Monthly Archive for February, 2009

Laughing is good for your health: ChopSchticks in Shanghai

Published
by
Warwick
on February 27, 2009
in Health
. 0 Comments

In a world of stress and pressure, it’s important to find a healthy release. For me, it’s stand up comedy. I love stand up. Bill Hicks, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, Mitch Hedberg, Russell Peters, Dave Chappelle are some of my favorites.  Go and check out YouTube for great stand up.

For the last couple of years, I have been the host in Shanghai for ChopSchticks - founded by Richard Robinson in the late 90s - and have been lucky to see first hand how stand up comedians operate and what motivates them.  My admiration for stand up has increased. It’s not just about the jokes. The best ones know how to adapt to an audience.  The headline acts can turn around even a quiet night and get people rolling with laughter.  The main skills is the timing of delivery. The punchline or punch word need to be done precisely. It is an art.

I recommend you go visit a comedy club at least once every couple of months. Laughing for an hour is really good for you.  If you are in China come to ChopSchticks. Check out the web site here.

Set some health targets

Published
by
Warwick
on February 13, 2009
in Health
. 0 Comments

Ever feel annoyed, depressed, down with the world, lazy, or just lacking in energy?  Chances are - in my non-medical opinion - you could do with a little more exercise. I find that whenever I let the world to get down on me, I realize that it’s been a couple of weeks since I had a good swim or cycle.

So set some health targets. Easy to set, hard to carry-out!  It’s easy to say I will exercise three times a week, but why do we get so easily distracted? Very few people regularly exercise three times a week for a minimum amount of 20 minutes of aerobic exercise. But this is often cited as a minimum of exercise to keep healthy.  I tried this way and it didn’t work for me. So I use a different approach - it’s more fun and has a higher chance of keeping me on track and motivated.

Set output targets (not activity targets)

The big flaw with most “x-times per week” exercise programs is that they are activity-focused and this - while being a good way to exercise - is not particularly motivating. Perhaps this explains why the vast majority of people who take out gym memberships (often in January) never go after month three. Repetitive tasks in a gym is just too boring.  There are a few ways around this. One of my friends hired a physical coach to motivate her with new challenges and this can work for the duration of the coaching.  I prefer an output based approach to exercise.  My health goals are based around triathlon races. This year I have a target to complete four Olympic distance races from May to September.  Having these races in my calendar, gives me clear targets for my exercise schedule.  I know that 12 weeks out I need to be doing regular exercise and this provides me with the motivation to time block exercise into my calendar.

Set a range of performance targets

Even though I am an age-grouper (amateur) triathlete I still set a range of targets for myself.  When I started out two years ago there were:

1. To finish healthy

2. To finish ahead of my training partner

3. To finish in a “good time”

4. To finish in a personal best.

It’s always my primary goal to finish healthy. I cannot afford to be in hospital on a drip for a couple of days after the race - mainly because I hate hospitals and wasting time!

If I feel good about my performance during the race, I may look out for my training partners and want to finish ahead of them. If things are really good and I feel good on the run section then I may push the run and finish in style and seek out a personal best.  But simply finishing healthy is a victory.  Set yourself a range of health goals that allow you to be successful across the full range. When I finished a half Ironman distance race in Hainan in 2008, it was in a much slower time than I had expected due to the blistering heat. But just to finish that race, in which many professional athletes had dropped out, was an achievement in itself.

Have fun with a group

The final tip is to join a group of people who also share the same love. Whether it’s a dancing group, the swimming or cycling club, you will draw a lot of motivation from the fact that you are surrounded by people with similar interests. Use the best performing people in these groups to spur you on. Have fun, but certainly, have some health goals this year.

How do I find out what motivates me?

Published
by
Warwick
on February 11, 2009
in Skills
. 0 Comments

One of the keys to a life full of energy and achievement (however you define that) is to stay motivated. Which is difficult. In 2008, I suffered from two massive asthma attacks brought on by environmental factors (pollution, massive construction in the city I live) and due to personal circumstances moved six times in the space of 12 months. I also had a wedding ceremony to plan, bought a new apartment and authored my first book.

By my own standards (and that is the only way to judge), this was an intense year physically, mentally and emotionally. Things worked out well in the end, because I kept focused on my purpose statement

Be the catalyst to help you unblock the {communication} obstacles that are stopping you from sharing your unique talents with the world.

I use my purpose statement to keep me motivated through tough (and good) times.  I pause and ask myself how what I am currently working on, or experiencing, will help me be a catalyst to help people to unblock their obstacles.  It takes me out of the pressures of the now and elevates me to a better place where I can “see” the point of today’s hustle and bustle.  Living in the now is a good idea most of the time, but projecting into the future can help you through difficult times.

How can I find what motivates me?

The key to staying motivated is to understand and align your values with your objectives. Sounds simple right? But many people have no idea what their values are. We didn’t take a class in this at school, and I don’t remember there being a major in “Life Values” when I was graduating from university. Your employer may not have much interest in helping you align your life values in case you leave (although this is changing).  A quick and simple way to find your values is to stop and think about your childhood. What? Yes, that’s right, start thinking about the activities you did as a child that you loved to do.

When I did this exercise I remembered that I loved cycling down to the park with my cousins and spending the whole day riding around creating elaborate role-playing fantasy stories interrupted with long football games. Now this doesn’t mean that I went off and did the same thing as an adult but it reminded me that I hadn’t been on a bicycle in many years. This led me to look into finding a bike club which led me to competing in triathlons which led me to become a vegetarian. Which led me to meet a whole new group of cool people and see new places while taking part in triathlons.

What were you doing as a child, that if you reinvented it to fit in your life today, would make you happier? Spend a few minutes to write down a list. You may need to ask your parents to help you remember. It’s a fun way to spend some time and will help you get in touch with some of those long lost motivators. Enjoy it!

Are you reacting to change or driving your own change?

Published
by
Warwick
on February 9, 2009
in Health, Skills and Wealth
. 0 Comments

I spent a wonderful couple of weeks in Bali relaxing after an intense year. It was great to escape the computer and all the doom-and-gloom news. All this talk of bailouts of companies and industries led me to think how effective they would be. In my experience, internal change is much more effective than externally-driven change.

Think back to when you were a child. Was there ever a time when your parents tried to “force” change upon you before you were ready for it?  I remember sitting for hours as I refused to finish my gammon and potatoes, and no amount of threats or guilt about the starving children in Africa made me eat any faster.  I just didn’t want to eat them. The fact that I am a vegetarian now may explain why.

Visit a supermarket at the weekend and you will see and hear the clashes of externally-driven change among the shopping aisles. Children screaming and kicking and shouting at their parents, who are often shouting back. It’s a sorry scene (I hope your local supermarket is not as bad as mine!) but there is a deeper lesson here for us all.  How can we make positive change effective?

Reacting to change

This is the form of change we have grown up with. Your parents telling you to clean your room, do your homework and you reluctantly and begrudgingly obliging. It’s slow and painful for all. And, the minute the stimulus disappears so does the action. The change is only successful as long as someone is standing over us and threatening us.  This could explain why many people never reach their goals and dreams. Once you leave full time education with no more exams, there are no more goals imposed upon you to achieve beyond finding and turning up for a job on time and achieving a minimum level of performance so that you don’t get fired. This is not a great way to live but many people find themselves in this trap. So how can you become a driver of your own life?

Find your motivators

What gets you going? What gives you energy? What do you need to do so that you look at the world with rose-tinted glasses and can only see optimism in your future.  For many, exercise at the gym or playing football with friends gives them that connection. For others reading a good book in a comfortable coffee shop will do it. Or perhaps a drive into the countryside or trip to the beach will arouse good feelings.

If you had a totally free 48 hours that you could fill with all the enjoyable activities and fun things, what would those 48 hours look like? Have a balance of physical, mental, solo and group activities.  Make a perfect weekend for yourself.  Look at your calendar and make a commitment that three months from today you will enjoy a weekend as close to your perfect weekend as you can. Put it in your calendar. Block out the time. Make it happen. By taking a time three months from now it is highly likely that you have free time.

Mini-refreshers

Find pockets of time in your weekly schedule to refresh yourself.  Book a couple of sessions at the gym during lunch. Take Sunday morning to get back in touch with your family life. Take only an hour or two and be fully present to enjoy them.

If you are stuck in a rut and would like to get out and live a life of passion through better health, more wealth and greater contribution, we can help. Contact The Change Catalyst for an initial complimentary coaching session.

Consistency before perfection

Published
by
Warwick
on February 6, 2009
in Contribution, Health, Skills and Wealth
. 0 Comments

Have you ever found yourself waiting for the “right moment” when everything will be just right so you can get started with your plans to {insert your change here}, examples may include lose weight, go scuba diving, call your parents, move to the countryside.

Many people I talk to are waiting for this perfect moment when all the stars are aligned, the inbox gets cleared and the children are old enough and …. and so on. Here’s the bad news. There is no such thing as a perfect time to start something.  And here’s the good news. There is no such thing as a perfect time to start something. So you better start now. This type of procrastination is also linked to the pursuit of perfection. Not wanting to start until “something” is perfect. We can learn a lot from nature. A flower doesn’t wait until the weather is perfect before coming out. It gets ready to bloom every day. It is primed and ready to grow. The beauty of nature is created through intense activity.

Marketing whizz Jay Abrahams says that a mediocre marketing plan implemented consistently over a long period of time, will outperform a “perfect” marketing plan. Successful companies, like Nike’s Just Do It, stick to a message and use it consistently.  Abrahams points out that it’s often advertising companies who encourage companies to change their messaging so that they can bill for new campaign creative work.  The question for you is- are you putting perfection before consistency?

When coaching clients, I always look for small actions that can be made immediately.  Action and the momentum this builds is the most important factor in moving a client towards an important goal. Sometimes a client will want to spend a long time talking about and analysing a situation from five different angles and talk theoretically about what could have happened if he did X, Y and Z. This is all very therapeutic and can help create awareness. But success is built on action. Consistent action towards a specific goal.

What goal have you been putting off waiting for a better situation?  Identify one small action that in 15 minutes would put you closer to your goal. Have you been meaning to take off some of that winter weight but still waiting for the weather to get warmer? Book a day session in a gym. Take a friend. Go there and do some light exercise. Have a sauna. Enjoy the action you are taking.  Always look for the small actions that when applied consistently on a daily and weekly basis will see you towards your end goal.
One of my goals this year is to compete in 3-4 Olympic distance triathlon races. Each event takes me around 3 hours and is considered a full marathon equivalent race. While each event is manageable in itself (1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10k run), adding them together makes it a challenge!  The best way to get ready for these type of endurance events is consistent exercise. Though with a new book launch, a busy consulting practice and international travel it can be difficult to find the time. But I know that even a 15 - 20 min run three times a week is better for me than waiting and doing a one hour run once a week.  Small drops all add up.

Take action: Look at one of your important goals for 2009. Find one that you have not taken action on in the last 2 -3 weeks. Identify a single action you can take that can be completed in less than 20 minutes. Take action on it today.  Start looking for other 20 minute actions you can take in the next week.

What are you grateful for?

Published
by
Warwick
on February 4, 2009
in Gratitude and Skills
. 0 Comments

One of my favorite books is The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D Wattles. See previous posting here.

One chapter I particularly like is the one on “Gratitude”.  This is one of the essential parts to living a life of your dreams according to Wattles.  He mentions an example of a person who having achieved one thing fails to acknowledge and show gratitude.  Take a look around you. I am sure you can see people like this. Who only think about themselves and are willing to lie to other people to get their own way.  This is a short term approach to a life of abundance in my opinion.

I believe that you get what you give in this life. A simple act of giving is gratitude. Thanking and recognizing someone for helping you (or doing something of value). Being thankful for all the beauty around you. Grateful for all the possibility that lies before us.

Gratitude increases your creativity

Wattles writes that the mental attitude of gratitude brings us closer to the creative energies of the universe. Which is a really cool statement. Do you ever find yourself stressed out with things happening around you? It creates a negative energy inside you and if unchecked leads down a path of bad things. Just stopping and asking yourself, “What am I grateful for at this moment?” You may find answers hard to come by at first. But simply by being alive you are blessed with the opportunity to take an action to make a difference to the world.  Look at nature. Think of your family. Find something you are grateful for. This cuts into your negative thinking pattern.  I know some successful people who take this a step further and get up in the early morning and start the day by thinking about everything and everyone they are thankful for in the world. It acts as a grounding force as they face the day ahead. Every action has a purpose.

Focus on the best

By using gratitude you are stopping your mind from focusing on the trivial. You take control of what you are thinking about and this is a key part of achieving your success.  Unless you are able to focus on the “better you” which you are working towards you will be distracted by your self doubt and the thousands of possible excuses you can make for not achieving them.  You need this more than ever when the current climate in the media is one of doom and gloom. Are you buying into it? Or are you creating a state of abundance and gratitude.  Create your own news channel filled with all the goals and dreams that you are achieving and working towards. Give your attention to the life you want to live - not the one that is playing out on our negatively-focused news channels.

Expect good things

The grateful mind expects good things. When you expect something to happen, you are aware and looking for the opportunity to arise where you can get it. Focus on improving your health and start to see yourself as a fit and healthy person, you will be presented with opportunities. You may discover one of your friends is a fitness addict, you may find an old book you had been meaning to read, a gym may open near your home. The opportunities are there. Be aware of them and be ready to take action.

Give thanks all the time

Develop an attitude of gratitude by giving thanks for the good things that are coming to you in your life.  Even when the pressure is on and stress is high, find something that you can appreciate. Gratitude sets expectations and continuous gratitude leads to faith and certainty in the realization of your goals and dreams.

Thank you for reading this article and I wish you all the best as we move through the year. I am always here to help you reach higher levels of performance in your personal and business life. Have an abundant day!

Book of the Week: Blink

Published
by
Warwick
on February 2, 2009
in Skills
. 2 Comments

BlinkThe great thing about vacations is that you can read a book in a day without the constant interruptions of computers and telephones. Bali is a great place to get away from it all and I read Blink in about 10 hours. It’s a great book and here are a few of the insights I found.

- Decisions made very quickly can be just as good as decisions made cautiously and deliberately

- Learn how to trust your instincts and when to be wary of them

- Snap judgements can be educated and controlled.

Thin Slices

Gladwell crams his book with examples and he introduces an idea of “thin slices” - small periods of time that can accurately forecast future outcomes. The example of John Gottman and his work with married couples was interesting. Gottman would predict with a 95% accuracy if a couple would be together 15 years later by analysing two hours of video tape of them having a conversation.  Even when the video clip was shortened to 15 minutes, Gottman still had a very high prediction rate.

Snap Decisions

Gladwell found that experts (and people in general) cannot explain what they are doing accurately.  He quotes a tennis coach Mr Maier as saying that “people are ignorant of things that affect their judgment but rarely feel ignorant”. Gladwell recommends we learn to say “I don’t know” more often.

Priming

No surprise to anyone who has studied NLP: words affect behaviour. And the shorter the time to make a decision, the harder it is for us to control our “associations” with words ie our prejudices.  Not only do words affect us but also size, shape, color, sex and appearance. This explains why companies invest so much in packaging and naming products.  To take one of the tests mentioned in the book see here.

Gladwell gives fascinating studies around this on improv comedy, the Pepsi Challenge and mind reading.  A study from Silvan Tomkins and Paul Ekman found that the face has 43 action units which control 10,000 possible facial expressions of which 3,000 are meaningful. This study was used by John Gottman when he watched the videos of his married couples talking. He found that certain (almost unnoticeable) expressions can convey contempt, criticism and disgust which was often at the root of unhappy couples.

Gladwell also cities an example of how when we run out of time to make a decision (often under pressure), we become “mind-blind”. This leads to us missing important visual clues - much like autistic people - which results in wrong conclusions.  One way to overcome this is to slow down our heart beat. Take a few good breathes before we act on our impulses.

This is another easy-to-read book and it’s worth a skim through if  you have not already read it. See more at Malcolm Gladwell’s blog here.