Episode 55 – Daily Tasks

• So if you listened to some of my recent episodes, you may have noticed that I started speaking more about the body, specifically exercise and nutrition
• In yesterdays episode I gave you an overview how I believe that everything ties together
• Nutrition, sleep, movement and emotional well-being all contribute to our level of performance, whether you spend your days mostly using your physical body or you pull most of your energy from your brain
• To be the best we can be – in our work, our personal lives, in our spiritual endeavors, – we need to consider all aspects of our being
• I see the physical body as a shell that our spiritual being inhabits
• Our looks, our physique, muscles and everything that makes up our appearance is a shell
• The inside, the hidden part that others cannot see or touch, we have our mind which is comprised of our thoughts and experiences, and we have our spirit, also often called our soul,
• I strongly believe that, the more all elements are in harmony – our mind, our spirit and our body – the more fulfilling our life becomes
• This balance of all parts of our being shows up in some of the following ways:
  • A clearer vision for life – your passions, your dreams, things you want to accomplish, your values, what is important to you – I covered each of these in previous episodes
  • Better performance in all areas – more focus, increased energy, a positive outlook, and an inner peace – will all help you be better at what you do
    • Whether that is your work where you need to perform and deal with challenges often involving people
    • Or at home, in your community
  • You will find yourself more alert, more present and more resistant to difficult situations
• I can attest to all of these
• that is why I created this podcast
• by making a small effort in one or more of these areas, all of us can achieve these results – no matter that your work or personal life looks like
• maybe you came to my podcast with one specific goal:
• maybe you are looking to find answers to questions you carry inside
• spiritual questions, maybe related to purpose and direction in life
• maybe you are trying to overcome obstacles, fears, working through pain and hurt
• I doubt you came to this podcast looking for guidance on exercise and diet
• But as you can see – all tie together
• So – it was important to me to tie these points together in todays episode about daily tasks
• By now I have spoken a ton about routines, planning and setting goals, time management, etc
• I also often repeat myself when is encourage you to take small steps
• So today I want to give you a tool that you can use and that would get you started small but consistently on a journey to integrating body, mind and spirit
• And that is a daily task list
• Don’t worry – its not as bad as it sounds
• Remember – I am a believer in small but manageable tasks that get you closer to where you want to be
• Because this is what works for me.
• And I have experimented a lot with different tools and lists, but the one I always find myself able to keep up and most useful is a daily task list.
• And as a side note – you may have noticed a ToolBox link on my website
• My goal is to post all the tools I share here on this podcast there – but probably need to take a week off from work to get working on that
• My days are super full right now, but I do want to work on that.
• So just keep listening to my episodes – I will announce it when I have started to post there.
• So here is how it goes:
• Its very simple
• First question – what are you working on?
• Where is your focus?
• What do you want and need to get done?
• And let me clarify – I am talking about the things you deem important.
• If your 8-5 job is just a means of income, then it would not fall under this
• The goal of a daily list is two-fold:
  • To turn ambition into action, and
  • To turn action into results
• This corresponds with 2 types of tasks your list should cover:
  • Ambition lies in the things you want to do
    • And I don’t mean dreams that are far out in the future
    • You are ready to start. Motivation and drive is present
  • Action lies in the things you are working on already
    • However, action doesn’t equal results, so to ensure you produce something measurable and tangible, we need to make sure the outcome is defined
  • So – to review – the first step is– think about what you want to start and think about what you are already working on
  • And it may be one or the other only. That’s ok.
  • Second step:
  • Ideally your task should cover the 3 areas we reviewed earlier
  • So start thinking about them – and the things you can do each day to ensure you address them
  • So many things can fall under these – it really depends on where you are in life, what is important to you, and what needs addressing for you

• Body – anything related to health, fitness, and nutrition
• Mind – anything related to performing well in all mental tasks, such as sleep, intellectual challenges or stimulation and social interaction
• Spirit – anything that attends to your inner balance and ensures you have peace
• You define what these activities are for you
• You don’t have to cover all three areas necessarily with your list
• Start small but challenge yourself
• So:
• If you already go to church every Sunday, then you don’t need to put that on your list
• Your list should challenge you
• Its meant to help you keep at it
• The things you write done for each day need to be reviewed the day off before you head out the door so you have them on your mind
• When they are on your mind – they get done
• You are less likely to agree to go to happy hour when you know you have a goal to hit the gym or write a blog post
• That’s the goal of the list – to get you moving on something that you want to do and to keep you trucking on what you have started
• To give you an example:
• My podcast is a task I have started but it requires daily attention.
• I need to think about content for my episodes, plan them, write, record and edit.
• There are things on my website that require attention. Blog posts, etc.
• So every day of the week will have at least one task related to my podcast.
• That is the ACTION part of my list – I already have movement – but I need to keep it up.
• It covers the MIND area of my body as it challenges me mentally.
• For you it may be exercise.
• You started running or another workout program and you want to ensure you keep it up.
• Write down what you will do each day. 5 miles Monday, 2 miles Tuesday, etc.
• Or write down the classes in the gym you are going to take each day.
• If your focus is diet, say you started a specific regimen – its ok to write down what you will eat that day. Maybe you look at your calendar and if you have planned outings that require you to order restaurant food, start looking at the menus and plan your meals for those days.
• And then – plan the things that you ambition to start or do.
• Could be something you started but don’t keep up consistently
• Examples are:
  • Learning a language
  • Meditation or some form of stillness
  • Listening to my or other podcast daily
  • Reading or writing consistently

• Third step:
• Write it down.
• I do this on Sunday afternoon. Doesn’t take me long. Maybe 30min
• I take a plain piece of paper, I list the days of the week – Monday – Friday
• I usually treat the weekend separately – since my schedule that day is differently, I list the things I want to accomplish over the weekend separately – I foten use my Google calendar for it since I have all day free Saturday and Sunday
• If you don’t have a 9-5 job and have all day free every day you may want to do that for all week
• I like planning the activities on my calendar – while I may not stick always to the times exactly, it still helps me to plan the big tasks that need to get done
• But since I work a regular job during the week, there is little free time for much extra during the week,
• But I have found, the task list keeps me on track
• Many times after work I find myself tempted to get lost on my phone – IG, facebook, whether
• Or I shop mindlessly on Amazon, or read useless articles
• Now I usually have 1-2 concrete tasks I want and need to get done every day
• The podcast is daily, and then I may have different things for other days
• A dinner with a friend for social time
• A salsa class at the gym for which I need to leave work earlier
• Those are my Ambition elements
• So
• This list is not long
• I told you its easier than you think
• Your mind cannot remember 20 tasks each day
• And you will not get to 9 of them,
• So keep it simple and focus on the big fish you want to fry
• every morning review your list briefly before you head out the door

• Its what others see
• We see it in the mirror, but we don’t see it all the time