Dave's Press

If It ______, Don’t Do It

Dave — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:49:01 +0000

It’s probably obvious, but this a fill-in-the-blank session.I had a revelation recently. I had been working out with a buddy of mine for couple of months. He had this ‘great’ routine that helped him really lose weight and get in shape.

After a couple of weeks, I started waking up in the morning hoping like hell he’d tell me he couldn’t make it to the gym.

This was new to me. I’ve always, more or less, liked working out. His workout, however, started me down a path where I found myself just not wanting to do it. Nike would be disappointed.

The particular workout isn’t important but, suffice it to say, there was much pain, some mild sobbing, and I think even some small animal torture involved at some point. Bottom line, I didn’t like it but he did.

He got results and I was beginning to do the same. However, without him, I would never do it because I found myself hating it.

So here’s a few words you can fill in the blank above with:

Hurts – working out should push you and you will be sore. Dieting also has mild discomfort. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about pain. I’m talking about popping some ibuprofen on an hourly basis even after you’ve been at it for a month. If it hurts, don’t do it.
Costs Too Much – you may be able to buy your way to a thinner and more healthy you, sure. When times are tight, though, what’s the first thing you’re going to do without? This goes for exorbitant gym rates, personal trainers, pre-made meal plans, supplements…anything, really. If it costs too much, don’t do it.
Isn’t Enjoyable – for goodness sake, if you don’t like what you’re doing, how long do you think you’ll do it? I’m not saying you have to love it. You might but, at the very least, you should probably not prefer losing a limb to working out. Not very. If it isn’t enjoyable, don’t do it.
Isn’t Sustainable – Avoid anything with a time frame around it. Some examples: “Six Pack Abs in Six Weeks”, “Drop 323 Pounds in 32 Days”, etc. You get the picture. Use common sense. If you could even manage to get “Six Pack Abs in 6 Weeks”, what do you think it is going to take to maintain them? If it isn’t sustainable, don’t do it.

You can fill in the blank however you want. There are a lot of reasons for not doing something but those reasons should, in the end, serve to help you reach your ultimate goal and not be an excuse for not trying.

10 of the Best New Year’s Resolutions

Dave — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:49:12 +0000

Getting healthy and being happy are the usual targets for New Year’s resolutions. Both of these usually require major changes and paradigm shifts and are normally so foreign to our current situation that we fail to succeed.

I don’t subscribe to many email lists so those that I do receive are the ones I actually want to read. One of those is from a motivational speaker, Kirk Weisler. It’s always an enjoyable and inspirational read and I wanted to share his latest. On his site, you can subscribe to T4D yourself (Thought For the Day).

I hope you enjoy these as much as I did…

Ten of the Best New Year Resolutions

Written by Unknown

1.          Resolve to stay brutally optimistic. See the opportunity in every difficulty and anticipate the most favorable outcome out of every situation. Whatever you look for, that’s what you’ll find. We can get better or we can get bitter; it all depends on the lessons we draw from each experience. Optimism is like electricity – very little happens without it. Know this truth: you have all the resources you’ll ever need to handle all the challenges you’ll ever have. In true emergencies the true you will emerge.

2.         Resolve to identify the most powerful benefit you offer to the people around you and then deliver it. “The purpose of life,” said George Bernard Shaw, “is a life of purpose.” What’s yours? Where are you investing your personal energy: self-preservation or adding value to others? Here’s the well-being paradox: If you’re only concerned about yourself, you cannot take care of yourself. Only by helping others, can you succeed.

3.         Resolve to pump-up your personal vitality. In the game of life, it’s not about who’s right, it’s about who’s left. Over 60 percent of us are more than 36 years old. The real currency of the new century is not cash. It’s vitality. It’s the ability to keep going every day of every week of every month of the year with vigor and verve. All you are to the people around you is a source of energy, and you cannot give what you don’t have. Ninety percent of all adults do no physical exercise at all. More than half of us are overweight. A third of us still smoke. So, this year, resolve to enhance your physical, emotional and mental vitality. Take just a small step. First you’ll amaze yourself, and then you’ll amaze everybody else.

4.         Resolve to be habitually generous. Success is not something you pursue. It’s something you attract by what you become. The more you give of yourself, the more favors you attract from others. People have a deep-rooted drive to give back. So resolve to search for ways to contribute to others. Here’s an interesting aphorism: Live life above the line. If the line represents others’ expectations of you, consistently surpass those expectations. You’ll develop what author Ken Blanchard calls “raving fans,” people who become walking billboards for you.

5.         Resolve to go on a mental diet. Sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can scar you for life. It is humans, not elephants, who never forget. So resolve to use the language of conciliation, not the language of confrontation. Avoid the temptation to vent your negativity on others. Instead, use words that express your joie de vivre and connection with others.

6.         Resolve to be a global citizen, fully open to the cultures and influences of others. There is a direct correlation between personal well-being and openness to other peoples’ ideas and cultures. If someone has a different point of view, they’re probably right as well. There are no absolutes anymore, so welcome different opinions. Become a one-person champion of plurality. Not only will you make lots of new friends, but you’ll also gather multiple reference points to help you resolve personal challenges.

7.         Resolve to take control of your destiny. Don’t be so busy trying to make a living that you forget to make a life. Decide who you want to be and what you want to achieve and then stride boldly toward your vision. The most precious human commodity today is confidence.

8.         Resolve to increase your human connectedness. The person with the best connections wins. The wider your network, the more opportunities you generate. It’s all about trust. And it’s all about profile – your presence in the minds of the people who matter. So invest at least 10 percent of your time broadening your sphere of influence. Connect other people to the opportunities within your network: cross-pollinate their potential. When you are with others, make every encounter a pleasurable one. When you listen, truly listen. And burn your fear of rejection.

9.         Resolve to increase your creativity by letting go of the familiar. Nothing is as far away as yesterday. Try to see the world through fresh eyes every day. As Salman Rushdie writes, every year is the Stone Age to the year that follows it. Listen to your intuition and follow your instincts, they’ll tell you what to do before your head has had a chance to figure it out. You are a Picasso or Einstein at something. Discover what it is and then develop it to the maximum.

10.        Resolve to be you because others are already taken. You and I are at our best when we’re being authentic. We’re at our best when we’re being positively spontaneous, because that’s when all our energy is being invested in the task at hand or with the person in front of us. In a hyper-competitive world, we cannot afford to second-guess ourselves. Success in the new century is all about speed. So act now, because if not now, when?

And the 11th is my own and is inspired in part by this quote.   Man has never made any material as resilient as the human spirit. — Bernard Williams (1929-) English Philosopher

11. Resolve to – awaken, inspire the human spirit in our world of work so that individuals, teams and organizations can realize more of their UP (unlimited potential).

What are you resolved to do in 2012?

Kirk out

With a New Look Comes New Stuff

Dave — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:00:54 +0000

I don’t expect anyone to remember the old Dave’s Press. However, if you’re one of the two regular visitors I had when I started the site a few years back, you’ll notice nothing is the same. A new year, new look…and new stuff! The primary focus was on health and fitness. While I still plan to keep that as part of the site, it will be just that…a part of the site.

Trying to get through life is much more than just getting in shape and eating good crap in hopes that, one day, you won’t cringe when standing in front of a mirror. I don’t want to diminish the importance of healthy living but there is so much more involved with getting through life right now. Finding that balance is the truly difficult part.

If you asked me what I’m going to post about first, I couldn’t tell you. I just started weaning myself off of some take-this-everyday-of-your-life-so-you-won’t-kill-everyone-for-breathing-too-loud meds that I’ve been on for, oh, 13 years. I say weaning but, contrary to my doctor’s advice, I just stopped on Christmas Eve. Maybe that’s why those sparkling butterflies keep dancing the Nutcracker in my peripheral vision every few minutes?

Because of this, I haven’t been sleeping to well. When I actually do get to sleep, it’s kind of a semi-coma that makes me cut off alarms reflexively. I’m pretty sure that part of the reason for the slight insomnia, and my desire to restart Dave’s Press, is because I feel like I’m coming out of a fog I’ve been in for so long. I’m thinking clearly for a change…maybe not about one thing for very long but when I am able to focus, damn it’s clear.

So, to sum up, I can’t tell you what to expect. It may be that I do end up focusing on a “niche” that all blog owners say you must have to be successful. Until then, be ready for anything.

/DC

Time for a Dave’s Press Resurgence

Dave — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:48:36 +0000

It’s been way too long! Stay tuned! More to come!