Having The Courage To Manage Your Time

It is not so much what you believe in that matters, it's more the way in which you believe it and proceed to translate that belief into action."
*Lin Yutang {1895-1976 Chinese Author}

The Samurai listed seven virtues of bushido, or the way of the warrior. One of those virtues is "Yu" or courage and bravery. These key virtues are just as important in personal and business success today as on the battlefield in ancient times.
Standing face to face with another warrior, razor sharp sword in their hand and knowing that in minutes, one of you would be dead, required a special type of courage and ruthless focused thought.

The modern martial warrior however, has different worries and fears that they must face, overcome and conquer. Not better or worse, just different.
Anyone that achieves success in any area of their life understands the key fundamentals and makes them a part of their personal and business mission statements. Success that is achieved is usually based on overcoming fear and taking action. If you are contemplating doing something different or moving on a faster track, the first step is having the courage to make the decision to take action, and one of the best ways to overcome fear is to take action very quickly.
The act of not sitting around and waiting for the right time, or putting things off shapes success and allows the average individual to accomplish more in a short time than most people do in a lifetime.
Life is short, no time to waste.

Benjamin Franklin once wrote, "Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of." Dan Kennedy talks about time vampires, the people around you that suck the productivity and your valuable time right out of your life. Time is your most precious resource. It is all you really have. It is your life. As long as you have lots of time, you can do almost anything. But if your time is cut off for any reason, all of your possibilities are cut off as well.
Most people don't have the courage to ruthlessly guard their time, and therefore allow others to control what they accomplish and achieve. Of course a martial artist needs to have the courage to face obstacles and over come forces they identify as keeping them away from their goals, and people that waste your time should be high on your list of enemies.

There is a Japanese word called "kime" which means maximum efficiency with minimum energy. For the successful person today, spending maximum time on the most important actions is the key to success. The path to black belt excellence always factors in what the most important thing to be doing at this very moment is, and does not allow distractions or time vampires to keep them form reaching their goals.

Organization Lessons for Back to School
As busy parents we can all attest to the fact that organizing skills are a major factor in the success of our children in school and the quality of our life at home. The ease with which we manage every area of our lives - from getting ready to go to school in the morning to going to bed at night - can be significantly improved if we approach the tasks to be done in an organized manner. Unfortunately, we were not all born with an innate organizing ability, and more unfortunately, there are few opportunities to learn the skill. But it's never too late - or too early - to begin learning!

Having muliple children involved brings on additional challenges. A friend of mine with 4 children shares theses tips; Begin by having each child in your family choose "their color," and use it consistently. It will save lots of squabbles over whose notebook or umbrella is whose. Attach a pen with the ink color of each child nearby the family calendar (which should have lots of writing space!) We had four children taking karate at the same time, but in different age group classes so "karate" written in red ink told me it was Jenny who needed a ride. Encourage your children to be responsible for their own schedules and commitments. Start by teaching your child to use an alarm clock and expecting them to use it.

Does your child have trouble deciding what to wear in the morning? Part of the problem may be too many choices. Eliminate anything from the closet that doesn't currently fit, is not in season or in style. Chose clothes the night before but as a back up plan; spend some time with your child planning wardrobe combinations and list them on a sign on the closet door for a quick morning reminder.
Last minute hassles over lost shoes or book bags? Identify a specific place for shoes / book bags - preferably near the front door! Children learn by example - how are you doing in that department?

If your children pack their own lunches for school, work out a system that suits each child. One daughter preferred to pack hers the night before, but the son - never more than ten minutes before the bus arrived! To eliminate Johnny taking Mary's lunch, use different colored containers or labels for each child. Create a standard shopping list of lunchbox items each child likes and make sure to keep those items on hand. Put a list on the refrigerator with any special items that are available (e.g., leftover steak from dinner last night). By the way, if Sara forgets her lunch and you drop what you're doing to deliver it, you're giving a message that she doesn't have to remember. No child ever suffered seriously from missing lunch for one day! Send positive messages that encourage them to remember by including a love note in a lunch box with messages - "Good luck on your math test!"

One of the ongoing hassles of school days - regardless of the children's age - are those papers that need signing by Mom or Dad (and frequently require checks!). Identify a specific place for only those items. A clearly labeled magnetic pocket on the refrigerator door is a great option. Keep some "Sign Here" Post- it? Flags nearby to help spark your memory or encourage your children to flag the documents to show you where to sign.

Completing homework is every parent's primary concern. The first challenge is helping them to get their assignments home. Help them find an assignment book that is easy to use. Each evening go over assignments with your child to see that homework is complete! Creating a productive study environment is crucial, keeping in mind that everyone does not need the same environment to be successful. Some children work best alone in a quiet room, while others do better sitting at the kitchen table while Mom or Dad fixes dinner. Since computers have become a major factor in homework, develop family policies about who can use the computer when. Keep supplies and resources on hand to eliminate unnecessary last minute shopping trips.

Of course you couldn't expect an article on "back to school" without mentioning a filing system. Since research shows that the average person spends over one month each year looking for lost information, it's never too early to start teaching kids how to file!

Finally, notes of all varieties can be a wonderful way to communicate to your children - with one caveat. Years ago, I overheard my friend's son say to his sister one morning, "I wonder what I have to do today, there's one of those yellow things on the mirror." I suddenly realized that it was important to give positive messages as well as parental reminders. Waking up to, "You did a great job cleaning up the kitchen last night," is a great start to good day at school!

The Gracie Diet is not just about fruits, it's about how you combine the foods you eat.

Meats are a part of the Gracie Diet. Most meats (as well as fish, fowl and shellfish) are in Group A. The Group A foods combine with each other as well as with one food from Group B.

Tip of the Month: Some foods do not combine with other foods, and have to be eaten alone. In the Gracie Diet, these are classified Group D foods. When you eat one of these foods, wait 3-4 hours for your body to digest it before you eat something different. Some of the fruits and other foods that must be eaten alone include:
Apples (if green or acidic), apricots, cherries, peaches, acidic plums, acidic pears Blackberries, raspberries, strawberries Pineapple, mango Grapefruit, lemon, orange, tangerine Yogurt, kefir, acidophilus milk

Note, none of the individual fruits and foods listed above combines with any other food or even with each other. That means don't blend the juices of different citrus fruits, don't combine blackberries with raspberries, and watch the blend in fruit salad, if you want to follow the Gracie Diet.

We'd like to make sure everyone remembers
that Friday --- 7 September 2007
We will be holding our next belt exam.
Please review the testing schedule, exam roster, and upcoming events to see how it may affect you by visiting our website
@ http://www.athensmartialarts.net and clicking on the "Student Corner" icon.