Smart Life Option

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, stressed and demoralised when all you can see is an endless list of things to do. How are you going to get through everything in such a short period of time? Even if they were enough hours, they end up wasted having to deal with interruptions and distractions. Then others wonder why you are short tempered, annoyed and frustrated.

At times like this, I try to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. I think of the people I know that have experienced much worse in their lives. I remind myself that my problems, while real, are nothing compared to what others have had to endure. This approach helps me stay calm, focused and effective.

Instead of procrastinating or feeling sorry for myself, I set a four hour window and choose the ‘One Thing’ - the single most important task - focussing all my attention on it whilst avoiding all unnecessary distractions.

It’s not magic. It won’t fix everything (I was never going to achieve that anyway). I will, however, have completed or at least made good progress on one or more tasks and, provided I repeat this strategy daily, the results will come.

It works for me. Hopefully it can help you too! 😊

Here's the link to the book where I got the idea.

👇 Sign-up using my referral link in the comments and get a £20 bonus. T&C's Apply.

I officially completed the Couch to 5K plan yesterday. What was meant to be nine weeks turned into nine months, but I made it! 😁

Penultimate run on the free NHS #couchto5k app this morning. I still can’t believe how smooth the whole journey has been. I couldn't run a bath before I started but it’s felt surprisingly doable and even enjoyable.

One thing that’s made a massive difference is my #Garmin watch. The stats, pacing, and insights have kept me motivated every step of the way.

If you’re thinking about starting your own running journey, this little gadget has been a gamechanger for me.

I got this watch for my birthday in May last year, after deciding to run the Leeds Half Marathon. I haven't run for several years and the first and only time I've run a half marathon was the Great North Run in 2004.

I've steadily increased the time and distance over the last few months and intend to start adding 1k a week to my longest run. This will mean I will be close to the 21k needed for the event.

I am however concerned that, although fine on paper, this does not take the strains and stresses on my ageing body into consideration. Thankfully, the stats and feedback provided by Garmin are amazing, including suggesting to take the day off. 😂

Logo created courtesy of Microsoft Copilot.😁

Feedback is welcome or just give it a score between 1-10.

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