This is a step-by-step plan that is well-presented with many helpful ideas. The beginning of the book examines the difference between an overweight body and an overloaded schedule:
Problem: Problem:
Overweight Body Overloaded Schedule
WA R N I N G S I G N S WA R N I N G S I G N S
Too much food Too much activity
Too much fattening food Too much work
Eating late at night Working late at night
Not enough fruits and vegetables Not enough rest and relaxation
Too much sugar Too many options vying for your time
Little or no exercise Little or no exercise
Couch potato Automatic pilot—keeps doing what
s/he’s always done, even if it no
longer serves a purpose
Won’t say “no” to junk food Won’t say “no” to anyone’s requests
BOTTOM LINE: BOTTOM LINE:
Refusing to change your Refusing to change your
lifestyle can lead to serious lifestyle can lead to serious
health and personal problems. health and personal problems.
The author goes on to share the Ten Commandments of Self-Care:
1. Use all of your vacation time every year.
2. Commit your time off solely to nonwork-related
activities.
3. Take your rest seriously.
4. Have fun at least once a week.
5. Eat regularly, preferably sitting down.
6. Exercise regularly, preferably standing up.
7. Be fruitful and productive, not busy.
8. Use technology to gain time, not consume it.
9. Connect heart-to-heart with the people who matter.
10. Be led by the Spirit.
There was a pyramid in the book that was similar to Jung's pyramid that I found interesting:
Joy
Financial Health
Purposeful Work
Self-Care
Faith, Family, and Friendships
She also wrote about an old Japanese saying: Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.
The first step in creating the life you want, is to envision a dream life. To do so, the author suggests writing down activities for each of the following five areas:
- work
- relationships
- finances
- health and physical environments
- spiritual life
for:
- daily
- weekly
- monthly
- annually
Now, what activities would you nee to eliminate in order to make space for this model to emerge in your life? (Use the same categories first mentioned - work, relationships, etc.)
The author encourages readers to create deliberate, daily habits:
- write a vision of your ideal morning and then post the list
- identify a simple way to connect with loved ones in the morning (e.g., breakfast with family, exercising together)
- choose things you truly want to do, not what you "should" do
She also suggested managing household more effectively by:
- having a communication center
- not letting chores pile up
- creating a printed shopping list
- automating your bill paying
- preparing your meals once per week
- having a reserve (e.g., paper towels, toiletries, light bulbs)
- delegating responsibilities
The author closed by saying, "You deserve joy every day. And it's tough to find joy when you are overloaded with activities and rushing from one thing to the next. It's hard to find joy under those conditions because you are unable to live in the moment. Take your joy seriously. Have fun at least once a week. And celebrate your milestones."
At some point, it would be good to go back and do the plan day-by-day and see the impact in 28 days. It would require purchasing the book so I could write in it and use it as a guide/workbook. Until then, keeping these guiding principles in mind will be helpful and worthwhile.
At some point, it would be good to go back and do the plan day-by-day and see the impact in 28 days. It would require purchasing the book so I could write in it and use it as a guide/workbook. Until then, keeping these guiding principles in mind will be helpful and worthwhile.
1 comment:
Yes, it can effect your health and well-being.
I am at a standstill right now--ROFL! ;)
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