Is it possible to be a conscientious citizen of the world and save more money? Our next scheduled Chi For Yourselfguest says yes you can.
Jonathan K DeYoe is a Buddhist and a financial planner. He’ll talk about a unique financial plan that’s guided by your deepest beliefs, and how to save, invest, pay off debt, and fund your retirement and dreams by building a lifetime income stream.
Jonathan K. DeYoe
Jonathan K. DeYoe is the author of Mindful Money: Simple Practices for Reaching Your Financial Goals and Increasing Your Happiness Dividend.
Join us on Thursday, April 25th at 4 pm Eastern, 1 pm Pacific time at chiforyourself.com
Do you have a favorite time of day to do your work? Not everyone’s a “rise and shine” thinking dynamo.
Today GenuLines looks at different peak productivity times. Let’s see where you might fit into one of them.
Do You Know Your Optimal Routine Zone?
People have certain times of the day when they do their best work. They get more done and are more focused.
Some do better in the mornings. Others in the afternoons.
Then there are the night owls, who can produce the most during the later hours. These are their optimal routine zones.
What is your optimal routine zone? Are you a morning person or do you cringe at the thought of getting up early?
Do you have vampire blood that lets you do your best work at night?
Match up with the zone
Whatever you find to be your optimal routine zone, set your tasks to work during these times. Do as much of your work as possible during this optimal zone.
Structure your day around it.
Working during your optimal time doesn’t mean you do nothing when you’re outside of those zones. Your boss will likely not take too kindly if you slack off.
Instead, you should use this time for activities that are not as taxing. These include making phone calls and other non-stressful activities.
Sometimes, you’ll have no choice but to do more of the heavy lifting during your “off times.” If this happens, you’ll have to make the best of it.
Zone out
Another problem is that you may be working in a job that does not coincide with your optimal zones. That’s a tough one.
You may want to adjust or to move on to opportunities where you can work during your optimal times.
If your job involves being creative, this concept of optimal zones is going to work in your favor. For instance, if you are a writer, try to do most of your writing during these times.
You can use the other times to answer emails, post on social media, or check out forums related to your writing. If you’re writing for a blog, try writing several posts in your zone.
Schedule them as if you’ve written one per day, etc.
Increasing your productivity is knowing your advantages. Find your optimal work zones and use them effectively.
This way you’ll increase your productivity. Your manager will notice this, and it could help you when asking for a raise or getting a promotion.
It will also give you the satisfaction of a more fulfilling job.
Complainers complain. It’s what they do. Are you dealing with such a person? If you are, consider the points in this GenuLines post and apply them to your situation.
Complainers Can Learn to Appreciate Small Things
Do you know a chronic complainer? Someone who never seems to be happy about anything.
They find everything wrong with what others do. If there’s a new idea, they’ll knock it down.
They’re also the type of person who will interrupt others to make their point. They’ll do that because they know best.
But at some point, people start to ignore them. And they’re high on the list if cutbacks should ever hit the company, too.
Complainers have forgotten how to appreciate the small things in life.
They don’t realize that it’s difficult to get a new job and it takes much more time than it used to.
They don’t appreciate that they have a job.
Sometimes, chronic complaining can be a result of complacency. Since no one is listening to what the person says, it’s just easier to complain.
No company or situation is perfect, and sometimes it’s best when problems are out in the open. But there is a time and place for complaints and a correct way to air them.
If you have to complain offer up several solutions to the problem. That’s a productive use of complaining energy.
Call it problem recognition with applicable solutions.
There’s a critical difference between you and a chronic complainer. You appreciate your job or your situation.
Help the complainer
If you want to help a chronic complainer, point out the problem using a subtle approach. Instead of telling the person they complain too much, show them how to be grateful for the little things in life.
Remind them that you feel appreciative of the fact you have a job, etc.
Relate a story- may be about how your last job search was difficult. It took you months, and it made you realize that jobs are not easy to find.
Also, talk about how you appreciate your home life and your family and what it means to you. That’s a subtle approach.
The person may start to understand there is much to appreciate in everyday life. You can show that complaining is ineffective and may lead to problems down the road.
Aim to get friends and colleagues to relate to the same gratitude for work and family.
The chronic complainer may start to see it pays to be appreciative.
Have you ever wrestled with self-doubt? That might seem like a silly question.
Most people doubt themselves at some point in their lives. Scroll down for some good words from GenuLines on dealing with self-doubt.
Self-Doubt And What You Can Do About It
Why do people engage in self-doubt? The reason is that it’s easier to doubt yourself than it is to believe that something is possible.
You may believe in your concept, but it’s something that hasn’t materialized yet. It’s unfamiliar territory for you.
Our protection mechanisms tell us to reach for something that’s familiar. We use this as a reason to quit.
The unknown also helps us to come up with excuses. It’s easy to say it won’t work because, and then insert whatever reason can set your mind at ease.
You can even find help from others in coming up with excuses. They have plenty of them for you to choose from.
If they didn’t, they would be succeeding at their goals.
A survival mechanism
Sometimes self-doubt can help us survive. For instance, someone tells you that you can jump off a cliff and survive.
Your self-doubt probably jumps in and tells you this is a bad idea. Self-doubt can sometimes keep you from making bad financial decisions.
This might be an opportunity that sounds too good to be true.
In most cases, self-doubt is not something that will advance your life. It will hold you back, and you need always to be aware of that.
Don’t take the easy way out. Do prepare yourself as much as possible for unfamiliar situations.
But, go forward with a strong belief that you can complete what you set out to do.
Try to structure your life so that you have more positive than negative energy. Flush out as much negative energy as possible.
Use affirmations, support groups, or whatever works for you.
Negative energy is what self-doubt is all about. Two forces are opposing each other.
If you have 100% negative energy that means you have 0% positive energy. Try to tip the scale toward as much positivity as possible and push away the negativity.
No shortage of negative energy
It’s unlikely that you can ever have 100% positive energy. But, you can work towards exposing yourself to positive energy.
You can stop listening to or reading the news, and you can reduce your exposure to negative people. Positive people do exist.
Overheard: “Every time I start a picture I feel the same fear, the same self-doubts, and I have only one source on which I can draw. Because it comes from within me”
How Much Exercise Do You Need Every Day To Lose Weight?
Weight loss requires both a disciplined dietary approach and exercise. Other factors are important too. But, how much exercise do you need to do?
There’s no magic number of minutes, reps or hours needed to produce weight loss. Rather there are variables that you have to consider to reach the right numbers.
Here are some options to help you come up with an exercise time frame that works best for you.
Variable 1: Calories Consumed and Calorie Quality
The first principle of weight loss is that to lose weight you must reach a caloric deficit. This means burning more calories than you’re consuming.
So, to know the amount of exercise needed to lose weight, you need to know your daily caloric intake. Just as important are the sources of those calories.
For example, vegetables versus potato chips. If you function on a low-calorie diet you’ll need less exercise to lose weight.
You may be fine with a moderate 3-4 day a week training plan. If you eat large amounts of food you’ll need to up your exercise plan.
Variable 2: Exercise Type and Intensity
The second key variable is the type and intensity of exercise. 20 minutes on the elliptical has a far different energy output than 20 minutes of all-out sprinting.
This variable can also dovetail with our first variable. The greater the calorie consumption, the more energy for high-intensity exercise. Otherwise, you may not need to exercise for an especially long time or at a high intensity.
In general, aerobic-intensive exercise is different. It requires a longer time to see any sort of effective impact on weight loss.
Jogging, biking, the elliptical or other options eat up more time. This could consume hours over the course of a week before you see a meaningful impact.
Anaerobic activities will be more effective in a shorter amount of time. These include sprinting, resistance training or interval training methods.
But, their intensity level is much higher. So, you’ll need a certain level of fitness to get the full potential and results.
Variable 3: What is the Weight Loss Goal? How much time do we have to achieve it?
The third variable is arguably the most important. Think of your car ride or travel plans.
They’re determined by your destination. Your exercise plan and weight loss journey will be dictated by the goal we have set. If the goal is to lose 5 pounds in two months, that is a fairly modest and achievable goal for most.
If you’re a sedentary person you would only need to exercise 20-30 minutes a day for 3-4 days a week to achieve this goal.
Conversely, if your goal is to lose 30 pounds in two months, the equation is quite different. This would involve more hours every day at high intensity to achieve that same goal.
Putting it All Together: Finding the Right Number
We’ve examined the variables. Now we can consider how much exercise we need per day to lose weight.
Let’s say you have a low caloric intake, low-intensity aerobic exercise, and a modest goal.
You might be O.K. with 30-45 minutes of aerobic exercise a day. Not so if you love to eat, love to lift weights and also have an ambitious goal for weight loss.
You’re going to have to spend considerable time every day working out to reach those goals. Your best bet would be to assess your starting point as compared to your goal.
Look at how much time you have to reach that goal. Then make your plan to reach it.
This is a better bet than relying on a standard number or cookie-cutter approach.
Picture this. You come home from work stressed, exhausted, and hungry. You decide that tonight might be a great night to order in.
Do you find yourself doing this two or three times a week because your life is so busy? The scenario isn’t meant to shame, Most of us have been there.
Life doesn’t stop because your day has been crazy busy.
The kids still need to eat. The laundry still needs to get done. And you still have a night of balancing your checkbook ahead of you.
Let’s be honest, who would have time to even think about cooking with a schedule like that? This is where the importance of planning comes in.
When you’re able to plan your meals ahead of time you won’t need to hit that drive-thru window. You’ll already have your dinner ready, all you need to do is heat it. With everything already in place, you can focus on other things while your food is cooking.
Taking one or two hours a week to plan your meals might seem like a hassle. But this can save you hours in the future.
Doing something once a week is a lot easier than doing it several times a week. One trip to the grocery store and one afternoon in the kitchen. This can produce an entire week of meals for your family.
But planning your meals is only the beginning. You can also plan your trip to the grocery store.
What was once a headache can be a breeze when you have a categorized list in front of you. Make an Excel spreadsheet and list your grocery categories in bold, (frozen, produce, meats, etc.).
Then put each item under the appropriate category and print it out. Now you have an easy-to-use, focused list that will keep you on track.
And, your printout can be a template for your future grocery lists.
Bringing change to our lives is great conversation fodder. But, are we really doing what it takes to bring about change?
Today’s article will give you some ideas to kick-start the process of changing your life.
While we’re on the subject of change, I hope you had a chance to hear the CHI FOR YOURSELF interview with Julie Simon. Our topic was emotional eating. Getting an upper hand on that tendency can bring major change to your life.
People often say that they have at least one wish or desire to change something about their lives. Unfortunately, they often don’t move to change this.
They’ll say that their reason for not attaining their goal is lack of motivation. Then there are those who would say this is a lack of effort rather than a lack of motivation.
Let’s take a look at some reasons why people don’t put the effort into making a lifestyle change.
1. Lack of a reason
To make any type of change in your life you need to have a good reason to do so. Having a goal is wonderful but the reason you have to reach that goal fuels your decision.
Those reasons could include attracting more money for a move to a new location. or for funding more opportunities.
2. Setting too large a goal
Weight loss is a perfect example. If you want to lose 70 pounds don’t focus on this amount.
Instead, you can set smaller goals, say 7 pounds a month. That can help you stay on task.
If you meet this goal in less time that’s great. If you’re struggling, don’t give up. Refocus and set your next monthly goal at 5 pounds.
3. No vision
Having a vision of what you want is a great way to stay motivated. This is why it’s smart to keep track of your goals.
You can do this in various ways, depending on your goal. If that goal is to lose weight then keep photos and images of your progress.
If it’s another type of goal you might want to keep a journal or blog about your journey.
This way you can see what you are struggling with and what you’re accomplishing.
4. Lack of Support
Not having a support network can hurt your efforts to bring change to your life. Getting support from family and friends can be a big boost toward realizing your goals.
Put these four factors into practice. You’ll find that you have both more drive and more commitment.
And, you’ll finally start making those lifestyle changes you’ve dreamed about.
Then there are the night owls, who can produce the most during the later hours. These are their optimal routine zones.
Overheard: “It’s a hard thing to leave any 
Do you know a chronic complainer? Someone who never seems to be happy about anything. 
You may believe in your concept, but it’s something that hasn’t materialized yet. It’s unfamiliar territory for you. 
Overheard: “Every time I start a picture 
While we’re on the subject of change, I hope you had a chance to hear the CHI FOR YOURSELF interview with Julie Simon. Our topic was emotional eating. Getting an upper hand on that tendency can bring major change to your life.
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