SilMagaZone...Lucky No. 13

Sorry for the non-blog over the last couple of years… but I am back. Yes already year 2013, and the infamous number 13 has generated articles on the web and on newsstands. I came across one article that caught my attention. The article is called “Lucky No. 13” in Elle Canada, February 2013 edition (I think, because I ripped the article out of a friends copy and don’t have the rest of it). The opening heading; “The year doesn’t bode well, right? Wrong! We’ve decided that this year, up is down, unlucky is lucky. We’re embracing opposites, and we’ve come up with 13 reasons for you to do the same or ahem do differently.” I love it! I love the concept. So I decided to read it and below I’ve blogged about 6 of the 13 titles. Here goes!

1.     Don’t lose the last five pounds. Nyka Alexandra writes about losing a few extra pounds and gaining it back. Although she is not a heavy person, she loved being the thinnest she could be. She talks about how we base our happiness on a couple of extra pounds. Something to think about!

2.     Don’t Smile. Vakis Boutsalis writes that no matter how positive you are, take action to make things happen, being positive alone will do nothing.  Jason Alexander says “I will do the opposite. I used to sit here and do nothing and regret it for the rest of my days, so now I will do the opposite, and I will do something!” Can anyone relate?

3.     Read this later. Writer, V.B talks about the wonderful world of procrastination. Stop feeling bad about it. Procrastinators are not lazy. They are doers, achievers and accomplishers of things. They choose to do what they think is most important, the rest can wait! Love it!

4.     Adopt the TAO of good enough. Writer V.B talks about not praying at the alter of perfection. Keep it simple. Don’t worry about not keeping on top of the latest everything… Good enough is good enough...  Removes some of the pressure no?

5.     Don’t feel guilty. Why do we feel guilty when we are doing something we like? Writer Sarah Treleaven writes about how bad we feel when running an errand in our drabby clothes, eat that the triple cream cheese cakes (don’t get carried away J), instead of the carrot sticks,  etc. Why can’t we allow ourselves to be happy? The closing note is, a full and enjoyable moment means making room for both arugula and Marshmallow Peeps! Pass the cheese cake pleaseJ.

6.     Just shut up. Writer Kate Carraway writes about how she loves sharing her life in blogs, tweets, emails, and texts.  When she broke up with her mate, it was very painful and she decided not to share this. She says that there was nothing new to turn over and shutting up about her problem actually helped her heal. She was not thinking about it and was able to move on.  

Here is my happy opposite for year 2013:

Nail Biting. I bite my nails when I am stressed and have struggled all my life to stop. My opposite for year 2013 is that I will allow myself to a little nail biting when things are rough, if it makes me feel better; nothing a false nail can’t hide if there is an important event.

SilMagaZone… Bye for now.

SilMagaZone…What does a productive day mean to you?

When we wake up in the morning, we set out goals for ourselves for that day. Typically our list is very long and at times unrealistic because, let’s face it, there are not that many hours in the day. Then we go through the day trying to keep up. Low and behold, unexpected things happen that throw us off schedule. Does this sound familiar: Traffic seems to be slightly heavier coming home that day, which delays the stop at the grocery store, making going to the gym impossible because dinner still has to be made, the fridge needs to be cleaned and that batch of laundry has been sitting in the washer since yesterday! Oh, let us not mention that list of to-do’s at work that become impossible to achieve because we seem to forget how long some tasks really take. On top of the unexpected delays that happen, such as the discussion that was supposed to take 2 minutes in the hallway, took almost 20, the “Do you have a minute” type questions which end up taking 30 minutes, and the quick lunch that took forever because the waitress forgot your order, the steak you ordered was under cooked and the bill never made it to your table. At the end of the day, when we recap, we feel unaccomplished. We did not achieve  all the goals that, yup, we set out for ourselves.

What I like to do is start with the “What do I have to do today” list… make the kids lunches, get ready for work, meet my deadlines, make dinner. Then I leave myself one extra activity that I would like to do…like, for example, catching up on cleaning out my personal inbox. If at the end of the day I got the entire “have to’s” done, then I pat myself on the back. And, if I get that extra one partly done, then I really feel accomplishedJ.

“A successful individual typically sets his next goal somewhat but not too much above his last achievement. In this way he steadily raises his level of aspiration. “ Kurt Lewin

SilMagaZone…Bye for now.

Sil

SilMagaZone...Motivation on Inspiration

Keep the inspirational gauge in the green…

I have made it my personal endeavour. The good news is that there are numerous publications out there available for types of people, situations, ages and environments.

I remember reading an article in the Oprah magazine; I think it was the October 2007 publication that really made me think. If I am not mistaken it was from Martha Beck's anti-complain campaign; Face it: the only thing bitching does is make you bitchy, and whining just leaves you whiney…. Hum, food for thought; let's make a stew my friends.

Check out Mike Lipkin. Wow, talk about the gauge being green!

If you don’t know who he is, he is one of North America’s preeminent coaches and motivators. Look at the latest podcast on his Webcast: Be a Candidate for what’s Possible. Very Good Mike! Thank you! I love that parody…to launch your personal campaign every day!


Check it out at http://www.mikelipkin.com/index.php. Awesome!

He has Seven Personal Campaign Rules, and the one I am hooked on is number Seven.

7. Stay The Course. Life is a long march. We all go through our own seasons. Sometimes, we may need to lie low, but most the time we need to blaze our own campaign trail. That’s where the action is. That’s where the rewards are. It’s about stamina, mojo and resilience. And age has nothing to do with it. Some of the most energized people I know are well north of 70.

How best to put it…

SilMagaZone… Bye for now J

Sil

Welcome to SilMagaZone

Stay tuned for a Digest of Motivational Guidance, Health Tips, Fashion, Homemaking, Work Tips (Project Management, Technical how-to's, etc), family life, and plenty more.


SilMagaZone...Bye for now!
Sil