Scott's Thinking - Page 224 of 236

Start Your Day In A Positive Way

Posted on May 17, 2020

Every word, thought or situation can send you down a different track so start your day in a positive way. You may as well choose a good track to start on.

When you wake up, you could smile. Then remember to be grateful for being allowed to play the game for another day.

You could get out of bed, and seize the day – carpe diem style.

Take six minutes to go through the six minute miracle morning. This will help start your day in a positive way.

You could also try to be the most positive and enthusiastic person you know for the rest of the day. What would that look like? Try it. You might enjoy it. It is a good personal challenge to try to develop a few days a week.

If a word, thought or situation triggers you and starts to send you down a less positive detour, recognise it and restart from there.

One way to keep a cheery disposition, and save yourself some precious time every day, is to not read, watch or listen to any news stories. They are the best negative programming if you want to be less happy rapidly.

Try swapping news (radio, tv, paper, online, etc) for something positive like an inspiring podcast, an uplifting book, or some motivating YouTube videos.

Try one or all of these ideas above at least once. You never know what might set you on a different, more positive path.

Progress

The Miracle Of Making Progress

Posted on May 16, 2020

I love hearing success stories. It’s fantastic to learn about how people turned their lives around. The miracle of making progress is one thing I never tire hearing about.

Whether it is reading about someone I’ve never met or hearing from friends or clients, I love hearing about their progress. It is so encouraging to know that they have done their own pushups. It is great to know that they are reaping what they sow and it is turning out well.

The best gift I can receive is people feeding back to me about the new habits they have or goals they’ve achieved. Small wins are as exciting as big wins to me. They all add up over time and compound on each other.

I say it is the miracle of making progress because so few people recognise their own progress. It is a miracle that people make any progress and doubly so if they notice, and appreciate, the progress they have made.

A great way to start building miraculous progress into your life is to follow Hal Elrod and his Miracle Morning advice. I’ve used it for years. You can even just do the six minute version if you are short on time or motivation. Try it now.

Good luck and let me know about your progress.

Progress Reframe your thoughts

Few People Want To Experience Pain

Posted on May 15, 2020

Not many people enjoy pain. Most of us would prefer pleasure, luxury or comfort, if we had a choice. Few people want to experience pain and will avoid it if there is any way that they can.

Whether it is physical pain, like a twisted ankle, or mental discomfort or anguish from a difficult situation, many people would rather avoid it.

Certainly few people want to experience pain due to a reduction in their lifestyle, whether it is their financial position or social status. People work very hard to achieve their goals and would like to see their life on an upward trajectory at all times.

It is hard to accept a different situation in life where you feel you’ve taken a step back, or regressed, rather than progressed. My friend Jenny used to say, “No downgrade”.

The challenge is these new unusual times. Many people may end up suffering a small or large setback in their life over the coming 2-5 years. Nobody will want this but it may be a reality for many.

So it’s a good time to practice kindness, being patient and empathy. The Great Depression lasted 10 years and WWII lasted six years after that. Whatever we experience, keep a positive mindset. The severe challenges are unlikely to last 16 years, as it did for a previous generation. Though, even if they did, you may as well enjoy every moment, because whatever it is, is what we will have.

Action Goals, Results & New Thinking

Take Advantage Of Your Once In A Lifetime Opportunity

Posted on May 14, 2020

This moment in time will never happen again. This is your one and only chance. Take advantage of your once in a lifetime opportunity in this unique window in time, many might say.

For some things, this will be true. For most things, however, your once in a lifetime moment happens every second, minute or hour. This is not the only time to invest in stocks, stop smoking, lose weight, clean out the garage, take a course or call that special someone in your life.

To paraphrase my friend Paul, the deal of a lifetime comes along every minute. Your opportunity to start, or move forward on something, is there at every blink of an eye. Just decide you will and start building some commitment and structure around it.

Last year I decided to get my rugby referee qualification so I could referee matches for my son’s team. In addition, the training would improve my technical understanding and skills which would be beneficial as a coach of the team.

It would be a commitment of time and money, which I decided was worthwhile. I then had to ask the club how I would go about this. They pointed me to the list of courses I could take. I assessed the options and signed up. Then I followed through.

Discover your interest, decide what you want to do, ask some questions, do some research, commit and follow through to completion and success.

You can take advantage of your once in a lifetime opportunity at any time.

So take any anxious thoughts you may have, turn them into excitement and commit! Remind yourself that it will be exhilarating and fun. Go get ‘em!

Observe Reframe your thoughts

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.