Track failure to win (and how to save money on your phone bill)

Track what you’re doing to become more productive. On this podcast, I want to warn you about people who do INTENSITY wrong (by going all caps, pushing hard and never touching the brakes. We get into how I’m treating my knee injury, the benefits of saunas and heat shock proteins and how I saved a ton of cash with a phone call to my telephone company (and you can, too!)

I’ve come to a point in my life and practice where I have to focus very carefully to make sure I’m doing the right things. It’s very easy to get sucked into activities that waste time and are unproductive. (Listen to last week’s episode to delve into how we can end up focusing on the wrong things.)

Helpful Links About Saunas:

Here’s a list of health benefits using saunas.

Here’s the link to Dr. Rhonda Patrick on the science of heat shock benefits.

Note: On the show I mention that I stay in the sauna for up to 20 minutes at a time. Your mileage, tolerance and sauna temperatures may vary so follow the instructions that are posted or in the instructions on your sauna.

Here’s what I’m doing to stay on track

Netflix has new episodes of Sherlock. I’m overjoyed but when I checked my Garmin pedometer the other day, I realized I had a mere 1800 steps for the day. 10,000 steps a day is recommended (or two hours of brisk walking, depending on whom you consult.) Sherlock isn’t going anywhere. I got off the couch.

I have to make sure I’m going somewhere. I went for a long walk, listened to some strutting music and swung my arms hard. I came back refreshed and, newly energized, tackled a few things I needed to deal with instead of collapsing back to the sofa.

What to do, what to do, what to freakin’ do?

A comedian I love, Mike Schmidt, has a motto: No Zero Days. It means you have to deal with stuff you don’t necessarily want to deal with. This week, I’ve done that. Aside from the usual day to day workload, I choose one thing I don’t want to do and tackle it. For instance, I rescheduled a dentist appointment, cancelled my TV and cleaned up the house. Look, ma! I’m adulting!

Want to contact me?

Email expartepresss@gmail.com.
 

Wait. You cancelled your TV? Has there been a coup? Is this the end of the world?

I’m the only one in the house who watched television. I love Better Call Saul. I have a love/hate relationship with The Walking Dead. I like Jon Oliver and I want to see the final season of Game of Thrones. However, that stuff will eventually show up on Netflix or I’ll catch the highlights on the web. Maybe I’ll buy the GoT DVD someday. The issue is that television isn’t worth the time or money. It distracts me from reading and writing. Since that’s what I’m put on Earth to do, it was time to prioritize (and save on the budget.)

We’re getting to the stage where you’ve probably already gotten rid of your landline if you ever had one. Television is going away, too. There are alternatives but the best one for me is to focus on being a producer, not a consumer. That’s one more key to keeping me on track to success.

The Power of Spreadsheets

As I mentioned last week, I’m using Google Sheets to identify and record variables that limit my productivity. Remember this lesson from Do the Thing: that which is not measured is not changed. I’m changing. I track the times of day I write, where I work and my mood. I track progress by chapter and number of words changed in three categories: writing, revision and editing. I’m experimenting with which variables to track, what’s too little to record and what’s too much. 

I’ll get back to you with deeper results soon but I can tell you this: the act of recording alone makes me more productive. Working against the clock makes me work harder and faster and (surprise!) with greater joy. Just glancing at my Garmin and seeing only 1800 steps and 9 PM made me get out and hoof it. That’s another measure to watch (and possibly plot on a spreadsheet.)

For in depth discussions of time management and productivity, check out my book, Do the Thing. Like it? Please review it.

Toss this podcast a five star review wherever you listen in, as well. I need the money and attention.

 

Speaking of money…

Click the BECOME A PATRON link at AllThatChazz.com to get lots of nifty rewards. Special thanks to patron of the arts, reader and listener, RF Kacy for his contribution. Cheers, mate!

Last idea tonight:

Get more sleep. I’m headed to bed early so I can get up and crush it tomorrow, starting with a trip to the sauna. I’ve got deadlines and lots of stuff to do. So do you. Wanna do more? Write down what you’re going to do and write down what you did. You will do more!

Stay on track and do the thing!

~ Chazz

PS Check out all my books at AllThatChazz.com: sci-fi, crime thrillers, assorted apocalyptic scenaria.

Pick up the last stress-busting book you’ll ever need here.

Bust Stress! Do the Little Things!


Welcome back to the All That Chazz Stress Relief Podcast. For anyone who is looking to decrease pain, boost energy or manage time and relieve stress, you’re in the right place.* (If you’re listening to this at AllThatChazz.com and you can’t see the mpg player, click the Read More tab to play the show.) 

On today’s show I talk about the surprising stress you get from small problems and why you should choose easy solutions. I also talk about finding the middle ground on the safer use of pharmaceutical drugs. You’ll also get two tips to sleep better tonight. You can find out much more about the proper use of legal drugs (and one illegal drug) in my book, Do the Thing! Speaking of which…

This show is brought to you by my book, Do the Thing! I don’t cover everything in the book on the podcast. This is more of a complement to that. For a ton of ideas to improve your life and achieve a higher degree of productivity and success, go pick up Do the Thing!, available on Amazon in ebook or paperback.

Would you like to advertise your product or service on the show, get a poster or your name in my next book? Patreon rewards are for you!

Find out more on my new Patreon page.

Your support helps cover bandwidth costs. I really need this podcast to pay for itself so if you’d like to support the show and earn rewards for your patronage, check out the treasures by clicking here or hit the orange Patreon button on the Home page at AllthatChazz.com. Thank you so much!

Not everybody has the money to give money. If that’s you, no worries. Please support the podcast by giving it a happy review on iTunes, subscribe, tweet it and tell your friends! Sharing is caring. Cheers!

Interested in the design service I mentioned on the show? It’s KitFosterDesign.com. You can check that out at this link.

*Please note that if you have a health condition or concern, please consult a health care professional before proceeding with any changes to your health maintenance regimen. Don’t take medical advice from a podcast! See your doctor in person for a proper consultation. 

Robert Chute is a massage therapist with 24 years experience who works in stress, pain management and injury rehabilitation. A former journalist, Robert is also the author of many books, ranging from non-fiction to science fiction, horror, fantasy and crime thrillers. If you’re interested in his fiction, you’ll find his books under his pen name, Robert Chazz Chute.

Music credit: 

Floating Cities Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Do the Art in Everything!

Welcome back to the All That Chazz Stress Relief Podcast. For anyone who is looking to decrease pain, boost energy or manage time and relieve stress, you’re in the right place.*

(If you’re listening to this at AllThatChazz.com and you can’t see the mpg player, click the Read More tab to play the show. Please subscribe to the show on iTunes and leave a happy review. That helps more listeners find us.) 

On today’s show, I talk about self-improvement and finding the art in everything. Achieving mastery is a process. It starts with presence and giving whatever you’re doing full attention. With repetition, learning and refinement, best practices can grow. Becoming a master can take years but, with attention to detail and making mistakes along the way, you will find economy of movement. You will find the way. Art is waiting for you in everything.

Today’s show is brought to you by my book, Do the Thing! I don’t cover everything in the book on the podcast. This is more of a complement to that. For a ton of ideas to improve your life and achieve a higher degree of productivity and success, go pick up Do the Thing!, available on Amazon in ebook or paperback.

*Please note that if you have a health condition or concern, please consult a health care professional before proceeding with any changes to your health maintenance regimen. Don’t take medical advice from a podcast! See your doctor in person for a proper consultation. 

Music Credit

“Immersed” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Robert Chute is a massage therapist with 24 years experience who works in stress, pain management and injury rehabilitation. A former journalist, Robert is also the author of many books, ranging from non-fiction to science fiction, horror, fantasy and crime thrillers. If you’re interested in his fiction, you’ll find his books under his pen name, Robert Chazz Chute.

 

What are friends for? (Literally)

We all need friends, right? Maybe you don’t get along with your family. If so, you’ve still got a happy backup. Friends are the family you choose. But have you ever thought hard about why we need them?

I recommend subscribing to the YouTube channel The School of Life in my book, Do the Thing!

I like many of their videos. In this one, I especially love the part about how our pals are those with whom we can act comfortably foolish. It’s reassuring to hear I’m not the only one who is pretending to be a grown-up. I bet you thought you were the only one, too!