Favorite Home Remedies

“With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on twitter or identica.

The idea of having concrete, achievable goals seem to be deeply ingrained in our culture. I know I lived with goals for many years, and in fact a big part of my writings here on Zen Habits are about how to set and achieve goals.

These days, however, I live without goals, for the most part. It’s absolutely liberating, and contrary to what you might have been taught, it absolutely doesn’t mean you stop achieving things.

It means you stop letting yourself be limited by goals.

Consider this common belief: “You’ll never get anywhere unless you know where you’re going.” This seems so common sensical, and yet it’s obviously not true if you stop to think about it. Conduct a simple experiment: go outside and walk in a random direction, and feel free to change directions randomly. After 20 minutes, an hour … you’ll be somewhere! It’s just that you didn’t know you were going to end up there.

And there’s the rub: you have to open your mind to going places you never expected to go. If you live without goals, you’ll explore new territory. You’ll learn some unexpected things. You’ll end up in surprising places. That’s the beauty of this philosophy, but it’s also a difficult transition.

Today, I live mostly without goals. Now and then I start coming up with a goal, but I’m letting them go. Living without goals hasn’t ever been an actual goal of mine … it’s just something I’m learning that I enjoy more, that is incredibly freeing, that works with the lifestyle of following my passion that I’ve developed.

The problem with goals

In the past, I’d set a goal or three for the year, and then sub-goals for each month. Then I’d figure out what action steps to take each week and each day, and try to focus my day on those steps.

Unfortunately, it never, ever works out this neatly. You all know this. You know you need to work on an action step, and you try to keep the end goal in mind to motivate yourself. But this action step might be something you dread, and so you procrastinate. You do other work, or you check email or Facebook, or you goof off.

And so your weekly goals and monthly goals get pushed back or side-tracked, and you get discouraged because you have no discipline. And goals are too hard to achieve. So now what? Well, you review your goals and reset them. You create a new set of sub-goals and action plans. You know where you’re going, because you have goals!

Of course, you don’t actually end up getting there. Sometimes you achieve the goal and then you feel amazing. But most of the time you don’t achieve them and you blame it on yourself.

Here’s the secret: the problem isn’t you, it’s the system! Goals as a system are set up for failure.

Even when you do things exactly right, it’s not ideal. Here’s why: you are extremely limited in your actions. When you don’t feel like doing something, you have to force yourself to do it. Your path is chosen, so you don’t have room to explore new territory. You have to follow the plan, even when you’re passionate about something else.

Some goal systems are more flexible, but nothing is as flexible as having no goals.

How it works

So what does a life without goals look like? In practice, it’s very different than one with goals.

You don’t set a goal for the year, nor for the month, nor for the week or day. You don’t obsess about tracking, or actionable steps. You don’t even need a to-do list, though it doesn’t hurt to write down reminders if you like.

What do you do, then? Lay around on the couch all day, sleeping and watching TV and eating Ho-Hos? No, you simply do. You find something you’re passionate about, and do it. Just because you don’t have goals doesn’t mean you do nothing — you can create, you can produce, you can follow your passion.

And in practice, this is a wonderful thing: you wake up and do what you’re passionate about. For me, that’s usually blogging, but it can be writing a novel or an ebook or my next book or creating a course to help others or connecting with incredible people or spending time with my wife or playing with my kids. There’s no limit, because I’m free.

In the end, I usually end up achieving more than if I had goals, because I’m always doing something I’m excited about. But whether I achieve or not isn’t the point at all: all that matters is that I’m doing what I love, always.

I end up in places that are wonderful, surprising, great. I just didn’t know I would get there when I started.

Quick questions

Question from a reader: Isn’t having no goals a goal?

Quick answer: It can be a goal, or you can learn to do it along the journey, by exploring new methods. I’m always learning new things (like having no goals) without setting out to learn them in the first place.

Another question from a reader: So how do you make a living?

Answer: Passionately! Again, not having goals doesn’t mean you stop doing things. In fact, I do many things, all the time, but I do them because I love doing them.

Tips for living without goals

I am not going to give you a how-to manual for living without goals — that would be absurd. I can’t teach you what to do — you need to find your own path.

But I can share some things I’ve learned, in hopes that it will help you:

• Start small. You don’t need to drastically overhaul your life in order to learn to live without goals. Just go a few hours without predetermined goals or actions. Follow your passion for those hours. Even an hour will do.
• Grow. As you get better at this, start allowing yourself to be free for longer periods — half a day or a whole day or several days. Eventually you’ll feel confident enough to give up on certain goals and just do what you love.
• Not just work. Giving up goals works in any area of your life. Take health and fitness: I used to have specific fitness goals, from losing weight or bodyfat to running a marathon to increasing my squat. Not anymore: now I just do it because I love it, and I have no idea where that will take me. It works brilliantly, because I always enjoy myself.
• Let go of plans. Plans are not really different than goals. They set you on a predetermined path. But it’s incredibly difficult to let go of living with plans, especially if you’re a meticulous planner like I am. So allow yourself to plan, when you feel you need to, but slowly feel free to let go of this habit.
• Don’t worry about mistakes. If you start setting goals, that’s OK. There are no mistakes on this journey — it’s just a learning experience. If you live without goals and end up failing, as yourself if it’s really a failure. You only fail if you don’t get to where you wanted to go — but if you don’t have a destination in mind, there’s no failure.
• It’s all good. No matter what path you find, no matter where you end up, it’s beautiful. There is no bad path, no bad destination. It’s only different, and different is wonderful. Don’t judge, but experience.

And finally

Always remember: the journey is all. The destination is beside the point.

‘A good traveller has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.’ ~Lao Tzu

—
If you liked this guide, please bookmark it on Delicious or share on Twitter. Thanks, my friends.

Sexually transmitted diseases are rampant nowadays as young men and women fail to practice safe and responsible sex.

Just imagine how the young generation of today is curious about having sex at an early age and doing it with multiple partners. No wonder, they easily acquire sexually transmitted diseases.

What is chlamydia? If you’re aware of STDs then you’re likely to be familiar with it. It is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases around.

If it is not detected and treated early, it can damage a woman’s reproductive system and even prevent pregnancy.

Symptoms of chlamydia are often mild or absent, but for infected men, discharge caused by the disease can come out of the penis.
Chlamydia can spread through anal, vaginal, or oral intercourse.

The risk for the disease is higher if one has more sexual partners. Men who engage in sex with members of the male population are also susceptible to contracting chlamydia.

Chlamydia is often called a silent disease because most cases exhibit almost no symptoms at all. This makes it hard to determine if one is infected.

However, when symptoms show, it usually presents itself 1 to 3 weeks after transmission has occurred. This is why it’s important to know what is chlamydia.

Common symptoms of chlamydia include:

• Abnormal vaginal discharge
• Burning sensation when urinating
• Pain in the lower back or lower abdominal area
• Nausea and fever
• Bleeding during menstrual periods
• Pain during intercourse
• Joint inflammation in some men have also been noted

If one experiences these symptoms, it is best to see a doctor right away to detect and treat chlamydia early.

Those diagnosed should also abstain from any sexual activity until chlamydia has been fully treated. The disease is notorious for causing serious damage and complications in prolonged cases such as:

• Pelvic inflammatory disease in women, which can damage the fallopian tubes and sometimes even block the tubes completely.
• Blocked fallopian tubes will lead to complete infertility, wherein the woman will have to resort toz in-vitro fertiliation. If a woman succeeds in getting pregnant with the disease, there is also an added risk of passing on chlamydia to the baby.
• Furthermore, if a woman succeeds in getting pregnant when infected with chlamydia, the baby can develop in the tubes instead of the womb. This can lead to the tubes splitting apart and can cause internal bleeding which can be fatal if not detected early.
• Chlamydia can infect the sperm and can affect male fertility. It also causes inflammation of testicles along with swelling, redness, and pain in the scrotum.

If you are at high risk for the disease and have multiple sexual partners, annual testing is highly recommended.

However, if you do contract chlamydia, treatment is usually provided with the use of antibiotics but be sure to talk to your doctor to get the proper prescription for medications.

In order to prevent contracting chlamydia, be sure to use condoms every time you have sexual intercourse especially when you engage in casual sex.

Abstaining from sex or staying with one partner will greatly reduce your risk for contracting it too. Of course, knowing what is chlamydia, its symptoms and treatments can also help you in more ways than one.

According to a new report, it is rather worrying that tainted food may still be on the shelves despite recall and can result in very serious health issues.

The write up talks of one Kenneth Maxwell, who became violently ill after consuming recalled pot pies by Banquet, unaware that they had been recalled. He suffered a separated bicep as a result of exposure to Salmonella from the tainted food consumed.

Experts believe it is a common problem that when there is a recall of a food product, the company sometimes fails to recover all of the products and some of it may inadvertently or otherwise get left in the store.

This tainted food is then purchased and eaten, resulting in exposure to food borne pathogens that can cause serious illnesses.

Consider these statistics about how food recalls are often unsuccessful in large part:

• Out of 59 recalls in 2009 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 56 were insufficient in terms of the amounts of food recovered.
• In July 2009, a Denver manufacturer declared a recall of more than 460,000 pounds of ground beef due to a salmonella outbreak. Out of this, however, only 119,000 pounds of the beef was actually recovered.
• In October, a New York processor announced a recall of 545,000 pounds of ground beef tied to an outbreak of E. coli; it recovered all of 795 pounds, according to the USDA.

I am sure everyone would agree that low back pain is one of the most common and chronic diseases that affect almost every adult at some point in time. Americans alone were estimated to spend $50 billion per year for treatment and management according to the National Institute of Health.

And since this is one of the most common causes of job related illnesses, the most difficult to treat and the most costly, people have resorted to various treatment regimens to relieve them of the pain symptoms. Management included, pain relievers, exercise, spinal surgery and manipulation and alternative approaches like acupuncture and biofeedback.

In February 2010, Zara Hansen co-authored a study in the UK on the use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in the treatment of low back pain symptoms.

The objective of which was to challenge how people think about their condition and change their behavior towards it.

This is based on the belief that although it is a physical symptom, behavior may affect how the pain is manifested in an individual.

CBT is a combination of behavior therapy and cognitive therapy that focuses on evidence based treatment of the “here and now” and on alleviating symptoms. The initial therapy sessions lasted for 15 minutes focusing on keeping the individual active with no bed rest and the analgesics were only given when seen appropriate.

Diversional activities were also used like reading a book, watching a movie or listening to the radio. Another session focused on identifying and expressing of negative behaviors toward the symptoms and helping them change the behavior to positive ones.

After a series of therapy sessions information on the back pain symptoms were gathered and compared after 3, 6 and 12 months. Responses after 3 months showed a comparable outcome with other treatment alternatives like acupuncture, exercise and spinal manipulation. And after 12 months, 59% percent of the patients reported having no back pain and 65% noted that they were satisfied with the outcome of the sessions.

Although Hansen believed the result outcome can be considered a useful and cost effective means of treatment, by giving patients a new alternative solution to back pain management, a US pain management specialist, Dr. Laxmaiah Manchikanti doubted if CBT will be accepted in the US no matter how effective it was in the UK.

The use and outcome of CBT may vary with every individual, but it is safe to say that if it had been effective to some, it may also work for you.

How can you tell if a person has Parkinsons? What are its symptoms? Can you control them? Well, if you know someone who has it, then it is definitely not the end of the world for them.

Look at Michael J. Fox and Muhammad Ali. Both have parkinsons and surprisingly they are enjoying every bit of their lives.

The disease, named after James Parkinsons is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. Parkinson symptoms may be classified into two, primary and secondary symptoms.

Primary Parkinson symptoms

Tremor: Do you feel uncontrollably shaky? Resting tremors is one of the primary parkinson symptoms.

These tremors are experienced by patients particularly in the hand, foot, one side of the body, jaw or the face. This happens even when the muscles are at rest.

These parkinson symptoms increase while the disease progresses. If you have seen Muhammad Ali lit the Olympic torch in 1996, then you will know what resting tremors are all about.

Bradykinesia or slow movement: Slow movements are typical parkinson’s symptoms. This is usually manifested in the facial muscles wherein a patient’s range of facial expressions is reduced. This usually results to a mask-like appearance.

Not really the Jim Carrey kind of mask but one that looks stolid. Patients experiencing these parkinson’s symptoms have difficulty walking long distances and initiating movements. Guess being slow is not sure all the time.

Rigidity: Rigidity or increased muscle tone, one of the parkinson’s symptoms includes stiffness or inflexibility in the musscles. This means that the muscles are not relaxed even if they are at rest.

One of these examples is the inability of a person to move his hands while walking. These parkinson’s symptoms can sometimes result to a stinging pain and cramping.

Impaired balance and coordination: Parkinson’s symptoms such as posture instability is common among people with this disease especially when they are standing. When combined with other Parkinson’s symptoms, the patient could be in danger of falling.

When this happens, a person has the tendency to “freeze” allowing them to get stuck on the ground. Worse, this may affect speaking and swallowing.

Secondary Parkinson symptoms

Speech problems: This includes slurred speech as a result of lack of muscle control. You don’t want to talk gibberish, right? Sadly, parkinson’s patients have to deal with this.

Stooped posture and fatigue: Muscles, mucles, muscles…parkinsons work that way, slowly attacking the muscles.

Dementia: Dementia as Parkinson’s symptom refers to a person’s deficiency and impairment in terms of memory and mental clarity. Oftentimes, medication for Alzheimer’s are administered to address this disorder.

Dystonia: Patients with parkinson’s disease suffer from this symptom when there is an uncontrollable movement of the muscles such as twisting. Early signs of Parkinson’s symptoms show a deterioration in handwriting.

Parkinson’s symptoms also include deep sleep problems and depression. We call these nonmotor. Among these symptoms include pain, constipation, skin problems, fear or anxiety and loss of energy. There are many ways wherein a patient will be able to cope with these symptoms.

Different folks, different strokes. Parkinson’s symptoms vary per individual. While not all symptoms may manifest during the early stage of the disease, these typically start on one side of the body. Those symptoms may even stay unnoticed for months or even years.

Just in – it’s hot. The whole eastern US is hot.  It’s interesting how extreme heat and extreme cold both have the same general effect on a family with small children – both extremes tend to make you stay indoors.  We made it to the pool every day this week but one, but Saturday was hot enough that even the pool was unbearable.  Good times.

So due to the heat, another one of my fairly abbreviated link roundups.  In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a “what I’m reading online” box over on the lower right hand side of the front page of the blog that’s updated throughout the week.  I consider that a bit of an add-on to this weekly post.  Plus my “thoughts” tumblr blog and my twitter account usually have a few more links, too.

• BlogCrafted — build the blog you want!: A good consulting service if you need help building a blog.
• Download My Free eBook: Invest Like a Pro: A good eBook for investors from Generation X Finance – worth checking out if you’re interested in learning more about investing.

» The secret of education: An excellent and thorough breakdown of the value of higher education that makes reference to a post I wrote way back when, attacking the humanities and praising a practical education in the sciences (read both Jacob’s post and mine before you bash me, incidentally).

And more…

• Children of the Recession: How to Insulate Kids From Financial Fears
• Save Money on Razor Blades
• Deciphering the Insurance Puzzle – I (CMHC, Mortgage Life, and Term Life)
• How I Find Local Contractors on Angies List
• Developing Multiple Streams of Income
• Practice Contentment to Save Cash
• Getting Things Done: Where To Go Next

heat and links is an original article from the website brip blap.

When it comes to retirement accounts, decisions are personal and there is no one right answer for everyone in determining the lowest tax liabilities. Depending on your financial outlook and goals, there will be choices that benefit you more than others. What you need to do to decipher which is the best retirement account is to understand both and educate yourself before making an investment decision.

There are two very popular types of retirement accounts that most people are using to save for the “golden years.” They are the Roth IRA and the 401k accounts. There are some misunderstandings about the way these accounts can benefit account holders for retirement and how taxes are assessed with each.

Understanding the Roth IRA Account

The Roth IRA can be opened by anyone meeting the income guidelines and with financial institutions offering such services. Some consumers misunderstand the tax aspect of this type of account. The Roth IRA is not completely tax free. Essentially you pay the tax up front because the money you are adding to the account has already been taxed. As the money compounds over time, it will grow tax-free and provided the funds have been left in for the required time period of five years, they can be withdrawn tax free after the age 59 1/2 (with some exceptions to pull it out before without a penalty). The Roth IRA does not require you to take mandatory distributions. If you are looking to pass along money to your heirs, the Roth IRA may be the way to go. Otherwise, you can withdraw the money whenever you need to.

Understanding the 401k

A 401k account is an employee-sponsored retirement account. The contributions made to this type of account might also be matched by the employer. With the 401k, the rules are almost opposite of the Roth IRA. The money you are contributing to this kind of account has not been taxed or are pre-tax. The funds will grow tax free but when you take it out you will pay taxes on the contributions you have made to the account and whatever earnings the account has earned. At the age of 70 1/2, you must take distributions from your 401k account.

Which Is Better from a Tax Perspective?

Again, it all comes down to your personal financial situation and goals. A Roth IRA may be the way to go in order to avoid possible tax increases in the future if you expect your income to remain pretty stable or for it to increase after retirement. Taxes normally do not decrease and our personal income taxes comparatively to other nations are relatively low. It fact, it can be argued that since our government is building massive deficits, through massive spending, that tax rates will likely increase in the future (since spending cuts rarely come). Moreover, normally when you retire you may not get the tax deductions you did in the past. If you had a house and kids, then the deduction for interest paid on a mortgage or the deductions you lost with your children growing up may push you into a higher tax bracket then you were in before when considering a 401k.

If you think your retirement years will consist of considerable downsizing and more a more frugal lifestyle, the 401k may be ideal with a lower tax rate. Moreover, if your employer matches your 401k contributions, you may end up with more money than you would have otherwise even if taxes are increased (but no one knows). In some cases, those who are eligible for both account types may find that contributing to both kids of accounts may be the way to go.

However you decide to save for retirement, be sure to read up on all of the choices you have when it comes to saving for the future. Be sure to understand that not everyone can contribute to a Roth IRA as there are income limit restrictions depending on filing status. Moreover, contribution maximums differ by your age as well with both a Roth IRA and 401k.

Remember that the earlier you start planning for retirement, the more secure you will be when you finally reach retirement age. If you are overwhelmed by the information on retirement accounts, it is recommended you consult with a tax advisor who can highlight the pros and cons of each account type and analyze your specific financial situation.

This is a guest post provided by TaxDebtHelp.com, a website that provides articles, news, and services centered around tax debt relief. Find more information on various tax debt solutions including federal tax payment plans, penalty abatement, innocent spouse relief, an offer in compromise and more.

What Is Better from a Tax Perspective: A Roth IRA or a 401k? is an original article from the website brip blap.

Dayton Home Owners Insurance & Dayton apartment Renters Insurance

With Dayton’s economy in the state that it is in, it’s always important to have adequate home owners insurance and/or renters insurance. Get the facts about homeowners insurance right here at RxHealthQuotes. Buying a new insurance policy of any kind can be hectic, but doesn’t have to be when you are a well educated, well informed Dayton home owner.

Dayton homeowners need to know that you can not find cheaper home owner insurance quotes or renter insurance quotes anywhere. It’s important to remember that even if you are not living in a natural disaster prone area, you may still want to purchase Dayton home owners insurance.

Are you a new Dayton Home buyer? Are you looking for Dayton apartments for rent? Dayton Ohio home owners insurance does not just cover homes, but it will also cover those who rent homes, apartments, condos, and townhouses. These homeowner’s policies are referred to as renters insurance. If you are a renter, you will not need protection against damage to the building itself, but you will need protection against damage or theft of your personal property and any type of liability just in case someone falls or gets hurt on the part of the premises that you rent.

Free Dayton Home Owners Quote: Dayton Home Owner Quotes

Trinity: Please just listen. I know why you’re here. I know what you’ve been doing… why you hardly sleep, why you live alone, and why night after night, you sit by your computer. You’re looking for him. I know because I was once looking for the same thing. And when I found him, he told me I wasn’t really looking for him. I was looking for an answer. It’s the question that drives us. It’s the question that brought you here. You know the question, reader, just as I did.

What is the secret to financial freedom?

If you are deeply in debt, or spending more than you earn to acquire stuff, you are living in a world that is less than what it could be. Corporations and consumer society have constructed an elaborate world that is filled with shiny things and toys and useless items. In this  world, you are told that true happiness comes with the acquisition of things, that your attention should be focused on today, that tomorrow will take care of itself. In this Matrix, it’s always Black Friday and it’s always the Presidents’ Day Sale.

Morpheus: What you know you can’t explain, but you feel it. You’ve felt it your entire life, that there’s something wrong with the world. You don’t know what it is, but it’s there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad.

But just maybe, while making a call on your iPhone, driving your leased car wearing your latest fall fashions on your way to the mall on your one day off from your crushing commute and your boring job, you had a sudden thought. Maybe the world isn’t supposed to be like this. Maybe we weren’t all meant to be shopping units in the corporate world’s vast consumer Matrix. Maybe our happiness doesn’t come from owning CDs, or watching American Idol, or buying a Wii. Maybe there is another world – the real world – where your work and your life are one and the same because you love them both, where you can do what you want, when you want, where you have time to give to people and experiences, not just to commuting and working for a faceless employer. No, it’s not possible. Your neighbors look like they are doing fine, and they have lots of stuff, right? This is how it has to be. This is how it has always been.

Morpheus: I’m trying to free your mind. But I can only show you the door. You’re the one that has to walk through it. There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.

Maybe you’ve started reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad or Dave Ramsey or Your Money or Your Life. Other people are trying to show you the way out. The trouble is, you set down the book and remember “I need a new belt! I want to see “Avatar” 8 times!” Only you will start the journey out of the Matrix, and it will be difficult – there will be roadblocks everywhere: pricey restaurants, bigger homes, newer cars, fancier cell phones. The Matrix will do everything it can to keep you, because its existence depends on your continued function as a shopping unit. Without shopping units to generate power, the consumer Matrix will weaken. You have to stop, today. Put down your credit card. Stay away from the store. Cook a meal at home. Turn off the TV.  Try to earn income a different way.

Neo: Why do my eyes hurt?
Morpheus: You’ve never used them before.

When you finally leave the consumer world, you’ll notice that your old behavior is now awful to consider. You’ll see credit card debt, still-functioning cell phones gathering dust in cabinet drawers, barely-worn clothes in the back of the closet, half-empty rooms never used in your house. Your eyes will hurt looking at all of this STUFF that you valued so much, because you never really SAW before.

Morpheus: Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?

The dream is the 9-to-5 world. The dream is a 3000 square foot home for a family of 4. The dream is a $400 per month car lease. The dream is an iPhone, a Wii, digital cable, the latest fashions. And the dream is a nightmare. You have to wake from that dream and realize that in the real world there is VERY little you need other than shelter, food, friends, family and basic clothing and entertainment. In the dream you have no time – but you can have all the time in the (real) world if you just wake up.

Neo: I know you’re out there. I can feel you now. I know that you’re afraid… afraid of us. You’re afraid of change. I don’t know the future. I didn’t come here to tell you how this is going to end. I came here to tell how it’s going to begin. I’m going to hang up this phone, and then show these people what you don’t want them to see. I’m going to show them a world without you. A world without rules or controls, borders or boundaries. A world where anything is possible. Where we go from there is a choice I leave to you.

(with many thanks to The Matrix)

Originally posted back in 2007 or so – just thought I would run it for those who haven’t read it before.  I know the Matrix references are already very dated, but hopefully everyone’s seen it.

welcome to the real world is an original article from the website brip blap.

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Mary Jaksch of Goodlife ZEN.

Do you want to be more productive? Maybe you do, but I’m sure you don’t want to feel stressed, overwhelmed, or unhappy – which happens to many super-productive people. But there is good news:

You can be insanely productive – and still smell the freesias, savor a Pinot Noir, or enjoy a languid hug.

A few weeks ago Leo Babauta said to me, “Mary – you’re one of the most productive people I know. And you still keep smiling and seem so relaxed. How do you do it?”

Most stuff I’ve read about productivity is about doing things differently. Like getting up at 4 a.m. each morning, or drinking eight liters of water a day, or keeping a notebook under the pillow. Sorry, folks – I don’t do any of those things.

High productivity isn’t about doing, it’s about being.

If you want to be highly productive – and still enjoy life – you need to look at how you live, and how you use your mind. Check out the following five suggestions:

1. Make peace within.
   Most people live in a constant state of inner conflict and suffer from a barrage of negative thoughts that sabotage productivity.

   Here’s a scenario: Imagine that your car has landed in a ditch. A group of helpers gather, attach ropes and start to pull the car out. Unfortunately, they’re not all pulling in the same direction. Some try to pull the car toward the road, whereas others try to pull it deeper into the ditch. It’s absurd.

   That’s exactly what happens when we’re divided within: everything is a struggle, nothing much happens, and it’s frustrating. But what if your mind, body, and soul are all aligned?

   When our energy is aligned, we are in a state of flow.

   When we’re at peace within, and immersed in the task at hand – without negative thoughts sabotaging our productivity – action becomes effortless. We’re able to achieve much more in less time. And with more enjoyment.

   Tip: Wear an elastic wristband. Whenever you notice negative thoughts, change your wristband to the other arm. This will help you to create and maintain peace within.

2. Go to your edge. Regularly.
   Most people use only a fraction of their capacity and try to save personal energy. For example, we’re tempted to rest when we feel tired in order to recover our zest for life. Wrong move! The more energy you spend, the more you have.

   Tiredness can signal many things. If you’re healthy, it may mean that you are bored, frustrated, lack movement, or need more oxygen. Or maybe conflict within has sapped your energy. It’s important to go to your limits regularly. Take up running, martial arts, swimming, or other activities – there are many way to exercise vigorously.

   Tip: If you feel exhausted or lethargic, go for a brisk walk in order to rev up your energy and restore your spirit.

3. Take action.
   Most people aren’t productive because they don’t take action. They have dreams and even plans – but they don’t follow through. Negative thoughts can derail action. It may be that you have doubts about your ability, or that you listen to others who doubt you.

   Tip: Look at what you would like to achieve and ask yourself, “What is the smallest step in the direction of my dreams that I can take right now?” Then take that baby step. Now.

4. Do what you love.
   Think about how you spend your time. Do you enjoy your work, or is it a grind? I’ve changed my life, and what I’m passionate about has now become my work: I teach my Zen students, and also work together with Leo to mentor bloggers in the A-list Blogger Club .

   A few days ago my partner David knocked at the door of the little cabin in the garden where I work:

   “Mary,” he said, “ do you realize it’s 10 o’clock at night – and you’re still working?”
   “I’m not working!” I shot back. “I’m enjoying myself!”

   Yes, when the boundary between work and play gets blurred, you may actually work more – but it feels like you’re just having fun.

   Tip: Follow your dreams – even if it’s only for ten minutes a day.

5. Love what you do.
   We can’t always do what we love. But we are free to love what we do. From a Zen perspective, there is a way to turn even the dullest chore into pleasurable activity through mindfulness.When we pay tender regard to our present experience – letting go of all thoughts and judgments – even the most mundane action can become pleasurable. Mindfulness doesn’t mean watching yourself, it means being fully present, moment by moment.

   Tip: In order to become mindful, notice sensations of the moment. What sounds can you hear? How are your feet connected with the ground? What does your skin feel like?

Finally, a key question you need to ask …

If you want to be productive and still enjoy life, there is a key question you need to answer: why be productive?

I mean, why not just chill out on the couch, eat potato crisps, and watch TV reruns? That might be fine. But what about the oblong box we’re all going to end up in?

I remind myself every morning that life is short and mine may be over by nightfall. That gives me the the desire to taste and enjoy each moment. It also adds a measure of calm urgency because I want to leave a mark upon the world. Do you?

If so, mindful productivity will help you create a life that offers both pleasure and productivity. You’ll achieve more, and you’ll still keep smiling. That smile will light up not only your own life, but also the lives of those around you.

You don’t have to be a super-hero. Simply make peace within and live each moment fully. That’s all.

Mary Jaksch is a Zen Master and blogger. Head over to Goodlife Zen for more of her articles. And visit the A-List Blogger Club.

—
If you liked this guide, please bookmark it on Delicious or share on Twitter. Thanks, my friends.