EXERCISE (Performed With (1) Pen And (2) Pieces Of Paper)

Most people think of exercise as a form of movement requiring great effort that typically results in great quantities of sweat. Let’s try a different type of exercise and see what the end result produces. This exercise will take less than 3 minutes.

Please find a pen and (2) pieces of paper and write down the following 13 categories on the first sheet only:

• Work (Job)

• Time Spent Eating Quality Food (Home Prepared)

• Sleep

• Family (Quality Time)

• Religious Worship

• Charity (physical time spent volunteering)

• Personal Daily Quiet Time

• Physical Exercise (not including house or yard work)

• Social Interaction With Neighbors

• Community or Development Participation (ex. home owner’s assoc., neighborhood watch, etc…)

• School Improvement (ex. participation in PTA, attending school public board meetings, etc…)

• Leisure Time (Movies, art galleries, theater, mall shopping, etc…)

• Yard/House Work (lawn, food shopping, laundry, etc…)

Place a number from 1-13 in front of each category where #1 represents the MOST important category to you and #13 represents the LEAST important. (This is just an example; NOT my personal priority!)

EXAMPLE:

1. Sleep

2. Leisure Time

3. Community or Development Participation

4. Family (Quality Time?)

5. Work

6. Personal Daily Quiet Time

7. Social Interaction With Neighbors

8. Physical Exercise

9. Time Spent Eating Quality Food

10. Religious Worship

11. Charity

12. School Improvement

13. Yard/House Work

Now, place the number of hours you AVERAGE spending on each category. (Approximate, but make the total add up to 24 hours.)

EXAMPLE:

 

1. Sleep (4 hours)

2. Leisure Time (1 hour)

3. Community or Development Participation (3 hours)

4. Family (4 hours)

5. Work (7 hours)

6. Personal Daily Quiet Time (0 hour)

7. Social Interaction With Neighbors/Friends (1 hour)

8. Physical Exercise (30 minutes)

9. Time Spent Eating Quality Food (1 hours and 30 minutes)

10. Religious Worship (30 minutes)

11. Charity (30 minutes)

12. School Improvement (0 minutes)

13. Yard/House Work (1 hour)

     .

NOW, LET’S PERFORM A REALITY CHECK

 

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1. Do you feel you are spending an appropriate amount of time on each category? YES/NO

2. Do the hours you spend on each category reflect the VALUE you give each category? YES/NO

3. Does your list reveal MORE TIME spent on categories you give LESSER VALUE? YES/NO

4. How does this exercise make you feel about the path you’re following? GOOD/BAD

5. Are you going to IGNORE or UTILIZE the results of this exercise? IGNORE/UTILIZE

This exercise creates AWARENESS. By itself, however, IT DOESN’T CHANGE BEHAVIOR. The good news is, there is an EXERCISE that helps change behavior.

Using the 2ND piece of paper (I initially asked you to get,) repeat this exercise, but this time, CREATE THE TIME needed to satisfy the PRIORITIES IN YOUR LIFE.

After completing this 2nd exercise SUCCESSFULLY, how does it make you feel? GOOD/BAD

JUST REMEMBER, putting it down in writing is the easy part.

THE SWEAT COMES FROM PUTTING THE NEW PLAN INTO ACTION!

AND YOU THOUGHT YOU DISCOVERED AN EXERCISE THAT WOULDN’T CAUSE SWEATING!

 

 

 

Tags: attitude, emotions, happiness, lifestyle, quality of life, responsibility, success