Saturday, September 29, 2018
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Pay Attention to Your Health and Wellbeing
Do you ever struggle to pay attention to your health and wellbeing? We all have good intentions, right? But sometimes it’s a little more challenging. It’s definitely an ongoing challenge for me. One thing I’ve come to realize is that we have a responsibility to ourselves as much as we do to everyone else in our life. We are professionals, parents, spouses, friends, caretakers, providers and more. Too often, we put everyone else’s needs above our own, resulting in stress, overwhelm, exhaustion and frustration. Our health suffers as does our frame of mind. When we don’t prioritize our mind, body and spirit, everything suffers. In order to unleash our best self every day, we must pay attention to our wellness.
There are three strategies that I decided would be helpful to me, and thought they may be for you as well.
Create Habits:
When it comes to being attentive to your health, start first by creating solid habits. I know we hear this all the time, but maybe one of your habits is that you’re not sleeping as well as you want, or maybe you’re stressed all the time. Consider meditation. Use apps to help you relax, clear your mind and ease your body.
Consider scheduling your sleep. Make a commitment to be in bed by 10 o’clock three nights a week during the work week. What are some habits you can create that will allow you to focus on your health and wellbeing?
We’ve always heard it takes 21 days to make a habit, but science says otherwise. It actually takes greater than 60 days to form a new habit. Whatever you choose to do, be mindful and intentional. Give it your devoted energy and see if over the course of 60 days it becomes a habit.
Create a Routine:
Just like we have habits we’re trying to create, can you create a routine? Best way to form new habits is to do them at the same time every day. For instance, if you want to start meditating, perhaps you do it first thing in the morning upon waking. Or if you want to get fit, consider making a new workout program your routine upon waking. I found that creating routines in my life makes it a little easier for me to pay attention to those important aspects.
For example, when I travel I always leave my workout gear right beside my bed, so I literally have to step over it if I don’t wanna do. I do the same thing at home. My workout gear is packed beside my bed so that the first thing I do is put it on so I can’t talk myself out of working out.
Accountability is a key driver in creating routines and habits. Being mindful of your eating routines, the amount of time you spend away from your desk, and your sleeping patterns are all part of well-being attention. What are some routines you could create to stay healthier?
End Technology Addictions:
This is so much easier for me to say, but much harder to do. Challenge yourself to leave your cell phone behind. If you go for a walk, head to the gym or do anything that allows you to give attention to your wellbeing, turn off technology. Allow yourself to escape the information overload and the need to be accessible to everyone all the time. Give your mind and your energy a break.
Want more ideas? Tune into my YouTube channel and take a look.
Three ways that are simple but not easy to focus on your health and wellbeing: create habits, create a routine, and remove technology addiction. What would you add to this list? Write your notes down below or send me a note directly.
If we’re not connected on social media, let’s fix that. My social media details, if you wanna follow me on Twitter, well I’m @neenjames. If you prefer what I get up to, my adventures are always online on Instagram, especially if you like stories. But if you would like a copy of Attention Pays, you can find it wherever your favorite books are sold, or you can go to neenjames.com. You see, I believe that when we pay attention, attention pays.
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Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Become a Responsible Global Citizen
Are you a responsible global citizen?
Nearly 25 years ago, my husband and I lived in Australia. We saved enough money to go explore the Great Barrier Reef. As we dove in the water, we were surrounded by coral, fish, and colors I’d never seen. It was one of the most magnificent things ever.
Fast forward to one year ago. We went back to the exact same place we visited all those years ago. We got into the water at the outer reef, where we’d been 25 years earlier, only to become heartbroken as we saw something else entirely. All of the beautiful coral was bleached white. The marine life was very few.
Global Warming – Yes or No?
Now, whether you believe in global warming or not is irrelevant. 46 scientists have said the bleaching of the Australian Barrier Reef is from heat waves created in the water. What we once knew as beautiful, colorful and full of life is now no more. Never again will generations after us get to embark upon the same experience.
We have a responsibility as global citizens to pay intentional attention to the planet on which we live. Now, maybe you are not about saving the planet. Maybe you don’t care about the oceans, but chances are you have an awareness of global attention. Many organizations have committed to prioritizing their surrounding communities. It could be that you want to pay specific attention to the community you serve.
As a speaker around the globe, I have chosen to take part in the National Speakers Association. This organization has created the National Speakers Association Foundation to help speakers in time of needs such as natural disasters, health issues and crises. What can you become a part of to help others, to help your community and to aid in the world around us?
Inspiring global attention
There are so many ways that we can easily be better global citizens with the resources we have. In 1987, Ian Conan was sailing around the world on a solo yacht race. One thing that got his attention was the amount of crazy pollution in the ocean. He came back to Australia and he decided to create Clean Up Australia Day. Now that very first day, I remember volunteering to clean up in my community. It seems crazy that you would get people to take a day off from work and clean up rubbish and trash. But it worked!
Fast forward today and you’ll find it still ongoing. Ian and Clean Up the World partnered with global alliances where 30 million people in 80 different countries participated in that very first year. One man’s vision just to start cleaning up the waterways became this ripple effect that has come across the planet.
I wonder if there’s one thing that you could do as a global citizen and start paying attention to. Maybe there’s one particular charity in your local community that your business would like to get behind. Maybe as an individual, there’s one particular passion you have for a charity where you could donate time in lieu of money.
We have a responsibility to take care of the planet that we are gifted with, to pay attention so that other people may enjoy it and their attention might be invested in these wonderful resources we have. I want to challenge you to become a conscious, intentional global citizen and pay attention to what matters around you.
Want to know more? Check out my video on YouTube and subscribe to receive updates on new videos full of tips and techniques to pay attention to what matters most personally, professionally and globally.
The post Become a Responsible Global Citizen appeared first on Neen James.
Friday, September 14, 2018
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Prioritize Personal Attention for Family
Friends are the family you choose for yourself. No matter what shape, size or location of your family, it means different things to everyone. It’s a very cool encompassing term. In my case, my family is spread all over the globe. While I live in the US, most of my relatives live in Australia. We have adopted our American friends and neighbors. No matter if your family is blood-related or really close friendships, it’s important to pay attention to those relationships and commit to investing in them routinely.
There are three ways to be more committed to a family focus:
Establish Traditions.
Now in your family, you might have dinner together at a certain time of the week, or year. Or maybe you do something special for your holidays. Perhaps you celebrate someone’s birthday ina particular way. Establishing family traditions gives everyone something to look forward to. It creates amazing memories and provides great memories for when you’re not together.
Create Daily Tasks.
That’s right. What could you do daily to remind your loved ones they’re important to you? Perhaps you could send a text message saying you’re thinking of them. Or, it could be as simple as calling someone or face timing. Megan, my best friend, is an amazing mother. She is someone I admire who runs multiple businesses. In addition to it all, she is a mentor to many by investing time in the education of others. Best of all, she is the mother of two of my beautiful goddaughters. To ensure she remains engaged with her family, she’s created daily routines to help her daughters prepare for each day of school. She pays attention to their meals by planning ahead and ensuring they always eat together as a family. This is a tradition lost by many families in the chaos of school, work and commitments. Daily tasks can help create routines so you can spend less time working and more time focusing those that matter most to you.
Schedule Connection Points.
Consider the easiest ways you can connect to various loved ones. For instance, my husband and I speak every day on the phone, no matter where on the planet we are. We’ve had a rule for 29 years of marriage that we connect on the phone, no matter what. Perhaps you could connect over FaceTime with distant family, or text messaging with friends. Either way, be mindful of how to best connect with various family members so you stay in touch. Consider Folding Time in your day, such as calling a family member while driving to and from work. Perhaps you could send a little not first thing in the morning to someone you care a great deal for. Maybe write little notes for your children to pack in their lunches when they head off to school. Either way, give intentional attention to those you love with little connection points that shows how much you care. It’s one of the greatest gifts you’ll ever be giving someone, is the gift of being present.
When it comes to paying attention personally – focus on your family. Establish traditions, create daily routines and schedule connection points. Want more ideas? Watch this video for inspiration!
Let’s connect on social media. You can follow me on Twitter or see my adventures on Instagram where I share stories every day. If you haven’t checked out neenjames.com, go and find out more about our latest book, Attention Pays. I’m so excited to hear what you would add to this list. How can we focus on family more, whatever family looks like for you?
The post Prioritize Personal Attention for Family appeared first on Neen James.
Thursday, September 06, 2018
Tuesday, September 04, 2018
Start with Community When Caring for Mother Earth
How do you pay attention to the planet? It starts with your community.
In our book, Attention Pays, we talk about how we pay attention in the world, personally, professionally, and globally. Personally, it’s about who deserves your attention and being thoughtful. Professionally, it’s about what deserves your attention and being productive. Globally, it’s about how are you paying attention in the world and being responsible, and a contributor.
There are three ways to raise global awareness so everyone feels a sense of ownership and responsibility in caring for our world. Now you don’t have to be a Green Peace carrying, Tesla driving, crazy environmentalist person. Rather, tiny little things we can do to pay attention make a BIG difference. (By the way, I love Teslas. I think they’re one of the sexiest cars on the planet, but I digress…)
Start a recycling program.
At work, place a bin near the printer so paper isn’t wasted. You could also start a recycling allocation in the lunchroom where people can sort out the recyclable trash. At home, make a place for a recycling trash can. To make it more fun and get more involved, start a recycling contest at work between floors or within departments. Create a community fundraiser where you collect bottles and cans to cash in for charity. Either way its easy to start a recycling program.
Choose a charity in your community.
What is important to you? Perhaps you have a very global awareness and want to assist with poverty. Or, maybe you want to help needy children in other countries. Perhaps, you want to care for what’s happening with endangered animals. Either way, start in your community. Think about how you could instantly make an impact, even if small. Maybe it’s working to help your local homeless shelter, a soup kitchen, a church or a community program. Paying global attention starts where we live. It’s in our home, our work, and our community. So, choose a charity.
Join a community event.
Become a business invested in community aid. One of my clients, Comcast Cares, has a program where each day a team helps people wherever they are needed. They may create gardens, or clean up littered areas. They’ve helped build schools, paint and create murals too. One way to start cleaning up the world is start close to home. By focusing on your community, you begin making an impact on your life and the life of those you live among.
Could you create a recycling program? Consider donating to a charity or get involved in a community events. What would you add to this list? I’d love to hear your ideas below.
Let’s connect on social media. You can follow me on Twitter or Instagram for all the stories I post each day. If you haven’t got yourself a copy of Attention Pays, you can find it where your favorite books are sold or you can go to NeenJames.com and download hundreds of articles you can use for free. Let’s take responsibility of our planet and the resources on it. When you pay attention, attention pays.
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