Monday July 16 Monday, Jul 16 2007

Today I exercised first thing. After work, I did my habit research and posted my action steps for habit 2. I’ll read for half an hour before I go to sleep. My habit tracker is now in use. I’ll post my weekly scores every Sunday, so you’ll have to wait until then (yes, you, my loyal fanbase) for that little gem. Basically I just track my good habits every day, and assign a score to each one according to it’s importance. I’ve tried to keep it as simple as possible.

 On Sunday I bought a goal journal to re-write my goals every morning and to assist with visualisation.

“Take what you can from your dreams. Make them as real as anything. It will take the work out of the Courage.” – Dave Matthews (Grey St. on Busted Stuff)

Until tomorrow!

Leave a Response »

 

Habit 2 – Moist Lips Monday, Jul 16 2007

This habit overlaps quite a lot with habit 1.  Staying hydrated, eating healthy and exercising is an important component. Another component is protection from the elements. Another possible cause is my allergic rhinitis, which causes me to breathe through my mouth, drying out my lips. Nasal irrigation is one way to tackle this. Another cause of dry lips is licking my lips. So this habit includes:

• Lots of water
• Lots of vegetables
• Exercising in the morning
• Nasal irrigation
• No licking my lips
• Lots of vegetables
• Wind, sun, cold protection (carry a good lip balm)
• Occasionally exfoliate lips, using a toothbrush, warm water and petroleum jelly.

I’ve heard a lot about lip balm being potentially damaging, so I did some research into the ingredients in a couple of brands of lip balm that I own:

Carmex:

•  Camphor – is poisonous
• Menthol – anaesthetic
• Salicylic acid – damages cells
• Phenol – antiseptic – causes skin irritation

 Lip-eze: 

• butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane – sunscreen
• octocrylene – uv rays
• octyl methoxycinnamate – uv-b rays
• 4-Methylbenzylidene camphor – can cause photoallergic dermatitis
• Butylated hydroxyanisole – is carcinogenic

Conclusion: No more Carmex!. Lip-Eze isn’t too bad, although I’ll look around for a better one.

Leave a Response »

 

Saturday July 14 Saturday, Jul 14 2007

Today I slept in late, and then got up and did my stretches and exercise. I researched methods to get rid of dry lips (which I get mildly) in the afternoon, and then read “The Famished Road” in the late afternoon (I’ll have finished it by tomorrow). I also did a De Bono creativity exercise, and a journal entry. I have all these different places that I write, and in my journal I clarified my purpose for each of these different writing media. The purpose of this blog is to record and plan the specific actions in my personal development.

My dry lips research fed me a lot of conflicting advice. Most of the advice I found on the popular advice sites advise the regular use of lip balm, but still others claim the chemicals in the lip balm damage and dry out your lips. I’ll continue my research and post my new habit on Monday.

Today I also came up with a new accountability system to track my habit creations. I’ll post that here on Monday as well.

Cheers.

Leave a Response »

 

Friday July 13 Saturday, Jul 14 2007

Today I didn’t exercise, and I didn’t read. I payed for it though, I felt pretty crappy.

I have resolved not to beat myself up about anything over the course of my development. I have resolved to improving as a person and I will continually achieve that. Self discipline and motivation is simply a part of my development.

I did get a new bulb for my nasal irrigation though, and it worked wonders! It took me by surprise a bit the first time, but sure enough it flushed out my sinuses and came out my other nostril. It’s a good feeling! I’ll keep it up.

I did follow my habit creation today, only veg and nuts and bread until the evening meal, I drank plenty of water, and brushed my teeth and scraped my tongue twice, flossed once. I also read another couple of online articles on post nasal drip. I’ll move on to moist lips tomorrow or on Monday.

Tomorrow I will exercise, read and start researching moist lips. I’ll also cross some things off my pre-travel to do list.

Until tomorrow!

Leave a Response »

 

Thursday July 12 Thursday, Jul 12 2007

I got up at 6:30am and did my stretching and exercises. I also followed my habit creation blueprint today with pleasing results (see Habit 1 in habits section). One thing I did notice was my quite severe post nasal drip. This is cited as a cause of bad breath, and while I don’t have bad breath, by focussing on the freshness of my breath after reading about it, I noticed that I have it (post nasal drip) quite bad. This makes sense, as I have been diagnosed with allergic rhinitis. I have for as long as I can remember had these dark circles underneath my eyes, as if somebody’s punched me in the nose. My doctor told me this is caused by the congestion of my sinuses due to my allergy (to alternaria mold). I’m having allergy de-sensitisation injections, but it hasn’t helped with the black eyes.

Through my research on bad breath, I stumbled across an ancient technique called nasal irrigation (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/nasal-lavage/MM00552) which looks like it may be the cure for my problem! Hopefully by establishing this as a daily habit, I can get rid of my nasal congestion, my post-nasal drip and my eye circles.

I’m going to do this every morning for 30 days as part of my fresh breath habit. I’ll take a photo of my eyes every now and then so I can track my progress.

I did my first one just now. I didn’t find that the water came out of my mouth or other nostril. I think that it’s just too clogged up. I felt like it penetrated my sinuses just a little. Hopefully with perseverance I’ll be able to clear out my sinuses. This should make me feel better, make breathing easier, and help my singing! Sounds good.

I read for 45 minutes at lunchtime (The Famished Road), and my post nasal irrigation research and experiment will count as my personal devlopment project for the day.

 I also thought of some daily rituals – I won’t wake up without exercising and then writing my to do list and re-writing my goals. I won’t start my work day without writing a to do list. I won’t leave the office without tidying my desk. I won’t go to sleep in a messy room. So there.

Cheers!

Leave a Response »

 

Habit 1 – Constant Fresh Breath Wednesday, Jul 11 2007

My first habit to establish on the way to my goal is a constant stream of nice fresh breath. My daily requirements:

• Brush teeth, scrape tongue, thoroughly rinse with water immediately after breakfast.
• Brush teeth, use interdental brush (floss on steroids!), scrape tongue, rinse thoroughly before bed.
• Rinse mouth with water following every meal.
• Don’t eat any sugar, meat, fish, garlic or onion until the evening meal. This leaves me with water, milk, yoghurt, nuts, fruit, vegetables and bread.
• Have parsley around to chew on periodically.
• Drink lots of water during the day.
• Have a big glass of water before bed.
• Have a big glass of water in the morning.

Wish me luck! I’ll post my thoughts, observations and success stories as a reply to this post every day for 30 days (until fresh breath becomes a fully fledged habit.)

3 Responses »

 

Wednesday July 11 Wednesday, Jul 11 2007

Ok I need some structure to my days!

I have one month before I leave my home city of Perth, Western Australia for Penn State University in the USA, and I have many things I want to achieve in that time:

• I want to be prepared for my trip (obviously)
• I want to have played a couple of gigs and recorded some songs with this band that I’m getting together
• I want to write a top quality report for my professional practicum on the engineering project I’ve been working on for the last eight months
• I want to have progressed in the manifestation of my intention (the girlfriend one). I’ll do this by doing “overwhelming force” and establishing each of my 21 habits with a 30 day trial. I’ve read plenty now about fresh breath, I just need to start applying it:

Today I read in the evening, did some more research in the later evening, and I didn’t exercise (two days in a row!!!). This is because I have no structure. So here’s my structure:

6:30am: Wake up, have a big glass of water, stretch, do calisthenics routine.

7:00am: Rewrite my goals in my journal, write my to do list for the day. I’ll try to cross at least off one item per day off my travel preparation to do list. Visualise my goal…

7:20am: Eat breakfast: cereal. Make myself lunch with no meat or fish or onion or garlic, plenty of veg, bring a piece of fruit to work as well. Bring parsley to chew on.

7:35am: Shower, brush teeth thoroughly, scrape tongue, rinse with water (not mouthwash).

7:50am: dress (already layed out from previous night)

8:00am: Leave for the train station

8:30am – 5:30pm: At work. Try and work on daily project (researching how to create the necessary habits to reach my goal) during lunch hour if possible. Drink 3 litres of water, don’t eat any sugar.

6:00pm – 10:00pm: do what I need to do, jam, read, project, go out, whatever. Be sure to get clothes ready for the next day.

10:00pm – 10:30pm: Read

10:30pm: Sleep

 Key ideas: Must exercise first thing in the morning to get myself moving! very important. Once energised, decide what I’m going to do that day to get closer to my goals.

Read at night to wind down.

Implement any 30 day trials.

Leave a Response »

 

Tuesday July 10 Tuesday, Jul 10 2007

Today I was bad, I didn’t do my daily exercise. Although I did do plenty of walking, more than half an hour, so I could count that if I was going easy on myself…

 I only had 5 hours sleep last night. I just couldn’t sleep last night. I was thinking about things, my future etc. which to me at the moment seems incredibly bright. Today I read the Famished Road during my lunch break. For my project I walked (see…) to the shops and bought a bunch of stuff – a new toothbrush, some lemon, some parsley, a big water bottle, some sugarfree gum and some portable tissues. I rely on mouthwash at the moment, but I’d like to get to the point where I don’t need it. It’s definitely better to stop the smell from the source, rather than simply mask it. Please note, I don’t have particularly bad breath or any kind of problem, it’s just that I’m comitted to excellence, and the ideal me always has natural fresh breath.

Some suggestions that seem good to me:

• Drink lots of water, but don’t drink too close to mealtimes, as it hampers digestion.
• Buy a tongue scraper, and use it after every brush.
• Rinse mouth out with cool water several times daily.
• Use natural things like parsley, basil, lemon and lime rather than gum or mouthwash or mints.
• Eat plenty of fresh fruit and veg (especially green leafy).
• Cut severely down on: onion, garlic, sugar, meat, fish, chicken, eggs.
• Brush 2-3 times daily. Do a good job!
• Start each day with a big glass of cool water, rinse and gargle.
• Run tongue along your teeth regularly to check for plaque. (Yep, there’s some there)
• If you notice poor breath, rinse with water.
• Eat probiotic yoghurt daily.
• The hint: there’s a taste in your mouth.
• The test – lick the back of your hand and check for bad smell.
• Brush straight after meals, rather than waiting a few hours.

 I’ll synthesise this into some kind of practical plan over the next day or two, and I’ll then turn my new oral hygiene pattern into a fully fledged habit.

I’ll post my daily routine under “Habits” and then I’ll reply to the post every day for 30 days with my observations. The 30 day trial (Thanks Mr. Pavlina) will ensure my new routine becomes habitual.

Leave a Response »

 

21 Habits Monday, Jul 9 2007

1. Good oral hygiene and fresh breath.

2. Moist lips.

3. Smelling nice (shower gel, cologne, deodorant).

4. Looking good all the time (wearing nice clothes, having a style, wearing the right colours, getting good haircuts and using product every day).

5. Talking to strangers, always initiating conversations where possible with open-ended questions.

6. Listening well, active listening, understanding what interests people.

7. Touching people in a friendly way during conversation.

8. Speaking from the “I” perspective. As if I was the main character in the movie of my life.

9. Relating to people on an emotional level. Keeping it positive.

10. Smiling more in general conversation.

11. Disqualifying myself, refusing to occupy a pedestal of others making.

12. Being genuinely interested in other people.

13. Being approval giving, and never approval seeking.

14. Being honest with my intentions, self disclosure.

15. Touching in a more intimate manner.

16. Finding out logistical details about a girl’s situation.

17. Improving my eye contact habits.

18. Push-pull and teasing.

19. Sexual barriers.

20. 2 steps forward, 1 step back.

21. Sexual ability, being able to make her feel good physically.

Leave a Response »

 

Monday July 9 Monday, Jul 9 2007

This morning I got up at 6:30am and did my calisthenics routine. It’s definitely becoming easier, although I;m still having a problem with my right leg. I have a physio appointment booked for Wednesday evening.

I read the Famished Road for half an hour after dinner. I then read up on oral hygiene on the internet, and did some research into habit forming. I also wrote a list of 21 habits I will need to internalise to achieve my goals. I’ll post them now. Each one will get as many days of my 30 minute attention as I feel it requires. This is a rough draft, if I think I can get better resutls, I’ll shift it as I go (ready, fire, aim!)

Leave a Response »