Back From out in the Cold.....

Today is the day that I finally got my laptop back from the dead.

What actually happened is not nearly as interesting as my reaction to it - because suddenly I could not control the situation, I ended up frustrated and aggressive. I really had to make a conscious decision to control my reaction to every situation - after all, if I couldn't control the situation, the least I could do was decide on how I would feel about it.

It is interesting that after the 10 day challenge, I felt physically great, and when looking at the the pyramid of success, the next step was Emotions and Meanings. I was SENT a fantastic opportunity to grow, and it took me a couple of days to grasp it. Not having my normal connection to the world forced me to assess how I react to problems.

After all, a busted laptop is the least of my worries.

Growing Pains

I know that whenever I need to grow, I will be out of my comfort zone. Whenever I want to achieve something previously out of reach, then it will get scary.

I have been told that it is best for me if I form a company, so that I can reap tax and liability advantages. On top of this, it has been suggested that I form one in the USA. This is so far beyond my imagination that it has left me almost paralysed.

Of course, when I think of being wildly successful financially, it all makes sense, but I am still quite afraid of it all.

I basically have until Saturday to decide upon whether I

1. Form an S corporation in the USA
2. Form a PTY LTD in Australia
3. Do Both
4. Do Neither

Fortunately, eat the end of "Time of Your Life, there is a decision making tool that I can use. I will use that tomorrow, and see what transpires.

The Freedom of Work

I find that when I am working towards my Outcomes (or goals), that I remain energised throughout the day. Even with a 5am start I move through the day full of beans (I'm sure that the 10 day challenge helped, especially as I am sticking to the guidelines 80%).

Today was a balance of working on a number of goals - practising, working on a recording, and doing my Ecommerce course. I find that the best way to not get overwhelmed is to concentrate on one thing at a time, and stay present. Also to realise that the most important part of any day is time spent with loved ones, or at least staying in touch with them.

Extra gigs are coming in nicely, proving the law of attraction. I am fit, and almost at my goal weight, and my shoulder is only half as troublesome as when I began this blog. So important to keep checking in on those targets.

Tomorrow my time is not my own, with other commitments. I look forward to seeing how much I can do around these constraints.

Know Your Outcomes.....

An interesting thing has been happening today. Not new, but I really enjoyed watching the process. Do you ever find that when you are working towards clear outcomes, the Universe does every thing to help you? I hope that this is not too new agey, but I certainly noticed it today.

Firstly, I was reading an article on helping out beginner saxophone players. Sure enough, my daughter comes home from school with a sax, desperate for me to help her out.

Secondly, I needed some financial advice. I really needed to talk to my accountant, and he actually answered the 'phone personally, and spent 15 minutes with me answering all of my questions. If you know him, this is a VERY rare occurrence.

Thirdly, I rang a guy about ordering some software, and he offered to look at a laptop of mine that was experiencing problems gratis!

Planning my week has really helped with my time usage so far. The important thing for me is to know my outcomes (long term goals), and check that what I am doing now is the way to achieve them. Covey states this as "Beginning with the end in mind". If you know WHY you are doing something, it is much easier to do it!

A Great Start to the week

My week started early.

Yesterday (sunday), I actually planned out my week, or at least what I wanted to achieve from it. I use a product called the Rapid Planning Method. I basically have an old manual planner that looks like a preacher's bible, but on closer inspection is a zippered up ring binder.

Each week (well theoretically each week), I look at my long term goals, list what I need to do in the week, and then gather these action items around whatever the outcomes I am aiming to achieve for the week. I first learnt to do something very close to this from the Steven Covey Book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and have changed the methodology thanks to Anthony Robbins "Time of Your Life" course.

Although not perfect, I find that when I plan my week, with an eye on my long term goals, I have a week of achievement and fulfilment, and get about twice as much done compared to when I bumble through the week.

Taking Care of The Important

I sit here ate the end of a great day.

Today we went and saw a Picasso exhibition, followed by a swim at the pool. Once we got home, I got stuck into the garden, and clean up the verandah.

I know that this seems all pretty ordinary, but for me they were exciting because they were things that made my wife and daughter happy - things that were important to them. It is so easy to get tied up in our own battles, forgetting those around us. Today was a great day to remember them.

At any rate, I'd rather be spending time with the family than blogging, so good night.

A Change of routine....

One of the books that Anthony Robbins recommends is entitled "The One Minute Millionaire". In this book, the author emphasises the importance of being an "ethical millionaire", i.e. a person who has made their fortune by providing for a need in society, and then shared 10% of their wealth with the same society. This really resonated with me - I grew up in a household that thought ill of wealth, and as a result, I have never been as well off as I could be. This concept really excited me. As a result of reading this book, I have enrolled in a course on eBay selling. I spent some of my day on this today, along with working, and then entertaining.

Today part of my homework was to form a business plan for my eBay business. I used a Project Planner from The Time of Your Life, a Robbins time management tool. It takes a bit of getting used to, but I hope that by using it, I will achieve outcomes I never thought possible.

Today was the first day that I didn't need a nap! My energy is rising with every day. We entertained tonight, so I drank for the first time in 12 days, and ate meat. I am interested to see what the effect is tomorrow.

So on with the rest of my life...

Today has been remarkable for the amount of energy I had. Actually not so much energy but focus. I found myself able to get things done quicker and better than usual. I stuck to the dietary guidelines, with the exeption of a cup of coffee, and even got to run in the rain first thing in the morning.

So what have I achieved physically?

• I lost 3.7kg (Just over eight pounds).
• I am more energetic.
• The pain and numbness in my right shoulder is reduced greatly. In fact, tonight I did a 3 hour gig with no symptoms whatsoever. Compare this with January 26, when I was in severe discomfort.
• Mentally I am more alert, and my ability to solve problems and find solutions seems better.

Above are two photos taken this morning. I will probably not win a beauty contest, but I leave you to judge whether there is any visible difference. I was very conscious of standing without "posing" (trying to suck in my stomach etc).

I spent most of the day learning a recording software package - I realised that in the end it would be quicker and better if I learnt how to use it well before actually trying to master my band's EP- concentrating on the important, not the urgent (as Steven Covey would say). I also did a gig tonight, and enjoyed having the energy to keep going strongly until the end. Sang as well.

More work tomorrow, working on a UNI assignment, and then a gig tomorrow. We have guests, so it will be interesting to see if I have a drink.

Day 10 - Completion

Well, I have made it - not perfect, but 99% there as far as diet and exercise is concerned. Today I started to have a real spring in my step, and managed to achieve a great deal at work. The impact of being alcohol free is really noticeable. Rather than feeling like I can't wait to get back to my old eating habits, I am keen to carry this forward into the rest of my life. I would like to eat meat, dairy and sugar again, but as a smaller part of my diet. Coffee and Alcohol is a likewise scenario.

I still found things a bit difficult emotionally tonight when little things at home didn't go my way - I think that I am a little thin skinned at the moment, and just need to remember this, not letting things get to me.

In the accompanying material for Unleash The Power Within, there is a pyramid. At the bottom of this is the physical. Tomorrow I hope to have photos to post, along with a complete rundown of where I am physically.

Basically I feel much more in control of my life, and where it is going.