What we think about ourselves matters.  As summer winds down, we can reflect on  the pressure we place on ourselves each year for the "perfect beach body" . Bathing suits, pools & BBQs are opportunities for us to gather and beat the heat, but instead we spend the summer experiencing these moments as hot beds of anxiety. We place an incredible amount of importance on how we look and that can be difficult for anyone who struggles with Self-image.  You might be wondering: “What the heck does this have to do with Yoga?”
 
Yoga can have measurable effect on one’s ability to establish & maintain a positive self-image. One study found that “Yoga Practitioners are 20% more likely to a positive self-image as compared to the general population.”[1]    Yoga encourages one to slow down, look within, be open minded and accepting to what is happening in the now.  The presence of mind that is cultivated through the practice of marrying breath with movement has been shown to lead to:

• Increased body awareness
• Increased Satisfaction with Body Image
• Decreased Self Image Criticisms[2]

 
As a result yoga has become a powerful tool for doctors who work with patients in recovery for eating disorders.  The great thing about these statistics is that you do not have to have been diagnosed with an eating disorder to begin the practice of Yoga & experience these benefits. A 2016 Yoga in America Study showed that, over 50% of Americans surveyed reported improving overall health as the reason why they started and continue to practice Yoga.[3]
 
 Here are my Three tips for finding an awesome yoga class & studio to get you loving you:

1. Plan to visit a few studios.  Go online and look up what is available in your area, browse their website and teacher bios to get a sense of what they are about.
   
   
2. Read the Class descriptions. Studios do a pretty good job of giving you an idea of what to expect. If you are not super physically active look for words like -   all levels , beginners, Hatha or gentle. For those of you are physically active but new to yoga look for words like – All levels, Hahta, Yin, Restorative, Yin-Vin, or Slow Flow
   
   
3. Comfort & Safety are important.  The studio should feel like a safe space. Teacher should be helpful, warm and knowledgeable. The teacher should be able to offer you pose modifications to keep your practice safe & tailored to your needs. At the end of class feel free to ask the teacher questions about what you learned, sensations you felt in the body and how you can bring your practice home.

 
 
Yoga is about connecting deeply with your Self in the present moment and using that as platform to build strength in your body, mind & spirit.  Confidence, Positive Body-Image, Peace of Mind are all by products of the process of self discovery that Yoga helps to facilitate.  Here is a few extra tips just for the guys reading this:

• Yoga isn’t just for chicks anymore.  In the last 5 years, the number of men practicing yoga has gone up from 4 to 10 MILLION.[4]
  
  
• If your not sure what to make of the class descriptions, look for:  Yoga For Runners, Yin-Vin, Yin, or some studios even have Yoga for Men classes.
  
  
• Men make up at least 30% of Yoga practitioners which means in a class of 10 you will likely have 1 or 2 other guys in there with you. [5]
  
  
• Cool Guys Practice Yoga.  Macho men like Sting, Jon Bon Jovi, Woody Harrelson all practice yoga. Creatives like Adam Levine and Colin Ferrel are yogis.[6] Even famous athletes like Victor Cruz, Lebron James, and Kevin Garnett practice yoga. [7]

 
Male or Female, if you want to get out of your own head, connect to & love the body you’re in while you get fitter then you should consider incorporating Yoga in to your routine.  Once you find the studio and class that both challenges and empowers you, allow yourself to enjoy it. All you have to do is show up open minded ready to be present on your mat and the rest will happen organically.
 
Enjoy the adventure yogis!! Until next time….Namaste.
 

[1] http://seattleyoganews.com/yoga-in-america-2016-statistics/

[2] http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/yoga-benefits-beyond-the-mat

[3] https://www.yogaalliance.org/Portals/0/2016%20Yoga%20in%20America%20Study%20RESULTS.pdf

[4] ibid

[5] ibid

[6] https://www.doyouyoga.com/10-famous-men-who-do-yoga-62273/

[7] http://www.stack.com/a/yoga-athletes

At this point you have read Parts 1-3 of this series, and as a result you have generated a plan of attack for the upcoming week’s tasks. The truth is that there is one last Giant to slay before you can execute & implement what you have learned and achieve your desired outcome. This Titan is known by one name: Multi-Tasking.
 
Multi-Tasking wages an assault on your Focus & Ability to Execute.
 
Success is impossible without Focus & Execution.  In our modern era, our focus is under siege.  We are constantly being bombarded by external stimuli from our cellphones, data watches, television and social media.  Not only do we have to contend with the external stimuli but we have to calm the internal stimuli so that we can harness the full productivity of the mind.
 
I know what your thinking, “Awilda you have never seen me multi-task! I can get ten things done at once with out even breaking a sweat!”  Not so, you are  risking more then you think…..
 
 
Here is the Research:
 
Science suggests that Multi-tasking can actually reduces productivity by 40%. [1]  While the brain is arguably one of our most advanced organs, it can only really focus on one thing at a time. The truth is our Brains have a finite amount of attention and if we attempt to divide that attention between several tasks,  then our brain never fully reaches the optimal zone of activity. [2]
 
Not only that but it can also cause you to make unnecessary mistakes, miss important information and cues.  Multitasking has also been show to effect short term & working memory such that problem solving & creativity can be hindered. [3]
 
 
I know your thinking: “Well how bad could it really be?” One study found that the act of multi-tasking, especially in men, had the effect of lowering the subjects IQ. 
If it lowered your IQ 1 or 2 points,  I wouldn’t even mention this side effect; however, one study showed that Multitasking lowered the subjects IQ by 15 points!!!  As a result multi-tasking effectively reduced the subjects intellectual processing ability to the level of an 8 year old child! [4]
 
Doctor Adam Gazzaley,  discovered an interesting correlation between Multi-tasking and decline in working memory. One might dismiss the study with the notion that the more we do the more we have to remember; however, Dr. Gazzaley notes, “findings suggest that the negative impact of multitasking on working memory is not necessarily a memory problem, per se, but the result of an interaction between attention and memory.”[5]
 
The truth is to be successful we want to minimize the number of times we have to come back to a particular tasks. The quicker we can knock out a specific task the quicker we can accomplish the true success we seek.
 
 
CLEARLY….
 
Multi-tasking is the enemy.  Thankfully you have already learned the tactics in the first 3 parts of this series to SLAY THE MULTI-TASKING DRAGON!! I want to share one last tip with you that can really help you to stay the course and avoid slipping back into this dangerous and productivity zapping habit.
 
 
The O.H.I.O Method --
 
O.H.I.O. stands for “Only Handle it Once”.  Now this does not mean you are going to finish each task in one fell swoop the first time you undertake it.  Instead this method helps to underscore all of the previous skills you have learned through out this series.
 
The goal is that each task you intend to work on during a given day has the: only handle it once rule, applied to it.  Even if you only plan to spend 30 minutes on a particular task, make sure that is a consecutive & uninterrupted 30 minutes.  The O.H.I.O. method helps us remember why we are operating under a singular focus in the moment. It also helps to prevent us from trying to divide our attention and compromise our productivity.  
 
Once you are done with a task for the day you, you can move on to the next task with confidence & peace of mind.  
 
Now that you have an arsenal of secret weapons to help you stay on Task and maximize your efficiency, YOU HAVE OFFICIALLY BECOME A 1st Degree TIME NINJA!!!
 
Remember these tools are always available to you here at www.AwildaRivera.com. Feel free to comeback to the site and review these concepts as often as you need to, share the information with your friends, and apply the tips to how you operate. You will definitely see an increase in efficiency, productivity, and task completion.
 
Did you miss Parts 1-3?  Check out the whole series here!

THANKS FOR READING!!! Until Next time you TIME NINJAS!!!

xo,
Awilda Rivera, JD CC RYT-200



[1] http://www.apa.org/research/action/multitask.aspx

[2] http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20707868,00.html#you-re-not-really-multitasking-0

[3] http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/multitasking-a-medical-and-mental-hazard-201201074063

[4] https://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2014/10/08/multitasking-damages-your-brain-and-career-new-studies-suggest/#681deefb56ee (citing University of London Study)

[5] https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2011/04/9676/ucsf-study-multitasking-reveals-switching-glitch-aging-brain

Welcome back to AwildaRivera.com for the third installment of the Time Ninja Series. In Part 2 we unpacked the difference between urgent & important. Part 2 also shared 3 questions you should always ask yourself when creating your task chronology.  Interested in Catching up? Click Here to check out the Infographic,  as well as Part 1 & Part 2 of this series.
 
                                                 -------------------------------------------------

PLAN – SCHEDULE - EXECUTE.
 
Now that you know how to Identify the important component tasks associated with your Goal, and how to attack them chronologically, it is IMPERATIVE that you understand how to get them DONE. The trick to becoming a Time Ninja is SCHEDULING.   I know some of you are out there thinking, “I heard of plan and execute, but how did schedule make it into the mix?”
 
Scheduling is your secret weapon! A plan that fails to be scheduled cannot be efficiently executed. An attempt to execute with out a schedule fails to maximize the plan.
 
The great news is that by this point in the series you have: (1) a plan, (2) you know the tasks you need to execute, and (3) and you know the order you need to execute them in. HOWEVER, you may have no idea how long a task will take to complete.  GUESS WHAT? That’s perfectly fine! As you become more familiar with the types of tasks you need to undertake in your business these activities will either become easier, you will outsource them, or you will develop another approach.
 
Here are 5 Tips to help you Schedule Your plan so that you can Successfully accomplish your Tasks:

1. Decide how long each task will take

• Give yourself a honest estimation of how much time it might take you to complete the task
• Once you have determined how long it will take you to complete the task, break the length of time into smaller chunks (i.e. 15 or 30 min blocks)

2. Plan you week in advance and look at the time you have available to work on your goal related activities

• Look at how many chunks of time you need to complete a specific tasks now that you have broken them up into 15 or 30 minute blocks
• Examine the time you have available in your week to attack the project chunks in a chronological and practical way
  
  

3. Schedule the time to work on these tasks into your electronic or paper planner with 5-10 minute buffers book-ending each period of time

• WRITE IT DOWN!! The point is to create a system that becomes second nature and maximizes your efficiency. DON’T TRY TO KEEP IT ALL IN YOUR HEAD.

4. Review your planner each night and review what you have in the day ahead

• You can not be prepared if you don’t have any idea what the next day holds.
• ALWAYS review your planner the night before for schedule changes and important meetings.

5. COMMIT TO EXECUTING WHILE BEING FLEXIBLE

• Focus on getting it done
• Be realistic about how much time you have allotted and allow yourself the room to lengthen or shorten the time
• Follow the plan you created with a little variation as possible.

In a Nut Shell --

Plan to be prepared or be prepared to fail. Things are always going to come up, you must have a strong  foundation with the systems and routines in place that will continue to encourage your growth.  If you are struggling with getting things done, give this new system a try. Remember that once you Identify what needs to be done, you can prioritize the tasks and create a chronology of activity. You can then use that chronology to Plan - Schedule - Execute on the completion of the tasks.


Until next time guys..... Keep your eyes peeled for Part 4 of this series! 

 
Missed Part ONE of the "How to Become  a Time Ninja" Series? Read it Here!  

Missed Part Two? Read it Here! 

 Ready to schedule your 100% FREE Success Coaching Consultation? Click here!
 

IMPORTANCE  IS THE KEY.
 
 
Welcome back to AwildaRivera.com!! I am super stocked to share Part 2 of the TIME NINJA series with you. In part one we covered how to create Goals and identify the relevant tasks or projects associated therewith. Part 2 will address how to prioritize those tasks in a strategic way so that their completion creates momentum.
 
----------------------------------------------------
 
We have all had the thought “I know what to do, but I have absolutely no idea where to start”, this thought can be paralyzing.  However, if the way to achieve Success is through constant intentional action, then one can not afford to become paralyzed and take no action. 
 
GOOD NEWS – I have a few questions you can ask yourself that can help you to not only prioritize your tasks, but also facilitate the completion of those tasks in a logically progressive manner.
 
BUT FIRST – You need to Understand the difference between Urgent & Important.
 
Putting out fires, thinking on your feet and getting things done in a bind are all apart of the cost of doing Business in 2017. The issue is that those things all fall into the urgent category. Humans are really good at understanding when things are urgent and taking corrective action, for example:
 

• going to the Doctor when you wake up with a Fever, 
• Getting Gas when the like is blinking in your car,
• Filing your taxes the day before the deadline to avoid a penalty,
• Fixing a Email Marketing glitch that just sent all your subscribers the same email 3 times.

 
Unfortunately Humans are also really good at putting things off that are not Urgent. Now of course there are things that should be put off until later like catching up on House of Cards, Cleaning your Sneakers, or finishing that book your Father recommended because they are neither important nor relevant to accomplishing your Goal.  HOWEVER, when examining the importance of tasks related to the accomplishment of your Goal you should ask yourself these 3 questions:
 
1.  Does the completion of this activity help me make material progress towards
     my goal?

• Be honest with yourself here! You need to be clear about what is going to help you make the progress you desire. When you are clear about what you need to do then you are more likely to avoid wasting a ton of time on tasks that are not going to move the needle forward.  If the task is not going to help you move towards your Goal then table it for a later date.
  
  
• Your brain will also begin to narrow down the list of tasks you generated through the exercises in part one of this series to a leaner group of activities. The tasks that remain have been determined by you to be the most likely to help you make tangible & immediate progress towards your goal.

2.    Does this activity have the potential to become urgent?

• We have already established that when Things become Urgent Humans pay attention. However it’s the tasks that we have determined to be Important but have very little prospect of ever becoming Urgent that we have to make a special effort to prioritize. If  we fail to make the important items a priority then we run the risk of making very little to no progress towards our Goal  because we are focused on urgent or irrelevant matters.
  
  

3. Does this activity require that I complete other tasks prior to getting started?
 

• ALWAYS ASK YOURSELF THIS 3rd Question!! The answer you generate will help to start to create a logical order of operations for the narrowed list of tasks.
  
  
• Creating a task accomplishment order  will help you to build momentum from one task to the next, as the prior task is necessary for the execution of the present activity.
  
  

 
In a NUT SHELL --
Any task that causes you to answer “Yes” to question 1 is DEFINITELY IMPORTANT. You must be proactive!  Its imperative to address any tasks that have the potential to become Urgent in a timely fashion so that you can avoid having to spend time putting out unnecessary fires.  Lastly, having a clear understanding of the nature of the task is essential to creating an effective strategic plan for the chronology of activity. 

Until next time guys..... Keep your eyes peeled for Part 3 of this series! 

 
Missed Part ONE of the "How to Become  a Time Ninja" Series? Read it Here!    

Want to grow with the support of a Growth Squad? Check out the Professional Excellence Mastermind – Registration ends May 20th! Interested in signing up? Register Here.
 
Ready to schedule your 100% FREE Success Coaching Consultation? Click here!
 
 
 

You can’t control Time
 
There is always so much to do, especially if you are an Entrepreneur or Career Professional.  At one time or another we have all had the following thought, “there is just not enough time in the day.”  We are all guilty of trying to control time. Click here for Original InfoGrpahic.
 
News Flash:  TIME CAN NOT BE CONTROLLED.  
 
Scary thought? Take a deep breath… I am here to tell you that you never have to worry about trying to control time ever again!  The first step to becoming a Time Ninja is to understand one noble truth – Tasks can be managed, time can not.
 
Unfortunately most people utilize “to-do” list to manage their tasks. The main issue with ‘to-do’ lists is the absence of structure. The trouble with most humans is that we tend to lump personal, professional & life tasks together on the same ever expanding ‘to do’ list. Since Tasks are the activities that you assign to yourself on a daily basis we must have a checks & balance system through which we screen these tasks before they get added to the list.  Goals are great rubrics through which we can measure our tasks. We should be mostly focused on completing tasks that move us close to achieving our stated goals.
 
In order to become a Time Ninja you must be able to identify and categorize your tasks based on your current goals. Here are 4 tips that will help you with get a handle on your task list:

1. Establish one overall goal for the next week. Its focus can be personal or professional, it is important however that the week’s goals is in alignment with your overall vision for your professional development, financial growth and personal balance. If you are already working towards a particular goal this quarter then use that goal to generate a micro goal for the week ahead. (not sure how to establish one goal for the week? CLICK HERE FOR the WEEKLY GOAL WORKSHEET
   
   
2.  Place 3 minutes on a timer & list all the tasks you know would help you make tangible progress towards the goal. Allow the tasks to flow, don’t judge or censor them. Write the entire time, until the buzzer sounds. Once the brainstorm is complete separate the tasks you generate into the following categories: Personal, Professional & Other.
   
   
3.  Examine the Tasks in each list. Place 30 seconds on the clock & mark the 2
    tasks in each category that will result in the most progress towards your overall goal for the week.
   
   
4. Create short list of the 6 tasks that you identified. These are the tasks you should focus on completing this week.
   
   

Give your self 20 mins & get after it…the more you practice identifying and categorizing your tasks the easier it  will be for you to prioritize in strategize in  Part 2!!
 
 
[STAY TUNED FOR PART 2 ---  How to Prioritize & Strategize]

PROJECTS, PERSONAS & Practical Methods to succeed ----

This month I had the honor of not only doing one but TWO interviews with the incomparable Dr. Gonzalez of  the acclaimed EntHead podcast. We tackled some of the Hot Topics in Entrepreneurship, namely (1) Project & Task management for Business Growth, AND (2) How to present an authentic persona on Social Media that helps you build credibility & trust.

If you are constantly feeling like you are in the weeds, and the To-Do list keeps piling up then you would probably benefit from listening to this interview: 

•  Tackling tasks and Projects for business growth  

If you are struggling with getting yourself rooted in a real way and presenting your most authentic self on social media then the episode on Social Media is a great resource --- 

• Socially..... stick to what you know so You Grow!!!

ENJOY!! If you are wondering whats next in May my guest spots on Women Crafting Success and the NomadTogether podcast will be airing, with a ton of great tips to help you on your Professional and Personal Growth Journey