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September 27, 2006

A deep yoga workout

I just had a lovely yoga session using Kathy Smith's New Yoga Challenge, a video I found collecting dust in my cupboard.

Since I am at a beginner-intermediate level of yoga, the workout was plenty challenging for me, and I had to pay attention to not over-extend or do the poses incorrectly. It was a wonderful workout, and one of the best I've had in terms of strengthening and deepening the poses. I also tend to look for yoga workouts that aren't cheesy or pretentiously glam. I like a yoga teacher who is down to earth, connected to his/her body, and gently encouraging. It was quite fun to see a fitness queen alongside her yoga teacher, in the student's role for a change. It certainly made me feel less intimidated to see how two people who have been practicing for over 20 years still have varying degrees of flexibility and strength.

Tips for an effective yoga session:

Relaxed breath. As much as every yoga instructor worth his salt will tell you to be aware of your breathing, I still find it challenging to observe without controlling. I remind myself to "watch" the breath or "feel" the breath, without pushing or pulling it.

A quiet mind. It helps me tremendously to do a 5-10 minute mindsweep before beginning yoga. That way most of the stray thoughts and ideas that would come up in the middle of cobra pose are out of the way. I know many athletes who do this before a big event, like runners and triathletes.

An empty belly. To me there's nothing like a deep yoga experience without the weight of a recent meal. I like to come out of yoga to have a fresh vegetable juice hit my stomach first, and then if I'm hungry I have a meal after that.

Honor your body. This means take an extra breath in a pose that is really healing for you, and don't push yourself into stretches that are too challenging. Be aware of your individual needs and don't worry about copying the instructor exactly. This is easier to do when you have a yoga teacher who can support you in tailoring your session to your body, but it can also be done in private workouts.

A clear calendar. I once had a yoga lesson which I had to leave five minutes early to get to a meeting. It was one of the most distracted and physically uncomfortable sessions I've ever had. If you're going to do yoga, block out plenty of time before and after the session so you can remain in the groove, and rest afterwards for as long as you need to.

Toys & costumes. There's nothing to make it seem official like an outfit you love, and all the right equipment. It makes a big difference to some basic part of the mind to see and touch the gear that matches up with the activity. Dress up and treat yourself to a good mat, and whatever other equipment you need. My favorite- a lavender scented eye pillow to place over your face after a good session.

Posted by Lisa at 08:00 PM | Comments (1)

September 25, 2006

Going Raw

For a little over a month now, I've been getting into the raw food movement. It all started when I read a Raw Spirit and starting networking with "raw foodies", as I affectionately like to call them.

Initially the idea of eating lots of uncooked foods went against all the traditions I know and love. Cooking and mealtimes are so rich with cultural meaning and codes of conduct, so naturally I felt some initial resistance to the idea of giving that up. Despite my skepticism, I gave it a try. I began integrating more and more raw foods into my diet. At first, it just meant more uncooked veggies instead of steamed ones. Then I added in more fruit, raw nuts, and other raw sources of protein. It's only been a few months, so the verdict is still out. But I have to say, I feel better than ever, have more energy, and am starting to enjoy my relationship with food for the first time. This is a project I have filled under the Area of Focus "health" and my successful outcome is "I am radiant with health, perfectly nourished by every bite of food that I eat."

To amuse myself one evening I threw together some raw tacos, which turned out to be almost too beautiful to eat. Then when I actually did eat them I couldn't believe how rich and tasty they were! What you see is a salad of cabbage, carrots, and cherry tomatoes in a romaine wrap. The middle taco also has a nut pate I threw together (never knew a mortar & pestle would become useful kitchen tools beyond grinding fresh Indian spices!) It contains raw cashews, flax seeds, almond butter, and flax oil. It tastes like dessert, and is super-filling.

Ok, so you thought that looked beautiful. Check out a real raw meal from a gourmet:

I had the pleasure of dining at Pure Food & Wine while in New York a few weeks ago, and I must say it topped the charts, even compared to fine restaurants where they cook their food. The place has a charming little courtyard, and a menu full of names like "Creamy Cauliflower Samosas with Banana Tamarind Sauce" or "Goat Cheese Stuffed Squash Blossoms". 100% of the ingredients are vegan and have not been heated above 115 degrees, leaving all the enzymes intact and the nutrients fresh. I highly recommend it for anyone wanting a meal that leaves you feeling as good as it tastes.

I'll keep you posted on how my project turns out. If you see me blog about raw desserts a year from now, I think we can safely say I was successful. Wishing you good food and great health!

Posted by Lisa at 06:30 AM | Comments (2)

September 19, 2006

3 Steps to Projects that Inspire

I was browsing through a great conversation today in the GTD Connect forums about inspirational projects, folks sharing their "way cool" projects, many of which are in Someday/Maybe land, and I got to thinking about how it's unfortunate that so many of our most heartfelt dreams get sidelined for more practical endeavors.

One of the toughest habits I had to kick when I first got into GTD was the belief that Projects need to be "work" and Someday/Maybe items need to be "play". As soon as I became aware of this, I began letting go of the old habit, and living in a more fun and fluid way. Want to know how to make your projects more inspiring and meaningful? Here's how I do it.

3 Questions to Ask Yourself Every Week:

1. Are there any fun, joyful, playful, creative, nurturing projects that I need to add to my list? (Now give yourself the freedom to think of a whole mess of them. There will be plenty of time to cross off the crazy ones later, for now just jot them down and see if any of them make the cut to your action lists.)

2. Am I fluidly moving reminders between my Someday/Maybe list and my Projects list, based on what's realistic, rather than what's idealistic? (Hint: if you've done your weekly review and not one single item has moved between the two lists, you're probably not renegotiating all you commitments honestly!)

3. Is there any Someday\Maybe item that's so powerful, so alive, and so real for me that I choose to make it a current Project right now, no looking back? (Can I realistically put my energy into more of my "great work", and how do I do that? What's my next action step? Will I have to renegotiate other commitments to make room for this new priority?)

As it turns out, we have all the power we need to turn "someday" into "this day". This power lies in ability to make decisions, a skill not to be underestimated if you're using GTD to make it up and make it happen.

Take it deeper-
Want to get inspired about using the Someday/Maybe list? Here are 3 great stories from GTDers about the power of the Someday/Maybe:

1. A system for incubating priceless ideas - from David Allen's archives

2. The power of a clear intention - from the blog of Jason Womack

3. Renewed peace of mind - a coaching success story from Meg Edwards

Posted by Lisa at 10:55 PM | Comments (1)

September 18, 2006

Travel in style!

I have to admit I was initially rather horrified at the thought of security personnel taking away my water bottle before I can board an airplane. But having easily survived my first plane ride since the new TSA security regulations, I decided to look at this problem from another angle.

As it turns out, the water supplied on the plane was ample. So that one is handled.

My main concern became this: do I seriously have to check my tiny carry-on luggage just because of a bottle of shampoo, or some toothpaste? Well as it turns out, when I fly to Chicago in early October, I won't be checking any baggage at all. [g]

I've decided to use this as my excuse to invest in some high-quality solid cosmetics, from a UK-based company I love, LUSH. Their name really does them justice. Every gram of every bar of soap, shampoo, or body butter is truly luscious. They have a brilliant marketing campaign- you're sure to buy their soap because somehow they've made it smell so good you can't help but want to eat it. That's right, you will want to eat this stuff, but instead you will bathe with it.

For my trip I've picked up some minty solid shampoo, my favorite solid facial cleanser (see above), a nice figs & leaves soap, and I'll rely on my own supply of body butter instead of lotion.

That nearly rounds out my toiletries bag, the one item missing: toothpaste! What's a girl to do?!

I think I'll buy some at the hotel gift shop.

Posted by Lisa at 09:44 PM

September 10, 2006

Women Don't Ask

So this new endeavor requires a little introduction: In an effort to get myself to read more, and to have a little intellectual fun with the books I do read, I'll be posting about some of the books I read. Feel free to gush, critique, or recommend in this space. End of orientation.

I just finished reading Women Don't Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide by Linda Babcock and Sara Lachever. I recommend this book as an excellent introductory text for women and men interested in a prevailing gender stereotype that affects all of us in the corporate culture (read: world in general). What makes it an excellent first read is that it covers such a broad range of research of sex & gender, and it will educate you on much more than just negotiation tactics. At the root, it is a positive and hopeful narrative of what scientists know so far about gender differences and similarities (I was taught to include similarities here to avoid trying to polarize men and women as being "the opposite sex"). Through this narrative, we see some important ways in which both men and women can do more to bring forward their strengths in the delicate area of negotiation by overcoming some of the tendencies we have to only utilize feminine or masculine traits and behaviors in the workplace.

Having spent some time studying and researching gender issues, here is the new layer of insight I got out of this read:

What are the strengths that men and women tend to ignore in themselves in the workplace? How do we limit ourselves based on gender, and end up with a self-fulfilling prophecy? What are the ways in which we limit ourselves on an individual basis in relation to one of the many sociological groups (gender) we all belong to?

Negotiation & Getting Things Done- yes there is a strong relationship here!

The process of GTD is one of self-organizing and having faith in our decision making ability. This research shows that men are vastly more likely to negotiate and have confidence in their own assessments and in their ability to act as "agents". Not too surprising given the history of the division of labor by gender, but it has some interesting implications for teaching GTD to women and to men.

The research implies that in some ways the decision making component of GTD may seem more natural to men. Or at the very least, I would argue that there is some component of GTD that supports and teaches behaviors that, in the past, men have excelled at: clarifying what you want, asking for it, and constantly negotiating with oneself and with others to achieve the desired outcome. These are powerful behaviors, and I'm thrilled to see a book that encourages women to get equally gutsy in the workplace, particularly since "asking for what you want" seems to be a handicap for many people, and something I see as a barrier to open communication.

On the other hand, several components of GTD tend to support more of our society's feminine ideal: the perception that women should be "in control" of their domestic sphere, for instance, and the increasing problem amongst working women to create a healthy work/life balance, which is something GTD can readily address. This books gives a decent introduction to the concept of the "double bind" - what many modern women are experiencing as they take on the vast majority of domestic work in addition to out-of-the-home careers, and childrearing. The term "double-bind" to me describes the internal sense that many women have (myself included at times) that they should be responsible for a tremendous, and frankly unfair, share of the family responsibilities. There is an upside to the double bind, research also shows that women who have a broad range of roles draw their self esteem from many sources. This is the "I am a mother, colleague, employee, wife, sister, and friend" mentality which can have better psychological benefits than the mindset many American men are falling into today: "I am the breadwinner, end of story." In such a magnificent changing and globalizing society, it is becoming more and more important to have healthy and robust ways of self-identifying. Breadwinner just doesn't cut it anymore, not for any gender.

This book at 50,000 feet: In looking at any intellectual argument, it's important that the authors have considered both pros and cons in analyzing "the way things are". What makes this book convincing is that the authors are quite forthright about wanting to make a worldwide positive change through greater awareness of how we are currently operating. To me that is the very attitude that supports my work with Getting Things Done. Once your purpose is clear, the only improvement you can make is to become more efficient. This body of research suggests that many women are clear in what they want, but could use more effective and more explicit means of negotiation to get there.

So should you take to heart the goal of becoming a better negotiator, believing in the natural abundance and prosperity of life, trusting that negotiation does not mean taking away, but instead means contributing your unique gifts to find a mutually beneficial outcome, I nudge you in the direction of this book!

Posted by Lisa at 09:12 PM

September 03, 2006

Home office setup

I am 99% complete with one of my bigger projects this year- completely redecorating and refurnishing my home office. Here are the subprojects that are done:

Remove old furniture
Prepare for painting
Paint the room
Move in new furniture
Move in desk supplies, reference files, books, equipment

And still left to go-

Decorate the walls with inspiring and relaxing art

I am so pleased with my new room that I find I am drawn to it even more than my bedroom as a place to relax, surf the web, listen to music. That's how I know it is a success- I've often heard coaches here at The David Allen Company talk about how every task either repels or attracts you. And even more consequential, I've discovered firsthand that every piece of my GTD system will either attract or repel me. Revelation: it actually matters whether or not I enjoy my physical working environment. When it's pleasant and appealing, some part of the subconscious mind relaxes and can devote more of my creative energies to the work at hand.

Here's a picture of my new space. I often hear questions from new GTD users about how to setup their reference files, inbox, etc. So I thought I would share mine as yet another individual example. My basic setup consists of:

My laptop, mouse, speakers, printer, and Palm
An in-tray (I keep an inspirational photo and quote attached to the bottom of it, motivating me to get "in" to zero everyday!)
Trays for each of the GTD File Folders: To Office, Action Support, Read & Review, and my own Waiting For Action Support

My colorful GTD File Folders brighten up the otherwise bare room. And speaking of color, I LOVE my lavender file folders for my A-Z references. Anything you can do to make the mundane experiences more enjoyable, I say.

Hope you enjoy the pictures and feel inspired to do good things to your own space. If only you could see how hideous the room was before this!

Posted by Lisa at 08:07 AM | Comments (6)