We've all been there – falling off the exercise wagon and trying to find the motivation to jump back on. When we struggle with jump-starting our exercise routines, we beat ourselves up and experience feelings of disappointment, judgment, and failure, all of which do nothing actually to help solve the problem. So how can we kick-start our exercise routine when we've veered off course?
So you finally made it to bed. You’ve done your bedtime routine and turned off all the lights. You’re exhausted, fully prepared for sleep, but your mind won’t stop racing — overwhelmed with thoughts, feelings, and to-dos. The longer it takes you to fall asleep, the more anxious and stressed out you become, which, in turn, makes it even harder for you to drift off to sleep. Once your head hits the pillow, how do you actually relax into a peaceful slumber so that you receive the full benefit of a restful night?
Check out this week’s blog for a few ways to clear your head and surrender yourself to the pleasures of sleep.
Our hobbies, passions, and the things we do for pure relaxation fuel and restore us physically, emotionally, and even spiritually in the most efficient way imaginable. Renewal activities provide care and nurturance for our souls — providing us with the energy we need to get through everything work and life throws at us. Yet, even though we know that and crave time for renewal, it can be very hard to make it happen.
Let’s talk about the global challenge of back-to-back meetings. In many (dare I say most) companies, back-to-back meetings have become part of the time culture. The last three years of remote work have exacerbated the problem exponentially. How does anyone get any work done? What is the impact on productivity?
Whether it’s paper or digital, there are a few principles I recommend to structure your to-do's so your list becomes approachable. The great unlock is to remember that a to-do is not connected to a when rarely gets done. Each to-do has to get assigned a day or a time. Otherwise, you're just hoping to do it when you remember it or when you have a free moment (which doesn’t ever seem to happen). Instead, with just a few actionable tips, your to-do list can transform into a realistic game plan to get your most important tasks done.
We shouldn’t blindly agree to random requests that will take us away from higher priorities, or are outside our designated lane or expertise (and therefore the most inefficient thing for us to spend time on). In reality, we often want to say no but say yes because we are caught off guard. We get tripped up in an effort to be good team players. There is a way to manage unexpected requests with grace and logic, while also being a great team member.
Instead of giving up on planning altogether, the key is to recognize that not one hundred percent of your day is in your control. The solution is to factor in what I call your Daily Interruption Ratio- what percentage of your day needs to be left open for the inevitable interruptions that really do need to be handled the same day. By factoring in the reality, you can plan your days realistically and avoid having your best laid plans derailed.
What gets in the way? I think it’s that we remember the days when we exercised (or ate well) regularly, and nothing could keep us from staying on plan. The rewards were so powerful and immediate, our motivation was unshakeable at that time. And now, we are waiting for that same feeling to come back to motivate us to go out the door. But when the engine has been cold for a while, it’s hard to summon that feeling.
