Achuckallen

Instigating Better

work smart

THREE WAYS TO BEAT THE MONDAY BLUES

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April 18, 2022

“Monday, Monday, so good to me.” The Mamas and the Papas launched that song in 1966. There have been a few changes in the world since ‘66.

But Monday hasn’t changed much. It is still the day that most of us never look forward to.

Monday has a special significance in our culture as the beginning of the week, which influences our mood and our physical, emotional, and spiritual health outcomes

The 7-day week and the meaning we associate with the days of the week is a social construct, and not based on biological or planetary cycles. But a host of negative outcomes, such as heart attacks and strokes, happen more frequently on Mondays as people transition back to the structured routine of the week.

Something about that doesn’t seem right. Furthermore, we shouldn’t give in to that. If it really is a social construct, and we can choose to make Monday better, why not do that?

A 2021 nationwide survey conducted by the Data Decisions Group tracked awareness and behavior related to Mondays and healthy behaviors. While 11% of people report that Monday is “a day to dread”, many people see Monday positively. They view it as an opportunity for a “fresh start” (40%) and a day to “get my act together” (18%).

83% of responders to the survey agreed that starting the week off healthy would help maintain a focus on health for the rest of the week.

Over the past few months, I’ve been radically focused on becoming a healthier husband, dad, grandad and pastor. I’ve learned the following three ways to kickoff my workweek. Please keep in mind that I’m a pastor. As a result, Monday morning could possibly be a bummer of a let down. But I’ve learned to make Monday one of my favorite days of the week.

1. PLAN YOUR WEEK ON SUNDAY EVENING.

You may not want to, but taking ten minutes to review your calendar, make appropriate adjustments, and make a few notes of a few things you need to add and delete to your schedule is one of the most impactful things you can invest ten-minutes in, always.

Make a very short list of four things you MUST accomplish this week. Write them down! Then prioritize them.

Keep that in front of you.

2. Set limits on the amount of time that you will spend that week on social media, television and enthralled with your smart devices.

Simple awareness of the time you spend on these often worthless efforts is half of your personal productivity and peace perspective.

Earl Sweatshirt once said, “Everyone’s like sheep on social media; like, one person starts making noise, and everyone’s like, ‘Hey, yeah!’ and then you got a whole bunch of people making noise at you.”

And, whether you like it or not, the man trying to buy Twitter said, “I think there should be regulations on social media to the degree that it negatively affects the public good.” -Elon Musk

Don’t let the addictive dopamine hit of a like, follow or friend determine your day, week, or attitude.

3. Determine to Rise Ten-Minutes Early Each Weekday.

Rising just 10-minutes early allows you room to do three things – yes I know I sound like a broken record – but this has had such a radical impact on my mental, emotional, and spiritual health. First, write down three things that you are grateful for. Don’t get all spiritual or intellectual on me. Keep it simple, but write it down. Second, read one chapter of the Bible-book of Proverbs. There’s 31 chapters. How ‘bout that? Third, write down 4-5 words that describe the person that you want to be or become this week. Again, keep it clear. Keep it simple. Keep it real.

As the Mamas and the Papas once sang, “Monday, Monday, so good to me. Every other day, every other day. Every other day, every other day of the week is fine, yeah.But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes. But whenever Monday comes, you can find me cryin’ all of the time”

I think I will choose a better Monday. How about you?

Go in Peace, Chuck

Try These Four Things for Greater Happiness

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by Chuck Allen

I don’t know anybody that doesn’t want to be happy. But after chasing happiness and counseling plenty of people that have burned out chasing happiness, I’ve learned a few key elements that can radically improve your happiness.

Here are four of the simplest and most effective ways to experience personal happiness.

  1. Don’t chase after happiness. That’s right. The simplest way to be happier is to chase after peace. I’ve written and said this ten thousand times. The single greatest commodity is peace. We do not experience true happiness apart from our heart, mind, and soul being at peace. It has been said that Peace brings with it so many positive emotions that it is worth aiming for in all circumstances. I’ve discovered that when my life has proper margins in each aspect of my life, peace is far more attainable and sustainable. The Bible, in the second letter from John, says that the gift of God, through Christ, is Grace, Mercy, and Peace. To discover peace, ask God how to grow closer to Him today. In that effort, peace can be found, and happiness follows. Mother Teresa said that “Peace begins with a smile.”
  2. Be intentional about smiling. Corny, right? The mere act of smiling reduces blood pressure, lowers stress hormones, and boosts your mood; a British study even found that one smile generates the same level of brain stimulation as up to 2,000 bars of chocolate. I’m not a naturally smiling individual. There are days when I have been alone in my car, recognizing that I am grumpy or stressed and forced myself to smile. It’s a real thing, people. Just force yourself to smile, especially offering a smile to a stranger. The science and my personal experience prove this true!
  3. Force yourself into solitude. If you are an introvert, you just breathed a quiet amen. If you are an extrovert, you just said no thanks. Solitude, even for just 5 minutes a day, can reset your brain and your attitude for a better, happier day. Spending time alone with ourselves may not be accessible or even desirable. But it’s key to getting to know who we are. When we lose the ability to be alone with ourselves, our overstimulated nervous systems suffer from no place to rest and recharge. Solitude is an essential component of your health and well-being. Need more happiness? Create 5 minutes of true solitude each day.
  4. Get your sleep! I spent decades bragging about my ability to be a high performer with only 5 hours of sleep. I now know that I was cranking out 17 hour days but effectively going backward. The science of sleep is simple. To function at your best, you need 7-8 hours of sleep. Very few Americans regularly obtain the recommended eight or more hours of sleep each night, and the consequences of this chronic sleep deprivation can be disastrous. I’ve also learned that you never “catch up on your sleep.” Like time – when it’s gone, it’s gone. If you want a happier life, get your sleep. The science says that more sleep equals a happier person. People who sleep between seven and 8.5 hours during the night tend to wake up happier.

Most of us want to be healthy, wealthy, and wise. All of us want to be happy. Try these four proven steps to a happier you!

Peace, Chuck

Football and You

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football-game

I’m a football fan. Maybe even a football freak. But one of the realities of being a fan is that you are the shorter version of fanatic. I remember watching the NFL and the AFL on a black and white TV with rabbit ears with my Dad and thinking, this is a great game.

I’m a Georgia Bulldog fan. That means that I fully expect to start the season 5-0…but wait for it…October and November are coming! I’m an Atlanta Falcons fan. I fully expect to be missing my heart as I watch it stomped upon, one more time!

But let’s face it. Anybody can have a day where nothing goes right. Kind of like the University of Tennessee two days ago. Or the Falcons earlier today.

The question is, do these teams have three critical elements that all of us need to overcome a setback and get back in the win column. Our lives are similar to the game of football. So, here are three elements that you might find helpful in your life’s game.

  1. Strong teams and strong players recognize that you are going to fail, but that doesn’t make life fatal. Every single winner has had losses. The real question is what did you learn from the loss that matters. Losing is essential to appreciate winning! Get off your pity party and get back up, dust yourself off and get back in the game!
  2. There will always be naysayers! Plenty of people stand on the sidelines and babble on about what they should have done. It’s always an easy call from the cheap seats! A buddy of mine once said that if you are pedaling uphill as hard as you can, you don’t have time to deal with every yapping dog that is chasing after you! Leave the stands and get on the field. There are plenty of things to focus on. Dream poopers aren’t one of them. Press On!
  3. Get back in the gym. Get back in the film room. Refine your trade. Work your plan! Stay the course. When we surrender our willingness to learn, we have surrendered our right to lead. Preparation is the fuel of champions! My friend, Dr. Jay Strack offers this thought on getting prepared to win, or to win again: “The future belongs to those who are prepared.”

Don’t offer emotional, uneducated assumptions from the cheap seats. Get in the game. And when all goes wrong, take your losses and the critics and toss them away, after and only after you have learned all that you can from them. Then get back in the gym. Get back in the film room and get back on the field.

You have been created to strive for excellence. You are equipped to overcome loss and the critics that come with it. Once you are prepared, play to win! Walk off the field spent and exhausted from the battle and lay your head on the pillow tonight and close your eyes as you think over the events of this day with the joy of knowing that you did all you could, with all you have. Friend…there will always be days when you must look in the mirror and state: “All I can do is all I can do. And all I can do is enough!

–AChuck

Saturday Share – 7 Ways To Work Smarter

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Each Saturday I share a BLOG that might be a help for you. With the new year within 2 days, I thought you might appreciate this week’s Saturday Share BLOG – 7 Ways To Work Smarter, Not Harder: by Jesslynn Scott

Effort is important, but knowing where to make an effort makes all the difference. Work with how you spend your time in a day. Develop habits that can help you know what is important, what is not. With discipline, planning and organisation, eventually, you would find yourself working more effectively without wasting time.

1. Take breaks – It sounds counter-intuitive, but taking a regular break during your workday actually increases your productivity. It’s also better for your health. Whether you work as a freelancer or work in an office environment, walking away from your desk will minimize eye fatigue and prevent blood-clots in your legs. Research shows that even five minutes away from work is enough time to renew your focus. When the afternoon slump hits, take a break. For even more energy in the afternoon, skip the coffee and incorporate brain-boosting snacks like blueberries and walnuts. The healthy fats and antioxidants will give your tired brain a much-needed boost of energy and focus.

2. Make rituals a part of your day – Believe it or not, most of what we do everyday is actually habitual. So if we can develop healthy habits, then we can be moved to success with less pain and efforts. If we are used to doing the same thing at the same time in the same place, the environment and the habit itself can condition us and make us more efficient in what we want to do. Start your day off right by using a morning ritual during the workweek. Incorporate ideas like morning pages, meditation, and exercise into your early hours to improve your focus. Great morning routines start the night before by prepping for the day.End each workday the same way as well. Shut down your office. Clear off your desk of any clutter so that you can start each morning fresh. Whether working from home or an office, make a point to start a ritual that says it’s time to end the workday.

3. Have a “Do Not Disturb” block of time – The best part and worst part of working from home is that you work from home. People living with you can pop in and out of your office during working hours “just to chat” or discuss little things. Make it clear that between certain hours, you are not to be disturbed unless it is an emergency. Guard that time. For working at the office, the same principle can be used. Inform co-workers that you don’t want to be disturbed.

4. Check email and social media at certain times only – It’s so easy to check email or social media several times a day. The problem is that quick looks derail your focus. It takes almost 25 minutes to return from a distraction. Shut off email notifications and stick to a regular email time—once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Do the same with social media. Everything will still be there when you’re ready for it.
5. Make a top 3 priority to-do list – Pre-planning your day is a must if you want to get things done. But instead of making a long to-do list, make a list of the three most important things you need to accomplish. By limiting your list to only three priorities, the list becomes manageable and not overwhelming.

6. Develop a time management system – Filofax, Erin Condren, and Franklin Covey are all very popular pen-and-paper planners. There’s something to writing things down. Evidence even shows that writing longhand improves memory. An added plus: decorating your daily pages can be inspirational. If you aren’t into your own handwriting, there are apps and websites like Trello to help you out. Boards and cards can be broken up, labeled with colored tabs, and details can be added within each card. The possibilities are endless.

7. Organize your workspace – Make a regular effort to organize your cloud-based or desktop folders. This is a huge time saver. Use labels in Gmail or folders in Outlook for all your emails. Make everything clean and uncluttered. Learn to use shortcut keys instead of relying on your mouse. Along with keeping your online workspace organized, keep your office organized too. Have a designated time (like Friday afternoon) to get rid of old papers. File receipts and invoices in a file cabinet or a portable file box. Having an uncluttered work area improves focus.

To work smarter, it isn’t just about having laser-focused attention and access to the latest apps and software. Know your limits and distractions and use that to develop a system that works for you. Keep yourself accountable. You’ll accomplish more without sacrificing all your time.
Stay Cool, Chuck