Mnemonic Devices

March 27, 2011 by 6 Comments

One of the main reasons for this blog is to build a community of people who are not only committed to improving themselves, but also to teaching and learning from others.  To that end, I would like to request feedback and tips on mnemonic devices employed by others.

I still remember “My Very Education Mother Just Served Us Nine PizzaPies”, taught to me in the second grade or so as a way to remember the Planets (Mars, Venus, Earth, Jupiter, etc.)  And in a book called “The Brain Book“, I learned the importance of tapping into both sides of your brain in putting together mind maps when studying or just organizing thoughts.  This ability to remember things in “chunks”, something we naturally do as human beings, can significantly help you in several areas of your life, from the obvious benefits for school and work to every-day tasks of remembering phone numbers, names, and shopping lists. Read more of this post

Filed under Business Stuff, Self Improvement & Motivation Tagged with , , , ,

Downtime, but a little HIIT, too!

March 21, 2011 by 2 Comments

I’m beginning to realize the importance of balance in my life and setting aside time for recovery.  I am working on a post that will summarize a book that was recommended by a colleague of mine called The Power of Full Engagement that emphasizes rest and balance along four dimensions- physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental.  The physical part is a no-brainer.  As an athlete (some would say former, but real athletes know ‘once an athlete, always an athlete’), I fully understand and build into my workout program regular rest and recovery periods.  It is not so easy for me, however, to appreciate and apply that same discipline to the other areas of my life.

Which made this last weekend very, very important.  On the surface, three days in the Santa Cruz (CA) Mountains, spent listening to music; playing video games; laughing; drinking; eating; and watching basketball looks like nothing more than childish fun.  Five former teammates with an excuse to act crazy.  Well, aside from the fact that we really didn’t act crazy–the first sign, mind you, that we are getting old–it was actually a good time for us to connect in a way we hadn’t ever before.  As fathers and husbands, and as professionals in careers that have had their ups and downs, we provided for each other a much-needed refuel of energy and drive, of hope and optimism, and of passion and compassion.  With enough quiet time to reflect on things other than sports and women, we were able to give to each other comfort, guidance, and encouragement that only long-time friends can provide.  And I’m thankful to my wife and the wives and significant others of my dear friends for being so supportive of this much-needed MAN-cation. Read more of this post

Filed under Family and Friends, Fitness Stuff Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lessons from March Madness

March 16, 2011 by 1 Comment

A closer look at March Madness

It’s the Night before Madness and I still haven’t finished my bracket—or my wife’s. Last minute, as always. While sitting here at a restaurant waiting for my wife and kids to show up for our weekly family dinner, I’m watching a little ESPN, hoping to gain one or two more morsels of information that’ll help me figure out which 5-Seed is going to get upset this year in the first round. (Right now, I’m leaning towards West Virginia, who plays Clemson, by the way.)

For some reason, though, I can’t get out of my head the turmoil and heated discussion that took place Monday morning immediately following the announcement of the 68 teams that now make up the NCAA National Championship Tournament. It was 64 teams. Then, a year or two ago, they expanded the field to 65, with a “play-in” game that saw the winner getting the unenviable gift of a first round matchup against the Overall #1 Seed, so named as the best team in the field according to the selection committee. And this year it’s 68 damn teams. Too many if you ask me, but that’s a topic for another day. For those of you not at all interested in basketball or sports, bear with me; I’m getting to the part about the lessons learned from this always exciting and chaotic tournament in just a moment. Read more of this post

Filed under Deep Thoughts and Philosophy Tagged with , , , , , ,

‘American Idol’ Fitness

March 13, 2011 by 21 Comments

This week I made my debut on American Idol. Since I possess very little vocal talent, I suppose I should clarify. My awesome pal, Stephanie, called earlier this week with tickets to the American Idol screening in Hollywood, and although my first instinct was to pass (as I have kids to shuttle, homework to supervise, classes to teach and clients to train), I chose to drop everything and drive those hundred miles up the coast to Hollywood in search of one of my all-time idols—Season 10 judge and Aerosmith front man, Steven Tyler.

Four of us 40-something mommies giggled and chatted on the ride up as we played hookie from the minutia of our daily lives. We somehow also managed to create a sign made with bright poster board, colored Sharpies and a funny caricature cut-out of Mr. Tyler’s prominent lips and rockin’ hair. The final product was a work of multi-tasking genius. Colorful and to the point, it read: “Steven Baby…Walk This Way and just Gimme a Kiss!” with a thick arrow pointing down toward the sign holder. We elected our cute blond friend, Maureen, to wield the sign! Needless to say, our plan worked. After waiting outside the studio for hours and making friends with other Idol fans, we were assigned our seats. When the studio usher looked us up and down with her discriminating eye to assess how we’d “read” on camera if it happened to pan over us, she also read our sign. We were clearly not here to see any particular “idol,” we had a higher calling: Steven Tyler! Read more of this post

Filed under Deep Thoughts and Philosophy, Fitness Stuff, Julie M., Thoughts from Guest Posters, Uncategorized Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

21 Days

March 4, 2011 by 14 Comments

Last summer, my brother, my sister, and I, with our respective families in tow, converged on my father’s house for a week of rest and relaxation in sunny California. It was a much anticipated—and needed—family reunion. I hadn’t seen my sister, who lives in Indiana, in a couple of years. It had been even longer since I’d seen my brother, who resides in Washington. And we hadn’t all been together since my wedding almost a decade earlier. The week was nothing less than amazing. We ate. We drank. We laughed. Our kids got to spend quality time with their cousins, splashing in the pool and playing video games. And at moments, it felt like our mother, who passed away in 1998, was overseeing the whole event, still the loving matriarch of a closely knit family, bound together by affection, respect, and enough disagreements, arguments, and spats to rival any family.

But as anyone over the age of thirty with brothers or sisters can attest, spending time with your siblings as adults is surreal. At the most odd of moments, images of your childhood almost hijack your consciousness. You remember specific moments as children, both good and bad. You literally see your brothers and sisters—as they were years ago— in the eyes and actions of their children. (“She looks just like you” and “he acts like his daddy” were two of many refrains echoed over and over throughout the week.) And you wonder where all the time went. If you’re not careful, you’ll even find yourself holding back a tear or two. It’s okay— normal and healthy, even— to let those tears flow, but I’ll get to that in a later post. Read more of this post

Filed under Deep Thoughts and Philosophy, Family and Friends Tagged with , , , , ,

← Older posts

Newer posts →