Be deliberate in things that I do.

This was a great post on Zen Habits:

http://zenhabits.net/2008/10/sherlock-holmes-guide-to-recovering-your-stolen-identity/

I really like this:
There will be times where your compromised identity is not seen in plain sight. It will take some serious work to uncover the genesis of this offense. Perhaps you’re trying to read a lot of “hip” books to make yourself seem cool. You really don’t care for the words on these pages, you just want them on your bookshelf to show off when friends come over. Maybe you don’t really care for wine, but you drink it any way because all your friends do too. You don’t want to be left out, right? Be weary of the times when it seems like a small compromise isn’t much. A small lie to yourself is like a little tumor in your authenticity. Unless you remove it before it’s too late, it can easily grow out of control.

Or you’re in a relationship but it just doesn’t feel right because you’re compromising yourself too much…I’m really glad I found out that freedom, though harder, is better, and the price for my true self is too high to pay just to stay in a relationship (even though that is the number one thing on my list of things to have in life).

There’s a hole in my sidewalk
by Portia Nelson

Chapter One
I walk down the street
There’s a deep hole in the sidewalk
I fall in
I’m lost. . . I’m helpless
It isn’t my fault
It takes me forever to find a way out

Chapter 2
I walk down the same street
There’s a deep hole in the sidewalk
I pretend I don’t see it
I fall in again
I can’t believe I’m in the same place
But it isn’t my fault
It still takes a long time to get out

Chapter 3
I walk down the same street
There’s a deep hole in the sidewalk
I see it there
I still fall in. . . it’s a habit
My eyes are open
I know where I am
It is my fault
I get out immediately

Chapter 4
I walk down the same street
There’s a deep hole in the sidewalk
I walk around it

Chapter 5
I walk down another street

This is a great post from one of the productivity blogs.

http://blog.lodewijkvdb.com/2007/10/how-to-sabotage-goals-with-47-simple-words.html

From the productivity and motivation websites I’ve read (and personal experience) it seems that focusing on one thing at a time is the way to go. I want to get healthy, which means several things, and there are several ways to get there. For the most part, I think the 30 day challenge works for me.

x. sleep
x. exercise
3. eat healthy
x. meditate
5. yoga weekly class, daily at home
6. sing
7. floss

ETA: 3 down, 4 to go!

I’ve never fully understood what it means to “do with intention.” I have been working on being present, but it’s not necessarily the same thing. Or at least, not enough.

While presence is needed to do with intention, one can be present in what they are doing without having made a concious decision to execute the current action.

What are some things I did with intention today?

1. Meditated this morning. I fully realized the desire and intention to perform this action. In fact, most of my morning routine (made the bed, took out clothes, etc.) was good.

2. I sang this evening, every note, with intention, by listening to each note. That doesn’t mean each one came out perfect! But each one had its place as it was brought out.

3. Writing this entry...I’ve been feeling that I wanted to write and process this thought most of the day.

Things I did without.
1. Sadly, eating was completely senseless. I ate whatever, whenever. Except lunch, which I ate with my friend, I chose not to eat meat, and got a sandwhich with cheese and vegetables which was and tasted good.
2. Beverage consumption. Too much liquid consumption without meaning (coffee/tea when not needed, sweetened juice). Not enough water.
3. Letting my thoughts run amok. Why is it that I let my mind use its power for evil???

So what is next? The “Today I will…” goal could be a way to declare intentions as well as to plan. I don’t know whether it comes down to the same thing, and I have stated the same goal in 5 different ways here?!

In the mode of Lloyd Dobler:

Not ruminate, process, or think. Not think about ruminative processes, or process ruminative thinking, or ruminate on thinking processes.

I think I have the daily items set up, though perhaps not in a routine/schedule. But that is okay with me.

Next I need to start checking on what is done weekly. For example, after doing the yoga “30 in 30”, it’s become more of a every other day goal. So I need to make sure it gets done every week, or I will kick it back up to the “30 in 30.”

“If we don’t change the direction we’re going, we’re likely to end up where we’re headed.”

- Chinese proverb

Asking for what I need in a relationship is tough. It might be my past experience, [everyone’s got the ouches which leave you with the feeling of rapped knuckles!]. Then again it might just be human nature, or even a reluctance to admit the need to myself.

But this time around it was met favorably. It’s time to accept that I’m with a good guy.

So, I’d like to spare him my endless prefacing when I bring up issues (assuming this will happen again!). I wonder how one works on getting the words out there simply and efficiently (particularly when one is not at the keyboard editing the comment fifty times!)

Coincidentally, this post was on zenhabits today. Here’s a relevant piece:

3. Speak Plainly. It’s tempting when you are in a bad mood or when you don’t want to be hurt to be passive aggressive, to not say what you mean, to make veiled hints in order to test the other person and so on. Tempting, but it doesn’t go anywhere except sour…if you have something to say, whether it is to voice some upset, to show that you care or anything else, then you must speak plainly if you hope for the other person to understand.
http://zenhabits.net/2007/10/eight-keys-to-a-happier-marriage/

Work. As in job.
Work. As in workplace.
Work. As in what we need to do each day.
Work. As in functioning properly.
Work. As in what we move to keep the earth turning.