Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Three Tips To Maximize Your Time Budget


A couple of years ago, I wrote an article titled, "Get More Done Today With 4 Steps to Budget Time." Within that post, I shared how I manage time to insure that all priorities are given my undivided attention.

In this article, I would like to go a little further and provide three tips for maximizing the time budget.

Create A To-Do List
Once you have a time budget in place, it is time to start filling your calendar with to-do items. The easiest thing to do is pull those items from a list.

The list can be a piece of paper, notebook, notepad, Word document, voice note, or Google Doc. It doesn't matter which one you use as long as it's convenient and available. In photography, the best camera is the one you have with you. I'd use that same idea with to-do lists. The best list is the one you have with you.

Personally, I keep my list within a Google Doc. I like it because I can update the list while on the go using my smartphone or while sitting at my desk. The benefit of Google Docs is that I'm always working from the most updated list.

The purpose of a to-do list is simply to capture items as they arise. For me, I find that I come up with to-do items while busy with something else. I could be shopping, eating, reading, or sleeping when a nagging task presents itself. Once I get it written down, I can let my brain rest.

An example of my To-Do list looks like this:
To-Do List
  • Write article on time management
  • Clean fish tank 
  • Pay cell phone bill 
  • Read journal on Organizational Commitment  
  • Write article on the slow-carb diet
Schedule Tasks On A First-in First-out Basis
With a to-do list established, it is time to take those tasks and schedule them on your calendar. I assume you've designed your time budget already. If not, visit the aforementioned post and create one now.

Thanks to my budget, I know that I can only devote an hour and a half to blog articles per day. To write an article on 'Time Management,' I have to visit my calendar and decide when I can fit it in.

Let's say I can afford some time tomorrow afternoon. To book it, I simply write the task from my list on to the calendar between 2 - 3:30 pm. Voila!

Let's assume that later on tonight, I come up with another blog topic. Looking at my calendar, I see that the next possible date to begin writing will be the day AFTER tomorrow. I'm ok with that, so I book it.

As demonstrated above, any subsequent article that comes into my head can now be scheduled as I think them up. To put it another way, first-in first-out.

The concept of first-in first-out works with meetings, chores, and even telephone conversations.

Prioritize Tasks As Needed
The first-in first-out method works the majority of the time. However, there may come a time where something more important requires my immediate attention. At work, for example, my boss may request that I attend a meeting or complete a project today. If it wasn't planned on my calendar, I may have to readjust my schedule in order to accommodate. When this happens, I will review my calendar and prioritize as needed.

In the case of a meeting, I know that I can only schedule two hours a day. Assuming I have meetings already on the calendar, I may be forced to call and cancel. However, before I do, I determine if the new meeting is more important than the meetings already on the schedule. If 'Yes,' then I adjust accordingly. If 'No,' then I ask if I can schedule a meeting to another day.

It is important to note that unforeseen tasks will show up. However, I found that it is much easier to say 'No' to a last minute request when the calendar is already full of items. Additionally, having a plan in place allows me to maintain control over my time.

Final Thought
As I bring this article to a close, remember that this calendar is yours. What you accomplish in life depends heavily on what you spend time doing. Therefore, take control by actively adding tasks to your list, schedule items on a first-in first-out basis, and, when absolutely necessary, prioritize tasks as needed.

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Photo provided by JJThePooh


Thursday, December 15, 2011

Returning To Tim Ferriss' Slow-Carb Diet


It's that time of year where I begin to re-evaluate myself. How close am I to reaching my goals? What can I do better?

Today, that re-evaluation focuses on my health and weight loss.

Losing 30 Pounds In 20 Days
For those that have been following this blog for at least a year, you may remember my slow-carb diet experiment. In short, I became aware of a book titled, "The 4-Hour Body," which was written by Tim Ferriss. The author claimed one can lose 20 pounds in 30 days without exercising.

Up until that point, I had been working out in the gym, but my weight loss began to plateau. I believe the plateau had everything to do with my eating habits. It needed a jolt.

Hearing about the slow-carb diet was both interesting and exciting. What if I could lose weight without exercising? How might things be different?

Immediately, I set out to explore this new idea. My first challenge was to focus on 30 days. Could I do it? Would the diet work? So many questions, but there was only one way to find out.

Thirty days roll by and I had my answer. In summary, I did lose weight. Was it 20 pounds off the scale? No. However, I did lose inches and body fat, which was very encouraging. If I could do that in 30 days, what could I do with another 30? To follow my complete slow-carb diet experiment, check out the blog that started it all.

Slow-Carb to Low-Carb
In March, I decided to leave the slow-carb diet for a low-carb diet (essentially, it was the Atkins Diet). The observation at the time was that I lost weight more rapidly with low carbs than when on the slow-carb diet. While this may have been true, I became concerned with the amount of fat and cholesterol I had been consuming. I love eating steak, eggs, cheese, and the like, but what was it doing to my heart?

In my mind, eating a slow-carb diet felt more healthy. I was eating lean cuts of meat, vegetables, and legumes multiple times a day. It just feels more safe and balanced.

A few months back, I started adding carbohydrates back into my diet. It started as a slice of bread with my eggs. Then, it turned into noodles for lunch. Finally, I found myself eating sweets and other desserts more often than I should.

As a result, what achievements I maintained from my slow-carb and low-carb diets started slipping. I went from 250 to 258lbs. My stomach was growing and my face began to fill out. It was then that I decided I had better stop what I'm doing and get back on a plan.

Last year, I made the decision to lose weight and I lost around 30lbs during the 2010 and 2011 time frame. I believe that I can continue that trend in 2012.

The Plan
My plan is to get back in the gym and eat right. This means returning to my pre-slow-carb diet regimen where I did cardio and weight training. In addition to the physical activity, I plan to use the slow-carb diet as my method of nutrition.

I believe doing both will help me achieve another round of considerable weight loss.

In addition to the diet and exercise, I would like to once again blog about my journey. Like before, I would provide a weekly update on my activities, challenges, thoughts, and progress. Looking back over last years update, I found it to be quite motivational and insightful.

With that written, you may be glad to learn that I have already started the diet. As of this post, I have been eating the slow-carb way for just over 2 weeks. It hasn't been without its challenges, but for the most part I'm doing well.

Since this article essentially announced my plan, let me share my starting measurements. Then, in subsequent articles, I'll provide more detailed information on my recent activities.

Measurements
  • Weight: 258 lbs
  • Height: 6' 2"
  • Age: 36 
  • Body Fat: 21.8% 
  • Chest: 43.5"
  • Waist: 42.5"
  • Arms: 16.0"
  • Shoulders: 51.5"
  • Forearms: 14"
  • Neck: 16.6"
  • Hips: 46.75"
  • Thighs: 26.25"
  • Calves: 17.5"
  • Stomach: 45.75"
Feedback
Well, that just about does it for now. If you have any comments or questions, feel free to share them with me in the comment section below.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Live Blogging C3 Church: Being Real


Foundational Scripture - Romans 7:14-25

Pastor Matt Fry reads the foundational scripture and begins talking about Paul. Paul wants to do what is right and good, but he battles with himself. He continues to explain how transparent Paul was with this passage. Paul was real.

As Christians, we find that we can be real everyplace else but many are not real in their churches. Pastor Matt encourages us to be real. Additionally, we need to provide a place where others can come and find comfort.

Honesty leads to freedom.

There three things we need to be real with:
Get Real With GodGod already knows your heart. It's like many of us play games with God. He knows what you're going through and he cares.  
Like parents, we know what are kids are going through and we're just waiting for them to ask for help. 
We need to confess our sins to God and he is faithful to forgive us of our sins.
There is power in prayer. On Wednesdays and Sundays, we have stations where we can be honest with God. We have prayer leaders. 
Get Real with YourselfWe need to humble ourselves. We can start by looking in the mirror. When we look into the mirror, we see adjustments that need to be made.  
We need to allow God's word to get into us. When we deny ourselves (pride), we tend to fall.  
Get Real with Each OtherWe can't just keep things to ourselves. We need to remove our masks and just be real with one another. We have to be ourselves. 
When we take off the mask, the following 5 things happen.

  1. You don't have to live with condemnation.
  2. God will set you free.
  3. God will use you to impact others for Jesus.
  4. You will link arms together with a church family that brings hope to their community.
  5. You will shine the light of Jesus in practical ways.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Live Blogging C3 Church: How To Be A Mature Christian


Today, the message is brought to you by Pastor Greg Surratt from Seacoast Church.

Greg begins the message by asking, "What does a mature Christian look like?" Is it the way you lift your hands when you praise God? Is it what they wear? Is it what they know Biblically? Is it when someone speaks in tongues? Is it possible for a pastor or a good speaker to be immature? How do you know when you've arrived into spiritual maturity? What is the indicator?

It is important that you become mature in the Lord and that you KNOW how to distinguish maturity. Don't forget that God has a plan for you. From the moment you were born until the time you die, God has a plan for your life. We have to figure out our plan and how to mature in the Lord.

How do you figure that out? Greg asks. Pastor Surratt believes he found the answer in a small town called Rush Springs, OK. It has about 1,000 people and about an hour south of Oklahoma City.

Rush Springs is also known as the Watermelon Capital, which is clearly posted on their local water tower. The town has fully adopted that title and celebrate their identity through an annual celebration. Each year, they have watermelon seed spitting contests and also crown a Watermelon Queen. It was from that visit that he learned about being a mature Christian.

POINT 1: It is really hard to spot a mature watermelon just by looking at it
It is important to find a mature watermelon because it tastes really sweet. Pick an immature watermelon and you may never eat another watermelon again. Unfortunately, you cannot tell a mature watermelon simply by looking at it.

Similarly, as we tie this truth about watermelons to people, Greg makes this point: "Most assumptions you make about other people based on their outer appearance is wrong." Simply looking at the way people drive, what people wear, how people greet you, how people's hair are styled, and how they sound are poor factors to base opinions on.

Greg talks about a time he was grocery shopping. A lady jumped line while he waited to buy groceries. If SHE was a Christian then she wasn't a good one, he described. He based his entire opinion of her on our outer appearance.

He continued to explain that maybe she didn't see him. Maybe she was thinking about something else. Maybe she had a stomach bug that she was saving the entire store from. We just don't know.

Greg continues to explain how basing our opinions solely on the external is wrong. He switched subjects and started talking about how people use "X-Mas" vs. "Christmas". Someone once said that people that use X-Mas are lazy Christians. How do you KNOW that to be true? He asked.

Another example, from the Bible, comes from the Old Testament. Israel wanted a king, so they selected Saul. They realized he wasn't on God's wavelength. So, they they went to Samuel, who was their spiritual leader, for guidance. Samuel went to Jessie and asked for a king. Jessie said that his oldest son looks like a king. He would have blown it had they not chosen David.

God doesn't look at the outside to choose people, he looks at the heart.

Remember: Almost every judgement based on what you see is wrong.

As believers, God has placed us where we need to be. Immature believers, like an immature watermelon, can leave a bad taste in non-believers mouths. Therefore, we need to help Christians mature so that non-believers don't get a bad experience.

Greg tells another story about a cruise in the Mediterranean. They are eating breakfast and a couple asked to sit down. The wife was an IT Technician and the husband was a lawyer. Greg responded that he was a pastor.

As soon as Pastor Surratt shared his job (a pastor), the husband turned completely off. The lawyer explained that the most corrupt lawyers in his town are "Christians." The lawyer goes on and on about how "those Christians" should have a special place in hell for those kinds of people.

In Greg's quiet time that morning, God received a pertinent message (Second Peter Chapter 2). Greg, to the lawyer, "I've got some good and bad news." Pastor Surratt said that there is a Hell and you're probably going there. The good news is that God has a special place those Christians that you describe.

POINT 2: The only way to judge the maturity of a melon is to thump it
The resonance of a melon will tell you its maturity. An immature melon has a tingy or whiny sound while a mature melon has a more full sound. As Christians, you can tell its maturity level by thumping it. An immature Christian is whiny ("Oh God, things aren't going well...."), but a mature Christian is more full.

In Christianity, our faith has to be thumped.

So, what are examples of thumping our faith? One example is a challenging situation. Another way to measure maturity in faith is how long it takes realize that God uses challenges to help us grow. The more mature a Christian, the shorter amount of time it takes to realized the challenge as an opportunity to grow. We don't have to be thankful for sickness, for example, but rather thankful for the opportunity to thump our faith.

Two examples of things that thump our faith:

  • Unexpected delays is another example of a thump. Nothing is unexpected to God.
  • Difficult people is a third example of a thump.
POINT 3: Melons will not ripen once they detach from the vine
Similar to watermelons, Christians that detach themselves from the vine will not mature.

Ways to stay attached. When you wake up, say that "God loves me and God is for me."

Another thought, say that "God has good things in store for me today."

Even if bad things happen to you today, nothing can derail the plans for your life.

God will use challenging moments for our good. All things work togther for good for those that love the Lord.

Need A Fresh Start?
If you would like to make a fresh start in your life and receive God's love, pray this prayer:
Dear God, I realize I've sinned and I need you. Thank you for dying on the cross and rising from the grave. Come in to my heart and save me. Thank you for giving me eternal and abundant life. Help me to live for you, for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name. Amen.
To share your story, want more information about next steps, or just in need of prayer, please contact Pastor Matt Fry.

Damond L. Nollan, M.B.A.

Toll-free: (919) 912-9121
E-mail: Contact Me

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