit for a bit of time yesterday - another place to get lost in for hours at a time, but another great tool for an inspiration fix. I discovered this article about a pizza delivery guy getting a payout, which highlights what can happen when the web gets up on it's moral high ground. Possibly a bit extreme donating $20k but I'd really like to see more of this kind of integrity. People standing up for what they believe in - big brothers/sisters, looking out for the little guy and being able to stop all this unnecessary spiteful and negative abuse (that's exactly what it is).

Be accountable
Be genuine, honest and decent. Give back. Be charitable and good things will come back to you.
I've taken the plunge and come what may, I'll roll with the punches if they come. I also stumbled upon this guy today - James Clear: he's posting some great content for free! And this particular article touches on today's subject - being in the public forum and dealing with haters & critics.
I'll refrain from being negative in posts and strive to maintain my moral integrity going forward.

For any of my bloggs, posts, pages, comments, pictures etc. I can be found at #ffc #ffc2015 #focusforchange @focusforchange On twitter, facebook, google+, tumblr and medium

Heres what the kids and the old fogeys are saying - great articles.

Listen And Learn

LEARNING ON THE GO

I try and actively learn something new every day as part of my 2015 mantra. I love reading, but rarely get the time to sit down and properly read - to be in a place to really take on board the story or information from the pages...there's too much work to be done! That's the beauty of pod-casts and audiobooks. The great thing is, you can leave your hands free for doing other autonomous things. I often listen to podcasts and audiobooks when I'm travelling on public transport or driving in the car. Yesterday, while washing the car, I listened to an informative book on understanding sleep, entitled 'Night School'. You can download this audio book from Audible. The great thing for me, was that it was also free as part of my Times+ subscription - another great perk of my job. 

Tech Time

In line with my new thinking/approach for shorter blogs - allowing more time for other research, I'll be continuing to set up my online & social preferences today. There's some handy little apps and extensions out there for making things that bit easier. I'll also be adding a page at some point in the not too distant future, with some of my tech time-saving and useful apps & tweaks. For now, check out Pocket - it's a great way to save stuff for future reading/viewing/research.