Routines and habits.

As you know, I’m training for a biking trip – part of our Learning Vacation programs – this coming Summer to Portugal. I’ve been riding an average of twice a week for about an hour at-a-time for the past month or so. So today, I decided it was time to “up the ante.”

I set out to go longer than 1 hour, but I didn’t have a particular number in mind. All I knew was that in order for me to ride longer than 60 minutes, I had to take a different route. So rather than planning the ride, I just started biking. I figured as long as I went longer than 30 minutes before I turned around I would accomplish my objective.

Turns out that I biked for close to 90 minutes. What was interesting was that since my only objective today was to extend my time, I didn’t have a particular destination in mind. I ended up “exploring” my neighborhood.

I’ve been living in La Jolla, CA for the past 14 years and yet I hardly ever venture outside of my set routes that I drive. This is certainly true for other areas of my life as well. Why do I this? Because of habits and routines I’ve developed over the years.

We tend to be prisoners to these habits and routines and unless there is strong enough reason to change them, we don’t. And yet, I find that when I do change these habits and routines, I typically enjoy the freshness and discovery that follows.

I know that if it weren’t for the Portugal trip, I wouldn’t be riding my bike the way I have been for the past few months. And thanks to this, I’m discovering a lot of wonderful things. So this trip is my strong reason to get out of my comfort zone and change some of my routines.

Do you have a strong reason to change of your habits or routines? If not, I highly recommend you do.

Personal Mission

In our last podcast episode, Mike Mugel talked about “Anything is Possible” and how that has become his company’s mission. Many people I work with ask me about applying to concept to their personal lives. Specifically they wonder about developing a personal mission and how they can use it to help them create a more Xtraordinary life.

Beyond the Summit by Todd Skinner is an excellent book that not only talks about the concept of a personal mission, but also gives real examples as to how having a personal mission really contributes to Xtraordinary Living.

I found this to be an easy and very enjoyable read. Let me know what you think.

Episode 5 – The Power of Group Awareness

Episode #5 of the Xtraordinary Living podcast is out. The Power of Group Awareness is the topic. In this episode, I was joined by Mike Mugel, CEO of Red Mountain Retail Group (RMRG). This is truly an Xtraordinary company. Their mission is encapsulated in 3 words: Anything is Possible. I’ll tell you one thing, if I didn’t own my company, I would love to work for a company like RMRG. I encourage you to listen so that you can find out why.

To listen, press the play button below. The length of the podcast is a little under 26 minutes. Make sure your computer speakers are turned on or if you use a head set, that it is plugged in.

If you would like to leave us an audio comment, you can do so by clicking on the button below. The only thing you need is a microphone on your computer.

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Sudoku

I was recently introduced to Sudoku. Sudoku is, like a crossword puzzle that uses numbers instead of words. What’s great about this activity is that provides me with 3 things that I value highly: 1) Recreation. 2) Exercise for my mind. 3) A new tool I can incorporate into my job as a facilitator.

If you have been following this blog, you know that combining learning and recreation is something I’m passionate about. It is what one of my favorite people refers to as a “twofer” (“killing two birds with one stone.”) So while many people enjoy Sudoku as a stand alone recreational activity, I like to add the learning component to it.

From a learning perspective, Sudoku can help you add the following to your life: awareness, flexibility, seeing how everything is connected, patience and more. Also when used in a group setting, it also helps promote collaboration.

Another major (and highly unexpected) benefit for me since I started doing this activity, is that I found out my 12-year old daughter Veronica also likes doing these puzzles. We have started doing these together on a regular basis and it has provided us with another activity to share and bond.

If you haven’t yet tried it, I invite you to do so. There are many books and Internet sites where you can find Sudoku. I’ll direct you to one that I have used so you can give it a try WebSudoku.com.

If you’re a Sudoku enthusiast, let me know. I would love to learn more about ways I can improve.

Edutainment Part II

In Sunday’s post I talked about the Exploring Your Genius year-long course and the edutainment concept related to our Cirque du Soleil’s experience. I want to “piggy-back” on that idea and share this short video with you. If you have speakers attached to your computer, I would highly recommend you have them turned on. The music will definitely add to the experience.

If you’re like most people who watch this, you’ll probably be highly entertained and amazed at what Chris does. However, I want you to go deeper and see what you can learn and apply to your life from this. Here are a few questions to consider:

How many hours do you think he spent practicing this 4-minute performance? Do you think he consciously set out to do this or is this something that evolved over time? What emotions does watching this trigger in you? Where can you apply any of this to your own life?

Here’s how I answered these questions: He must have spent hundreds of hours perfecting this routine. It is something that evolved over time that probably started with a thought like “I wonder if…” and culminated here. I felt a tremendous amount of admiration, appreciation and respect after watching this. I can apply this in my life in the following manner: I have fine-tuned my personal Mission to include being a person who triggers those same emotions in others.

In answering the above questions, I have added value to my experience of watching the video. It is no longer JUST something that was interesting and fun. It has become a teaching tool for me as well. My guess is that I will continue to have conversations with others who watch this. That in turn will add to both the entertainment and the educational value I’ve received so far. Maybe you will be one of those people with whom I will have that conversation and in doing so, we will both leverage our experience. Be sure to let me – and others – know what you think by posting on the comments section below.

Living in Awareness – Podcast Episode #4

Our fourth episode of the Xtraordinary Living podcast is out. Living in Awareness is the topic and you can listen to it by pressing on the play button below. The length of the podcast is a little under 15 minutes. Make sure your computer speakers are turned on or if you use a head set, that it is plugged in.

If you would like to leave us an audio comment, you can do so by clicking on the button below. The only thing you need is a microphone on your computer.

If you would like to subscribe to this podcast and receive new issues automatically, you can do so by clicking on the button below. You can also go to iTunes or Yahoo directories, type Xtraordinary Living and subscribe there.

Edutainment!

If you have been reading this blog or have known me for a while, you probably know that one of the best things about my job this that it allows me to play a lot while getting paid. This weekend was the final session of the Exploring Your Genius year-long course and on Friday we took the entire group to watch the Cirque du Soleil. We rented a bus and 35 of us headed out to Long Beach, CA.

If you have ever attended one of their shows, you know that you are in for a treat. The mix of theater, art, music, acrobatics and imagination is very unique and highly entertaining. Plus, every year they go out on tour, they keep ““raising the bar.”” This time was no exception.

I have attended the Cirque du Soleil’’s shows on a regular basis since I first saw them in Los Angeles in 1986. However, because Friday’’s show was connected to a course, it added a new dimension that I’ve never experienced before. On Saturday, while discussing our collective experiences of the night before, we also looked at some of the lessons that we could apply to our own lives. The quality, depth and insights stimulated by the event were phenomenal.

I believe that this is where PL&L adds great value to people’’s lives. Not only do we incorporate a lot of entertainment into our courses -– whether it is through events like the Cirque du Soleil or through sports and adventure travel in our Learning Vacations. But we also add an element of education and introspection that adds a richness that far surpasses the entertainment value alone.

Comfort Zone

When we went to the movies the other night and I suggested we watch the movie “Mrs. Henderson Presents,” my wife’s first response was “What are you up to?” You see she knows me well and knows that this type of movie is definitely not one I normally enjoy, let alone suggest it. She was certain that I was trying to “score some points” to offset something I had either done or was planning on doing – something I admit I do regularly. But in this case, I had no hidden agenda and wasn’t trying to “score points” – though I certainly did:-)

Here’s why I find this so interesting. The reason I suggested this movie was because my “movie concierge service” recommended it for me. This is the same Movie Lens service I had written about in an earlier post. Based on my experience with their recommendations in the past, I know that the odds are much better that I will enjoy myself if I go with their suggestions than with my choices. In other words, their suggestions are a better fit for me than my own suggestions. Isn’t that strange?

Another way of looking at this, is that this service that is run by a computer, knows me better (when it comes to movies) than I do myself. And thanks to this, I was able to have a very enjoyable experience than I would have otherwise missed. Plus, it helped me expand the narrow genre of movies I tend to stick to.

Since mentally growing and expanding are critical ingredients of Xtraordinary Living, we all need help in regularly going outside of our comfort and familiar zones if we want to grow. For me, sometimes it comes from technology and other times it comes from people. Where is yours coming from?

Return Phone Calls

I’ve decided to start a new category in this blog – Rants. I’m curious as to what kind of response I will get to these types of posts. If nothing else, I’d love to look back on these a few years from now, and see how I feel about those same things then.

Today I’m focusing on the people who don’t return phone calls in a prompt manner. I think that if you have made the effort to contact me, then it is very disrespectful of me to not return your call. My personal benchmark is to return my calls within 24 hrs. as long as I’m not traveling out of the country – in which case I leave a message to such effect on my voice mail. The only exception to this, is when a stranger calls me unsolicited wanting to sell me something that I have not requested.

Why do I do this? Because in my opinion, returning calls in a promptly manner is not only a sign of good manners but it is also GOOD business. My experience is that people really appreciate my efforts to get back to them in a promptly manner. It helps build trust and credibility. And that in turn helps build relationships. And relationships are the cornerstone of my business.

On the other hand, I feel that the opposite is also true. Lack of prompt responsiveness is not only bad manners but disrespectful. It is BAD business, erodes trust and undermines credibility. It also wastes a tremendous amount of time.

You may want to keep this in mind the next time someone leaves you a message. The benefit/damage you may do to your business might be greater than you think. I’d love to hear what you have to say on this matter.