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A big part of green eating is slowing down the entire process.
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One of the most visible examples of any green lifestyle is eating. What we choose to eat can serve as the motivating power of example. The same can be said for how we choose to eat: fast or slow. Fast food has been around so long that a full generation of humans can’t remember life without it. I’d say the time is long overdue for a major slow food comeback.
"The slow food movement works to reconnect people to the food they eat. Local food, and local food traditions are central to reclaiming our relationship with nature," declare the good folks at TreeHugger.com. And there’s nothing slow about this movement with over 83,000 members in 122 countries. Some of the objectives sought by those 83,000 slowpokes include lobbying for the inclusion of organic farming concerns within agricultural policy, lobbying against government funding of genetic engineering, and lobbying against the use of pesticides.
When we shorten the distance–both literal and figurative–that our food travels to get to our bellies, we are participating in the Slow Food movement. (And it can all start with nice slow breakfast.)
5 Ways to Be a Slow Eater
1. Say no to fast food.- For starters, fast food cooking alone is worse for the air than all the trucks on the road. How’s that for an apropos statistic?
So passing that greasy burger joint by means sparing the air.
Fast food restaurants also contribute to reckless consumption and destruction of resources—check out this article that follows the chain from rainforest destruction to chicken nuggets ending up in the UK. And then there’s the poor animal treatment, the immense shipping programs emitting harmful gases, the millions of tons of waste generated annually, and the total lack of nutritional value in fast food restaurant’s most popular menu items.
Of course some of this is null and void if you happen to pass by an organic fast food joint. In which case, eat organically away, I say. But until the day when we see these organic outposts right off the highway regularly—drive on by, friend. Just drive on by, even if you’re hungry.
How about packing a picnic? That what I always did when my children and I took road trips. That way you can eat in the car or stop at a rest stop and let the kids run around and eat outdoors.
2. Eat locally grown food whenever possible. Again, local food traditions help reclaim our relationship with nature.
3. Choose organic. It’s good for the farmers, the soil, the local food tradition, and the health of all involved.
4. Avoid GMOs. Slow food is all about reconnecting people to the food they eat. That’s food, not frankenfood.
5. Find time to slowly savor your meals.- One of the problems in our daily lives is that many of us rush through the day, with no time for anything … and when we have time to get a bite to eat, we gobble it down. That leads to stressful, unhealthy living. And with the simple but powerful act of eating slower, we can begin to reverse that lifestyle immediately. How hard is it? You take smaller bites, you chew each bite slower and longer, and you enjoy your meal longer.
It takes a few minutes extra each meal, and yet it can have profound effects.
If you read the Slow Food Manifesto, you’ll see that it’s not just about health — it’s about a lifestyle. And whether you want to adopt that lifestyle or not, there are some reasons you should consider the simple act of eating slower:
- Lose weight. A growing number of studies confirm that just by eating slower, you’ll consume fewer calories — in fact, enough to lose 20 pounds a year without doing anything different or eating anything different. The reason is that it takes about 20 minutes for our brains to register that we’re full. If we eat fast, we can continue eating past the point where we’re full. If we eat slowly, we have time to realize we’re full, and stop on time. Now, I would still recommend that you eat healthier foods, but if you’re looking to lose weight, eating slowly should be a part of your new lifestyle.
- Enjoy your food. This reason is just as powerful, in my opinion. It’s hard to enjoy your food if it goes by too quickly. In fact, I think it’s fine to eat sinful foods, if you eat a small amount slowly. Think about it: you want to eat sinful foods (desserts, fried foods, pizza, etc.) because they taste good. But if you eat them fast, what’s the point? If you eat them slowly, you can get the same amount of great taste, but with less going into your stomach. That’s math that works for me. And that argument aside, I think you are just happier by tasting great food and enjoying it fully, by eating slowly. Make your meals a gastronomic pleasure, not a thing you do rushed, between stressful events.
- Better digestion. If you eat slower, you’ll chew your food better, which leads to better digestion. Digestion actually starts in the mouth, so the more work you do up there, the less you’ll have to do in your stomach. This can help lead to fewer digestive problems.
- Less stress. Eating slowly, and paying attention to our eating, can be a great form of mindfulness exercise. Be in the moment, rather than rushing through a meal thinking about what you need to do next. When you eat, you should eat. This kind of mindfulness, I believe, will lead to a less stressful life, and long-term happiness. Give it a try.
- Rebel against fast food and fast life. Our hectic, fast-paced, stressful, chaotic lives — the Fast Life — leads to eating Fast Food, and eating it quickly. This is a lifestyle that is dehumanizing us, making us unhealthy, stressed out, and unhappy. We rush through our day, doing one mindless task after another, without taking the time to live life, to enjoy life, to relate to each other, to be human. That’s not a good thing in my book. Instead, rebel against that entire lifestyle and philosophy … with the small act of eating slower. Don’t eat Fast Food. Eat at a good restaurant, or better yet, cook your own food and enjoy it fully. Taste life itself.
Poor packaging design and ridiculous examples of over-packaging come in all shapes and sizes, but it doesn’t get much worse than these individually-wrapped bananas, complete with plastic shrink-wrap and (very non-biodegradable) polystyrene, spied in a U.K. grocery store.
See the slide show on TreeHugger.
What you can do;
Make or buy muslin bags for produce.
I made shopping bags out of old silk clothing; it’s very strong, but folds up very small, so I can keep one in my purse.
A nutrition client of mine lost 85 pounds, she was kind enough to give me some old, beautiful linen dresses, they made awesome shopping bags. I incorporated some of the pleats and embroidery that was part of the clothing;
From Coffee Review;
Coffee has been a medical whipping boy for so long that it may come as a surprise that recent research suggests that drinking moderate amounts of coffee (two to four cups per day) provides a wide range of health benefits. Most of these benefits have been identified through statistical studies that track a large group of subjects over the course of years and match incidence of various diseases with individual habits, like drinking coffee, meanwhile controlling for other variables that may influence that relationship. According to a spate of such recent studies moderate coffee drinking may lower the risk of colon cancer by about 25%, gallstones by 45%, cirrhosis of the liver by 80%, and Parkinson’s disease by 50% to as much as 80%. Other benefits include 25% reduction in onset of attacks among asthma sufferers and, at least among a large group of female nurses tracked over many years, fewer suicides.
In addition, some studies have indicated that coffee contains four times the amount of cancer-fighting anti-oxidants as green tea.
Of course, most of these studies do not take into account how the coffee is brewed, how fresh the beans, and so on. Perhaps as these studies are refined we may discover, for example, that drinking coffee that has been freshly roasted and brewed is more beneficial than downing coffee that is terminally stale or badly brewed. Certainly there is considerably more going on chemically in fresh coffee than in stale. And we may learn how much beneficial effects of coffee drinking are provoked by caffeine and how much by other, less understood, chemical components of coffee. But one thing is certain, if I were a nurse taking part in the study noted earlier, and if I were drinking cheap office service coffee, I would be much, much more prone to suicide than if I were drinking, say, a freshly roasted, ground and brewed Ethiopia Yirgacheffe.
Boing Boing had a great article on Socialstructing today. I call it bartering, it’s how I got by as a single mom; I bartered for 2 years of diaper service, years of haircuts, massages, baby sitting…. It’s what used to come easy when we had extended families close by… The recession we are in is making people rethink how to help each other through this..
So give some thought to what you have to offer, what others need. I for one am putting this out there… I am a Nutrition and Life Couch and Chef, a seamstress, avid gardener. If you have skills we could trade for, give a shout!! I also have a wonderful yard, so if you don’t have space to garden, come over and grab a space and tend to it!
Here’s a link to the article…Socialstructing: Bringing Social Back into Our Economy and Organizations
It’s TV Turnoff Week, so just do it. From April 20 to 26 join millions of people worldwide and switch off your set. Find a more rewarding and active life–at least for a week.
Last year 5 million people in the USA alone turned off the box and found that they had all sorts of extra time to do things they had been meaning to do. Like talk to their friends, read a book, take a walk…
Image from indymedia.org
The founder of the campaign which he started thirteen years ago, David Burke, sums it up: “The odd thing is that it wasn’t until I stopped watching TV that I started feeling really strongly about it. Suddenly you walk into a room and everyone is watching TV and you think, ‘Why isn’t anyone talking?’”
The statistics about television watching are scary. According to the Financial Times, here in the UK, “84 per cent of men and 85 per cent of women rate television viewing as their most popular leisure activity. By comparison, “Spending time with family or friends” was chosen by 75 per cent of men and 82 per cent of women. People watched an average of 3.88 hours of TV a day, so by the age of 75 the average Briton will have spent more than 12 years of his or her life watching television.” The average child by the time they are six will have watched a whole year’s worth of television. More than half of three year olds now have televisions in their bedrooms.
Now that you are completely horrified and convinced that you will never watch the box again,
here’s what to do instead of watching the tube:
* Invite over friends or family you haven’t seen
* Pick up your local what’s on guide and get out to see live entertainment
* Fix up your bike and take it out for a ride
* Walk around the neighborhood, go to places you have never been to before
* Go to bed really early with your lover, partner – or a book
* Go though your stuff and sell things on ebay or do a garage sale
* Listen to some new music
* Pay someone a surprise visit
* Dust off your cook books and cook something amazing
* Get a new piece of technology e.g. An MP3 Player and work out how to use it
* Participate in a local event
* Join a political party
Read more about living without TV at Whitedot.org
Filed under: Basics, Being Productive, In The Kitchen with Millie- How To's, Nourishment
by Millie Barnes
The one thing I consistently hear from almost every nutrition client of mine is, “I don’t have the time/energy to cook at night!” It takes a little planning ahead, but that allows you to eat well all week and actually feel great…because you are eating healthy!
Sunday (or your day off) Is Not a Day of Rest
If you are going to cook dinner every day of the week, you will have to do most of your shopping and some preparing ahead of time. This is particularly the case, if, like me, have a very busy schedule and kids to deal with.
Yes, this means planning menus for the week. Don’t wince. This is good. It means freedom from the painfully frequent question, “What are we going to eat tonight?” By Sunday, you will know.
Getting some meals ready ahead of time makes sense for people who like to cook, because weekend preparation can be as languorous as you allow. I do my prep work on Sundays by shopping and spending about an hour cooking. I first start browning a small roast. This means that I will have dinner at least two nights, broth for cooking with and a few sandwiches. I start a chicken soup or roast chicken. Again, I will have dinner two nights and some chicken salad or soup. Having broth from two sources will mean I will meet my need for calcium easily most nights; broths are full of nutrients we desperately need. After these things are cooking I make mayonnaise from scratch (3 minutes in the blender means no eating soy oil based mayo!), and a salad dressing (again, 3 minutes in the blender). Having salad dressing made means that if I come in and am slammed for time, I am more likely to have a salad than if I have to take the time to make a dressing.
I could also make a chuck roast in wine and herbs (10 minutes of browning and stirring, three hours in the oven) instead of concocting a stew that demands that the meat be cubed, floured and browned and copious vegetables be diced. Or, I could do just the reverse.
As often as not, I don’t cook the food right away but prepare it for the moment it is to be popped into the oven. For food that looks great and entices children, I find it is easy to stuff a flank steak or chicken breasts ahead of time, secure them with twine, wrap them well and just roast them when I walk in the door.
Whatever the season, my habit is to get at least two meals done on Sunday. For at least one of these meals I make a double portion and freeze half to serve a week from the coming Tuesday. Among my standbys are stews (chicken and vegetable, or beef), chicken breast; grilled or pan seared, fish cakes, pesto (in ice cube trays) and soups, especially lentil-vegetable, minestrone and butternut squash.
If you are disciplined, shopping and cooking (not including time in the oven) can be kept to two hours on Sunday, setting you up for dinners through Thursday. By Thursday or Friday I can bake a piece of salmon or grill or pan sear a steak.
A baked white potato or more often a sweet potato in the microwave and steamed broccoli, Swiss chard or other green leafy veggie will round out my dinner. On Friday night I make a dessert and we have eaten healthy and quick all week. On Saturdays I will most often play in the kitchen, take my time and play. Maybe make (wheat and diary free) lasagna, freeze half in portion sizes.
Or, Thursday can be leftovers night. Or on Saturday everybody’s eating Friday nights leftovers. You will find the schedule that works for you. But having stuff in the fridge already will keep you from panicking and running through McDonalds because the thought of getting home late and cooking makes you want to cry!
Baked potatoes or sweet potatoes are your best bet for dinner, both for ease of cooking and nutrition. I can use stocks or leftover soups on them; baked or mashed. Olives, sautéed red peppers and onions are favorite additions. My older daughter is partial to potatoes carbonara with turkey bacon and eggs.
Quickly seared meats like lamb chops and thin steaks are satisfying (cooked with little more than coconut oil, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and a few seasoning) and just right over spicy prewashed greens and served with a sweet potato. The trick for flavor here is a salad dressing with an extra twist, like puréed sun-dried tomatoes or chipotle peppers. The dressing, of course, is the ones you made ahead, on Sunday.
Pan-grilled sandwiches (made with Ezekiel bread) with a mix of meat, with red and green peppers, roasted red peppers, Dijon Mustard or fresh basil…and pickled onions and sweet pickles as condiments, are also popular. The adults can add red onion and tomatoes.
Fast vegetables are also important. Asparagus can be tossed with coconut oil and roasted in seven minutes. Prewashed baby spinach can be tossed in the wok and on the table in about as much time. Shredded coleslaw or broccoli stem mix from bags can be assembled in under five (remember that mayo you made Sunday??)
See it is possible!!
Filed under: Being Productive, Getting By on Less, Going Green; How and Why...
I am soooo excited! One of my all time favorite bloggers, Colin Beavan, published an article from my blog! His blog, NoImpactMan.com, is a blog that I follow religiously. I have always been a a serious environmentalist, way before it was cool the first time around..and I am talking back in 1972 when I decided to use cloth diapers instead of that new product (Pampers) everyone else was sooo excited about. I still chose to use a clothesline with the first 4 kids diapers (until I moved to a neighborhood (yuck!) that forbid clotheslines.
Colin’s’ blog made me realize there was a LOT more I could be doing. Hence, the list he published….
April 14, 2009
Thirty-one tips for reducing your impact while saving money
I was reading through comments here on the blog last night and I found this great list of tips by reader Millie Barnes, who writes a blog about health and gardening called Optimum Nutrition. Her tips were just too comprehensive to let them languish in the comments. So here they are (I don’t even mind including the plug for her products). Thanks Millie!
My Level of Living Green
by Millie Barnes
1) Air dry all laundry–had to put a lock on the dryer cord to convince my daughters I was serious–they have learned to plan ahead! I wash all laundry in cold water, always wash full loads, and use a drying rack inside if it is raining. It’s good for the earth and great for your skin, a free humidifier in the house. Which also makes it feel a few degrees warmer in winter, and cooler in summer. I use soapnuts for laundry. http://www.zamuta.com/
2) Buy all organic.
3) Buy all organic non-toxic beauty care products and make-up. I make my own skin care cleanser and moisturizers. I make my own soap. My beauty products can be purchased at http://ezchef.net/spacuisine/
4) Use baking soda and vinegar for cleaning the bathroom. I use Ms. Meyer Clean Day for dishes, Citri-Clean for counters and general purpose cleaning. I use a loofah for scrubbing dishes (I am growing my own right now so I won’t have to buy them anymore!) My sister is making scrubbies by crocheting them, we will offer these for sale soon!
5) Take cloth bags to store for groceries and all other purchases. Take muslin bags I made to grocery store for produce.
6) Recycle, re-use, make my own and have stopped buying anything I don’t really need.
7) Don’t use paper towels, never have. Used cloth diapers for all 5 kids.
Don’t buy stuff in plastic, I try to buy all glass. Store all food in glass. Re-use glass jars. I mostly buy real food (meat, produce) try to not buy anything that needs a label, so no packaging.
9) Have been using recycled toilet paper for years but am considering switching to cloth at home. (don’t freak, we all used that same choice when we used cloth diapers and wash clothes on our baby’s tushes!)
10) Make my own gluten free granola, make my own mayonnaise, salad dressings, spice blends.
11) I use a compost toilet, no toilet paper (think cloth baby wash clothes).
13) Bokashi (a way to deal with indoor kitchen scraps with NO odor and yields compost WAY faster). I have been using the Bokashi method of dealing with kitchen waste for about 3 weeks now…I love it!
14) Use very low flow shower heads. Ace Hardware has a 1.5 GPM with a shut-off valve.
15) Use all CF light bulbs…and use them as little as possible. I have one evening a week that I use no lights..on Shabbat! Dinner by candlelight!
16) Use grey water from shower (I keep a 3 gallon bucket in shower and use it throughout the day to flush the toilet, take what’s left to the flower beds.
17) Use water from rinsing dishes to water flower beds.
18) Use a broom on all my wooden floors instead of using vacuum cleaner.
19) Run as few errands as possible, car pool and combine trips.
20) Use micro-cloths to clean with, even on glass you do not need cleaning products!
21) NEVER buy bottled water. I bought a Kleen Kanteen for each person in the family, we refill and take with us. I’ve had mine over a year.
22) Go paperless or CD-less as much as possible. I provide my clients with emails of my book, but still put cookbook software on CD.
23) Unplug all appliances not being used. Yes, that cell phone charger and TV are using power when you aren’t using them! I use power strips to keep them plugged in, turn them off at night, or when I’m gone all day.
24) Use only a hurricane lamp when we sit outside at night. It gives enough light to read by…but is perfect turned low …for just hanging out. Very romantic, too!
25) Use candlelight at dinner, not just on Shabbat!
26) I have an outdoor solar heated shower that I built.
27) I put in a raised bed garden, square foot garden I have green leaf lettuce in a grow box, cherry and big sweet tomatoes, basil, thyme. I have sweet potatoes growing, beets (mmmm, beet greens), onions, Swiss chard, purple flowering kale, nasturtiums, broccoli, cucumbers, peppers, red potatoes, a banana tree. Inside I am growing cucumbers and strawberries hydroponically.
28) I use a non-disposable razor, an old-fashioned stainless steel, very high quality razor that uses double edged blades. It was 24.00 from ClassicShaving.com. The blades are 10 for 5.99, and they are double edged! They give the closest, smoothest shave you can imagine! No disposable blade can compare.
29) Wash dishes with 2 dish pans in the sink, one for hot soapy water, one with warm rinse water. Do glasses first, pause a moment to let the soapy water drip off, then move to rinse water. Stop when rinse water is almost full and rinse quickly. Repeat with silver, plates, then pots and utensils. All with 2 dishpans full of water. Then I pour the soapy water, with all that organic matter, onto my plants in the garden. It helps repel pests and loosens the soil. And good for the biceps when you carry it outdoors.
30)
I water my garden with buckets from the rain barrels that are under the eaves of my garage. 10 feet from my garden. The front flower garden gets watered entirely from the dish water.
30) I work out at home, no expensive gym memberships that I never used anyway. I save all the expense of membership, and gas and time driving. I have a set of weights, two exercise balls, a yoga mat and a chin-up bar.
If you would like to go to his site and read the comments or follow his site (an get motivated!!)- No Impact Man- Millie Barnes’ article.
Filed under: Being Productive
“If you chase two rabbits, both will escape.” – Unknown
Does focus elude you? Do you multi-task at the cost of focusing on your more important projects? Have you ever wished that you could have laser-like focus? Ever thought, “Hmm, I wish I could just take a pill that would help me focus.” Well, as we all know, there is medicine for this type of need. But I think even people who take focus-enhancing medicine will attest that unless you have a good process and discipline, you’re still not going to have great success with just a pill.
Here’s how you can achieve laser-like focus using the strength of your mind.
1. Eliminate Distractions. There are many parts to this.
- Plan Your Day. This will allow your mind to be free from worry because you’ll know that you’ve scheduled your most important tasks according to priority.
- Clear Your Desk. Do this quickly. Don’t get caught up. Just remove distractions and leave the sorting for later.
- Close All Unrelated Computer Programs.
- Eliminate Noises. No TV, radio, etc. Consider getting noise canceling headphones if you work around noise. The caveat is if you are doing physical work that doesn’t require mental concentration, then by all means use music for energy if it helps you.
- Don’t Answer the Phone. That’s what voicemail is for!
2. Visual Reminders. Some people are very visually oriented. If that is you, then create some type of visual reminder of the task you are working on. It can be a little yellow sticky note right on your computer monitor or it can be a big banner sized poster in bold red letters. This works well for me. I highly recommend it, even if it feels silly. You can also use it as a muse if your work is creative based by adding other prompt words or images.
3. Create a Hook to Super Charge Your Interest. Many times we have to work on things that we aren’t excited about. Sometimes it can be pure drudgery. Well, if that is the case, then just buck up and find a way to get interested. Focus on the benefits of completing your work. That’s why you’re doing it, right? There must be some benefit even if it is that you will be avoiding something negative. Tell yourself that you like it. It can help to even be silly about it. Find ways to make it fun. Find ways to make it sexy. Find ways to make it exciting. If you ask yourself “How can I make this work fun,” you will find an answer. If you’re already working on something you’re passionate about, then focus on that and exaggerate your excitement.
4. Set Mini-Deadlines. Chunk the work into pieces. Plan it out on paper. Use timers to keep on schedule.
5. Take Frequent Mini Breaks. Get up. Go to a different location. Stretch. Close your eyes. Take 10 deep breaths. Check your progress vs. your daily plan. Do this when you start to feel stuck, frustrated, low energy, or when you just need a break. You’ll come back rejuvenated and better able to focus.
6. Relaxed Discipline. Stay on task, but don’t be harsh, critical, and stressed. This will block creativity and productivity.
- Be relaxed in your approach to your work. How? Commit to this: “It’s ok if it’s not perfect. It’s even OK if I fail. As long as I try and keep making forward progress.”
- Be disciplined in a firm way, but without harsh judgment and pressure. Supervise yourself, watch out for procrastination tendencies, and, like with a child, gently bring yourself back to the task if you find yourself losing focus.
Too much busyness in your day? Try to get in a gratitude session. Life skills site Zen Habits has a few suggestions on what these might look like:
This is one of my favorite rituals: every day, take a couple of minutes to think about everything and everybody you are grateful for in your life. This may sound corny, but it is an amazing ritual. Try it right now — it only takes a minute. Who are you grateful for? What are you grateful for? I’ve found that this little ritual has so much power that it makes me happier and more compassionate.
This is definitely something I could use more of in my life. What are you grateful for? Let’s hear in the comments!
Filed under: Being Productive
“If you chase two rabbits, both will escape.” – Unknown
Does focus elude you? Do you multi-task at the cost of focusing on your more important projects? Have you ever wished that you could have laser-like focus? Ever thought, “Hmm, I wish I could just take a pill that would help me focus.” Well, as we all know, there is medicine for this type of need. But I think even people who take focus-enhancing medicine will attest that unless you have a good process and discipline, you’re still not going to have great success with just a pill.
Here’s how you can achieve laser-like focus using the strength of your mind.
1. Eliminate Distractions. There are many parts to this.
- Plan Your Day. This will allow your mind to be free from worry because you’ll know that you’ve scheduled your most important tasks according to priority.
- Clear Your Desk. Do this quickly. Don’t get caught up. Just remove distractions and leave the sorting for later.
- Close All Unrelated Computer Programs.
- Eliminate Noises. No TV, radio, etc. Consider getting noise canceling headphones if you work around noise. The caveat is if you are doing physical work that doesn’t require mental concentration, then by all means use music for energy if it helps you.
- Don’t Answer the Phone. That’s what voicemail is for!
2. Visual Reminders. Some people are very visually oriented. If that is you, then create some type of visual reminder of the task you are working on. It can be a little yellow sticky note right on your computer monitor or it can be a big banner sized poster in bold red letters. This works well for me. I highly recommend it, even if it feels silly. You can also use it as a muse if your work is creative based by adding other prompt words or images.
3. Create a Hook to Super Charge Your Interest. Many times we have to work on things that we aren’t excited about. Sometimes it can be pure drudgery. Well, if that is the case, then just buck up and find a way to get interested. Focus on the benefits of completing your work. That’s why you’re doing it, right? There must be some benefit even if it is that you will be avoiding something negative. Tell yourself that you like it. It can help to even be silly about it. Find ways to make it fun. Find ways to make it sexy. Find ways to make it exciting. If you ask yourself “How can I make this work fun,” you will find an answer. If you’re already working on something you’re passionate about, then focus on that and exaggerate your excitement.
4. Set Mini-Deadlines. Chunk the work into pieces. Plan it out on paper. Use timers to keep on schedule.
5. Take Frequent Mini Breaks. Get up. Go to a different location. Stretch. Close your eyes. Take 10 deep breaths. Check your progress vs. your daily plan. Do this when you start to feel stuck, frustrated, low energy, or when you just need a break. You’ll come back rejuvenated and better able to focus.
6. Relaxed Discipline. Stay on task, but don’t be harsh, critical, and stressed. This will block creativity and productivity.
- Be relaxed in your approach to your work. How? Commit to this: “It’s ok if it’s not perfect. It’s even OK if I fail. As long as I try and keep making forward progress.”
- Be disciplined in a firm way, but without harsh judgment and pressure. Supervise yourself, watch out for procrastination tendencies, and, like with a child, gently bring yourself back to the task if you find yourself losing focus.
