4 quick fixes to make new year’s resolutions stick
environment, exercise, inspiration, wealthy wednesdays
4th Jan 2012
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So it’s the new year, and you made a whole bunch of promises to yourself that this would be YOUR year to make stuff happen. Whether you want to
- lose weight
- quit smoking
- start working out
- get a new job
- or get into a loving relationship
how can you make these promises stick? Simple – start working on these 4 areas of your life:
Environment
If you have habits you want to break, you’ll need to switch up your environment. You don’t want to keep walking past that cupcake shop if you know you they’re your kryptonite. So change the way that you go to work. A new route will give you a new perspective, keep you away from what you know is dangerous, and also help you discover new places you didn’t know about.
Social
Tony Robbins has said that the quality of your life can be determined by looking at who is in your circle of influence. Who are the five people that you spend the most time with? How are their thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors influencing what you think, say and do? Hang out with positive, uplifting go-getters, and I bet you’ll have more fun and get more done than if you’re hanging around whining, excuse-making procrastinators.
Emotional
What are you feeling, and even more importantly, what are you saying to yourself? Listen to that inner dialogue – yes, that running commentary that is always, always, always going. Maybe right now it’s saying, “Oh, yes, I agree with that last point, but not so much this one.” These thoughts can stop you dead in your tracks when you’re trying to make positive change.
Have you ever said something like, “I’m going to lose 10 pounds.” And heard that voice speak right up and say, “Oh, no you’re not. You’re too lazy. And you always fail anyway. Who do you think you are?”
This has got to stop if you want to make progress. First, recognize that these thoughts are just thoughts – and not even necessarily yours. They could be old thoughts and beliefs that you got from a teachers, relative, friend, or somewhere else. Then, when these thoughts arise, you can simply dismiss them with a, “Thank you for sharing.” Then let it go.
Physical
Change your physical state on a regular basis to keep yourself focused on making positive change. What do I mean by this?
Feeling sad? Try looking up toward the ceiling and smiling. Stretch your arms out. Do you still feel sad?
Feeling tired? Shake off your fatigue. Take a brisk, 2-minute walk, or turn on a favorite song and dance for a few minutes.
Bored? Get up, stretch your arms, take a few deep breaths. You’ll notice that bored feeling is suddenly gone.
Want to learn more? Join me for a special teleclass on Thursday, January 5 at 8pm EST – call in from anywhere. Sign up here for the details
Girls reaching puberty at age 7
environment, news
9th Aug 2010
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How horrible is this for these young girls? Do you even remembered what it felt like at 11 or 12 when you were starting to “blossom” and had to wear a training bra? It was bad enough then when the boys would try to snap your back bra strap to see if you were wearing one. And how embarrassing it was when you started getting your period, especially if you had no idea that it was happening?
Now imagine the torture of having to go through it in second grade. This is when you’re supposed to be carefree and running around on the playground with no interest in boys. Now you’re a girl who’s developing into a woman and you haven’t even reached your “tween” years.
A study published in the Journal of Pediatrics shows that more girls are maturing earlier than ever before. What’s causing girls to hit puberty at a younger age is currently “unknown” but suspected to be the rise in obesity. Some scientists point to possible environmental factors, such as exposure to estrogens in plastics, chemicals and foods. Raising food the conventional way, with pesticides, herbicides and antibiotics increases this exposure to hormone-disrupting substances.
From an article in MSNBC:
For Kiera… it was all so embarrassing. None of her friends seemed to be experiencing what she was. When they asked about the acne and her expanding chest, Kiera was evasive. “I didn’t want to tell them what was going on,” says the Pittsburgh girl, now age 9. “So I had to kind of lie to them.”
How do you stop this?
Start eating organic foods – insist on high-quality, hormone-free, pesticide-free food. It’s out there – and eating it is the best way to “vote” for it and let producers know that’s what you want. The more frequently you “vote” this way, the better your health, the more will be available and the lower the prices will become. If you think it costs too much, think about the unknown future costs of being obese and having chronic health problems such as diabetes and heart issues.
Get involved – Start a community supported agriculture (CSA) group in your area to get better access to healthy food directly from your local farmer. Sign petitions from the Center for Food Safety. Talk to your congressman and let him/her know that you want them to support greater access to organic foods and fewer bills that keep conventional foods on the shelves.
How plants can heal you
cleanse, environment, news, self care
7th Jul 2010
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I’ve been on a healing journey over the past two weeks. The funny thing is that I didn’t realize that was what I was going on when I started out. It’s also part of why I have inadvertently been mostly offline for the past two weeks.
Let me explain…
The weekend before our Independence Day – the July 4th holiday in America, we were celebrating the wedding of two friends. The party was a weekend long fest that that was held just outside of the city at a rustic resort in a valley of a very green and mountainous area. As we drove to our destination, the buildings became shorter, the land was greener, and suddenly I realized I had no working technology at my fingertips.
No cell phone service.
No computer.
The following weekend was a long one because we took a couple of days off. Again, the same thing happened.
No cell phone service.
No WiFi.
No computer.
At some point during the second weekend, I turned my phone on to check (in vain) to see if I could get anything. And I must have left the phone on by accident, because by the end of the weekend, it was dead.
I have to admit that I freaked out a little bit in the beginning. What was I missing? What if I missed an important phone call or e-mail? What if someone needed to get in touch with me?
And two weekends in a row off – I haven’t had this much time off in about a year, so I was not used to relaxing fully. Yeah, I’m not kidding – I wish I was.
It took a day or so, but I finally started to relax when I realized that, well, I had no choice because there was nothing else to do.
And then finally… I was totally relaxed.
And you know what?
I’m sleeping better. I’m more calm. And while my back is a little stiff from camping, I’m breathing better than I usually do, too.
Then I found this article in the New York Times that talks about the healing power of nature. In studies in Japan, they found that people who took “forest baths” had better health stats than those who stayed in the city – lower concentrations of cortisol, lower pulse rates and lower blood pressure.
Of course, the healing I feel could also be from not sitting still at a desk for 8 or more hours per day. Or from getting eye strain from staring at a computer or a small phone screen.
But the plants and trees do seem to heal in some unquantifiable way as well. The whole calmness of mind, the breathing of fresh air, and the slower pace makes me feel so good.
You don’t even have to go away to get healing on a regular basis. Just take time off to go to a park near you. In New York City, we have Central Park and the green ways that run down the Hudson on the West Side and the East River on the East side. Not to mention the many little green enclaves around town.
Pesticides linked to ADHD
environment, news
17th May 2010
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Our foods are not as safe as we think.
I know, it hurts to hear this, but you have to know about it.
It’s time to wake up. Ignorance is not bliss – it only keeps you sick, tired, unfocused, and overweight.
There are more studies showing that the chemicals that we are being exposed to through the plastics and household goods we use every day are contributing to developmental problems and endocrine disturbances. And now a study in the journal Pediatrics associates exposure to pesticides to cases of ADHD in the U.S. and Canada.
According to this article in Time:
The team analyzed the levels of pesticide residues in the urine of more than 1,100 children aged 8 to 15 years old, and found that those with the highest levels of dialkyl phosphates, which are the breakdown products of organophosphate pesticides, also had the highest incidence of ADHD. Overall, they found a 35% increase in the odds of developing ADHD with every 10-fold increase in urinary concentration of the pesticide residues.
Researchers note that children are getting pesticides in their system through their diet – from the fruits and vegetables that they are eating on a regular basis.
How can you limit your risk?
Eat more clean food: According to the Environmental Working Group, you can eat fruits and vegetables that have minimal exposure to pesticides. They have a great list of the dirty dozen and the clean 15 on their site. You can also eat more organic fruits and vegetables.
While organic may be more expensive in the short term, the long term costs of getting exposed to pesticides is far more costly.
Ban the plastics: Get rid of the old Tupperware, and the plastic water bottles. Get yourself a metal water bottle like the Klean Kanteen 
Out with the old
cleanse, diet, environment, inspiration, mindset, self care
6th May 2010
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Recently I realized that my desk files needed a good purging, so I got a cross-cut shredder to get rid of those papers that I didn’t want and couldn’t just throw out. I spent a couple of hours happily shredding documents and recycling the bits that were taking up so much precious space in our New York apartment.
Once I was done, my office felt like a new space. I had breathing room again. That pile of papers that had been sitting there for so long was finally gone. I could put away all of those new papers that had collected on top of my file cabinet (do they multiply while I’m not there?)
It’s easy to get stuck in a rut. The familiar is comfortable. Eat at the same 2 places outside your office for lunch. Work out the same exact way, 5 times per week. Sleep late on Saturday mornings.
So much of what we carry around with us is habit – stuff that worked for a while, but doesn’t really work anymore. When we get rid of things in our lives that no longer serve us, we open ourselves up for new possibilities.
Some call it spring cleaning – I like to think of it as a recharging of your own energy.
You could clean out your files (like I did), get rid of old clothes that you no longer love, get rid of the junk food in your kitchen cabinets, or quit smoking or drinking diet soda on a daily basis.
Imagine the possibilities of having space in your desk drawers, uncluttered closets that hold only your favorite clothes, a pantry that stocks only the healthiest foods. How could that change your life right now?
What could you imagine giving up now that you used to think you always needed?
What would be helpful to get rid of in order to let new and good things into your life?
Blog action day: climate change
environment, events, tips thursdays
15th Oct 2009
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This year’s Blog Action Day topic is Climate Change. Here are some of my thoughts on how you can live a more sustainable life and help protect the environment. I made this speech a couple of years ago at my Toastmasters club:
I’ve been trying to get more green lately. I have been good about buying foods from local sources and carrying leftovers for lunch instead of getting convenience foods. I’m contemplating riding my bike to work, though it’s getting quite cold in New York.
What changes do you think you could make to help curb climate change?
Edible Garden – homegrown in NYC
environment, events, food
30th Jun 2009
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It seems like everyone these days is talking about gardening and growing their own produce. After living in Brooklyn for a few years, we’ve finally started up an edible terrace garden that will give us patio tomatoes, arugula, peppers, leeks, and herbs.
If you’re not quite ready to start your own garden but want some inspiration, check out the New York Botanical Garden. This summer they’re having a summer-long festival that celebrates growing great food.
The Edible Garden presents programs to inspire you to grow, prepare and eat home-grown goodies. The celebration will have events that include celebrity chefs such as Lidia Bastianich and Emeril Lagasse, various exhibitions for the whole family, growing tips and recipes.
For more information, visit the Edible Garden site.
Clean out your files and protect your ID
environment, events
29th Apr 2009
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Shred your personal docs at Shred Fest in New York
Ever since I did some spring cleaning in my home office I’ve had a stack of personal documents waiting in a milk crate to be disposed of somehow. Since I don’t have my own shredder, they just sit and wait.
Happily, I’ll be able to ditch them and protect my identity at Shred Fest this Sunday. This free shredding day, courtesy of the Department of Consumer Affairs, the Mayor’s Office of the Criminal Justice Coordinator, Department of Parks and Recreation, and Department of Sanitation will be held at various locations in each of the 5 boroughs. To find the shredding place closest to you visit the nyc.gov site.
Get green and clean out your closets
environment, events
27th Apr 2009
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Ever since we’ve moved to Brooklyn 3 years ago, there’s been a cardboard box living on our bedroom floor. It remained unpacked and filled with stuff to go to the Salvation Army someday. Yesterday, it finally happened.
On Sunday, we dropped off about 40 lbs of our old stuff – used clothes, jackets, hats, ski pants and other assorted textiles that we had hanging around the house. The recycling program, run by the Council on the Environment of New York City, has drop-off stops at various farmers markets around New York for the remainder of the spring and summer. If you have a bunch of old stuff hanging around your house, I highly recommend taking it over to one of the drop-off points. If your clothes, sheets, towels, and other textiles are in good shape, they’ll go to help those in need. If not, they will be recycled, as opposed to ending up in the landfill if you just threw them out. And you can get a tax deduction for your donations.
Find more information about the clothing and textile recycling program in New York here.
Happy Earth Day
diet, environment, food, self care
22nd Apr 2009
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Photo of Planet Earth from Space
Today is Earth Day!
How have you taken care of mother today?
There are many ways you can care for your environment and get a more delicious life at the same time. Here are a few things that I do to reduce my impact on our planet.
Small steps you can take to green your kitchen:
- Use glass jars instead of plastic containers
- Reuse plastic bags – wash out zip top bags and reuse them instead of throwing them in the trash
- Cook less – incorporate raw, fresh foods into your diet
- Cook once, eat twice – it uses less energy
- Buy bulk items – they are cheaper and have less packaging
- Grow your own herbs – they’re fresher, cheaper and more organic – as long as you’re not spraying pesticides on them. Since they’re local, you’re reducing emissions from transportation
- Buy local – reduce emissions from long-distance shipping by shopping at farmer’s markets
- Buy in season – it reduces transportation emissions and is better for your health
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