For those who are self-employed, work from home, or set their own schedule, just the simple act of waking up at the proper time in the morning can become an issue. Who doesn't like a little extra shut eye every so often---a little extra time in Dreamland? Since you are your own boss, it's tempting to be late every day. The problems with this behavior, however, quickly present themselves.

Firstly, an irregular sleep schedule tends to drift.  You start going to sleep around 2AM, but in a couple of weeks, 2AM becomes 3AM, then 4AM, and eventually you're going to bed when the sun rises. An inconsistent sleep schedule is no better. Some days, you fall asleep at four in the morning, and other days you're asleep before eight in the evening.  

So, why is this bad? Well, there are some significant physiological side effects to having a poor sleep schedule which any Internet search can reveal to you. But beyond those, there are some significant psychological effects as well.  For one, you immediately start the day frustrated, off-schedule, sleep-deprived (grumpy), and if you wake up very late, you have the feeling that much of the "workable" or "productive" day has already passed. For me, it was like every day was beginning with a small failure.

So, how did I get back on track?  Well, let me begin with a few things I've tried that have not worked for me:

1. Wake Up Calls.  You pick up the phone, listen for five seconds, hang up, and go back to sleep. Wake up calls are only effective if you're already in the habit of waking up. If you aren't, they're worthless.
2. Multiple Alarm Clocks.  At one time I was using three alarms on my phone, another in the room, and the timer on my stereo. Again, I would remain awake only for the time necessary to disable each (or just sleep through the stereo). Then it was back to Dreamland.  You should only need one alarm clock at most. (And, if you can keep the same schedule each and every night, you'll probably won't even need one after a few weeks.)
3. Recruitment.  Don't ask another person to wake you up unless you have no other means of waking up. You'll be grumpy, and you'll make them grumpy when you roll over and repeatedly go back to sleep. Plus, one day they might "try to help" by dousing you with water. More likely, they'll just let you sleep.
4. Moving The Alarm Clock Across The Room.  A lot of people seem to think this is a brilliant solution, so I tried it. When the alarm went off, I'd get up, disable the alarm, take three steps back to the bed, and go back to sleep. I will say, however, that once you develop the habit of waking on time, having the alarm more than arm's length away will reduce the possibility of disabling the alarm while you're still asleep.
5. Pills.  I've used prescription and non-prescription sleep aids, and the bottom line is that I don't want to have to rely on them. Occasionally, I will use Melatonin, but even this I only use when I know I can get my maximum amount of sleep (9 hours). Melatonin seems to keep you knocked out for a while so it's not good for days when you'll have to get by on less than your ideal sleep amount (although it does give you some vivid dreams).

Before I explain what ultimately worked for me, I'd like to share with you some solid techniques that are worth trying and are part of my "toolbox" used with this issue:

1. Starting With A Shower.  This is a classic, and for good reason. It works. It is very difficult to take a full shower, get dressed, and not be awake enough to continue on with day. Granted, you could slip back into your pajamas and crawl back into bed after a shower, but at that point you're making a conscious effort to go to sleep again instead of waking up.
2. Get The Paper.  You may not get a newspaper, but you can take out the garbage, make yourself some tea or breakfast, or start a load of laundry. Any activity that keeps you upright and in motion for more than two minutes will bring you further away from that "danger zone" where you can fall back to sleep instantly. Going to the bathroom doesn't count; you're used to doing that and returning to sleep.
3. 7 Day Schedule.  Go to bed at the same time every day. That's it. It's a lot more difficult to control your waking hour than it is to choose the time you get into bed, so pick a time and stick to it. The trouble with this one is you'll have to pick a time that will work for you consistently over the entire week. If you pick 10PM, but are frequently going to parties or late night movies on the weekends, this won't work. It's better to pick midnight and stick to it than pick 10PM and continually break the schedule.

While the above are certainly helpful activities to help you succeed, I found the majority of the battle is in your head. That was quite a revelation for me. With that in mind (no pun intended), the following are the techniques I've used to used with great success in finally getting a grip on my sleep schedule:

1. Experiment.  It's probably not going to happen overnight, and it may take some experimentation to find out what works for you. That's OK. You're focused on the problem, you're moving in the right direction, and you're trying things. That's what's most important.
   
2. Schedule The Morning.  I used to make appointments for everything in the afternoon because that's when I knew I'd be up. But what I discovered was that if I had to make a morning appointment, I got up. So, given that accountability to others is such a strong motivator, I now schedule appointments and activities for the morning when I can. You may not like the idea of it, but if you want something that works, this is it.
3. It's About More Than Sleep.  This is the first breakthrough I had. I started realizing that, in essence, every day is a reflection on whether or not I can effectively be part of the self-employed, entrepreneurial, work-from-home group. I found myself saying to myself "If you can't regain control of the simple act of waking up, then maybe this lifestyle isn't for you. Maybe a regular nine-to-five job is what you need to keep your sleep schedule consistent." Well, that was a wake up call for me. Now I found that I was challenging myself, and I enjoy a good challenge.
4. Be Consistent With Who You Are Becoming.  Many of us have an "ideal" version of ourselves in mind.  It's what we are striving for each day, how we see ourselves when we daydream of the future, the reason we drive ourselves to achieve anything. So, when you're faced with a choice---in this case, whether to bounce out of bed or roll over and go back to sleep---take just two seconds to ask yourself, "Is this consistent with who I'm becoming?" Whatever the answer, the decision is clear. And every time you make a decision that is consistent with who you are becoming, you are one step closer to becoming that person, and you have one additional success under your belt to motivate you next time.
5. Every New Day Is A Good Day.  James Allen wrote in As A Man Thinketh, "There is a sense in which every day may be regarded as the beginning of a new life, in which one can think, act, and live newly, and in a wiser and better spirit." Put this on the nightstand or remind yourself of it in the morning, and a small part of you will immediately do it's part to rally the rest of you.

In conclusion, I experimented with many different suggestions until I found some that worked effectively for me. You may find different things work for you. I'd love to hear what they are. Beyond lifehacks, I found that if I changed the way I thought about sleep, about oversleeping, about waking, I could make enormous progress in a short amount of time.

Finally, if you've read my previous post on the subject, you'll know I don't claim to be an expert, having had a significant problem in this area for some time---and I'm not even completely out of the woods yet. I overslept twice in the past ten days. Even so, I'm much further along than I was just a few weeks ago.

I hope you've found something of value here.

PS: Before trying any techniques outlined herein or elsewhere, you'll want to have a good understanding of how much sleep you actually need nightly. To answer that question and for some good practices for falling asleep, I'd recommend these articles:

http://bit.ly/3wSaCA

http://bit.ly/XnqhX

Here's the idea: over the next 100 days, I intend to accomplish 100 personal goals.  I'll start today, 1 January 2010, and will continue through 15 April 2010.  In actuality, that's 105 days, and I've incuded five extra days for a couple of reasons, among them the idea that I'll need a day off here and there or perhaps I'll need a day to get caught up on occasion.

I'm making a conscious attempt to be underwhelming in this endeavor.  Why?  Because I more often fall into the trap of trying to do too much rather than too little.  In the long run, that becomes counterproductive and jeopardizes the entire undertaking.  It's like signing up for a marathon before you've ever tried to jog a 5k.

Some of the items won't be what we commonly think of as goals, but instead will be tasks in need of completion.  Many, especially early on, will be health-related (e.g., eating healthier and exercising more).  Several will be related to projects that have been perpetually on my to-do list.  Most will be minor; a few will be major.  It's as experimental as it is structured.

Finally, as a way of holding myself accountable, I'll be writing about it all here every day.

Let's get started.

100 Goals In 100 Days | One

This is rather personal for me to write about.  Suffice it to say, many years ago, I was in a difficult situation, and I didn't take the high road.

Since then, I've felt like I've carried around something that was unresolved. I had the capacity to make it right, but I lacked the courage to sit down face-to-face with whom I felt I had wronged and apologize for doing so.  

I would imagine that in our reflective moments, occasionally everyone thinks about things you'd rather have done differently.  Many of them carry no potential for resolution in the present, and must be accepted as blemishes in the past—inspiration perhaps for future redemptive behavior.  Sometimes, however, when you're being honest with yourself, you realize there is something you can still do about it.  This is where I found myself.

So, I decided that if I was going to undertake something as ambitious as 100 Goals In 100 Days, I didn't want this to cast a shadow on the effort or linger under the surface. 

Having decided to put the matter to rest, I set out for an unexpected and unscheduled meeting.  Along the way, I noticed several opportunites to abandon the idea, and carry around the weight a bit longer.  Fortunately, I pressed on each time, sat down, and said what was long overdue:

"I'm sorry, and I hope you can forgive me."

"Of course I can forgive you," was the reply.

And just like that, years of self-reproach were brought to an end, wrong was made right, and my personal integrity was reclaimed—not bad for Goal #1.

It's a tough thing to deliver a heartfelt apology and sincerely ask for another's forgiveness.  I'd imagine that most apologies these days are delivered in the form of "Hey, sorry 'bout that."  But, it was important for me to do this the right way—honestly, fully, and in person. 

You know, it's difficult to imagine feeling good about oneself in such a setting, but that's exactly what happened.  You see, what stuck with me the most is what was said to me as I was getting ready to leave:

"This sort of thing has happened many times, but you're the only person who's ever apologized."

DRL

100 Goals In 100 Days | Two

Remember, I said I was going to be underwhelming.  Well, I thought this made a good follow-up to Day One, and should sufficiently lower expectations for some of the items that will follow.

The idea today is simple: Develop better oral hygiene. Now, I should qualify this quickly before you all start thinking that I only brush my teeth on holidays.  Today's goal is about improving an existing habit.  While I brush my teeth every day, there are occasional days when that second brushing gets skipped, and even more days when the floss doesn't even get a glance. 

So, today, I've resolved to start brushing twice a day, flossing or using a waterpik (Waterpik Ultra Dental Water Jet) at least once a day, and using an alcohol-free mouthwash (I use Biotene PBF Plaque Dissolving Mouthwash).  I also do the tongue scraping thing, but I hate mentioning it because saying "I'm going to go scrape my tongue now" just sounds a bit off-putting.  I'll wait 'til the euphamistic phrase develops—perhaps "glossal rejuvenation."

Right, moving on . . .

In the realm of the habitual, I'd imagine there are a lot of people who cut corners when it comes to hygiene in general, especially care of the teeth and gums.  Today was about making a conscious effort to correct that by improving an existing habit.  In the larger scheme of things, this will fit into a greater morning and evening routine that is currently organically developing.  I think if I see a group of things as one 'item,' then it will lead to getting more of them done individually more often.

The idea is if I think of showering, shaving, brushing, flossing, rinsing, applying lotions and deodorants, dressing, combing, &c., as many different tasks, it's mentally easier to think I could cut one or two of them out in the interest of time.  But, if I instead think of them as one item, the morning routine, then it's more likely that they'll all get done.

//

100 Goals In 100 Days | Three

Today's goal: Drink more H₂O.  (For all the Communications majors, that's water.)

I drink a lot of liquids daily, but rarely do I drink just plain ol' water.  Instead, I usually opt for soda and coffee (!).  Incidentally, weening off of soda may be one of my later goals, but it's a big one for me—one I should probably work up to tackling.

Usually, when it comes to making life adjustments, I find it easier, better, and more recommendable to first subtract, streamline, and minimalize.  In this case, however, and in the case of certain other habits, I think it may be better to add a good habit before taking away the bad habit.  So, before I quit (or greatly reduce) my soda consumption, I'm going to increase my water intake.

In thinking about this, I'm drawn to general and non-specific health benefits. Every other adult mammal drinks water nearly exclusively, reinforcing the idea of water as the natural choice.  When looking elsewhere in the Universe for life-supporting environments, what do we consistently look for?  Water.  It's as though it is the beverage of life itself.  Framing it this way helps me feel good about drinking it and gets me over the absence of significant flavor that has bothered me in the past.

I've found that I prefer spring water, but I'm not particularly sold on buying it in perpetuity and the bottles have their own problems.  (FYI, I think Mountain Valley Spring, Fiji, and Evian are the best tasting of the bunch.)  Needless to say, I'm now using tap water (from the seventh best tap water supply in the USA) filtered through a PUR CR-6000 Water Pitcher as an ecological and economical alternative.

I've decided that 2 quarts or 2 litres a day is a good starting point.  This is a right around the 64 fluid ounces adage that you hear so often.  I use Fiji 500ml and 1-litre bottles that I've previously purchased, and fill them with the filtered water from the pitcher.  That way, everything is portable.  In addition, I add a scoop of Organic Triple Fiber Powder to the first glass to get an additional benefit. 

Again, another simple goal—a little step forward. 

//

100 Goals In 100 Days | Four

One day, entire meals might be available in pill form (or in a Dixie cup), but until then, it's all about the vitamins.

Today, I'm adding a vitamin and supplement sub-regimen to my daily routine. Supplements provide an increased benefit when taken regularly as indicated (instead of erratically and with a soda as I may or may not have done), so it's been a goal to be more consistent in this area.  I've taken a few vitamins and supplements for a while now, but in the past, I tend to miss a few days, then I feel like I'm starting over.

One thing I've done to fix the problem is set aside a time to fill up the vitamin tray (Sunday morning), and utilize a couple of portable pill boxes to keep them with me during the day. (I use a couple of 99 cent ones I found at The Container Store, but a more elaborate system of the same thing can be found in this Pocket Med Pack.)  I used to just take the pills from the tray in the morning and put them in a shirt pocket, but after swallowing some lint and ruining a shirt in the wash, I've decided the portable pill boxes are better.

For the curious, here's what I currently take and why:

1. Weil Nutritional Daily Antioxidant / "Antioxidants are substances that may protect cells from the damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. Free radical damage may lead to cancer" (Source). I only take half the suggested amount because I'm rather keen on antioxidants and consume them frequently.
2. Nature's Way Alive Liquid Multi / I keep seeing this phrase on the web, but no one seems to provide a source: "Research evidence suggests that only 10-20% of vitamins and minerals in a pill form are absorbed by the body, compared to 98% for liquid vitamins." Anyway, that's why I take them in liquid form, and you've probably heard plenty of information about multivitamins already elsewhere.
3. Jarrow Milk Thistle (Silymarin 80%) / My liver and gallbladder have had some moderate issues, so I keep an eye, or rather a thistle, on 'em.  I've also taken Inositol for the same reason, though it is currently out of my regimen.
4. Vitamin C / The closest vitamin to a panacea.  This little guy does so much I'm just going to link to an online article about it.
5. EPA-DHA Balance / I've just added fish oil once a week. "Research indicates omega-3s down regulate inflammation, and may help reduce the risk and symptoms of a variety of disorders influenced by inflammation, including heart attack, stroke, several forms of cancer and auto-immune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis" (Source).
6. Vitamin D-3 / Strengthens the immune system, protects against rickets, osteomalacia, hypertension, psoriasis, several autoimmune diseases (including multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis), and cancer. In fact, studies link a deficiency of vitamin D to as many as 18 different cancers (Source).
7. Jarrow Green Tea / Another powerful antioxidant with anti-cancer and immune-boosting properties, among a host of other suspected benefits.
8. Jarrow Mellow Tonin (Melatonin+B6) / Though melatonin has benefits as an antioxidant and anti-aging supplement (Source), I just use it for the vivid dreams it produces.  Well, not exactly.  I use it to help me go to sleep at a decent hour.  (I'm a bit of a night owl otherwise.)  It's like a sleeping pill, but since melatonin is naturally produced in your body, it's not a synthetic addition like other sleep aids.  OK, fine, it's just for the sweet dreams!

As I mentioned in my post on water, I also supplement with fiber to be nice to my digestive system.

You can see some themes emerge in the above.  I like the idea of supplementing vitamins and minerals that my not-so-great current diet doesn't provide.  If and when I improve my diet with regularity, I may reduce some of these vitamins and supplements as I will have supplemented my intake through the foods themselves.  Antioxidants make a lot of sense to me (given the myriad exposures to free-radical producing substances we encounter daily), and cancer prevention is a focus.  Prevention of auto-immune conditions and inflammation reduction are my other areas of interest.  The liver/gallbladder/sleep supplements are reflective of my individual situation.

To your health . . .

//

100 Goals In 100 Days | Five

Perhaps I should make these posts a bit more concise.

Today, I start a new habit: breathing exercises.  The basic idea is outlined here.  This fits into the larger goal of spending time daily on eliminating stress and promoting relaxation.

I've found myself becoming more tightly wound in recent years instead of more relaxed, and I intend to reverse course.  Recently, I've caught myself holding my breath, tensing my muscles, and remaining in physically stressful positions.  I've come to realize that I'm stressed and anxious.  So, I'm going to construct a stress-busting routine starting with breathing exercises.  They only take a few minutes once or twice a day, and you can notice an effect immediately.

As a side note, I think understanding why one is stressed and anxious in the first place should be a priority in addition to and perhaps alongside exercises to reduce the tension.  Personally, I've identified a widening inconsistency in self that has led to a present significantly inconsistent with what I'd planned.  Identifying this helps maximize the effectiveness of corrective behavior, and disrupts the momentum of the stressor.

That's it for today. Thoughts, ideas, recipes?

//

PS: I bought the book 8 Weeks to Optimum Health a year ago, followed the program for two weeks, then got distracted.  Sigh.  Anyhow, since much of what the book advocated overlaps with the goals in my list, I've started the program again (hence the breath work today).  From what I've read of the book, I'd highly recommend it for those who'd like to achieve a healthier lifestyle, but fear the shock of changing everything overnight.  This book has a gradual approach that helps.

100 Goals In 100 Days | Six

When I was making a list of all the goals and tasks that I was considering for this project, my girlfriend asked me, "Am I in there somewhere?"

It was a good question at the time.

I can be a workaholic some of the time and a procrastinator at other times (the two are incredibly similar and this is outlined in a wonderful book I'm finishing on procrastination called The Now Habit), and too often when I've been in those modes, I've considered spending time with my girly friend as a corner that can be cut.  Today was about making time for her—something that fits within the larger and developing goal of being sure to set aside some quality time for personal relationships each week (another topic discussed extensively in The Now Habit).

Related to this, here's an idea you might like to try:

Call one or two different people from your phone contacts every weekend and chat with them for five minutes.  That's it—a ten minute commitment to maintaining and enriching your personal relationships.  If there is someone in your contact list who you hesitate to call, you have two choices—1) Delete the contact or 2) Call them.

Just an idea, but I can't conceive how this would result in anything other than a net gain.

//

PS: If you liked this, tell someone else!

100 Goals In 100 Days | Seven

I have hundreds and hundreds of books on my "To Read" list, and it is simply unacceptable that I should go through an entire day without spending at least 30 minutes reading, if not an hour or two.

My goal is to read a book for one hour per day, with a view to reading more whenever possible.  I started today.  Ironically enough, the book I'm currently reading is How to Read a Book which is probably a book that everyone who reads for discovery and understanding should read and re-read before they settle into a daily reading routine.  I love the idea of continuous learning, development, and intellectual stimulation, and for my money, books have the most value for this.

(This reminds me that I need to write a blog post on current publishing terminology.  I know, who can resist reading about terminology?)

* * *

Since this is a short entry, I'll add an update:

I''ve stuck to my goals (of a repetitive nature) almost perfectly—finding it difficult to drink more than 1.5 litres of water for the past two days, but I discovered today this is more about scheduling than anything else.  I've also kept up with my hygenic routine and breathing exercises. 

I made an adjustment to my vitamin regimen by halving the multivitamin dose in light of a recent article questioning multivitamin efficacy.  I'm aiming for the Aristotelian mean between the two extremes—that is, something feels better than nothing, but there's no need to overdo it.

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100 Goals In 100 Days | Eight

Before it got really cold outside, I was doing fairly well with exercise.  I jogged three times a week and did half an hour of yoga another three times a week.  Then Thanksgiving happened; then Christmas; then New Year's; then the temperature dropped.

Excuses, excuses.

Today, I walked for 25 minutes to restart my routine.  The book I mentioned earlier, 8 Weeks to Optimum Health, suggests walking for just 10 minutes in a day in your first week of the program.  This doesn't really do much for you physically, but it's more about getting into the habit of walking every day—even if only for a short time—before you increase the amount of activity.  So, I multitasked and ran a small errand whilst walking, hence the overachievement.

As someone who spends a lot of time looking at a screen during the day (don't we all these days), I really want to make sure that I have periods of time where I am in physically productive motion—perhaps "exercise" would be a better way of saying that.  I've developed some relatively minor yet significant sedentary ailments and that's simply unacceptable for me at this point in my life.

So, I take time to move.

Is not movement/growth a universal characteristic of all life?  Fungi and bacteria move; mammals and fish move; plants move. Even those silly things that are attached to underwater formations grow and move.

//

100 Goals In 100 Days | Nine

I'd like to begin with my personal distinction between a "hobby" and an "interest."  A hobby is that which you do for enjoyment in your spare time with a view to participating in the activity only at the amateur level; an interest is that which you do not only for enjoyment, but also with a view to participate in the activity at higher levels, including the professional level.

That is to say, a hobby is an avocation that you expect to remain an avocation; an interest is an avocation that may become a vocation.

I have very few hobbies.  I have many interests.

Because of this, I need to spend some time every day pursuing those interests with earnest.  Today, I began by devoting one hour of the day to an interest.  At this point, it can be any interest—it need not be the same interest.  Over time, certain interests may become part-time professions, leading to other interests being recategorized as hobbies so as to provide more time to the emerging activity.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go read while drinking water to keep up with my goals from yesterday.

//

100 Goals In 100 Days | Ten

Well, I came home last night and just went to sleep, so this is a bit late.  Expect another one later today about, well, today.

Anyhow, a few months ago, I decided it would be a good and healthy idea to make sure to eat one vegetarian or vegan meal a day (not counting breakfast, for reasons to be outlined in the next post).  I came to this way of thinking after eating a lot of fast food for lunch and dinner over the years.  And while fast food is loaded with deliciousness in the form of salty sides and sugary sodas, it is rather light on nutrition (other than protein).  While not the most initially appealing idea, increasing my vegetable intake would be more beneficial to the body.

I slacked off on this over the holidays (of course), and I thought this project would provide a good opportunity to restart the idea.  Today, I had a Vegetarian sandwich from Jimmy John's (or as I like to say, Jimmy Jams).

Again, I'm aiming for the Aristotelian mean beteween the extremes in this.  I've made no plans to stop eating meat; I don't hold anything against people who choose otherwise; I haven't joined PETA.  In fact, I'm not sure I'd ever become a strict vegetarian or vegan.  At most, I envision myself becoming a semi-strict pescetarian; that is, a most-of-the-time vegetarian who eats fish.

For more information on the benefits of altering your diet, I'd recommend Dr. Andrew Weil's book, 8 Weeks to Optimum Health, and the articles on his website. Here is a link to one.

Finally, as someone who used to cringe at the word "vegetarian" because he valued the opinion of his taste buds, I've gotta say that I've found dozens of vegetarian choices that are delicious. 

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100 Goals In 100 Days | Eleven

Until now, I've eaten breakfast once-a-month on average.  Yeah, I know.  Surprisingly, this habit seems more common than the breakfast-eating regulars might think.  Apparently, there are lots of people who cut breakfast out of their day.  There are many reasons, however, breakfast should be included.  Skipping breakfast has been shown to have adverse effects on metabolism and weight and concentration (Source).

From a dietary point of view, it's also a great opportunity to eat oats, grains, and other fiber rich foods (e.g., fruit).  Because it will most often be these types of foods, I've excluded it from my "one vegetarian meal per day" initiative.  While keeping an eye on metabolism, weight, and concentration are good ideas, I'm mainly doing this to consume healthy foods that I might not eat otherwise in a typical day.

I've also found that eating breakfast provides energy that brings me to the point of being fully awake sooner.  Without breakfast, I need about 2 hours from getting out of bed to being completely alert.  With breakfast, I'm at the same point within 30 minutes after eating.

Strangely, I used to eat breakfast everyday (I was a big fan of sugary cereals). Then I discovered I have a moderate milk allergy and the cereals just started to taste like I was eating candy.  Plus, I had morning classes at the time and woke late.  That confluence resulted in my taking a long break from breakfast. 

Today, I ate a healthy breakfast and I intend to continue doing so.  While it may not sound like it, this is probably going to be one of the most difficult healthy habit goals to maintain.  Let's get started . . .

DRL

100 Goals In 100 Days | Twelve

Unfortunately, I've developed persistent lower back pain over the last couple of years. I find this unacceptable before the age of 80. Like many of you, I spend a lot of time sitting in front of a computer in a static posture, and I've neglected to give my posture the attention it deserved. And so, it is without much surprise that back pain has taken up residence—temporary residence.

Today's goal was to begin the practice of daily back exercises—exercises designed to mitigate if not eliminate the problem.  The specific exercises I do are exactly as outlined in the book, Treat Your Own Back, which I would recommend if you experience occasional or frequent back pain—especially lower back pain.

One of the main points, and something you can start doing today if you're in the same boat, is to remember to stand up and walk around for the first five minutes of every hour.  I try to do this in combination with my version of The Power Of 48 Minutes.

For those of you familiar with the idea, I changed two things:

• Make it 45 minutes instead of 48 minutes. This is a minor compromise with the idea of 30 minutes of quality work (from The Now Habit), and it's easier to remember. Then again, perhaps the odd number of minutes (or even, as the case may be) make 48 just as memorable. Tomato tomahto.
• Take your 15 minute break from on the hour to 15 minutes past the hour instead of starting the break at 45 minutes past the hour and going 'til the hour. I find it more psychologically appealing to start from inside the hour and work until the end of the hour as opposed to sitting down and feeling as though you're at the very beginning with no time passed. It's a little mind trick that works for me.

DRL

100 Goals In 100 Days | Thirteen

I know this particular goal seems minor, and in most ways it is, but making my bed makes the entire room look better, conveys a modicum of discipline and maturity, and makes getting into bed in the evening more enjoyable.

So, today's goal was to start making the bed everyday. (Granted, it took me until the afternoon to accomplish this, but hey, the first day is always a bit different.)

This far into the 100 Goals in 100 Days project, I've noticed that writing these posts takes almost an hour each day.  I intend to become more efficient in this regard, and I plan to aim on 45 minutes for the next 10 days or so and see if that is more doable.

I tend to revise the post once or eight times, check analytics, double post to Tumblr (just started doing that a couple of days ago), check Facebook and Twitter to make sure everything got posted, &c.

Speaking of Facebook and Twitter, I am absolutely amazed at how "Facebook and Twitter" has become such a ubiquitous phrase in a relatively short amount of time.  I know MySpace is cringing everytime they are left out, but I have little sympathy for MySpace.  It made aesthetic and business decisions that I thought were not very well thought out—but of course that's easy to say now.  Anyhow, I think the news media networks were extrodinarily beneficial to both Facebook and Twitter.  It is almost as if Facebook and Twitter got their blessing.

DRL

100 Goals In 100 Days | Fourteen

The next few tasks and goals may continue to be rather modest, but remember that I promised to underwhelm from the beginning.  As I settle into new routines that arise from the goals thus far accomplished, I need some days of minimal adjustments to allow myself to iron out the wrinkles.

Today's goal was to spend time thinking about something positive.  This may come in different forms: a book on positive thinking, a devotional, a philosophical work (though as a philosophy minor, I would approach existentialism or nihilism with extraordinary caution and save them for another time), a spiritual or religious book, something motivational, something uplifting, &c.

I realize some of you may have strong opinions on which is better, but this post isn't about trying to convince you that one thing is better than another.  I would encourage trying out many different approaches, especially those a bit outside of your comfort zone.

Currently, I've chosen As a Man Thinketh by James Allen, one of my favorite books within these categories and a very powerful book as well.  I give it my highest recommendation. This book also has the advantage of having content explicitly for each morning and evening.  I like the idea of getting up on the right side of the bed and falling asleep the same way, with something uplifting. 

Too often I've begun the day by picking up a bundle of stress and ended the day before remembering to set it down.  Today was about adding just five minutes morning and night to look at things differently and optimistically.

DRL

100 Goals In 100 Days | Fifteen

Today's goal was born of necessity. It is to do one household task, or to be more specific, to do one household task of the kind that doesn't occur daily.  Today, I did the dishes. (I promise there will be more interesting things to come.)

If I didn't work this in now, too many things of this sort would pile up as I did this project, and I would ignore them to give time instead to the items on this ol' 100 goals list.  Plus, I'd be carrying a little more stress around with each unaccomplished item.  So this goal was more reactionary.

Taking a walk today, however, was a bit more difficult.  It was raining.  So, I grabbed the umbrella and went for a brisk walk.  Strangely, about halfway through, I started to enjoy it, even though I could feel my socks getting wet as the water soaked through my shoes. I derived satisfaction from knowing that I was still taking a walk even though it was raining. 

At one point, I pretended someone looked out their window, saw me walking in the rain, and said, "There goes David, accomplishing his goals."

DRL

100 Goals In 100 Days | Sixteen

First of all, to the handful of people who currently read this: You only have about 1000 waking minutes per day to give away; thank you for letting me have one or two.

I'm writing it all here because I can type faster than I write.  Otherwise, these "100 Goals" entries would probably be handwritten in Moleskine notebooks and sit in a drawer.

Which brings me to today's goal.  I really feel that goal is probably not the best term.  Most days I'm pretty sure I'm not doing the word "goal" justice.  I think somewhere between task, accomplishment, and goal there exists a better word, or lexime for the sesquipedalian.

Anyhow, back to Moleskine notebooks in a drawer . . .

I have yet to climb aboard the iPhone bandwagon and do everything with it, so I carry with me these little Moleskine Cahier Journals wherever I go to write down interesting and original thoughts and ideas—original for the time being, you know, before the Google search rains on my parade a quarter of the time.  Anyway, I sometimes forget to take them and other times they are just not handy; ineviteably that will be when I want to write something down.  So, in those situations I'll use Post-It notes, scrap paper, reciepts, the wall, envelopes, &c.  Often, these just get scattered, or put in piles, or put in scattered piles.

Today I resolved to spend 30 minutes on ideas—their collection, organization, categorization, documentation, and revision.  That's a lot of -ions. The first step today was to start to put them all in one place—a single inbox, for the David Allen fans. I can see how it might seem like a strange goal, but there you have it.

DRL

100 Goals In 100 Days | Seventeen

Many years ago, I started what I called "The Book of Accomplishments."  The idea was simple: I didn't want to journal everyday, but I wanted to have something written down to remind me later what I did that day—just a few highlights about the day.  They needn't be tremendous accomplishments; they need only be subjectively worth remembering.

Needless to say, I never developed the habit of writing these everyday, and writing them only occasionally defeated the original purpose.

For some time, I've wanted to restart this idea—if only for posterity. I realized that if I don't make a record of the day—even just three bullet points—then as the weeks and months go by I won't really be able to recall anything specific about the day in retrospect. 

To me, a day without a single memory is a day that never happened.

So now, and beginning regularly today, I will take two or three minutes to jot down an outline of my day just before my "Happy Thoughts" reading that concludes the day.

DRL

100 Goals In 100 Days | Eighteen

Today my goal was to get to work.

As some of you may know, I have "flexible employment," in that I work for myself, take on different and diverse projects, and make my own hours.  For the most part, I've been catching up on certain things and working on unpaid projects since starting 100 Goals In 100 Days.  Today, I felt it's time to add paid work back into the mix.  So, the resolution is to do a certain dollar amount of work every weekday (when available).

In other news, I'm already noticing the pressures of available time, so I'm considering adjustments and minor multitasking.  I used to enjoy multitasking; not so much anymore.  I feel more focused and productive with only one task at a time; multitasking often results in a net stress increase.

That being said, I can write a blog post with a late night talk show on in the background.  I can organize some paperwork over lunch.  I can do exercises while taking a phone call. But, I treat these multitask sessions as options, not defaults. For me, multitasking is a symptom; the actual issue is one of time management. So, when I find myself doing two or things at once, I try to evaluate whether the multitasking is really necessary, or if I'm just making up for time lost to a poor time management decision earlier in the day/week.

I'm sure you can guess which one it too often is.

DRL

PS: My sister, Laura, wrote a wonderful book on organization and time management. For more information, visit her website: OrganizeNOW