Get er done - it's your present!

Have you ever noticed how a lot of what you deal with on a daily basis is actually old stuff? You find yourself continually distracted by the old or unfinished projects and tasks. And they can really zap the life out of you. For instance:
• The rising stack of magazines you ordered, but never have time to read?
• The healthy eating plan you started but by now the healthy food is rotting in the fridge, the cans of black beans are way past their expiration date and you’re back to living on cookies and cereal?
• The bathroom remodel that still needs the lighting fixtures installed?
• The too big/too small/those might come back in style clothes stuffed in your closet that you have to fight through every morning?
• Tax returns from the 90’s that still need to be filed?

And how about the birthday/wedding/baby gift you still haven’t bought and sent? The lunch and networking date you were going to make? The doctor’s appointment?
You get the point. All these things literally tie you to the past. And when you’re tied to the past, it’s the past - not what you want now – that is controlling your actions today.

For example, do you scurry past the guest bedroom packed with boxes you never unpacked from your move 6 years ago? Do you get depressed when you look at your action list from a week ago and realize that the same things just keep resurfacing – little irritants that distract and drain you?

Not only do you have to deal with your day to day events, but you’re strapped with a back pack full of yesterday’s leftovers. And every day that you allow more and more to accumulate, it gets heavier and heavier.
Today’s “shape your life moment” is this – take one small step to commit to finishing what you start.

And, as always, it’s just 3 simple steps:

1. Make a new commitment that any new thing you start will be completely finished – one way or another. You will either do it yourself, delegate it to someone else, or dump it off the list.

2. Start to clean up FULLY -- anything that happened in the past that still nags at you. Be patient, but persistent. Take time to carefully consider things in your own life. It’s easy to identify them – they usually make you feel negative in some way when you think about them (mad, sad, angry, guilty, embarrassed).

3. Get help if you need it! Don’t be proud and don’t just let it keep dragging you down! Ask for what you need from others, or hire a coach. Define exactly what it is you need and get their support in a concrete way. Just say no if responsibilities and commitments are stealing your time and your joy.

When you are living in the present and looking forward with expectation to the future, you don’t miss out on opportunities. When you’re distracted or brooding over the past, you tend to be blind to what’s happening in your life and miss out on future potentials. Who do you want to be?

You have plenty of good reasons why you're not exercising enough. But for every obstacle to physical activity, there are multiple solutions to help you get in a workout.
Try these strategies to overcome barriers to exercise:
Lack of time
Identify available time slots. Keep track of your daily activities for one week, and identify at least three 30-minutes time slots you could use for physical activity.
Add physical activity to your daily routine. For example, walk or ride your bike to work or shopping, walk the dog, and exercise while you watch TV.
Carve out fitness appointments. For example, walk, jog, or swim during your lunch hour, or take fitness breaks instead of coffee breaks.
Select activities requiring minimal prep time, such as walking, jogging or climbing stairs.
Lack of social support
Explain your interest in physical activity to friends and family. Ask them to support your efforts.
Invite friends and family members to exercise with you. Plan social activities involving exercise.
Develop new friendships with physically active people. Join a group, such as the YMCA or a hiking club.
Lack of energy
Schedule physical activity for times in the day or week when you feel energetic.
Convince yourself that if you give it a chance, physical activity will increase your energy level; then, try it. Commit one month to the endeavor and then assess if you feel more energetic. Unless you are overly rigorous in your workouts, you'll have far more energy than you did before.
Lack of motivation
Plan ahead. Make exercise a regular part of your daily or weekly schedule and write it on your calendar.
Make a regular date with a friend for an active get-together, and write it on both your calendars.
Join an exercise group or class that meets regularly.
Fear of injury
Always spend a few minutes doing light activity before and after your exercise session. Warming up and cooling down help prevent injury.
Learn how to exercise appropriately considering your age, fitness level, skill level, and health status. You can have one session with a trainer, get a prescription for physical therapy, take a book out of the library or start with an exercise video.
Choose activities involving minimum risk such as walking.
Lack of skill
Select activities requiring no new skills, such as walking, climbing stairs or jogging.
Exercise with friends who are at the same skill level as you are.
Find a friend who is willing to teach you some new skills.
Take a class to develop new skills.
Lack of resources
Select activities that require minimal facilities or equipment, such as walking, jogging, jumping rope, or calisthenics.
Identify inexpensive, convenient resources available in your community such as programs at colleges, community centers, the parks and recreation department, at work or at a YMCA or YWCA.
Poor weather conditions
Develop a set of regular activities that are always available regardless of weather (indoor cycling, aerobic dance, indoor swimming, calisthenics, stair climbing, rope skipping, mall walking, dancing, gymnasium games, etc.)
Rather than relying on them as the basis of your routine, consider any outdoor activities that depend on weather conditions (cross-country skiing, outdoor swimming, outdoor tennis, etc.) as "bonuses"—extra activities possible when weather and circumstances permit.
Travel
Put a jump rope in your suitcase and use it.
Walk the halls and climb the stairs in hotels.
Stay in places with swimming pools or exercise facilities.
Join the YMCA or YWCA and ask about reciprocal membership arrangements.
Visit the local shopping mall and walk for half an hour or more.
Family obligations
Trade babysitting time with a friend, neighbor or family member who also has small children.
Exercise with the kids — go for a walk together, play tag or other running games, get an aerobic dance or exercise tape for kids (there are several on the market) or just run around after them at the playground. You can spend time together and all get your exercise, plus the kids will be calmer after expending some energy.
Hire a babysitter and look at the cost as a worthwhile investment in your physical and mental health.
Jump rope, do calisthenics, ride a stationary bike, or use other home exercise equipment while the kids are playing or sleeping. (Take safety precautions to ensure they don't get injured if they have access to home exercise equipment.)

Purpose or Pointless?

January is my organizing month, and I’m right now in the process of evaluating my goals, projects, and stuff with a professional eye. I'm asking myself the questions I pose to my clients like:
• Is this project or task really important as it relates to my “gold plated” goals?
• If yes, what steps are needed to get it done?
• When would be the best time to do it—what time of day, what day of the week—to get the greatest benefit or cause the fewest hassles?
• Should I be doing this, or can I delegate it to someone else, like my virtual assistant or housecleaner?
• Is there a way I can streamline this task so it's easier to do in less time?

The crux is this – I want to be able to distinguish what has a purpose and what is pointless, because life and our goals are constantly changing. We need to take the time periodically to re-evaluate. What once had a purpose may now be pointless.

I've designated one hour on Sunday afternoon every week to sit down and look over the week’s priorities. I re-arrange in order of importance, add new ones, and delegate or delete anything I absolutely don’t have to do myself. Some weeks I'll need the whole hour, others I won't. But my goal is for projects to get finished by deadlines and to accomplish the key tasks that are going to advance or enhance my professional and personal life.

And most important, I want time for me – for writing, spending time with my family, exercise, and just being able to spontaneously embrace opportunities I’d like to explore.

With the new year just beginning, now is a great time to examine your space, time, and stuff with a critical “organizing” eye. Does it have a purpose or is it pointless?