Self-improvement
Showing posts with label Self-improvement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Self-improvement. Show all posts

Obedience Pays

tired dog, bored dog, brown dog

Uninspired
So tired
Feeling old
But can't retire

Have to fetch
Drink water
Have to beg
Please my master

Getting up a little later
Standing up a bit straighter
Wagging tail
Performing better
Feeling good
Getting better

Doing work can be fun
After some tasks
My master runs
She takes my leash and take me out
Be it cool or warm
With sun or not
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Early Morning Miracle


I got this idea from the book, The Five A.M.  Miracle by Jeff Sanders to wake up early, run, and be productive the rest of the day.

Guess what? I woke up at five and did meditation this morning.

I really mean I woke up but I did not get up. I fell asleep after meditation.

By the time I headed out and have my dogs leashed ready for the early morning walk, it was 6:50. Boy was I slow.

The breeze was cool. It was 32 degrees after all. With my down vest, long sleeve shirt over my polyester top, capri leggings under pants, compression stockings, and gloves, I was ready for the cool air slapping my face. As we were approaching the park more than a mile away, I opened my vest zipper to vent the warm air accumulating inside of me. The cold air felt good. There was less people and dogs in the park too, so less distractions that my dogs get into. Snowball, my older dog, would try to pick a fight, usually with dogs at least twice the size of his fluffy miniature poodle body. They did not bother with the geese, either. The birds were distant walking on the icy lake, so thin, that it looks like water. 

I did three miles of walk including the jog and walk all the way home and donated my miles for housing worldwide using the Charity Miles app. Every cent adds up. Today I donated seventy cents with Johnson and Johnson sponsoring me.

What a great morning. 

I need to do more reading on The Five A.M. Miracle book to inspire me to get up instantly after meditation. Getting started this morning was a little slow for me.

But now I feel great and energized. It will be a good day.

What inspired you this morning?
Our World Tuesday, Motivation Book, Productivity
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The Benefits of Keeping a Journal

I am thankful for this journal 
Where I do pour  my thoughts 
Whatever my mind comes across 
Like some decisions I'm at loss  

It's my stress management tool 
Where there's no strict rule 
This journal's like a jewel 
Feeding my hungry soul some fuel  




With a guide from the Bliss app 
That makes journaling a snap
 I can write some daily entries
 That is more than enough  

I can write about gratitude 
What I like about work 
The good things in my life 
That give this life worth  


I can write about the future
 What I'm looking forward to 
What can happen and how to fix it 
Instead of fretting about it  

I can think about great people 
Who gives me inspiration 
I can focus on things I favor 
And address God, our Savior

ttot, ten things of thankful, gratitude blog
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Xmas Resolution: Be More Productive


Two of our volunteer dogs at work who do not know
they are excited they are working today.

Paul had his haircut today and instead of feeling relaxed, he left very upset. Why? The hairdresser dropped the sharp scissors right on his hand cutting it and causing good enough bleeding that the seat got stained, that's why.


To make things worse, instead of apologizing that instant, the hairdresser exclaimed, "I'm glad I did not drop it on the floor. That's a $200-dollar-pair of scissors!"

At this point, Paul's blood was boiling. (I knew, I checked).

She did apologize a moment after that when she saw the blood on his hand. In the end she attempted to make a nice gesture, and she made sure he knew she did not charge him for the haircut by telling him twice.

Well, pissed-of-Paul still decided not to give her a tip. He only paid for his son's haircut and the other hairdresser's tip. He put a big "zero" on the receipt as her tip, instead.

He left the salon so fast that his son was behind by a few seconds, enough for his son to overhear her saying, "Well, he's not very nice." Of course, his son reported this to Paul immediately. So then, he quickly turned around and came back demanding  to talk to the manager.

He did receive a sincere apology from the manager. Soon, he left with a few courtesy cards for "free haircut" to be used in the future.

The problem is, Paul has no intention on going back to this salon.

Why did I mention this story?

I want to emphasize wrong timing. Giving Paul free haircuts to a place he just had a bad experience may not be useful. I think, he should have gotten a refund for his son's haircut too, instead of being handed cards asking Paul to come back for more. For what, for more bad service?

Anyway, I have a common problem with bad timing. I like to do (many) things in the wrong time pushing behind what is more important. Although today may not be that bad at all, I still have a lot of room in the improvement department to fill. I am not going to wait until 2016. I am starting now with the Xmas spirit in the air.

Accomplishments on the First Day 

  1. I got up on a decent time on my day off.
  2. I got two meditations done.
  3. http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/I did a high-intensity-workout for 10 minutes. (It is better than 0).
  4. I did a few chores on my chores list.
  5. I did five minutes of Spanish Language learning.
  6. I did five minutes of Nursing study/review.
  7. I finished my Xmas gift shopping online from my very short shopping list. The packages will be delivered on the 23rd, before Christmas!
I accomplished more than my typical day off but I still failed to make time for other important things.

What I failed to do due to poor time management
 

 
  1. Go to church. I missed both 10 and 11:30 a.m. masses.
  2. I still have not put away the clean laundry (my most hated chore).
  3. I did not do my grocery shopping. But at least I made my list from the laptop.
  4. The stupid wireless printer did not print my list and I did not make time to check why.
     

Time Wasters

  1. Looking for the perfect alarm clock and texting app for hours.
  2. I still did not get a free advanced texting app I was looking for and in the end I settled for the good old Google Messenger texting app for my phone.
  3. I did get a Mighty Text extension for my Chrome in the laptop but I really should have spent the time doing more chores instead.

What helped me get (some) things done
 

 
  1. Wunderlist App - this is my chore list app. I obviously have to follow its reminders better next time.
  2.  HabitBull App with its reminder I programmed to accomplish mini tasks like study and check on my family.
  3. Fabulous App with its reminder to do healthy tasks like meditate, exercise, take my vitamins
  4. CCRN Adult App with its reminder to answer some nursing questions.
     

Plans for Improvement

1. I will start by going to bed on time. AMdroid alarm clock app is actually reminding me right now to get ready for bed.
2. Promise myself, I won't be shopping for apps again tomorrow. I already downloaded so much that I already filled 16GB of memory out of 32 on my brand new phone.

I did not do anything really bad today. I just need to prioritize better to make efficient use of my time. Tomorrow I will be [a tad bit] better. Taking small steps are better than not making any effort at all. I still feel accomplished.

How about you? What are your biggest time wasters? 

 
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Who Let The Food Out


Life Lessons From a Procrastinator

I was commenting about the basket of cheese to my co-workers one day saying . . .

 "This [cheese] have been sitting here [on the table] for a long time. Too bad. They are good cheese too."

"Yeah, they were probably out overnight."

I then opened the fridge to grab my lunch. No lunch. Oops.

"My lunch bag must be in my locker."

With my coworkers laughing, one said, "Talk about leaving the food out."

I was thinking talk-about-rushing-this-morning-to-work. I did not have time to put my food in the fridge in the lunch room which is clear at the end of a very long hall. I told myself I would retrieve it from the locker earlier but I forgot.


Because of Procrastination

  • I have rushed myself to work sometimes to get there on time. There are always something to be done at home like wake the sleeping teens to school and reminding them of tasks. Stuff like that.
  • I have been late to some of my commitments anywhere from one minute to fifteen minutes.
  • My son missed his doctor's appointment as I did not check my calendar one day.
  • I was late picking up my daughter one day and she got really upset. How late? Twenty minutes.

They are a big deal because it is not okay to be late especially there are people depending on me. Aside from my children, the people I am meeting are being inconvenienced.

How to Beat Procrastination

I really need help. I have tried some books on productivity and getting things done, and although I learned from them, I have not applied them long term. I want to be reliable and a good example for my teens who I can see have major procrastination problem. Or is it just because they are teens? In any case, I still want to set a good example for them. If I do not change for myself, I should at least change for others, especially my family.

So what should I do?

  1. Reread the books on productivity. I still have them on Kindle I bought more than two years ago. Use what I have. I need a review.  They are good resources. But I need to create and apply the good habits and break the bad.
  2. I already have Google Calendar. I should just check it everyday to plan my day.
  3. Try some productivity apps already reviewed and rated high by many users. Why apps? I have my phone all the time so the apps would be available to me all the time.

I will start tomorrow. No this is not a part of my procrastination. I will really start on 12/20/2015. It will be the beginning of my productive days. You will see. Also tomorrow I will start mentioning specifics on what apps and other tools I will use.

Do  you have a favorite productivity app or tool you regularly use? What do you like about it?
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When There is Darkness, There is Light

yellow downtown, self-improvement blog
Good old Downtown Denver, a view from my house. The day before the snow storm.
A combination on dark clouds, bright cloud, and the yellowish earth.

I have my moments of crying off an on lately. I decided to take a week off for bereavement because I can and  I have to. I have been staying home mostly to recover from my father's death last Wednesday. I stayed  inside the house Saturday and Sunday and did not go out until Monday morning to take my son to school. I feel better tonight. Tomorrow will be my yellow, bright, and perhaps cold--day.
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Quote of the Week

dogs, personal blog, motivational blog
Are you too busy to
walk us?
“When someone tells you they are too busy, it's not a reflection of their schedule. It's a reflection of your spot on their schedule.” – Steve Maraboli
“Too Busy” or “I can't” are  abused too often. Often we hear ourselves or others say or start sentences like this when a task is not a priority.

“I am too busy to exercise or to do yoga or to cook (healthy food) so . . ."

Have you caught yourself talking like this recently?


Have a good week.







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Thankful Summer

I feel  very thankful this summer. The highlights are . . . my teens are back! There will be bumps on the road. My teens aren't perfect and so I am not. But as long as I have access to them, I can make a difference in their lives and help guide them to the right path.

I am so glad to write a "thankful" theme with this inspiring, thankful group. Here is my list.





 My fifteen-year old daughter is back (from being off and on "on the run"). I get to watch her do volleyball conditioning at least twice a month. I feel relieved she has not run away for over a month.
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Almost Wordless Ten Things of Thankful






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Reasons to be Thankful Despite the Burglary

My first reaction when I opened my bedroom was confusion. Wow, I have white powder all over the carpet. Where did it come from? From the attic in the closet? Who did this? . .


Wait this is my safe that was in my closet. With hammer and power drill (and hair dryer) out, it is obvious it was force-opened.

But Why? 

Minutes later, the cops came, two of them prying the door open with a bigger hammer and an ax. They were pounding the safe in my bedroom for what-it-seemed-like-an-hour to fully open the safe door. Whoever did this had a lot of guts and determination. I am sure it wasn't easy. The sad part is, I have a strong feeling who did this.

The contents were all gone, of course. Police took parts of the inside for finger printing. After this incident, I had no energy of posting a thankful post. For a moment, I was mad with God. What else is going to be thrown to me? My load is so heavy, I am crawling. My teens are both on a run and not facing their cases in the court that have been dragging on for months. They stopped going to school. They do not contact me in anyway. Their deadbeat dad, my ex husband, does not offer any kind of help but he had the nerve to call and blame me for everything. Yup, the one who failed to give child support since 2009. The one who did not give support in any form to our children while I was not working during cancer treatment all the while I was keeping one hundred percent custody.
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Brain Music for Concentration


I feel focused today. I can blame it on my cup of coffee but I always start my day with that.  But aside for a rare ten-hour sleep and meditation this morning, I have been listening to this. Check it out and see what you think.

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Med error

Words to live by after making a medication error

  1. It's discouraging to make a mistake, but it's humiliating when you find out you're so unimportant that nobody noticed it. -- Chuck Daly
  2. So then, if you get caught, be relieved. You are the father  important.
  3. But if you caught yourself making a mistake, that is even better. The sooner you realize, the better.
  4. And if the patient did not have injury as a result of your error, that is the best.
  5. Nevertheless, we should all learn from our mistakes. 
  6. Norepinephrine is not NEOsynephrine. Duh.
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Be Yourself

My daughter in volleyball, a beginner, but pretty good one.

Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.--Oscar Wilde

___________________

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21 Days of Life With Teens as a Single Parent.



New year, new cheer.  I try to highlight the cheers.  They are here, but I cannot ignore the sad stuff though.  Read on.

1. Jan. 1—watched the fireworks at countdown in downtown with daughter and Paul.
2. Jan. 1-8-- Daughter ran away.
3. Jan. 8-- She showed up in court, promised to be good and reform in front of judge.
4. Jan. 9 –PAYDAY.
5. Jan. 10—Continuing education with nursing group in a nice café as daughter watched movie in a theater nearby.
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An Easy Way to Motivate Yourself to Fitness



Are you feeling lazy to do any type of fitness activity this year?  Do you need a motivation?

If you need a little push and motivation here it is. Check out the app on the right side.  The RunKeeper is holding a 17-day fitness challenge. All you have to do if track your activities between today through January 31 and get in 180 minutes.

Why do I recommend the 17-day fitness challenge?

I have ten reasons why I encourage you to do this challenge.


  1. It is easy.  You can pretty much do a variety of activity with the use of your phone GPS or not.
  2. You can win a price valued at $500.  OK, I don’t know what it is but there is a price.  And for one thing, isn't a price of free motivation good enough?
  3. It is adaptable.  You can apply it to everyday activity like walking your dogs, walking to places . . . 
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Tardiness: A Bad Habit That is Hard to Break

I have a confession to make.

I have this one bad habit affecting my job review.  I am chronically tardy in 2014.  I have gotten better the last few weeks but the other day, I was late by a minute.  By the time I clocked in, it was 7:01.  I got pretty close but if I only left fifteen minutes early from home,  I would unlikely have this issue.

Reasons for Tardiness

  1. Laziness. It has been hard getting up.  
  2. Exhaustion.  My body gets tired overnight thinking about my teens.  
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New Year, New Reasons to be Thankful

Here is my first ten reasons (or eleven?) to be thankful this New Year of 2015. 
It amazes me, no matter how hard the weeks have been, I still have at least ten things to feel grateful for. . . 



Let us celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words. Plautus
Paul says this wine will expire in my home because I drink wine so little.
I asked, "why rush something good?"
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How to Cure Procrastination

I
Top Ten Reasons to Procrastinate Joke Extra Large Mugs
 by Tannaidhe
Print your picture on a mug at zazzle.com.

 have been procrastinating for many years and have been thinking on how I can address this bad habit.  My aunt who visits me once in a while complains about it, Paul, my boyfriend complains about, I complain about it, my dogs complain about it . . . OK, not really.  They cannot talk.

But seriously, my taxes are late, my tasks at home gets done under a great deal of stress by the deadline (the last day) . . . I simply have to work on this bad habit of procrastination.


Reasons for procrastination

I am sure others have many reasons.  My reasons are:

1. The task is boring (doing taxes, cleaning the house—I feel like I am being punished).

2. The task will make me upset (doing the bills, balancing checkbook, studying).

3. There are other fun and more satisfying things to do (checking updates in Facebook, watching TV).

4. Impulsivity.  I have trouble keeping focused and motivated on one task at a time.  I get distracted with other tasks and try to do them all.  The ones I ended up doing are the ones I want to do.  Then, I leave behind the boring, unpleasant task.  Hmm, this is similar to number 1.
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How to Keep New Year's Resolutions


Do I usually keep my resolutions?

No, I do not.  Do you?

I fall into that number of people who may be aiming too high or being too hard upon self.  It is a great time to think about the ideas for change, yes, starting the New Year, but did I motivate myself negatively in the past?  Was I aiming too high and setting unrealistic expectations?

Why We Fail at New Year's Resolutions


According Amy Cuddy, a Harvard Business School instructor and social psychologist:
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The Truth About Resolutions and How to Stick With Them


Wall really thinks positive
about the New Year.
It is January first.  Nablopomo’s prompt for today is: what are my resolutions for 2015.  The topic this month happens to be on habit and coincidentally, my resolutions revolve around curing my bad habits.  Yes, curing; I am a nurse.  I beat up on myself and agonize about things not accomplished last year.  This year, I seek solution (again) to my faults.

I have been thinking about making myself a better person since I started this blog in September. Needless to say, I spent enough time thinking, and now it is time for action.  First, what are my resolutions.
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