You are currently browsing the category archive for the '1' category.
A national statistic posted in the NY times shows that most resolutions are broken within the first three weeks of the year. That being said, if you make it past that 3-week mark, you are likely to keep your rhythm through at least the 6-month mark! So how are your 2009 goals going so far? Are you still inspired to achieve your goals? These first few weeks for me, have been pretty busy, beginning official writing classes, starting a pretty intense month-long detox, and increasing my work schedule. My goals are still on track, however and I’m finding new ways to implement them.
I’ve been reading some great articles on goal setting and a webpage I feel worth sharing with you, is by Chris Guillebeau called ‘The Art of Nonconformity.’ He is a fantastically inspiring individual whose life goal is to travel to each of the 198 countries in the world before his 35th birthday. With over 120 countries checked off of his list and four years to go, he is well on his way. He writes wonderful content on how to live a remarkable life in a conventional world with the basic premise ‘you don’t have to live your life the way others expect you to.’ In his ‘brief guide to world domination’ he talks about the two most important questions in the universe: What do you want to get out of your life? What do you have to offer that no one else does? I highly recommend reading his manifesto as it really helps in putting some great perspective into your goal setting.
So here are some general tips to keep your 2009 goals in sight and on track. Many have worked well for me in the past and present. And others just make great sense.
1) Think about the areas of your life that you want to set goals:
Artistic- finish book, gallery show, do more crafts?
Attitude- increase positivity, patience?
Career- promotion, new job?
Education- new skills, finish degree?
Family- connect more with family, start a family?
Financial- increase income, manage money better?
Physical- nutrition, workout plan?
Pleasure- vacation, be outdoors more?
Public Service- volunteer, community outreach?
2) Set SMART goals:
Specific- don’t be too general, make your goal as specific as possible.
Measurable- how will you know if you’ve reached your goal if there’s no way to measure your progress?
Attainable- reaching for the stars is great, but make sure your goal is actually achievable.
Relevant- if it doesn’t fit into your life, you will loose interest as soon as it gets hard. Relevant is important.
Time-bound- give yourself a specific timeline and reevaluate at that point. Check in every 2 weeks or so.
3) Write your goals down and post them in a place where you will see them often. Refrigerator and above your desk are good places. This gives them more presence in your life. Also write why the goal is important for you to achieve.
4) State your goals positively. Rather than saying, I want to stop nagging my husband, eating food I know is bad for me and decrease the amount I watch television, try: I will work to create a more patient and positive attitude towards my husband, eat nutritious food that my body loves, and read or be outside more.
5) Stay focused- review and rewrite to do list regularly and work towards smaller goals daily.
6) Give yourself rewards- incentives are always good. When you reach certain milestones along the way, take yourself out to dinner, get a pedicure, or buy a new journal. Anything that gives you a little pat on the back and keeps you coming back for more!
With that, I hope you are finding new ways to do and keep doing great things in your life; keeping the ball rolling even if your discover a giant hill ahead. You are the only one that gets to live your remarkable life, so make the most of it!
xox
Guinevere
In a wonderful “Resolutions (or goals) for 2009” article by Susan Ellingson, some fantastically simple suggestions are given to start off your new year right! My favorite, and one that I would like to pass on to you, is ‘Get a Motto’ (closely followed by ‘take a media fast’ and ‘make more soup’).
It came to me that with out realizing it, I have been applying a motto to my years as a final scene wrap up for as long as I can remember. The last week of December finds me pondering what this year has meant to me and how I could sum it up in one word or phrase (or 50). Well, this year is all about intention and goal setting, so I am getting myself a motto early! And to go along with last year’s motto- ‘ask and you shall receive (even if it looks vastly different than what you had in mind)- mine has presented itself to me in many ways this week. First, while reading a Buddhist wisdom book and flipping right to the page with the perfect little nugget for me, then again while on the bus unavoidable eavesdropping on a man’s cell phone conversation, and finally last night while reading a brief guide to world domination, so here it is (thank you universe for your relentless signage) …
“If it’s worth doing, do it 100%” I know, how simple. Yet how profoundly those words have hit me! If you don’t know me, I am a bit of a dabbler. Jack of all trades, ace of none, I guess you could say. I like to experience it all- just enough (like my trip to SE Asia that I like to call ‘10 minutes of everything Asian’). And I get board easily. So this is my year to dig a little deeper; let go of the things that drain my energy, and relocate the things I can put on the back burner for now.
A few at the top of the list for me include:
- Writing for real- I begin a “formal” non-fiction writing program in less than two weeks, and by the end of this year I plan to be published. Somewhere. Twice. At least. Whether that’s a free publication or the Seattle Times, I want to see my name in writing!
- Network like crazy!- I am a part of two fine Networking organizations (BNI & Biznik), and my goal this year is to really invest some solid time in getting the most out of these gigs. I work in a fantastic chiropractic office, and in 2008 I saw numerous clients healed and now living active and pain- free lives through the power of massage, chiropractic and complimentary modalities of practitioners that we work with such as acupuncture, Naturopathy, and corrective exercise. My goal this year is to get out there and spread the word that you don’t have to ‘deal with’ the pain and discomfort in your body. There can be relief!
- Learn a new massage modality- This is something I like to do every year to continue giving my clients the best care possible and keep on the forefront of new massage techniques. This year, I am looking in to Tom Myers’ Anatomy trains.
So what are your goals for this year? (You can check this out for some suggestions.) What will your motto be? What will you relocate to the backburner in order to regain your full energy?
Thriving in the New Year,
Guinevere Amadeo, LMP
A no-nonsense, tough-love guide for savvy girls who want to stop eating crap and start looking fabulous!
I was recently given this sassy little book by a client and good friend asking my thoughts on its contents. In general, I (reluctantly) give it a thumbs up. Like any bias opinion, you have to take a good portion of this book with a grain of salt and decide what’s best for you and your body. With the amount of cursing paired with chapter names such as The Dead, Rotting, Decomposing Flesh Diet and Have No Faith: Governmental Agencies Don’t Give a $#*! About Your Health, it’s needless to say there are some intense bits of information, and much of it not for the light-hearted.
The authors clearly state that the main intention for this book is “to help end animal suffering and the cruelty associated with a meat-eating diet.” Having been vegetarian and borderline vegan (I couldn’t part with the drunken goat cheese) for over two years, I have my own opinions about living a veg lifestyle. The reality for me is that my ancestors were a primarily meat eating culture and my body thrives on meat. I tend to live by my grandmother’s favorite expression: everything in moderation, including moderation.
I do feel that people who choose to eat meat should educate them selves and experience first hand the type of energy that goes into what we put into our bodies. I personally choose to eat organic, humane, and as often as possible, support local farms when I shop for food. This stretches across the broad spectrum of everything we eat. Vegetables that travel 1,800 miles have much less vitality and nutritional value than those grown in our own gardens. Not to mention the damage to our planet with that much shipping.
So, the major drawback with this book, for me, is the intensity in which the opinions are projected with no real suggestion other than “suck it up, stop eating animals.” I feel that when it comes to health and well-being, you sometimes have to meet people where they’re at and offer baby-steps towards a greater goal. I would like to have seen more on supporting local and organic farming.
Having said that, there are a number of things that I really like about this book, and why in the end, I give it a thumbs up. Here are a few:
♦ The great wealth of information on the harmful effects of refined sugar as well as chemical sweeteners such as Sweet & Low, Equal, Nutrasweet and others containing aspartame.
♦ The specific and very in-depth information about the conditions found in today’s meat raising plants, bringing light to the irresponsible and sneaky nature of the FDA and other governmental agencies.
♦ The mention of fasting and list of specific vitamins and minerals for healthy digestion.
♦ The thorough list of good foods to eat and a well-rounded sample menu.
In conclusion, I wouldn’t run and go out of my way to purchase this book, but if the sassy, tough love approach works for you, this could be a good book to get some great information and change the way you think about food.
Enjoy,
Guinevere Amadeo, LMP.
