Jan
9
2012
New beginnings ... every month
Two thousand and twelve. Yup, here we are over a week in to the New Year and I’m wondering how many of you made New Year’s Resolutions you are being committed and persistent about.
Statistics show that you are likely having challenges and if so, I can help. I’m here to provide a tip which may make this year one of your best ever for you in this area, especially if there are things you’d like to change. The reason I offer this, is because it is what I’m doing myself.
Step 1: Separate the message and the messenger
IMHO a New Year’s Resolution has a primary purpose of helping you turn over a new leaf, start afresh, shuffle the deck or raise the bar. It is about letting go of the old and brining in the new. The messenger is the New Year’s Resolution; the message is the change.
So my question to you is this: can you turn the tide or make a change in your life without using a New Year’s Resolution?
I think we can all agree that of course we can. So if we want to get the most out of the idea of a New Year’s Resolution, we need to succeed in the change, not the Resolution itself.
Step 2: How to increase your chance of success by more than 12 times …
For most of us, keeping committed to something for a year such as exercise, healthy eating habits, reading more or learning a new skill, is a huge and almost incomprehensible challenge. As a result and with the associated pain or loss these activities usually generate, we tend to start off sprinting a marathon and understandably fail before we finish the first mile.
All I’m suggesting is that you implement the old adage about how to eat an elephant…. (one mouthful at a time) … and create shorter timeframes for our resolutions. Personally I feel that one month is a fair, yet still challenging period to start a new habit.
This year my aim is to tone my arms, improve my health, strengthen my abs and lose a bit of weight so I am doing one thing every day … at least 20 sit-ups and 20 press-ups. Since starting I have had to get out of bed only twice when I realised I hadn’t done them that day.
… and I have been pleased with myself and my progress so have also swum 60 lengths three times and been on two runs. The messenger is well on its way to succeed!
Unseen forces will help you succeed ... remember to smile on the way
Unseen forces will help you succeed ... remember to smile on the way
What you can do right now to stay committed?
- Decide to commit to something for a month.
- Select 1-3 activities in which to do this, more than four are strictly prohibited.
- Tell a few key people you care about and ask them to keep you accountable.
Ideally have a calendar or even better, an awesome way of recording your progress and mark off your achievements every day.
By doing this, you’ll be setting yourself up for success all year!
Step 3: Success breeds success
At the end of the month you’ll feel a certain sense of achievement so either carry on the habit, add a new one or simply feel proud of yourself for having achieved that resolution for a month. Ideally use it to catapult yourself forward in the areas you need it.
Check out my blog on the Four Disciplines of Execution for further understanding on how to effectively achieve more.
Good luck and I look forward to hearing your resolutions – I’d love to hear them below…
Nov
24
2011
There’s somebody you see every day, but chances are you don’t think you know them very well.
You probably don’t think of them as a friend and to be honest, you often treat them worse than any enemy.
You talk to them interminably, but frequently only to chastise, berate or criticise their behaviour, the way they look, the things they do and the life they’re leading. In fact, this is the only friend you allow to do this – any others would be dropped after years of this behaviour.
It is likely you have extremely high standards for this person but if you were asked to write them down, you’d find it difficult to do, nevertheless you expect them to live by these unwritten rules.
Need I say more? Have you worked out who it is? 
Stop. Listen …
They probably just said something to you.
Can you hear me? Yes, it’s you. YOU! Your best friend in the universe thinks you’re so awesome that they’ve chosen to be a part of you. In fact they’re never going to leave you. No matter what you do they will always be with you. Stop. Listen and appreciate that little voice – your best friend is talking to you.
Unfortunately, often that best friend feels more like a stranger…
So what can you do about it? Here are a few quick tips:
- Treat your body with respect by listening to your inner voice when asked to make a health related decisions i.e. relating to food, drink and exercise.
- Respect and love yourself for exactly who you are with all your ‘bad’ habits, skills, attributes, warts and war wounds. You can’t give something to another if you don’t have it … so love yourself so you can give love to others.
- Listen to yourself. You constantly get intuition guiding you the best direction, but too many people deny it. You don’t always have to follow it, but often it is giving you some great advice.
What do you think – does this make sense to you?
Nov
17
2011
I’ve been in a sad place recently and focusing on it (which has made it quite painful) … and I’ve just realised that this has been a gift – sweet poison.
I’ve noticed that when I focus on what is highest on my values, issues and problems on my plate seem to dissipate and feel less serious or pervasive. The reality of it is that the issues haven’t changed, the people involved have not changed … however I have changed.
I am grateful for this situation to appreciate the fact that when I change, the world changes.
Issues in your life?
Perhaps try changing your perspective or your procedure – how you see it or what you’re doing. Also, focus on the things you love to do instead … where time disappears and you are in the flow.
Gratitude is the remedy for Depression
Feeling depressed, disappointed or hopeless about something? Give your depression a score out of 100 and then read the following statement. C’mon, choose a number and you’ll find this exercise far more powerful.
I’ve written the sentence in reverse so as to serve you by preventing you from seeing this content before selecting a number.
.day per $0.47 about than less on live who people as defined is poverty Cambodia In Think about that for moment and what that would mean in your life. Now select a score out of 100 of your depression – notice if it has changed and use that information in future.
Remember that and feel the gratitude – you deserve it.
Nov
11
2011
Burning Man is a unique art-induced desert festival held once a year in Nevada.
As I sit here on this comfy couch in an exquisite private hillside haven, the lighthouse of Byron Bay is winking its eye at me across a motionless ocean. The twinkling Milky Way shares it’s magic with occasional shooting stars and I’d like to share my story about the experience I had there a couple of months ago … because it is one I shall always remember.
As a man who has travelled to 32 countries and lived in a handful of them, I have been blessed with some incredible adventures such as: playing field hockey on the Kensington Oval in Barbados; rollerskate-hitch hiking in Hawaii; being forced to the floor on a bus in Vietnam at 4am by a soldier; dancing with the 5 times world salsa champion on stage at Star City Casino in Sydney and sailing around the Great Barrier Reef in a catamaran for a friend’s birthday-week celebration to name a few.
I share these with you not to impress you, but to help provide some perspective on what I call normal. Those who know me are more than aware that when life gives me lemons, I tear them open to find the incredible diamonds of life experience hiding inside.
So to Burning Man…
Oct
11
2011
It’s an ordinary day for you at work. You leave … perhaps a little later than you’d have liked to and make your way home. Consider this a Tuesday if you will … do you do anything special?
A ticket to ride
Why not? I did today, and thanks to a little bit of effort on my part, I’m now sitting in Horseshoe bay, Magnetic Island, enjoying a quiet drink and about to order dinner.
I admit that the nature of my work leads me to travel a bit and at the moment I’m working in Townsville for four days. My accommodation is taken care of and I think it’s always quite nice not to have to worry about day-to-day chores.
I woke yesterday morning (Monday) at 4:30am to be on a flight and started work around 9am about 1000km from where I slept. Yes, I was a little tired by the end of the day, but I am aware that life is short and there is SO much fun to be had, so as soon as I made it to my hotel at the end of the day on the 16th floor, I donned my gym-wear and headed for Castle Hill … a huge hill rock in the middle of Townsville. It was so steep and high getting up it, I had to resort to walking which is unlike me.
I had a lovely shower, delicious grilled fish dinner and a long chat to my wonderful lady when I arrived home.
Today I chose to leave work on time, walk 18 minutes to the ferry and take the $14.50 journey to Magnetic Island. Once there, I took the advice of my Nicki, and spent a further $2.70 to take the bus to the northern bay of the now full-moon-lit island and currently sit in a bar I have only ever been to by sea. (Not that long ago a good friend of mine, Michael, invited me to join him sailing on a catamaran for nearly a week for his 40th birthday and this is the bar we went to.)
I share all this to remind you that there are people who save all year to take a holiday where you live.
Explore your doorstep, do some of the ‘touristy’ things in your neighbourhood … and if there aren’t any, I can almost guarantee you that there are some amazing adventures to be had if you just put a tiny bit of thought and effort in to what’s around you.
I love my life … I like to say I’m lucky, and I do believe I am, however I have to admit that I do put effort in … and if you put a little more in, there is no doubt you could reap the rewards.
I dare you …
Remember, what are you waiting for?
Jun
8
2011
I received a PowerPoint presentation recently with brilliant images from Chris Jordan in his art exhibition entitled, “Running with Numbers, a Self-Portrait”.
The figures in it disturbed me. As a result, I’ve updated the presentation and reposted it here for you to know and choose how to behave as a result.
Are you aware what consumption is doing to us? Check out the presentation and leave your thoughts below (Note: in full screen mode you can see more detail).
What is this made from
View more presentations from David Woodier
Jun
8
2011
Descent of the Species
This is a story by David Eagleman from his awesome book, Sum, Forty tales from the afterlives. He has taken the concept of the afterlife and turned it on its head, offering a range of alternatives to life after death. This is one of my favourites and Trudi Woodier inspired me to post this today. Thanks Trudi 
.
“In the afterlife, you are treated to a generous opportunity: you can choose whatever you would like to be in the next life. Would you like to be a member of the opposite sex? Born into royalty? A philosopher with bottomless profundity? A soldier facing triumphant battles?
But perhaps you’ve just returned here from a hard life. Perhaps you were tortured by the enormity of the decisions and responsibilities that surrounded you, and now there’s only one thing you yearn for: simplicity. That’s permissible. So for the next round, you choose to be a horse. You covet the bliss of that simple life: afternoons of grazing in grassy fields, the handsome angles of your skeleton and the prominence of your muscles, the peace of the slow-flicking tail or the steam rifling through your nostrils as you lope across snow-blanketed plains.
You announce your decision. Incantations are muttered, a wand is waved, and your body begins to metamorphose into a horse. Your muscles start to bulge; a mat of strong hair erupts to cover you like a comfortable blanket in winter. The thickening and lengthening of your neck immediately feels normal as it comes about. 
Your carotid arteries grow in diameter, your fingers blend hoofward, your knees stiffen, your hips strengthen, and meanwhile, as your skull lengthens into its new shape, your brain races in its changes: your cortex retreats as your cerebellum grows, the homunculus melts man to horse, neurons redirect, synapses unplug and replug on their way to equestrian patterns, and your dream of understanding what it is like to be a horse gallops toward you from the distance. Your concern about human affairs begins to slip away, your cynicism about human behaviour melts, and even your human way of thinking begins to drift away from you.
Suddenly, for just a moment, you are aware of the problem you overlooked. The more you become a horse, the more you forget the original wish. You forget what it was like to be a human wondering what it was like to be a horse.
This moment of lucidity does not last long. But it serves as the punishment for your sins, a Promethean entrails-pecking moment, crouching half-horse half-man, with the knowledge that you cannot appreciate the destination without knowing the starting point; you cannot revel in the simplicity unless you remember the alternatives.
And that’s not the worst of your revelation. You realize that the next time you return here, with your thick horse brain, you won’t have the capacity to ask to become a human again. You won’t understand what a human is. Your choice to slide down the intelligence ladder is irreversible. And just before you lose your final human faculties, you painfully ponder what magnificent extraterrestrial creature, enthralled with the idea of finding a simpler life, chose in the last round to become a human.”
A couple of years ago, just after I’d read this book, I was at a festival in central Queensland and I recounted this story. The idea stimulated conversation and we wondered how far this could go. After a while, one friend said,
“Ahh… so that’s why there are so many trees;” without saying a word, I glanced down, grabbed a handful and as I opened my hand, blades of grass wafted through the air …
Jun
1
2011
Did you know that most people fall in to one of 5 categories when it comes to enjoying an experience
… for example a holiday destination. Knowing your preference and that of your partner, you will be able to choose more exciting or relaxing activities which can fulfill you both.
Before continuing, take a moment to think of a restaurant visit you’ve had and particularly enjoyed. Take a breath and that moment to think about a restaurant visit you enjoyed now before continuing.
Taking one of the meals, describe it (ideally out loud), and notice what you talk about. Is it the:
- People - you focus on the people, conversations and who is part of the experience.
- Place - you focus on the decor, the atmosphere and location of venue
- Things - your attention is drawn to stuff and things – the look of the meal, the presentation of the wine and tableware and even mobile phones or people’s keys.
- Activity - you are motivated by doing things, going places, keeping busy, ticking things off your list.
- Information - you are interested in ideas and learning, and perhaps the details of the menus and wine lists or other things you could read.
What this means …
With a bit of self-reflection, we can identify our preference; with this knowledge, we can help ourselves be clear and confident in our views and respectful of others’ differing opinions. Have a What’s your Favourite Restaurant Game with people you care about and listen to what they’re telling you.
BTW you can have more than one preference, because we all know that moods change, but you’ll likely prefer some areas and have no interest in others.
So…
When planning a holiday, select activities where one person can perhaps focus on making new friends (People), whilst the other reads the guide book and makes plans (Information), whilst the other runs around booking things and organising transport (Activity). It could make the whole experience so much more enjoyable for all as they beaver away doing what they love.
Remember
“If a disagreement exists, there is a mismatch between what is being said, and what is being heard.” David Woodier
Feb
24
2011
I was recently sent this article on cancer, and thought it was a timely reminder that we are all in a position to easily reduce the effects of this maladie in our lives.
Understanding the facts about Cancer will help us better prevent this deadly disease. Here are some facts and natural solutions to prevent cancer:
1) Did you know that every person has cancer cells in their body? Until these cancer cells have multiplied to a few billion they will not show in the standard tests. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reach the detectable size.
2) Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, keeping our body ph alkaline, and deep breathing help get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Cancer cells can’t grow when our ph level is alkaline. Having a diet made of 80% fresh vegetables, juice, whole grain, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. 
About 20% from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provides live enzymes that can easily be absorbed in a cellular level within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance healthy cell growth. Try drinking fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including beans sprouts) and eat raw vegetables 2 to 3 times a day to obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells.
3) Having a strong immune system cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors. By changing our our diets and including supplements will help to overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies thus strengthening the immune system.
4) Cancer cells feed on sugar. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Continue Reading »
Feb
3
2011
In the last 10 weeks, I have moved interstate from Perth to Brisbane, lived with a handful of such generous friends who have provided me shelter and security in these uncertain times (THANK YOU!). I had a friend of a friend lend me his car for a few weeks just when I needed one and secured an excellent job with a great company in Brisbane which will challenge and support me to use my natural and learned skills in potentially challenging arenas – perhaps even training in French later in the year. I helped out at the Woodford Folk Festival, the most incredible festival in the world and as part of the Ninja Theatre, I proposed on stage to a girl I’d only recently met as part of the entertainment. Ironically and by divine providence I also met a most incredible woman who I believe is the person I’ve been looking for to share this amazing adventure of life we’ve been given. Due to the timing of my new job and visa applications (which in theory could evict me of the country I love if not dealt with appropriately), I had a few weeks spare so moved down to Melbourne temporarily to live with this lovely lady to test the water of our potential future and have to say that the connection has been unexpectedly profound.
Flooded in 16 mins
I share this brief outline to remind you that a lot can happen in a surprisingly short time. Quite often in life people feel as if they’re in the midst of a storm of never-ending problems; if they focus on that belief, it is difficult to appreciate that there is plenty of good weather between the challenges.
Remember the 3 Ps of any Problem
No Problem is PERMANENT, PERSONAL or PERVASIVE. In other words, it won’t last forever, life didn’t just give you this problem (many others have had it) and no problem affects every part of your life. This too shall pass.
At a peak of 220% capacity, Wivenhoe dam was apparently 90cm away from bursting over and destroying Brisbane