Ideas: For a Successful, Less Complicated Life!

Good Intentions Are Not Enough: Make a Commitment to Yourself!

How good are you at keeping your word? Many of us try very hard to keep our commitments to others. We try to call if we say we will. We make every effort to show up when others are counting on us. We try to get projects done on time. We don't promise things we can't deliver.

We want our word to be worth something. That's part of living with integrity.

Unfortunately, many of us are not quite as good at keeping our commitments to ourselves. How many times have you said "I'm going to. . ." only to have that intention fall away? "I'm going to slow down." "I'm going to lose weight." "I'm going to get my life in order." "I'm going to exercise regularly." "I'm going to watch less T.V. and spend more time reading." "I'm going to get to bed at a decent hour." Sound familiar?

Although we have good intentions, life circumstances often keep us from honoring them. Do we really mean what we are saying? If so, we need to make a COMMITMENT to follow through on the things we are promising ourselves in just the same way that we would if we were making those promises to someone else.

This is one of the areas where having a coach or mentor can be particularly helpful. You agree to take an action, to follow through on an intention, and you give your word through the commitment you make that you'll follow through. The coach then holds you accountable for what you've said you were going to do.

Usually, a coach doesn't scold you if you don't do what you promised, but he or she will help you look at what got in the way of you honoring your commitment. That might be important information if following through is a problem for you. Obviously, the next step will be to resolve it so that you can follow through.

Even if following through isn't a problem, having a commitment to take some action, and being held accountable for actually DOING it is very helpful. Just in case you're tempted to procrastinate, back out, or avoid doing it, you have your commitment to motivate you.

Ultimately, it ends up all coming back to your word. How much is your word worth? If you can't honor your commitments to yourself and/or others, your life is likely to feel out of control and out of balance due to not living with integrity.

If you are good at honoring your commitments to others, but don't do as well at honoring commitments to yourself, look at this issue honestly. Although they are different contexts, both commitment to self and commitment to others are important in living with integrity.

Your commitment to yourself is every bit as important as your commitment to others.

Make that commitment to yourself first.

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This guest post was written by: Linda S. Pucci Ph.D, as was previously posted on: The Wealthy Attitude Blog

The Two-Letter Way to Manage Your Time: “No”

October is National Clock month, and funnily enough, it’s been a month where I’ve been very challenged with time. It seems to be human nature that when we’re looking at something closely – such as time management – then we become very aware of how accomplished (or not) we are in it.

Time can’t be managed. Time is an intangible resource that we can use, or ignore, or waste. Time isn’t concerned with what we are doing – it keeps going along at it’s own regular pace as it has for millennia. We, in our infinite wisdom, attempt to bend, manipulate, distort and control time. For some reason the concept of controlling time reminds me of the quote that mentions nailing jelly to the wall….

We all have the same 24 hours in every day. Why is it that some people power their way through mountains of work, absolute pillars of productivity, while arrive at the end of their day wondering what they achieved?

If you want to make good use of your time, you’ve got to know what’s most important and then give it all you’ve got. - Lee Iacocca

Priorities. Actively deciding what we’re going to do and then doing it. How often have you found yourself checking Facebook just one more time, looking to see who’s on Twitter now, checking that forum you found last week… and then realise that a couple of hours have passed with nothing to show for it. Then you tell yourself that it’s ‘networking’ and therefore productive. Uh uh. If it’s not what you needed to accomplish that day, then it’s wasted time that you can never get back.

We must use time as a tool, not as a couch. John F. Kennedy

Too much to do. I’m guilty of this one. There’s always time for just one more thing. Sure, I can take on that project. Want me on a committee? Love to. Only problem is that we have to schedule it for 11.30 to 11.45pm on Friday nights, because all my other time is booked up – unless you’re available at 2.00am on Wednesdays? One of the most important things you can do for yourself is learn to say ‘No’ and stop taking things on.

I am definitely going to take a course on time management… just as soon as I can work it into my schedule. - Louis E. Boone

You don’t have to explain yourself or justify your answer. Have an answer prepared in advance “I’m sorry, I have too much else on my plate to take that on right now”. Or the much simpler “No”.

Life is as much about what you choose NOT to do as it is about what you choose to do.

Do what you enjoy. Ok, I’m not saying that we’re never going to have to do things that we don’t enjoy, there’s always going to be filing and housework for instance, but for the most part you should be doing activities that you enjoy.

When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute — then it’s longer than any hour. That’s relativity! - Albert Einstein

If you’re thinking about your job or business with dread – it’s time for a change. If you’re always procrastinating a task, think about why that is –often it’s because you don’t enjoy it. Filling your days with tasks, work and activities that you dislike is soul destroying and sucks the life and joy right out of you. You deserve better, and all you have to do is make a choice and put it into action.

And finally my favourite quote about time (having just turned 40 this year and had to start dying my hair):

Time is a great healer, but a poor beautician. - Lucille S. Harper

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This guest post was written by: Melinda Brennan, as was previously posted on: Someday Syndrome  (Blog).

7 Ways to Avoid Buying New Stuff!

As we talked about in the True Cost of Stuff, buying something new requires the extraction and destruction of a lot of resources, not to mention the destruction of our environment in extracting, hauling, manufacturing, packaging and shipping the item.

So if we want to avoid buying new things, what should we do if we need something? After all, there are always times when we feel we need something -- not just want or desire, but need it for a real purpose. We might need new clothes, or books, or a bike so we can cut back on using a car.

One woman decided to buy nothing new, which is an interesting solution, but probably not for most people. But while you might not want to put such a drastic moratorium on yourself, here are 7 things you can do before even considering buying a new item.

1. Reconsider your need. Do you really really need it? Or is it a want? Or can you change things so you don't need it? This should always be the first thing you do.
2. Borrow. You might only need it temporarily. Borrow books from friends or the library. Borrow a dress for a special occasion. Borrow a tool for a short-term project. Be sure to lend things in return, when you can.
3. Ask friends and family. Sometimes people you know might have the item you need, but not need it any longer. Instead of loaning it to you, they might be glad to give it to you. You only need to ask. I'll often send out an email (or tweet) if I need something that others might have.
4. Freecycle. Same idea, but using a wider network. There are Freecycle networks in many areas -- people who want to give something away, or who need something, post to the list and very often exchanges are made -- for free.
5. Buy used. It's infinitely better than buying new, because when you buy used you're not having new resources taken from the earth and manufactured, but rather extending the life of resources that have already been used. Try thrift shops, charity stores, yard or garage sales, Craigslist or Ebay.
6. Make your own. This won't work in every case (if I had to make my own clothes people would laugh at me more than they already do), but sometimes you can make something that's just as good as buying, with inexpensive materials or materials you already have. This works if you're good with crafts or carpentry especially. It can also be fun to get the family involved.
7. Go without. I know this seems the same as the first item on the list, but actually it's a bit different: say you decide you really do need something, but can't find it anywhere or make it. Should you buy new? Well, maybe you can go without it for awhile, until you do find a used version. Maybe you need it but don't need it right now. Often things will turn up when you keep your eyes open -- someone will happen to mention they have the item, or you'll see it on Freecycle or Craigslist after a week or two. And sometimes, the need for the item will go away, and you'll be glad you waited.

Sometimes you might have to buy a new item, even after exhausting all these options. But if you can run through this list first, often you'll find you didn't need it new.

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This guest post was written by: Leo Babauta, the creator of: mnmlist.com  (Blog).

Imagine Living a Life Without Fear!

Fear can be a powerful influence in your life, often determining the actions you take or don't take in many situations. At various times fear has probably stopped you from pursuing goals, making new friends, starting or keeping a romantic relationship, applying for a better job, starting your own business, or life changes that you would consider to be positive.

Can you imagine what it would be like to live your life without fear? Obviously you can't eliminate fear altogether, nor would you want to. Some fears help keep you safe by discouraging you from jumping off a cliff or stepping into a line of fast-moving traffic. But the other kind of fears; the ones that prevent you from living the life of your dreams - how would it feel to release those once and for all?

For example, imagine if you had absolutely no fear of failure and you knew that you could accomplish anything you wanted - no limitations whatsoever. What would you do with your life? Would you change careers? Would you go back to school? Would you write that novel?

Imagine if you knew without a doubt that you deserved to have everything you want, and you had no doubts that you weren't good enough or worthy enough. Would you finally allow yourself to get out and meet that special someone, fall in love and live happily ever after? Would you terminate the unhealthy relationships that are no longer serving you and haven't been for years?

Imagine if you were no longer afraid to pursue your dreams and instead eagerly embraced opportunities to live every experience you wanted to live. What would you do if you could do anything at all?

You may be thinking, "It's great to imagine all this but I still feel fearful much of the time. I'm still afraid to fail. I'm still afraid to be rejected. I'm still afraid to take a chance. How do I get past those scary feelings?"

First of all, forgive yourself for being human. It's completely natural to have these feelings, and there is nothing wrong with you - your body is wired to react strongly to potentially threatening situations. Your body can't tell whether the threatening situation is truly harmful or not; it simply gives you the warning signs like a pounding heart, sweaty palms, shallow breathing, tightening muscles, and so on. Fear can be pretty darn intimidating - no doubt about it!

However, it's important to understand that fear is just a feeling when it comes right down to it. It can't physically hold you back from doing anything, and it can't limit your potential unless you allow it to do so. Overcoming the influence of fear so you can live an amazing life is a simple matter of knowing how to diffuse the fearful feelings in the heat of the moment. This can be done in a variety of ways, including the use of calming affirmations, meditation, and breath work. When you calm the thoughts that are triggering the fear response, your body will automatically calm down too.

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This guest post was written by: Iain Legg, as was previously posted on: The Wealthy Attitude Blog

The Language of the Universe – Are You Listening?

On October 19th, 2009, I found this thought provoking article posted on: The Naked Soul  (Blog).

Last week I had to make an unexpected trip to Rochester, New York to attend an early morning meeting. I decided to drive the three and a half hour trip the night before, check into a hotel and get a good nights rest so that I would be refreshed and ready to go for the morning meeting. I had only been to Rochester once before and that was about five years ago so I didn’t have a good feel for where I was going. I got up the next morning, checked out of the hotel, looked at a map and tried to map my route to the building I was going to. I thought I knew where I was going, however Rochester proved to have many one way streets and some construction and before I knew it I was all turned around.  I drove around town trying to make sense of the map and where I was going. I was going around in circles trying to find my way. No problem, I had given myself plenty of time and was in no hurry. After driving around the town a couple of times I started to figure out the way the streets were laid out and my confidence that I was heading in the right direction started to build. I pulled up to a red traffic light, not sure where I was when I looked to my left and I saw the building that I was looking for with the big corporate logo on it, I smiled, within a second of seeing the building, a truck crosses the road in front of me, the truck had the same corporate name written all over it and it was heading right for the building I was going to. I found this to be too funny, I know the truck was a sign, it was there to help me find the building, it was too funny because the universe sent the sign just a few seconds too late because I had already found the building on my own. I said aloud to the universe “Thank-you, a little late, however I appreciate the effort, thank-you”.

The truck was a sign, no doubt in my mind. We often talk here about the big things in life, the stuff of life and death, etc. I think it is important to remember that the language of the universe does not only deal in the “big stuff” it also deals in the small stuff like helping me to find my way to a designation, or helping me find my misplaced keys or having me take the wrong turn only to find out that my unplanned detour helped me to avoid construction which would have delayed me.

The universe speaks to us throughout the day and if we are open to the language of the universe than we will be able to understand the language of the universe. It is funny that many people expect to be communicated to in a very direct manner. It sure would be nice to have more direct communication and it may even make the journey easier. We forget though even though we have the ability to communicate directly in our everyday relationships we don’t choose to communicate directly. We often communicate in code, be it body language, facial expressions, indirect hints, symbols, etc. If this is how we communicate than why should we expect God/The Universe to communicate to us in a more direct manner? The universe does communicate with us in many ways and when we are open to communication that comes in various forms such as signs than we will see that we are often being helped along the way.

There was a man called him Jim, who lived near a river. Jim was a very religious man.

One day, the river rose over the banks and flooded the town, and Jim was forced to climb onto his porch roof. While sitting there, a man in a boat comes along and tells Jim to get in the boat with him. Jim says “No, that’s ok. God will take care of me.” So, the man in the boat drives off.

The water rises, so Jim climbs onto his roof. At that time, another boat comes along and the person in that one tells Jim to get in. Jim replies, “No, that’s ok. God will take care of me.” The person in the boat then leaves.

The water rises even more, and Jim climbs on his chimney. Then a helicopter comes and lowers a ladder. The woman in the helicopter tells Jim to climb up the ladder and get in. Jim tells her “That’s ok.” The woman says “Are you sure?” Jim says, “Yeah, I’m sure God will take care of me.

Finally, the water rises too high and Jim drowns. Jim gets up to Heaven and is face-to-face with God. Jim says to God “You told me you would take care of me!
What happened?”

God replied “Well, I sent you two boats and a helicopter. What else did you want?”

What signs are you missing because you believe you know exactly what the communication will look and feel like? What signs are you missing because you simply are moving too fast or because your arrogance gets in the way of allowing the Universe to help you? What subtle signs are you ignoring that may help you to make better decisions or simply make your day easier? Many people ignore all kinds of signs that could help them. We choose to allow our ego to be in complete control and our ego always says it knows better and chooses to not see or to ignore the signs which are provided us.

Sometimes these signs come in the form of our intuition. Are you tuned in to your own intuition? Do you act upon your intuition?

I heard a person the other night talking about how we choose to ignore our intuition and he gave a great example. He was talking mainly to women and he asked have you ever been in a building at night waiting for the elevator and when the elevator doors open you look in an notice there is only one person in the elevator, a man and you get that eerie feeling that you shouldn’t get on the elevator that you should simply walk away? Many people have been in this situation or something similar. He then asked, “Did you walk away or did you get on the elevator despite what your intuition was telling you because you did not want to appear rude or you did not want to hurt a strangers feelings by not getting on?”  He went on to say that the majority of women in this situation chose to go against their intuition and get on the elevator. Crazy right! This is a great example of how we ignore or miss the signs.

Be open to the language of God/The Universe and understand that the language is direct yet it will come in many forms, sometimes in the internal voice of your self, sometimes through the voice of a child or a stranger on the street and often times as physical signs ones that will be recognizable to you only if you are aware.

I encourage you today to take it all in and listen to the language of the universe with all of your senses!

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Simplify!

With the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, we can often find ourselves yearning for a quieter, simpler way of living.  If your life has come to resemble an endless race to the finish line, take a look at the suggestions below to bring a greater sense of calm and simplicity back into your life.

1) Less is more.  It’s amazing how much “stuff” we can accumulate in our homes because we think they’ll contribute to our lives.  It’s true that we gain enjoyment from material possessions, but the more we accumulate the more burdened we often feel.  Eventually we find ourselves living under a constant cloud of confusion, scattered thoughts and stress.

Begin immediately to clear out the material possessions you no longer need or want, and donate them to a local charitable organization.  This will accomplish two things:  first, you’ll feel lighter and less cramped in your home; and you’ll also feel good about giving these items to people who can actually use them.

2) Pare down your activities.  An active life is good for you, but not if it leaves you feeling stressed and fatigued!  Most of us take on much more than necessary as far as obligations and even recreational activities are concerned.

Take a few minutes to think about the things you do on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.  Do you really need to do all of them?  Have you taken on responsibilities that really aren’t yours?  Are you spending time on activities you no longer enjoy?  Make a list of at least a few activities or obligations that you can eliminate, and then go ahead and do so – even if you have to pare them down gradually.

3) Spend time in silence.  A deceptively simple way to live a life of simplicity and ease is to shut out the mental and physical “noise” of your busy life on a regular basis.  Sitting in silence for just a few minutes can drastically reduce your stress levels and leave you feeling calm, centered and happy.

If you live near a park or natural setting, you can even boost the effectiveness of this activity by spending time in nature.  While not completely silent, natural settings have soothing sounds like running water, singing birds and wind sighing through trees – which automatically trigger feelings of peace and well-being.

When it comes right down to it, living a simpler life is about learning how to slow down and connect more deeply with your inner self.  Whether you do that by simplifying your surroundings, calming your schedule or enjoying a quiet respite each day, the result is the same – a happier and more peaceful you!

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This guest post was written by: Robin Skeen, the creator of: Robin's Reflections (Blog).

Real Change – Should It Feel This Uncomfortable?

"Tension and discomfort are necessary feelings in the process of achieving your goal. In fact, if you do not experience them then the goal is not important or not what you really want.” Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Avy Joseph (p114)

Marines train their minds to over-ride the pain impulses of their bodies. They can survive under torture, and out in harsh terrain in ways that would kill the rest of us.

People have willingly died for their beliefs – and survived because of them.

Victor Frankel got through a German concentration camp in horrific conditions because he believed there was something worth living for on the other side. He faced beatings, starvation and disease to extremes we can barely imagine.

This means that pain can be experienced to an outrageous degree but the people involved managed to live, get through it, and do what they needed to do to achieve their mission, or make it to the end of their confinement.

We in the West live in a society where life is ‘easy’ compared to most of the rest of the world. We medicate ourselves every time we feel a twinge, and dose ourselves with food, sex, drugs, and entertainment whenever we feel unhappy.

We run away from discomfort and tell ourselves we can’t stand the problems in our lives. See the examples above. As if we really know what ‘problems’ are!

As Avy Joseph says in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy:

“We all experience problems in many areas of our lives but don’t always realise that our minds and bodies respond to how we rate them. Evaluating a difficulty as unbearable is not only flawed but it also triggers images and feeling that fight against goal achievement (p31)”

I think we think we ‘shouldn’t have to experience ‘pain’ on the way to our success. Think again!

If you’ve ever watched the violent and satirical sci-fi film Starship Troopers you’ll see the drill sergeant spear a recruit’s hand with a knife and then announce (as the recruit screams) : “PAIN – is in your mind.” I think it probably felt quite real to the person with the knife through his hand!

Nevertheless, the idea is that it’s not just the feeling but what you tell yourself about it that determines whether you’ll get through it. In other words, it’s the meanings we choose to give to our ‘discomfort’.

Why we don’t stick with change

They tell themselves that they can’t stand the feelings that come with it as if the feelings shouldn’t be there. I know. I did this for years.

Here’s a revelation I had which is changing my life:

• those ‘feelings’ are completely normal. Yes, completely.
• They are as normal as hunger when you haven’t eaten, sadness when you loose something valuable to you, and breathing hard if you’ve run a lot. They are as part of you as sexual desire (although we don’t usually enjoy them as much!)
• They’re hot-wired into your mind-body system so they’re not going anywhere anytime soon.

All this time you may have been rejecting the natural tensions that come along with changing the status quo. Isn’t that kind of like hating yourself for breathing?

This is partly why Susan Jeffers said :”Feel the fear and do it Anyway” because fear seems like a stop sign but is actually just neurological-kinaesthetic information reporting to you how your perceptions are measuring the gap between what you have, and what you want.

Continue reading "Real Change – Should It Feel This Uncomfortable?" »

As you may already know, a horrific event occurred October 9th in the desert near Sedona, Arizona at a retreat led by James Arthur Ray, well-known author and personal development guru. Two people died immediately and another died this weekend after participating in a questionably executed sweat lodge. Almost two dozen others were hospitalized with illnesses ranging from dehydration to kidney failure.

I don't wish to lay blame--others will be doing that, and it's strictly an ego exercise to do so. But I did want to communicate one important message in light of the outcome: Never, ever obey anyone's authority over that of your Spirit.

If someone seems to know more than you do, have achieved more than you have, have obtained what you want to have, or seems more enlightened than you believe you are, it is not a signal to abdicate your own sense of knowing to subject yourself to his or hers. Partake of their ideas, yes, if you're attracted, and try them on to see if they fit for you--or not.

If you are receiving any internal signals that something is wrong--or even not quite right, or just simply not a match for you--pay attention and heed those signals. You don't have to prove anything to anyone--even to yourself. Don't let your own fearful ego lead you astray in a quest for something it's telling you that you haven't got. Ego is a consummate liar and will sell you down the river in a heartbeat.

All knowledge is already yours. All your desires are already yours, even if you aren't yet experiencing that. But the way to realize and manifest them into your reality is to follow your Spirit to the vibrational level where you can claim them. And you can't do that if you're busy following someone else. Or a group of someone elses. Or your own ego. Following anyone other than your own Spirit will lead you down in vibration.

If you find yourself caught up in group energy, something that often occurs due to the longing to feel the energy of being at one with your fellow human beings, pay special attention. You may find yourself willing to do things and take risks you'd never take if your energy was centered within yourself and not in the composite mind of the group.

I am somewhat painfully familiar with that dynamic because I once found myself streaking naked across my college campus after getting so caught up in the pack mentality and energy, I was compelled to join the streaking crowd. In that case, the only deleterious effect was a photograph of the back of me in my birthday suit (blessedly, with a shirt over my head) that showed up on the front page of the city's newspaper.

And here's one I have been learning the hard way: If your body is telling you to back off whatever you are doing instead of pushing, listen and obey. Ease your way into growth--don't force your way into it.

As a spiritual teacher, I take my responsibility to influence very seriously. For me, having your attention is a sacred trust and I am intent on keeping my ego in check to keep that relationship clear. Starting with the experience I tell about in the introduction to Recreating Eden, I have been continually shown that rejecting all authority outside one's own being, and honoring the voice of Spirit within is the very key to reaching the highest level of vibration and experiencing enlightenment.

Continue reading "Honor Your Own inner Knowing Above All Else" »

Posted by Kenn Nay | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

May 22, 2010

5 Reasons to Stop Trying to be Perfect!

Perfection can kill the motivation of the brightest minds. Some people just want every detail to be perfect.

I think perfection is for losers. When you try so hard to make everything perfect, you bind your creativity. Instead of putting out something wonderful, you end up putting out crap that is over processed and boring.

Greatness is not about being perfect. Being great means making mistakes, big mistakes and learning from them.

I wrote this article because I’ve been binding my thoughts and hands, which deflated my confidence. My projects went unfinished.

My presentations will always need improvement. My eShorts will need to look prettier. My teleseminars will need to give more and more value.

That’s the nature of the game. Master car technicians will always come across a problem that they can’t solve. You will have projects that frustrate you.

You need to let go of how you want your project to play out and just do what feels right instead of letting your old habits of perfection lock up your ability to take action.

I put together a list of 5 reasons why you need to stop trying to be perfect.

1. Less Stress

Your stress level goes way up when you set the bar too high, which results in restricted thoughts. Your body and mind constrict and stop allowing the flow of oxygenated blood keep you calm. Stress will very rarely make you better at what you do.

I recently worked with a co-worker who was under time restraints to finish a report by the end of the day. He was gnashing and groaning the whole time. His boss walked in and told him that the report could wait until the of the week, giving him two extra days to finish. I could see the pressure just ooze out of him.

He still finished the report that night because he stopped worrying and relaxed with the work.

When you stop trying to make every piece exactly how you want it, you will make it easier to enjoy what you do.

2. More Creativity

I refuse to let a blank Word document sit on my screen for more than five seconds. I just start typing with whatever is in my head. I know those first few sentences will be crap. But that’s normal.

I’ve stopped trying to craft the perfect sentence because it locks up my brain. By writing a few bad sentences the mental wheels are greased and the sentences start flowing.

When you are just about to start something don’t think about how, why, or what. Just start doing the first thing that comes to your mind. Let it out and fix it later.

3. Work becomes More Fun

You have probably worked on a project that was a big deal, whether it was at school or on the job. It may seem have seemed like everyone was looking over your shoulder.

When you work on a project that doesn’t have as much pressure attached to it, you are probably able to joke around and have more fun. When you don’t put too much pressure on yourself you won’t need to make every detail just so; all you need is a solid concept. Those projects are usually more enjoyable and produce better results.

Continue reading "5 Reasons to Stop Trying to be Perfect! " »

Posted by Kenn Nay | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Coding Simplicity: How to Avoid Feature Creep in Your Life

There’s a concept in programming called “feature creep” — when a software developer continually adds one feature after another because “wouldn’t it be nice” and “why not” and “isn’t it cool” and “some users asked for it”.

The end result is often a bloated program that tries to do everything but ends up being not very good at any of it — and hogs your system resources, crashes, and has a complicated interface.

Feature creep is a bad thing in programming, and it’s a bad thing in our personal lives as well.

We all have feature creep in our lives. It’s a part of the modern world.

Think about how life was like only 20 years ago — no one was using the Internet (basically), we didn’t have IM or email or Twitter or blogs or any of the other complications we have today. And 50 years ago, no one had personal computers, caller ID, cable TV, fax machines, washing machines, CD players. Go back 100 years, a thousand, and then ten thousand, and you’ll see how many features have been added into our lives.

Think about when you started out as an adult: you might have had basically nothing, including no debt (until you got that first student credit card, car loan and perhaps student loan), no furniture, no house full of stuff, no long to-do list. Now, this might not be the ideal life (you also might have had no means to do anything, or a solid career, or skills) … but you had a fresh slate. No features was a negative, but there was also no bloat.

Some of you might still be at that point — so let this be a cautionary tale.

Those of you who are 10 or 20 or more years beyond that point know that life isn’t that simple anymore — at least, not for most of us. Life tends to add features as we go along, and as they come out into the marketplace.

We now have all the Internet technology we mentioned above, but there’s more. There’s debt and all kinds of payments to make. There’s kids and all the things that come with that (an amazing array of features, good and bad). There’s more responsibilities and commitments and a more crowded schedule.

We’re not bored, and we have more means, and a career, likely. But these features bring much more: burdens, and an overloaded schedule, and conflicts that can lead to crashes. Headaches we don’t need.

The solution to feature creep in our lives:

1. Start from a blank slate.
2. Only add the features you really use and love.
3. Slowly implement the reduction in the code of your life.
4. Avoid future feature creep.

Let’s look at these steps.

Step 1. Start from a blank slate.

I’m not saying you should abandon your home and cars and family and job and go live in a cave. I’m saying take out a fresh sheet of paper (or a blank text file — but do NOT use Microsoft Word) and re-image your life. From a blank canvas.

Imagine your life had nothing in it. We’re going to be bolder than Microsoft and Adobe and do what they need to do: abandon software that has become bloated over a decade or two of feature creep, and start our code from scratch.

You might also make a list of everything you have in your life now: job, commitments, goals, activities, clubs, hobbies, meetings, relationships, technology, possessions. Anything that takes up your time and space and mental energy. These are the things we’re putting on the table. They are going to be tossed out if they don’t survive the next section.

Continue reading "Coding Simplicity: How to Avoid Feature Creep in Your Life " »

Posted by Kenn Nay | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

« | »

Perfection can kill the motivation of the brightest minds. Some people just want every detail to be perfect.

I think perfection is for losers. When you try so hard to make everything perfect, you bind your creativity. Instead of putting out something wonderful, you end up putting out crap that is over processed and boring.

Greatness is not about being perfect. Being great means making mistakes, big mistakes and learning from them.

I wrote this article because I’ve been binding my thoughts and hands, which deflated my confidence. My projects went unfinished.

My presentations will always need improvement. My eShorts will need to look prettier. My teleseminars will need to give more and more value.

That’s the nature of the game. Master car technicians will always come across a problem that they can’t solve. You will have projects that frustrate you.

You need to let go of how you want your project to play out and just do what feels right instead of letting your old habits of perfection lock up your ability to take action.

I put together a list of 5 reasons why you need to stop trying to be perfect.

1. Less Stress

Your stress level goes way up when you set the bar too high, which results in restricted thoughts. Your body and mind constrict and stop allowing the flow of oxygenated blood keep you calm. Stress will very rarely make you better at what you do.

I recently worked with a co-worker who was under time restraints to finish a report by the end of the day. He was gnashing and groaning the whole time. His boss walked in and told him that the report could wait until the of the week, giving him two extra days to finish. I could see the pressure just ooze out of him.

He still finished the report that night because he stopped worrying and relaxed with the work.

When you stop trying to make every piece exactly how you want it, you will make it easier to enjoy what you do.

2. More Creativity

I refuse to let a blank Word document sit on my screen for more than five seconds. I just start typing with whatever is in my head. I know those first few sentences will be crap. But that’s normal.

I’ve stopped trying to craft the perfect sentence because it locks up my brain. By writing a few bad sentences the mental wheels are greased and the sentences start flowing.

When you are just about to start something don’t think about how, why, or what. Just start doing the first thing that comes to your mind. Let it out and fix it later.

3. Work becomes More Fun

You have probably worked on a project that was a big deal, whether it was at school or on the job. It may seem have seemed like everyone was looking over your shoulder.

When you work on a project that doesn’t have as much pressure attached to it, you are probably able to joke around and have more fun. When you don’t put too much pressure on yourself you won’t need to make every detail just so; all you need is a solid concept. Those projects are usually more enjoyable and produce better results.

There’s a concept in programming called “feature creep” — when a software developer continually adds one feature after another because “wouldn’t it be nice” and “why not” and “isn’t it cool” and “some users asked for it”.

The end result is often a bloated program that tries to do everything but ends up being not very good at any of it — and hogs your system resources, crashes, and has a complicated interface.

Feature creep is a bad thing in programming, and it’s a bad thing in our personal lives as well.

We all have feature creep in our lives. It’s a part of the modern world.

Think about how life was like only 20 years ago — no one was using the Internet (basically), we didn’t have IM or email or Twitter or blogs or any of the other complications we have today. And 50 years ago, no one had personal computers, caller ID, cable TV, fax machines, washing machines, CD players. Go back 100 years, a thousand, and then ten thousand, and you’ll see how many features have been added into our lives.

Think about when you started out as an adult: you might have had basically nothing, including no debt (until you got that first student credit card, car loan and perhaps student loan), no furniture, no house full of stuff, no long to-do list. Now, this might not be the ideal life (you also might have had no means to do anything, or a solid career, or skills) … but you had a fresh slate. No features was a negative, but there was also no bloat.

Some of you might still be at that point — so let this be a cautionary tale.

Those of you who are 10 or 20 or more years beyond that point know that life isn’t that simple anymore — at least, not for most of us. Life tends to add features as we go along, and as they come out into the marketplace.

We now have all the Internet technology we mentioned above, but there’s more. There’s debt and all kinds of payments to make. There’s kids and all the things that come with that (an amazing array of features, good and bad). There’s more responsibilities and commitments and a more crowded schedule.

We’re not bored, and we have more means, and a career, likely. But these features bring much more: burdens, and an overloaded schedule, and conflicts that can lead to crashes. Headaches we don’t need.

The solution to feature creep in our lives:

1. Start from a blank slate.
2. Only add the features you really use and love.
3. Slowly implement the reduction in the code of your life.
4. Avoid future feature creep.

Let’s look at these steps.

Step 1. Start from a blank slate.

I’m not saying you should abandon your home and cars and family and job and go live in a cave. I’m saying take out a fresh sheet of paper (or a blank text file — but do NOT use Microsoft Word) and re-image your life. From a blank canvas.

Imagine your life had nothing in it. We’re going to be bolder than Microsoft and Adobe and do what they need to do: abandon software that has become bloated over a decade or two of feature creep, and start our code from scratch.

You might also make a list of everything you have in your life now: job, commitments, goals, activities, clubs, hobbies, meetings, relationships, technology, possessions. Anything that takes up your time and space and mental energy. These are the things we’re putting on the table. They are going to be tossed out if they don’t survive the next section.

Honor Your Own inner Knowing Above All Else

As you may already know, a horrific event occurred October 9th in the desert near Sedona, Arizona at a retreat led by James Arthur Ray, well-known author and personal development guru. Two people died immediately and another died this weekend after participating in a questionably executed sweat lodge. Almost two dozen others were hospitalized with illnesses ranging from dehydration to kidney failure.

I don't wish to lay blame--others will be doing that, and it's strictly an ego exercise to do so. But I did want to communicate one important message in light of the outcome: Never, ever obey anyone's authority over that of your Spirit.

If someone seems to know more than you do, have achieved more than you have, have obtained what you want to have, or seems more enlightened than you believe you are, it is not a signal to abdicate your own sense of knowing to subject yourself to his or hers. Partake of their ideas, yes, if you're attracted, and try them on to see if they fit for you--or not.

If you are receiving any internal signals that something is wrong--or even not quite right, or just simply not a match for you--pay attention and heed those signals. You don't have to prove anything to anyone--even to yourself. Don't let your own fearful ego lead you astray in a quest for something it's telling you that you haven't got. Ego is a consummate liar and will sell you down the river in a heartbeat.

All knowledge is already yours. All your desires are already yours, even if you aren't yet experiencing that. But the way to realize and manifest them into your reality is to follow your Spirit to the vibrational level where you can claim them. And you can't do that if you're busy following someone else. Or a group of someone elses. Or your own ego. Following anyone other than your own Spirit will lead you down in vibration.

If you find yourself caught up in group energy, something that often occurs due to the longing to feel the energy of being at one with your fellow human beings, pay special attention. You may find yourself willing to do things and take risks you'd never take if your energy was centered within yourself and not in the composite mind of the group.

I am somewhat painfully familiar with that dynamic because I once found myself streaking naked across my college campus after getting so caught up in the pack mentality and energy, I was compelled to join the streaking crowd. In that case, the only deleterious effect was a photograph of the back of me in my birthday suit (blessedly, with a shirt over my head) that showed up on the front page of the city's newspaper.

And here's one I have been learning the hard way: If your body is telling you to back off whatever you are doing instead of pushing, listen and obey. Ease your way into growth--don't force your way into it.

As a spiritual teacher, I take my responsibility to influence very seriously. For me, having your attention is a sacred trust and I am intent on keeping my ego in check to keep that relationship clear. Starting with the experience I tell about in the introduction to Recreating Eden, I have been continually shown that rejecting all authority outside one's own being, and honoring the voice of Spirit within is the very key to reaching the highest level of vibration and experiencing enlightenment.

Continue reading "Honor Your Own inner Knowing Above All Else" »

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May 22, 2010

5 Reasons to Stop Trying to be Perfect!

Perfection can kill the motivation of the brightest minds. Some people just want every detail to be perfect.

I think perfection is for losers. When you try so hard to make everything perfect, you bind your creativity. Instead of putting out something wonderful, you end up putting out crap that is over processed and boring.

Greatness is not about being perfect. Being great means making mistakes, big mistakes and learning from them.

I wrote this article because I’ve been binding my thoughts and hands, which deflated my confidence. My projects went unfinished.

My presentations will always need improvement. My eShorts will need to look prettier. My teleseminars will need to give more and more value.

That’s the nature of the game. Master car technicians will always come across a problem that they can’t solve. You will have projects that frustrate you.

You need to let go of how you want your project to play out and just do what feels right instead of letting your old habits of perfection lock up your ability to take action.

I put together a list of 5 reasons why you need to stop trying to be perfect.

1. Less Stress

Your stress level goes way up when you set the bar too high, which results in restricted thoughts. Your body and mind constrict and stop allowing the flow of oxygenated blood keep you calm. Stress will very rarely make you better at what you do.

I recently worked with a co-worker who was under time restraints to finish a report by the end of the day. He was gnashing and groaning the whole time. His boss walked in and told him that the report could wait until the of the week, giving him two extra days to finish. I could see the pressure just ooze out of him.

He still finished the report that night because he stopped worrying and relaxed with the work.

When you stop trying to make every piece exactly how you want it, you will make it easier to enjoy what you do.

2. More Creativity

I refuse to let a blank Word document sit on my screen for more than five seconds. I just start typing with whatever is in my head. I know those first few sentences will be crap. But that’s normal.

I’ve stopped trying to craft the perfect sentence because it locks up my brain. By writing a few bad sentences the mental wheels are greased and the sentences start flowing.

When you are just about to start something don’t think about how, why, or what. Just start doing the first thing that comes to your mind. Let it out and fix it later.

3. Work becomes More Fun

You have probably worked on a project that was a big deal, whether it was at school or on the job. It may seem have seemed like everyone was looking over your shoulder.

When you work on a project that doesn’t have as much pressure attached to it, you are probably able to joke around and have more fun. When you don’t put too much pressure on yourself you won’t need to make every detail just so; all you need is a solid concept. Those projects are usually more enjoyable and produce better results.

Continue reading "5 Reasons to Stop Trying to be Perfect! " »

Posted by Kenn Nay | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Coding Simplicity: How to Avoid Feature Creep in Your Life

There’s a concept in programming called “feature creep” — when a software developer continually adds one feature after another because “wouldn’t it be nice” and “why not” and “isn’t it cool” and “some users asked for it”.

The end result is often a bloated program that tries to do everything but ends up being not very good at any of it — and hogs your system resources, crashes, and has a complicated interface.

Feature creep is a bad thing in programming, and it’s a bad thing in our personal lives as well.

We all have feature creep in our lives. It’s a part of the modern world.

Think about how life was like only 20 years ago — no one was using the Internet (basically), we didn’t have IM or email or Twitter or blogs or any of the other complications we have today. And 50 years ago, no one had personal computers, caller ID, cable TV, fax machines, washing machines, CD players. Go back 100 years, a thousand, and then ten thousand, and you’ll see how many features have been added into our lives.

Think about when you started out as an adult: you might have had basically nothing, including no debt (until you got that first student credit card, car loan and perhaps student loan), no furniture, no house full of stuff, no long to-do list. Now, this might not be the ideal life (you also might have had no means to do anything, or a solid career, or skills) … but you had a fresh slate. No features was a negative, but there was also no bloat.

Some of you might still be at that point — so let this be a cautionary tale.

Those of you who are 10 or 20 or more years beyond that point know that life isn’t that simple anymore — at least, not for most of us. Life tends to add features as we go along, and as they come out into the marketplace.

We now have all the Internet technology we mentioned above, but there’s more. There’s debt and all kinds of payments to make. There’s kids and all the things that come with that (an amazing array of features, good and bad). There’s more responsibilities and commitments and a more crowded schedule.

We’re not bored, and we have more means, and a career, likely. But these features bring much more: burdens, and an overloaded schedule, and conflicts that can lead to crashes. Headaches we don’t need.

The solution to feature creep in our lives:

1. Start from a blank slate.
2. Only add the features you really use and love.
3. Slowly implement the reduction in the code of your life.
4. Avoid future feature creep.

Let’s look at these steps.

Step 1. Start from a blank slate.

I’m not saying you should abandon your home and cars and family and job and go live in a cave. I’m saying take out a fresh sheet of paper (or a blank text file — but do NOT use Microsoft Word) and re-image your life. From a blank canvas.

Imagine your life had nothing in it. We’re going to be bolder than Microsoft and Adobe and do what they need to do: abandon software that has become bloated over a decade or two of feature creep, and start our code from scratch.

You might also make a list of everything you have in your life now: job, commitments, goals, activities, clubs, hobbies, meetings, relationships, technology, possessions. Anything that takes up your time and space and mental energy. These are the things we’re putting on the table. They are going to be tossed out if they don’t survive the next section.

Continue reading "Coding Simplicity: How to Avoid Feature Creep in Your Life " »

Posted by Kenn Nay | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

« | »

Perfection can kill the motivation of the brightest minds. Some people just want every detail to be perfect.

I think perfection is for losers. When you try so hard to make everything perfect, you bind your creativity. Instead of putting out something wonderful, you end up putting out crap that is over processed and boring.

Greatness is not about being perfect. Being great means making mistakes, big mistakes and learning from them.

I wrote this article because I’ve been binding my thoughts and hands, which deflated my confidence. My projects went unfinished.

My presentations will always need improvement. My eShorts will need to look prettier. My teleseminars will need to give more and more value.

That’s the nature of the game. Master car technicians will always come across a problem that they can’t solve. You will have projects that frustrate you.

You need to let go of how you want your project to play out and just do what feels right instead of letting your old habits of perfection lock up your ability to take action.

I put together a list of 5 reasons why you need to stop trying to be perfect.

1. Less Stress

Your stress level goes way up when you set the bar too high, which results in restricted thoughts. Your body and mind constrict and stop allowing the flow of oxygenated blood keep you calm. Stress will very rarely make you better at what you do.

I recently worked with a co-worker who was under time restraints to finish a report by the end of the day. He was gnashing and groaning the whole time. His boss walked in and told him that the report could wait until the of the week, giving him two extra days to finish. I could see the pressure just ooze out of him.

He still finished the report that night because he stopped worrying and relaxed with the work.

When you stop trying to make every piece exactly how you want it, you will make it easier to enjoy what you do.

2. More Creativity

I refuse to let a blank Word document sit on my screen for more than five seconds. I just start typing with whatever is in my head. I know those first few sentences will be crap. But that’s normal.

I’ve stopped trying to craft the perfect sentence because it locks up my brain. By writing a few bad sentences the mental wheels are greased and the sentences start flowing.

When you are just about to start something don’t think about how, why, or what. Just start doing the first thing that comes to your mind. Let it out and fix it later.

3. Work becomes More Fun

You have probably worked on a project that was a big deal, whether it was at school or on the job. It may seem have seemed like everyone was looking over your shoulder.

When you work on a project that doesn’t have as much pressure attached to it, you are probably able to joke around and have more fun. When you don’t put too much pressure on yourself you won’t need to make every detail just so; all you need is a solid concept. Those projects are usually more enjoyable and produce better results.

There’s a concept in programming called “feature creep” — when a software developer continually adds one feature after another because “wouldn’t it be nice” and “why not” and “isn’t it cool” and “some users asked for it”.

The end result is often a bloated program that tries to do everything but ends up being not very good at any of it — and hogs your system resources, crashes, and has a complicated interface.

Feature creep is a bad thing in programming, and it’s a bad thing in our personal lives as well.

We all have feature creep in our lives. It’s a part of the modern world.

Think about how life was like only 20 years ago — no one was using the Internet (basically), we didn’t have IM or email or Twitter or blogs or any of the other complications we have today. And 50 years ago, no one had personal computers, caller ID, cable TV, fax machines, washing machines, CD players. Go back 100 years, a thousand, and then ten thousand, and you’ll see how many features have been added into our lives.

Think about when you started out as an adult: you might have had basically nothing, including no debt (until you got that first student credit card, car loan and perhaps student loan), no furniture, no house full of stuff, no long to-do list. Now, this might not be the ideal life (you also might have had no means to do anything, or a solid career, or skills) … but you had a fresh slate. No features was a negative, but there was also no bloat.

Some of you might still be at that point — so let this be a cautionary tale.

Those of you who are 10 or 20 or more years beyond that point know that life isn’t that simple anymore — at least, not for most of us. Life tends to add features as we go along, and as they come out into the marketplace.

We now have all the Internet technology we mentioned above, but there’s more. There’s debt and all kinds of payments to make. There’s kids and all the things that come with that (an amazing array of features, good and bad). There’s more responsibilities and commitments and a more crowded schedule.

We’re not bored, and we have more means, and a career, likely. But these features bring much more: burdens, and an overloaded schedule, and conflicts that can lead to crashes. Headaches we don’t need.

The solution to feature creep in our lives:

1. Start from a blank slate.
2. Only add the features you really use and love.
3. Slowly implement the reduction in the code of your life.
4. Avoid future feature creep.

Let’s look at these steps.

Step 1. Start from a blank slate.

I’m not saying you should abandon your home and cars and family and job and go live in a cave. I’m saying take out a fresh sheet of paper (or a blank text file — but do NOT use Microsoft Word) and re-image your life. From a blank canvas.

Imagine your life had nothing in it. We’re going to be bolder than Microsoft and Adobe and do what they need to do: abandon software that has become bloated over a decade or two of feature creep, and start our code from scratch.

You might also make a list of everything you have in your life now: job, commitments, goals, activities, clubs, hobbies, meetings, relationships, technology, possessions. Anything that takes up your time and space and mental energy. These are the things we’re putting on the table. They are going to be tossed out if they don’t survive the next section.

5 Reasons to Stop Trying to be Perfect!

Perfection can kill the motivation of the brightest minds. Some people just want every detail to be perfect.

I think perfection is for losers. When you try so hard to make everything perfect, you bind your creativity. Instead of putting out something wonderful, you end up putting out crap that is over processed and boring.

Greatness is not about being perfect. Being great means making mistakes, big mistakes and learning from them.

I wrote this article because I’ve been binding my thoughts and hands, which deflated my confidence. My projects went unfinished.

My presentations will always need improvement. My eShorts will need to look prettier. My teleseminars will need to give more and more value.

That’s the nature of the game. Master car technicians will always come across a problem that they can’t solve. You will have projects that frustrate you.

You need to let go of how you want your project to play out and just do what feels right instead of letting your old habits of perfection lock up your ability to take action.

I put together a list of 5 reasons why you need to stop trying to be perfect.

1. Less Stress

Your stress level goes way up when you set the bar too high, which results in restricted thoughts. Your body and mind constrict and stop allowing the flow of oxygenated blood keep you calm. Stress will very rarely make you better at what you do.

I recently worked with a co-worker who was under time restraints to finish a report by the end of the day. He was gnashing and groaning the whole time. His boss walked in and told him that the report could wait until the of the week, giving him two extra days to finish. I could see the pressure just ooze out of him.

He still finished the report that night because he stopped worrying and relaxed with the work.

When you stop trying to make every piece exactly how you want it, you will make it easier to enjoy what you do.

2. More Creativity

I refuse to let a blank Word document sit on my screen for more than five seconds. I just start typing with whatever is in my head. I know those first few sentences will be crap. But that’s normal.

I’ve stopped trying to craft the perfect sentence because it locks up my brain. By writing a few bad sentences the mental wheels are greased and the sentences start flowing.

When you are just about to start something don’t think about how, why, or what. Just start doing the first thing that comes to your mind. Let it out and fix it later.

3. Work becomes More Fun

You have probably worked on a project that was a big deal, whether it was at school or on the job. It may seem have seemed like everyone was looking over your shoulder.

When you work on a project that doesn’t have as much pressure attached to it, you are probably able to joke around and have more fun. When you don’t put too much pressure on yourself you won’t need to make every detail just so; all you need is a solid concept. Those projects are usually more enjoyable and produce better results.

Coding Simplicity: How to Avoid Feature Creep in Your Life

There’s a concept in programming called “feature creep” — when a software developer continually adds one feature after another because “wouldn’t it be nice” and “why not” and “isn’t it cool” and “some users asked for it”.

The end result is often a bloated program that tries to do everything but ends up being not very good at any of it — and hogs your system resources, crashes, and has a complicated interface.

Feature creep is a bad thing in programming, and it’s a bad thing in our personal lives as well.

We all have feature creep in our lives. It’s a part of the modern world.

Think about how life was like only 20 years ago — no one was using the Internet (basically), we didn’t have IM or email or Twitter or blogs or any of the other complications we have today. And 50 years ago, no one had personal computers, caller ID, cable TV, fax machines, washing machines, CD players. Go back 100 years, a thousand, and then ten thousand, and you’ll see how many features have been added into our lives.

Think about when you started out as an adult: you might have had basically nothing, including no debt (until you got that first student credit card, car loan and perhaps student loan), no furniture, no house full of stuff, no long to-do list. Now, this might not be the ideal life (you also might have had no means to do anything, or a solid career, or skills) … but you had a fresh slate. No features was a negative, but there was also no bloat.

Some of you might still be at that point — so let this be a cautionary tale.

Those of you who are 10 or 20 or more years beyond that point know that life isn’t that simple anymore — at least, not for most of us. Life tends to add features as we go along, and as they come out into the marketplace.

We now have all the Internet technology we mentioned above, but there’s more. There’s debt and all kinds of payments to make. There’s kids and all the things that come with that (an amazing array of features, good and bad). There’s more responsibilities and commitments and a more crowded schedule.

We’re not bored, and we have more means, and a career, likely. But these features bring much more: burdens, and an overloaded schedule, and conflicts that can lead to crashes. Headaches we don’t need.

The solution to feature creep in our lives:

1. Start from a blank slate.
2. Only add the features you really use and love.
3. Slowly implement the reduction in the code of your life.
4. Avoid future feature creep.

Let’s look at these steps.

Step 1. Start from a blank slate.

I’m not saying you should abandon your home and cars and family and job and go live in a cave. I’m saying take out a fresh sheet of paper (or a blank text file — but do NOT use Microsoft Word) and re-image your life. From a blank canvas.

Imagine your life had nothing in it. We’re going to be bolder than Microsoft and Adobe and do what they need to do: abandon software that has become bloated over a decade or two of feature creep, and start our code from scratch.

You might also make a list of everything you have in your life now: job, commitments, goals, activities, clubs, hobbies, meetings, relationships, technology, possessions. Anything that takes up your time and space and mental energy. These are the things we’re putting on the table. They are going to be tossed out if they don’t survive the next section.