Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
~by Langston Hughes (as read at https://poets.org/poem/dreams)
Greetings all!
I love this quote by Dwight Eisenhower: “What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.”
Do you ever react to something before considering if this something is truly important and urgent? Do you waste time on tasks that do not serve you? Hint: if you spend a lot of time on social media and/or watching mindless TV, the answer is probably yes to both questions.
How can we supercharge our decisions and actions so we act intentionally and do not just react? The Eisenhower Matrix might help! It is also called The Time Management Matrix, The Eisenhower Box, The Eisenhower Method, and The Urgent-Important Matrix.
Named after Dwight David Eisenhower, an American army general and the 34th President of the United States from 1953 to 1961, it helps prioritize decisions and actions and eliminate time-wasters! I have been using this quadrant productivity technique for years, and I love it!
The Eisenhower Matrix separates decisions/priorities/tasks into the following four categories:
The “Do” quadrant: Important and Urgent – do it now:
This is the quadrant for deadlines and crises. I find this quadrant to be the easiest in terms of decision-making and the toughest in terms of execution. Have you ever had an important presentation/assignment due tomorrow? When the deadline is looming, there is no decision - to do or not to do. The answer is “to do!” And if the task was an easy one, it would have been done already.
The “Decide” quadrant: Important and Not Urgent – schedule to do later:
These are the
tasks we might procrastinate on. When the deadline is
several months into the future, how many of us actually start chipping away
early in the game? The solution that has worked for me is to assign a deadline
before the actual deadline to have some extra time for the unexpected or last-minute changes.
The “Delegate” quadrant: Urgent, but Not Important – delegate to someone else
Who can do this task so you can focus on the “Do” and “Decide” quadrants? The "Delegate" quadrant works best in an environment with several people and might not even be available to you. For example, I cannot delegate my blog research
and writing to someone else.
The “Delete” quadrant: Not Urgent and Not Important – eliminate
I find this last quadrant very interesting and oriented towards self-discovery. This is where the bad habits and time-wasters usually lurk. This is where you might be nudged to explore, re-affirm or re-assess your identity, values and goals. The goal - and the challenge! - is to be honest with yourself and to spend some time soul-searching.
How many of your everyday actions do not support who you want to be? Those belong in the “NOT Important and NOT Urgent” quadrant and should be eliminated (or at least dramatically decreased)!
For example, if you are trying to affirm your identity as someone who prioritizes self-care, then instead of scrolling social media late into the night, sleep is a better choice.
However, keep in mind that the same task/decision could fall into a different quadrant under different circumstances. If you are a social media manager at a company, then scrolling social media is your job and is important and/or urgent. But for the rest of us? Choose sleep!
So what is Important on your to-do list right now? Go ahead and do it or at least schedule it!
What did you think? Drop me a line!
Sources:
Greetings all!
Summer is around the corner, and this means tomatoes! If you love tomatoes and bread, try this delicious and easy Tuscan tomato and bread salad.
Prep Time: 5 minutes / Resting Time: 60 minutes
Instructions
For more recipes, visit https://www.olivetomato.com/
Bon Appetit! Let me know how you like it!
Greetings all!
Don’t you love it when the 1st of the month falls on a Monday? So if you have been waiting to start a new habit, here is your chance! And if your new habit is exploring how to take better care of yourself, use the ideas from the CALM May-2023 calendar (https://blog.calm.com/blog/may-2023-calm-calendar).
My favorite ideas were from May 5, 10, 12, 16, and 27. I especially think saying NO is one of the most powerful self-care tools we have in our arsenal. What about you?
May 1 - Get curious: what do you want to explore this month?
May 2 - Try a Calm Breathwork exercise to create space in your mind and body.
May 3 - Make a list of places you’d like to explore. Plan time to visit one.
May 4 - Tune into your feelings. Is there anything that needs your attention?
May 5 - Give yourself time to daydream.
May 6 - Listen to a Calm Masterclass that interests you.
May 7 - Which activities light you up? Add one into your day.
May 8 - When a difficult emotion arises, “talk” to them like a friend.
May 9 - Take a risk today. Trust that you can handle the outcome.
May 10 - Rewrite a story you've been telling yourself that no longer serves you.
May 11 - Explore movement. Try the Daily Move, stretch or stroll.
May 12 - Say NO to something today. Honor your needs.
May 13 - Try a new recipe. Cook mindfully.
May 14 - Read something on a topic you’re curious about.
May 15 - Play something on Calm you haven't tried yet.
May 16 - What do you want to say YES to?
May 17 – Do something differently today. Notice what it brings up.
May 18 - Try going with the flow today.
May 19 - Explore how emotions feel in your body. How are they different/similar?
May 20 - Log your mood with Calm's Mood Check-In or note it in a journal.
May 21 - Reflect on the past week and repeat an activity that made you feel good.
May 22 - Explore which foods nourish you and boost your mood.
May 23 - Start one of the 7 Days of meditation series.
May 24 - What do you need to hear today? Write down a positive affirmation.
May 25 - Reach out to someone you’re grateful for and tell them why.
May 26 - Practice being kind to yourself, especially when it's hard.
May 27 – Recharge your batteries. Take a nap or go to bed early.
May 28 - Learn something new about someone. Ask questions and listen deeply.
May 29 - Get into nature and let yourself wander without a goal or purpose.
May 30 - Explore the world without leaving home with a curated Calm country playlist.
May 31 - Reflect on where your explorations took you this month. Where do you still want to go?
Have a great week and remember to take some time for yourself!
Greetings all!
Here is an inspiring thought for the upcoming week (from http://www.deeshan.com):
The
secret of attraction
is to love yourself.
Attractive people judge
neither themselves nor others.
They are open to gestures of love.
They think about love, and express
their love in every action.
They know that love is not
a mere sentiment,
but the ultimate truth
at the heart of the universe.
~ Deepak Chopra
Hope
you have a great week! Drop me a line!
Source
(and more!): https://www.boredpanda.com/funny-animals-can-fit-anywhere
Greetings al!
I would like to share one of my favorite quotes by Erma Bombeck. I hope you like it as much as I do! One cannot go wrong with the advice to eat more ice cream!
"Someone
asked me the other day if I had my life to live over would I change anything.
My answer was no, but then I thought about it and changed my mind.
If I had my life to live over again I would have waxed less and listened more.
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy and complaining about the
shadow over my feet, I'd have cherished every minute of it and realized that
the wonderment growing inside me was to be my only chance in life to assist God
in a miracle.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day
because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and
the sofa faded.
I would have eaten popcorn in the "good" living room and worried less
about the dirt when you lit the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would have burnt the pink candle that was sculptured like a rose before it
melted while being stored.
I would have sat cross-legged on the lawn with my children and never worried
about grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching television ... and more
while watching real life.
I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband which I
took for granted.
I would have eaten less cottage cheese and more ice cream.
I would have gone to bed when I was sick, instead of pretending the Earth would
go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for a day.
I would never have bought ANYTHING just because it was practical/wouldn't show
soil/ guaranteed to last a lifetime.
When my child kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now,
go get washed up for dinner."
There would have been more I love yous ... more I'm sorrys ... more I'm
listenings ... but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every
minute of it ... look at it and really see it ... try it on ... live it ...
exhaust it ... and never give that minute back until there was nothing left of
it.”
~ Erma Bombeck, "Eat Less Cottage Cheese and More Ice Cream: Thoughts on Life from Erma Bombeck."
As read here: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/49262-if-i-had-my-life-to-live-over-someone-asked
