Occasionally, when the college schedule became terribly hectic, I would take the bus home… I would walk in the orchard where our black walnut trees provided our nuts for the year. I loved historical novels (something I gave up when I got married) and would curl up on the couch with the radio playing, relaxing with music and let the stress slip away. By the way, the rural electrification gave us electricity about 1938. We then had radio, electric lights, hot water, electric iron, electric tools, and the list goes on and on as “time” goes on and on!
I wrote this poem a few months back when a friend came home early from her mission due to sickness. I started thinking about why god might turn us from doing something that we want so bad that may or may not be the best thing for us. Anyway here it is:
When I Say Yes and God Says No
I’m not a very humble man, I like things my own way.
I push and drive and work real hard to make the path I lay.
I include God in my thoughts and plans, cause I know it should be so;
But oftentimes I’ve fought with him, when I said yes and God said no. Read the rest of this entry »
So I recently sat in a meeting where a project I had spent a year developing was drawn into question. I’m not sure what is going to happen to it, but I was frustrated and sent a text to a friend saying: “I don’t know why I try to build and start things things when I know that most likely they will be torn down and changed… I feel like I’m pouring water into a bucket full of holes” That inspired me to write this poem:
The Bucket Filled with Holes
I have a holey bucket and I fill it full each day
I need to get its contents to my neighbors down the way
But by the time I get to them my bucket’s nearly dry
I see my meager offering and I almost start to cry
Companies, organizations, groups of individuals have a variety of ways to share stories within their organizations. They all have different purposes for existing. Here are just a couple:
Silent Stories
The cone of shame is what is known in organizational behavior as an “Observable Artifact”. Stories do not have to be told through people. They can be made manifest through inanimate objects, like the christian cross, Hilter’s swastika, or in this case, the cone of shame. They take on life and meaning themselves that create social norms people will follow. The cone of shame is a representation of power among the dogs. The artifact itself gives or takes away the power of individuals within the group. Read the rest of this entry »
See if you can pick up just what makes Mr. Rogers so smart in the following video:
ok, if you didn’t get it the first time watch this one and see:
If you haven’t guessed the key lies in Mr. Rogers closet. In every episode he ever did Mr. Rogers had the same routine. When he walked into his house he took off his outside shoes and his jacket and then switched it with a sweater. Then at the end of the show he would walk over and put them back on the shelf. He did that for over 20 years. Now how does that relate to us?
Well, routines are critical for the success of accomplishing goals and reaching our potential. If we get into the habit of doing the same task every day or every week, eventually we no longer have to put energy into thinking about it. If I consistently run every morning at six thirty, it becomes a habit, I don’t think about forcing myself out of bed, or trying to inspire myself about the need to lose weight or be healthy, my brainpower can be used for other things. Running at six thirty is simply something you do. It becomes second nature… This applies to every aspect of our lives.
I recently have undergone a complete organization overhaul. Others may not have to be this extreme but for us ADHDer’s without routines our life is a giant hide and go seek game. The day starts out like this: “where did I put my keys?…” “I swear I just set them down”…. “Awesome, I found my keys…but now where did my wallet just go?”… “Oh, man! I forgot to wash my clothes last week! Nothing like wearing the same pair of underwear two days in a row” 😦 Whether it be making sure your closet and your dressing habits are the same every day, placing your keys and wallet in the same location, or completing any of your other goals, consistency brings results. So then what are the principles to building routines?
1. DO YOUR OWN THING: We read books and take Franklin Covey manuals to try to keep us organized… the problem is… those plans often don’t work for us because each of us have our own hang ups and our own way of learning. Feel free to investigate all sorts of plans, experiment, and in the end do use the system that is most comfortable for your needs.
2. HAVE A PURPOSE: Clearly identify why you want something to become a routine. If you have no purpose behind your actions then there will be little commitment to stick with it.
3. IDENTIFY ENVIRONMENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HANG UPS: Each one of us has little things that keep us from becoming successful in developing habits. For example, let’s say I want to get into the habit of going running each morning; well, I know that if my room is cold it becomes extremely hard for me to get out of my bed, I also know that I have an uncanny ability to turn my alarm off in my sleep, that if the alarm is too annoying I automatically shut it off without being fully awake, and I can sometimes be extremely groggy and forget about what I am doing. Knowing these factors leads me to my third step.
4. BUILD SAFETY NETS: Once you identify what those hang ups are you build a support for yourself. In the example above I would: make sure my room is warm enough before bed, I set my alarm clock across the room so that I have to get out of bed, I make sure the alarm is a song I like and that I make sure to get plenty of rest the night before.
5. BE PATIENT: Habits don’t form over night. It will take at least three weeks of consistent follow through for them to really stick. Even then, it may take a while before you see results from following these habits. You may feel discouraged and think the habit you are developing is the wrong one… be patient and see what happens. I know there are other aspects to routines but I think this is a good enough start that it will help you on your way to achieving order in your life and accomplishing your goals through routines.
Calebs Thoughts 