“Hey, I read your last blog post about commuting to work by bike. Are you still doing it?” I have been asked this question a couple of times since my last post by friends and family that I had no idea were reading our blog (and yes, I am still commuting to work by bike three times a week). It is because of this new public accountability that I have been hesitant to write about a couple of my new ventures, but one of the objectives of this blog is to get outside of my comfort zone. What is more effective than spending large amounts of money on courses, trainings, or memberships? Going public and telling people about your goal(s) is one of the best ways to become and remain motivated to achieve goals. We are social beings. Peer pressure isn’t something that just affects us as teenagers. Here are three things I have started in order to be better.
#1. Taking a Scottish Shower everyday. A Scottish Shower is when you begin with hot water, but the last part of the shower is in cold water. I have been doing this every day for the last 5 months (I missed 2 days when I was sick). I started this practice shortly after reading an article on lifehacker.com about the benefits of cold showers. I couldn’t handle straight cold. Then I came across a related article about the Scottish Shower; also called the James Bond shower. It is believed that the author of the 007 novels included the tidbit about the secret agent’s hygiene as a nod to Bond’s Scottish heritage. Some of the health benefits include: improved circulation, faster metabolism, improved sleep, healthier skin and hair, speedier recovery from workouts, and increased energy. Having a 2 year old and 3 month old and without the benefit of coffee or other stimulants, I have particularly enjoyed the increased energy.
This guy stayed cool in every situation, including the shower.
#2. Watching cartoons in Spanish. One of the new cartoons that my daughter enjoys watching is called Go, Diego, Go!. Diego is cousins with Dora, and he takes his pet Jaguar on adventures to save other animals and the environment (I don’t know what’s more ridiculous: that an 8 year old has a pet Jaguar or that this is my favorite modern cartoon). Besides speaking English and Spanish, he is also able to speak to all of the animals. It is amazing how politically correct cartoons are today. We are long past the days of Bugs Bunny going hunting and explosives blowing up Wylie Coyote. I could probably dedicate a whole blog post on the differences between cartoons when I was a kid and cartoons today. Anyways, in every episode Diego chants “Al rescate amigo, to the rescue my friend”. It struck me that we should just watch the show in Spanish. Ironically, for being a network that celebrates diversity and multiculturalism, Nick does not offer their shows in Spanish. Fortunately Disney does offer their shows in Spanish. So we have been watching Sophia in Spanish ever since. My daughter gets to learn a new language, I get to brush up on a language I learned over 10 years ago, and I get to feel a little less guilty about exposing her to TV because I’m really just introducing her to another culture. At least that’s what I tell myself.
I long for the days of Elmer and Bugs!
#3. Speed reading. I listened to a podcast with a “brain coach” named Jim Kwik who specializes in helping others improve memory and increase reading speed and retention. When asked what superpower he most wanted, Bill Gates replied, “Being able to read super fast.” Also sharing the stage, Warren Buffet added that he had probably wasted 10 years of his life due to reading slow. I did a cursory google search and found several programs available ranging in price from $500 to a free e-book. I decided to invest $35 on an online course through Udemy called Superlearner. The stated objective of the course is to help a person double or triple their reading time. The average American can read 200-250 wpm (words per minute). I am at 290 wpm with a retention level of 90%. I am only two weeks into the course, but the goal is to get to 900 wpm with 90% retention. The focus to this point has been on increasing the ability to memorize using vivid images and creating markers while reading.
Forget the connotation of fire a brimstone, damnation really means a lack of progress. Just think about the effect a dam has on a river; it blocks the flow of water. I don’t want to be dam(n)ed. Ultimately I want to be 1% better today than I was yesterday. Some of my goals might seem silly to you, but hopefully it has made you do some introspection. Maybe it’s running that first marathon, learning a new language, or learning to cook a certain dish. Go public and let’s break down dam(n)s together.
-JLM
-JLM
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