My little Progress thread

[Sworn]

So I started a thread of my own after having done two 30-day challenges and the 3rd went pretty bad, lost momentum, lost motivation ... all that.

NOW time for a new challenge.
I feel still very confused since all that planning and all those Personal Development Ideas and all those tools they're driving me nuts!
BUT I've decided to do something that Involves a sort of scoreboard. And making the decision that the primary thing is to focus on the thing that has most impact first. And that definately is getting a job so I'm back in the Loop of Life (ie balancing my root chakra) Then its time for working out getting my body into shape so Ill gain energy
Meditation also needs done definately, then my lifelong passion is music so I need to take action on that level too I guess.
On a social level: my favorite is to go out sarging (going out and picking up women but also basic cold approaching and socialising)
NOW t:me to get to business. I need a foundation to build every level on. The first thing I want to do during the day is to get some work done to get me a job. I cant really do anything else before I get that done. Simple as that.
So here's my mission statement for my next 30 day challenge.
I will start my day working at least half an hour on getting a job before I start working on the other areas of my life and monday March 19 of 2007 will the first day of that 30 day challenge.

Namaste

[RT Wolf]

Have you considered dropping by your local library and finding books on getting jobs, improving your resume, improving interview skills, networking, etc? I've gotten my jobs from networking and asking around rather than replying to job ads, so that might be an avenue to consider.

Good luck and work hard on your goals.

[Mike_T]

I would suggest you might be more ambitious with your mission statement. I don't know your personal circumstances but generally speaking, getting a job is a rather important and urgent priority. Half an hour per day doesn't sound like you're making it a top priority. What are you doing for the other 15 or so waking hours that is more important?

If you want a job and can't do anything else until that's done, I'd say you should start acting like you have one--make finding a job into your full-time job. Assuming equal results per the time you put in (and I'd say that's conservative), that will land you a job 16 times faster, not to mention a greater chance that you'll get multiple offers simultaneously and therefore be able to choose the better job, rather than taking the first offer that comes along.

In Steve's terminology, I think this situation calls more for "overwhelming force" than for a "30-day trial".

[RT Wolf]

^ Mike T makes a good point I was going to mention but didn't because I assumed you already had your priorities set up the way you were comfortable.

When I was searching for a job and replying to ads, it took me about 20 minutes to tailor my resume to each posting, compose a cover letter and send it out, so I was also wondering if you really are putting in the effort required. If you're replying to job ads, its almost like a numbers game, send out more resumes, get more interviews and get a job. You can improve your odds of success by improving your own resume and/or skills, which is why I recommended the books.

Also, if you feel that you don't have the ability to spend more than half an hour each day, then perhaps you might start there, do that for a week and then make it an hour for the next week, horu and half the week after and so on. Progressive training on your self-discipline, Steve's talked about it.

[Sworn]

Wow Im amazed with the responses so far. you guys rock!Thank you very much for reading and taking the time for those great responses.
You guys are absolutely right about the fact that you should put more time into jobhunting as it is a very vital aspect.

The thing is indeed as RT wolf puts it, I have pretty weak discipline and I have experience with making too big leaps in trying to get things done, only to experience quite a slap in my motivation.

So it's definately not a 30 day "trial" as it is a challenge to get my discipline muscles up.

On the other hand, theres more to it you're absolutely right

[Sworn]

March 19th - Day 1

I still need powerpoint done for my ecdl (european compter driver's license) so I did half an hour of studying that. I failed my previous ecdl test of powerpoint (ceased to study any of it)
So there we go
Other than that I also felt like running and meditating so I did just that.

[Sworn]

.... So it's march 26 now. Eventhough I have done some powerpoint training here and there, I have a very rough time getting back on track with the dynamic I had two months ago. I set a realistic goal, everyday I posted how my assigment went for that day.
Now, I have a hard time finding the drive.

anyway especially yesterday and today I got pretty good at sticking with and do that extra little more of studying and summarizing powerpoint tutorial.

this is day 8 basically

[Sworn]

march 27 day 9

Today was a pretty good day
I ate healthy food
I meditated
I went out frisbeeing
I cleaned up my room
and I studied powerpoint for half an hour

till tomorrow

[Sworn]

28 march 2007 - Day 10

OK, so I cut the powerpoint training in half. My god it was like I was in this huge battle with myself trying to quit. It was mentally quite exhausting actually to keep my focus on the powerpoint. But that's good news of course becos Im pushing my limits, even emotionally.
Today Im feeling the same thing, but Im doing it anyway.
Often I was on the verge on bailing out halfway. Now Im doing the thing just for the sake of having it done and not giving up.
It inspires me to set relative tiny goals that are achieveable so I can start identifying with the notion of finishing what I started.

Till tomorrow ... Live with passion!! lol

[JamesT]

What are you doing in the time you've alotted to studying powerpoint? Is it possible that you might be able to remove whatever distraction takes up your time when you should be studying?

[Sworn]

Hey yes James, I'm aware of those things. It is often just my mind that keeps telling me: "BO-RING!" over and over and naturally starts wandering off to "fun" thoughts. But also there is a feeling I get when I push my limits of focusing on powerpoint (ie chore at hand) it's like the feeling I get when I force myself to eat something I dont like.

The internet is directly available to me and keeping away from is fine, though not entirely absent

anyway for today march 31 - day 12

Succesfully done an entire 30 min of powerpoint while refocussing quickly after distraction (internal and external)

[Sunnybayes]

Originally Posted by Sworn

It is often just my mind that keeps telling me: "BO-RING!"

Here's my take at it explained here:
My figure out the feelings inside my brain/body thread

okay, and my theory about the transitions you are going through and about what's hard about " pushing my limits of focusing on powerpoint"

My figure out the feelings inside my brain/body thread

hopefully some of that will resonate with what you are feeling.

[Sworn]

april 1st - day 13

Hey man sorry I havent gotten around reading those articles yet... seriously haha

but I do need to report some of that powerpoint I did today. I even finished summarizing that one pdf I started. Tomorrow I can start rehearsing and doing tests and all that....

cheerio

[Sunnybayes]

lol. keep truckin. but seriously though... yea I'm rootin for my own stuff... but read it, it'll open your eyes... and read the whole thread too. But you're on your way...

[Sworn]

hell yeah it's a thread Ill check out.
Its of great value just wanna send you props for a bit.
and all the more cool you're into the pickup arts as well

[Sworn]

April 2nd - Day 14

allrighty. Today was actually quite easy. I changed my approach a little bit as in: I started writing down on paper what I read. Its physically documented now.
It even calmed me down on the inside. My half hour basically flew over.

taking it paragraph per paragraph. Nice and easy.
Thanks sunnybayes

[Sunnybayes]

awesome :-) that made my week

[Sworn]

April 3 - Day 15

April 3 was rather unproductive. I had a playdate at 7pm with my buddies and I didnt get out of my bed before 1pm and ... just the entire went quite lala ...
U know...
Why?
I dont even remember actually. THe day was kind of filled with errands and before I realised it, it was already time for my playdate.
I know, kinda weak. Whatever ...

[Sworn]

Hey sunnybayes, Pleasure is mine!

April 4 - Day 16
Today was successful again. This time my mind wanted to wander off more but still the affirmations got me on track pretty well. Other than that: did some nice jogging, all that rests me to do now is ... clean my room a little bit ( because I want to, of course )

Till tomorrow

[jag]

Good job Sworn.

Namaste
JAK

[Sworn]

Hey thanks, Those words are very encouraging. They're like the fairies showing up now and then in the deep dark mean forest of boohoo

Anyway

April 5 - Day 17

This time around Im developing a habit I would mucho like to keep and is very aligned with the recent posts that have been going around about desire and habit. Today was again a great experience pushing the limits of being present and focus-and refocusing.

Namaste indeed!

[Liara Covert]

I'm glad to hear you're learning to set goals and stick to your plans. Patience can seem to be a valuable commodity, but it pays off when you exert efforts.

Keep up the great work!
best wishes

[Sworn]

Awesome,

Maybe not that awesome that I didnt do my exercise yesterday (at least not the powerpoint) but today I did

April 6 - Day 18
Skipped powerpoint

April 7 - Day 19
A succesful 30+ minutes of studying powerpoint
As a matter of fact, I'm gonna make it 40' tomorrow

Till tomorrow

[Sworn]

April 8 - Day 20

Yesterday was succesful and not even that hard to maintain 40 minutes

April 9 - Day 21

I just got ready to start practicing and cant get start due to technical problems (server of my online course crashed).

Till tomorrow

[Sworn]

April 10 - Day 22

I did a poor 20 minutes of powerpoint in between "social stimuli". Half-a$$ kind of.... but ok to keep the habit in that respect.

April 11 - Day 23

Kicking some serious butt here. A very focused 45 minutes of work. Im proud and feel good. Allrighty. The scoreboard after those 30 days is going to be interesting

[Sworn]

April 12 - Day 24


The good news: Another 40 heavy concentrated minutes of work
THe bad news: It was hard and heavy and I felt like crap
The even better news than the good news: I did it anyway. I couldn't care less about my challenge almost being done. Im more process oriented now. What matters to me now are the feelings I get when I want to bail out and strip them from them power to make me procrastinate by observerving them.

Timeboxing, studying and meditating all in to one, baby!

[Sworn]

April 13 - Day 25
.... and plowing let's not forget that because it really feels like plowing through impatience, irritation and boredom doing this. Today I just went for the allotted 30 min. focus workout. That's more how I see it now, as a focus workout. Allright thats also what meditating is in a way so nothing new here. Eckhart Tolle's material and also the reminders sunnybayes sent me indirectly helps me a great deal with this. Even more indirectly there's posters like Scumbag that remind me that personal development is not always "the fun" many gurus want you to believe it is.
I also want to thank this journal.
The fact that Im learning how to use powerpoint is a nice side effect btw

oh well now I have that off my chest ....

[Sworn]

april 14 - Day 26

So I did my first powertraining workout ever friday night. Following was almost no sleep until
this was saturday where I had an entire day of NLP workshop to attend scheduled in antwerp. After that, a whole evening of sarging was the thing to do and couldnt resist. I guess that's an ok excuse even for not studying since it was a great and beneficial experience alltogether.
I got into bed at 2am in some wacky sleep deprivation trance.

Sunday april 15 - Day 27

No studying either. Almost only sleeping. My computer didnt really allow me to do anything on it even just surfing. and finding a computer elsewhere: everyone I knew was out of town. Basically though I bailed out.

[Sworn]

April 16 - day 28

Oh my ... day 28 eh. got a solution for my technical unempmoyment by studying the lynda.com version when all else fails. Just make sure I take notes and summarize like I did today for half an hour

good enough to keep the habit.

[Sworn]

April 17 - Day 29

Now, today I got saved again by having the lynda.com course and still learning quite a bit (if not more its more in-depth) 40mins a ok


April 18 - Day 30

Din't do my assignment. Enjoyed the beatiful weath out and slept in, went training and then went out.