Figuring out my life, one hour at a time
October 24, 2006 01:00 AM EDT
(Updated: October 24, 2006 01:01 AM EDT)
views: 20
|
rating: 8.3/10
(3 votes)
|
comments: 8
So, as part of reading the book Power of an Hour by Dave Lekhani (in which he shows you how to transform various areas of your life in one hour a week through highly focused exercises which help you identify areas that need change and develop action plans to turn things around - an excellent read and highly worthwhile thus far), I decided to start myself off by finally doing Something about this pesky weight that I put on due to the unbelievable stress that has been the last year and a half. Since I moved to Somerville, I have gone from a size 10 to a 14, and while I still look good at a size 14, the resulting weight has led to a barrage of problems: getting sick more often, self-esteem issues, and most of my clothes generally not fitting me. Quite annoying.
Although I have to say I'm not a fan of the site associated with the book (I REALLY hate audio on websites; ditto for huge text screaming at you about how your life will change forever and you'll make millions of dollars if you get this book), but honestly, the book is brilliant, and a very quick read. It gives you step-by-step direction on things you can do to identify the areas you need to grow in, the things that are holding you back from change, and gets you moving in a direction that will help you actually make change instead of just talking about it (something I, for one, am BRILLIANT at - I love talking about change, but never get around to actually DOING it).
There are quite a few steps involved in the exercises, most of which I won't get into because I don't want to steal Lekhani's thunder, but the basic structure is thus:
- Identify the specific thing you want to accomplish.
- Identify what you will gain from accomplishing this task.
- Figure out the steps you'll need to take to accomplish the tasks and assign them specific deadlines.
- Take your first action.
The system I developed in my first "Power Hour" to help me start making all my talk about weight loss a reality goes like this: I have committed to getting back to what I consider a healthy weight (which is me minus about 3 pants sizes) by my birthday next year. I will do it by cutting out all meat but fish (for real this time) and doing 45 minutes of exercise per day in a combination of pilates, yoga and walking. I make a note of my workouts on the whiteboard in the kitchen and, on Sunday, if I've been able to check off every day the previous week, I will put $5 in a fund (aka "jar in the kitchen") which I will eventually use to buy myself some DVDs I've been desparate to purchase but won't allow myself due to fund shortage. If I don't make it to seven days, I don't get the $5.
Sunday marked the first full week the plan has been in practice, and I have officially earned $5 for the DVD fund. Go me! In a couple of months, I'll check in again on the plan and see what adjustments may need to be made.
I like this getting-my-shit-together stuff.
Please provide details below to help Gather review this content. If it is found to be inappropriate and in violation of the Gather Terms of Service, action will be taken.
You have successfully submitted a report for this post.
|
|
|
rate
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 8
So far, so good—today's yoga workout was a killer, but I feel great. Yesterday was a bit too busy for me to do a full 45 minutes (I got a phone call from a potential new client just as I was entering my 10th minute of yoga), but I did do 25 minutes of Pilates, and I ended up doing a good 20 minutes of yoga on and off. So I'm pretty psyched.
Congrats on getting back into shape! Yoga is great! I am trying to do more of it myself. I am working out to 1 DVD which I like, but I am starting to get tired of the same routine. What is your yoga routine like?
I am half way to losing a total of 60 pounds. I lost the first 30 in two months, over a year ago! and have been stuck at this point for a while. I know that I have to watch my diet more and exercise more but I've sort of lost my focus. I am going to check out "Power Hour". Thanks for the article.
It's a great read, and one of the highlights of the books I've read (or, at least started to—I'm having a "finishing the book" issue) this year. Plus, there's a software he recommends in the beginning called MindManager Pro that's effing brilliant—it helps you map out the way your mind works in a way that makes so much more sense than the traditional journaling approach—for me, at least. What used to take three hours of journalling has taken me less than an hour using this software.
But enough of me sounding like an advertisement—good luck!