Scott's Thinking - Page 164 of 175

It Still Feels Surreal

Posted on April 29, 2020

For most of my day, I think everything seems quite normal. However, when I stop and actually think about what is happening, it still feels surreal.

As a person who does a lot of work from home, the days seems quite similar. Though, there is the added element of the children being at home. This difference adds some fun and some occasional challenges.

We’ve been ordering groceries online, and having them delivered, for over 10 years, so that hasn’t changed. We’ve been getting out for exercise as frequently too. However, maybe there has been less activity for the kids. They’ve been going without PE classes, weekend and before/after school sports. Less activity has generally meant less eating but fitness levels are bound to suffer a little.

There was a lot of adjusting, admin, following new procedures, and home schooling prep at the beginning. Now that seems to have settled down. But there will be new changes and challenges to keep us busy as we begin to emerge from Lockdown.

It’s still to be seen whether this will be a quick return to nearly normal with a v-shaped recovery or something more prolonged. Could it become one of those moments in history that was significant (36 months), but not frequently discussed, like the 1918 flu pandemic? I hope future generations will not have cause to reflect on this period the way we look back on WWI, WWII and the Great Depression.

Regardless of how long it takes to put Humpty back together again, it still feels surreal in the moment sometimes.

Action Reframe your thoughts

How I Built A Habit In 1 Moment And You Can Too

Posted on April 28, 2020

I’ve done it a couple of times in the last 12 months so I know it works. Some might say this is backed by science and critics will criticise. Either way, this is how I built a habit in 1 moment and you can too.

To build a habit you must commit to it and make it a ‘must’ in your life. It is that simple.

Here are my proof points.

From the moment I moved house last summer, I committed to going to my wonderful new home every time I left it. I did not go to my old house every day for two months, even though it was only 700 meters away.
At New Year 2018, I decided to train and run two marathons in the spring of 2019. I trained daily and completed both in decent times.
Writing this daily blog. I committed, made it a must, and this is my 110th daily blog in a row. It was automatic from the moment I decided it was a must in my life and I had committed to it.

In James Clear‘s blog post, “How long does it actually take to form a new habit”, he notes two key things of extra interest to me. The first is when he references a study of 96 people which finds it takes exactly 66 days before a new behaviour becomes automatic. The second item of interest was the following quote.

“You have to embrace the process. You have to commit to the system.”
James Clear, Author of Atomic Habits

To me, his quote is more powerful than the small study and countless other studies like it.

I believe habits develop as quickly as you want them to. The more you make it a must, the more likely it will be automatic from day one. For example, how often did you turn up to your old job, or classroom, after the first day at the new one?

Tony Robbins sums it up quite nicely in his quote below.

“The difference between ‘must’ and ‘should’ is the life you want and the life you have.” When something is a must, you find a way.
Tony Robbins

I think people are amazing and can create new habits pretty quickly when determined to do so. Decide it is a must and commit.

This is how I built a habit in 1 moment and you can too.

[NB: This is dedicated to my Nana who was told in her 40’s to quit smoking or never see her grandchildren grow up. She never touched another one and, gratefully, I was almost 30 when she passed.]

Health & Fitness Time

You’re Allowed To Have A Night Off

Posted on April 27, 2020

Sometimes things get out of control. It may all seem to loom larger than life and you just need a little break. You’re allowed to have a night off.

With so many things to do, learn, read, discuss, figure out, sort out, pay for, etc, we can forget to relax. Our bodies and our minds need some time to relax and rejuvenate.

It can be great to just do nothing. Or read for pure pleasure. Or go to bed early and get an incredible night’s sleep. Once in a while, you should just do whatever you feel like, and enjoy it.

Entrepreneurs, career minded professionals, parents and people with all kinds of other commitments, need a break now and then.

Give yourself permission to enjoy a little ‘you’ time. You’re allowed to have a night off. Maybe you should schedule that in tonight. Hint hint.

Health & Fitness Reframe your thoughts

Life Is Simple

Posted on April 26, 2020

At a basic level we need to eat, drink, sleep and have adequate shelter. There may be a few other essentials but at its core, life is simple.

Then we humans add complexity of wants and communication. I often consider Maslow’s hierarchy of needs at this point. Some people like it and other people challenge it. I learned about it at University and I find it is a useful theory to reference, at least as a starting point.

When left to their own interest, people can imagine incredible, fanciful and wholly unnecessary wants. I was going to list a few items, like a plastic dancing flower, but there are always a few people who will claim it is a need.

One thing a pandemic lockdown and/or looming recession can reveal is the true meaning of a want and a need. It is in these moments in time where we can see what is essential. I find it interesting and useful to remember how little we probably need to have tremendous joy in our lives. Sometimes all the physical distractions can get in the way.

Communication is the other area of complexity in our otherwise simple lives. Over the years I’ve become an ever more keen student of words and their use. I am fascinated how quickly something can be said, heard and processed, and then restated, often with bias or misunderstanding.

This moment in time has reminded me that life is simple. Spending time with my wife and children, sometimes exercising together, playing cards or just chatting. We often add so many layers of unnecessary complexity which can deny us the simple pleasure of life. Peel back a few layers, remove the distractions, and remember, life is simple.

Progress Time

Time Pressure Is Good

Posted on April 25, 2020

How amazingly productive would we be if every day at work was like the day before we would go on holiday for two weeks? Time pressure is good!

What about exams? The last few days before an exam can often seem incredibly productive and focused.

There is something about a deadline which gets our attention and focus. For some reason, if there isn’t a deadline, we can putter around and prevaricate a little more than necessary. Not everyone is like this of course. And not everyone has the same deadline challenges.

Some people are structured and methodical at work and ensure projects are progressed well ahead or on schedule. That same person could be the type that nearly misses every plane they are booked on.

I used to be more casual with getting to the airport, but now I like to get there early. There is still the underlying pressure to pack, get in a cab and go. However, I prefer to have that packing pressure three to five days before the flight. It’s not perfect, but I am definitely getting better. Progress is also good.

And getting this daily blog written every day? Well, I’ve been getting better. Without the accountability of time, imagine how we might all drift through the days and years.

Having a time pressure is good.

Observe Think About It

Consider Six Chairs

Posted on April 24, 2020

To understand different perspectives, I consider six chairs and the views of the people in them. Although, there are countless different perspectives along any spectrum, I like to focus on up to six different ones to keep things manageable.

In addition to what I noted in yesterday’s post, I like to consider all the different views available along a spectrum. First, I assess both ends of the spectrum. Secondly, I add up to four other positions along the spectrum to consider other potential views.

To visualise this, I have added a spectrum below and placed an asterisk at both ends and four others in between. This gives me six chairs (asterisks) and six avatars, or points of view, to consider.

*——-*——-*——-*——-*——-*

A sample topic could be, “How often should children eat ice cream?”.

As you can imagine, there are many different views with even more reasons available to support each view. To make it easier to hold the various thoughts in my mind, and debate between them, I consider six chairs.

From one extreme to the other, the six views I would consider are as follows:

Children should never have ice cream as there are no health benefits to it at all,
Children could have ice cream three or four times per year as an exceptional treat on warm days to help keep them cool and happy,
Having ice cream once a month is fine and part of a healthy childhood experience,
Ice cream on a weekly basis is fun and enjoyable,
Eating a variety of ice creams after meals, like lunch and dinner, is a normal part of growing up, and
Ice cream is in the freezer for kids to have at any time. It can be a dessert, pudding, snack or even breakfast.

Now try your favourite topic.

Reframe your thoughts Think About It

Assess Both Ends Of The Spectrum

Posted on April 23, 2020

When thinking about a topic, I believe it is very important to assess both ends of the spectrum. That is to say, I like to see how the extremes behave.

Here is a spectrum with an asterisk at each end to note both extremes.

*————————————*

It is quite easy to simply sit somewhere along that spectrum and believe you have the best position. This is made even easier when you read your favourite paper or watch your favourite media channel. The reason for this is that the media company and journalist are keen to influence you. Remember, they are professionals at ensuring you are engaged and will come back.

When consuming content next time, try taking the topic and thinking about what people across the spectrum, and at the extremes, are thinking or doing. It’s a great way to expand the way you think. Especially if you consume media from a source that challenges your view.

I try to remember that the spectrum I see may actually go further at one or both ends. It is simply the spectrum of options that I am aware of, not that necessarily exist. Sometimes we have to push ourselves into some uncomfortable thoughts to truly see and assess both ends of the spectrum.

I find knowing what the extremes are for a topic makes it easier to understand, debate and find common ground for it.

In addition, if you know the extremes, you may find you have a lot more in common with other people, relative to where they could sit on the spectrum.

Action Goals, Results & New Thinking

How You Train, You Remain

Posted on April 22, 2020

From the time you are born until the time you pass, you are training your mind and body. For this reason, be mindful, because how you train, you remain.

There is a very good reason your parents remind you to shut off the light when leaving a room, use good manners and sit up straight. Additionally, there is a reasonable correlation, if only in my mind, that developing good study habits will aid in your future success.

Your mind is like ‘the cloud’ in that you can store incredible amounts of data in it. Above all, it records everything that you see, hear, smell, taste, feel and sense. Similarly, your body has ‘muscle memory’ and it remembers everything it has done, seen be done or the mind has visualised for it.

Therefore, it is so important that you train your mind and body in the most efficient and empowering ways possible. Set yourself up for success. Train your mind and body for success and life will continue to get easier. Develop good, strong and supporting mental and physical habits to help you through the tougher moments in life. Focus on positive words, people and events.

Ensure that your self talk is positive and empowering. Remember to use good posture as it signals to your brain how you are feeling. Just sitting up staight and in a strong position can highly influence how you feel. Force yourself to smile and and your brain will relax. Try both of these now.

My favourite trick to shift my mood from dull, flat or negative is to wriggle my nose like a bunny. It moves my face, and I think it’s a bit silly, so within about two seconds I can transform my mood.

Remember, you are continually shifting closer to positive or negative, the light or dark, good or bad, so be mindful of what you are thinking and doing. Even when you don’t think you are in training, you are.

Action Progress

Focus On Your Opportunity

Posted on April 21, 2020

The entire world seems to be on an edge with unprecedented events happening weekly. You must search for your opportunity and then focus on it. Make this your moment. Ignore the distractions because this could be your time. Focus on your opportunity.

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.
Albert Einstein

Action Progress Weight loss

The Formula To Make It Happen

Posted on April 20, 2020

I was struck by a post on LinkedIn about how our focus can bring different results. In essence, it was the formula to make it happen, using the topic of weight loss.

It resonated with me as it is in line with one of my chief beliefs about how we can achieve anything. Although humans are quite good at having ideas and starting projects, the difficult bit is usually in the follow through and results.

After all, “Results are the name of the game”, as Jim Rohn would say. However, results can be tricky to get if you are not aware of the pitfalls and distractions.

If you can keep the following key ideas at the top your mind, you are far more likely to achieve anything you need in your life:

Restart at ‘failure’. Don’t wait for Monday to start again if you fall off track. Every minute of every day is a new opportunity to restart. If you ate too many calories at lunch, then eat far fewer at dinner. If you didn’t make enough sales calls in the morning, make more in the afternoon.
Focus on the one essential thing. Keep it simple. Figure out what the one essential thing is for you, like calorie intake, and stay focused on it.
Track/measure. Count the calories and weigh in daily.
Try more than one thing at a time. Eat less and exercise.
Reassess by facing harsh reality. Re-check your focus, measurements and concurrent efforts on a daily basis.

That is the formula to make it happen, regardless of whatever your ‘it’ is. Yes, it takes some effort. Yes, you have to do your own pushups. Yes, you have to want it bad enough.

I know you can do it, though. Attack the day and do whatever it takes.