Yo-Yo Excercising

With summer rapidly approaching, I engaged in the annual pre-season ritual of taking a good look in the mirror. I have to be honest, I typically don't spend much time checking myself out because frankly, it's just too depressing. But I'm going to be wearing my favorite summer togs - jean skirts and tank tops - so an evaluation was needed.

Let me just say, the winter was not kind to me. It's time to pack away the excuses along with my winter sweaters and make some lifestyle changes. I came across an article in O, The Oprah Magazine that describes an exercise program I think I can manage. Read it here. The 10-minute, quick workouts featured in this article are very doable.

The words that surprised me like a slap in the head, though, were, "Repeatedly starting and stopping a workout routine makes weight gain likely and weight loss more challenging." They termed it yo-yo exercising. I always thought any exercise was a good thing but apparently, it's only truly helpful if you keep at it consistently. Don't you just hate that?

So I'm going to commit to getting myself up off the couch and exercising more than my elbow and jaw. I can do 10 minutes today... can't you?

Tridoku

Here's something to stretch your brain. Have you tried Sudoku puzzles? They've been VERY popular for quite a while now. Well, this latest puzzle, Tridoku, is a new twist and it's a blast. In some ways it's more challenging than Sudoku but after you play with it a bit, it'll start falling in to place. You have to alter your way of thinking a little, which is exactly the point of the stretch zone!

As of this writing there is only one book that I've found. It has 180 puzzles at 4 different levels of diffculty. The instructions are illustrated and very easy to follow. There is also a helpful section with how-to-solve tips. The book itself is not very big, about 5" x 5". There is only one puzzle per page in a size that's very easy to read and they are in color, which not only aids in solving but adds to the sensual experience.

How great is this! You can have hours of puzzle fun, build your brain power, and add years to your mental and physical health all at the same time.

Published!

Today has been a banner day for me. I have embraced the stretch zone and put myself out there in a way I never have before. I've been doing quite a bit of writing lately but everything I've written has just been sitting in a folder on my laptop. Well, a few days ago I decided to submit an article to ezinearticles.com. Much to my delight, it was accepted. Click here to read Keeping Score in Your Relationship - What Have You Done for Me Lately.

This has been so encouraging to me that I submitted a second article and I'm waiting to hear if it gets accepted as well. The most amazing part about all of this is that while reading Goals! by Brian Tracy, (see July 1 post) I wrote down as one of my major goals that I wanted to become a published author. Now, I know this isn't like writing a best-seller, but it's step one. So stay-tuned and keep your eye on that list. Eventually, I'll be on it!

Goals

I just read a book that has had a profound impact on me. It's called Goals! How to Get Everything You Want--Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible by Brian Tracy. I can't give this book a strong enough recommendation. I only wish I had read it 20 years ago. Of course, that would have been quite a feat since it wasn't published until 2003. But that's beside the point. The point is, this book has inspired me to take some positive actions to define what I really want to do.

Goals! is an easy read. It's well organized and is full of tips and exercises to help you define your goals and move toward them until they are reached. At the end of each chapter is a recap of the major points and steps to be taken.

I've read lots and lots of self-improvement books over the years and each had something to offer but I have to say, Goals! is right at the top of my list. I plan on giving copies to both my children.

A New Beginning

Hello All and Welcome to my new adventure. Please join me in getting younger, smarter, thinner, faster, and better, every day from here on.

I have been struggling for quite awhile now regarding the direction my life should take. I have been doing TONS of reading - books, eBooks, blogs, online articles, you name it, trying to decide what to be when I grow up. If you saw my resume (maybe I'll post it some time), you would realize that I have already been many things from a Research Chemist, to a Craft Designer, to an IT Director (and briefly a CIO), to currently unemployed (you gotta love outsourcing). You get the idea. A proverbial Jack-of-all-Trades, Master-of-None! Except maybe the unemployed thing - I seem to be getting pretty good at that one to the great dismay of my creditors. One of my biggest issues is ADD and how quickly my mind flits from one thing to the next but I'll save that topic for another time.

Suddenly, as I was reading an article online, I read a word that triggered that Eureka! moment and I was inspired to drop everything and create this blog. So I did! Some of you may already know what The Streth Zone is and some of you may be able to figure it out intuitively. For those of you scratching your heads, this may be just what you need. The Stretch Zone is the place where you stretch yourself. Relax, I'm not asking you to get off the couch or step away from your computer. At least not yet. You get to decide if that's how you stretch. I'm not even asking you to move a muscle or exercise in the traditional sense - again, that will be your decision.

What I am asking you to do, is open your mind to new things - new habits, new ideas, new ways of thinking. It really will make you younger. I'll be explaining more about all of this very soon so please stay tuned. Bookmark this blog and come back for some things that will change your life!

See you soon!

Ann

P.S. To view the article that ignited this adventure, click the picture at the top of this post. You may need to register with the NYTimes.com to access the article after May 5, 2008 but registration is free and well worth the effort.

To purchase the books mentioned in the article, click one of the links below.

The Open Mind: Using Your Native Intelligence to Learn Faster and Communicate More Effectively