Keep it regular, keep it real.

This may sound like young adult jargon to some, but the more I think about these words and toss them around in my head, the more I realise they hold a whack of wisdom right there for the taking. They give me a succinct vision/mission/axiom to live by.

And they apply to loads of life experiences and adventures. Let's have a look at a few:

1. Blogging:
I started in January 2012, pumping out 14 posts in my first month. Then, life burrowed its way back into 'top of mind' and I throttled back to 6 posts in February. I'm mortified to say that to date in March, I've only posted once (before this one that is).

I'm still trying to find my rhythm. I started a new job recently and that consumed a lot of head space and time space for me, I'm looking for that slot in my day where it fits comfortably and feels easy.The kind of natural flow I'm looking for only comes with time and perseverance.
So this is me keeping it real - I may not have the regular down pat just yet, but I'm working on it....

2. Exercise:
Oh you know I just had to slip this one in! Regular in this context means consistent - daily, twice/three times weekly for a set time (1 hour, or maybe a little less). A four hour marathon one week and nothing else for a month will be way less for you than 30 minutes three times a week.
That's because regular, real exercise makes you happy, knocks stress on the head, fires up the muscles, gives the metabolism a zing, and is guaranteed to keep you focussed in the moment for the time you do it. Benefits, benefits, benefits - it doesn't get better than this.

3. Email:
The best thief of time I know. Email is supposed to make our lives easier, to speed up the communication process between people, and can zip around the globe in seconds effectively reducing vast distances to byte-size pieces.
And why are incoming messages so mesmerising? Do you find yourself (like me) checking your email regularly (read - way too often for optimal productivity)? Have you ever been deeply engrossed in a humongous spreadsheet only to see the email notification pop up in the bottom left corner of your screen, and then your mind is off subject and you're trawling your email again? 

The trick is to schedule certain dedicated time slots to check email, and when its not one of those times, close it.

By the time you login again, the people who like to hold detailed conversations on email will have finished their discussion and you can quickly skim the copy for relevant issues. Less than half the time, all the info. Result!


So keep it regular and keep it real whatever that means for you.