The Mental Mastery Moment | Productivity, Self-Discipline, Success Mindset and the Creative Power of Thought.

"Successful people are simply those with successful habits." - Brian Tracy They say, if you do anything for 3 weeks, it becomes a habit. But why does that happen?  There really a science behind it and it's been proven time-and-again. When you do something new, your brain works to create a special little neuro-pathway while you're doing it. Each time you do it again, that pathway is reinforced a bit more than it was previously. Think of it in the same way that water running down a hill cuts into the dirt and creates a rut. Each time you pour more water down, that rut or pathway goes a little deeper. Each time it becomes a little easier for the water to follow that same path. The Lift App - Creating New Habits If you've been looking for something to help encourage and motivate you to create new healthy habits, the Lift app is perfect for you. It's available in iTunes for Apple devices, you'll find it in the Google Play store for Android phones and it's even available on your computer at Lift.do Having the Lift app is like having a motivational coach in your phone, always there to send you a quick message to encourage you, a short reminder to push towards your next milestone and even brief notes to congratulate you for doing what you said you were going to do. Just About Every Area is Available Regardless of what type of habit you're hoping to create, there's a plan available in the Lift app.  It's not just for entrepreneurs or business people. Just some of the categories included are:          Diet & Fitness          Learning          Productivity          Spirituality          Meditation          Prayer          Scripture Reading There really is a plan for just about everything you'd want to work on making a habit and if there isn't one for what you want, you can create one. Maybe you feel you could offer some wonderful encouragement for people working on an area of expertise for you; start a plan and help people change their lives. Some plans have very detailed steps and milestones while others just offer the basic daily reminders to do what you've promised yourself you'd do. So, don't be afraid to create your own plan and help others at the same time. It Takes a Village One of the greatest features of the Lift app is the community element.  When you first sign up, you'll be able to have the app search your Facebook friends and Twitter followers to see who else is signed up. This can add some very personal motivation and even some fun and friendly competition. Maybe none of your friends are working on the same habits as you, that's ok.  Look for those are doing the same thing and encourage and congratulate them for a job well done.  You'll find several of them will do the same thing for you. You'll be able to follow your friends and they're going to be able to follow you.  It's a wonderful way of increasing the drive to be accountable.  Even Good Habits Can Be Neglected With the Lift app, not only will you be able to create new habits, you'll be able to continue on with the habits you've already started.  This will add extra reinforcement as you strive to achieve your goals. This means, just because you finished your 21 days you can sit back and never think of your habit again. In fact some of the habit plans have several parts to them to take you beyond that first round. Connect with Me on the Lift App I would love to create a community of people who are working to help each other achieve their goals.  Because you're listening to the Mental Mastery Moment podcast, there's a great chance you're working in the same areas as the rest of us.  Let's follow each other. Look for: P. Desmond Adams and press follow.  I'll return the favor. Get the Lift app: iOS (Apple) | Android | Website I'll see you there,

"The universal Mind contains all knowledge. It is the potential ultimate of all things. To it, all things are possible." - Ernest Holmes In this episode I want to help you realize you have a resource available which contains infinite knowledge and creative power. Your thoughts, your imagination and your creativity are not limited to the knowledge you have gather up to this point in your life.  Indeed, your imagination taps into something OUTSIDE of you which is absolutely limitless.  It's time to stretch.... Where Did The Idea Come From? Think back to one of the latest inventions, which have had a dramatic impact on just about everyone's quality of life, at least in the western world and maybe even beyond.  I'm talking about the smart phone. Whether you're an iPhone user or you prefer an Android based phone, or maybe you're the person using a Windows phone, we all have the team at Apple to thank for revolutionizing how we think of a mobile phone.  Yes, Androids have leap-frogged iPhones in some area and not in others. Yes, most Android users claim their phone is much better than the iPhone and vice-versa. But we all have to admit, if it wasn't for the revolution of the iPhone and the competition it created in this field, we wouldn't have anything even close to what we have today. Think back to that first iPhone that came out; it was a game changer in so many ways.  The interface was so much more intuitive and the world was introduced to idea of using App. In fact an entire industry has grown out of the App store itself. Fortunes have been made. I remember the first time a colleague walked in with an iPhone in hand.  I couldn't wait to try it out and I was blown away by how smooth it felt, the things it would do and the fact that text messages showed up on one screen so I could follow a conversation.  Even voicemail was changed by being about to see exactly who left the message and not having to dial into it to hear the message. Did Our Mental Capacity Suddenly Increase? Think about this: 4,000 years ago, humans had the same intellectual capacity to come up with a smartphone as they do today, so why didn't they? Because, for the most part, we limit our imagination to just a bit beyond what we can physically sense all around us. What would have happened to technological advancement if we could travel through time to 4,000 years prior and we handed them a smartphone (besides the fact that we wouldn't have electricity, LTE data services and everything else, but let's just say, you had enough charge on the phone to last the time travel and you could show them.  Where would technology be today? The reality is, humans had the intellectual ability to create the very same smartphone, but they didn't have the imagination to conjure it up. But break that barrier and what's possible? What Can You Not Imagine? Now, ask yourself, what is my knowledge keeping me from imagining? What do you refuse to believe is possible?  Is it on par with what humans refused to believe 4,000 years ago but clearly IS possible today? What did the development engineers have to do at Apple to shift from the phones we had in 2006 to the phones we had in 2007? The reality is, they relied on previous products such as the Apple Newton, a failed PDA, but they also had to forget a bit about what they knew.  They had to set aside the knowledge they had and tap into the infinite possibilities. Once they did this, anything was possible. In fact, right now, there are designers and engineers who are setting aside what the iPhone has taught them so they can develop the next great advancement. Thing Outside of Your Mind In so many great teachings on Universal Mind, we're taught and instructed to practice silence in order to move beyond what our physical mind knows and tap into what the Universal Mind contains. Charles F. Haanel, in The Master Key System has a complete program to teach you how to go from sitting still to being silent,

I think of discipline as the continual everyday process of helping a child learn self-discipline. - Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers Neighborhood) In this episode you're going to learn the single greatest thing you can do to lead your children into becoming successful adults.  Even if you don't have children, this episode will help you understand why your parents did what they did and how your reaction to it has played into your ability to be successful as an adult. Proper English Manners I grew up in a home where manners were of high regard.  No elbows on the table, you don't get up until you asked "may I be excused please" and you didn't bother asking until mother Mom and Dad were finished eating. Sounds strict rigid and cruel but it was done out of love by parents who understood it was their duty to teach us discipline. Today I've abandoned most of those rules at our table, but as I've gotten older I understand I'm doing a disservice to my children.  I thought it was silly to have rules for rules sake, but that's not at all what my parents were doing.... well maybe. But truthfully, if we don't teach our children discipline, we are promising them a life of mediocre existence. Parental discipline is what we have until we've gained self-discipline.  In the same was as a personal trainer is there to hold you accountable to your fitness regimen, until you've reaped enough rewards in it to realize the pain of self-discipline is worth it for the results we gain.  This is the same with parental discipline, but it takes longer for an immature children to be cognizant of those rewards.  Doesn't mean they don't have them just as quickly, just that they're not aware of those rewards. Clean the Areas Nobody Will Ever See When I was a kid my dad, who was born in 1925, used to tell us a story about his father requirements when it came to polishing their shoes.  Not only did they have to do this every week, they had to face an "inspection" of the shoes to make sure they were done right. Part of that inspection included a look at the "instep" of the shoes.  If you don't know, that's the area right in front of the heel. It almost never even touches the ground and it is certainly never seen by anyone else. But my grandfather said, rather crudely, a person who doesn't polish the instep of his shoes probably don't wipe properly after using the bathroom. In other words, just because nobody will ever see it, doesn't mean it shouldn't be kept in the best condition ever. Most of us gain self-discipline first when it comes to our jobs.  After all, if we don't do our jobs properly we won't have a job (or income) for much longer.  So we're not really doing that out of pure self-discipline.  Even when it comes to eating properly or working out, we do this because there's a outwardly visible results which, hopefully, others will admire. But, what about when it comes to your sock drawer? Does it look in order or are their mismatched socks tossed around in there?  What about that ONE drawer in your desk which is nothing but a bunch of junk? If you straightened these out, nobody would ever notice... but it would change your self-discipline. Become a Champion of Self Discipline in Your House Let your children know your rules aren't there so you can lord over them, but instead, so they can lord over whatever is thrown at them in lift.  You're teaching them to become adults and adults are the ones who discipline those around them... including themselves. Please don't mistake what I'm telling you for the ugly control freaks who wield their power out of some sort of ego rush. Teach your children discipline because you have a massive and deep love for them along with a tremendous desire for them to be the most successful adults possible. People without parent discipline become people without self-discipline. People you see living a slothful life are the ones who don't know when to tell themselves when to get up from the couch and get to work.

“Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work in hand. The Sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus” - Alexander Graham Bell In this episode, you'll learn why it's vital that you take all of your energy and focus on one specific area in order...

“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are." - Ancient Chinese Proverb The ancient Chinese proverb above could even be paraphrased as: "Tension is when we worry about what we SHOULD BE doing. Relaxation is when we embrace what...

You can only feel good about what you are not doing, when you know what you are not doing. — David Allen – Author of Getting Things Done. In this episode I share some of my favorite tools for managing your tasks or to-do list. When you can manage your tasks, you'll know what needs to be done and, just as important, if not more so, know when you are DONE. Do a Brain Dump and Open Up Your Mind to More Creative Thought In Episode #007 of the Mental Mastery Moment, I shared with you the importance of having a "Mind like Water" by doing a brain dump of all the "things" that are clutter your thoughts.  That means, taking all of the little things you have to remember do, all the little ideas that might help you at work, or at home and putting them all into an inbox of some sort.  Once this is done, you can take those items and put them into a task management system and free up that energy in your head. I want to make sure you know of all of the great free and paid resource which are available to help you do this.  But, the truth is, there's no way I'm going to be able to cover every single app out there.  If there is one that you love and I didn't cover it, would you let me know? If I hear from enough people, I'll be sure to share it in a future episode. Don't Delay Until You've Achieved Perfection The worst thing you can do, coming out of this episode, is to avoid getting started until you find the perfect app to manage your tasks.  Determine your needs and once you find something that fits those needs, put it to use and move forward.  Even if it only get's "close enough." I would even encourage you to take those ideas and dump them onto a piece of paper or napkin, so you can be sure of taking that positive action.  For years people ran their businesses on pieces of paper and empires were built.  I'm not suggesting you stick with a pad of paper, but I am saying it's enough to get you started. My Favorite - Toodledo I've used the Toodledo task manager for about 5 years (maybe more) now and it's been incredibly robust and comprehensive.  It does everything I need it to do to manage over 90% of my tasks. It's FREE (there's a paid upgrade if needed) Contexts - Where your tasks will be done Folders - If your task it part of a project Tags - For more detailed sorting (I use it to sort by tools needed) Start Dates / Due Dates Location based reminders (They don't pop up until you're at the place where you need to do the task) Time Estimates of Tasks Saved Searches That last one is one of my favorites. I can do some incredibly complex searches and then save them so they always show me what meets that criteria.  For example: Only show me unfinished tasks which over overdue at work and require the use of my computer.  I also have a great saved search I use all the time called "Quick Tasks."  I only see tasks that can be completed in 5 minutes or less.  It wonderful for finding those things I can do quickly each morning to get the momentum rolling. I also use the estimated time required to do a task to help me manage my days.  Every task I put in includes an "estimate" of the time it will take to do them. This is often wrong, but at least I'm close.  Then I can look at what I have scheduled for tomorrow and, if it looks like it's going to take more time than I have, I can move items over to the next day.  It really helps keep my task list from becoming too long and overwhelming me to the point of frustration. Wunderlist - The Favorite on iTunes I noticed this app in the Productivity category in the iTunes App store because of all of the 5-Star ratings it's received.  Seriously, the number of people who love this app is off the charts.  It, like most of the apps available, has all of the basic features, including most of the ones you'll find in Toodledo. It does look like it's improved on the interface a bit and made it a little more intuitive when it comes to sorting your list.

Think about how many times you've heard someone say “Why me God? Why did you let that person hurt me?” or maybe even you’ve said it… For those who believe there is a higher power directing life here on Earth, the way you interact with them can influence their view of God. Be nice to them and they'll thank God for being nice to them. Be hurtful to them and they will question why God allows them to be hurt. Whether we like it not, we are expressions of God and we impact others view of God. Hurt people hurt people. Even after we come to the realization that we are expressions of God, we must remember, we're not perfect expressions and neither are those around us. If you are the looking glass through which others see their higher power, how do the blemishes in your life impact that view? There are two things to considered in this regard, Every "ripple" in our life changes how God will look to those around us. We are to do our best to smooth and polish those ripples to allow a more perfect view of our creator. Avoid the Blemishes Before we look at how to remove the "ripples" or blemishes in our life, let's look at one of the best ways to avoid them in the first place. Here's an illustration for you to consider: Throw a hard rock at glass window (rigid vs rigid) and what happens? Maximum damage Throw a hard rock at a trampoline (rigid vs flexible) and what happens? Little to no damage. Throw a rubber ball a window (flexible vs rigid) and what happens? Little to no damage. Throw a rubber ball at a trampoline (flexible vs flexible) and what happens? No damage. Force energy is absorbed by something malleable and it has less impact. That's because the energy is absorbed and displaced by the movement of the object hit. It's the same way with us in life.  When we're rigid and we're hit with something rigid, the damage is almost inevitable.  This is very easily illustrated in the religious wars through mans history. The more rigid we are, the more likely we are to be affected by the force of others. Become flexible and the impact is reduced greatly. Smooth out the ripples. So, looking back at the idea that we're a looking glass through which others can see and experience God, we  must do all we can to make that glass as blemish free as possible. Yes, you got hit pretty hard with life in the past, but you can make a conscious decision to smooth the impact that has on your life (glass) today. In fact, honesty about our past can let others know what they're seeing through us isn't exactly perfect truth, it's filtered through a blemished lens. Sometimes we can harbor resentment or stand in denial of our pains, which leaves the blemishes in place, affecting others view of God. Even if the change is slow, it should be done. Work on your blemishes and let others know they're there. There is no shame in life's impact on us. If They've Seen You, They've Seen the Father Going back to the original quote from Jesus that I mentioned at the start of this episode, "If you've seen me, you've seen the Father," we should realize we all can say the same thing about ourselves. We all are showing the Father to those around us and it's our job to show the "Father" in the most true image possible. Don't let your previous view of God through others affect what I'm about to say. God is love. Now, you may instantly say "well, I've read the scriptures and I see a vengeful and angry God, how can that be love?"  Remember, you're seeing God through the lens of a blemished person. Come to the place where you accept God, Source, Universal Mind, or whatever you want to use as a descriptor, as nothing but love. When you do this, you can find your blemishes and imperfections when you see anything other than love working through you. Love is God and God is love. Evil is not an opposing force to God, just as dark is not an opposing force against light, it simply is the absence of light and evil is simply the absence of God or love.

In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves... self-discipline with all of them came first. - Harry S. Truman In this episode of the Mental Mastery Moment, you will learn how even the small battles we have with self-discipline are important in our overall mastery of discipline. There's an area in our subconscious mind which continuously reminds us of our ability to overcome our lack of willpower. Each time we do what we WANT to do rather than what we NEED to do, we reinforce the idea that we don't have what it takes to be the best we can be. On a good note, each time we do what we should do instead of what feels good, we build up the positive reinforcements. The Small Battles Matter. When you see an old cup out of place or a piece of trash on the ground and you pick it up instead of walking by, you're telling your subconscious mind that you're a person who values "doing good" over "feeling good." Each time you avoid the candy in the dish at the front desk in your office, you remind your subconscious that you are someone who chooses what's best for you instead of what feels best. As you build up this area of your subconscious mind, you will find these traits begin to manifest themselves in the other areas, which you feel are most important in your life. It's all a big interconnected matrix with the small areas impacting the bigger areas. Take Action in a Small Way Today As you go about your day today, build this part of your subconscious mind by taking small actions. When you see a piece of trash on the ground outside, instead of walking by, leaving it for the grounds people, pick it up and take it to the trash.  When you're at home, instead of leaving that roll of toilet paper perched on the holder, put it on and make sure it goes the way your partner likes it to go... over the top or (yikes) around the back. In this Episode I Mentioned: The 7 Minute Workout - iOS App The 7 Minute Workout - Android App Both of these are the based on an article in the American College of Sports Medicine. It's a 7 minute high-intensity workout using only your body weight.  It's something you can do at home in ... well... 7 minutes. Help Me Out It would be a tremendous thing if you took about 3 minutes and rated this podcast in iTunes.  It's very quick, very easy, and it will help me reach a much larger audience.  In case you don't know, here's how you rate a podcast. I'd also love to have your questions about productivity, self-discipline, spirituality, the power of your mind and thoughts or whatever area you are working on to achieve your maximum potential. Submit your question using your computer or mobile device through my online voicemail system. Let's connect on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, or wherever else you may hang out online. May your reach always extend your grasp...    

Use your mind to think about things, not to keep thinking about them - Dave Allen - Author: Getting Things Done If you've ever struggled with keeping track of all of the amazing ideas that pop into your head, you're going to love this episode o...

Are you waiting to be certain about a decision before taking action? Do you become uncertain and hop to another opportunity? This episode will help you find focus and determination.

This is probably my #1 productivity app next to my task list.  In fact, I would almost say, having this is more important than having a task list, because I actually use this when I'm creating that list. In Episode 2 I talked about using the Pomodoro technique for increasing your productivity. This is where you work with intense focus for a specific time (I use 25 minutes) and then you take a intentional break for a  short time (I use 5 minutes). After doing this for 4 cycles, you take a much longer break (again, for me, 20 minutes) and then you start over again. I have a few apps you can use for this that will really help you manage your Pomodoro technique if you want to give it a shot. I'll go over the one I've been using for quite some time and I'll mention a few others that may work better for you. Focus Time Download Focus Time This is available on iOS devices only, but it does work on both the iPhone, iPod and iPad.  I’ll give you some recommendations for Androids too, so don’t worry. Focus Time is NOT a free app, it costs $4.99 but I can tell you, without a doubt, it’s well worth it. Simple… but the outcome is worth the cost. Focus time has been incredibly clean and easy to use but still affords a lot of flexibility.  You can set each one of your times to work perfectly for you.  For example, a lot of Pomodoro users will do a 50, 10, 30 system, meaning 50 minutes of focus, a 10 minute break and every 4 cycles you take a 30 minute break. I went to a shorter time window because I found, when going for 50 minutes, I would catch myself looking at the timer to see how long I had before the break.  I wanted to get lost in my work, so I shifted down to 25 minutes.  I know my weaknesses and I’ve adapted to work with them.  You may be able to do the 50 minute system.  Give it a try first. Another great feature that’s just been added with Focus Time is the ability to attach a specific task to a Pomodoro focus window.  This works great for specific task management.  This was just added and I’ve only started to use this feature. Focus Time also runs completely in the background so you can turn your phone or ipad off and set it down.  It will alert you when the time is up. It will also use Push notifications that pop up when each cycle is complete. Every focused work cycle you complete it gives you a star. I set daily star goals which can sometimes help me squeeze in one more focus round in order to stretch to reach my goal. You can also turn your into Landscape mode and see a graph showing your productivity. Some people have found that the sound of a ticking clock can help keep them focused.  It’s a constant reminder that you need to stay on task but hopefully something that’s quiet and won’t become intrusive. I tried it and found I worked better without it, but you may be different. So, if you have a iDevice, I strongly recommend the Focus Time app. You can download Focus Time here. Again, Focus Time is $4.99 in the App Store.  If you're looking for something simple, easy and free, there are apps available.  One in particular that cuts right to the chase is called “Simple Pomodoro Timer.”  Again, it’s free. Android If you're on an Android device, there are a couple of apps which are rated very highly. Pomodroido – Just like Focus Time, this app will allow you to customize your focus and break cycles to a system that works best for you.  It’s highly rated in the Google Play app store and they are working on some updates to include task integration as well as analytics and achievement records. The other Android app that many like using is Pomodoro Tracker by Entropy Software. This app includes the standard Pomodoro capabilities but also specific task tracking, as well as broader category tracking.  It will keep a historical record and analytics of what you're getting done. It’s a great app and like Pomodroido, it’s free in the Google Play App store. Of course,

Good… Bad… Right … wrong… beautiful… ugly… fun… boring… If you're always chasing after that good feeling, or you're day is ruined because of something that happened that you didn’t like, you will benefit from this episode. Let’s start with a confession… I have not perfected this and that’s ok. I am always reminding myself of the truth of what I'm going to share, but I still rely on that reminder. JUDGEMENT Most of the time we think of judgment as a negative assessment of someone.  But judgment isn’t just negative. Sometimes we can judge something to be good or beneficial.. or maybe delicious. So is judgment in both cases a bad thing?  Well, that in and of itself would be a judgment upon judgment. When we judge we chase after perceptions of good or we run from perceptions of bad. We become tossed about, chasing this and fleeing that.  We miss out on the moment that is right before us because we are wrapped up in what was or what is to come and we miss the beauty of right now. We miss LIFE. Let me give you an example: most believe lying is bad, correct?  In fact, if I told you there was a family who were openly breaking the law of the land and when they were confronted by the police, they lied about it, your initial thought would probably be, this is bad. But, what if that family was in Nazi Germany and they were harboring a Jewish family in their attic? Would that be bad?  Would it be good? What Is Judgement? Judgment is when we rely only on our perceptions and our limited knowledge.  This happens often with two things in particular… other people and our own future.  Of course…there are other things too… other peoples futures… other peoples thoughts towards us. But for the most part, I find most are dealing with judgment of others and their own future. Both of those situations provide us with very limited knowledge.  Even with others, we can have all the facts about something they did, but we may not know the emotional or mental state of the person committing the acts. With our own future we often end up procrastinating because our perception of the results our actions will bring or we rush into something for the same reason. So, is there no right and no wrong?  Of course, but right is wrong is based on discernment which is different from judgment. How is Judgement Different Than Discernment? Discernment is an assessment of facts presented to us and only those facts.  It’s based in wisdom and not speculation.  It’s based in knowledge and not perception. So what’s the answer? The beauty of life is there IS no answer.  There is no blue or red pill you can choose, there is life and the experiences it gives us. Live in The Moment That is Right Now To live our best lives we must live in the moment.  To focus on what is before us now and not to be defined by what happened in our past. It’s to look at what is before us now.  Every moment is the dawning of a new life before us. We are to look at the facts and know that our car registration comes up every June and we'll need a few hundred dollars to pay it.  That is a discernment of the facts.  We know cars don't last forever and they need periodic maintenance, so we should have set aside reserves which will afford us the ability to handle those things when they come up. We don't need to live in fear of the unknown.  If I create this product, people may hate it and then I'll have wasted my time. Live and Love Right Now Live in the moment.  Look around you right now and find the opportunity to love another being.  That could be the cat on your desk, your spouse, or maybe that person across from you who looks like they're judging their day, or life, as being horrible.  Be light and love and give what you know is good.  Love. It’s a journey, it’s a practice… it’s something to simply allow to happen and be content in it.  Perfection is  not far off, it is right now in this moment in time… and this one… and this one… and again,

Without self-discipline success is impossible, period! - Lou Holtz If you feel like you're doing everything right; you're a dreamer and you've developed numerous wonderful products or services, you believe the impossible is possible, you have a visio...

Science shows us our minds act in a similar way to our muscles. To gain maximum physical strength, a bodybuilder has to not only work his or her muscles, but he or she must be diligent in allowing them to rest to grow and restore. In fact, a bodybuilder can actually lift more weight when he or she rests between sets and even more important, between workout days. If I have to do 500 reps with a 300 lb barbell over the next week, I'm going to be more likely to accomplish this by doing 100 reps per day with a rest day in between than if I try to do all 300 reps in one sitting, or even if I tried to do them one day after another. Do the same with your mind and you'll find you accomplish so much more. How the Pomodoro Technique Works One of the way I do this with mental activity is by doing work "sets" using the Pomodoro technique. With this, I work for 25 minutes with intense focused effort and then take a 5 minute break.  I do four cycles like this and then take an extended 20 minute break. During the 5 minute breaks, I always make sure I get up from my desk and I walk around, evening going outside to get some fresh air. Take some time to look at the birds, the clouds or even just sit and close your eyes. In Episode 5 I give you some tools you can use to help you utilize the Pomodoro technique using your smartphone or tablet. In Addition to Breaks in the Day, Take a Break at the End of Each Day In addition to your periodic breaks during the day, make sure you allocate some time to rest and recuperate at the end of the day with some solid down time. I'm not referring to time when you're just sleeping in bed, though that's vital, you need time to just relax while you're still awake. Maybe it's time sitting on the patio watching birds, or sitting on the floor playing with the kids. Real solid rest. Keep in mind, TV time isn't rest time, that's entertainment time.  Video games, especially the violent ones can actually work the opposite of real rest time. Even if the only time you have is 10 minutes to sit with your eyes closed, do it, focusing on your breathing and intentionally relaxing the individual muscles in your body. Take A Weekly Break as Well In addition to your periodic breaks through the day and the end of the day rest times, I strongly encourage you to observe a weekly "sabbath" or day of rest. Even though the sabbath has religious connection, it isn't something you should feel an obligation to follow, but rather something for which you look anticipate with eagerness. Be intentional about recharging and doing something fun which brings pure joy. This will bring you back stronger and more mentally focused at the beginning of the following week. Work Hard and Play Hard Remember, successful people work hard and they always play hard.  The harder you play, the harder you'll be able to work. So don't overlook that down time and you'll always have the mental energy and focus to push harder than ever in your efforts. Guilt free rest.... focused intense effort... rest... work... rest... work.  It's the recipe for incredible success.

It's finally here! The Mental Mastery Moment Podcast. You can download any or all of the podcast episodes onto your computer or eventually access them through any number of Podcast directories.  I'll share those once I've submitted and have links. ...