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Gotta know when to hold ’em

October 30, 2013 by 31 Comments

cards, leadership, management

I’m on a conference call.
A long conference call.
The discussion is stretching and swirling in a loop.
I can feel my patience growing thin.

Is this normal brainstorming? 
Or part of the creative process?  
Or is this a complete mess?  
Or is my lack of sleep clouding my judgment? 

My mind drifts.
I call up one of my favorite management books: QBQ by John Miller.
John would suggest that I ask the Question Behind the Question?

Why am I amped up?  
What have I done to contribute to the rudderless direction of this call?  

I think about that for a moment.
Nah, can’t be me. Of course not.

I let the debate go on. I listen in silently hoping the solve is coming.

I turn to gnawing on a finger nail.
Aren’t you too old to be biting your finger nails? Disgusting habit. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Lead, Life, Quotes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Saturday Morning Work-out Inspiration: 38 Top Tips

March 30, 2013 by 28 Comments

run, weight loss, fitness,walk,laugh, funny

Leo Babauta at Zenhabits asked his one million followers for tips on “how they formed exercise habits and made it stick.”  What works for me? (When it works.) Four strategies:

  1. GET YOUR WORK-OUT GEAR TOGETHER. Do it the night before. Make it easy to grab it and go.  Save yourself the agony of the rationalizing self-talk: I’ll do it later.  It’s too cold.  It’s too hot. I’m tired. Let me check my emails and then go. Or worse, Oh, just forgettabout it.
  2. DO IT EARLY. Period.  Or it doesn’t get done.
  3. GET STARTED.  Take the first step.  Walk out the door.  Step on treadmill. Put on your shoes.  Once engaged, I get propelled by the Zeigarnik Effect, the need to complete the task.
  4. RECORD RESULTS.  You are what you measure.  I record my weight and my work-out (dates, results) in a spreadsheet on Google Drive.  Then, when I look at it and find gaps (e.g., No workouts for days. Shocking Weight Gain.), I find myself shamed into re-firing the engines.  This works.

ZenHabits shares “38 Best Methods of Successful Exercisers.” Here are five of my favorites: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Inspire, Life, Quotes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Excuses. Stack ’em up.

November 17, 2012 by 37 Comments

exercise, excuses, illustration, work-out, gym, fitness, fit, zen habits, leo babauta, run, running, diet

#3: My job takes my time and energy. #4: I’m too tired. #14: The weather sucks. #15: I AM NOT MOTIVATED.  There we go.  They are on the table.  My excuses not to exercise (again).  Leo Babauta @ Zen Habits wrote a recent post titled 15 Great Excuses Not to Form the Fitness Habit that has lingered with me.  He lists 15 excuses that have blocked him from exercise – along with his “excuse blasters.”  And of course, I’ve added my commentary… [Read more…]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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