The Dart Maker Blog

Copyright 2006 John Perry

In a recent blog posting, Stephen Shapiro, www.goalfree.com, and
author of the recent released book, Goal-Free Living speaks of
changing the way you approach New Year’s Resolutions.

Rather than resolutions, he says to choose one or two words to
describe your next year. He calls these themes. So, instead of
dieting, “health” or “confidence” may be good themes.

I wrote about taking your resolutions one step at a time and
making them attainable in a recent article entitled “Sticking to
Your New Year’s Resolutions.”
(http://www.hiptobefit.com/node/31). My point was to take a goal
or resolution and break it down into attainable pieces.

After reading Mr. Shapiro’s blog (and ordering the book), I
began to ponder what my “theme” would be for 2006. My first
thought was to “relax” more and not to be in such a rush to fit
everything into everyday. Another was to make my time “count,”
i.e. be the most productive, so I could have some free time or
at least not feel so “pressured.”

Everything seemed to point to productivity. If I could be more
productive, this would help my stress levels and ultimately
allow me to feel like I have accomplished something day to day,
week to week, etc.

So my theme is productivity. What does this entail? Well, as I
started making a list, turned out to be quite a lot.

Over the past two years I have read many books and articles on
time management. Millions of people read the same information in
hopes of making more money, having more free time, less stress
and accomplishing more in their daily lives. I ultimately want
control of my day. If I can have control and don’t feel like my
day is controlling me…I am happy.

Therefore, with the aid of the time management gurus and a few
things I have come up with on my own, here are my 10 items to
help make me productive in 2006.

Number 1: Make a list of the things I need to accomplish (on the
following day) before I go to bed. I have read where this helps
your subconscious start working on the list. For me, it helps me
get out of bed quicker and easier the next morning because I
know where I need to start my day; i.e. number 1 on the list. As
I look at the list, I don’t feel so overwhelmed because I know
getting through the list is “doable.”

Number 2: Get up at the same time everyday. For me, this is
5:30. Sit up, get out of bed and do not think of hitting the
snooze. This has helped me gain a few hours each day, which
leads to bonus days and weeks over the course of a year.

Here is a bonus tip: Put your alarm clock out of reach. I have
to walk across the room to turn my alarm off. Therefore, I am
already up. My wife will tell you, I am pretty much “out of it”
when I sleep. I am very capable of hitting snooze while still in
“la-la” land. I must move the alarm out of reach.

Number 3: Set two to three uninterrupted time segments during
the day to generate money. These are the times when I focus on
making money. Fifty minutes is what works for me; no phone
calls, answering emails, pee breaks, etc. A great idea is to set
a timer. Work straight through your designated time period until
the “bell” goes off. This has probably been the best piece of
advice (from Alex Mandossian- http://www.alexmandossian.com/)
that I have put into practice to help me be more productive. I
feel more accomplished each day knowing that I put these
focused, revenue generating times into my day.

Number 4: Take small breaks throughout the day. For me, this is
immediately after the revenue generating periods. It is a quick
break to re-charge my brain. This can involve a walk around the
office, grabbing a healthy snack or catching a quick segment of
“The View” (http://abc.go.com/daytime/theview/) on T.V. Some
gurus will recommend a “power nap” during the day. I rarely do
this. Once I am up, I am up. Recently I wrote about an article
concerning meditation, entitled “Breathing Can Make You
Smarter?” (http://www.hiptobefit.com/node/44) as a way to clear
the mind and help re-focus. I have not tried this as of yet, but
am planning to give it a try soon.

Number 5: Take one full day off per week. Some weeks I will get
in two! I do not allow myself to get caught up in work details
(unless there is an absolute emergency). These days are mostly
filled with family activities and “honey-do” projects around the
house (you know, honey do this, honey do that). This has been a
great addition to my productivity plan. I was reluctant to try
it at first. I soon realized, however, it actually makes me more
creative and efficient on my work days.

Number 6: Exercise daily. I am launching my new video within the
next week entitled “It’s Hip To Be Fit! It has two 7 minute
routines designed with the busy professional/working parent in
mind. These are full body routines that have strength training
and cardiovascular benefits included. I come up with some of my
best ideas when exercising. It makes me feel more energized
throughout my day as well. I could go on for hours about the
benefits of exercise; mostly to make one more productive.

Number 7: Plan my meals. This is probably the most overlooked
area in most individual’s fitness and daily routines. Food is
fuel for the body, especially the brain. I like to include this
plan on my “night before” to do list. At the very least, I make
a quick mental note of what and when my next meal or snack will
be. I do this immediately after finishing a meal or snack. I am
not hungry after finishing a meal and make “fuel choices” vs.
“foolish choices.” Refer to “Think Nutrition in 2006″
(http://www.hiptobefit.com/node/25) for more ideas and tips.

Number 8: Twice a week write down 20 ways to improve what I am
currently doing. The areas can include business, personal,
spiritual and relationships. Some gurus will recommend doing
this daily. I find this gets repetitive. For me, better ideas
come with writing 20 ideas just twice a week. It is like a
personal brainstorming session. I have been amazed at the
results in my productivity with just this activity alone. I will
have my wife do the same thing and then we will compare lists.
It has helped us to understand each other’s goals and helped
spark new ideas for all areas of our lives.

Number 9: Read, listen or watch new information daily. I try to
get in 2-3 hours of learning each day. For me, this includes
fitness, financial, marketing, motivational and spiritual
learning. This helps improve my knowledge base. Knowledge is
everything; it gives me options.

I am able to get this learning time in by getting up early and
by listening and watching learning material while I exercise
and/or do “honey-do” activities. There is so much information on
audio and video today that I am able to accomplish this while
multi-tasking.

Number 10: Jot down 5 things that went well over the course of
each day and 5 things I would have done differently. I usually
do this immediately before writing my list of “to do” items for
the next day. I reflect on each item mentally, only writing down
the things I really need to take from any experience. This has
helped my stress more than anything; showing me what I have
accomplished each day. Also, it shows me that the things that
did not go so well are not that bad or that there is a viable
way to correct them.

I have done each of these things, one time or another, over the
past several years. For 2006, I am putting them into practice
daily.

The idea is to help me with my New Year’s theme or resolution.

The theme for me is productivity, both for myself personally and
hopefully to those around me. No, I don’t claim to have all the
answers. I can say these ten tips have worked for me. Honestly,
as mentioned before, I think this gives me a sense of control
and peace to each day.

My goal is to provoke the potential
(http://www.hiptobefit.com/node/40) inside myself.

Ultimately, I want this plan to help make me a better me…one
day at a time.

Isn’t that what all resolutions are about?

Many people make their New Year’s resolution to lose weight.
While they start out with good intentions, far too often the
weekly drudge of sticking to a diet can wear thin quite quickly
and before they know it their good diet intentions have fallen
away. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to stick to
your diet resolution without giving up before the excess weight
goes away.

One of the most important things you can do to ensure that you
stick with your weight loss goals is to write a contract with
yourself, promising to stick with the resolution that you have
made. If you want to lose a specific amount of weight within a
certain amount of time, be sure to include this in the contract
along with what you specifically plan to do to lose the weight.
Post the contract somewhere you’ll be sure to see it everyday.

Setting goals is an excellent way to make sure that you stay on
track with your weight loss plans; however, it is important to
ensure that your goals are manageable and not too broad in
scope. Due to the fact that dieting can become tiresome very
quickly, you may find it helpful to energize your diet with a
new goal each week. This gives you something to work on, and
even look forward to, each week. Examples of small goals you can
set for yourself include starting an exercise routine, cutting
out sodas, drinking more water, etc.

Small goals are also a great incentive to work your way up to
larger goals, an important component of sticking to your diet
plans. Rather than saying you plan to lose weight this year,
instead make it a point to commit to losing a specific amount of
weight within a definite time frame. This helps to ensure that
you do not put off your weight loss plans indefinitely.

As with any major change in your life, it’s generally always
easier to accomplish your goals when you have the help and
support of friends and family. Make a point to inform those
close to you that you are dieting and what you hope to
accomplish. In addition, it’s always a good idea to let them
know exactly what you’re doing to lose weight so they do not
unintentionally sabotage your diet plans. The presence of a
weight loss buddy who can keep you on track and motivated will
significantly decrease the chances that you’ll give up before
accomplishing your goals.

Most people function well under a rewards system and losing
weight is no different, provided that you ensure your rewards
support your diet and do not undermine them. While you may look
forward to enjoying an ice cream sundae after reaching a weight
loss goal, think of other rewards that you would enjoy and keep
your diet intact. Consider rewarding yourself for every
milestone you reach, such as every five pounds lost. Positive
reward examples include a manicure, massage, new book/CD/DVD,
new shirt, etc. Significant weight loss goals, such as 25 pounds
or 50 pounds, could warrant a larger reward such as a weekend
trip or something else meaningful.