Thank you

This one is easy. Kind of. You might not feel like it because it is so easy to get discouraged but say thank you. Be thankful. Adopt an 'attitude of gratitude'. Sometimes when I trip a little, I say thank you because I didn't completely fall down and break a tooth or scrape something. It could be worse. It could be worse. It could be worse.

So. Today's little thing-a-ling.

Specific: Realize how blessed you are by;
Measurable: committing 10 things that made your life better;
Action-Oriented: to paper;
Realistic: and reaching out to one person who is on that list to express your gratitude
Timely: by the end of today.

For example, some things I am thankful for are:

1.) God who made this day
2.) My wife for her encouragement and partnership
3.) The Metropolitan Transit Authority for getting people where they need to go.
4.) My buddy Rob the Mover for having a business into which I can contribute, get exercise, hang out with him and get paid.
5.) Whomever popularized hot coffee
6.) A warm bed
7.) Good health
8.) Our building super Miguel who, along with his team, keeps our building warm and running smooth.
9.) The world wide web and its ability to connect me and inform me.
10.) The makers of those free daily papers you can pick up on the way to the bus or train.
11.) And .79/lb pasta from Western Beef.

Now, who will I choose ... that's easy. I'll start with my wife ... there we go.

Good luck.

Rest ...

as I suppose I did, from this blog yesterday. My bad.

Rest is so important. A Sabbath. A proper break.

Everyone needs it.

If you're an overachiever, you are likely always going, always going and thinking there is no time to rest. Make a plan to rest and do something that recharges you. You'll know it when you come upon it.

If you're an underachiever, and you think you have all the time in the world and so spread out everything to it's maximum timeline, shorten the deadline on certain things and so when you come to your sabbath, you can rest in a feeling or sense of accomplishment.

Overachievers, anything you don't finish will still be there after your recharge. Underachievers, work a little harder so to make that Sabbath feel deserved.

What's an example of a SMART goal for this.

Specific: Rest and recharge doing things that you enjoy or not 'doing' at all;
Measurable: for a certain amount of time (1/2 day, full day)
Attainable: that doesn't interfere with your other responsibilities (but don't let them stop you, they'll still be there when you're done)
Relevant: because if you don't eventually you and those around are going to pay.
Timely: Choose a time right now for this to happen sometime in the coming week.

Just the two of us ... you and I.

If you've ever been in any stage of a serious relationship, you'll know that each is its own rich experience with its own unique sets of challenges.

That said, we were surprised to find out that there was a website that attempted to address some of those challenges.

After a casual browse, here's my favorite article. But there are plenty of interesting thoughts and ideas about navigating the serious relationship.

You can make your own goal or task from this website and be set for weeks but here's an example of one you might try:

Specific: Spend more quality time with your spouse
Measurable: once a day at least 3 times in a week
Attainable: where you talk about nothing but each other for 7 minutes
Relevant: to help build the knowledge, interests, and foundation you share.
Timely: Review after one week and make a list of 5 things you learned (more) about your spouse.

For more go to twoofus.org

Hey United States Department of Health and Human Services! Nice work!

Fruits and Veg

7 a day. Servings that is.

There's nothing bad about fruit and, especially, vegetables.

As an aside, keep the next deli or takeout container you inevitably acquire. It could become your best friend.

Here are some examples of a serving of fruit or vegetables. It's usually between a half and whole cup per serving.

How do you dress it up. Hummus, dips, salt and the less cooked the better. If you've packed your fruit or vegetable, you're also less likely to make poor snack choices during the day.

So what is an example of a smart goal for this?

Specific: Increase fruit and vegetable intake;
Measurable: to 7 servings a day by;
Attainable: shopping at the Farmer's Market (you support local business and usually spend less)
Realistic: picking up your supplies twice a week after work;
Timely: and maintaing this habit for two weeks before reviewing the benefits.

Good luck.

And please don't hesitate to comment about what works for you in these categories, what your smart goals are, and if you have any questions or ideas we should be discussing together.

Have a good sleep.

Build muscle

Hide a weight behind the toilet. You'll be there at some point today.

Specific - build muscle in your arms;
Measurable - by doing 3 sets of 10 reps;
Attainable - 3 times a week so that;
Results oriented - so that you can do your age in pushups;
Timely - by Memorial Day

Your life but better.

We're suggesting little permanent changes to help you in your life. For now we'll try using the SMART format.

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Timely

We'll apply it and you'll get the drift.