When you are trying to get motivated to get something done then the best place to start is with something small that you can build on. A great part of motivation is the small step that you need to do to get forward momentum and once you have that you are unstoppable, but how to make that first step?

Just make that one first step

Well there are many ways to make that first step, Leo at Zen Habits says that you should just do the minimum possible, like 2 minutes of exercise. Another thing you can do is decide that you will drink 2 cups of water first thing in the morning, or eat a healthy breakfast of Oatmeal and a banana. You can decide to park in the furthest lot at work or get off a train one stop early.

The fact is you do not have to do all of these things just do one today and again tomorrow and then without saying anything to your resistant brain do one more of these things the next day, you now have two and the momentum is there. Three weeks from now you have turned you life around with a bunch of little changes that you would not even think are possible today.

This is the best way to start this one step at a time process. Do not even look at goals for this one just get ideas and write them down and then take the easiest one and do it today. Lets say you want to improve your health. You can probably come up with 50 things along the lines of stretch while watching TV tonight, or one of the above. If you want to spend less money you could think of a great dinner for tonight and make a little bit too much and have it for leftovers tomorrow, I love leftovers. Read the rest of this entry »

Looking to make a change and lose some weight? I have reviewed the top diet on the internet and you can go and read over 200 comments people have made about why this diet has worked well for them, as well as some of the problems.

I just ran across a great post written by Leo over at Zen Habits. I have mentioned before that I have tried to be a runner in the past and my body seemed to let me down. This Spring i am hoping to do a 10k and am still figuring out my training routine which can not be a good sign.

Anyway Leo just ran his second marathon and although it is nice to see what people think about and experience during something as grueling as a marathon the really great thing to me with the article is the experience of this compared to his last (actually his first) marathon and the tips that he gives for how to be successful in running a marathon.

One of the things that I always think about and like to write about here is instant gratification. you know the “don’t eat this” “make sure you do this exercise” kinds of posts. One of the great things about Leo’s post is that he kind of takes you through his plan for the marathon, how well he executed on his plan and finally some tips for people thinking of doing a marathon from his very fresh eyes of doing it this last weekend.

Lifehack.org and Zenhabits tend to give me great ideas that I can use to improve my life on a daily basis. These two sites are not about making you fitter and healthier all of the time but are more about making all the parts of your life better.

Often the two sites write about the same types of things but in all cases the stories and articles are all very well filled out and full of tips that you can use everyday. I would like to start adding more of these kinds of articles but have not yet.

To get started in these kinds of articles I would like to offer a few that I have found great over the last little while that you can read and comment on.

How to get more out of your life.
Expand your mind and recover from brain rot

More effective skills at dealing with email.
10 Steps to becoming an email ninja

How to get more done and more important work done at work.
12 Steps closer to your ideal work day

What internal and external factors are holding your back.
Whats your sticking point

These are all great articles and the kind of info that is not health and fitness related but very important for going that next step in other area of your life. Read them and see what you think as well of them.

I liked the linking to great articles a few days ago that I thoight I would do it again today. Here are some of the fitness and health articles that I have enjoyed so far today.

I have talked a bit in the past about meditation and although I used to meditate every day I have not done it in a while. Maybe Zen Habits list will help me get started again.
Meditation for Beginners: 20 Practical Tips for Quieting the Mind

Mens Health has 50 ways that you can try to live longer by living healthier. I do likeMens Health although they often seem like they are writing for 18 year old guys…guess that is their target market.
50 Ways To Beat The Reaper – Men’s Health

Lifehacker is a great site for articles about anything to increase your productivity. This article is one that looks into ways to improve your mental ability and concentration on a daily basis, at work or at home.
Mind Hacks: Ten Ways to Defeat Brain Drain

Get the action habit. Here are 7 quick tips on starting to do instead of just thinking about doing.
Going Vegan