I am a bit like a magpie. Easily distracted by shinny things, so it would not come as a surprise to say that, "Finding My Focus" was one of the top faves of the blog challenge. I bore early with mundane tasks and tend to put off what I could very well do today. The challenge has forced me to think about the possibilities and what it would take to achieve them. The Possibilities, are just that, possibilities, and they are endless. We just have to convince each other about the endless part. I think that the roadblocks we find in our way, the things that hold us back from achieving our true potential are self imposed, to the greater extent. Now I know that some speed bumps happen to all of us in life and sometimes these speed bumps can be devastating. It is not necessarily what happens to you, but how you react to the event. Much like meditation, if you feel yourself being pulled away from your objective or you feel your focus shifting, you must bring yourself back to your centre and refocus your energy. I spoke about self sabotage and SS can show itself in many ways. No-one is holding me hostage telling me to do or not to do something. It is of my own free will. We can all take a page from that book. Some of us struggle with blog writing, especially in the beginning because we have no-one to be accountable to except ourselves. This is where outside support and community is important. It's important because it makes you accountable to yourself and the group and helps keep you on task. Having someone to help with the questions and help with a roadmap. My "Key Takeaway" would be consistency. Being consistent ensures that you follow your plan. You show up on time and deliver a great body of work. The focus and consistency are closely related to me because in my mind they are one in the same. To achieve your true potential, whatever it is you must remain true to yourself and your work. You must have creditability and resolve. Break down the mental barriers in your mind and refuse to accept anything normal I have a great feeling of gratitude to Natalie and all the participants in this 10 day workshop. It has helped open my mind and cause me to think about how I perceive myself and put a couple more tools in my tool box. It is my wish that everyone continue what they set out to do and spread their messages to the world. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you #10dbc #freedomplan thefreedomplan.rocks/ten
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If I were to go to Portugal for a month long stay I would begin by researching the country and customs. I would search out contacts on the ground. Perhaps local guides, or expats who know the area well. Establish an online relationship with them and make queries about where to stay, and details of historical and cultural attractions. I would ask about "off the beaten path" local hang outs and restaurants. Local bars and cafes that envelope the local charm and culture. I would like to know what the people do for work, what they do on their days off. How they shop for food and provide for their family. What the transportation and communication infrastructure is like. What the favourite foods and drinks are and how much things cost. After carefully selecting a quiet "headquarters" for my month long stay, I would spend a day or two networking with my contacts and filling in the blanks on my schedule. I like to travel light, so just a pack containing my necessities along with my laptop and cameras will help me document my stay. As a matter of discipline I would like to write or work in some way from my laptop for at least one hour per day. This may vary depending on my schedule. Becoming embedded in the local scene is my goal. I want to keep myself open and receptive to all types of adventure. Anything that I could document and share with my community at home and around the world. Local Holidays or events as well as food and entertainment are all things I would be taking in and writing about daily. I would volunteer in community initiatives and charities to do my part and gain more experience about the local culture and to meet more people. Besides being in Portugal and experiencing all it has to offer, my personal goal has always been to have the freedom to travel on my own terms. Downsizing to be come independent and stay as long as I like, without outside incumbencies is my ultimate goal. I would earn an income from my online work and live a simpler life always having another adventure on the horizon. #10dbc #freedomplan thefreedomplan.rocks/ten Oh How ironic that the challenge today would be an adventure. After yesterdays topic Beating Procrastination and overwhelm, I had cleared my schedule to do some indoor things that needed doing. I woke up and the weather was cooperating. The rain fell from the sky, like it knew I had a plan to get shit done. A birthday party became my adventure. I got invited to a birthday of a friend (who I know from my gym). It was so nice to get to visit her renovated character house and mingle with other friends tonight. We got to laugh, share experiences and lots of great food and drink. It is interesting how sometimes in life, someone crosses your path and they are just super nice and approachable. People with like minded ideas and appreciations. Someone who you can socialize with and celebrate special occasions. Share a moment or an hour or two. Gatherings like this are always enjoyable for me because variety and diversity becomes the main course. Food is potluck so you just never know what will be there. Some people you know and others you don't. You get to expand your social skills with people you did not know until today and "catch up" with your friends. I guess today I managed to get shit done and celebrate a friends birthday. Good things come in twos. #10dbc #freedomplan thefreedomplan.rocks/ten Procrastination is one of my biggest challenges. I have written about this before and I confess it has sabotaged many things I should have done. It continues to be an issue that I work through on a weekly basis. I tend to overthink issues and spend too much time analyzing tasks. Sometimes it is easier to do something else and "get to it later". Trouble is things pile up. The things I have the most difficulty with are the mundane. There is almost nothing worse than entering items on a spreadsheet or filing away paper work. I think that making a vow to yourself sometimes is not enough. Being held accountable to a group (like we are doing) is fantastic. Sometimes you have a partner or colleague who will hold you accountable but when you are left to your own free will it gets sidelined. I want learn to be accountable to myself. To do this I will begin by prioritizing my work and stop overthinking projects. I think what Natalie said about not putting out a perfect project resonates with me and I am sure that in a year (or sooner) I will look back on some of my blogs and laugh. If that happens, I have got better, and that is really what I am looking for. Not letting procrastination sabotage my life or my interests. From the overwhelm perspective, I have used a trick for a long time, and I do it with working at a desk or working in the yard. I take little pieces much like eating, small bites and digest one project (or part of project) at a time. If I can get past the procrastination part, I can usually master this part. Some people get overwhelmed with the chores in the yard or house. I just look at the project and break it down into smaller pieces. This makes it easier for me. I think that more of us are affected by this ailment than we realize. #10dbc #freedomplan thefreedomplan.rocks/ten There are a couple of people who I really look up to and perhaps are a little jealous. Yes jealous because they seem to have found a way to do all the things I want to do. The things they have in common are travel and meeting new and interesting people and cultures. Diverse exploration is a good term for it. Much like Alex Chacon who documents his Modern Motorcycle Diaries with video (primarily). He has travelled to some of the most out of the way corners of the globe and using a GoPro and a self stick he captures some of the coolest photos and video you can imagine. http://www.modernmotodiaries.com/pressmedia-kit-for-alex-chacon Most recently he has introduced a drone to get some of those high shots as well. Although the two wheeled photos and video would be fantastic, (his primary mode of transportation is a motorcycle) the most interesting part is the places he goes and the people he gets to interact with. I know this was far from an overnight success but you genuinely get the impression that he is enjoying everything he does. A friend of mine just spent 6 weeks in Guatemala, 3 weeks going from there to Costa Rica through Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, 11 weeks in Costa Rica, and 7 weeks in Panama. Looking at her updates she was truly enjoying herself and taking in all the local vibes, staying is quirky seaside bunk houses and mingling with the locals and a hand full of expats. She never intended to stay as long as she did but once there, cancelled her return ticket to extend her stay. These two people are different on the surface but still share the same experiences through travel. Rambling world citizens in search for new ideas and cultures, and maybe a cold beer at the end of the day. I think that the first question that anyone would ask is how do you afford to be away and taking these adventures and support yourself? The second would be, How do you plan an epic trip? Do you plan how long to stay in one place or just "wing it"? How do you prepare? What is the most important item in your backpack? #10dbc #freedomplan thefreedomplan.rocks/ten When writing my blog, I like to do it in the evening, or just after I get home from work. I have usually finished the "work day" part, said goodby to my wife as she goes off to her job and I am left to my devices. That said, the daily inspiration from this challenge has given me a sense of accountability and helped create a habit of writing (at least for the past five days) daily. I like to take things in small bits, so I have started limiting myself to 50 minutes of work (maximum) before I take a rest, get up and move about or go for a walk. This is way better than sitting at a desk for hours. I used to do that years ago, but now I work outside and in a constant state of motion. The idea of sitting at a computer for hours summons some form of "retro office PTSD". My wife has been SUPER supportive (she always has) and when we are both home she is usually working on a project or two on her own. Our home is small (580 sq ft) so there is really nowhere to hide. In the past there has always been a perceived "lack of time" or distraction. This is an illusion and I have to keep telling myself this. If I want to be successful at writing, I will need to make allowance in my schedule and apply that time to this project. I prefer to have silence to be able to think about what I am writing. Televisions or loud outside noises can be an annoyance to me that contributes to the distraction. I am just learning the nuts and bolts of the blog lifestyle and hope at one point to monetize it but for now I need to get better and continue to research my niche and stay disciplined. #10dbc #freedomplan thefreedomplan.rocks/ten Many of us go through life not knowing what we want to be. Lots of adults I know still have not identified their calling, their gift or dream job. I know I am not alone. We work at jobs to make money to support our families but often do things we would rather not. We keep schedules we would rather not and get paid less than we are worth. Travel is a passion of mine. I enjoy going places and absorbing cultures and meeting new people. I have not quite figured out how to make this work for me as a career, because I would like to move about the world freely. Something I have worked at off and on is writing reviews. A simple TripAdvisor account and your off in minutes. I truly appreciate the care put into a dining experience. The extra attention you may get at a resort or hotel or in some cases the appalling service. I would like to expand into more depth but I am not sure what steps to take next (work in progress). I also enjoy the experience of downsizing. We downsized our home about 5 years ago. We did it to create more freedom for ourselves to travel and live a more frugal lifestyle. It was not easy. We had to go through a 2000sqft home and fit it into 580sqft. That was a challenge, but we did it. We still go through our closets and locker three or four times a year to purge again. I have just started that blog movingon-downsizingatanyage.weebly.com and I am really enjoying writing some of my thoughts down on the screen and look forward to someday, someone reading it. I joke with my friends and say "I will be finished downsizing once I can fit everything into a backpack". thefreedomplan.rocks/ten #10dbc #freedomplan As I drifted off to sleep, I had put all my thoughts and cares away for the day. I was counting on a restful sleep. The Perfect day began by waking on my own. My body telling me that my rest was complete and it was ready for another day of an active life. A kiss to my wife and a pet of the cat and I am off to the kitchen for a big glass of water. I never liked water in the morning, but these days it really gets me fired up. I enjoy easing into the day. I have never been one of those people who sprint out the door half dressed with a cup of to-go in their hand. The quiet sitting alone for the first hour or so of the day gives me time to reflect and look ahead to the daily activities and tasks. Opening the drapes and windows to take in all that is out there, the weather, the changing leaves, the mountains on the horizon. The slight changes in the landscape as the days pass. Breathing in, breathing out. The aroma of fine Italian coffee fills the air and inviting vapours are expelled I pour a small cup. A stroll down the hall feeling the softness of the beautifully designed wool rug as I step into the elevator. The walls of the elevator surround me. They are made of glass, mirrors and a dazzling chandelier covers the ceiling. "Don't Stop Believing" plays as we decent. Off in search of breakfast, hand n hand my wife and I stroll down the street. We greet strangers with a smile and a nod. Ola! We have our favourite restaurants that we go to often so we pick one and our server greets us by name and directs us to our table. She has known us for 4 years now, her name is Gabriela and she knows that my wife Kathi likes chips with Pico de gallo and guacamole any time of the day so she does not wait for the order. "What are you having for breakfast today my love?" I ask. "I think today I will have eggs" she said. We both chuckled because a glance down the menu displayed fifteen different egg dishes. "I hope you are not ordering them all but maybe we will do something different today after breakfast. What do you think?" I asked. "We should be us" She said. "But with a twist. Let's go where our hearts take us. #10dbc #freedomplan thefreedomplan.rocks/ten It had taken a year of hard work but we were finally boarding the plane. The kids were easy to get organized. They were excited to be going to Disneyland and it was only a quick two and a half hour flight to LA. As the plane lifted off the tarmac I experienced a sense of Freedom. All the preparations were complete and we had tied up all the loose ends at home and work. The LA sun was closer than ever. This was one of a handful of times I had experienced this feeling of Freedom. For many of us we work all year for a week or two of Freedom. We work in cubicles or are restricted by regulations or finances from doing what we really love. The life of travel, experiencing worldly culture and people is only a snapshot of our lives, never given the time to truly appreciate the differences and flavours the world has to offer. Since then, when I travel, I always try and capture that essence. That feeling of Freedom that I long for. The idea that I am a vagabond able to move from one city, country or culture to another immersing myself in all there is to discover. You see, I am not 30 anymore but since then I have experienced many waves of what people refer to as “midlife crisis”. That feeling that you have more to do than you have time to do it. Kind of like having a dinner party and inviting a hundred guests and thinking you can do all the cooking, serving and cleaning yourself. That idea really can muster a sense of urgency and fuel the midlife crisis flame. After all you don’t want to be the guy everyone has to wait for while hiking an Inca trail or climbing to the top of a mountain to enjoy the view only a few will ever see. I am convinced the idea of creating a simpler life. A life of choice and ability to support your existence while moving about can bring back that feeling of Freedom every day. Knowing what my obligations are to myself, my family and breaking down the boundaries I have built will help bring me to the place where I can relive the experience from that day on our way to LA. #10dbc #freedomplan As I turned the corner I could see that the traffic was bad, but I live on a one way street so there was no choice. The first light turned red, then green, onto the next block to be greeted by another red light. I glanced down at my phone, adjusted the temperature dial on the dash and heard a horn. The light had turned green and this distracted (I call it being board) author looked up to see the light had changed to green. There are a lot of things in our lives that distract us from the important stuff. You know the important stuff no-one wants to do like cleaning out your closets, "Oh, I need to cook supper", or doing mundane paper work, "I must check my social media." God knows the world may be falling apart and I need to know about that (like there is anything I could do about it, I think my superhero cape is in my closet...got to clean that after supper). It is something that many of us struggle with. What I have found is that, much like your bills, the longer you leave the task, the worst it gets. Lack of focus and personal self sabotage are major stumbling blocks in moving forward and getting things done. Some of us have shared this trait when we attended school for example. We crammed for exams or put off projects. Self sabotage it is when you have important work to do but sabotage it by doing something else you talk yourself into being more important at the time. I am board with mundane tasks, so I usually will talk myself into doing something more "exciting" Something I am trying to do is schedule tasks. By scheduling blocks of time and rest I can concentrate on the task knowing that focus is mandatory for that block. It's much like getting in your car and getting all the green lights for a specific period of time. You are basically giving yourself permission to have that time to be productive without any outside influence. We are all satisfied with a completed task, so let's all get out there and get the important s**t done!! Other outside influences can carry a lot of weight on your mind and productivity. If you are thinking about an outstanding bill you owe, an argument you had with your partner or child can all bring clutter to your thoughts and render you less than 100%. You could be having your home renovated and are having trouble focusing in all the chaos. All these things can contribute to loss of focus. Sometimes you have big obligations at home and work. It may be financial, emotional or a family commitment like looking after an aging parent or disabled child. All these things can rob you of focus. I think the key to this exercise is to guide us into examining our own lives and how we may have custom built our own 'house of limitations", but more importantly to identify it and make the necessary "home improvements" to fix what is wrong and get on with building the second storey, or the next chapter in your life story because by doing nothing you will be in the same place tomorrow as you were today. And that is ok...if you like where you are. #10DBC #freedomplan |
Dwight Gis semi retired and lives with his wife in Victoria Canada. ArchivesCategories |