Loving the Chaos

This month’s 10 in 2010 challenge is to Eat Well.

Your challenge for the month is to make at least one healthy substitution in your current diet.

Next week we’ll add in a new challenge.

Remember last month’s challenge to unplug during meal times?

This is a great habit that can actually help you to eat well.

When you bring your full attention to meals, rather than being distracted by some sort of technology, you may make better choices in terms of food and portion sizes.

So if you’ve backslid a bit and are plugged back in during meals, now is a great time to recommit to this simple change.

Let’s keep the momentum going by continuing to:

Unplug More

Eat Well.

Please post a comment & share how your 10 in 2010 journey is going so far.

What’s working?

Where do you get stuck?

What simple suggestions do you have to share?

Remember you can always find all of the previous 10 in 2010 tips located in the 10 in 2010 category on the right hand side.

We do not stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing.

Benjamin Franklin

Are you having fun? If your answer is “no”, then perhaps its time to get back in the game.

Having a sense of play makes it easier to stay focused on your goals. It helps your energy stay high and lets you enjoy what you are doing. If life is all about work and no play, then you’re missing the big picture. Life is too short to get old.

Post a comment and share your ideas:

How do you incorporate play into your day?

Completing a life inventory is a great way to identify what’s working and what’s not working in your life. Done regularly it can help you plan more effectively and point out where simple changes can help get you back on track.
 
Here are some simple tips for making a life inventory an effective strategy:
 
Use a tool.
In order to effectively take a life inventory, it’s helpful to use some sort of tool to focus your evaluation. Whether you choose an informal tool or something more detailed, it should consider all areas of your life including relationships, work, health, finances and recreation. The Wheel of Life is an easy way to do a quick assessment of what’s working and not working for you right now. You can also build your own tool using questions that help you determine the areas that need your attention.For example you might use questions like:

What’s working best in this area?

What I am currently doing that support this area?

What’s not working as well as I would like it to in this area?

What gets in the way?

What’s one simple thing that could improve this area?
 
Schedule it.
Like most things, if you don’t schedule your life inventory, you probably won’t get around to doing it. Think about when would be the most effective time. While it could be at the end of the year, there is no reason to limit your self to then. Perhaps spring or fall is a better time for you to take inventory. Set aside time once or twice per year to evaluate where you are and where you want to go.
 
Do something with it.
Change will only happen if you act on the information and insights you have gained from completing your life inventory. Use it to plan for the next six months or year. Share your inventory with someone else. This is a good way to brainstorm ideas or clarify what you want to do and why.
 
Be focused.
While there might be many things that you want to change, you will be more successful if you limit your focus. Instead of making an overwhelming to-do list of changes, consider instead some small steps that will move you forward. Remember too that the areas that are working well in your life are cause for celebration. They are also a source of information that you can apply to other areas.
 
Check in weekly.
You can also do a quick and simple inventory each week to see how things are. This allows for easy course correction and celebration.

Ask yourself: On a scale of 1 – 10, how was this week?

What’s one simple thing I can do to make next week as good or better? T

his weekly check-in is also a great strategy for families or couples. No finger pointing or blaming. Just a simple assessment of how things are going and what minor change in the coming week will make things better.

This month’s 10 in 2010 challenge is to Eat Well.

Your challenge for the month is to make at least one healthy substitution in your current diet.

Here are a couple of meal planning substitutions:

Substitute a healthy meal for a skipped one.

Having smaller meals at regularly spaced intervals helps to keep hunger and blood sugar balanced. And yes, your mother was right – breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Eating breakfast is simply a habit. If you are one of those people who doesn’t feel hungry in the morning, try beginning with a handful of healthy cereal. Once you get used to eating in the morning, you can expand to a more complete breakfast.

Substitute simple meals for more complex ones.

If you tend to skip meals because you don’t have time, try preparing something simple. Keep to 5 healthy ingredients or less. If you need some inspiration, Google “5 ingredient recipes”. You’ll be amazed at the variety you find.

Please post a comment & share your simple substitutions.

PS Remember you can always find all of the previous 10 in 2010 tips located in the 10 in 2010 category on the right hand side.

Don’t wait for a light to appear at the end of the tunnel. Stride down there and light the bloody thing yourself.

Sara Henderson

One of the worst things to wait for is for things to change. A lot of time can pass sitting in the dark waiting for someone else to switch on the lights.

If you find that your current situation is not serving you as well as you would like, take charge. Either get up can create a new set of circumstances or change your attitude about the ones you are in.

It’s never your circumstances that hold you back. It’s how you think about them.

Post a comment & share your ideas:

How do you create a new set of circumstances?

When we think of St. Patrick’s Day, one of the first things that comes to mind is luck:

the luck of the Irish

the good fortune in catching a leprechaun

the blessings of St. Patrick

or finding a four leaf clover

Luck – how big a role does it play in your success?

People sometimes look at others who are living extraordinary lives and they say, “They must be lucky.” I think it has more to do with making your own luck.

If you are clear about your goals and priorities, you are more likely to be tuned into opportunities that cross your path. To the outside observer it might seem like luck but really it’s simply taking advantage of situations that move you forward. When you are unclear about what you want, you just might miss something that is right in front of you. When you are focused, you become more aware of people, situations and strategies that can support you in achieving your goal.

The problem with luck is that you have to wait around until the stars align correctly or a leprechaun turns up. In that case, you might find yourself waiting a long time.

Try instead thinking about how to create your own luck by asking yourself these questions:

What’s my main goal or focus?

What are the ingredients for my success?

What’s the first step?

Then watch for an opening that will make it happen. Luck is just a combination of focus, preparation and opportunity.

In the spirit of the day, here’s my wish for you:

May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night and the road downhill all the way to your door.

Please leave a comment and share your best luck making tip.

This month’s 10 in the 2010 challenge to change your life is to Eat Well.

Your challenge for the month is to make at least one healthy substitution in your current diet.

So far we’ve considered food substitutions – replacing a less healthy choice with a more healthy one.

There are other types of substitutions that can also help you Eat Well.  In addition to swapping foods, you can also switch some simple habits. Here are a couple to try:

Substitute the size of plate that you are using.

Part of the reason why portion sizes have increased is because we are now eating off of much bigger plates. Thirty years ago the standard dinner plate was 10 inches. Now it is 12 inches or bigger. That extra room leads to extra food you are likely consuming.

Try substituting a smaller side plate that is 9 – 10 inches for your regular plate.

Substitute a brown bag lunch for eating out.

Unless you do a lot of preplanning, you have fewer healthy choices eating out than you do when you prepare your own meals. If you are someone who tends to grab lunch on the go, try packing your own one or more days a week. You are more likely to Eat Well and will also save yourself some money.

Post a comment & let us know what simple habits substitutions you suggest.

February draw winner

Congrats to Bonnie of Edmonton AB who is the February 10 in 2010 draw winner. We’ve sent Bonnie a relaxation CD as a positive was to plug in.

Subscribe to the free 10 in 2010 challenge and your name will be entered into our monthly draw.

Until next time,

Laurel

PS – Remember you can always find all of the previous 10 in 2010 tips posted. They are located in the 10 in 2010 category on the right hand side.

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

Ram Daas

When you first read that quotation, you might think, “Well duh.” Of course if you are quieter, you will hear more.

Just because we know something is true, doesn’t mean we always act on it.

Is your day filled with noise? Finding a little quiet time is a terrific daily ritual that let’s you stop, breathe and hear the voice of your own wisdom instead of the hustle bustle of the world and your inner chatterbox.

Set aside some quiet time – even 5 minutes – and listen to what you have been

missing.

Post a comment & share your ideas:

How do you create quiet time?

Most people in North America own a car. They also know that these 2 things are true:

Perform regularly scheduled maintenance and your car will run smoothly.

Wait for the engine light to go on, and you likely will find yourself with a bigger mess than you needed to have.

Everything from checking your oil to taking it in for a tune up helps you to assess how things are going with your car. Sure sometimes you need major work but more often than not, a little adjustment is all that’s required.

When was the last time you did a maintenance check on your life?

If you are like most people, it’s been a while, Perhaps never. Making the time for a life inventory is one of those jobs that can be easy to put off. There are probably 101 more pressing things on your to-do list. But just like your car, if you ignore the simple tune ups, you’ll find yourself with a life that’s not working nearly as well as it could.

Saving time, focus & energy

Many things in your life can be easily fine tuned if you pay attention to them soon enough. When life has become overwhelming, it’s more challenging to find balance. When relationships have broken down, it takes more energy to rebuild them. When finances are out of control, it’s harder to rein them back in. When you are overweight and out of shape, it takes more motivation to get off the couch. Of course you can always make the changes you want. It’s just that the earlier you catch things, the more time, focus and energy you will probably save. That’s time, focus and energy you can then put into something else.

Making the time to complete a life inventory helps you to identify what’s working and what’s not working in your life. Done regularly it can point out where simple changes can help get you back on track before you need a major overhaul. Even if it turns out that there are some serious adjustments to be made, the sooner you take stock and begin making changes, the more likely you will avoid your life stopping working all together.

Ask yourself:

Right now what area of my life is working the best?

Knowing what’s working can provide you with good information you can apply to other areas.

Then ask:

Right now what area of my life is not working the way I would like it to?

Become your own mechanic. Decide what needs to be done to get this area running more smoothly. Now take one step that will get going in the right direction.

Treat your car well and you can put a lot of miles on it. Same is true of life.

This month’s 10 in 2010 challenge is to Eat Well.

Your challenge for the month is to make at least one healthy substitution in your current diet.

I know simple substitutions may not seem like they can make much of a difference.

Remember your mantra for this year:

Simple steps taken consistently create change.

Here’s the thing – most people give up when they try to overhaul their entire way of eating. They feel deprived or overwhelmed at taking on so much change all at once. Eating well is about making changes that you can stick with – forever.

How much difference can simple substitutions make?

A lot. Making a substitution that saves 100 calories can result in a 10 pound weight loss in one year – even if you change nothing else. If weight loss is not your goal, substitutions can also be healthier choices for your body, particularly your heart.

Here are some other substitutions to try:

• substitute egg whites for whole eggs
• substitute olive or canola oil for butter or partially hydrogenated fats
• substitute nonfat or low fat dairy for full fat dairy

Post a comment  & let us know what substitution you are trying.

PS – Remember you can always find all of the previous 10 in 2010 tips located in the 10 in 2010 category on the right hand side.