Let’s face it. Life is full for all of us. Here is a simple practice that I have adopted over the years that has saved my sanity many times over. It incorporates the free tool of the calendar provided by Google, but any calendar will work. Google’s calendar is connected to your Gmail account. The goal of this practice is to simplify your life. If you are interested in doing so, I will invite you to let go of two things. The first is a belief that is not serving you and the second is a habit that may be complicating your life. The belief to let go of is “I have to do it.” The most powerful tools you will ever have as a leader are your relationships. Adam Markel said it best recently. The shift to make is from “How can I get this done?” to “Who can help me get this done?” The habit to let go of is making lists. Stop making lists. Lists are draining and time-consuming and actually create one more thing to do
Welcome to January and February!!
This morning as I was driving to teach a class at an early hour, the roads were covered with ice, the grass and trees were ice-covered, and travel was very slow. I thought to myself how very easy it is here in Michigan to snuggle in and stop moving, perhaps making different – and not as healthy – eating choices, and letting go of some of the more active habits we’ve been working on cultivating.
It helps me to organize myself at this time of year, and one of the first things I do is reorganize my calendar. From now on, all tasks get written on the calendar. Nowhere else. This wonderful practice saves you from having to look for a list, and has the added benefit of scheduling and allocating the time to get the task done. If you don’t finish it in the allocated time, move it to the next day.
Step One. Create recurring appointments for anything that is important to you. I commonly hear that my community members do not have time for exercise or for dates with their loved ones. Is it important? If so, schedule it. When laying out my goals for a new year, I start with vacation and time off with loved ones. This goes on the calendar first. Exercise goes on next as a daily recurring appointment. For me, most days start with a yoga class. Write it down. Make an appointment with yourself. Choose a day or a block of time for personal and professional development. These are Fridays in my calendar. When life happens and “to-do’s” show up that are not in my regular course of life or business I write them right on my calendar. I usually add them in the early morning hours when I don’t have appointments. This way I don’t lose them, don’t have to keep a separate list and can erase them when they are complete. At the end of the week, a clean calendar gives me a strong sense of completion.
Recipe of the Month: Oven-Roasted Root Vegetables
– Total Time: 1 hr. 5 minutes. Prep: 20 Minutes Cook: 45 Minutes. Yield: 4 servings – 8 cups
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash, (1 1/2 to 2 lbs) halved, seeded and peeled
3 large Yukon gold potatoes (1 1/2 lbs), scrubbed
1 bunch medium beets, (about 1 1/2 lbs), scrubbed and tops trimmed
1 medium red onion
2 large parsnips (about 8 ounces)
1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled (about 16)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper
Directions Place 2 baking sheets in the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Cut all the vegetables into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Cut the onions through the base core to keep some of the layers in chunky pieces. Toss all the vegetables with garlic, olive oil and salt in a large bowl. Season generously with pepper. Carefully remove the heated baking sheets from the oven, brush or drizzle with olive oil. Divide the vegetables evenly between the 2 pans, spreading them out to assure they don’t steam while roasting. Roast the vegetables until tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
*Cook’s Notes: Some very large parsnips have a pithy core, which should be trimmed before cooking.
* Copyright 2005 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved. From Food Network Kitchens.
If you or anyone you know has an interest in yoga therapy either for illness, injury, surgery or an ongoing condition let’s talk. It’s always a free consultation and may be worth your health . . . A healthy alternative to traditional methods. For a current list of ongoing yoga classes, please call or email me.
