Where do I stand.
Health/Fitness. Overall a successfull first half. Down 14lbs body fat, increased muscle mass by 10 lbs. Still not enough on the aerobic side so I have a renewed committment to improve. Overall a B+
Relationship. My wife and I are communicating better than we have in two years. A-
Partnerships. There have been a lot of distractions for the game partners the past few weeks. Being experienced it is up to me to step it up a notch. So here is my formal apology to my teammates. I will play more thoughtfully and consciously and push you to do the same in the latter half. I do feel a bond with Lori and Rod and anticipate that we will remain in touch after all this is over. They are both amazing people. Grade B.
Spritual/Self. I have made some major committments to myself and family. Elements of fear and concern exist but I believe them to be the right decisions. I am guilt free, remorse free and do not regret anything from my past as all if it has brought me here. Grade A.
Business. Time constraints still abound and I have been continually calling myself back to focus throughout the day. Not nearly as efficient as I can be. Part of this revolves around the business purchase arrangements. Part with my role as head of research/investments—which serves the overall good of the cause but distracts from my business building efforts. Grade C.
The childrens book and balance book. No progress in two weeks. I have made more notes and outlines to the balance book but no concrete writing. Not finishing the childrens book has no excuse except for laziness. I told the story again to my son—I just need to finish wiriting it down and block the illustrations. Grade D
Education. Have scheduled the first CFP module exam and am ahead of the study curve. (Of course it helps that I have been doing the business for 20 years—so there is little excuse for not getting this designation years ago). Regardless—I will complete the course and be ready for the final test within 18 months. Overall I’m a knowledge junkie. I am still learning that I DON’T need to read everything that comes across my desk (that’s why we have research analysts). Lot’s of paper now get’s recycled unread. Grade B+
Tony
August 26th, 2007
Tony A
Double duty responsibilities at work showed in my game this week as I collected 44 out of 80 points (55%). It was still a great week in so many ways, although my points are nothing to write home about. Last weeks team call with Sarano and Tony’s thoughts on the topic of guilt (I put beating myself up in this category) was a fantastic lesson that prepared me well for this week. Throughout the week, it was easy to stay at peace despite my choice to not engage fully in my game. Instead, I chose to focus my energies on the task of assimilating my new responsibilities and ensuring that I stayed in personal balance.
This focus paid off as I prepare to enter another week. My inbox is zeroed out. My voicemail is clear. My desktop is clear. My projects in both jobs are time blocked. I am CLEAR, and this was achieved without spending the weekend away from my family.
As with any week, there were fantastic opportunities to practice directed attention. One of the most revealing was watching myself resist work that required me to dig into sleeping hours as well as a calendar of events that provided limited space for falling still. By staying present, I was able to avoid being engaged in the emotional drain of this future think. This happened numerous times throughout the week, and I was proud of myself for not buying into my resistant thoughts. The ability to create this separation resulted in tremendous work output and concentration throughout the week, enabled by not fighting myself while performing actions that needed to be completed. Additionally, I have found numerous opportunities for scheduled directed attention to allow me to practice more often. Examples include meditation, this weekly blog entry, reading/mindmapping, time with my family, and swinging the sticks. The last couple of weeks have been like a light switched on, and I am enjoying the process.
My opportunity from last week would be to improve my attachment to the progress in my golf game. My coach provided me with some new footwork and lower body action that will break my swing before taking it to the next level, and while I was only able to practice a couple of times, it was painful to see my inability to perform the new skills. I was present enough to notice my thoughts and feelings in falling short, but not yet skilled enough to detach from concern about the outcome of each shot or the session. This also happened at home with some honey-dos where I noticed my resistance, but could not get far enough outside for it to not affect my peace of mind.
Sarano also asked us to post our first half report card. Here’s mine listed by focal area:
Organization: 1st pass tackling of the mess in our monster storage room. Eliminated paper notes from my life. Operating at “easy speed” every day. Reading speed up 290% to 1,750 wpm. (A-) Keep cranking on environmental mess.
Family: New level of presence with my children. Learned communication structure for turning conflict into intimacy with my wife. (B+) Apply communication structure in all circumstances. Create dedicated special time for each twin.
Relationship: Established pattern of reaching out daily - Learning that people very open to talking. Finding opportunities to be vulnerable. (A-) Are my goals ambitious enough here?
Recreation: 41% reduction in handicap to 13. Need to do even more work to get to single digit in next 45 days. (B) Need to be disciplined in finding the space in my calendar to double up on this area in order to achieve goal before winter. Also, need to bring driver into my game.
Health: Reached Level 2 in Rope Work and Yoga. Need to take diet more seriously and raise intensity further to achieve 10% body fat. (C) Consistency need to achieve 10%BF has not been present. Need to get much more disciplined about diet to have any chance of achieving target.
August 26th, 2007
Z Man
My professional life changed this week as my manager left the company for another opportunity closer to home, and I was asked to by the divisional CEO & HR to be the acting general manager of this Global P&L. The additional responsibility created challenges in maintaining the level of consistency achieved in previous weeks, but by weeks end, my administrator and I were able to effectively combine the schedules and deliverables for both roles including the time blocks for my game elements. For the week, I achieved 63 out of 79 points (80%). There were no significant insights relative to points missed, except the swirl of expanded responsibilities and commitments resulted in weekly items pushing too late into the week for me to recover.
Being able to act in this capacity is a realization of a goal whose journey began seven years ago when I left a highly lucrative selling career with the goal of becoming a P&L leader in one of Americas most admired companies. During my tenure, I have held five roles of increasing responsibility and had much success and tremendous development experiences. Here I sit on the short-list of candidates being considered for my first P&L, and my reaction to this is a testament to how much I have grown. In the past, I would have experienced a variety of emotions around desire and pushing to make the decision come out in my favor. My wife asked me this week, did you tell them you want it, did you push for it, how are you going to approach getting selected. All of these important questions in my old world, but I had to laugh at how detached I am from whether I get the role or not. Make no mistake, I have my preference, but the attachment and desire are not there because I am happy where I am, and I am happy whatever is decided. What a great place to be. My life is in flow.
Two other areas I have noticed this week. One, it has been a wonderful week for me in terms of acknowledgement from professional colleagues, peers, friends, my leadership team and their field teams. I have read and heard many kind words, well wishes, and comments around their desires that I get the role, yet I have been able to experience the sentiments without getting caught up in the labels or buying into that these words indicate any “specialness” about me. I approach the challenges of my current role from the servant mindset of authentic leadership, and the comments and reactions are not a response to who “I” am, but people’s perceptions of me. Understanding this separation has been powerful.
Finally, I typically feel anxiety before an important talk, which I had to give this week on short notice at an all-employee meeting in our headquarters for the announcement. To my surprise, my new awareness served me there as well. No anxiety, no need to be perfect, and nothing to prove. Just me talking about the employees of this great company and the path we are on as we compete in a challenging business cycle. How liberating!
Much work to do, but I am enjoying the journey.
August 20th, 2007
Z Man
What an emotional roller coaster that was for me. Another lesson on why you don’t wait until the last minute to get it done! I had been at a Tony Robbins event and woke up that morning of the last day and put my thoughts down on paper. Words that truly come from an emotional place will invoke an emotional response. Which I am taking over to my book I am working on. I have been working on it diligently and it feels clinical. I know what I need to do differently. Don’t look for the perfect words. My strength as a writer is my abillity to evoke emotions from my words. And plain speak is what I do best. So while it was a nice emotional release, it was really a life lessson as well. I love this GAME. And I love my partners Tony and Rod. Let’s play the next half full out boys!
August 16th, 2007
Lori Taylor
Hello Everyone,
My apologizes, I have not been blogging regularly. No excuses, it needs to get done. Last week I was working towards 50 points, only reaching 34. Over the last few weeks, the only thing holding me back from success is me. I make excuses why I can not get done on time, spend time with my family and why my work is more important than everything else. I’ve made a commitment and built a game for balance. I have modified my game somewhat to fit better to what is achievable. I need to focus on the day and learn to stay in the moment.
Kumar
August 12th, 2007
Kumar Jagdeo
The tactical aspect of achieving my points continues to get easier as I maintain awareness to opportunities where my own mind attempts to sabotage me for the goals I have decided on. I achieved 75 out of 79 points (95%) this week. Two points were missed due not overcoming the inertia of my mind which told me I was too tired at the time I had time blocked these activities, and two were missed by having a scheduled business dinner that did not allow me to make my family points one evening. I have learned that my game is rigorous for me, as it should be, and if I miss the opportunity to execute when I have an item time blocked during the day, it is an opportunity forever lost.
This week I began focusing on getting more out of each achieved point by improving my directed attention in a few key ways:
- Being more conscious of trying to be the silent observer routinely throughout the day, particularly whenever I feel energy robbing tensions or pressures
- By maintaining single-mindedness during activities that I have historically multi-tasked
- Recognizing opportunities to see through conflict to preserve my energy for critical tasks vs. wasting it away in reaction
I have a long way to go, but am excited to have begun doubling my efforts in this area. A quick review of last week:
Good: Scheduling weekly actions earlier in the week to prevent end of week cleanup. Began chunking down and executing on one of the biggest “environment” projects I have slated to clean up in my game. Will be eating this frog during month two.
Opportunity: Want to raise the intensity of my efforts around my diet and intensity of my workouts. Additionally, I need to find additional opportunities to practice or play golf as I feel I am behind schedule for my goal in each of these areas.
There is no change in my larger focus of continue to expand my understanding of the concepts of energy conservation, awareness and self-importance. The external results of the Game are door prizes compared to improving the richness of my Inner Game.
In my partnership, Mike also had a very strong week in his first full week engaged in the game. My goal for this week is to motivate him in every way I can think of to achieve the one pattern miss that occurred throughout the week, which was getting to the gym to workout. I will disrupt that pattern!
August 11th, 2007
Z Man
At the end of my first month of the Game, I have my game elements under control and they are becoming a part of my routine. I achieved 77 out of 79 points (97%). The missed points were because I got a bit sloppy by failing to prepare my meals for the following day. This was also the first week my partner was engaged in having daily partner calls, which helped with my focus and accountability.
Unfortunately, I fell short of achieving 90% compliance for the first 30 days, and will have to defer my planned 30 day reward until exceeding that level of accomplishment at the 60 day marker. Achieving the points continues to get easier as I time block the entire week, and execute at those designated point in my schedule is the key to achieving “easy speed” in my game. I am building the muscle of willpower, and as I enter month two of the game, I will transition beyond achieving the points and begin to look more closely at the energy and present moment awareness I give in achieving them (i.e. the quality of the point). I will continue to ask how I can continue to raise the bar with the quality of effort I give to each point to stretch my personal boundaries and results?
A quick review of last week:
Good: Nailing down flow of self-control, and not giving into whims of what I feel like doing, and instead doing what I have already determined is the best use of my time. Also, working to increase my experience with the concept of Attention by mind mapping Tolle’s “Realizing the Power of Now”, and scored a like-new copy of Sarano’s recommendation Awareness for $1 on Amazon so I am looking forward to reviewing that after I work my way through the Power of Now.
Opportunity: Need to schedule weekly actions earlier in the week, so I am not playing cleanup at the end. Also, still need to do a better job attacking my 90d tactical list of tasks. I will use my time blocking to carve out specific time to complete these items in addition to my game elements.
This week moved me closer to making my points automatic, and I will now transition my focus to establishing a deeper connection to the concepts of energy conservation, awareness and self-importance.
August 9th, 2007
Z Man
I got caught up in a story that because I was in a class that was consuming 12 hours of my day with travel back and forth that I could slack off on my game and be late for our call. I have tried to have my assistant remind me of calls, and I’ve logged them on my phone but I’m consistently been late. Today I was 12 minutes late and then lost the connection so I missed the call altogether. I will get back on my game immediately. I haven’t been eating well and I haven’t lost a pound. All of my grand plans for a 6 pak haven’t got a prayer if I don’t get off my ass. I will either be going completely vegan or strictly adhering to a diet starting Saturday.
August 2nd, 2007
Rod Khlief
Yeah, paybacks can be fun.
I let my partners down today by missing our call. I was running behind and by the time I realized what had happened, Rod called me. But we were having trouble dialing in. Maybe we were doing it at the same time.
I have noticed that I’m not as tight on my schedule if it is not work related and I must be. I should hold myself higher than I hold my company/boss/customer. My family should definitely be held higher. Yet, I notice I am quicker to drop those balls than any others. And I find that a little sad. Or my mind who is so judgmental does.
But I am committed to this game. It’s been a month and it is time to dig in and move forward. I am getting used to my new routine, but I must allow it to serve me.
So Tony, thank you for being on the call. And I apologize that I was not more prompt and even thought for a minute you had time to wait. We are only as strong as the weakest link. Right now I’d be lucky to be getting water for you Tony.
I bow to your promptness and your dedication.
Ever so humbly
LT
August 2nd, 2007
Lori Taylor
Unfortunately I rarely say no. On Monday’s call Sarrano talked about all the great things he could tell us, but the truth of the matter to him was in the weak areas of his game. And I have to say I feel the same way. In fact, I catch myself almost excusing my poor health game because I am kicking it in all the other areas. (Nice how my mind can be my friend too…telling me how fab I am so I’ll feed it fries, pizza and icecream.) Anyway, I must get to the bottom of why I am having a problem committing to my health game. Today I ate a filet of fish, small fries, gum, nuts, 3 pieces of pizza hut veggie pizza, 2 glasses of red wine, small chocolate dipped ice cream cone…. So basically none of that is a problem unless you’ve made a commitment to yourself otherwise. I’m cheating at solitaire at this point. SO I am going to rely on my non-loser teammates to butt spank me until I regain my focus and drive in this very important area of my game. I mean the camera adds 10 lbs–what will Oprah think??? The shoes can only carry you so far if you know what I mean….However I did rise to a challenge today. And it was a true gift to my soul. I hate hospitals. Sick kids sadden me. Sick kids scare me. It is like being around my biggest fear…I can feel so deeply in me what pain I would feel if my kids were terminally ill. And it terrifies me. So last week when a friend of mine asked me to contact her friend of a friend because her 21 month old child was starting chemo, I immediately said yes. But today, all day, I dreaded that hospital. And it didn’t feel any better when I got there. Then I saw Roman. With his shaved head. Dark circles under his eyes. My heart opened and the divine flowed through me. I was a perfect stranger to him. He was sick. But he didn’t move a muscle as I put my hands on his head. And the second deeksha I gave him relaxed him even more. It was an amazing experience. And I can only pray that the blessing I gave him will allow the divine to flow through him and heal him. There are so many miracles happening throughout the deeksha community. Let’s all pray that Roman is one of them, too. So yeah, in the scheme of things the ice cream and fast food buffet wasn’t the worst thing…but then again I keep telling myself that.
August 1st, 2007
Lori Taylor
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