Lately, lots of folks I know have started eating Paleo. Essentially, that means eating real food such as vegetables, meat (preferably grass fed), healthy fats, and some fruit and nuts. It eliminates all grains, processed foods, and most sugar and dairy.
One of the first questions they typically ask is, “what do I eat for breakfast?”
I thought I’d share some of my favorites.
For many years, I operated under the illusion that I could make good decisions on the fly and was simultaneously frustrated that I wasn’t getting the results I was looking for. I never realized the two were connected.
Cue the virtual 2×4 across my forehead.
It easily ranks as one of my top 5 self truths. Let’s break this down.
First, we have to acknowledge that we don’t often make rational, logical decisions. Instead, our decisions are heavily (even primarily) influenced by the design of the question itself.
Disagree?
Here are some examples . . .
Last November, I stumbled upon an interesting analogy for life strategy – bumper bowling. I know what you’re thinking. It seems completely random and sort of ridiculous. Think about it this way . . .
When you get to the bowling alley, you can bowl “normally” or you can acknowledge your weaknesses and bowl with guardrails.
It’s likely to bruise your ego a bit, but I’ll bet your scorecard will improve. While you may not hit a strike every time, you’ll certainly be racking up points with every attempt.
I’ve learned that we can choose to live life that way too. And it’s pretty much the same trade: eat some humble pie and get significantly better results.
But there’s one really big key . . .
More than anything, I am reminded about how easy it is to live in default mode.
For me, that mode is primarily reactive, but easily justified to friends and family. It can sound like I’m still making good decisions, but there’s a fallacy there. It typically doesn’t represent conscious choices. Instead, it’s an agreement to stay with the herd and follow the rules. It’s almost completely fueled by fear of some sort.
The scariest part is that it was so hard for me to recognize that I was living this way.
Two weeks ago, it hit me. The feeling had been brewing for months or even years, but April 12 was different. It was as if I woke up with a new pair of glasses and could see clearly for the first time.
I started a journey, without knowing how it would end. I made some progress, and then I stumbled. I failed at my first attempt and had 500+ miles of driving to reflect. I’m proud to say that I won the mental battle this time. And I think I’m stronger for it.
I completed the one thing that I hadn’t been able to do for myself, despite years of positive intent and hundreds of hours of thought and effort.
I had to ask, “What made the difference this time?”
Two things . . .
One of the best books I’ve read lately is The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. It was absolutely brilliant.
Today, he released a flowchart that sums up a significant section of the book. I wanted to share that with you and provide a bit more information about my latest project.
I’ve been restarting myself a lot lately.
First came the pruning last summer. Then the grind of winter, and a decision to start again in mid-January. Then a declaration of my personal new year on March 1 after a horrendous February. And finally a realization last week that I’d been living scared.
My writings here are a clear reflection of how my life is going.
Essentially, I’d work furiously for a while (usually two weeks to a month) and then burn out for an equal period of time. I decided that wasn’t healthy and spent the last six weeks figuring out an alternative. In seeking another option, I reviewed my annual plan, my book notes, my time logs, and my binder of inspirational articles.
The answer was in front of me all along.
I can’t explain it, but I can feel it.
There’s a tremendous resistance when I try to make progress in certain directions.
For several weeks, I was even aware enough to identify it, but it still blocked my progress. And then on Thursday, I awoke to a thunderous crack in that wall of resistance.
Earlier this year, I decided to read books differently. Instead of just plowing through them, I would pause and recap what I learned from each and how I could apply the lessons to my own life.
Simply put, that’s tougher than it sounds. I thought I could do a book a week, but I think half of that is a more realistic goal. (And I’m already a few behind of that pace, but I think I can catch up with some books already in progress.)
In January, I read Ikigai by Sebastian Marshall.
Last month, I finished Start With Why by Simon Sinek.
At the end of January 2011, I started using a standing desk. Since then, my work projects have changed dramatically, and that desk has seen many offices.
Today, it’s at Port Royal Ocean Resort, where I’m the Director of Finance and share an office with the Director of HR and her assistant.
What I’m most proud of is that they both now have one too.
If my house ever gets robbed, I’m betting the burglars will be sorely disappointed – unless they were librarians in a past life. It’s pretty much full of books and not much else. I love to read. (My Mom, Dad, and Nana are the same way, so perhaps it’s genetic.)
Recently, I realized that I wasn’t getting as much out of my books as I could be. I would complete one and move on to the next, without always taking the time to digest the primary lesson or apply the principles.
Going forward, I decided that I would trade quantity for quality.
