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.

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.

Wealth is the number of things you can do without.

Dostoyevsky

Sometimes we get caught up in the collection of material possessions and lose sight of the richness in the simplest of things.

Take some time to consider what you really can’t do without. Chances are it doesn’t come from a big box store or with a fancy label.

Ask yourself what you might gain from downsizing, decluttering or simplifying. You likely are far wealthier than you think.

Leave a comment:

In what ways are you wealthy?

Never mistake motion for action.

Ernest Hemmingway

Are you constantly in motion?

Perpetually busy?

Just because you don’t have a spare minute doesn’t mean that you are engaged in purposeful activity. If you find yourself with a lack of energy or enthusiasm, take inventory of how you are spending your time.

Chances are there are lots of tasks that keep you busy but don’t help move you closer to your goals. Giving up some of your busy work makes more time and energy for activities that are fun, meaningful and satisfying.

Leave a comment:

What keeps you way too busy?

Think sideways!

Edward de Bono

How can you be creative today?

Habit is overcome by habit.

Thomas à Kempis

What  habit do you need to replace with a better one?

Lately there seems to be a glimmer of hope in all the doom and gloom about the economy. While people might be feeling a little more optimistic, unemployment numbers are still on the rise.

Facing a potential job loss can make you feel like a victim. You spend time and energy worrying and your stress level rises.

There is another way.

Instead of playing the victim in these economic times, you can be proactive in your outlook and actions. Give these workplace ideas a try:

Let go of worry.  Some things are simply out of your control. It’s an unfortunate reality that good people doing good work might still lose their jobs. Instead of spending your time worrying, use that energy to control the things you can – your attitude and actions.

Give up the doom & gloom attitude. In every crisis there is at least one opportunity. We just tend to miss them because we are so focused on the negative. Use this time to practice gratitude for what you have, and keep your eyes peeled for the opportunities. Your attitude at work impacts on your perceived value to the company. Nobody wants to keep a negative nelly.

Become solution focused. Shift into a “how can we..” perspective. Companies are looking for out of the box thinking to help weather these challenging times. Offer potential solutions rather than complaints.

Be a team player. Use “we” rather than “I” thinking. This economic situtation is not just happening to you. Demonstrating a “we’re all in this together” philosophy helps to create optimism. Building relationships is key in your long term success in an organization.

Design a Plan B. Consider now what you would do if you were laid off. Planning before an emergency lets you think with a clearer head. Take a look at your finances and see where you might cut back. Brush off your resume. Keep your industry contacts fresh. Often simply having a plan B makes people feel more secure as it removes some of the uncertainty.

Get back to the basics. During uncertain times there is a great opportunity to take inventory of your life and make some changes. Do you spend your time and energy on the most important things? Are you doing work that you enjoy? Do you have a list of life goals and a roadmap of how to achieve them? Now’s a terrific time to do a little self assessment and re-align things that are off track.

The downturn in the economy is just the current situtation.

Circumstances are never what hold you back.

It’s the way you think about them that makes you unhappy or stuck.

Choose something more empowering than victim.

Some days work seems like a real chore and I come home feeling tired and cranky. How do I leave work at work?

Stress levels in the workplace can sometimes be pretty high, especially in an uncertain economy. When you bring that home, you might as well just sleep at the office.

To make the transition from work easier, try using the commute home as a decompression phase. Imagine as you enter your car (or bus or subway train) that you getting into a transformational chamber. Set an intention that by the time you arrive home, you will have reset your mood and attitude.

Choose music that suits your needs in the moment – to re-energize, to uplift, to let go.

Turn off the talk radio or news.

Focus on your breathing.

Circumstances at work are sometimes out of your control. Making the shift from work to home is a conscious choice to take control in your life where you can.

Post a comment and share your best leaving work at work tip.

And don’t forget to to ask your own “how to” life motivation or strategy question.

Looking for some cool and best of all – FREE – resources?

Check out this list of free personal development ebooks compiled by Peter at thechangeblog.

As he says… ”many of these ebooks require you to subscribe to regular updates or a newsletter to receive the ebook (you can always unsubscribe, right?”

Take some time to browse. The tidbit of info you’ve been looking for might just be a click away.

I’m erecting a barrier of simplicity between myself and the world.

Andre Gide

How can simplicity serve you?