Pockets And Jackets

KEY KEEPERS

I really don't like losing things but it happens to us all from time to time. To avoid this from occurring, the key is to limit the risk. I'm going to say this, in the hope I never have to back track...I have never lost a wallet or keys, or a phone for that matter. 

The reason why, I follow a routine and always keep the keys, wallet and phone in the same places. That way, I know where they are at all times. But, if I'm going to lose a wallet or keys, I want to limit the losses as much as possible. So, I rarely carry much cash in my wallet and pretty much keep the contents to a basic minimum. Bank cards, ID/licence, gym card and £20 cash. That's it.

I also keep my keys to a minimum. I never take a massive bunch of keys around with me. My keys are kept in groups. House keys, bike lock keys, car keys, garage keys. I add or subtract as necessary. If I travel, I take just the door keys. On the door keyring is a little engraved plaque with my phone number and email address. Worse case scenario, I misplace a set of door keys and someone will hopefully see the contact details or it's only £10 to replace them. 

I always put my keys in the same place on the dresser every night. Otherwise, they stay in the front right pocket of my trousers or shorts. I never carry them in a jacket pocket. Same goes for wallet. As I only ever carry the bare essentials, my wallet is small enough to fit in my front right or back right pocket, I never need to stick either of these valuables in a jacket. 

Lost Property

The amount of times I've lost or left a jacket somewhere - countless. Lost property is full of them. Hence why I never carry my stuff in a jacket pocket. It's a no brainer really, travel light and keep the important things close to hand. Simple. And yet I know quite a few friends who, on a seemingly regular basis, lose phones, wallets and keys - and of course their jackets too. 

The Hustle

ALL ABOUT MAKING MONEY

Being able to earn enough money through our own means, from doing various different odd jobs, is fun but it can also be hard hussle. The hours can be quite anti-social and sporadic, as you take the money wherever and whenever you can. It can mess with your sleep patterns, throw off the routine and make you lose track of the days & nights. 

Missing the 9 til 5

While the ritual of a 9-5 job can feel like a bit of a grind, having the set location, times and 5 day week routine to follow, can bring some order into our lives put a regular and potentially much higher income on the table too.

Having freedom to work when we really want to work, means having more discipline to spend less, a greater will to seek out work, a strong resolve to stay out of trouble and the ability to put some hard work in on some jobs that are demanding, yet offer very little financial reward at the end compared to the salary gained through regular employment.

The pay off for having freedom to work away from corporate life, essentially means applying tighter reins to ourselves and our lifestyles. This means having a lot more discipline and control over our daily lives. It means saying 'No' much more often. 

Through careful planning, focus on time management and mindful objectives of how we obtain, maintain and retain work, dealing with our clients and suppliers in an honest and decent manor, we become the ambassadors of our brand. 

We can't afford to turn up and not deliver. There's no hiding, no shirking and definitely no feet under the table, which we find happening a lot of the time in the corporate world. 

Every day is a hustle - an urban forage of virtual beans and berries with a constant drive for finding that 'big game' that's lurking out there somewhere - the major prize, a giant, that once snared, will stock our reserves to help keep us going through the leaner times. 

Return To The Ritual

GETTING BACK ON TRACK 

After a summer of party excess, returning to a fitness routine like the strict one we were running back in the spring, was never going to be easy - just as any return from a break in the routine feels a bit tough. Fitness levels will start to drop pretty quickly if they are left without having any regular top-up maintenance. And after just two weeks, all the hard work that's been put in before will need to be invested once again.

Getting up at 5.30am is tough, regardless of whether you are used to it or not. But when there's been a lot of missed sleep plus other factors like high alcohol levels and the diet have been running out of control - stepping into a gym for an intensive hour of cardio and boxing training at 7am after a 6 week break will always be hell, no matter how fit you are/were. 

The first 15 minutes will be a shock. Any fitness indicators you benchmarked before, will be showing up well below previous levels. The good news is - that first workout, arduous as it may feel at the time, provided you push yourself hard...the following workouts will feel so much easier in comparison, as your fitness levels quickly return to their former peaks. So after today's session - it's all going to seem that much easier going forward for me and I'm already looking forward to my next one on Friday as well as my return to the fitness ritual.

Say What You Do - Do What You Say

BIG TALK

How many times in our lives have we said we're going to do something and failed to deliver on it? Many times for sure - because talk is cheap. We often talk on autopilot and a lot of the time we don't even realise we're doing this. So, to deliver on what we're saying, we really need to be more mindful of what we are saying and what we can stick to. 

Focussing On The Moment

The worst time to have a conversation is when the mind is occupied with another task. If one attempts to engage in a conversation at the same time as performing another task, the mind disengages from comprehension and retention of information, In a compromised state, the person multi-tasking will likely agree to anything that's put to them - often to a disadvantage. Many have gotten wise to this fact and why distraction is often used as a tool for ensuring consent to desired plans.

It's easy to respond to questions without thinking through what it is we really want to say first. It's also really easy to talk 'twaddle' - mindless small talk. Sometimes it can feel like the part of the brain responsible for talking, is acting completely on it's own accord. One may get told by partners that they have said something - with no recollection of saying it. This mindfulness problem will get multi-tasker in a lot of trouble! I've personally caught myself mid-stream agreeing to a task, when I knew full well I was not going to be able to commit to it. 

Some falsely believe they can multitask. The reality is, that tasks can be taken on simultaneously, but all will be compromised. We all really need to focus on what we're doing, including having a meaningful conversation. This means completely averting energies on other tasks, making eye contact, and then thoughtfully considering exactly what is being discussed before agreeing to something that needs to be carried through with mutual agreement. 

The Morning Schedule

A good example of where the focus on communication has started to work, comes with one's commitment to the morning schedule. A group of us called the 5am club has been committing to an exercise routine for some time now. Qi Gong, planks, press-ups and physio exercises every day before breakfast. Sometimes, however, a late night with friends, a few too many drinks and not enough food, means the early start and physical exertion becomes more of a challenge - a good excuse you'd think, for changing plans. Not any more. Previously, one of us would decide that they wanted to stay in bed longer or skip the exercises. This was becoming a difficult situation because we'd take turns to break the rules so much that there was no routine and the group was beginning to disintegrate.

The solution was to have a meaningful conversation the night before and mutually agree on a plan for the following day. If there was a good enough reason for a time change - then fine, we'd make the adjustment, but under no circumstances was the chain going to be broken by not sticking to the routine. 

Seinfeld's 'Chain' Strategy

There's been a few people laying claim to this simple but effective technique, which is essentially just making a plan and sticking to it - like writing something in a blog every day or doing 3x 2 minute planks and 50 continuous press-ups - even with a hangover. 

Integrity Rules

Each time we make 'pacts' within groups, with family, friends, partners and with ourselves, we need to be aware that breaking this contract, also damages our integrity. If this continues, the ability to stick to plans, and firm up beliefs and ability to stay on the path of truth, becomes weakened. Our moral compass lowers. 

Staying true to our word and starting from plans made the evening before, with actions taken the following morning – will aid us in creating healthy habits and positive lifestyle changes.

Get Military This Spring

TEN-HUP!

At the start of the year when I first started my 5am starts, it was a lot easier for me to commit to and easy to stick with once the new regime was underway. This, I put down to the fact, that it was dark in the mornings and dark again before 4pm. Therefore, it was easy to get into bed at 9pm and rise after 8 hours sleep when the rest of the city was asleep. The hibernation mentality was all I had to beat.

Now the days are so long and everyone is out in the sun - merrily having some fun...and it's hard not to get involved. I'm slipping on the 5am starts and other commitments are slipping too. So it's time to get military on myself to get everything back on track!

Setting a goal and then breaking it is not cool. It sends out all kinds of wrong messages that removes control of our actions and allows bad habits to creep back in. We can take breaks if we allow them, but breaking commitments and promises - especially with ourselves....is a big NO if we want to get on in our lives. If we set timings on these commitments, we need to constantly adjust them to make them a challenge. That means increasing the intensity, frequency and creating new goals. We have to keep putting in the hard work if we want the results.

Thinking of Sylvester Stallone again today, I was reminded of Rambo 4 (even if you're not a fan of his films, you have to admire the man). After watching this film, I then watched the interviews with the cast, crew and Mr Stallone himself. Working in over 80% humidity for 18 hour days in the Thai forest was really tough - and this was the cast & crew talking. Sylvester Stallone not only starred in this film, but he wrote, directed and co-produced it too and he's in his 60's when making this.

When everyone had gone to bed, Stallone was checking the rushes. In the mornings, he was first on the set. He had what it takes to push on through because he'd prepared himself by conditioning his body and mind over many years. That's why he's so successful and still making films today. So, if we want to cut loose a bit and have a break - that's fine. We just need to establish some boundaries and allow for down time. This is where we need to be the tightest on the rules we set with ourselves, so we can work & play hard too.

From tomorrow, following the Qi-gong 10 minute wake up routine, we have increased our morning exercises to incorporate 6x1 minute planks (with 15 seconds break between), followed by a set of posture correcting exercises. This adds up to 20 minutes of extra time needed in the morning so there has to be a fixed time to do this. The new 'military' rules mean there will be no break in this routine from today and the alarm will chime time every morning at the same time until the next re-evaluation date.

Having a fixed time/schedule means there's no excuses not to be ready - just as the army will have disciplined ways of do their routines. We pledge to continue on this routine until this current cycle is finished. And at the end of June, we'll look at what the next cycle will be.

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.

Preparation Is Key

STAYING AHEAD OF THE GAME

I'm getting on track. I've got my early morning routine down. My diary has been updated with my exercise routine and my partner and I now also have a calendar with all our shared social events in, so we can plan the rest of our free time accordingly. I'm starting to run more on auto-pilot in the mornings. So this week I'm looking more closely at my financial situation. Not going out much at the moment or drinking alcohol, are definitely helping, but I've eaten out a few times last week and there were a couple of meals that could have been better for budget and performance. I had a fairly late night last week (10.30) and grabbed a subway for dinner. It was a tuna 6" with low cal mayo, so not really that unhealthy, but bread late isn't good for me plus it wasn't really enough food. If I'd just prepared a salad in my canteen at lunchtime for take away, I could have had a really healthy, light meal before going out, or eaten a portion of it earlier and finished the rest later on. The following night I ate a bigger plate of food, but again not ideal as it was a lot of food after 7pm, spicy and contained quite a bit of protein which takes more energy to digest. Both nights were consequently later because it took longer to get off to sleep and it wasn't the best quality rest needed to stay on top of things.

The Right Food For The Job
I live an active lifestyle. I'm up early, bed early and doing physical activity regularly throughout the day and I need to get the right foods in at the right times and best nutrition for the jobs in hand. I'll definitely come back to writing a more detailed food page at some point, but for now, here's a few pointers for the types of food I should have on-hand for nutrition, value and convenience.

My ethos, is to eat pretty much everything in moderation but I tend to avoid processed food, ready-meals and keep to eating a balance of simple and natural foods – fruit, veg and meat. Kind of like the cave man or Paleo diet.
Here's a few of the staple foods I've found to work for me and at certain times of the day:


Mornings
Aloe Vera – 5am
I always start my day with a 60ml shot of Aloe Vera, which helps to regulate my digestive system.

Lemon juice - 5.30am
Drink some hot water with squeeze lemon juice and honey for Vitamin C and good for keeping neutral Ph balance.

Banana - 5.30-7.30am
Great source of potassium - the riper ones will have more sugars and this is great if I need a bit of energy to get me in to work on the bike in the mornings.

Avocado - 6.30-7.30am & 6.30-730pm
These are a great food source that contain good fats and are pretty much a meal all in themselves. They are easy on the digestive system, so great first thing or before bed. Cut them in half, score crossways and diagonally. Add a little (quality) balsamic vinegar and eat straight out of the skin.

Eggs - 6.30-730am
I'll eat a bit more food in the morning if I'm training. Either I'll make scrambled eggs; - usually with a combination of tomatoes, spinach, broccoli and/or avocado. If I want to make the best use of time, I have two boiled eggs and eat an avocado straight out of the skin (see above). I bought a really nifty little device called the Princess egg timer and steamer - really great for making the perfect eggs and steaming fish or vegetables while you can get on with your work!

Fish - 6.30-7.30am & 6.30-7.30pm
Steamed fish goes well with eggs - I usually have this meal in the mornings if my dinner the night before has been quite light, or enjoy on weekends for brunch. Really sets me up if I've got a big day ahead. I'll also eat steamed fish with new potatoes and steamed broccoli/asparagus for dinner because I can have it ready within 20 minutes.


These are the foods I also eat - but not so much and only at certain times

Bread - 6.30am - 2.30pm
I usually go for one piece of toast with breakfast eggs a few times a week or I'll sometimes have bread with my larger breakfast on the weekends. Bread is a slow release energy source and so I try and keep it early in the day. It's also a carbohydrate and processed wheat so I only eat when I need it and stick to quality grains to avoid any stomach issues. My partner likely has a wheat or gluten intolerance because she suffers with discomfort when eating bread or pasta.

Pasta - 12.30 - 7.30
I don't have a problem with eating bread or pasta but it can bloat me or make me feel tired. Pasta is another good energy source but I tend to eat only in moderation and have more green vegetables instead as a source for my carbs.

Spicy meals - lunchtimes or Saturday early evening only
Spicy meals taste great but for me they can create acid and heat in the body. So provided I can drink lots of water and I'm not trying to sleep straight after, I'll eat curries and richly seasoned meals.

Sweets - lunchtimes or Saturday early evening only
I like chocolate occasionally and the odd sweets. I'll tend to have a couple of mouthfuls of a desert and that's enough. Having too much sugar makes me 'jittery' and I definitely avoid before bedtime.

Caffeine
Coffee and tea - 6am-3pm
I like the odd tea and coffee throughout the week - usually with a bit of milk, and half a sugar in coffee. I'll have a mocha on a Saturday morning to keep me going before a hearty brunch but try not to drink on an empty stomach or after lunchtime (unless it's decaf).

Cheese - 10.30am-7.30pm
Cheese is my chocolate. Cheese also goes well with my other favourite indulgence - biscuits!

Lunch & Evenings
Salad
I usually have a light but filling lunch most days to keep my energy levels up throughout the afternoon. Eating salads are a great way to stay lean. I'll have some protein with it like tuna, chicken or salmon.
The rest of the salad consists of:
– Leaf = spinach/rocket
– Tomatoes
– Potato salad
– Rice
– Peppers
– Cucumber
– Carrot
– Pulses and chickpeas
– Vegetables ie. green beans & broccoli


Meat - 12.30-3pm & 6.30-7.30
I'll stick to grilled or roast chicken (especially in the evenings) if I can but the occasional lamb, or quality cut of beef (good source of iron) won't hurt. I'll also have a beef stew as it's easier to digest when the meat's been tenderised. Stews are a great way to get a meal easily prepared that contains meat and vegetables. We make our own stews in the winter months - often weekly on a Sunday and it takes no more than 15 minutes to prepare. We have a slow cooker that cooks the stew throughout the night while you sleep, so ready when you wake. It makes 4 large meals plus a soup each for about £6-7. This means we have 3 meals for the week in the fridge - ready to heat up in the evening or take as a lunch to work.

Keeping It Light
It's winter - I believe it's not such a bad thing having a few extra pounds at this time of year - I call it my winter coat. It gets cold on the bike and, like on a sea lion - blubber can help keep out the cold and used for some energy reserves too. So I'm not going militant on my diet but I will say it's better to cut out where you can. I don't have any butter or spread on my toast any more but I will use butter for my scrambled eggs. I don't fry much food but when I do have a bit of pan-fry fish etc. I use minimum oil - the oil sprays are good. I avoid sauces and salad dressings except a little olive oil and balsamic. And I skip the gravy or avoid adding fat (melted butter etc.) to my carbs. If I want to add flavour, I'll sparingly add a little balsamic, piri-piri/tabasco (not in the evenings), sweet chilli or HP/ketchup sauce.

That's it for now - I'll add a page on food, their benefits etc. and some easy, nutritious recipes for the slow cooker to try at some point down the line. Tomorrow, I'll be looking at a couple of other things I'm also trying this week...

Jan 1st And A 5am Mantra...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!


This is how I will start and intend to maintain my mindset for 2015....Happy.
Not just a smiley, be nice to people and easy to be around kinda thing, but a truthful, focused and progressive approach to being happy. Sitting here in front of a computer at 5am on the 1st of Jan – writing these words down – fresh thoughts from a stilled mind – this seems the best way for me to hold a mirror up to my face. Writing a kind of diary – a cemented honesty of my feelings for the present state of mind – will be a definitive way to mark my progress from this day forward. This way, I can look myself squarely in the eye and say I've done my best to improve my life path. If these words are merely vapour trails of thoughts from the past then I'll be sitting here 1st Jan 2016 in the same (or worse) situation. Things need to change.

Here's where I currently stand on the things that currently have a negative affect on my mind set:

Health. I'm currently 4-5 kilos or 3/4 of a stone heavier than I should be and I've got a couple of injuries that will get worse if left as they are. This should all be addressed and maintained by keeping a regular exercise routine and by doing some physiotherapy. I'll post some before and after pictures to mark progress on physique improvements.

Wealth. This is not good! I earn a decent salary, but there''s been far too much spent on house, car and going out/away on holiday over last 5 years. I'm in debt at the moment. Also there's a £30k tax rebate that HMRC have been hounding me for – so that's a bit of a dark cloud to sit under. This could be slowly chipped away at for years or I could look at making extra money to clear it faster. I'll keep a tally of how much I'm clearing every month – the no drinking rule for Jan (longer if I can) will help me stay on top of things.

Career. Could always be better. I'm still working 40+hrs a week in an environment which is going to eat away at the first word on this blog over time unless I do something about it soon. Not to say it's a bad office - because it's great and the people are nice generally - but it's not a place I can really be myself in...I'm sure there's a lot of people having this same issue and possibly know they can fix this one quite easily by getting another job – but after 20 years of making stuff look nice to help sell more stuff, what I really want to do is change my output. The best achievements I can recall for 2014 were talking with kids about making their future career plans and taking on a few challenging charity events. Generally, helping youngsters and giving back are on my todo list for 2015. I'll work on what tools I have on hand already – and see what I need to learn in order to make a change at some point down the line but for the mean time, find some viable outlets to better express myself in, to get that swagger back in my step.

This blog is for me btw – it's a tool to mark my progress and make a commitment to improve the status quo. I'm not making any deadlines just yet but there will be some progress milestones along the way. I'll check back in tomorrow with an update on how the first day of the year has gone...