Word-Of-the-Week #645: Time-wasters
December 15, 2016 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #645: Time-wasters
Time-wasters – things you spend time doing that are unnecessary or do not produce any benefit.
How often do you spend time doing things that are unnecessary or that do not produce any benefit? Are there any people in your life that might fall into that category? Do you have firm boundaries so you can devote quality time to high-priority people and activities?
This is the follow up to last week’s excerpts from Forbes Magazine “6 Tips For Better Work-Life Balance” by Deborah Jian Lee.
“Work-life balance means something different to every individual, but here health and career experts share tips to help you find the balance that’s right for you.
- Limit time-wasting activities and people
First, identify what’s most important in your life. This list will differ for everyone, so make sure it truly reflects your priorities, not someone else’s. Next, draw firm boundaries so you can devote quality time to these high-priority people and activities. If you find your time being gobbled up by less constructive people, find ways to diplomatically limit these interactions. Focus on the people and activities that reward you the most.
To some, this may seem selfish. But it isn’t selfish. It’s that whole airplane metaphor. If you have a child, you put the oxygen mask on yourself first, not on the child. When it comes to being a good friend, spouse, parent or worker, the better you are to yourself, the better you are going to be in all those areas as well.
- Change the structure of your life
Sometimes we fall into a rut and assume our habits are set in stone. Take a birds-eye view of your life and ask yourself: What changes could make life easier?
Puder-York remembers meeting with a senior executive woman who, for 20 years of her marriage, arranged dinner for her husband every night. But as the higher earner with the more demanding job, the trips to the grocery store and daily meal preparations were adding too much stress to her life. “My response to her was, “Maybe it’s time to change the habit,’” recalls Puder-York. The executive worried her husband might be upset, but Puder-York insisted that, if she wanted to reduce stress, this structural change could accomplish just that. So instead of trying to do it all, focus on activities you specialize in and value most. Delegate or outsource everything else.
- Start small. Build from there.
We’ve all been there: crash diets that fizzle out, New Year’s resolutions we forget by February. It’s the same with work-life balance when we take on too much too quickly, says Brooks. Many of his workaholic clients commit to drastic changes: cutting their hours from 80 hours a week to 40, bumping up their daily run from zero miles a day to five miles a day. It’s a recipe for failure, says Brooks. When one client, who was always absent from his family dinners, vowed to begin attending the meals nightly, Brooks urged him to start smaller. So he began with one evening a week. Eventually, he worked his way up to two to three dinners per week.
“If you’re trying to change a certain script in your life, start small and experience some success. Build from there,” says Brooks.
This week’s focus is on time-wasters. Have you identified what’s most important to you? Do you focus on activities you specialize in and value most? Have you fallen into any ruts that it’s time to get out of? How comfortable are you at delegating or outsourcing?
I LOVE feedback! Join my Facebook community on my FUN-damentals Fan Page.
FUN-travel: Amazing Maalhosmadulu Atoll – Maldives Dive & Snorkel Report – Day 6
December 9, 2016 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Amazing Maalhosmadulu Atoll – Maldives Dive & Snorkel Report – Day 6
- Today’s Dives – total of 4…all drift dives with very strong currents…highlights = scorpion fish…a wall of yellow coral…(saw the video) actually a blend of …corn silk …mustard …lemon yellows….mixed with red-orange…apple green… and mauve colored coral. VG & VP (very good & very pretty)
Me & My Snorkel Yacht
1st Snorkel – not pretty coral…but some different fish…black/white thick striped dascyllus…powder blue surgeonfish aka Dory…2 unknowns…blackish bodies… one with tangerine trim outlining top and tail…other with lemon yellow.
Dory
2nd Snorkel – all the usual suspects….and orangespine unicornfish….brownish gray body with orange tailspins & anal fin…foursaddle grouper…varying shades of brown…looks like snakeskin…clown triggerfish…black upper body with large white spots on lower half…then heading out from the reef…a nice Tahitian Stingray…followed by a shark coming in! …the perfect end to my snorkel.
Pretty Parrotfish
- John‘s (San Jose) birthday celebration…after dinner & a few beers…he said “I’d come back here in a heartbeat. And I’d dive with Steve any day.” Turns out they were destined to meet…paired up as roomies…both from California… and their birthdays are one day apart.” How’s that for “dive karma?”
Today’s Snorkel Site
FUN-fact – Steve noticed me rubbing my jaw the 2nd day and suggested I needed a different mouthpiece which he just happened to have! You actually mold it to your bite so you don’t clench and my jaw magically stopped hurting. I love ya Steve!!
FUN-travel: Amazing Ari & Rasdu Atolls – Maldives Dive & Snorkel Report – Day 5
December 9, 2016 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Amazing Ari & Rasdu Atolls – Maldives Dive & Snorkel Report – Day 5
- Today’s Dives – total of 4…#1…not much other than a couple of turtles… rated 4…#2…just so so… #3…some saw sharks…rated 6…Steve‘s (Huntington Beach) birthday celebration…after dinner & a few beers…he said “it was a good day of diving.”
1st Snorkel Ari Atoll– both fish and coral bland in color…2 rating
- Correction – due to looking so similar…not sure if I saw Moorish idol…might have been longfin bannerfish …and Nemo aka clown fish was probably….tomato anemonefish
2nd Snorkel Rasdu Atoll – reef with large schools… more of the same…giant clams…butterflyfish…angelfish…and pretty parrotfish… plus humpback unicornfish… wrasses & reef needlefish…gobies & groupers… and huge school of blue streak fusilier…at the end.
- Dive Dhoni at Dusk
FUN-facts – Out of 13 ship mates…2 California (Huntington Beach & San Jose)…1 South Jersey…1 Florida…2 Italy…2 Croatia…1 Switzerland…3 Germany…1 Dubai.
Word-Of-the-Week #644: Balance
December 8, 2016 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #644: Balance
Balance – having just the right mix of work, play, and passion.
Do you feel blessed or stressed with the life you have? Are you involved in things that you are passionate about? How much of a perfectionist are you?
This week and next features excerpts from Forbes Magazine “6 Tips For Better Work-Life Balance” by Deborah Jian Lee.
“These days, work-life balance can seem like an impossible feat. Technology makes workers accessible around the clock. Fears of job loss incentivize longer hours. In fact, a whopping 94% of working professionals reported working more than 50 hours per week and nearly half said they worked more than 65 hours per week in a Harvard Business School survey. Experts agree: the compounding stress from the never-ending workday is damaging. It can hurt relationships, health and overall happiness.
Work-life balance means something different to every individual, but here health and career experts share tips to help you find the balance that’s right for you.
- Let go of perfectionism
A lot of overachievers develop perfectionist tendencies at a young age when demands on their time are limited to school, hobbies and maybe an after-school job. It’s easier to maintain that perfectionist habit as a kid, but as you grow up, life gets more complicated. The key to avoid burning out is to let go of perfectionism, says Puder-York, an executive coach. “As life gets more expanded it’s very hard, both neurologically and psychologically, t
o keep that habit of perfection going,” she says, adding that the healthier option is to strive not for perfection, but for excellence.
- Unplug
From telecommuting to programs that make work easier, technology has helped our lives in many ways. But it has also created expectations of constant accessibility. The work day never seems to end. “There are times when you should just shut your phone off and enjoy the moment,” says Robert Brooks, a professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School. Phone notifications interrupt your off time and inject an undercurrent of stress in your system. By not reacting to the updates from work, you will develop a stronger habit of resilience. “Resilient people feel a greater sense of control over their lives,” says Brooks, while reactive people have less control and are more prone to stress.
- Exercise and meditate
Even when we’re busy, we make time for the crucial things in life. We eat. We go to the bathroom. We sleep. And yet one of our most crucial needs – exercise – is often the first thing to go when our calendars fill up. Exercise is an effective stress reducer. It pumps feel-good endorphins through your body. It helps lift your mood and can even serve a one-two punch by also putting you in a meditative state, according to the Mayo Clinic. “When I talk about balance, not everything has to be the completion and achievement of a task, it also has to include self-care so that your body, mind and soul are being refreshed,” says Puder-York.
This week focus on balance. What does a balanced life look like to you? Do you have a need to make every moment count? Do you take time to relax and “turn off.” How much exercise are you getting?
I LOVE feedback! Join my Facebook community on my FUN-damentals Fan Page.
FUN-travel: Amazing Ari Atoll – Maldives Dive & Snorkel Report – Day 4
December 8, 2016 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Amazing Ari Atoll – Maldives Dive & Snorkel Report – Day 4
- Been a little disappointed…so have chosen… to be more selective in my viewing…only want to see fish….up close and personal…with clear waters.
1st Snorkel – Ship’s Captain Adam personally took me…nice drift snorkel…5’ w/better visibility…angel fish…parrot fish…big school of dolphins…9 rating
- Dive Report is subjective…13 people…depends on what they see…and how they see it…so I will give highlights… from those that had a good one…and speak English.
Tonight’s Treat
- Today’s Dives – 4 total …#2…marvelous manta rays…10+ rating…#3 incredible octopus…changed color and texture…as it tried to get away…10+ rating
2nd Snorkel – incredible!…best so far…3 to 5’ deep reef …lots of life & movement…moorish idol…humpback unicornfish…surgeonfish…jacks…red tooth triggerfish…giant clams…anthias…3 spotted dascyllus…even Nemos aka clownfish…10++ rating
- #4 Night Dive – off back of boat…manta rays…don’t even have to get in the water! My rating 10++…divers rating -2
FUN-fact – Ask and ye shall receive! Got my own private snorkel yacht… since I am only one snorkeling…Dinghy Captain Alam…drives me to best spots… and even put my fins on for me! Ahh…now this is the life!
My Snorkel Yacht