NezSez

During this time of year, sports fans are usually glued to their TV’s to watch the NCAA basketball championship tourney — also called March Madness. And basically right after that comes the professional NBA Playoffs. It’s the best time to be a basketball fan.

And while I’m pleased that our local professional team (the Golden State Warriors) is in the hunt for a playoff spot, I’m writing this to talk about dealing with pressure situations, in which during this time there will be plenty.

Clutch Performers

For athletes, we often praise the ones who are “clutch”, who, with the game on the line, are able to score the winning basket from the field, be it a lay-up against the “trees” clogging the lanes to the basket, a long-ranged jump shot over the outstretched arms of two defenders, or the successful free throws amidst the howling and hooting of thousands upon thousands of rabid fans, all with only seconds left on the game clock.

Real Life Pressure Situations

But for the rest of us mere mortals, let me ask you have you ever:

• Put in an all-nighter for a term paper, and wound up getting an A?
• Made a presentation in front of investors, and aced all the hard questions, landing the big contract?
• Received the proverbial client’s curve ball — something you never expected — but kept your cool and proceeded (and succeeded) as if you expected it all along?

Those are all pressure situations where the expectation to perform and deliver is high — and it feels GREAT when you do.

People often get paid big bucks for that kind of performance, and deservedly so.

Reason for Failure

However, many people do buckle under the stress.

And the stress comes from getting into a state of mind where uncertainty, doubt and/or fear reigns:

• What if I mess up?
• I’m not prepared!!
• What’s the next step?

These and any number of other questions and thoughts run through the mind, and the subsequent failure to perform is often summarized as paralysis by analysis.

Qualities of Clutch Performers

Clutch performers, on the other hand, have these qualities:

• Confidence from Practice - no one is born perfect, and neither does intense practice make one perfect, despite the popular saying. However, what practice DOES do is train your muscles, honing their “muscle memory”, and perfect practice instills the confidence to perform perfectly, so when the time comes, the person who has practiced a lot appears to perform effortlessly. When you know you’ve done it (successfully) before (in practice), you can be confident you’ll do it again (in real game situations). That’s the reason why Michael Jordan, Jerry Rice, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly were notorious for their intense practices/rehearsals.
• Being Prepared - basically, this is the same as confidence from practice, but it bears explaining that the best performers are always prepared. For the job seeker, it’s as simple as doing the basic research of a company at which you want to work. For the self-employed, it’s keeping apprised of what the competition in your market is doing. For the lone woman traveling at night, it’s being aware of your surroundings. Preparation also comes from real practical experience — both successes and failures. Everything you do (or choose to do) prepares you for new challenges.
• Stay in the moment and let the chips fall where they may - the confidence from practice and preparation also allows the clutch performer to stay focused in the present, allowing their minds or bodies to perform without distraction. Sometimes we hear of athletes getting into “the zone”, in which the action seems to be flowing in slow motion. My theory is that when someone is in “the zone”, that person’s mind must be operating at peak efficiency and thus is able to process all the incoming sensory stimuli, making necessary calculations, adjustments, recollections and reactions at lightning speed. The effect would seem like the outside world has suddenly slowed down.
• Know that failures are inevitable, but see them as minor setbacks on the road to their goal(s) - Michael Jordan did not always make the game-winning shot, but that never stopped him from continuously honing his game, working on eliminating his weaknesses, and maintaining confidence in himself. His sheer force of will would not allow wallowing in defeat. Clutch performers know that failure does not mean the end of the world, and in doing so, is able to move on after the occasional lapses. That awareness and acceptance also allow them to stay in the moment, and drives them to persevere.

How about you? Got any tips or stories on dealing with pressure situations?

photo credit: *tom*

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I found the recent Yahoo! Finance article 7 Extreme Ways to Save Money pretty interesting. It basically discussed various (extreme) ways to cut costs. For me, the last one mentioned is the simplest:

Ditch the TV

The Yahoo! article says by trashing the TV, people would be saving money because they’d no longer be bombarded by ads, which makes sense, right? However, I think the idea of either no longer watching (or watching much less) television is worthy of an entire post.

Disclaimer - I DO Watch TV

First of all, I will admit that growing up, I was a TV junkie. My summers were often spent watching reruns of everything from Leave It to Beaver to Gilligan’s Island to Star Trek and Monkees. So, yes, I’ve watched my share of TV, and a lot of who I am did come from the influence of TV shows (see my post on Star Trek).

Today, my weak spot is Heroes.

But really, with our society so bathed in media 24/7, sometimes it’s a good idea to simply…disconnect.

Benefits of Foregoing TV

Being self employed and with a family as well, I find I have very little time for TV anyway. If it’s on these days, it’s really only for the kids.

For me, here’s what not watching the ol’ tube has allowed:

1. I’ve Regained the Opportunity Costs - for me, this is the most important. This means that instead of spending time watching TV, that time is now used for something else that’s more productive, such as spending time with the family, doing chores (brownie points from the spouse), working (good for clients), or sleeping (good for me )
2. I’m more Proactive - TV is a passive medium. You sit there and simply get spoken to. When it’s on, I get into the mindless and time-wasting habit of channel surfing, trying to find something worth watching. Now, I either read, do some exercise, or go out for a walk.
3. I Free my Mind - When I’m not watching TV, I no longer have to get enthralled in some reality show, listen to a get-rich-quick-scheme, hear about the latest diet fad, or be cajoled into calling right now while operators are standing by to get the extra free knife set (still have the pay shipping)! When I think about it, those shows serve no real good purpose except to eat up my time. I’m not going to be on Jeopardy! or do anything where useless TV knowledge will come in handy, and I certainly don’t need to buy more stuff. Because it’s easy to access, cheap (or free), and there’s a lot of it, TV is like junk food for the mind. Free yourself from its grasp, and now you’re able to think.
4. I Have a Quieter Household - In the old days, I used to turn on the TV, and it would be on for hours, even if I was doing something else. But now, with it usually off, it’s much more peaceful — and I can even listen to music.
5. I Can Appreciate the Good Shows more - Now, on the rare occasion I do watch a show, it’s more of a well-deserved break from my busy day. I’m sure the experience will never be like in the Golden Age of Television where families tuned into live shows, but at least I am more in control of my own life. And I pick and choose more carefully the one or two shows to watch for simple entertainment.

Try Less TV

Television is a powerful medium, with great influence on people who watch. I am not saying we should completely ban TV, either. I have simply just found that now that I really don’t watch TV that much, I have more time to simply be myself, and to think for myself and do the things I want to do in this life.

If you watch more than an hour a day, try taking a break for a week with the mindset you’ll do some of the things you’ve always wanted to work on (read that book, work on that painting, go workout, etc.)

You might like it.

We live in such a fast-paced society — how often have I said that already this month — I often like to stop and smell the roses, as the proverb goes.

Although, while I’ve actually done that when I was attending university years ago (roses seem to grow really well in Berkeley), these days when I get a few moments in my busy life I am more likely to reflect on other simple pleasures.

Some Simple Pleasures of Life that May Not Be Obvious

• Modern Plumbing - I don’t know about you, but I know I never really appreciate the convenience of the modern bathroom until the toilet gets stopped up, or a drain doesn’t flow. I can’t imagine having to go do it in an outhouse, or worse yet, in a hole with leaves — ech! But really, what a treat it is to have running hot and cold water — it’s really like magic: move a lever, turn a knob, and clean, life-giving water comes out of the spigot. And, along the same lines, there is almost nothing quite as pleasurable as a nice hot shower on a wintry day to chase away the chill in the bones.
• Walking on the Beach - A weekday is best for this, but anyway, just being on the beach on a nice sunny day, barefoot, alone with your thoughts, with the sounds of waves crashing filling the salty-air with an all-encompassing roar to drown out city sounds, I find all the physical sensations to be soothing and calming. The rhythm of the waters seem to put me in tune with the planet, and my thoughts often wander into wonderment of the past as I look upon the sand and rocks, knowing that waves have been and will be pounding away over and over again, and in the grand scheme of things, we humans are just but a speck of sand. It’s really a perfect place to think.
• A Good Book - I’ve already expounded on why I think books will always be around, but I will still mention it in this list, because in such a gadget-heavy society, I still prefer reading a book in bed or my favorite chair, when the kids are asleep, and me and the honey are just working on our own stuff. And as such, that brings me to the next pleasure…
• The Library - I always thought it was cool in some of those computer games about world civilizations that building a Library was one of the “super” achievements that will raise your score — but actually, a library IS cool. We take it for granted in our society, but here is a place filled with tangible vessels of knowledge, entertainment and communication from people in the past. When I’m in a big library, I can sometimes feel the power of all that stored history — or maybe that was the air conditioning…
• Tea - For some it may be coffee, but for me, it’s tea. Sipping a hot cup of good tea allows me to pause what I’m typing, collect my thoughts and my breath, and warm up the insides. If it’s really cold, I can use both hands to hold the cup for a minute or two.
• A Good Chair - When I was growing up, my favorite chair was this green recliner (it was green, so my mom always had it covered with some cloth with a floral arrangement). These days, I have a black, faux leather recliner. What’s great about it is that recliners allow for complete support of my body, all the way up to my neck and head. And for someone who sits in front of the computer all day, I really can’t say enough about taking short breaks on a regular basis. Having a nice chair to go to is quite an enjoyable luxory — just don’t fall asleep!

Seeing Things Before the Goal

Oftentimes we have our eyes set on some prize that’s only attainable with a lot of hard work and dedication, and we always have to be in a hurry to accomplish these goals. But every now and then, it’s a good idea to pause and think about where we are, and what we already have in this world.

What kinds of simple pleasures do you enjoy?

Here in San Francisco, we happen to have an extensive residential Recycling Program, one component of which is the composting of all food scraps and wastes from the kitchen.

Biodegradable Bags - great, but expensive

Early on, after we had used up the complimentary supply of biodegradable bags to line the “kitchen pail”, I started looking for them at our local stores. These “biobags” are actually made out of mater-bi, a type of bio-plastic derived from corn. The biobags are actually breathable, and have a really different, stretch-y feel than normal plastic bags, and are designed to break down in about 10 days after exposure to the elements. Perfect for composting.

The thing is, they’re quite pricey right now — about $6.50 for only 25 of these 3-gallon bags.

I know that as more and more cities adopt a household food-scrap composting program like San Francisco, more people will buy them, and due to economy of scale, the price should (in theory) come down.

Low Cost Alternative

While we wait, though, here’s another cheaper alternative:

Save (and request) paper bags from your grocers. Folded over, a regular large-sized paper bag (the ones with the fold-up handles) will fit inside one of those compost pails.

Take a look:

The Kitchen Compost Pail is about three-quarters the size of a standard paper bag.

Fold over the top opening edges of the bag inside out, about six inches, to form a smaller bag. (The “smaller” bag was previously fitted into the kitchen pail, which explains why the bottom’s all mushed.)

It takes some doing, but a little bit of massaging, the bag will fit inside the container. Once inside, to prevent liquids from eating through the bag too quickly, simply line the inside with a few torn out sheets from a magazine or catalog.

Voila!

Excellence Comes from Training

Michael Jordan. Jerry Rice. Fred Astaire. Gene Kelly.

What do they have in common?

Yes, they’re all guys, and yes, they were all considered the best in their profession. They were also known for their incredible commitment and dedication to practice, training, and/or rehearsing.

Practice Critical Thinking

Critical thinking, like any worthwhile ability, is also a skill that needs to be nurtured, developed, and practiced on a regular, constant basis in order for it to be effective.

So here are 5 ways to improve one’s critical thinking skills:

1. Learn to Listen First - We often start thinking the moment someone starts talking to us, thinking to such an extent that we actually fail to listen. If we fail to listen, how can we get all the facts that are crucial to correct decision-making?
2. Set Aside Time to Practice - Just as with an exercise regimen, critical thinking should be practiced at regular times. Fit the activity within one of your routine habits, tasks, or chores. See my post on The Best Times to Think for tips.
3. Be Open Minded - Someone once said, “The mind is like a parachute; it functions only when open.” An open mind will be amendable to accepting new data and ideas that can be used to form new opinions and decisions, or modify old ones.
4. Practice Cause and Effect - Be observant of people’s behavior, and work backwards to speculate how they may have arrived at that behavior.
5. Ask Questions - Be inquisitive and ask questions, look things up in the dictionary. Learning new things will keep the brain stimulated.

Hopefully, these will be useful exercises.

Why Being Punctual is Important in Our Society

Here in the U.S., being on time to appointments, dates, work, meetings, etc., is important. Unlike some cultures where tardiness is routine, or even expected, we’ve developed the expectation of punctuality because we live in a fast-paced society. With automobiles being as popular as they are (see how many on the road have only one driver), and cities full of things to do, places to go, etc., it becomes important to schedule events and tasks. Being late to something early in the day can have a domino effect on the rest of the day, resulting in frayed nerves and ill-feelings.

What Happens When We’re Late

• Resentment - A person being late will generate at least a modicum of resentment in the person that was waiting, unless it’s become such a habit that the other person EXPECTS the tardiness, which in case…
• Unreliability - A person who is late gains the reputation of being unreliable. This dependability issue may come into play when a person is being considered for a job or a promotion or even a pay raise or bonus, since…
• Uncaring - A person who is late will come to be thought of as uncaring. I would say that the uncaring borders on arrogance, as it seems as if the person has no regard to the feelings, needs and deserved respect of the person waiting.

Tips to Ensure Habitual Punctuality

So, if by now, you think as I do, that being punctual is important, I’ve put together a few pointers to aid in that endeavor:

• Acknowledge the Importance of Punctuality - Like ending any bad habits (e.g. smoking), the first thing to do is the acknowledge the problem, and develop the desire to do something about it. Without this important first step, it’s an uphill battle.
• Be a Time Realist, not a Time Optimist - Realize that we live in a space-time continuum where time flows non-stop whether we do something or nothing. So, be mindful of the little things we do: brushing teeth - 3-5 minutes; reading and responding to an email - 5-10 minutes; putting on make-up - 10-15 minutes, whatever, and know that doing a bunch of them will add up to a large chunk of time.
• Pad Your Appointments - Allow for things like travel and breaks, and even some “breathing room” when planning appointments if possible. Say you have two one-hour meetings. If possible, put in a 15 or 30 minute “break” between them to allow for things like having the first meeting run over a few minutes (because someone else was late), or so you have time to gather material and prepare for the second meeting without being rushed, etc.
• Have the Correct Time on all Clocks - I think it’s a better idea to have all your clocks and watches be set to the correct time, rather than setting them 5 or 10 minutes fast. By setting them fast, you subconsciously know you have an extra 5 or 10 minutes, and what usually happens is procrastination. To set the correct time is very easy these days — some clocks have built-in radio communication that automatically sets the time, and for all the other devices, use your computer or cell-phone as a reference point.
• Prepare the Night Before - Using the divide and conquer principle, figure what tasks can be done the night before, if being somewhere on time in the morning is your goal: getting clothes out, making lunch, etc. If you have kids like I do, getting their clothes out is a good strategy, as is making sure their schoolwork is already packed up in their backpacks.
• Work Backwards from Desired Appointment - Here is what I feel is the main key to punctuality. All the previous tips are supporting blocks to this one. Since life is filled with uncertainties, we allow for some time for little “hiccups” to occur. So, for a job interview, the target time to arrive would be 15-20 minutes before the appointment. For a regular job, the target time would be 8-10 minutes before the official start time. Once the target arrival time is determined, work backwards to arrive at a realistic time to leave. Use experience to determine a realistic amount of travel time, and from that derive your departure time. From that, continue working backwards to allow time to eat, satisfy bathroom needs, groom and get dressed, etc., to arrive at a realistic wake-up time. Then use an alarm to wake up at that time. If you have trouble waking up, then it’s obvious an earlier bed time is in order.

Being on Time is a Desire

In the end, being on time is as much a desire as it is a coordination of logistics.

If you have any thoughts on this, I’d love to hear them.

At Busy Warehouse Stores or Supermarkets

When I was writing my post on The Best Times to Think, it occurred to me a there was a quick thinking example I can share — an example that was not about quick thinking, but rather a thinking example that I can explain quickly. Here goes:

Look Beyond Just the Number of Shoppers in a Line

When I pick which line to wait in at say, Costco, I don’t make my decision just by looking at the length of each line (e.g. how many people are queued up in each line), I also take into account the fullness of their shopping carts.

A slightly longer line with half-empty carts will take less time to process than a shorter line whose carts overflowing with STUFF.

The Simple Math to Choosing a Line

Obviously, I want the line where the number of shoppers times the number of items is smallest overall. (Sometimes I’ll also glance at the cashier to gauge his or her level of competence).

Hope that helps.

I lead a busy life being a self-employed professional, and we live in such a fast-paced, media-dense society that we often let others make decisions for us. A maelstrom of messages — radio, print and television ads, social websites, packaging, etc. — all tell us what to buy, what to wear, what to eat, what to watch, etc., but sometimes following those messages is not really to our benefit.

The Need to Think

I think it’s very important to think for ourselves lest we get taken advantage of by others. Think of your email spam — why is there so much of it, unless…somehow…it works?

I’m guessing somewhere, somehow, despite what common sense says, someone is being taken by a spam because they did not take the time to think, or even follow the simple mantra: If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.

When we stop thinking for ourselves, that’s when we can become manipulated, both on an individual level, like a spam victim, and on a collective level — ever hear of the mob mentality?

I live in a society with “freedom of speech” and “freedom of the press”, but if we choose not to make decisions on our own, then why should this country’s forefathers have fought for its freedom?

Practice To Keep Sharp

In order to start thinking for ourselves — to employ the practices of critical thinking — I think it’s just as important to exercise our brain’s mental acuity as much as it is to exercise our bodies for physical health. Only then can we make the proper decisions to put us on the path positive living.

As such, here are my ideas for when to flex our mental muscles:

• Driving - I practice driving efficiently, so I often find my driving times to be perfect opportunities to think. To do this, though, I leave the radio or tape deck (people still have those? yeah, I do) off. It also helps to not have kids in the car the same time you want to do your thinking.
• Showering - I still try to keep my showers short, in order to conserve water (and money), but every once in a while I’ll let myself go and enjoy a longer shower. Instead of singing the latest teen hit (not that I know any), I use that time to think.
• Lying in bed at 4am in the morning awake - This may actually be the worst time, as I am actually depriving myself of much needed sleep — so this suggestion is with a caveat. But in any case, sometimes it’s actually the best time as it’s dark and quiet, that is, if your bedmate exhibits a low-snoring quotient.
• Walking - This one is one of those Two Birds with One Stone bits: a little cardiovascular exercise while thinking of the things I need to do.
• Waiting in line at the grocer’s - Do I pick the longest line to wait in, so that I have more time to think? Nah, but still, instead of being distracted by tabloids or candies, I use that time to ponder.

By continually practicing critical thinking: analyzing, conceptualizing, forecasting, etc., we gain a better understanding of everything around us: TV commercials and infomercials, product packaging, politicians, even bosses and clients.

Most importantly, we gain a better understanding of ourselves.

Okay, we all know that smoking is an unhealthy habit. We know that smoking usually leads to health problems and a probably an early death (unless your first name is George and your last name is Burns).

We also know that it’s often glamorized in film and other media, and that nicotine is highly addictive, blah, blah, blah.

I’m not here to talk about all that, although I just did.

What I would like to point out is the bigger picture on why one should not smoke:

Smokers are Litterers

Smokers litter like there’s no tomorrow — probably 8 out of 10 smokers will throw their butts on the ground. Ech! Quit smoking and you’ll be beautifying not only your lungs, but the environment you share with fellow humans.

Smoking Profits Others at Your Expense

Smoking is one of the ultimate exploitation of the masses. When you think about it, whoever owns the tobacco fields, manufactures the cigarettes, distributes and sells them also know the ill effects of their products (if they say they don’t, they’re lying). But they don’t care about you, they only care about profit for themselves. Therefore, if you are someone who is totally against big corporate “evil”, then quitting smoking will make you less of a hypocrite (even more so if you’re a doctor).

Smoking is the Ultimate Selfishness

So odds are that smoking will put you into the hospital at some point. For lung cancer or emphysema or heart ailments — whatever — you’ll be in one of those rooms, lying in bed, on a respirator no doubt.

BUT, guess who else will be there, if you’re lucky: your loved ones.

Not only will you be suffering, but they will suffer even more if they truly love you (but maybe they don’t, but that would mean you have other issues). You will see the pain and sorrow in their faces as they look over you.

When you smoke today, it’s a sure investment in a loved one’s future anguish (and that return on investment is a pretty sure thing, better than some Internet stocks, I’d wager).

That, my friend, is the final reason to quit today: Don’t just quit for yourself, quit for your loved ones.

I have never smoked, but have often thought about the people I’ve known who do (or did). I hope that you find these ideas different from all the other information out there on how quitting smoking would only benefit you.

In the end, our own actions often have a ripple effect, and smoking is something that truly affects other people as it does the smoker. As such, it’s something over which you totally have control, that is, if you want to.

If you need help quitting, try these sites:

• CDC site
• WhyQuit

If you wish, please comment, and if you like to keep reading about ideas to live a more positive life, subscribe to my RSS feed.

One thing that I do to minimize my impact (at least a little) on the environment is my driving habit.

Rather than trying to convince everyone to drive a more fuel-efficient car, use public transportation, or walk more, I will share a few simple tips to drive more efficient.

A Few Simple Tips

1. Ease off the Accelerator - yes, it’s a “rat race” out there, but I try not to be in such a rush to get to places. On freeways, I stay close to the speed limit (when it is safe). Past studies have shown that gas-powered cars becomes less efficient once past the 45-60 mph speed. On city streets, I avoid constant hard acceleration and deceleration.
2. Being Patient - I get my share of drivers who cut me off, grab the right of way at a 4-way stop. But instead of getting worked up over these apparent slights, I let them slide. I know a lot of people are in a hurry, but what I do for my ease of mind is to leave just a bit earlier than when most people would. Making that a regular habit results in a more stress-free driving.
3. Corollary to #1: Use less Brakes - in big cities, certain streets have timed lights that will change to green in sequential order, and I find that if I drive at the optimal speed (determined by a little bit of experimenting), I almost never have to brake. But, if I were into heavy acceleration, not would I waste more gas, I end up braking more, thus wearing out my brakes faster. Worn out brakes have to be replaced, meaning the old brake pads will go into a landfill, with the added bonus that my wallet would be lighter sooner.
4. In a mall parking lot, I park at the first available spot - The times I’ve gone to malls I often see drivers circle around the lot many, many times, obviously looking for a spot that’s 50 feet closer to the store entrance. Meanwhile, I’ve already taken a spot near the back and am already on my wait into the store. Time is money, right? Instead of wasting gas circling, I take the first available spot and also get my circulation going.

I know these are just a few simple tips (compared to dumping the SUV or something) but they are certainly more than do-able, and would only require a slight effort on your part.

Positive Effects of Driving More Efficiently

Imagine if everyone employed such tactics in their driving: the cumulative effect would be more than a little significant. For me, I know that when I drive efficiently:

1. I help to produce a safer, calmer, healthier driving environment for everyone else out there on the road - Oh, and for pedestrians, too.
2. I reduce excess waste of gas - A good thing
3. I reduce the rate of junking my brakes - For instance, I’ve only gone through two sets of brake pads with 130,000+ miles on my car
4. I save money - the result of the above two

Well, there you go — some simple ideas on how (and why) driving efficiently is a good thing.

Try it, feel free to let me know how it goes.