Daily Planning Allows Us To Use Time Effectively

Greetings Dear Reader,

My last post was four days ago on 12 September. So far I have been keeping up with daily planning, which is this months topic.

As I am continuously aware of what my daily schedule involves, I am seeing opportunities to implement time for other goals I wish to accomplish and actions I wish to take.

Daily planning allows us to effectively assess how we are spending our time. It also lets us know when and where in our schedules we can add or delete activities in order to do all that we want. And yes, sometimes the thing you want to do is get more rest! Whatever is you wish to accomplish, daily planning will help you.

Best wishes for our (yours and mine) optimal quality of life!
Kaja Green-Tovar

Starting Over With Achieving My Goal

Greetings Dear Reader,

On September 2, 2014, I posted about making daily planning a habit. Well, guess what?! I have to start over!!! I did attempt to establish the new goal but did not take actions to implement my goal for a week. Luckily, this is a personal goal and not one that someone tasked me with.

I am starting over today (12 September 2014 - Friday). My new job requires me to literally be up and down (in the sky and on the ground) but there is no reason I can not accomplish the goal of daily planning. After all, this should be done in advance anyway and tweaked as necessary.

Therefore, I am starting over with achieving my goal of making daily planning a habit! I am going to annotate my schedule for the remainder of this month and make updates each evening and/or morning when necessary. By the way, I am treating myself like I would my best friend (since I really am my #1 best friend) and I am reminding myself that at least I tried and encouraging myself to "try again".

 

Best wishes for each of us to have a productive, high quality existence,
Kaja Green-Tovar

Making Daily Planning A Habit

Greetings Dear Reader!

I'm blogging this month about making a daily planning a HABIT. Why? Because this is something I need to improve upon and the best way to make it happen is to gain support and be held accountable by sharing this goal with others. Plus, I'm sure there are other who like to begin or renew the habit of daily planning.

Why plan the day when anything can happen? Somewhere someone is reading this is asking, "Why plan the day when anything can happen?" or thinking, "Life is much better when the days are 'spontaneous'."

I get such thinking as I, too, am aware than anything can happen and I am all for spontaneity - but... daily planning helps us to prioritize, mitigate the possibility of becoming over-extended, and lets you know ahead of time if you have that extra time for a little 'spontaneity'.

Better planning would have made today less taxiing or a little more relaxed. You see, this evening I will attend training for my new job and will not be done until the wee hours of the morning. At least knowing in advance when I have to be there helps with budgeting time (a.k.a. time-management) for napping before I go in.

Also daily planning keeps us from forgetting what needs to be done and lets us know when there's time to simply do fun stuff.

Again, the benefits of planning our day are listed below:
**Prioritize to-do list
**Mitigate the possibility of becoming over-extended
**Better budgeting of time (better time-management)
**Helps with remembering what needs to be done
**Let's us know when extra time will be available to simply do fun stuff

I hope this month's topic helps you as much as I'm looking for it to help me.

Best wishes for our (yours and mine) optimal health and wellness,
Kaja Green-Tovar

Are You 'Mentally' Fit For Work?

Greetings Dear Reader!

Thanks for stopping by to read this post. While we are aware that work is good thing, we need to be mentally fit for working, volunteering, attending training. How, you ask, is this accomplished? Read on for several ways to get mentally fit work:

First of all, having the right attitude will help your mentality for getting something accomplished (i.e. working). The quickest way to be shift your attitude to one of positivity is to be grateful for having work to do or accomplish. Somewhere, someone is wishing they had something to do or accomplish. Be grateful for what being entrusted to learn, volunteer, or do paid work.

Second, take care of your mind by getting adequate rest. When you are well rested, you are able to focus better and be more alert. Most, if not all of us, have experienced the occasional lack of sleep that has left of us feeling groggy and 'not totally there' the following day. Be mentally prepared for work by sleeping and resting well.

Third, feed yourself good nutrition. I like chocolate and most sweets but I refrain from over-indulging because I know that the boost I get from sugary snacks will send me crashing - hard! Therefore be mindful about what you eat. Choose nutritious food that adequately feel the body and leave you feeling good so you can get 'er done!

I hope the three tips above help you get mentally prepared for work. Feel free to post comments and add suggestions. I know there are many more tips that can be added, and they are most welcome.

Best wishes for our (yours and mine) optimal quality of life,
Kaja Green-Tovar

Work is a GOOD Thing!

Greetings Dear Reader!

Pardon my absence from posting here but I have had a very busy August 2014 so far but I'm once again controlling my schedule after temporarily allowing it to control me for the past couple of weeks.

For the remainder of August 2014, I will post about working (whether it's paid work, volunteer work, temporary work, or even a hobby; as long as you are "working" at something).

First of all, let's define work. The online dictionary at www.dictionary.com defines it as:
1. exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something; labor; toil.
2. something on which exertion or labor is expended; a task or undertaking.
3. productive or operative activity.

I'm blogging about work because work is a wonderful, beneficial endeavor. Why? Because it gives you a sense of purpose. It stimulates your brain and keeps your body active.

Ever notice how if you rest for too long, you feel lethargic, mentally slower, and not as alert? Or have you or someone you know had to be on bed rest and experienced muscular atrophy (weakening) as a result? Well, that is because as spiritual beings having a human experience we are designed to be mentally and physically active.

Therefore, if you volunteer, participate in a hobby, attend school, or have a job, you are doing a wonderful service for yourself. Make sure you APPRECIATE whatever it is that has you being mentally and physically active.

Best wishes for our (yours and mine) optimal ability to enjoy meaningful, enjoyable work!
Kaja Green-Tovar

Senior Citizens Setting Super Examples!

Greetings Dear Reader!

This month is ALMOST over but while we are still in July, I am happily writing about aging well.

Today I am sharing about senior-aged citizens (and NEAR senior-aged citizens) setting super examples for living and aging well.

First of all, there is my relative. She works out about 5 days a week, takes excellent care of her skin, eats well, and is married to a gentleman who is younger than her. Now this relative of mine is way too nice to be called an um... 'cougar'. She just happened to feel connected to a man who has not been alive as long as she has. 

Then there are a few acquaintances such as Mr. D. Mr. D. has a career in law but recently, at the age of 65, he just earned his Cross-fit Trainer Certification! How about that?! He could just participate, which is also pretty super; however, he chose to share what he knows and train others in his spare time. I'm thinking this might be a 2nd career for him; especially, if he opens his own gymnasium.

There is Mr. L., a happily married and jovial gentleman, who I met along the Meramec Greenway this past week. Mr. L. rides his bike up and down the trail as well as those that are nearby for miles upon miles. Surely, he rides the length of a half marathon, and possibly more. Guess how old Mr. L. is ? Well, when he asked me to guess, I said about 58. Well, the correct answer is 73! Yes, 73! I am inspired by Mr. L. He is definitely setting an awesome example for aging well.

There are others who are setting super examples for aging and living well. Such as an individual I know who is helping to archive photos and other memorabilia for the religious center of his boyhood days. He is having a grand time reviving the memories and ensuring the religious center's history is not lost.

Oh! One more example. A few years back, I met an 84 years alive woman who told me she was a Peace Corps volunteer. She looked young and spirited. I can't recall her name but she spoke enthusiastically about flying to different places and helping out. She had a sense of meaning and purpose even though she lived alone. She was visiting my former neighbor when we happend upon each other but I have never forgotten her. That's because I was intrigued by the example she was setting.

Okay Dear Reader, let's keep a look out for more senior citizens who are setting super examples. Share this with others who may benefit from reading this post.

Best wishes for our (yours and mine) optimal ability to live and age well,
Kaja Green-Tovar

Aging and Changing Careers!

Greetings Dear Reader!

So with aging comes change and wisdom, right? Well, I hope so! Throughout our lives change happens but luckily the longer we've been alive, the more capable we are in dealing with new situations, people, or places.

One major change that can happen is we end a career and start a new one, or decide to volunteer our knowledge, skills, and abilities. Sometimes we do something that is in a totally different field from the one we've been doing, or from what we spent years in college studying for. But you know what?! That's okay!!!

Really, as we age there will be change. Things are way different from when you're the age of two to twenty-two, twenty-four to forty-four, thirty-six to sixty-six, and so on.

Let not your heart be troubled if what you've always done is not what you get to do now or tomorrow. Instead, pull up your bootstraps and dare to do something DIFFERENT!

It's okay to have been a CIA agent and then become a baker, or to have been a fitness trainer and then become a flight attendant. Perhaps you were a police officer once. Well, it's okay to go work as a truant officer so that you don't have to chase hardened criminals. Welcome the opportunity to do something different.

Choose to forego lamenting about what once was and stay in engaged in life by doing whatever you can do well and will enjoy - which may very well be something different. Don't forget that volunteering is another way to make an impact.

Best wishes for our (yours and mine) ability to embrace a new career when and if the time ever comes!
-Kaja Green-Tovar