Category Archives: KEEPING ME AWAKE

one of those sleepless nights when a million things are rolling around in my head

WE’VE GOT THIS

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I always end up where I plan to go. As most readers of this corner know, I am a male and consequently, the whole idea of asking for directions is entirely unnecessary. Going around in circles from time to time is just me getting to know the “lay of the land.” I often like to get to know the neighborhood a little better. The idea of actually stopping and asking for help – are you kidding me???? I don’t know why anyone would want to do that. So, I am exactly where I had planned to be. Some of that planning didn’t start until 30 seconds ago; most of it didn’t exist a year ago.

A few thoughts pop into my mind as we end 2020 and consider what 2021 will bring: we’ve got this. We handled the challenges that we were presented with and actually thrived. After all – here we are – no road map, no plan to survive a pandemic, making the best of limited social interactions. We’ve got this! We have proven to ourselves that we can survive and we are willing to persevere and move forward. Let’s stop focusing on all the things we consider negative about the past year and congratulate ourselves – we have made it and we can make 2021 a fabulous year because we are stronger than we could ever have imagined. We have been honed in the fires of 2020 – nothing can stop us now. So, OK world, bring it on, but maybe this year I will look at creating some goals and plans for that next move forward, understanding that I can change direction along the way if I need to. After all, like you, I had to change direction a few times in the last 12 months.

There are a few people in this world who can succeed without any goals or plans. They are either lucky or made some kind of otherworldly deal. For the rest of us, having a plan is probably the only way to succeed in what we want.

It makes no sense to persevere if you choose the wrong plan or decide on no plan at all. By setting goals, you can strive to complete them, which often requires perseverance. This doesn’t mean that all the goals or tasks will be correct. But, you can find alternatives when needed. At least when you have a plan, you have a reason to pursue them.

There are many ways to set goals, but one of the more acceptable ways is to start with high-level goals. Then, for each of those high-level goals, define the tasks that it would take to accomplish those goals. Set milestones so that you can measure how you are doing at each step. It’s okay to make adjustments along the way, even to the high-level goals. But, the key is to use this as a roadmap to keep going. That is the best way to get to where you want to go. Perseverance will play a big role here.

If you give up at any point, don’t beat yourself up too much. Either start over or if possible, pick up where you left off. When you finally accomplish your goals and milestones, the success you feel will come from knowing it required perseverance to accomplish. The kind of perseverance that we have grown to understand and undertake in 2020.

Sometimes, people don’t get back to their goals. Either they gave up too quickly, or they weren’t meant to make them happen. If this happens to you, find out what you really want from those goals and if they are right for you. It is okay if they aren’t, but just make sure that you didn’t give up because it was easier to do that. You don’t want to live with regrets.

If you find that you are constantly giving up on your goals, you may want to get some professional help. This can either be in the form of coaching or in extreme cases, you may want to seek the advice of a counselor. Sometimes this can make the difference in breaking the barrier of quitting before meeting your goals. A mentor or counselor can give you the necessary guidance and may even be able to help you define better goals. It could be you just weren’t following the right plan.

So, don’t tell my wife this, but maybe she is right. I could always stop at the gas station and ask someone to tell me how to get there. Or, I could use the car’s GPS but that would require opening and reading the owner’s manual. There’s always some catch isn’t there? The real catch is that we can use 2020 to power the rest of our life because we’ve got this!

THE TIMES, THEY ARE DEFINITELY A-CHANGIN’

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Am I the only one who is getting tired? Tired of the daily Covid-19 updates. Tired of hearing how many new cases there are today. Tired of seeing how many people are in the hospital, the ICU and dying? Is there anything else going on in the world?


I must admit that I am relieved that the US election is over for most people. Can we please move on. I know that the American media is still overloading the airwaves with post election lawsuits and all that other nonsense but here in the Great White North, we seem to have realized that Joe Biden is going to be the US president.


There was an interesting article that I read this morning from Forbes magazine about the future of education and how the pandemic is forcing some long needed changes to the entire education system. Something that I have long espoused – LIFE LONG LEARNING – seems to be becoming a thing… finally. The old musty ivory towers of higher learning are realizing that people do not need to physically attend classrooms for a set period of time that suits the school but rather, they can learn when and where they want to, based on the student’s needs. Yeah. Schools of all levels never did understand who the “customer” was. Perhaps they will begin to recreate themselves in the image of their market.

Business, government and industry are beginning to understand that people can not only work from home, but learn from home, They seem to be embracing the concept that a degree earned 10 years ago needs to be constantly upgraded in order for the employee and the organization to keep moving forward. I really hope that these changes become a permanent part of our society. Perhaps an old fart like me can now begin to embrace this digital age and learn a few new tricks.

Wear your mask!

BBQ AND SANITY

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Barbecue weather has more or less arrived in this corner of the planet and I am not required to social distance from it. Some long time fans of these musings may recall that I wrote a blog about barbecues a while ago and insisted that I would buy a Canadian made product. Well, I’ve been shopping and perusing for too long. It was a nice idea to only want a locally manufactured one but the prices are through the roof and the choice is extremely limited. Even the ones that supposedly come from a manufacturer in Canada are often only assembled here and the most important parts are made elsewhere. So, I pretty much gave up on that late last fall.

What to do? The last one I bought was from Canadian Tire and it lasted 12 – 13 years and worked out to about 50.00 per year – yes, I’m kind of weird that way. I figured, what the hell, if I can get the same value again – why not?

I got a call from my friend Greg last Christmas and he remembered that I was in the market and told me about one of the local Lowe’s stores closing down and they were clearing out barbecues. The next morning, bright and early, I head over to the store that is closing and find about 3 barbecues left. Short story longer, I bought one, got 500.00 off and loaded it in the SUV. I put it in the garage for fairer weather before figuring out how I would get it assembled.

I paid just over 250.00 for the thing and the last time I bought a barbecue, I paid an additional 150.00 to have it assembled and delivered. OK, I have assembled exactly one barbecue in my life and said never again! Too many small parts, etc. Well, I wasn’t going to start looking around for someone to do it so, why not give it a try. I’ll be darned, a week ago Sunday, I started about 11 in the morning and had it together by mid afternoon – will wonders never cease. I figure I got me a new barbecue for nothing when I consider the initial 500.00 I saved and the 200 or more it would have cost to assemble and deliver. Life is good and it even works, too.

Yep, I’m kind of weird like that.

It occurs to me that there are a lot of people who are struggling through this pandemic by themselves and I ran across this information tonight. If you know someone who could benefit from a few tips while they try to stay sane during this time – pass it along.

5 Tips for Reducing Stress While Home Alone

When you are spending a lot of time at home alone, whether in self-isolation or because you are ill, it can be really easy to get stressed out. Right now, the pandemic around the world is creating enough stress on its own, but it gets worse when you have to be quarantined alone.

If you are experiencing signs of stress like constant worry and panic, problems sleeping, unusual eating habits, and increased use of alcohol or drugs, then the following tips can be very useful for you.

1. Limit How Often You Watch the News

It can be hard to walk away, but if you are currently staying home because of the Coronavirus pandemic, you really need to be careful with how much time you are devoting to updates. While you don’t want to unplug completely, try to limit how often you watch the news. Try getting your updates just once a day – they repeat a lot of information, so that is really all you need. Choose just one way to get your news, and leave it at that.

2. Have “No Social Media” Blocks

When you are spending a lot of time alone, social media can seem like a good way to keep up with your friends and family. While it definitely helps, you might notice that absorbing too much of it is hurting your mental health. If you find that you feel fine before logging on, then are in a bad, irritable, sad, or upset mood after checking Facebook or Twitter, it’s time to limit your time on social media.

A better strategy is to have blocks of time where you don’t use social media at all. The length of time depends on your routine, but try for blocks of 1-2 hours at a time.

3. Take Care of Your Mental Health

To reduce stress while you are spending a lot of time home alone, you want to focus on your mental health. This is what is going to help you de-stress. Sometimes, just go outside because it actually reduces stress and anxiety. In other ways, it is more about distracting your mind so that you can focus on other things.

For example, if you need fresh air, head outside to go for a walk. Keep your distance from others if you are social distancing, but just getting outside in the fresh air and getting some exercise is amazing for your emotional health. Some other ideas include reading, doing meditation, and participating in baking or making crafts.

4. Take Care of Your Physical Health

In addition to your mental health, you can reduce stress by taking care of your body as well. This includes getting more exercise, eating a nutritious diet, and drinking water. But keep in mind that eating healthy doesn’t mean being on a restrictive diet or never having treats. Don’t burden your mind right now with dieting or weight loss. Just try to balance your meals and snacks with something healthy that also includes some indulgent treats.

5. Socialize From a Distance

Even when you need to keep your physical distance from others, you can still socialize! Connect with friends or loved ones on Zoom or FaceTime, text or call them, or just talk online when you get the chance. That unused telephone that has been sitting in the corner collecting dust and scam calls may be the perfect tonic.