Fear Not the Challenge

This month will be one of challenges.  I have challenged myself to improve a few areas of my life - like most people do, except this time I have done it a little differently:
Challenges:

1. Get into the physical shape I know I can be in and feel best at.
2. Focus on developing 3 key parts of my business (they all intertwine)

What am I doing differently (because this sounds like the same old, same old)

• I have enlisted in the help of my support system - letting them know what I am doing and how so that they can encourage me instead of undermine (albiet unknowingly) my steps
• Changed the order in which I get things done a la 'Eat That Frog'
• Squeezed my time so that I can provide more dedicated focus to the 2 challenges - and they are on my calendar everyday!

Why did I make these changes?  After a lot of consideration, I realized the only thing holding me back was me. 


What challenge are you going to face (again) and actually eliminate?

The Lazy Song

I just love this song and the fact that Bruno Mars would go out on a limb and create such fun music.  His talent is very cool - he stretches in new directions.  Today - too many pop stars and musicians play the same song over again with a few different lines - quite boring and I turn them off, refuse to download (even if they are the most donwloaded singer ever!).
How about you?  Do you put on a silly face and get funky, have some fun, be creative and do things that are not your regular mix?  Why not?!
Make me a promise, after you watch the video for inspiration, you will go do something out of the ordinary!

Measure Everything

Are you one of those people who measures everything?  Follows the recipe exactly...never tweaks or tries it in a different way?  That is pretty rigid.  I have a tough time with all that order.  I like to experiment with new things, test, try, tweak.  It doesn't always work but the road was interesting.
Come on...it's the lazy days of summer - try something new!  You don't need to measure everything against something else (well, unless your job depends on it...I get financial metrics and all that - I don't tweak those very often!)
Here are a few examples:
.....I make the choice on which events to attend based on my needs/objectives, not just because everyone else is going
....my kids ask me for my crock-pot ribs and they never come out the same twice - I kind of wing it with the sauces
....decorating my house is with what I like and the textures/feelings that appeal to me...not what the magazines say
...I develop my relationships based on the alignment of values and not on the fact that I should have a deep relationship with someone because we are actually related

So try it.  Stop measuring everything!  It makes life easier....and life will be more fun if you stop doling it out of a measuring cup!

The Book of Awesome

    Think about the things in life that happen and that sail right by us.  If you have a chance to pick up some light summer reading, check out The Book of Awesome.  It will make you take a quick time out to appreciate what is happening around you, even small objects and ideas or words and why they are awesome.  It is a fabulous approach to life!

Listening is Hard

You need to change.  You need to do something different to get out of your rut.  You are not sure what to do, yet, you know it's something.  So you start to look around and see what everyone else is doing.
You start considering  - will this work for me?  Will I like this?  What's in it for me?
Just like listening to a lecture or being in the classroom or boardroom, we choose to listen with the ME in the way.  This is wasting MY time.  This is a pain in MY xuwqgr###.  This is not helping ME at all.
Next time you start to do this pause. 
Count to 10 (or spin around 3 times, that's what I do with my nephew when I want him to adjust his attitude- we physically adjust it).
Now, put yourself on your own shoulder and listen without the ME - listen with an open heart and open mind.  Hear the words and not interpret the intention.  Listen and give credit to the voice.  You may find that way out of your rut.  You may something that interests you.  You may find that change you are looking for simply by listening.