A Boomer's Footprint

Category: Live Life Blog

  • Become fearless

    fears-

     

     

    Check out this image.  I didn’t know there were so many things I could fear.

     

     

     

    Our fears do not develop overnight.  We’ve had a lifetime of experiences and actions which may have created them.

    The good news is that overcoming a fear is a skill which can be learned at any time. The challenge is to decide if NOW is the time you are ready to face one of them.

    Here are five beginner steps to use. I say beginner steps because change is a process.  These five steps are a quick and easy method. A technique you could use for a “smaller fear” to have an experience and then a positive outcome. You may need additional information or to seek specific help to guide you.

    -1- Become aware – Recognize the control that your fears are creating in your life.

    -2- Identify exactly WHAT you are afraid of. Using your journal – use the two column method for this exercise. Column one – what is the best outcome and the benefits I can have if I try this activity?  Column two – what is the worst that can happen if I give it a go? Choose one fear per page.

    -3- Understand that fears are just fears.  They are created by our imagination.  Perhaps because of an actual prior experience which didn’t go well.

    -4- Take action – Decide that you are ready to overcome one fear.  Take action and do this scary thing.

    (If you watch any of the TV weight loss reality shows, the trainers demonstrate how HARD and yet possible it is to dig deep, be honest with ourselves, accept responsibility for our actions and use our strength and new found courage to overcome our biggest obstacles. With fall coming I’m sure one of these programs will be on.  You could watch one and follow along for inspiration.)

    -5- Review – How good or bad did you do?  Return to your journal and compare your outcome with your two columns of the best and worst outcomes. Then add this additional information.  What did I learn?  What can I do to improve? What should I change in the future?

    Get going. Time is a wasting.

     

  • Overcoming obstacles

    YOU ARE your biggest obstacle!

    If you are having trouble with follow through and motivation, don’t worry it may not be your fault. Discover why……

    We have been battling or even ignoring obstacles over our lifetime already. We may not realize we are doing it or how debilitating this is.

    If your response in the past has been to quit when the going gets tough, now – this challenge – is a great opportunity to face at least one of your obstacles.

    There are so many obstacles:

    There are personal obstacles. Some of them are: psychological, behavioral or just our state of mind.

    There are social obstacles, including: people who can be uncooperative or even sabotage you, shame you, bully you (even adults do this), put you down, or impose their own insecurities onto you.

    There are environmental obstacles. Some are: unexpected occurrences, circumstances and instances over which we have no control.

    Not to mention: bad habits, time management, organization, preparedness, fears, excuses, procrastination, inexperience and negative thoughts and energy.

    To get started – recognize and admit what is standing in your way.

    This is a journal exercise. Make a list of EVERY obstacle you own up to. (This may take more than one sitting.)  Every time another occurs to you, add it to the list.  While the process may feel overwhelming and negative in its own right, admitting what is standing in your way is the first step to change. We may even see a pattern of thoughts and behaviors emerge. Then we will know where to begin.

    For the rest of this challenge, I will be writing about obstacles. Remember an extra benefit of achieving this “90 Day Challenge” is to create good habits, experience and self confidence that lasts a lifetime.

  • Shocking realization of a favorite snack

     

    IMG_4673 (2)

    Yikes. This is one Label I forgot to read!

    I do have a chocolate addiction. It started as a child.  Pop always had candy bars available to us when we visited his barber shop. And we ate them up.

    As an adult, the addiction continued when I began eating Mexican food.  My local taqueria, had a candy dispenser – for a quarter, I got a handful of treats. Of course over time the volume decreased and eventually the machines disappeared but it didn’t matter by then I was hooked.  I associated rice and beans with chocolate. Duh, the Mexican cuisine does have mole.

    Then, I began running in Walgreen’s or any local corner store for a candy bar. I started with Herseys with almonds but soon moved over to M&M’s with peanuts.

    Now to the photo. I recently studied the M&M’s peanuts label and was shocked. Now we know I wasn’t really SHOCKED I just didn’t want to pay attention.

    Imagine the percentage are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.  I probably eat 1,200 cals. a day. So my stats are even worse.

              13 g fat 20% of DV

                5 g Saturated fats!

              Sugar – they don’t even compute the number

              Dyes

              And finally an admission of genetic engineering involvement.

    What was I thinking. Of course, this snack is over. Another food (?) eliminated from my diet.

    Realistically, I know I’m not giving up chocolate. Now, when possible I buy the dark chocolate with almonds bars from Trader Joe’s.  A step up but I could probably still do better. They are even a dangerous snack to keep around.  It’s so hard NOT to think about that bar in the freezer.

    Lesson reminder to me and you is: continue reading labels and make the right choices.

     

  • How to stay committed

    stock-vector-motivation-concept-chart-with-keywords-and-icons-273624035 (2)

    We are 30 days into our “90 Day Challenge.” Read on to learn a very important tool that will help you achieve success in reaching your goal.

    KNOW YOUR WHY – What motivation do you need to stay committed to achieving your goal? Why will you stick with your action plan?

    Here are the top three tips to keep you motivated:

    -1- Benefits – Open your journal and reread your goal. Next, write out a list of benefits you experience now and once you’ve achieved your goal. Be specific and detailed.

    -2- Reward Yourself – This technique can be a great motivator. It worked for our kids and it can work for us now.  Reward yourself for your small achievements, recognize your effort and then treat yourself to a reward.

    Choose something meaningful. For example, don’t choose a big ice cream cone when you are trying to loose weight, instead save up for a healthy massage.

    -3- Connect with your team to stay motivated, keep you on track. Accept both their encouragement and criticism when you need it.

    Here is great article to help you write out your benefits.

    10 Powerful Benefits of Change and Why We Should Embrace It

    Sorry you may have to cut and paste. But is will be worth the effort. (Another blog skill for me to learn.  Post a comment if you know how.  Thanks.)

    Good luck.

  • Maybe I am being selfish, but you can be selfish too.

    chained hands

     

     

     

    Break out of the chain holding you back.

     

    If you are really committed to meeting your challenge, you must become “selfish.” Yep, this is one time when it’s okay to put “me” first. And I don’t mean selfish in a take-take-take or needy-needy way. But by taking the time and focus needed to reach your goal and allowing your family and team to do the same.

     Life is busy – full of to-do lists, chores, endless emails, social media surfing, not to mention maintaining real time relationships and oh yes, FUN and relaxation.

    We have expectations and demands from ourselves, bosses, customers, clients, suppliers, friends and loved ones.

    No wonder we go to bed exhausted, sleep fitfully and wake up tired.

    We often jump from one task to the next. We stop what we are doing one moment and give our attention to this new thing.

    (As a personal opinion – this is why the cell phones are so distracting.  Does your phone ping every time you get an incoming message?  And then do you stop whatever you are doing and react?)

    Following up on the recent post – Adopt a Good Habit – a key element for achieving success is to make your action a priority each and every day.

    -1- Your habit should be a regular and consistent. Complete your new action the same time, same place every day. Write it in your calendar and do it. Remember, No Excuses. If you miss a day, it’s okay just begin again.

    -2- Take small action steps. Break a big goal into manageable bites. You’d be surprised how much you can accomplish in 10 – 30 minutes a day.

    -3- Plan Ahead. If your action requires tools, books, tapes, trash bags, boxes, or your work out clothes, have them ready to use before the scheduled task time. Don’t waste time “Getting Ready”, then run out of time to do the activity.

    And don’t forget to tackle your task with joy and enthusiasm. We can improve the quality of our lives right now.

    Read your affirmations and goals every day to remind yourself why you are committed to change.

    Good luck.  Let me know how you are doing.

     

  • Adopt a Good Habit

    people-sanddune

    Your road ahead only seems like you are climbing an insurmountable sand dune at first! But regular, small steps will get you there.

    You already know why I suggest that adopting a new habit is an integral component of achieving your 90 Day Challenge. But to spell it out……

    “A Habit is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously.”  Wikipedia

    The obvious key words here – regularly and occur subconsciously.

    If only we were already at the subconscious stage but NO not yet. But by  repeating an action over and over again, by taking consistent, small steps daily, we can reach our goal. Our routine can become rote –a habit.

    Keeping a record of your 90 Day Challenge experience is so important.  Sitting down every day and writing in your journal, can keep you motivated to keep working towards goal. It’s actually encouraging to read back over your writings to see your progress.

    Then, imagine sharing your journey with others. This is my goal on the “ourcommonjourney” blog page.

    Here are my 8 steps for adopting a new habit. The 8 steps will be part of our conversation over the next few months.

    -1- Know your WHY

    -2-What is your goal  (Should be written by now)

    -3- Use affirmations, visualization and meditation (Should be written)

    -4- Commit to 90 days – Our challenge

    -5- Make it regular

    -6- Start with small steps

    -7- Plan ahead

    -8- Accept a bump in the road.

    Next post is about committing to our action plans.

     

     

  • Our 90 Day Goal

    believe in your dreams (2)We are ready to go – to accomplish our 90 Day Challenge. We chose our challenge. We wrote an affirmation. We’ve had 10 days to get used to the idea, so game on.

    Remember, the affirmation is a one line statement, written in the present tense of where you will be, what you will have accomplished by September 21, 2016.  For example,     I AM FIT.

    Next we will write a goal for our “90 Day Challenge”.

    I’m suggesting a different method of goal setting, which I learned from Steve Pavlina, a successful personal development advocate.  In the past, I used the SMART method of goal setting but now prefer Pavlina’s method.

    Traditionally we think of a goal as an achievement made in the future, but the main purpose of our goal is to improve the quality of our present. We can’t guarantee the future but we can control what we are doing now – each and every day.  So if I want to be FIT, then every day I keep my body moving, building my strength and stamina.

    The purpose of our goal is to gain clarity and focus and to keep motivated right now. We will change our attitude about engaging in our activity.

    By focusing on the NOW, we will also learn skills which we can repeat in future challenges and goals.

    Some benefits of setting goals are:

    To Learn about ourselves or a new skill

    To create a life style

    To gain Inner Strength

    To become persistent

    To gain self-confidence

    To develop self-belief

    To become a leader

    To accomplish our big challenge

    Using present tense language, write down your goal.  For example:

    My goal is to read 20 minutes each night before falling asleep.

    My goal is to volunteer in a new organization, learning a new skill set.

    My goal is to lose 10 pounds.

    My goal is to have an organized garage, closet, or……

    Write your goal in your journal, on a device, index card or calendar – keep it somewhere that is always visible and where you will look at it every day.

    Some life style changes, can best be achieved by adopting or eliminating a habit. A behavior we perform on a regular, consistent basis. By taking steps every day to achieve our goal.

    My next post is on adopting a new habit.

     

     

  • Build your Team

    groups-diffrent-people-one-line-15907788 (2)
    Having a support team around you can make the difference between success and failure when making a Big Change – our goal during this 90 Day Challenge.

    It is important to ask for the support of those closest to you. You want, even need them on your team. Be upfront with your core people.  Let them know exactly want you want to accomplish this summer.   And ask for their support.

    You could build a team of one or more people and “Work your Plan” together.

    Not everyone will be supportive.  So it is important to discount their negativity and doubts and stay true to yourself and follow your plan.

    Since our community will have a variety of Challenges, I can’t directly address all of them in my posts.

    Here are two suggestions:

    If you are working on health and fitness.  There are so many programs around. You need to decide if you want prepared meals, an online support program, meetings or another systems.  Some we’ve heard of are Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Nutri Systems, Lean Cuisine and others.

    It may be hard to choose. Ask friends for their recommendations and success rate.  If you have tried one program in the past and failed. You may give it another go. This time commit to follow the plan.

    I make a lot of dishes from cookbooks by both Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Joel Fuhrman. These work for me because I am mainly vegetarian. I find it difficult to follow their programs daily. They are quite strict.

    If you want to be more organized, I recommend Maria Gracia. I have been following her blog for a couple of years.  Here is the link to her products page, which are reasonable priced.

    http://www.getorganizednow.com/orderdet.html

    For other 90 Day Challenge goals, there is so much resource materials available. Again, you could ask a friend or colleague who is successful in that area for a recommendation.

    Or as we say Google it. Many programs also have online communities for support.

    If you are stuck,  ask me and I will help with the research.

    This is one way I can be on your team. I will also provide motivation, support, and general tips and techniques to help you succeed.

    I encourage you to post any questions and comments in the box available at the end of each blog post.

    If you’re are having problems getting started or sticking to your plan, we could schedule a one-one consultation.  Submit your request in the comments section, as well.

    Next time, we will write out our goal.

  • Did I sufficiently freak you out with the 90 day Challenge idea?

    Sunset- Quote 1

    Even I was overwhelmed when I read over my list of obstacles and I already put myself through a 90 day challenge this past spring. So I know what’s ahead.

    The truth is we could have a lot of areas to work on.  And it’s okay. We can tackle them one at a time.

    Today is our first check in – have you chosen your biggest obstacle to work on yet?

    It’s okay if you haven’t. You can mull it over a bit more or start with a smaller problem if the idea of Biggest challenge is too much right now.  The main goal of this “90 Day Challenge” is to choose one area in your life which is holding you back and to change it.

    As I write these posts, I will constantly be telling you to “get out your journal”.  If you done any personal develop work in the past, you know this is an integral part of achieving success.

    Did you know we have between 35 and 48 different thoughts in one minute? Talk about multi-tasking. It’s just not fair to ask our brains to REMEMBER the steps we need to take each and every day to complete our 90 Day Challenge.

    Let’s get going. Research show that regularly repeating an affirmation using language in the present tense, as if it is already true, makes the brain believe you are already where you want to be.

    Action Step:

     Get out your journal.  Writing this statement to the top of the page:

    In 90 days, I __________________________.

    For example:

    I weigh _____________lbs.

    My closet is clean.

    I now work at _________________.

    I have all the time I need to ______________________.

    I sleep __________- hours every night.

    I am drug free.

    I ran my first 5K.

    Next post on Saturday. I appreciate comments and questions. Don’t be shy. Let me know what’s on your mind.

    Good Luck.

  • Join Me for a 90 day Challenge

     

    IMG_3531 (2)

     

     

    The sky suggest limitless of  possibilities. We can soar. What can you accomplish if you try? What change can you commit to that will Make a Significance Difference for you?

    Boomers: it’s time to “Make a Difference for Ourselves!”

    Now I know what you thinking. Many believe that as boomers were / are selfish, self-indulgent and self-centered.  But WE know that is not the whole story. WE just wanted to do things “My Way.”

    While we have succeeded in many areas in our lives, we all have something/s on our plate unfinished, unresolved. So I propose tackling one of these issues NOW.

    Imagine that in 90 days you can overcome the biggest challenge you’ve procrastinated about you for ages.

    Here’s how to get started

    Step 1 – Dig out your journal, dust it off and get going.

    If you don’t have a journal, use a yellow tablet, copy paper or any paper scrap available. (Kidding – spring for a nice book, one you are happy to write in every day.) We will use the journal to record our 2016 BIG goal and track our progress while reaching it.

    As you read the list, write down all of the statements in your journal which are true for you. Be honest. This info is for your eyes only. Don’t get overwhelmed if you are writing down a LOT of statements. We will tackle each challenges one at a time.

    One or more items on the following list may be your issue OR you already know “What It Is” because, you’ve been thinking about it for years.

    Here goes:

    I am (_____) pounds overweight

    Run a 5K, I can’t even run five blocks

    I need more sleep

    I take so many drugs

    I am in a rut eating unhealthy foods

    I just can’t remember things

    I have many negative thoughts

    I’m too tired

    I can’t get off the couch

    I am depressed

    I feel lazy, unmotivated

    I am uninspired

    I am discouraged

    I don’t have enough time

    I’m a sandwich between my parents and my children

    I’m too old to learn new tricks

     

    I am sick of my job

    I wish I had a job

    I dream of owning my own business

    Retire, retire with what money

    I have too much month at the end of my money

     

    My house is a mess

    I have too much stuff

    I can never find anything

    I am a shopaholic

    How did you do?

    1-10 items – excellent considering we have lived 60+ years.  That one issue every six years. I wonder which one was neglected before age 5!

    10 – 15 items – oops – somewhere you lost your way

    15 + items – you’ve got serious work to do. But don’t be discouraged, change is possible. I’m going to show you how.

    Step 2 – Choose your big challenge. 

    Now, pick just ONE item from your journal to work on.

    This summer 2016 – over the next 90 days, we are going all in to overcome this issue – no excuses – pick your BIGGEST CHALLENGE. The thing that’s been nagging you for the longest. The thing that you said to yourself for so long if only I ………….

    Step 3 – Sign up for my newsletter. Automatically receive my blog posts every few day where I share tips and techniques to help you succeed. I will also share my personal journey.

    Take two days to psyche yourself up. How to Create your plan arrives on Thursday. You can also follow me on twitter for daily tips.

    Good Luck.