Ducks and Chickens

What do ducks and chickens have to do with self improvement and productivity?

I once got a performance review and unfortunately the manager who wrote my review was unable to sit down with me after writing it. I received meets or exceeds expectations on all counts.

Then the most confusing statement was written in the final notes.

"Needs to be more like a duck."

Yes, I needed to be more like a duck.

Even the manager reading the statement was confused.

I think I finally got what she was saying.

Listening to a cd about productivity they mentioned people who run around like a chicken in the office.
Pecking at tasks and getting the job done but not doing so in a graceful or well organized manner.

My work style was, at the time, more reactive than proactive.

I was getting things done but not being as productive as I could have been if I hadn't been so stressed out from "putting out fires" all day.

Ducks never really seem to get their feathers ruffled quite so easily.

I needed to relax and achieve my goals in a more graceful way by considering my daily tasks as whole pieces (bread crumbs) rather than as many small separate tasks (seeds) to peck at.


Oh and a fun fact I learned when trying to figure out the differences between chickens and ducks?
Chickens can swim. I'm not saying they'll enjoy it, but they can swim.

Enjoying the Journey,
C

WOW: Robin

 Robin is an amazing woman. I have been blessed to watch her journey of personal health.

Between being a dedicated wife, the full time momma of an energetic toddler, and going to school for cosmetology she has made an inspiring commitment to her health.

She was willing to answer a few questions for me about her goal setting process, her inspirations and  how to handle setbacks. I hope you are as WOW'd as I am by her journey.



How would you describe your goal setting process?

I have one large goal and several mini goals I set for myself; that way the large goal doesn't seem so large. With so much to lose that number at the end seems daunting; so to keep myself focused I have to set my mini goals otherwise I feel like I'm not getting closer to it at all.

Who inspires you in regards to goal setting?

My family inspires me for setting and reaching my goals. I look at the little family that I have and I think I have to do this for them. They need me in their lives. I have to get healthy.

When did you start your health/fitness journey?

I would have to say that I really started on my journey in March of 2013 and though I haven't come as far as I would have liked in the amount of time that has passed I have to remember how far I have come.

Who inspires you in regards to fitness/health? 

I follow a lot of people on Instagram one of my favorites is @sunshinesjourney but the two people that I actually know that help inspire are my brother Kevin and my sister in law Shanyn. The two of them have lost an incredible amount of weight and both run numerous half marathons and 5k's through out the year.

How do you handle setbacks?

I have gone a few days not eating right or exercising and I have gone weeks, hell I have even gone months, but the important thing is no matter how much time has passed I always come back to my journey. I take the inevitable gain in stride and know that I will get be able to pull myself back together. I am currently at a little plateau and I have started adding more protein to my diet in hopes that it will help get me over that hump. I just have to keep pushing and not get frustrated and keep on doing what I am doing because it will work.

What is the #1 piece of advice you'd give someone looking to start making goals for their  health and fitness? 

START NOW!! Don't wait for Monday or next month or even the new year! Your journey can begin whenever you feel like changing! "Some"day is not a day of the week.

Enjoying the Journey,

C

Goal Setting and Setbacks

If you're anything like me you are reading this with several tabs open on your browser.
I'm typing this with several tabs open in mine. That's normal…right?

Between putting a title on this post and this sentence I have bounced between a forum I frequent, Facebook, and a video with a chicken on Youtube.

Good thing Pinterest isn't in an open tab right now or this would take hours.

If you don't set a goal how can you even begin to attempt to get anywhere you want to go?

I'll admit that one problem I have with goal setting is taking on too many goals and projects at once and getting burned out.

So for the next 30 days I'm just going to focus on one spiritual goal, one physical goal and one fiscal goal.


Spiritual: Study a Sanguine Biblical Person in-depth.
Physical: Ability to do Burpees for 3 minutes and 48 seconds, the length of Steal My Sunshine by Len.
Fiscal: Set aside a $100 for an emergency fund to complete Step 1 of Dave Ramsey's Steps by 12/15.

I really wanted to start this tomorrow but to quote my friend Robin "START NOW!!"

Okay Robin. As soon as I hit publish. It's burpee time!

Enjoying the Journey,
C

Personality Plus and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Right now I am reading the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.

Which actually lined up really well with the personality study we started in my life group.

If you are familiar with the 4 Temperaments and Personality Plus you could see how these work together. 

Last week I took the 4 Temperaments test and got Sanguine with a high dose of Choleric.

If only you had been there to hear the initial groan of disappointment to my husband.

"I don't WANT to be a sanguine. I thought I was more melancholy or phlegmatic."

Well…what's so BAD about being a sanguine? All I could think of are the negative traits of being a sanguine that I am prone to. Talking too much, enjoying too much, and I honestly have been accused of being too happy. 

I had no trouble with the idea of being a bit choleric.

You would not believe the amount of energy I have spent trying to deny my sanguine nature in the name of self-improvement. 

Fortunately, I have a safe environment where it was okay for me to admit that I really am a sanguine.

Yesterday our teacher said something that impacted me deeply.

"Now that you understand that and are comfortable in your nature; you need to think about how to submit that to God. You were created this way. How can God use your personality?"

How does a Sanguine submit their personality to God and effectively use those traits for His Kingdom?

This is really where I'm finding The 7 Habits to be highly instructive as well as Deb Potts e-book 

Goals Your Way. 

Enjoying the Journey

C