Well, I haven't posted in a very long time.
To give an update, I have pretty much stayed on track with my daily tasks. I'm a little lacking on eating enough fruits and veggies but I have added yoga to my exercise routine. I obviously haven't been posting my updates. The rest I have pretty much kept on track with while adding a few more goals as well! Looking back at my previous posts, I can see the slight edge at work in my life.
The sub-title for this blog no longer applies:
This is a personal journal tracking my Goals and Daily Disciplines for 2010! Feel free to look up different topics but if you want to follow my "journey" I recommend starting at the beginning.
I will also be removing my checklist, I'm keeping track of my daily disciplines on my mobile device. It's more readily available and it reminds me of my "TO DOs".
However, this blog will still be my thoughts on my journey of improving everyday through the slight edge principle. Along the way there will be random thoughts and general news and information.
I'm living on the eighth day, right now!
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Halfway to a habit!
Day 10 down... It takes 21 days to establish a habit. I'm almost to the halfway point! It really is starting to feel like a habit, where the day isn't quite "normal" without getting everything done.
I am also dicovering new and interesting fruits and veggies AND discovering new and interesting ways to prepare and eat them. I actually have been eating them two or three meals a day and usually more than one servings worth. That is a huge improvement considering I used to go whole days without a single serving.
I forgot to report on my weigh in on Sunday. I have abandoned 2 pounds and the clothes are definitely fitting better! At this rate I should basically be at my goal by the end of March!
I'm living on the eighth day, right now!
Heart
check 30 Minute Exercise
check ate fruits or veggies
check followed payoff plan
Soul
check Prayed with prayer partner
check Talked to Jeff
check Reached out to one more
Mind
check listened to audio
check read 10 pages
check blog checklist
I am also dicovering new and interesting fruits and veggies AND discovering new and interesting ways to prepare and eat them. I actually have been eating them two or three meals a day and usually more than one servings worth. That is a huge improvement considering I used to go whole days without a single serving.
I forgot to report on my weigh in on Sunday. I have abandoned 2 pounds and the clothes are definitely fitting better! At this rate I should basically be at my goal by the end of March!
I'm living on the eighth day, right now!
Heart
check 30 Minute Exercise
check ate fruits or veggies
check followed payoff plan
Soul
check Prayed with prayer partner
check Talked to Jeff
check Reached out to one more
Mind
check listened to audio
check read 10 pages
check blog checklist
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Back on Track!
Week Two Day One or Day Eight! I got back on track today.
I want to thank people that have helped. First, my abandonment ladies, Cindy and Francine. Thank you for the complete honesty and transparency we have. It helps me feel like I don't have to be so perfect. Through our combined weaknesses we are strong! Plus, it feels so good to be back is regular communication with you two. Second, my prayer partner, Cynthia, for being soooo faithful in calling me every day. Third, Jeff, for calling me (on weekdays). I need to work on calling him on weekends. I'm counting chating on facebook for an hour this morning as our talk time today. Did I mention we are geeks? Last and not least, EVERYONE reading this blog! I can't believe how much this has helped me. Just knowing that I'm going to have to report on my blog what I did that day, is huge motivation. I hope that I return the favor by giving my readers inspiration to stick to their own goals and daily disciplines.
I'm living on the eighth day, right now!
Heart
check 30 Minute Exercise
check ate fruits or veggies
check followed payoff plan
Soul
check Prayed with prayer partner
check Talked to Jeff
check Reached out to one more
Mind
check listened to audio
check read 10 pages
check blog checklist
I want to thank people that have helped. First, my abandonment ladies, Cindy and Francine. Thank you for the complete honesty and transparency we have. It helps me feel like I don't have to be so perfect. Through our combined weaknesses we are strong! Plus, it feels so good to be back is regular communication with you two. Second, my prayer partner, Cynthia, for being soooo faithful in calling me every day. Third, Jeff, for calling me (on weekdays). I need to work on calling him on weekends. I'm counting chating on facebook for an hour this morning as our talk time today. Did I mention we are geeks? Last and not least, EVERYONE reading this blog! I can't believe how much this has helped me. Just knowing that I'm going to have to report on my blog what I did that day, is huge motivation. I hope that I return the favor by giving my readers inspiration to stick to their own goals and daily disciplines.
I'm living on the eighth day, right now!
Heart
check 30 Minute Exercise
check ate fruits or veggies
check followed payoff plan
Soul
check Prayed with prayer partner
check Talked to Jeff
check Reached out to one more
Mind
check listened to audio
check read 10 pages
check blog checklist
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Mind & Day Five!
Even less pain today! I'm kicking my Fibro to the curb!!! My back is still aching but my hips don't feel like I need hip replacement surgery. Getting all of my daily disciplines done is feeling more like daily routine than a chore. Even "reaching one more", amazingly the people just are popping up. Yesterday, as I was helping my 16 year old train on a street in our neighborhood, I met a new neighbor AND I saw (and talked to) another neighbor, that I haven't talked to in at least a couple of years. Today I traded emails with two different people that I haven't talked to in about a year, one in Wichita, KS and one in Apache Junction, AZ.
The final area "Mind - Mental - Personal Development" ... Again we have the issue of measurement. How do you know if you're a better person? I even put the word daily in this goal because the end result is so immeasurable and we're never done. I hope to be improving personally, every day of my life. So the goal is: Stay on track with my personal development DAILY!
These are the easiest disciplines for me. If I am exercising, I'm listening to an audio. Through our business I have access to many wonderful MP3s, so I will never run out! Yesterday I walked with John Maxwell as he told me what books impacted his life and today I learned about forgiveness from Paul & Billie Tsieka. Wow, what powerful mentors. I also have been an avid reader for many years. I used to read Danielle Steel novels but then I realized they didn't impact my life (for the positive that is). Around 15 years ago I changed to reading books that I could get something good out of. Now I read every night before I go to sleep, actually I can't get to sleep without reading first. I am finding it challenging to read 10 pages. Before I was only reading until I got "drowsy" eyes, (sometimes after one sentence) turned off the light and went to sleep. So I feel that I am getting much more out of the reading now.
Finally, blog checklist!!! This of course is the newest habit for me, all of the others have been in my life off and on (more off than should have been) but this is a brand spankin' new discipline. Of course, I have used various forms of checklists in the past. Electronic on my PDA (remember those?), now on my phone, outlook tasks, and scribbled on scraps of paper in my purse (still the most common in my life). I still use these for different "to do" lists but I haven't ever blogged about my daily life. I have to say it has already helped tremendously. These daily disciplines aren't just New Year’s resolutions I made to myself, I publicly declared them!
Just in these five days, there are more times than I would like to admit, I didn't want to do one discipline or another and the thought occurred, "I would have to put on my blog that I didn't do it!" I know some of you are thinking, "Just SAY you did it." That would be people who don't know me. I CAN'T lie, not just that I DON'T lie, I CAN'T lie. Even as a child, my sister used to say, "Let me talk, not saying anything is not lying." Then mom would ask, "What are you girls up to?" and I would blurt out EVERYTHING my sister didn't want me to. Never been able to lie, I don't know why but I figure that's a good flaw to have so I never tried to change it. This trait is also a bonus in declaring my affirmation...
I'm living on the eighth day, right now!
Heart
check 30 Minute Exercise
check ate fruits or veggies
check followed payoff plan
Soul
check Prayed with prayer partner
check Talked to Jeff
check Reached out to one more
Mind
check listened to audio
check read 10 pages
check blog checklist
The final area "Mind - Mental - Personal Development" ... Again we have the issue of measurement. How do you know if you're a better person? I even put the word daily in this goal because the end result is so immeasurable and we're never done. I hope to be improving personally, every day of my life. So the goal is: Stay on track with my personal development DAILY!
These are the easiest disciplines for me. If I am exercising, I'm listening to an audio. Through our business I have access to many wonderful MP3s, so I will never run out! Yesterday I walked with John Maxwell as he told me what books impacted his life and today I learned about forgiveness from Paul & Billie Tsieka. Wow, what powerful mentors. I also have been an avid reader for many years. I used to read Danielle Steel novels but then I realized they didn't impact my life (for the positive that is). Around 15 years ago I changed to reading books that I could get something good out of. Now I read every night before I go to sleep, actually I can't get to sleep without reading first. I am finding it challenging to read 10 pages. Before I was only reading until I got "drowsy" eyes, (sometimes after one sentence) turned off the light and went to sleep. So I feel that I am getting much more out of the reading now.
Finally, blog checklist!!! This of course is the newest habit for me, all of the others have been in my life off and on (more off than should have been) but this is a brand spankin' new discipline. Of course, I have used various forms of checklists in the past. Electronic on my PDA (remember those?), now on my phone, outlook tasks, and scribbled on scraps of paper in my purse (still the most common in my life). I still use these for different "to do" lists but I haven't ever blogged about my daily life. I have to say it has already helped tremendously. These daily disciplines aren't just New Year’s resolutions I made to myself, I publicly declared them!
Just in these five days, there are more times than I would like to admit, I didn't want to do one discipline or another and the thought occurred, "I would have to put on my blog that I didn't do it!" I know some of you are thinking, "Just SAY you did it." That would be people who don't know me. I CAN'T lie, not just that I DON'T lie, I CAN'T lie. Even as a child, my sister used to say, "Let me talk, not saying anything is not lying." Then mom would ask, "What are you girls up to?" and I would blurt out EVERYTHING my sister didn't want me to. Never been able to lie, I don't know why but I figure that's a good flaw to have so I never tried to change it. This trait is also a bonus in declaring my affirmation...
I'm living on the eighth day, right now!
Heart
check 30 Minute Exercise
check ate fruits or veggies
check followed payoff plan
Soul
check Prayed with prayer partner
check Talked to Jeff
check Reached out to one more
Mind
check listened to audio
check read 10 pages
check blog checklist
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Soul & Day Four
Yipee!! Day four actually had a little less pain than day three!
That means I am pushing through the Fibro pain. The way I describe it to others is like the tin man, when he was all rusted up, he didn't squeek. But when they started to oil his joints and move him, he squeeked really loudly. Then once he was all oiled up he could move freely without squeeking. I'm squeeking pretty loud but it's getting better!
Today I am going to discuss "Soul". I debated about these goals because I read in another book that said your goals should be measureable. How do you measure a "deepened relationship"? I believe that all relationships ebb and flow, even our relationship to God. He's always there, it is usually (always) us that moves. How do you measure "impacting more people"? Especially when I know there are people we can impact and never even know. This blog alone, I hope, inspires someone to keep going towards their goals, or even write down some goals. All of those would be positive impacts. Again not measureable. So I am simply going to measure my daily discipline. The goal then is to do these three EVERY day.
Let me give you a little history. The first two I have been doing for quite a while. My prayer partner and I have been praying every morning for just over three years. Well, sort of every morning, we're really bad on the weekends and if either one of us is traveling. So my challenge for this discipline is to not miss weekends. The same is true for talking to Jeff. We're really good on weekdays, but weekends slip through the cracks.
The third discipline, "reach out to one more", I am measuring as making contact with someone outside of my usual circle daily. This may be, having a little conversation with the checkout clerk at the store (answering, "did you find everything ok?" with "fine" doesn't count) or trading emails with a contact or making a phone call. I am allowing people that I already know but not counting those I regularly interact with. The key is they need to be someone I have to "reach out" to.
For me, this is BY FAR the most difficult of all nine daily disciplines. I don't work outside my home and it would be very easy for me to "hibernate" in my house and my comfortable environment. So this will take effort to either go somewhere or pick up the phone. Plus there's the issue of how I was wired. Most people who know me are always surprised that this is a challenage for me. I would be described as out-going, friendly, and talkative (sometimes too much). All that is true, but only if I am with someone I know. I was in drama in high school and I am very comfortable on stage or at the podium. I have spoken to audiences of several hundred without a single bit of nerves, I love it actually. But talking to a stranger, one on one, by myself, terrifies me!!! The thought of a job interview (back when I was a working girl) scared me, even if I was the interviewer! I have worked very hard on this over the past several years and I have to say I have gotten way better. I now feel "compelled" to strike up a conversation with the checkout clerk. I went to a copy shop yesterday and was actually glad there was no one else in there so I could have an extended conversation with the clerk. She was a very nice lady!
Besides being the most difficult discipline, I also believe that it is the most important. I heard someone say that the only thing you can take to heaven with you are other people. When I graduated from high school someone gave me a card with a poem titled "Success". The card credited it to Ralph Waldo Emerson which is not true. It has also been attributed to Robert Louis Steveson, also not true. A similar poem was written by Bessie Anderson Stanley, in 1904. Here is the version that was on my card:
Success
To live well, laugh often, and love much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty,
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child,
A garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
I have since believed that the only true definition of success is to touch other people's lives. That is impacting people!
I'm living on the eighth day, right now!
Heart
check 30 Minute Exercise
check ate fruits or veggies
check followed payoff plan
Soul
check Prayed with prayer partner
check Talked to Jeff
check Reached out to one more
Mind
check listened to audio
check read 10 pages
check blog checklist
That means I am pushing through the Fibro pain. The way I describe it to others is like the tin man, when he was all rusted up, he didn't squeek. But when they started to oil his joints and move him, he squeeked really loudly. Then once he was all oiled up he could move freely without squeeking. I'm squeeking pretty loud but it's getting better!
Today I am going to discuss "Soul". I debated about these goals because I read in another book that said your goals should be measureable. How do you measure a "deepened relationship"? I believe that all relationships ebb and flow, even our relationship to God. He's always there, it is usually (always) us that moves. How do you measure "impacting more people"? Especially when I know there are people we can impact and never even know. This blog alone, I hope, inspires someone to keep going towards their goals, or even write down some goals. All of those would be positive impacts. Again not measureable. So I am simply going to measure my daily discipline. The goal then is to do these three EVERY day.
Let me give you a little history. The first two I have been doing for quite a while. My prayer partner and I have been praying every morning for just over three years. Well, sort of every morning, we're really bad on the weekends and if either one of us is traveling. So my challenge for this discipline is to not miss weekends. The same is true for talking to Jeff. We're really good on weekdays, but weekends slip through the cracks.
The third discipline, "reach out to one more", I am measuring as making contact with someone outside of my usual circle daily. This may be, having a little conversation with the checkout clerk at the store (answering, "did you find everything ok?" with "fine" doesn't count) or trading emails with a contact or making a phone call. I am allowing people that I already know but not counting those I regularly interact with. The key is they need to be someone I have to "reach out" to.
For me, this is BY FAR the most difficult of all nine daily disciplines. I don't work outside my home and it would be very easy for me to "hibernate" in my house and my comfortable environment. So this will take effort to either go somewhere or pick up the phone. Plus there's the issue of how I was wired. Most people who know me are always surprised that this is a challenage for me. I would be described as out-going, friendly, and talkative (sometimes too much). All that is true, but only if I am with someone I know. I was in drama in high school and I am very comfortable on stage or at the podium. I have spoken to audiences of several hundred without a single bit of nerves, I love it actually. But talking to a stranger, one on one, by myself, terrifies me!!! The thought of a job interview (back when I was a working girl) scared me, even if I was the interviewer! I have worked very hard on this over the past several years and I have to say I have gotten way better. I now feel "compelled" to strike up a conversation with the checkout clerk. I went to a copy shop yesterday and was actually glad there was no one else in there so I could have an extended conversation with the clerk. She was a very nice lady!
Besides being the most difficult discipline, I also believe that it is the most important. I heard someone say that the only thing you can take to heaven with you are other people. When I graduated from high school someone gave me a card with a poem titled "Success". The card credited it to Ralph Waldo Emerson which is not true. It has also been attributed to Robert Louis Steveson, also not true. A similar poem was written by Bessie Anderson Stanley, in 1904. Here is the version that was on my card:
Success
To live well, laugh often, and love much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty,
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child,
A garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
I have since believed that the only true definition of success is to touch other people's lives. That is impacting people!
I'm living on the eighth day, right now!
Heart
check 30 Minute Exercise
check ate fruits or veggies
check followed payoff plan
Soul
check Prayed with prayer partner
check Talked to Jeff
check Reached out to one more
Mind
check listened to audio
check read 10 pages
check blog checklist
Monday, January 4, 2010
Heart Part II & Day Two
Today went better than yesterday... I read 10 pages (last night after blog), prayed, exercised, listened to audio, ate a big bowl of fruit for breakfast, talked to Jeff, reached out to one more (traded emails with a client) all before 10am!!!
That left me with "followed payoff plan". I would have to have a complete plan to follow it. Yesterday I did run a Quicken Debt Reduction Report however today I needed to complete that planning, check scheduled payments, both in Quicken AND in every on-line account.
Remember my goal: Get debt free in 2 years!
The plan that I put together today has everything (except the house) paid off in December 2010! Now this is a goal we have been working on for a while. All of our cars are ebay purchases... for cash. Somethimes I really wonder if this daily discipline should actually be under spiritual since I pray that nothing major happens to my 2002 Dodge Durango this year, "Please, Lord, let it last another year."
So if the "plan" has payoff done by December 2010 then why is my goal 2 years? Well, without going into too many details, we have some "joint" expenses (including the house) that will take the second year to chunk off. But I see the light at the of the tunnel!
I'm living on the eighth day, right now!
Heart
check 30 Minute Exercise
check ate fruits or veggies
check followed payoff plan
Soul
check Prayed with prayer partner
check Talked to Jeff
check Reached out to one more
Mind
check listened to audio
check read 10 pages
check blog checklist
That left me with "followed payoff plan". I would have to have a complete plan to follow it. Yesterday I did run a Quicken Debt Reduction Report however today I needed to complete that planning, check scheduled payments, both in Quicken AND in every on-line account.
Remember my goal: Get debt free in 2 years!
The plan that I put together today has everything (except the house) paid off in December 2010! Now this is a goal we have been working on for a while. All of our cars are ebay purchases... for cash. Somethimes I really wonder if this daily discipline should actually be under spiritual since I pray that nothing major happens to my 2002 Dodge Durango this year, "Please, Lord, let it last another year."
So if the "plan" has payoff done by December 2010 then why is my goal 2 years? Well, without going into too many details, we have some "joint" expenses (including the house) that will take the second year to chunk off. But I see the light at the of the tunnel!
I'm living on the eighth day, right now!
Heart
check 30 Minute Exercise
check ate fruits or veggies
check followed payoff plan
Soul
check Prayed with prayer partner
check Talked to Jeff
check Reached out to one more
Mind
check listened to audio
check read 10 pages
check blog checklist
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Heart
Ok, so where did these goals come from? Let’s start with Heart, Physical, Health/Finances. This is fairly obvious. The most common New Year’s resolutions are: lose weight and make more money. My reasons have a little more history.
Ten years ago I was bed ridden with Fibromyalgia. The doctor wanted to prescribe a series of addictive narcotic pain killers that “may or may not help” and he told me that I would just need to change my activity level. I couldn’t do anything aerobic again, no exercise, no sports, no skiing, etc. etc. At 36 years old that wasn’t acceptable. I got busy, I found herbal alternatives, I researched Fibro, and I started walking EVERY day. I got back into shape. Then I got pregnant with my little Oops blessing!! My youngest son is now 7.
After having him at 39 years old, I had trouble with my “baby” weight. Actually, I gained weight, month by month after having him and the Fibro got worse until I finally stepped on the scale and saw 179!!! I was officially obese! (The cut off from overweight to obese for my age & height is 178) I also had two dear friends that were honest with me. When I said I had 20 pounds I wanted to lose, they said, “20??? You need to lose at least 30!!!” (I actually needed to lose 40) Hence, the abandonment group was born. We wanted to “abandon” the weight because if you “lose” something that implies that you want to “find” it back again. (I've just gotten word from abandonment group ladies - they are "in" for the 30 pound club)
The group worked well. We followed the BLI newsletters from Dr. Chet, which were the basis for the Trim Advantage program in our business http://www.daniels.mychoices.biz/ . We supported each other through emails and we had specific goals. Over the next nine months I abandoned 42 pounds. (I hadn’t been below 140 for 20 years) I started inline speed-skating with my son and felt like an athlete again. I have to say I was buff! Then I blew out a knee and had to give up skating (honestly, I don’t really miss it). But that was the excuse. Instead of intensely working out, I have just been maintaining.
So here it is six years later and I have crept back up to 160. My exercise is sporadic, my eating has way too many treats and the Fibro has “good days and bad days”. Now Dr. Chet came out with the 30 pound club! Perfect! That’s exactly what I need to lose, um, abandon. That’s how I came up with the goal of 30 pounds.
Daily disciplines: I know that 30 minutes of exercise seems to be a magic number. It is also VERY easy to put into my daily life. I also know from experience that 30 minutes of exercise gives me at least 3 hours of additional energy a day. In terms of eating, I have noticed that I have not been filling up on good stuff so I put bad stuff in my mouth. If I eat more fruits or veggies, first of all, I get more antioxidants and vitamins in my body and secondly, I fill my tummy with good stuff.
That is the first part of Heart, tomorrow I will discuss finances.
Until then I’m living on the eighth day, right now!
Friday, January 1, 2010
The Three-Legged Stool
Anyone who knows me has heard me talk about my "list". That is my list of questions that I have for when I get to heaven. Several of those have to do with numbers. "What is so significant about specific numbers?" I'm sure that when I ask, "What's significant about the number 3?" The answer will probably be, "Because without 3 legs a stool would fall over. DUH" As I have studied the significance of three, I have been struck by Matthew 22:37 - 40, Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two comandments. I have come to believe that ALL of life "hang on these two". The second, of course, is commonly referred to as the golden rule. The first, is about our personal relationship with God.
So I have come to believe that all important aspects of life can be melded down to three catagories or areas: heart, soul and mind or physical, spiritual, and mental. Since the book The Slight Edge has inspired this blog, the author lists 5: Health, Personal Development, Relationships, Finances, and Life. Well, as I see it, Health and Finances are "Physical", Personal Development is "Mental" and Relationships is "Spiritual". Finally, Life is the overall big picture, isn't it?
So here are my goals and daily disciplines organized into 3 areas:
Heart - Physical - health/finances
Goal: Lose 30 pounds in six months. Get debt free in 2 years.
--> 30 Minute Exercise
--> ate fruits or vegies
--> followed payoff plan
Soul - Spiritual - relationships
Goal: Deepen my relationships with God & my husband. Expand the number of people I impact this year.
--> Prayed with prayer partner
--> Talked to Jeff
--> Reached out to one more
Mind - Mental - personal development
Goal: Stay on track with my personal development DAILY!
--> listened to audio
--> read 10 pages
--> blog checklist
Did you notice there were 3 items in each area? That wasn't on purpose, it just happened!!! There's that number again. In the coming days I will discuss how I came up with each one of these in my life.
So I have come to believe that all important aspects of life can be melded down to three catagories or areas: heart, soul and mind or physical, spiritual, and mental. Since the book The Slight Edge has inspired this blog, the author lists 5: Health, Personal Development, Relationships, Finances, and Life. Well, as I see it, Health and Finances are "Physical", Personal Development is "Mental" and Relationships is "Spiritual". Finally, Life is the overall big picture, isn't it?
So here are my goals and daily disciplines organized into 3 areas:
Heart - Physical - health/finances
Goal: Lose 30 pounds in six months. Get debt free in 2 years.
--> 30 Minute Exercise
--> ate fruits or vegies
--> followed payoff plan
Soul - Spiritual - relationships
Goal: Deepen my relationships with God & my husband. Expand the number of people I impact this year.
--> Prayed with prayer partner
--> Talked to Jeff
--> Reached out to one more
Mind - Mental - personal development
Goal: Stay on track with my personal development DAILY!
--> listened to audio
--> read 10 pages
--> blog checklist
Did you notice there were 3 items in each area? That wasn't on purpose, it just happened!!! There's that number again. In the coming days I will discuss how I came up with each one of these in my life.
Why???
As I was evaluating 2009 and looking forward to 2010, I recieved an email about our personal development program. "The 2010 reading list is now available at http://www.leadingbyreading.blogspot.com." Looking at the list, we are again using John Mawell's Today Matters as the outline for the year. The book for January is Jeff Olson's The Slight Edge. I was very excited about it and dug out my beat up copy (pages are actually falling out). Then I realized I actually never "finished" the book. Last year, when I read it, I got to Chapter 11 and was told to use a pencil and write my goals and to "not skip this". I was traveling at the time, on an airplane, so I stopped, didn't want to "skip" it. Then I ran out of month, put the book up and moved on to the next book, the next month. So I read AND filled out the last two chapters.
So now I have written my goals and my "simple" daily disciplines. Now I want to track it so that is "WHY" this blog. I want to keep a journal of this process, see where it goes. I am open to everyone's insights and unique points of view. I just ask that you grant me the grace to be human along the way. The whole point is to learn and change and become a better person. Why should anyone else care about me becoming better? Maybe you would like to join the journey for yourself? Why should we even worry about "self" improvement? Well, I believe in the "Man in the Mirror" effect, I can only control myself and if I want the world to be better I need to start with myself.
I plan to write on a daily basis for the first 21 days because it takes 21 days to establish a habit. Then I will continue to at least update the daily check list but will probably only write once a week or so. To give me a couple of days to "wrap up" things and get organized I will be starting on Sunday January 3rd, 2010. Plus, that gives me "even" weekdays. So I will begin by sharing the philosophy behind my goals and what exactly my daily disciplines are.
So now I have written my goals and my "simple" daily disciplines. Now I want to track it so that is "WHY" this blog. I want to keep a journal of this process, see where it goes. I am open to everyone's insights and unique points of view. I just ask that you grant me the grace to be human along the way. The whole point is to learn and change and become a better person. Why should anyone else care about me becoming better? Maybe you would like to join the journey for yourself? Why should we even worry about "self" improvement? Well, I believe in the "Man in the Mirror" effect, I can only control myself and if I want the world to be better I need to start with myself.
I plan to write on a daily basis for the first 21 days because it takes 21 days to establish a habit. Then I will continue to at least update the daily check list but will probably only write once a week or so. To give me a couple of days to "wrap up" things and get organized I will be starting on Sunday January 3rd, 2010. Plus, that gives me "even" weekdays. So I will begin by sharing the philosophy behind my goals and what exactly my daily disciplines are.
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