Believe it or not I am quite normal

* Today's daily dose: Believe it or not I am quite normal
* 100 Day Challenge News: 4 seminars next week
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Today's daily dose: 11th June 2011
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Good Morning, what a truly wonderful day we are about to embark upon.

I love Saturday's, they are my project days. It  also gives me a chance to catch up on those silly things  I don't get to do during my normal week. Things like: talking to you - sorry I do feel like I neglect you sometimes. Then there are the emails that I need to read and action, client work that needs to be completed, and admin that never stops. I also tend to get up really early and just dive straight in, which is OK, but I have a project day of painting the last of the walls in my house and I am going to need energy, and lots of it given I am not running on all cylinders due to a cough and cold. So today instead of diving straight in thought I would start my day with sustenance for the mind and body. Coffee will come later, but only if and when I feel the painting has reached a good stopping point. (Dale, large flat white please :-) )

I like to start my day with a few simple things. The habits and rituals that make my day seem "right".

* I make my bed as soon as I get out of it.
* I have a shower and put on clean clothes - yes even on painting days. I have several sets of "work" gear and there is nothing worse than wearing yukky stuff. So I start my day with a "clean" slate.
* I make myself a cup of black tea and today I am going to make myself some breakfast - protein based so I won't need to eat again until "lunch time". So far though I have also fed the cats, washed the dishes the kids left yesterday, put away the ones they had left on the drainer and cleaned the kitchen surfaces...

So why should I tell you this mundanity? Well I feel it is important for many reasons.

1. I am normal - I have the same things to do as you do. Where perhaps we differ lie in the things I have stopped doing.
2. Habits are important. Some habits are essential - the trick to getting more out of every day is to make habits and rituals that work for you. Then slowly you can begin to remove those habits and behaviours that perhaps don't serve you as well.
3. Sometimes just getting on and doing it, is the right thing to do. People hate me when I say - just do it ... usually with an added aside "well it's all right for you".  Is it? I work anything from 60 - 80 hours a week - but in the main it is thoroughly enjoyable. I love what i do (most of the time - see told you I was normal). But perhaps one of the reasons is because I do have the benefit of being able to share my thoughts with a wide community of people, across quite a diverse range of disciplines. Some of you will know me from my work in the information industry, others via my partners web development company where I assist with SEO, SEM and social marketing - and of course via my own social network. My point to you is that to get more out of each day you need to love what you do, and if you don't then either "fake it" and pretend that you do (you do get more done that way) or find work that you do enjoy.
4. Intersperse "work" with play. That is what I do on my days off - aka saturday and sunday. These 2 days I work from home where I can balance the needs of my family, the house I am completely re-decorating and my urgent need to exercise and write.

Given that it is the weekend, and usually most people's days off, why not take a look at those habits and rituals you engage in. Are they serving you? Or do you need to make a few changes?

With many thoughts
Elle

P.S.: If you've enjoyed this newsletter and have found it to be valuable, would do me the favour and forward it to your friends, family and associates, it would be very much appreciated. And if they would like to subscribe, they just need to visit http://www.motivateme.info for easy and convenient sign-up.

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P.P.S - now it is really time to go and break out the paint brushes, speak soon

Elle

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100 Day Challenge News: 4 seminars next week
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And talking of sharing my thoughts with a diverse group of people. Well I am going to doing just that in 4 healthy mind and body seminars with Challenger TAFE next week. I am really excited and have put together 100 ways in 100 days to go with the 100 day challenge program we are hoping the students will take on board so they don't feel completely overwhelmed with studying and trying to balance everything else. I'll let you know how they go, and if the 100 ways in 100 days is a success I may just have to share that with you too.

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