We all have limits in our mind minds as to how far we can push our own bodies until we give up and call it a day.  In Navy Boot Camp, I know my own body is going to be pushed to the limits and that’s why I know training before I go is important to practicing pushing my own limits.

So, for the next 30 days, I’ll be exercising military-style with push-ups, sit-ups and running.

Hypothesis:

My goal for this trial is to score “Outstanding” on the Performance Category and “High” on the Performance Level on my Boot Camp PT Test.  This is the highest possible score a recruit can earn.  For my age group (25-29), the minimum needed to reach this score is 101 Curls in 2 minutes, 84 Push-ups in 2 minutes,  run 1.5 miles in 8:55, swim 500 yards in 6:38 and swim 450 meters in 6:28.

I believe that at least attempting to reach this goal is going to put in incredible shape and, at minimum, put me in the top of my class.  Also, by having a firm goal, a set deadline on achieving it, and a strong desire to wanting to be the best, I’ll do better than previous fitness trials.  And the amazing part is this one of the simplest programs to follow.  If you’re interested, below are the possible scores for males age 25-29.  Check out Navy-PRT.com for the standards for males and females of all ages.

Procedure:

The Workout - Push-ups, Sit-ups and Running

Rather than over complicating this routine with all sorts of weight lifting, yoga, swimming, etc…I decided to make this one simple and follow the plan outlined on Navy-PRT.com.  The routine is a 4-day a week program.  Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday you do sets of push-ups, sit-ups and run a certain number of miles each day.  For the running, I decided to use time as a gauge and approximate that 1 mile is about 10 minutes (even though I’ve probably running faster than this).

I have exactly six weeks till Boot Camp so all I have to do is follow the plan and I’ll be more than prepared to meet the challenge. Anyone could follow this plan regardless of they’re entering the military or not.  I think what’s going to make this plan work is the fact that you don’t need any sort of fancy gym equipment or membership.  All you need is just your body and little bit of blood, sweat and tears.

If you’re interested, here’s some more Navy training resources:

• US Navy Personal Training Plan
• US Navy Pre-Entry Physical Training Plan
• Peak Performance Through Nutrition And Exercise

Have you ever considering joining “boot camp” fitness program? There’s probably one near you.
Be honest with yourself. Can motivate yourself to exercise or do you need a “drill instructor”?
I’m sure you could find one of those near you, too.

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For many people, going to a military boot camp can be one of the first times in their life where their forced to wake-up early everyday.

If your body’s not used to waking up at this time, that adjustment period is going to be pretty rough.  Luckily, I have a little experience waking up early, so the transition should be easy.  I’m taking it one step further and conditioning myself to wake-up before my alarm goes off and immediately take action on my day.

From what I’ve read and seen on movies, most boot camps start with a playing of Reveille and the instructor yelling at recruits to get up immediately, get dressed and begin PT (Physical Training).  So, for the next month, I’ll attempt to wake-up on my own, practice what it’s like moving around half asleep and implement a morning exercise program…

Hypothesis

I predict that I’ll be more prepared in the morning when my Boot Camp training finally does come around, because I’ll have the benefit of being more alert and able to anticipate problems with this type of routine prior to actually having to do it for real.  One of the things I can already see with this type of schedule is investing more time in preparing the night before (i.e. setting out your clothes, organizing everything you need for the next day) is going to give me a better start in the morning.

I also think that if I’m more prepared, I’ll be able to help other recruits who may be struggling and might need an extra hand making their bed or finding their stuff.  Because ultimately, this training is about teamwork and despite how well I perform, I’m only as good as the weakness link in my division.  So here’s how I plan on building this routine.

Procedure

Waking Up Before The Alarm (Reveille) Goes Off

1. Drink plenty of water before bed. Drinking water is always helpful in waking the body to urinate, so I’ll be sure to have a nice glass of water right before bed.
2. Avoiding alcohol before bed. I enjoy my glass of red wine a couple of times a week right before sleeping, but as I’ve found out, alcohol can dramatically effect sleep quality so I’m giving up my nightly wine habit.  Plus, there’s no drinking during boot camp, so I might as well get used to it.
3. Sleep affirmations. - Setting the mental alarm clock is one of the keys to waking-up without an alarm.  I’ve noticed that when I’ve had something really important to wake-up for the next day and I was worried I’d over-sleep, that I would often wake-up before my alarm clock.  I think what I was doing was setting my internal clock several time.  So when I lay down to go to sleep, I’ll be repeating, “It’s 10PM now and I will wake-up at 5AM,” at least 10 times.
4. No snoozing. Sleeping past my alarm clock is no longer an option.  I’m going to think of my alarm clock as my drill instructor.  If I were to tell that person that I’d like to sleep an extra half hour, then surely I be in for some serious punishment.  The same goes for the alarm clock.  If it’s telling me it’s time to get up, then I have no other choice.

Boot Camp Training

In order to prepare myself for the hardship and disciplined natural of being in Boot Camp, I’ve attempted to condition myself to similar situations that I might encounter while there.

1. Immediately make my bed. This week I begin my learning all about how to make a bed in Navy Boot Camp.  This will be the first thing I do as soon as I wake-up.
2. Ensure everything in my apartment is in order. Dishes put away? Clothes off the floor?  I highly doubt that recruits would be allowed to start the day with their stuff all over the floor and disorganized, so I’ll be practicing organizing my stuff prior to starting my day.  I think this will teach me to ensure my things are stowed away the night before and ready to go the next day.
3. Begin exercising right away as quickly as possible. Just like an actual boot camp, I’ll be implementing my exercise routine first thing in the morning after my “rack” (name for a bunk bed in the Navy) is made.  This routine will train me physically for boot camp training.
4. Shower right away. I’m going to implementing “Navy Showers” in the morning using cold water.  I’m doing this because I’m trying to get used to not having all the comforts of home.  I think take a cold shower will also limit how long my shower is.
5. Give up my morning cup of coffee. No longer am I going to get to enjoy my leisurely coffee sipping while I read my morning email. I might as well remove this routine out of my schedule

What Boot Camp Is Like

Here’s some insightful videos of a sailor who went through Navy Boot Camp last year.  He mentions in the that you do in fact what to wake-up immediately and make your bed or even change the sheets.  Few things I wanted to point out.  In “Mentality In Bootcamp”, he mentions that you should be scared or try to avoid being yelled out which is a good point.  Learning to accept that the instructors are really out to get a reaction from you goes a long way in mentality preparing yourself for the experience.

Also, he mentions in “What to do before Bootcamp” how important the letter writing aspect of Boot Camp is.  Since there is no entertain or communications allowed (i.e. TV, internet, cable, phones, text messaging), recruits rely on letter from home to keep their spirits up.  I’m going bring as many addresses of people I know with me to ensure that I can write as many letters as possible while I’m there.  If you’ve just joined the Navy, I’d definitely check these videos out.

What can you do this morning to get yourself going?
How fast do you get ready in the mourning? Can it be be faster?

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Navy Bootcamp - Part 1


Navy Bootcamp - Part 2
‘

Navy Bootcamp - Part 3

Mentality in Bootcamp

What to do before leaving for Bootcamp

I’ve worn glasses for as long as I can remember.  I think I was 10 when I got my first pair and I’ve worn them non-stop for the last 16 years of my life.

You can’t wear contacts or glasses in Navy Boot Camp.  If you need corrective lenses they give you GI Glasses aka BC Glasses or “Birth Control” Glasses. They’re thick lenses in ugly plastic frames.

I appreciate what contacts do for my eyes, but I really see it as a lifelong dependency.  The irony of corrective lenses is the more you wear them the more your vision degenerates.

So, in order to prevent a life-long dependency on glasses and make my life in the military easier,
I’m going to work on improving my vision over the next 60-days…

Hypothesis:

I believe that by working on my vision for 60 days in a row, I can complete eliminate the need to wear glasses.  I’ve done mini-trials of vision exercises before over a 3-4 day period and seen significant improvement, but have given up.  This time I’m going all out.  I’m shooting for 20/20 vision by May 1st when I take my eye exam at boot camp.

Procedure

1. Take Those Glasses Off. I wear contacts pretty much from the time I wake-up till a few minutes before bed.  My eyes are rarely ever get to experience what it’s like to see the world for themselves. The first time I intentionally took them off was a very moving and spiritual experience.  I realized that I’m not that far off from seeing clearly.My eyes felt free and natural.  It’s almost like the one scene from Return of The Jedi where Darth Vader takes his helmet off to see Luke with his own eyes.  The key to this step is to take your corrective lenses off and leave them off.  Do it right now!  Do it for 10 minutes. And then ONLY use them for when you absolutely need them (driving, classroom work, etc)
2. Do Daily Eye Exercises. There’s a ton of eye exercises out there that you can do but I’ll be doing the one out of the book, Improve Your Vision Without Glasses Or Contact Lenses from The American Vision Institute.  Some of the basic exercises you will do include:
   • Hand Palming - Resting your head on your hands by placing your hands palm-side up over your closed eyes.
   • Fast & Squeezing Blinking - These exercises are designed to stimulate moisture in the eyes.
   • Hydro & Light Therapy And Massage- These treatments help stimulate blood in eyes.
   • Pumping, Eye Rolls & Clock Rotations - These exercises strengthen the muscles around the eye.

   Here’s Paul McCartney explaining some of these basic exercises:

3. Wear pinhole Glasses for an hour a day.
   I bought a pair of these on eBay for about $10.  There not a lot of research out there on how effective these are in improving vision, but many people swear by them. For $10, I’ll a take a chance and try these out.  I’ve already practiced wearing them for a few hours.

   

   The glasses have a similar effect to looking at one of those pinwheel illusion like the one below.  The longer you wear them the longer the after effects of clear vision you have.  The longest I’ve worn them is 20 minutes at a time and I had about 2 minutes of slightly clear vision afterwords.  What makes the glasses work is they force light through a small hole and focus it in the eye.  If you make a fist and look through a small opening in it you can see this effect.

   They seem to work best on improving distance viewing.  I tried using them while reading or working on the computer and it was just too hard.  You also need plenty of light to see because of the lack of light coming through the holes.  I’m going to just make it a general rule to wear these glasses whenever I watch TV.

4. Take A Multi-Vitamin Everyday. This is easy one.  You need vitamins anyways, but vitamins A, C and E have been scientifically proven to help vision loss by restoring muscular degeneration in the eyes.  I’ll just make a point to ensure that I take a vitamin everyday of the trial.

I’m really excited about this trial.  It’ll be so freeing not to have to worry about artifical device just to help me see.  I also believe establishing these habits will help me to avoid vision problems when I get older.  Vision is one of our most valuable senses and most of us take it for granted.  But, with a little bit a work, you have improve it.

Is you vision getting worst every year? Why?
What are you doing to make it better?

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Unlike my previous experiments, this trial is 4 YEARS LONG and requires a commit like no other.  I can’t quit, I can’t change my mind, but that’s OK.  Because 4 years like 30 days is not forever.  Over the next 4 years of my life I’ll embark on a journey to find out what military life is all about.  I’ll serve my country.  Live overseas.  Make some life long friends.  And really make an effort to better myself and the people around me.

Here are some of the things I want to gain from my experience…

World Travel

When  people say they want to travel the world, I think what they really mean is they want to experience other cultures different than their own.  Traveling provides the opportunity to met people from other countries to share your beliefs, experience foods and musics from other lands, and put your own life in perspective.  I’m 26 years old and I’ve never left North American, so I’m hoping to see what the rest of the world looks like before I die. Navy sailors get 30 days of vacation each year in addition to the 2-3 days of “liberty leave” they get to have at each port they visit.

Navy sailors also get access to what are called Space-A flights which give you the option to fly for free from one Navy base to another if there’s room on that flight.  And finally I get the experience of moving to another city or several cities and living there.  I’ll definitely have to take some of the things I learned from my talking to strangers trial with me to meet some new people while I’m there.

New Friends

Being the military is going to give me exposure to hundreds of different people every year.  From the guys I go through boot camp with to the crews on the ship and the port that I call home, I’ll always be meeting and working with the people I meet on my job everyday.

One thing I noticed about the corporate world is often you’re stuck working with the same people day-in and day-out.  Meeting new people on a continuous basis sharpens your social skills and broadens your knowledge of world in general.

Debt Reduction

Even though the Navy pays a little lower than what I could get at a civilian job, there’s a lot of great programs to help me control my debt.  The Navy has a Student Loan Repayment Program for enlisted sailors that will pay up to $65,000 of your federal student loans.  Not only that, but for at least the 3 months of boot camp and my training school I’ll be restricted from leaving at all which means little to no opportunity to spend money.

And, since everything is paid for (rent, food, utilities, cable, internet, clothes) I’ll need very little necessities to get by.  Especially on the clothing.  I noticed that with my corporate job, I had to maintain an entirely separate wardrobe to wear to work.  With the Navy, your uniform is what you wear to work, so there’s little need to buy clothes other than the ones you wear on the weekend or after work.

Learning To Be A Leader

Most of my jobs so far have put me in a role where I’m working mostly independently.  I’ve never had a lot of experience leading a group of people.  What I’m hoping to gain is the experience of being a leader.  The reason that the military shaves your head and dresses everyone the same in boot camp is to stress the importance of teamwork.

Unlike the corporate world, where everyone is out to become the best at what they do despite the success of others, the Navy values being a team.  They grade recruits on how well the entire division does and not just individuals.  You count on the person next to you even if you don’t like them, because one day they may save your life.

Challenging Myself

I started doing Life Experiments because I wanted to challenge myself to try something new every week.  But, unless you’re extremely self-disciplined is often hard to hold yourself accountable.  I completed many of my trials, but didn’t always follow through with them everyday.  Some days I just didn’t feel like doing them.  Not so much with the military.  You have to do you job everyday regardless of if you feel like it or not.

This is a habit I want to instill in myself.  The ability to act regardless of the circumstances.  I also believe that doing things that seem extremely hard, like going through Boot Camp, will give me confidence in other areas of my life.  Some things that used to seem “hard” will pale in comparsion.

It was a really hard decision to make, but ultimately I think it will better my life.  It’s exciting to think about what the future holds for me.  All the possibilities.  All the adventures I have yet to embark.  Makes me wish they’d ship me off right now!

Serving My Country

Some people I talked to about the serving in the military view it as people who want to go off to war and kill people.  That does happen, but that’s not why I joined.  That would be like saying, you want to become a police officer to shoot criminals.  The police, just like the military, do shoot people, but only when the lives of others are threaten.  The military is the same way.  If a conflict can be avoided, then most military people would prefer that.

My mission in serving in the Navy is to be a position to really help people.  When natural disasters strike abroad, the military is usually one of the first responders to aid people.  They also protect those who can’t defend themselves.  My goal in serving is to be face of America and show people in other countries what kind of people we are.

Maintaining My Values & Beliefs

One of the first thoughts I had joining the Navy was if I would be able to maintain my lifestyle.  I’m a vegetarian and a Buddhist.  I’ve read a bunch of forum postings where a lot people said they maintained their vegetarianism while serving.  PETA actually ran a contest recently for the Country’s Sexiest Vegetarian Solider, which means there are soldiers out there that choose a vegetarian lifestyle regardless.

As far as being a Buddhist, the Navy allows you to practice any religion you want.  Although I’m curious to find out what meditating on a aircraft carrier is going to be like.  One concern I did have was about one Buddhist precepts of “Do not kill”.  Precepts are basically like rules or commandments you use to live your life by.  I thought being in the military might conflict with this belief, but the more I looked into it the more I realized that its not a problem.

First off, most of the work I’d be doing wouldn’t involve the destruction of life. Secondly, I believe the “Do not kill” applies mainly to conscious killing…murder, eating animals, genocide.  My goal in military service is to protect, to end suffering, so that other may live.    The UN even has choice for soldiers to be a Conscientious Objector.  Meaning if you feel that what you are doing is unethical or immoral, you can refuse to fight.   I’m not sure if I would ever take that route, but its reassuring to know that it’s there.

Continuing To Experiment

I considered whether military life would give me the chance to continue my 30-day trials.  When you have less control over where you’re going to be or what you’re going to be doing it seemed a lot harder to continue maintaining daily habits.  But the more I thought about it the more I realized that this is the perfect chance to put experimenting in full force.

Of course there’ll be times when I don’t access to email or a computer (i.e. boot camp) but that doesn’t mean I still can’t keep blogging.  I’ll cover everything from training to go to boot camp, habits to practice while in boot camp, then my training school (or A-school) and everything in afterwords.

Some ideas I had for possible upcoming trials included:

• Improve My Vision Naturally Everyday -  Even though you can wear contacts while you’re serving, they don’t allow them in Boot Camp, so you’re forced to wear BC Glasses.  I want to avoid corrective lenses all together and make my life a lot easier while I’m serving.
• Daily Physical Training For Boot Camp - I want to top physical condition when I start, so this trial will give me more than enough reason to continue my Exercise Everyday trial which I’ve been falling short of recently.  Plus, top performer get more recognition and promoted faster.
• Study The Fundamentals of The Navy Everyday - There’s a lot to learn while you’re Boot Camp and rather than trying to cramp it into learning in 8 weeks, why not learn most of the information before I leave.  I just purchased Navy Bootcamp and Beyond to study this material.
• Sell Everything I Own Everyday - This is something I did last time I moved and it made my life a lot easier.  I don’t really need an apartment full of furniture and a lot of the stuff I own is not really needed anytime soon, so I’m putting all my stuff up for auction on eBay and Craigslist.
• Practice Taking Daily Navy Showers - A Navy shower is a 2-minute shower where you turn the water off while you latter yourself up, then on again to rinse off.  It mainly used to conserve fresh water abroad ships and I’ll more than likely have to get used to it.
• Waking Up Everyday At 5AM Again - This was my very first trial and I did it for a least 25 out of 30 days, but now I’m waking up early every 2-3 days and I know I differently need to this trial again to establish this habit.

I have a long road ahead of me.  These trials are everything I want to do BEFORE I leave for boot camp, but I’m excited to be apart of something bigger than myself.  Who knows where I’ll be a year from now, but the possiblities are endless.

So my question to you is…

Have you taken the courage to do something different with life recently?
What’s scares youthe most?  Do it.  And I guarantee everything else will seem easier.

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My big realization came when I read a little book called, Acne Free In 3 Days.  The book recommends a basic detox diet of eating raw apples for 3 days.  I tried that one out and it was amazing the types of changes that started occur inside me.  Not only did I have more energy, but I my skin cleared up and I felt a calmness come over my body I’ve never felt before.  Even though the results didn’t last like everything else.  I had a realization.

Skin problems are internal…not external.

Putting chemicals on your face only treats the symptoms and not the causes of your skin problems.  The chemicals, toxins, and hormones in cooked meat cause an imbalance in our bodies and our skins reacts by trying to eliminate them.  That’s when I decided to become a vegetarian (or technically pescetarian, but most people don’t understand the difference).  Immediately after I eliminated meat, I noticed my skin looked better, I lost weight, slept less and had more energy.

It was the answer I was looking for.  But fast forward 3 years later.  I still not where I want to be with my skin and I know this is primarily from eating and cooked foods.  I’ve tried mini 1-3 day trials in the past, but this time I’m going all out…For the next 30 days, I’ll try and eat nothing but a raw diet.

Procedure:

Beginning With A Detox

I’m going to start off with a 3-day apple fast.  By only eating apples and water for 3 days, I’ll be able to flush out a lot of toxins in my body and clean up my system for a healthier diet.

Changing Your Diet

To me, diet is an easy habit to change.  Most people usually eat what they know how to cook or what someone feeds them.  I live by myself and buy all own food, so I usually prepare what I’ve learned how to make.  To make my life easier, I usually make 2-3 entrees to eat on throughout the week and eat the same breakfast everyday.  What I’ve learned from cooking is to learn one or two dishes you really like and make them over and over again tell their very easy to make.

The Perfect Breakfast - Mixed Fruit Smoothie

One area that all gone raw is my morning breakfast that I’ve eaten almost everyday for the last 2 years.  Here are the ingredients:

1. Two bananas  - frozen or fresh (frozen will make the drink thicker and eliminate the need for ice)
2. 4-5 strawberries - frozen or fresh (again, frozen makes it thicker and the fruits stays fresher longer)
3. Assorted fruits - I usually like cantaloupe, but I’ve tried blueberries, pineapple, oranges.  I usually avoid apples in this drink because its a fibrous.
4. Nut Milk - You can substitue regular milk instead, but I prefer to avoid as much diary as possible.  Put in just enough to make the shake not too thick and smooth enough to drink.

All you do is mix the ingredients into a blender and until smooth.  And you can take this drink on the go and spit it on your way to work or while you’re working on the computer.  I found this one from Raw Food Made Easy For 1 or 2 People by Jennifer Cornbleet.  I highly recommend this book for simple recipes of anyone trying to get started in raw foods.

Lunch & Dinner Meals

My lunch and dinner are going to consist of mainly raw souls and sandwiches and a nice dessert to finish them off.  To find some great recipes I recommend checking out:

• Raw Food Made Easy For 1 or 2 People
• Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen
• Raw Food/Real World

Eating Out With Friends

Eating out with other people is going to be one of my biggest challenges.  Unless you go specifically to a raw foods restaurant, most places are going to have limited menus.  And while everyone else is munching away at the cooked foods, I’ll be left to fend for myself with a salad.

Drinking Alcohol

This one’s a tough one to give up.  Here’s a great article on the topic of drinking alcohol on a raw food diet.  I’m by no means an alcoholic, but I regret that I’ve drank a little more than I should have when I’ve gone out.  What I’m hoping the raw food diet will make me realize is how what you put into your body directly affects how you feel.  One thing I noticed about going vegetarian was how sensitive I was to foods that weren’t ideal for me.  I’m hoping the raw diet will make more more aware of the effects of alcohol and reduce the need to drink it.

I know I do. And I’m don’t consider myself a shy person, but I know that developing this one skill in my life is going to make an incredible impact. You see, I’ve always had a good amount of friends when I was going to school, even afterward college I had that core group of people.

My friends were always there to provide me with social events, potential dating partners, and someone to talk to. But the hard part came for me when I left that I all behind to move back home. I went to college in Philadelphia, but I’m originally from Houston and I made the decision to move back home. Now, a year later, I’m struggling to expand my social network and make some new friends. I’d also like to up my dating game.

I believe that someone with the confidence and courage to walk up to anyone in any situation can truly have access to anything they want in life. Whether is new clients for a business, referrals for a new job, or dates for the weekend…someone who can brave the social awkwardness of talking to someone you don’t know can have anything they want.

I know a lot of people out there want this too. Maybe even you reading this right now. But how can a person gain the courage to bridge the gap between a stranger and a friend? I’m about to find out as a tackle 30 days of talking to strangers…

Procedure:

How To Make Simple Small Talk

One of the biggest questions I had was how do you make small talk with people you don’t know. Normally, if you’re introduced by a friend you at least have that common ground (school, work, roommate) to relate to, but what if you meet someone in a bookstore or at the grocery store. What you say beyond, “Hi” to get them talking?

Here is what I’ve found as the simplest formula for small talk. You can just compliment or observe what that person is doing. Compliments are by far one of the most powerful conversations techniques. Everyone loves to hear compliments about themselves. Do you still remember compliments people have given you from years ago?

It’s not necessary to really think about it for too long. Actually in the book Always Talk To Strangers (mentioned below), the author suggests the 3-second rule. The rule requires that if you see someone you’re interested in talk to, don’t wait longer than 3 seconds before you go over and talk to them.

6-Step Process For Approaching Potential Dates

1. Compliment or Observe. “That’s an awesome dog.”, “Wow, you have an interesting looking hat.”
2. Ask A Question. “What breed is it?”, “Where did you get it?”
3. Reflect On Yourself / Tell a Story. “Yeah, I a golden retriever, too. She loves to come the park”
   “Oh interesting. I love to shop there.”
4. Introduce Yourself And Shake Their Hand. “Hi, I’m Allen. And what’s your name? “Hi, __, nice to to meet you. So do you…”
5. Ask About Their Family, Occupation, Recreation Activities, or Where They Live. “Do you live in this area? What do do for fun, besides walk your dog/shop/etc?”
6. Ask Them For Their Number. “It was great talking to you about ____. I got to go but I’d love to continue our conversation. Can I have your number?”

How To Approach People At Networking Events

1. Ask About Their Career. How did they get started?
   What got this interested in this business/industry?
2. Give Information About Your Career. “I love marketing because ___”, “This one time…”
3. Ask About Their Family, Occupation, Recreation Activities, or Where They Live.
4. Ask For Referrals. Do you know any that’s hiring ____ managers? Do you know anyone who might need a _____ ?

I could go on and on about different questions and techniques for starting and carrying on conversations, but the basic principal with talking to people is sharing emotions. We’re not drones. We’re people that have real feelings. So any opportunity you have to share emotions with others can only bring you closer. Also, people love to talk about themselves and they love compliments so try and keep it in these areas. But remember to be sincere and interject with information about yourself, so you don’t turn into the interrogator.

Making Contact With People

1. Contact Someone Professionally Everyday. I once heard of a business man who called 20 new prospects everyday asking for business. After a couple of months, he didn’t have to worry about where his sales where coming from. I want to create a habit of contacting someone new related to my career to ask a questions, get advice, or office something of value everyday.
   
   
2. Contact Someone Socially Everyday. This includes friends I haven’t talked to in a while. A personal ad that I’m interested. Someone on Myspace I’m interested in meeting. The point is to do something, anything, everyday to contact someone new.
3. Saying Hello To People I See Everyday. As an experiment in preparation for this trial, I paid attention to the opportunities I had to meet someone new and conversation. I observed that on a typical weekday I had 7-8 chances to walk over and compliment someone or ask them about what they were doing. This is the time to take those risks and talk to those people I wouldn’t normally talk to.
   
   
4. Getting Outside Of My House. When you’re unemployed, it can be very easy to get in the routine of staying at home all day. When there’s no normal commute to go on everyday, you can find yourself at home all the time. That’s why I’m going to get out at least in the evenings and find something new to attend where I’ll be around people I’ve never met before. Just to give you an example of what I have lined up, this week I’ll be going to play soccer with a Meetup.com group, attending a Jobing.com job fair, going to my kickboxing class, going to a book store and joining a ballroom dance club.I figure if I can go to at least one place a day, there’ll be tons of chances to talk to new people. Another cool idea I found was a group of photographers who take randompictures of strangers they meet on the street. I’m not personally doing this, but this is a great suggestion for photographers or other creative people who want to use their craft as an excuse to talk to someone new.

The Research

1. Read 4 Books On The Subject. I found four really interesting books
   on the topic of conversation and small topics which include: 
   • Always Talk To Strangers: 3 Simple Steps To Finding The Love Love of Your Life By David Wyant
   • The Fine Art of Small Talk by Debra Fine
   • What Do I Say Next?: Talking Your Way To Business And Social Success by Susan Roane
   • How To Talk To Anyone: 92 Little Tricks For Success In Relationships by Leil Lowdnes
2. Do a “Talk To Me” experiment. There’s this awesome couple that lives in New York City, but have traveled around the entire country on their bycyles holding up a sign that simple says “Talk To Me”. I might do a sign or maybe just wear a nametag with “Talk To Me” on it, but I think the idea is interesting. The whole point is to stop people and get them to start a conversation. Most people will be curious why you have a sign that says talk to me on it, which is ironically the whole point of the sign.

Ok…here I go.

It’s amazing what waking up early will do to change your life.  What’s your biggest goal?  Why have you failed to achieve it so far?  One excuse you may have for yourself is that you don’t have enough time.  Well I’m here to tell you that you have more than enough time and that time is right when you wake-up.

What I’ve discovered about waking up early everyday is that by doing it you create a window of time to accomplish anything you want.  Most of us wake up early because we have to.  We do it because someone else requires us to do it.  But what if you did it because you wanted to.  Now you can finally write that book you’ve always wanted to finish.  What if you wrote one page a day for a year.  You can finally start that business you’ve always dreamed of doing.  Whatever major goal you have for yourself you can do in as little as one to two hours every morning and here’s how to do it.

Here are 8 things that you can use to master waking up early.

1. Have A Reason To Wake-up Early.  This reason is going to make or break this habit.  This reason has to so good that it litterally pushes you out of bed.  It’s so exciting that you can’t wait to fall asleep so you can wake up the next day and get started.  Think about when you were five years old on Christmas Eve or the night before you went on a really fun vacation where you have to wake-up early.
    
2. Get Busy Right When Your Wake Up.  Getting out of bed is the hardest part.  You’re going to have thoughts like “Why am I doing this to myself?” “It’s going to feel so great to go back to bed”.  The biggest challenge is to overcome these thoughts and fight through them.  Set a routine of getting up and turning all the lights on in your house.  Go to the bathroom.  Make your bed.  Do whatever you have to do to keep busy and not thinking about going back to sleep.
    
3. Drink 8 oz of Water Upon Rising.  Water is the great way to wake-up your insides after getting out of bed, so make it a habit of drinking a full 8oz glass right after you get up.  The water will rehydryate your body after 8 hours of no liquids and you’ll feel even more awake.
    
4. Don’t Worry About Failing, Just Keep Doing It.  I failed to wake-up early everyday of this trial.  In fact, I slept in 6 of the 30 days and they were mostly on the weekend after I had been out till 2 or 3 in the morning.  But that’s OK, because I never lost the desire to keep going.  Who cares if you slip up on some days and sleep an extra hour or two.  One thing you’ll notice is you’ll feel a little off that whole day and it will motivate you even more to keep going.  In fact if you do stay out late, I’d suggest getting the right amount of sleep, then go to your normal wake-up time the next day.  You want to be sure getting enough sleep.  No point in waking up early if you can’t keep your eyes open.
    
5. Avoid or Limit Alcohol Intake Late At Night.  This is a hard one for me, because I like to go out with my buddies on the weekend, but I found that the nights I drank really late, it was almost impossible for me to wake-up early the next day and when I did wake-up, I had a hang over during the morning.  The best suggestion for this is to alternate a glass of water with every alcoholic drink.  And drink a glass of water prior to going to bed.  The main thing you want to avoid is dehydrating yourself before you go to sleep.
    
6. Exercise Right After Your Wake Up.  This is one I started doing recently and its really given me a lot of engery right after getting up.  Even if its just a few jumping jacks or push-ups, just do something to get your body moving and your blood pumping.  It doesn’t have to be a full on cardio workout.  You’ll find that once your body is moving, everything else, including your mind will start moving, too.
    
7. Go To Bed When You’re Tired.  You’ll naturally start falling asleep when you get tired, but I found that sometimes I tried to stay up later than I should have to watch TV and it effected me the next day. Try to do something relaxing like take a shower or read a book right before you go to bed.  Avoid any kind of computer work.  Your brain reacts to light so being a dark room will make you sleepier than staring at a computer screen or TV.
    
8. Watch The Sun Rise.  There’s something magical about being up before the sun.  If you wake-up early, find 10 minutes to watch the sun rise or if you can work next to a window where you can see the sun.  There’s no way to describe it.  It’s just truly a cool thing to watch the planet wake-up and realize that you choose to be up at this time, not someone else.
    

Sometimes it can be all too easy for us to be stuck at a job that we don’t hate, but doesn’t inspire us.  I look at being fired like hitting the reset button on our careers and giving us a chance to learn new skills, acquire new knowledge, and build new relationships.

But what makes this job search different than every other one that I’ve done is the new habits that I’ve formed since starting this blog.  I know I’ll have no problem getting up at 5AM to begin working my resume after getting in a brisk workout in.

My the last time I was unemployed lasted for 6 months and I would sleep till noon everyday and I had no idea what I wanted to do or even why I wanted to do.  But now that I journal everyday I have a very clear picture of who I am and where I’m headed.  So come in join me as I set out in find a new job in the next 30 days…

How I’m Going To Survive Without A Job

1. Reduce My Expenses. It seems easy to spend money when you know more of it is coming in, but do I really need everything that I use?  The cable bill can be taken away in lieu of some of more enjoyable and relaxing activity like going for a bike ride (free) or visiting some friends (also free).  Hey, I’m not sitting in a cubicle all day, so I can do these things whenever I want.  Does a person really need unlimited text messages every month?  I checked.  I only use about 150 of the 300 in my plan.  Another $10 bucks saved there.
2. Sell Everything I Don’t Need. This is something that I’ve been putting off for a while.  I got a whole closet full of “Stuff To Sell On eBay” that’s just been sitting there.  There’s no real motivation there, when you have a regular income coming in, but what happens when the faucet runs dry?  You get busy selling!  I also have a ton of books that I can put on Amazon, too.
3. File My Taxes Early. The IRS is allowing people to file electronically for their 2008 taxes as early as January 16th this year, so you can better believe that I’ll be on top of that to ensure that I get as much available cash on-hand.
4. File For Unemployment. This is a given for anyone being laid off from a job.  The money usually isn’t a complete replacement of what you were earning, but checks can be enough to cover your basic needs like rent and food each month.  Here’s a list of the State Unemployment Offices.
5. Take On Freelance, Part-Time, Or Temp Work. A little work here and there can be a big motivator when you’ve been looking for a new position for a while.  It will also give me a chance to get out of the apartment every once and a while to try something new.  I’ve heard of many times of a temp getting a full-time position for some part-time work, so we’ll see.

What I’m Going To Do To Get A New Job

1. Update My Personal Website. Last time I looked for a new job, I used AllenRinehart.com to host my resume and portfolio of projects I’ve worked on.  I’ve since taken it down and need to update use for my job search.  I like having a website for a job search because it’s very easy to show potential employers what you can offer.Every time you contact someone via email, you can simply give them the link to your site and they can look around to see what you’re all about.I even put my picture on it, so employers already have a feeling like they’ve met me and I’m not another faceless resume.  I’m going to include my resume, portfolio of marketing projects I’ve done, a few case studies of certain projects I’ve worked on, a new marketing blog I’m starting, and possibly a report that people can download.  This is my main focus for the first part of the trial.
2. Mailing Out Resumes. OK, so this may seem a little old fashion in the age of email, but everyone emails their resumes.  My goal is to separate myself from everyone else out there looking for the same job.I can also target the exact type of company that I want to work for.I used the Standard Directory of Advertising Agencies at my local library to look-up all the ad agencies in the Houston area and now I have their address, the name of their executives, names of their newest accounts, and how much they’re billing each year.  You can’t get much more information than that.  I’ve already found several job posting on the actual agency’s’ websites that weren’t posted elsewhere online.
3. Social Networking. This includes being active on Linkedin, Facebook, and Yahoo Answers.
   Here are a few ways I plan to use these sites to my advantage.
   • Update my status to let people in my network know I’m looking for a job.  Who knows, I might already be connected to someone who works at a place that I’m applying at.  Using the status feature can let others know who I’m contacting and what I’m looking for.
   • Answering questions on Linkedin and Yahoo Answers.  Both sites have a Q&A section where you can both ask questions and answer them.  Answering questions builds your credibility and asking questions gives you the power to conduct research.
   • Researching personnel at my target companies.  Almost everyone at minimum puts where they work in their Facebook or Linkedin profiles, so if I’m interested in trying to find out more about a company a simple keyword search will give me a list of employees I can email.
4. Traditional Job Boards. Although not my favorite search tool, these are still a necessary evil in a job search because employers still use these to find applicants.  Luckily, job boards have evolved a lot in the last couple of years, so all you really need to do is set-up your resume and job alerts and you can can automated emails alerts and RSS feeds for new positions as they are listed.The only problem is so can thousands of other people and my resume has the possibility of being put in a pile along with the others.  This is why its important that my resume is as specific as I can make it stand out.  Here is a list of job sites that I’ll be either listing my resume on or searching for jobs on:
   • Monster.com
   • CareerBuilder.com
   • HotJobs.com
   • Indeed.com
   • Gethejob.com
   • Craigslist.org
   • Jobing.com
   • SimplyHired.com
   • CareerJet.com
   • Online-Writing-Jobs.com
   • iFreelance.com
   • Beyond.com
   • Jobs.com
     
   This trial’s going to be challenging, but I know I can do it.  There’s a lot of other people out there in my same position, but with the plan I have in place, I believe there’s no way I can fail.
   Are you in this same position right now?
   What are some of ways you’ve used to find work?
   
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The benefits of exercise are pretty obvious to most of us including improved appearance, more energy, reduced risk of heart attack, increased physical strength, more endurance and more confidence.
Interested in any of these?

My philosophy on exercise is it should be mostly functional and practical.  I’m interested exercise that requires a limited amount of equipment and time.  I want to be able to workout whenever and where ever I am in the world, so having a routine that’s no dependent on equipment is important to me.  There are three main areas I’m going to focusing on during the trial and I’ve incorporated a lot different routines to test and find out what works and what doesn’t.

Strenth Training

1. The One Hundred Push-up Challenge - There’s a site actually called HundredPushups.com that encourages other people to take the challenge of doing at least 100 push-ups in one session.  I’ll be training to do 100 Hindu Push-up in one session which is a bit harder than the traditional push-up.  In addition to push-ups I’ll also be doing Hindu Squads and the Backbridge.  Each of these exercises is mentioned as a core exercise in Matt Furey’s Combat Conditioning book, which I highly recommend to anyone serious about fitness.
   Here are examples of the three exercises:
   • Hindu Push-Up
   • Hindu Squad
   • Back Bridge
2. Isometric Exercises - This was one of the coolest exercises that I found when researching for this trial.  If you don’t know, isometric exercises are using your own weight or pushing against an immovable object to work the muscle.  What’s great about them is you can do them virtually anywhere with no equipment.  Whether you’re in your car, watching TV, standing in an evaluator, or at work you can always be conditioning your muscles.Here are some great resources on Isometrics:
   • How to Exercise in the Car
   • Zen in the Art of Self-Resistance
3. Weight Training. My rule of thumb with weight training is to lift more weight less often (no more than 1-2 times per week).  I’ll be doing weight training once a week and only doing 3 exercises: Bench Press, Deadlift, & Squads.  This is based on a recommendation from Tim Ferris’s blog.  Another good resource for weight training is a book called Static Contractions which challenges a lot of the myths in the weight lifting community.

Cardio

1. Jogging 1-2 Times Per Week. I’m used to jogging alone, but I decided to make this one more fun and joined a Beginners Running Group on Meetup.com.  This particular group runs 3 times a week together and is planning on running a 5k at the end of January.  Since I’m new to Houston, this is also a great opportunity to make new friends.
2. Kickboxing 1-2 Times Per Week. I’m currently practicing Muay Thai kickboxing, but I’ve been slacking over the last couple of months and not going, so during this trial I’m dedicating at least one day a week to go to class and workout.
3. Biking 1-2 week. Over Christmas break, I put my little brother’s bike back together and replaced the break pads so I now I have a new bike to ride.  I want to eventually start biking to work versus driving, but for now, I’ll be using biking to ride to locations that were a little to far to walk.
4. TV Workouts. I noticed that my Comcast On Demand service has a variety of exercise programs that you can download and watch.  One of the stations also have workout videos you can watch online.  This is great way to substitute other workouts when I don’t have time or if the weather’s bad.  It’s also an interesting way to mix things up and add some variety to the program.  One day you could be doing yoga or hip hop dancing or whatever feel like.
5. Soccer Once A Week. I love playing soccer and I also found another meet-up group that does pick-up soccer games on the weekend near my house . That way I can work them into my schedule when I have time available.  Plus sports are one of the best ways to exercise because you’re out there having fun and not worried about how many reps you’re doing or how long you’ve ran for.  You play and have fun.
6. Do Stuff Faster. Whether it’s washing truck, cleaning my apartment or doing laundry, I’ll be trying to do it faster and with more intensity.  These are everything things, but these small changes in habit are going to go a long way in making a difference in my physical condition.  I also made a rule for myself that I have to walk five flights of stairs whenever I go to work or go home to my apartment.  I live and work on the 23rd and 25th floor of two different buildings, so I’m starting 5 flights, but have the option to do more when needed.

Flexibility

1. Daily Stretching. I’ll be using many of the exercises mentioned in another of Matt Furey’s book Combat Stretching. I like stretching first thing in the morning, because it really wakes up all my muscles and gets me ready to go for the day.
2. Stretching Before & After Workouts. This is something that I  haven’t always been consistent with, but during this trial I’ll be making a conscious effort to do it pre and post workout.

Getting Leverage On Myself

One of the problems I’ve been encountering with past trials is trying to trying to stick with it everyday, so begging with this experiment I plan on using a site called PledgeHammer.com.  I’m pledging that I will donate $100 to the National Action Against Obesisty if I fail to do this habit everyday.  I even put a $100 bill next to my bed to remind myself of what it’s going to cost me to not meet my goal.

Recording My Progress

Each day of the trial, I’ll be recording my weight and body fat percentage to study my results.  Then, when I’m done, I’ll post the results along with the workouts I performed.  Should be interesting where this trial takes me.

What preventing from starting your own fitness program this year?
Why haven’t you made a commitment to yourself to exercise everyday?

You have no excuse not to.  A lot of the exercises I mentioned above
require small amounts of time and very little equipment so you really
have no excuse for not working out.

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George Bailey is a hardworking banker who considers committing suicide after his uncle loses an $8,000 deposit and his bank is threatened to go bankrupt. Before he jumps to his death, his guardian angel, Clarence rescues him and gives George a preview of what his town would be like with if he never existed.

George ultimately realizes how important he is in the world and despite everything that’s happened to him, he learns to appreciate everything he has.  He does the ultimate one-night trial of “What would the world be like  without me?” Here’s the ending of the movie…

What the movie ultimately teaches you is that all of us really do have wonderful lives.  We shouldn’t take for granted the wonderful opportunities that life presents us.  Here are three valuable lessons you can learn from this movie.

• Real Wealth Is Not Something You Can Buy - George’s brother Harry sums this up when he says, “A toast to my big brother, George. The richest man in town”  What he meant is not that George is rich because he has a lot of money.  What he really meant is George is rich because of the relationships he has.  When George was in trouble, he had a whole army of people come out to help him and that is a truly valuable thing.  Have you ever stopped to think about the people you know?  If you were in the same situation as George Bailey, who would come to your rescue?
• Be ThankFul Everyday, Your Life Really Is Wonderful - Most people in life only appreciate what they have after it’s gone.  That’s why when people die, it’s only then that we really understand the impact that they had on our lives.  But, what’s stopping you from appreciating what you have everyday. George only realized what he had after he got a glimpse of the world without him.  Do you have a nice home, food to eat everyday, and a family that loves you?  Be grateful you do, not everyone’s as forunate as you.  One thing I learned from the journaling trial is there’s real value in listing things you’re grateful for.  What are ten things your grateful to have in your life?
• Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff, You’re Lucky To Be Alive - We all have problems and worries that we encounter everyday.  George Bailey almost killed himself over losing money and was so upset that he couldn’t focus on any other solutions.  Remeber that whatever happens to you, no matter how big you may think it is, you will survive, you will continue living.  Life is a precious thing and despite what happens to us, it doesn’t matter because most things aren’t that important in the long run.  George’s guardian angel, Clarence sums it up when he says, “No man is a failure who has friends.”  Think about a problem you’re worried about today.  Will it really matter in 10 years from now? 20 years?  When you die?

We all can’t be as forunate as George Bailey see what the world is like without us, but he’s an exercise you can do with yourself.  Imagine that you never existed.  What would your world be like?  How would the lives of your friends and family be effected?  What would happen at every job you’ve ever worked at?  Would people have died?  Would people be less happy?

Try listing 20 of your greatest accomplishments.  How would the world be like if you never did these things? This will really give you an idea of the impact you’ve had on this world and make you realize that you really do have a wonderful life.

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