30 Day Life Improvement Plan - Day 7 Pt. 5 of 5 Observing Our Complaints

Today, November 7^th is Day 7 of our 30 Day Life Improvement Plan and the conclusion of our 5 part series on observing our complaints. Today's "exercise" will be a daylong one.  Here’s the plan:

1. Take a break from your complaints. Make an effort to not complain.  Be prepared with a complaint-free response, if someone asks you about something that you'd usually complain about.

2. Reduce your technology habit for the day:  You can watch less TV or detach from your cell phone during the evening--whatever is practical for your life.

3. List your excuses. Pick at least one complaint that you seem to specialize in:  What are your excuses for continuing the complaint? For example, if you say that you want to go back to school, what have been your excuses/reasons for not doing so?

On Monday, we'll be transitioning from our MENTAL DETOX theme and moving into our CREATING A SUCCESS ENVIRONMENT phase.

Day 8
List your strengths
Name at least 2 challenges that you've had during your life.  What strengths did you discover from the experience? 

30 Day Life Improvement Plan - Day 6 Pt. 4 of 5 Observing Your Complaints

I'll keep this one brief since it's Saturday.  : )  Later, I'll post the plan for Day 7 because I want to reduce my online time tomorrow.  For today's exercise, we're going to create a list of our most pressing complaints.  You can call this list your "PROJECT" list or your "PRIORITY" or "INTENTIONS" list--whichever name suits you is fine.

Here are the 4 steps:

1.  Review your complaint list and your unloading list.

2.  For the urgent (U) complaints which are highlighted and underlined cut and paste them onto a separate document which is now your Project List.

3.  Review your unloading list and transfer any concerns that are important to you onto your Project list.

4.  Choose 4 projects to work on.   (Pick at least one which will have the most positive impact on your life.)

Congratulations!  You now have a list of projects which you'll be taking action on.  When you've  finished with a project, be sure to add it onto your "Completed" list.

Here's what's next:
Day 7
Limit your use of technology/take a complete break from the computer, cell phone, TV, movies, radio, etc.
No complaints - For one day, make an effort to not complain.  If you do complain, add it onto your complaint list.
List (yeah, another one!) your excuses.

Day 8
Ratings...
Challenges and Strengths

30 Day Life Improvement Plan - Day 4 Observing Your Complaints Pt. 2 of 5





source:  publicdomainclip-art.blogspot.com

 
We're now more than 1/10th into our plan!  : )  Hang in there, everybody we're still working on complaints.  Today, we'll continue to work on observing our complaints by noticing the complaints of others.  To do this exercise, you’ll have to be aware of the complaints that people make around you. Just to mention, this isn't to cast judgment on others or to give us a sense of self-righteousness, instead we want to be more aware of what people complain about and to see how we may be affected by their complaints.  For this exercise, you'll need a keen sense of awareness!  If it's manageable, during the day, you can write down the complaints you observe and use that info for this exercise.  
OK, so here's the drill for Day 4:

1.Note people, if any, who complain around you and the general subject of their complaint.  Do you also share or bond with them over these complaints?

2.  For you, what are the advantages and disadvantages to complaining?  Possible advantages could be to vent your feelings or to get sympathy.  Disadvantages could be that you could be regarded as someone who talks without "doing" or complaining makes you feel powerless.

Good job, people!  Congratulate yourself for finishing Day 4 and increasing your awareness of your thoughts.  Observing your complaints may not be the most pleasant activity to do during the day but at least you're taking time to improve your life. 

More info on the upcoming days can be viewed on yesterday's post.  For a description on the 30 Day Life Improvement Plan, you can click on this link http://coachintraining.blogspot.com/2010/11/introducing-30-day-life-improvement.html.

A Happy Thursday to Everyone!

30 Day Life Improvement Plan - Day 3 Observing Complaints Pt. 1 of 5



source:  publicdomainclip-art.blogspot.com

We’re now on our Day 3 of our 30 Day Life Improvement Plan, so this day is actually part 1 of a 5 part exercise on observing our complaints. For this exercise, we'll be listing our complaints--both the ones we voice to others and those which we keep to ourselves.  Depending on how many complaints you have, this exercise could take 15 minutes or longer. If you're doing this by hand, paper and 2 pens (one in red ink/contrasting color) will be needed. For those who are doing this from their computer, you can just underline the relevant text as described in step 2.

The purpose of this exercise which is part of our Mental Detox theme is to give us a chance to be more aware of our complaints.

1.  List all complaints that occur to you as well as those you recall having voiced today. If you wish you can randomly list your complaints or you can use the life categories from the 10/10/10 posting http://coachintraining.blogspot.com/2010/10/that-perfect-10.html to note any complaints that you have for those categories.

2.  Once you’ve finished listing your complaints, you’ll now note the complaints which you’ve had within the last two weeks. If you’re doing this by hand, put a red check mark next to any such complaints. If on the computer, you'll use the underlining option to note such complaints.  Additionally, for those using the computer, you don’t need to print this document yet because we’ll be updating it in a couple of days.

Here's the outline for the upcoming days
Day 4 Pt 2
Note people, if any, who complain around you and the general subject of their complaint
Do you also share the same complaints?
For you, what are the advantages and disadvantages to complaining?

Day 5 Pt 3
Update your complaints and print list
Highlight complaints that have lasted for more than 3 months
Highlight complaints that are urgent to you now

Day 6 Pt 4
Pick 4 complaints that you can resolve by next week

Day 7 Pt. 5
Tech Free/Limited Technology Day
No complaints - make an effort to not complain