Scott, Author at Scott's Thinking

Be The Person With Uncommon Sense

Posted on May 13, 2020

It’s easy to criticise. As nothing is perfect, there is always at least one fault. So be the person with uncommon sense, that can understand the general point.

Trying to find the cracks in a statement and exploiting them to cause ill will, is not good for your soul or mindset.

It is far better to be the person that can accept some ambiguity, shrug at some irony, take some decisions and get on with it. To act like a responsible, understanding and humble adult is attractive.

The grey line is probably in comedy. Though this can usually be resolved by considering if you are laughing with the person or at the person.

If you’re not sure and you need a second opinion, check if your intent is to make someone else look bad, silly, or incapable. If that is your true, underlying intent, then please stop. It says a lot more about you, how you see the world and what kind of person you are, than it does about them.

Be the person with uncommon sense. While you are at it, go for uncommon courtesy, empathy and thoughtfulness. Be the rare gem of a person who models great characteristics. We will never be perfect, but excellence is a great standard to aim for.

And for all of us still trying to do better and be better, if we slip up, be the person with uncommon sense and take it easy on the criticism. There is an old saying in there that reminds me of Billy Joel’s album ’Glass Houses’.

Reframe your thoughts

Keep A Positive Mind

Posted on May 12, 2020

It can be easy to let things slide a little. It’s simple to lose track and dwell a little on the negative. However, you must keep a positive mind throughout.

It seems easier to go downhill fast. It is certainly more effort to spiral up, with control and positive thoughts. Negative, dark thinking can be achieved very quickly if you don’t watch what you are doing.

One way to keep positive and happy is to not have any expectations. When you do think about the future, meet it with anticipation and curiosity. Guide your destiny but allow whatever arrives in your path to be there. Respond to it with a clear mind.

The anticipation you feel should find you full of wonder about what the next piece of the puzzle will be in your life. Curiosity helps keep the mind open to whatever it can be.

If you keep a positive mind, you will be best placed for the next thing that happens in your life. It can be the easiest and hardest thing to do. Though you should do it.

Do you remember Dr. Frasier Crane of the tv series Frasier? He would help people to be clear on their happy place. Then, when an event occurred that required a positive mindset, he would remind them to get to their happy place.

This is a great mindset trick that is particularly handy to have when life throws you a curveball.

Action Health & Fitness Observe Weight loss

Track Your Progress And Review It

Posted on May 11, 2020

Having a goal and moving toward it is great. Even more so when you are making progress. Similarly, it is quite important to track your progress and review it.

When things are going well it makes you feel good seeing the progress. More importantly, perhaps, is seeing where and when you are not making progress. If you are looking to understand why you aren’t getting the results you wanted, this daily tracking and review can be quite instructive.

Several years ago I wanted to tone up and that meant dropping about 20 pounds. I had never paid attention to my weight prior to that as I had always been quite active and had a reasonably healthy diet.

It was a fascinating game of figuring out what worked and what didn’t. I was in a hurry as I didn’t want to spend 6 months, or more, on this project.

I had my views on what worked and didn’t. At the start, I read some books to get a broader perspective and see what else I could learn. After all, slimming is 99% in the head.

I simply had to move more and eat less. Keeping yourself in a calorie deficit can be a challenge. Like so many things though, once you get into it, it seems easier than you had expected. Gamifying the whole process also helped to work wonders.

When you track your progress and review it, you get into the detail. You understand the nuance and how to get the winning edge. This tracking and review doesn’t make it easier, but you can understand how to get the results quicker. I really enjoyed that part of the whole process.

You can, and should, do this with all of your goals, not just weight-related. Tracking takes a little bit more effort, but the payoff is excellent. Good luck!!

Observe

Use Winter To Prepare For Spring

Posted on May 10, 2020

As someone who grew up on a farm, this was an important point to be aware of. If you use winter to prepare for spring, you will have used your time well and you’ll begin the growing season well prepared.

In winter, in the Ottawa area at least, there is a lot of snow. In addition to that, the temperature spends a lot of time in the negative double digits. It is like this for about 5 months. So there is not a lot to do in the fields.

This is a great opportunity to get machinery fixed, get things ordered, focus on the herd health and coordinate plans for the upcoming seasons.

Think of this unusual period we’re experiencing as our winter. Yes, some of us in the Northern Hemisphere just had winter. Therefore, you could see it as an extension. For those in the Southern Hemisphere and heading into winter, think of it as pre prep time.

Either way, if you can use this time to better prepare for the spring that is coming, you will be better off for the whole thing.

Use winter to prepare for spring. It gets your head into longer term planning mode and things become a little more clear.

Use this unique opportunity to get things in order and aligned. Then you can be the most efficient and prepared when the season changes.

If you plan well and use your time wisely, you will be quite successful with whatever you are working on this year.

Gratitude

Events That Bring People Together

Posted on May 9, 2020

The 8th May, 2020, was the 75th anniversary of VE Day. This is one of those events that bring people together. The Victory in Europe 75 years ago was, as I understand it, a giant relief for all.

The end of the hostilities in Europe brought people together to celebrate an historic moment. Once again, 75 years later, it brought people out in their front gardens or on their front door steps to be together as a jubilant community.

Our street was amazing. Such a social, supportive and talented bunch. Bunting and songs and music along with birthdays and cake and wonderful good-naturedness. All while being socially distant yet socially close and together in spirit.

It’s lovely to celebrate with others. This can be live or virtual. Events that bring people together will always be special times to remember. Get involved with them and enjoy them while they are there and while you can.

Children remember these special events for a long time. Many will remember it for the rest of their lives. Those ten year olds will be 35 at the 100th anniversary. Hopefully people will still be as enthusiastic about the celebration then.

I think there will be one very significant party when the social distancing is no longer required. That will be one wonderful party!

Time

Spend Time With Wonderful People

Posted on May 8, 2020

Time is shorter than we think. I have let time drift by at times, but I do try to make better use of it now. I spend time with wonderful people as much as I can now. I try to schedule them in as much as my schedule allows.

On Thursday morning, I spent that time with my wonderful wife and three wonderful children. We were out of the house by 07:40 and went on an epic walk to, and through, Richmond Park. (Ditto on Friday!)

It was so lovely to spend that time with each of them. We all really enjoyed it. It started at 10C and was gorgeously sunny. The weather continued to get better from there. We chatted with each other about various things while we ran, walked and went up hills and down.

We shared old memories and made new ones. Then we played on a very large fallen tree that had about 15 mid-sized new growth trees growing out of it. Amazing and fascinating.

We saw young deer and old deer. There were very few people out at that time too, which was lovely. No airplanes flying overhead and not many cars on the couple of roads we did have to walk on or near.

You probably have some wonderful people in your life. If you are in lockdown with them, spend some quality time together doing something different. If not, call them, FaceTime, Zoom, Skype etc.

The most enjoyable and memorable part of life is when you spend time with wonderful people.

Action Time

Do Something Memorable In The Next 24 Hours

Posted on May 7, 2020

It can be crazy and off the wall or simple and subdued. However you decide to express yourself, do something memorable in the next 24 hours.

With all this news about Covid-19, I think there might be a slightly elevated awareness of our own immortality. This could be a good thing.

Every day is a new opportunity to make the path of your life more exciting, more memorable and more meaningful. We have this opportunity every day. Sometimes it is in our minds. However, we do not always start the day with intent to make it memorable.

The day may become memorable by chance. This type of surprise can be wonderful! Though, this method is a little bit hit and miss. What memorable things could you do today? Write a wonderful letter to a loved one? Call someone that you’ve been meaning to call? Attempt to discuss a more challenging topic with someone in your lockdown Group? Or take a fun picture?

There are 100’s of things you could imagine doing, even while respecting lockdown rules. Don’t allow a day to go by without making some aspect of it memorable.

Do something memorable in the next 24 hours and you will have one more thing to put on your favourite memories list. In five years from now, you’ll be glad you did!

Action Progress Reframe your thoughts

How Can I Do What I Want And Have A Different Life?

Posted on May 6, 2020

This is the unspoken question many people have in their subconscious when they are embarking on some change. How can I do what I want and have a different life? This idea, whether conscious or not, is certainly more likely to be felt if the activities for change are not something you want to do.

I want the new job, higher pay and fancier title. How do I get that without having to update my cv, look for a job, tell anyone, do more work than I am now or work any harder or have to learn new skills?

Can I please stay the way I am, with my habits and my own way of being? Can I do that and have everything else that I want? The short answer is no.

The next time you think to yourself, “How can I do what I want and have a different life?”, remember, you can’t. You must take the bull be the horns and ride it. Success leaves clues….

“Success leaves clues. Be a better observer of the winners and the losers, those who are doing well and those who are falling behind. Take mental notes and say: ‘I’m going to adjust what I’m doing based on what I see’”
Jim Rohn

Just be aware of what you are observing. Is it the best example to follow? Or, at least, is it better than what you currently follow? If it is, go ahead, use that until you find something better. If it isn’t, even if it is your Mum, Dad or local clergy, do not follow their lead. Find an example that leads you to the results that you want in your life. Then you need to put in the work!

Reframe your thoughts

Ask Powerful Questions

Posted on May 5, 2020

Ask, “Where do I want to be?”, not “Where will I end up?”. When you ask powerful questions, you are more likely to get empowering answers.

“Where do I want to be?”, is a question which implies control, desire and passion. It suggests possibility. The question asks you to open your mind and dream, to consider all the limitless possibilities. It allows you to be honest with yourself.

If you feel yourself holding back, shrinking, feeling unworthy, uneasy or in any way uncomfortable, then press on! Give yourself permission to explore those thoughts that you think may be out of reach for you. Practice taking your mind to the edge of uncomfortable and driving right on through.

If you’re feeling anxious, reframe that feeling to excitement. Same feeling in your body, but use a more powerful word to describe it. Get your mind on top of it and surf the wave of uncertainty. Stop letting yourself get dragged under water in the undertow. Be determined and fight for control of your own mind and the thoughts you allow it to think.

“Where will I end up?”, is a question that implies no control, no vision and no effort. It is as if you are drifting along in a predetermined river. Well, you are not a fish. Get up and go find yourself a better river, cleaner lake or large ocean where your opportunities are better.

Ask better questions of yourself. Ask powerful questions that bring you face to face with your fears and dreams. Press on through from uncomfortable to unstoppable.

If you do, you will be able to achieve anything.

Action Gratitude

Write Down Your Favourite Moments

Posted on May 4, 2020

It’s a great thing to do. To write down your favourite moments in a list, such as a top 10 favourite life moments, is very powerful. Adding some ooomph to that is reading it when you wake up in the morning and when you go to bed at night.

I write a lot of stuff down. I have lists of ideas, words, to do’s, notes from calls etc. When did you last write down your favourite moments? I’ve done them before and done an updated one recently.

It’s a great way to remind yourself of amazing or wonderful moments in your life. It’s a great pick me up to read that list in the morning. Similarly it is a lovely way to re-frame your thinking as you are about to doze off to sleep and your brain goes on auto-pilot. It’s a good idea to give it something brilliant about you to ruminate on for 6-8 hours.

Amazingly, you can quickly become your own powerful content creator. You can start, or continue, to be a powerful, positive driving force in your mind and your life. You have the power to do it. Take control of how you start and end the day.

Running the highlight reel, twice a day, is a great way to get a smile on your face and keep your enthusiasm up.