To (Always) Do Today

Posted on September 12, 2016 by dailyplanit

Think you’ve already got enough lists in your system? I recently added another one that I call my To (always) Do Today List. This new list was inspired by a quote from Benjamin Franklin: “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”

Image result for write something worth reading or do something worth writing

I added this quote from Brian Tracy: “Make progress (not excuses)”

Image result for make progress not excuses quote brian tracy

Plus my own observations about the importance of making today count and choosing a personal growth mindset.

MakeTodayCount

My To (Always) Do Today List looks like this:

toalwaysdotoday

What’s on your To (always) Do Today List?

 

Posted in productivity

The Not So Big Life

Posted on August 5, 2016 by dailyplanit

Remember Tom Hank’s character in the movie Big, who wished that he was bigger?

When we are young, we naturally want to grow bigger and stronger. We see the world as an exciting place that we want to explore. We enjoy going on adventures and learning new things. Somewhere along the path of time, these natural tendencies can get left behind and replaced with a preference for staying in our comfort zone. Yes, there are dangers, obstacles, and setbacks if you choose to go on this adventure called life. But the alternative, choosing to just stay home, can lead to a less than big life.

Think BIG, Think small

Think BIG for long term planning. Get creative and ask the right questions. Ask questions like: Why not? What if anything were possible? What is stopping me? Keep in mind that SMART goals are attainable. If goals are beyond reach, they won’t be accomplished. Smaller micro-habits may be more realistic. Think smaller for shorter term planning, ask how. Ask questions like what is the smallest possible step to take? See GTD next action and project verbs. 10x thinking, ask better questions.

Beware two kinds of bias: the negativity bias, which is our brain’s built-in tendency to focus more on problems, risks, and threats than on positive experiences. Optimism bias is when we underestimate the likelihood of negative events (illness, accidents, failure) and overestimate positive ones. Realistic optimism is a balance between these, acknowledging reality while believing in your ability to navigate it. We gain agency with realistic optimism.

The ideas in Carol Dweck’s Growth Mindset are powerful, and the article “Is it time for a personal growth mindset?” in Scientific American suggests applying these ideas to adopting a personal growth mindset. Here are a few beliefs for a personal growth mindset.

Personal Growth Mindset

  • I am the architect of my life. It is up to me to build it.
  • The more I learn, the stronger I am and the better I will be able to succeed and thrive in life.
  • Continuous personal growth is very desirable.
  • I love to explore ideas and learn new things.
  • Change can be hard, but I can do it if I choose to. I use strategies to overcome procrastination and work toward my goals.
  • Work is not a four letter word. Meaningful work is awesome.
  • I am worthy of love and belonging. My worthiness is not attached to things or accomplishments, no matter how awesome (or not) they are.
  • Mistakes are opportunities to learn. I am not my mistakes or my accomplishments. I am me, and I am loved.
  • Learning and growing is a fun adventure. I continue to grow and learn always.
  • I am resilient: I bounce back when faced with adversity.
  • I have grit: I work hard for the things I believe in, and I persist in pursuing them no matter what happens.
  • I build the skills I need to overcome hardships.
  • I invest my time to do what is meaningful to me.
  • I am creative and use my imagination to solve problems.
  • I read books and articles that spark ideas.
  • I follow the practices that studies show will increase well-being.

PersonalGrowthMindset

Free Printable Personal Growth Mindset (pdf)

Do you want a bigger life? Maybe it is time to go BIG or go home.

Posted in personal development

What to do after being slimed

Posted on July 27, 2016 by dailyplanit

Have you been slimed lately? Recently, watching the news often leaves me feeling that way. Whether it has to do with politics, terrorist attacks in other countries, or shootings in ours, it seems like there has been nothing but bad news. Watching what is going on in the world makes me feel like I am covered with a thick green slime of depression and helplessness. What can be done to fight back against the slime?

The song “Move” by Mercy Me reminded me of what to do: take action!

Whatever happens, keep moving.

Here are the things I need to remember: Keep doing what you can, where you are, with what you have.Work out to train your physical body for the fight, and do what strengthens you spiritually. This may include more time in nature, listening to uplifting music, reading inspirational works-seeking comfort and strength wherever you may have found it. Remember what you can change, and what you can’t, and even though we cannot make others think or do what we might want, you can speak up, persuade, and maybe even sway or influence outcomes. You can vote and sign a petition for term limits. You can be kind to others, volunteer to teach others to read, financial literacy, or simply read to a child. Even small actions can spread ripples. Choose love over fear, and remember the good, like the person who leaves $100 bills in boxes of diapers. (By the way, I haven’t seen the new Ghostbusters, but do believe being equipped to fight slime is important for everyone.) How do you fight the slime?

Posted in personal development

Insight Out by Tina Seelig (Book Review)

Posted on June 28, 2016 by dailyplanit

The book “Insight Out” by Tina Seelig describes a framework for getting ideas out of your head and into the world called the Invention Cycle.


https://medium.com/@tseelig/inventure-cycle-e89579b328da#.u09ptpfm6

Imagination: Engage & Envision to identify passions

  • Be curious: explore and engage in experiences that may lead to passions.
  • Generate ideas and use your imagination to visualize how you will solve the problem that has captured your passion.

Creativity: Motivate & Experiment to explore challenges

Innovation: Focus & Reframe to generate unique solutions

  • Make time to focus, keep workspace uncluttered.
  • Look at ideas from different perspectives.

Entrepreneurship: Persist & Inspire to bring your ideas into reality

  • Push through the point where others stop by developing grit. Understand that challenges and mistakes are to be expected. Take steps that are the right size: neither too small nor too large.
  • Manifest your ideas by sharing your dream. Inspire others to join or support your cause by telling stories. Tell stories that inspire emotion and provide a clear path for action. See Kurt Vonnegut’s story shapes, the story spine and more about storytelling on Pinterest.

Tina Seelig’s TED Talk: A Crash Course in Creativity

Posted in Books

How to Increase Flow

Posted on June 20, 2016 by dailyplanit

You’re running at a good pace, listening to music with a good beat, taking deep breaths, feeling the strength and energy in your body, and it feels good. Sure, it hasn’t been easy getting to this point, but you’re here now, and you feel pride in what you have accomplished by challenging yourself. You’re in flow. Whether you reach the experience of flow through recreational activities or work, it involves becoming so absorbed in what you are doing that you lose all track of time.

Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi, one of the co-founders of Positive Psychology, wrote the book “Flow: the Psychology of Optimal Experience.” He also gave a TED Talk, “Flow, the Secret to Happiness.” He describes flow as “being completely involved in an activity for it’s own sake.” The time we spend in flow is an important component of happiness. It also indicates purpose and talents.

FLOW

  • Find feedback
  • Look for a balance of challenge and skill
  • Observe your strengths and use them
  • Work to eliminate or reduce distractions

Design SPACES for flow

  • Special lighting
  • Perfect temperature
  • Add scents
  • Colors to soothe or inspire
  • Ergonomic workstation
  • Set the sound

12 ways to increase the time spent in flow:

1. Have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve. Set goals that are challenging, yet still attainable. Learn How to Set Goals with a free tutorial, and more with my “Get Goaling” ebook.

2. Get feedback. Measure what matters and pay attention to the results.

3. Find and use your strengths. Strengths include natural talents, skills you’ve learned, and personal qualities or character strengths that are important to you. The free ebook, How to Start a Fire includes ways to identify strengths.

3. Look for the sweet spot where skill and challenge are in perfect balance.  The article “Flow Makes Life Better” at success.com talks about the sweet spot and points out that it’s a moving target as skills increase.

Flow

5. Design a space to work in that provides what you need to get creative.

6. Use peak time for important work.

7. Eliminate external distractions. Turn off alerts and notifications that might interrupt you.

8. Reduce internal distractions. If thoughts about other things intrude, write them down on a notepad for later.

9. Focus attention and concentrate. Listening to classical music or nature sounds can help focus..

10. Feel the intrinsic rewards of the activity.

11. Become completely absorbed in the activity. When you lose all track of time you are on the right track.

12. Try new activities you might like and expand your comfort zone. While you might try different recreational activities, flow often comes while we are working on something. Savor the activity itself while engaged in it.

FlowQuote

Try the Inspire Flow Spinner

FlowSpinner

Learn more about flow:

FlowInfographic
easel.ly

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Posted in personal development, positive shift, productivity

Make Today Count!

Posted on June 1, 2016 by dailyplanit

MakeTodayCount

“Time = Life. Therefore, waste your time and waste your life. Or master your time and master your life.” -Alan Laekin

Time is life, and if we aren’t spending it well, we aren’t living the way we want to. You may have heard the saying “time is money,” and we all know it is valuable. Yet it is often wasted. It is all too easy to put something off until tomorrow, when we will have more time… and maybe we will. Each day 24 hours is credited to our account, and we all receive the same amount. But it can so easily slip through our fingers, a treasure stolen away by procrastination, interruptions, and indecision. We attempt to measure it with clocks and watches, but cannot save it up for another day.

We all have fixed time expenses such as working, eating and sleeping. Usually there is some discretionary time each day that we can spend as we choose. If we cut spending time on non-essentials and time wasters, it can be invested where it counts the most: on the things that are most important. A well-balanced time budget includes time for priorities in different areas of life.

Every day we make choices, and every choice has a consequence. When we say yes to one thing, we are saying no to another. There are opportunity costs: as Gary Keller says in “The One Thing”: “Extraordinary results require focused attention and time. Time on one thing means time away from another. This makes balance impossible.”  This is the most important thing to remember: if we choose to waste time on low-priority distractions, we are saying no to the important things we have said that we want to do. The reality is that once those moments are gone, they are gone forever, and cannot ever be spent on anything else. There’s another chance tomorrow, but today’s opportunity is lost. That time is not in the bank. It’s been withdrawn from our time account and burned up into ash. If we continually procrastinate and waste time, time may run out before we get the important things done. Learn about strategies to get motivated and overcome procrastination.

We should take care of our time, just as we take care of our money! A good starting point is to do a time audit and learn more about using time well at Time Management 101.

Videos: The value of time (1:01 ) 10 commandments of non-productivity (4:48)

We only have the gift of so much time, so make today count!

Posted in productivity

A Keep It Super Simple Book Discussion

Posted on May 16, 2016 by dailyplanit

If you love discussing movies and films based on books, consider joining Screen and Page for fantastic fiction with movie adaptations, and GreatReads for faboulous non-fiction books and TED talks. Learn more at Screen and Page.

Keep It Super Simple book discussion group guide

If you want a simple way to start a book discussion group, the following ideas and resources might help.

Getting Organized

  1. Choose a topic: Fiction (new & popular? award winners? classic? mystery?) or Nonfiction (business? self-help? history?).
  2. Select a name that reflects the topic.
  3. For an in-person group, choose a time and place to meet, and decide on how many members (a good number is generally 8-12).
  4. Whether in-person or online, send invitations.
  5. At an organizational meeting, decide on guidelines, book selection, and whether to have snacks or not.

Moderator or not?

Also decide whether to have a moderator lead discussions, and if so, how they will be selected and what the duties will include. A moderator can help keep the discussion on track, and could also look for specific discussion questions or resources related to the book online. It can also work to simply take turns and use generic discussion questions like the ones below. Or everyone can write a comment or question on an index card and just select from them at random to discuss. Or you can roll dice to choose a discussion topic. (here’s an online dicer roller)

dieRoll a Fiction Book Discussion 

Pair this with the printable Fiction discussion questions below.

  1. Miscellaneous
  2. Author
  3. Characters
  4. Dialogue
  5. Originality
  6. Pace
  7. Plot
  8. Setting
  9. Structure
  10. Style
  11. Theme
  12. Ideas & Thoughts

Generic Discussion Questions

Online Tools for a Reading Group

  • It was easy to set up a group at Goodreads. MakeUseOf has a helpful Unofficial Guide to Goodreads. Here is Screen and Page on Goodreads.
  • You can also set up a Facebook page for your group, and add the Goodreads app. Goodreads provides prompts when you set up your group. Here is Screen and Page on Facebook.

Apps for a Reading Group

Guidelines

Example Guidelines for a Book Discussion Group in person – These are the Screen and Page guidelines.

  • It’s best if you read the book and watch the movie! But if you can’t manage it, come anyway.
  • Consider taking notes as you read the book and after watching the movie. BooksMoviesNotes (pdf)
  • Try to stay (mostly) on topic.
  • Everyone is invited to participate…One at a time please!
  • Opinions may vary, and all are respected.

Example Guidelines for an Online Book Discussion Group – These are the Screen and Page Rules:

  1. We expect respect. DO be respectful & kind. NO spam, profanity, or obscene language is allowed & NO personal attacks or abuse. Any inappropriate content will be deleted and the poster blocked.
  2. We expect opinions will vary. Consider explaining how the work made you feel and supporting your views by mentioning a scene from the movie or a passage from the book. Please mark *spoilers* with astericks.

Meeting Agendas

  • Greetings – a few minutes for welcomes, introductions, icebreakers if desired. Update the contact list if one is maintained.
  • Idea List for Future Reads – review, add suggestions, and vote for next month’s read.
  • Moderator – choose for next month if you use one. (draw straws?)
  • Discussion – reminder of guidelines
  • Conclusion – Thanks for joining!

Book Selection

Add suggestions to a list of ideas for future books to read. Promising titles for interesting discussions have…

  • Characters that are amazing.
  • Original or unique approach.
  • Themes that are complex.
  • Emotions or thoughts inspired.

List Options: Listopia at Goodreads, maybe Litsy. For Screen and Page I’m creating a shareable spreadsheet in Google Drive. A feature of Goodreads is a way to take a poll of Goodreads group members to vote on future reads. Consider having the next two books selected, so people have plenty of time to read the selections.

More Resources

A Printable Reading List from Money Saving Mom

Guides for Starting a Book Club

Posted in Books

Fun Online Phonics Games to Practice Reading Skills

Posted on May 9, 2016 by dailyplanit

This post has been moved to Fun Online Phonics Games at http://www.phonicspow.com. Please join us there! Learn how to unlock the power of teaching reading with phonics with many resources there.

PhonicsPowWithWebsite

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Posted in Ideas That Work, phonics

Cultivating Relationships

Posted on May 1, 2016 by dailyplanit

The social aspect of our lives is undeniably important for our well-being and happiness. People who have strong connections with others report higher levels of happiness. Relationships can also be challenging at times, and can be a source of unhappiness if we don’t know much about them.

flowers

Levels of Relationships

Relationships move through several stages or levels, ranging from casual acquaintances to close intimate relationships. When we first meet someone, we exchange information and learn more about each other. Some relationships don’t progress any further. We might not ever see the person again, or they may be a casual acquaintance. Others move through the levels as a relationship grows. Sharing information about yourself is called self-disclosure, and knowing what to share and when is an important relationship skill to develop.

Level One includes casual acquaintances: classmates, group members, neighbors. At this level, we share our public self: observable general knowledge. We may make small talk about the weather, our jobs, sports, etc.

Level Two -Friends & Family: co-workers, cousins, aunts & uncles, nephews & nieces. We share the personal self: opinions, beliefs, and might discuss events and news.

Level Three -Close Friends, Immediate Family. We share the private self: ideas and problems, and might ask for advice or share what’s going on in your life.

Level Four -Intimate Relationships: a spouse or partner, best friends. We share the intimate self: reactions, thoughts & feelings, needs & wants. Explore deeper questions about goals, challenges, emotions.

Cultivating Relationships – Plant a garden

For a relationship to grow, it must be cultivated and tended to carefully. To cultivate a relationship, plant seeds of conversation with kindness, and attention. Sprinkle them with shared experiences and time. Fertilize them with caring and thoughtfulness, and add plenty of the sunshine of laughter. Pull out weeds of conflict that can strangle healthy flowers with lots of good communication. The closer the relationship, the more time and attention is needed to maintain the closeness.

How to Make a Friend

• Find groups to join to meet others with similar interests.

• Reach out with a smile and conversation.

• Invite others to join you in activities that you enjoy.

• Express caring and kindness. Call, email, send cards and gifts on special occasions.

• Notice, remember, and use their name.

• Develop into the kind of person you would like to have as a friend.

• Spend time together. Share interesting ideas and thoughts.

Watch Jonny Thomson’s TED talk, What does “true friendship” really mean? Learn more at Don’t Wait, Relate, Develop a Support System, Making Connections, Communicate Well, and with Smart Skills Trading Cards on Relationships. Making Good Friends at helpguide.org.

Conversation Starters and Relate Pinterest Boards.

Posted in Ideas That Work, love & relationships, personal development

Smart Skills Trading Cards: Relationships

Posted on April 12, 2016 by dailyplanit

TradingCardsSetRelationships1

GREAT Skills are a) in demand in the workplace b) rarely taught, and c) very helpful in all areas of life! The GREAT Skills Trading Cards provide key information from experts for learning these skills. The links below lead to more resources. This set on Relationships includes:

Download this set at Slideshare.net and collect the cards as you develop strengths to close the skills gap and open doors to opportunity! You may also be interested in weekly activities for a Year of Personal Growth and resources to develop the top 10 skills employers want. Find more tools the Personal Development Toolkit, including more GREAT Skills Trading Card sets that cover skills you probably didn’t learn in high school (and wish you had).

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Posted in personal development
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