Time Archives - Page 81 of 88

Have A Good Filing System

Posted on November 27, 2020

Do you spend time trying to find things? It does seem crazy, at times, how long it can take to find an item. Have a good filing system and that can change things.

We used to have an ok filing system. Now it is much better. I can recall times where I spent 10 or 15 minutes looking for one piece of paper. That rarely happens anymore. When you have a good system and you use it properly, you can save yourself a lot of time and aggravation.

It is good to have a strong process and system for physical filing as well as digital filing. Then it is particularly important that you stick with the process and system as much as you can. Of course there will be moments when you don’t replace a folder or file right away. Additionally, you may not get to the filing room straight away so you create a new pile.

If this happens, be sure to correct this as quickly as possible so that the system doesn’t fall over and you can’t find things again. This also helps to keep things looking tidy in other areas of the house or office.

It can take some time to set up a good system. However, when you weigh it against all the time you will save looking for things, it will be worth it.

Have a good filing system.

Action Health & Fitness Progress Reframe your thoughts Time Weight

Up Your Game

Posted on November 25, 2020

Whatever you are doing is not good enough. Your potential is well beyond your current activity. It is definitely time to up your game.

On Sunday I went for a run and it was a gorgeous day for it. I decided to go around the whole of Richmond Park. By the time I’d returned back home, I had completed 16 kilometres (10 miles). It was a great run. I felt good, the scenery was excellent, the air was fresh and clean, not too many people out and I listened to a great book called Psycho-Cybernetics.

Ten Years ago I ran in a race called the Cabbage Patch 10 – a 10 mile flat race. As a sprinter with forays into 5 km and occasionally 10 km, that 16 kilometres was very tough. My legs were aching for days. I even had an ice bath after to reduce swelling.

However, in the intervening period I have upped my distance, stamina and perception of the distance. So much so, I was simply running along on Sunday, enjoying the experience, and decided I would stretch my run from 10 km to 16 km. In addition, a couple hours after I returned, I went for a family walk for almost two hours.

This is just one area I have built resilience and made a definite improvement in my life. I am working on others.

It’s time to up your game.

Gratitude Time

Today Is A Brilliant Day!

Posted on November 23, 2020

If you have the ability, education, means and time to read this blog, you are doing well. In that case, today is a brilliant day!

Everyday is a fresh new day. It is full of possibility and hope. Sure there will be the issues you have to deal with, but those are usually temporary. They may feel heavy and annoying or unbearable at the time. However, time is a great healer and with time pain can fade, whether it is emotional or physical pain.

Today is the only thing we know we have for sure. As long as it is happening, we need to make the absolute best of it we can. If we feel sluggish, we need to kick ourselves in the pants. If we feel tired, we can run on the spot or do some press ups to get ourselves going again.

The sights, the smells, the sounds, the tastes, touches and feelings bring this magical world to life. Breathe it in and experience it anew and to the full every single day.

A powerful song from the 80’s, Up Where We Belong (Cocker and Warnes), had some fitting lyrics. “Who knows what tomorrow brings”. And also, ‘All we have, is here and now. All our life, out there to find’.

Enjoy every moment.

Today is a brilliant day!

Gratitude Observe Reframe your thoughts Time

Here Is What You Are Going To Realise

Posted on November 20, 2020

Life is long but short. Time can fly and it can crawl. You will get older. At some point in your life, here is what you are going to realise.

There are few things you can control. And yet, you control everything about your life. If you don’t make the little sacrifices now, you will need to make larger ones later on. You will be passing the baton at some point in time. Unfortunately, you do not know when that moment will be or who it will be to.

I think we also realise that we could have done more with our time on this planet. Not just more for ourselves, but more for other people too. The crazy thing is that we wouldn’t have to do massive amounts more, just a little bit more from each of us.

You will leave a legacy, whether you believe it or not. Not everyone will have the same view but that is ok. Some will love things you have done and others will hardly have noticed. Still others will not like what you have done or how you did it. Take no notice of the critics. Positive feedback is one thing but generalised criticism is unworthy of your good intentions.

Here is what you are going to realise. No one wins. Just enjoy your ride.

Action Progress Reframe your thoughts Time

You Need A Full Court Press

Posted on November 14, 2020

Sitting back and waiting for things to happen is not always a good strategy. Sometimes you need a full court press. It’s an extreme defensive strategy used in basketball, which can be seen as a form of intense offensive strategy.

Sometimes you just need to be patient. For example, with a pregnancy, despite any anxiousness, it is generally best to be patient and breathe well. For other things, like buying concert tickets or a property, it can pay off if you continually press things forward.

This is where I like to use the full court press term and analogy. In our experience, people have a specific pace to get things done. When you combine that with other people and their pace, it tends to mean things move at the slowest pace in the group.

Unfortunately, this is not always ideal. This is because there will be times that you have a property opportunity that could disappear if you are not quick. Many people say that it takes months to complete on a property transaction. While that may be true, if you are patient and let the process run at their pace, if you get engaged, you can complete in a few weeks.

The key considerations are next steps, planning and communication.

Then you need a full court press and to continuously move everyone forward each day.

Gratitude Observe Think About It Time

The Sounds Of Children Playing

Posted on November 12, 2020

Playgrounds and schoolyards can be immensely fun and filled with energy, excitement and enthusiasm. The sounds of children playing can be music to our ears.

We live near a primary school, which has it’s pros and cons. Certainly one of the pros, for me, is that every weekday, for the entire lunch period, I can hear the frolicking fun being had by all. It does bring a smile to my face as I hear the enjoyable mixing of their fluctuating voices.

Not only is it fun to hear them and imagine them playing games like ‘it’, but it is fun to reminisce too. Thinking back to the times when you were 6 or 9 is always interesting. What games did you play? Who were your very good friends? What did you do and talk about for an hour at lunch?

It is fun to think back and remember the easier memories and also stretch your mind to recall other things that have more dust on them. It can be pleasant, painful and helpful to remind oneself of the days of their childhood. You can learn a lot about where you are now but understanding how you were then.

They’ve gone inside now. The playground has fallen quiet.

There can be a hollow emptiness once you can no longer hear the sounds of children playing.

Gratitude Time

Finding Old Pictures

Posted on October 28, 2020

Pictures can really sum up a moment. They can pack quite a punch and deliver serious impact. Finding old pictures can be a lot of fun, especially if they evoke fabulous memories.

I was speaking with my Mom a couple of days ago when she mentioned she had found some photos in a drawer. Intrigued, I waited as she started showing them to me over FaceTime. They were fabulous photos of all of us being at our villa in Playacar, Mexico.

Back in February 2011, while Roxane was pregnant with our daughter, we decided to head to Playacar for 3 months of sea, sand, sun, heat and swimwear. As a maternity option, it was more comfortable than winter clothes, jackets and gloves.

Well it was a brilliant 3 months and those photos captured it amazingly well. They brought back strong, wonderful memories of both boys‘ birthdays as they turned 4 and 2. Also of family visiting us and friends too. They highlighted trips we took and other days out. And days in too – making nachos and margaritas while the others played Hungry Hippos and laughed hysterically.

There is something powerful about good pictures. They can transport you back in time, like a time machine. You can hear the laughs, the clinking of the glasses, the sounds of the sea and the delight of life.

Finding old pictures can unleash powerful emotions.

Observe Time

What An Unusual Year

Posted on October 24, 2020

2020 has almost come and gone. Life has been a little weird at times. And there are still two months to go. What an unusual year.

It feels like the months have dragged on since the beginning of the year. Though, in contrast, it feels like the year has flown past. Can you remember what you were thinking or doing in late February or early March?

Part of what makes this year stand out, obviously, is the coronavirus. It has impacted much of the planet in some way. Though it may have impacted some countries or states more than others. Policies such as lockdowns or closing shops and restaurants are being relaxed or tightened depending on the unique situations and who is actually in charge.

The British exit from the European Union is due to happen in just over 60 days as well. Although Brexit has impacted fewer people so far, it will start to have some impact on Brits, and many Europeans, in 2021.

The weather in Britain has been unusually pleasant to brilliant from March until now, which I hugely appreciate. Lots of sunshine and warm days. With enough rain to keep things fresh and green but not so frequent as to diminish our spirits.

Hopefully the year has allowed you to reflect on many things, as it has for me.

Two months remain. Make good use of them.

What an unusual year.

Observe Time

Advice For A 14 Year Old

Posted on October 22, 2020

The world has changed. It does that. Sometimes it tilts to good and sometimes it tilts to bad. However, advice for a 14 year old should probably look quite similar regardless of society, technology or wealth.

One idea for a 14 year old would be to take actions to get better at something, Aim to be in the top 5% within 12 months. The action required could be more revision to improve school test scores. It could also involve learning a sport, hobby or instrument. It is amazing what 20 minutes a day can do over 3 months.

Getting better at something increases confidence, helps people understand how learning, goals and discipline work. In addition, you learn about the compound effect of building skill upon skill, how habits help and also the key elements of time, effort and patience.

Learning to seek and find is another key piece of advice. Don’t wait for the coach to select you or a job to fall in your lap. Ask your parents, teachers or a search engine how you can improve. Decide what you want to try now and look into it. This may involve joining a club, watching YouTube highlights or how to clips. It could even mean getting a book from the library. Speak to several people to give you different perspectives.

This is advice for a 14 year old. It’s also good advice for a 41 year old.

Action Health & Fitness Reframe your thoughts Time

The Power Of Waking Up Early

Posted on October 21, 2020

It can be so easy to lie in bed. Just hit snooze and pull the covers over. Drift off and dream. But the power of waking up early can be immense. There is something magical in it.

I used to be a night person. In fact, I could go through the whole night. Some days it can be so easy to be reading, watching something or chatting and find yourself still going at 2 am.

The challenge is when you then need to get up at 5 am. Getting only 3 hours sleep can be tough. Not always on the first day, but certainly on the second or third day as it catches up to you.

So over the past five years I have shifted to waking up between 04:30 am and 06:30 am. While training for a couple of marathons last spring, it was always between 04:30 and 05:00. At the moment it is between 05:00 and 06:00.

It feels great to be up when it is so quiet. There are no disruptions. I feel I am ahead of my day. Getting a few things done, including a run and shower before waking the kids at 06:40, is a great feeling.

It can be a challenge at times. But the power of waking up early makes me feel alive!