Hello from the world’s best lifestyle design blogger. It’s been a long time – I’m writing this from my apartment in Buenos Aires (actually on 25 April 2010, I just published in the past so that it wouldn’t go out in the RSS), where I am practising what I’ve been preaching. This post may see a little strange, but it’s an experiment. Please ignore it for now, as all will become clear from the world’s best lifestyle design blogger (probably not me) very soon. Let’s just say that I’m doing an experiment in search engines, utilizing my much neglected blog. You see I have been dabbling, quite extensively in lifestyle design. I am currently on a sabbatical and I am taking my experience as a blogger and putting it in to practice with other things I have learned. The aim? To make money from the internet of course, as well as to continue being the world’s best lifestyle design blogger.

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I recently realised that during my waking hours, I am always doing something. There is never a time when I am doing nothing. By doing nothing, I mean just having quiet time to think, mull things over or just relax and do nothing.

What is nothing?
To be clear, what I define as doing nothing is just that – just sitting there and breathing, that’s it. There are times when I am doing nothing productive, but I honestly can’t remember the last time I was doing absolutely nothing at all.

I wake, and then eat. When I am not at work I’ll be reading, writing, watching TV, playing the guitar or working out. I think that I get edgy when I have nothing to do, my attention span is so short that I always have to be doing something.

I read recently that the human brain is chemically conditioned to respond to new stimuli. This is why as humans, by nature we slip in to multi-tasking, the inevitable procrastination and the inability to finish anything. We chemically respond to new things to do and therefore we are always doing something, as new things crop up all of the time.

There is a trend for mediation in some circles. I don’t think that you need to go that far – mediation isn’t about being a hippy.

Here’s the simplest form of meditation that I am going to start to try:

1. Find somewhere quiet to sit.
2. Close your eyes.
3. Say a mantra (something like just saying “in and out” as you breath is fine).
4. If, and more likely when, you mind wanders, let it. Just relax, say your mantra and allow your mind to empty.

Before you approach meditation, it may be beneficial to do one of the following:
a) Not call it mediation. Just have quiet time.
b) Start with just 5 minutes.
c) Make time in your schedule to do this. You will benefit from it.

I’d love to hear other people’s experiences in this area. Do you meditate, or can you not remember the last time you truly did absolutely nothing?

Image by connordowney on Flickr via Creative Commons

No related posts.

I’ve decided to give doing a video post a whirl as i’ve never used iMovie on my Mac before (it is very easy to use it turns out), and I thought it would be fun to inject some other forms of media in to my blog. Also I am going to apply for this job so the experience is useful!

Before you watch the video I feel I should justify a few things:

1. This is the first ever video post I have done.
2. I am really more enthusiastic than I come across in the video! Like writing, video posting is obviously something that evolves over time.
3. My hair isn’t always that messy.
4. Video editing and understanding that kind of technology is my main motivation for doing the video. Like most people I don’t like seeing my own picture, let alone video so this is not a narcissistic activity.
5. I deliberately didn’t retake or over edit as I want to see how it comes across in the blog etc.

Enjoy the video and I look forward to your feedback!

Note to subscribers: You may need to visit the site to see the video.

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• As I mention in the video I am currently contemplating a slight change in direction for the blog. Stay tuned – there is going to be a lot more on this…
• I’m an inspirational blogger! Thanks Jay
• Yes I’ve had a mess around with my blog design. I’m a lot happier with it now.

Image by Goodimages on Flickr via Creative Commons

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Bond is an icon. A man of confidence, character, poise and style. I realised that Bond can teach us a lot about Lifestyle Design, and has some key characteristics that have been crafted over decades to make him in to the ultimate double-o agent. Check out this list of things we can learn from this great character;

1. You don’t always need to follow the rules.
James Bond doesn’t always check in with agent M, sometimes he doesn’t follow the rules because he is confident that his way is the best to do what he needs to do. Just because popular culture defines the 9-5 as the ‘rule’ you have to live by does not mean that you have to conform to it. Break the rules if you need to.

2. Always get the girl (or prize).

Ever noticed how Bond always gets the girl? He is used to success, he thinks success and he lives success. You should too.

3. Confidence.
Part of the reason Bond is the main man is because of his confidence. Be confident in yourself and everything you do.

4. Defeats the villains (internal and external).
There is always a villain in Bonds way, but he works hard to defeat them at all costs. Fight your internal and external villains and don’t let them stop you from getting what you want.

5. Always have the right tools available to you (gadgets) when you need them.
Agent Q provides Bond with some awesome gadgets. Have you ever noticed that he uses all of them? He only carries the items he needs, and always utilizes the gadgets he carries. Don’t clutter yourself with things you don’t need but do make sure you are equipped. Find the balance, simplicity and harmony in your skills, possessions and relationships.

6. Set your sights high.
Ever seen Bond doing something easy? Double-0s don’t do easy work. Aim high and be prepared to work hard for what you believe in. You’ll get a greater sense of achievement this way.

7. Dress to impress.
Bond always dresses to impress. Even when he is alone in his swanky hotel room he looks his best. He is always ready for action and you should be too. You will also be taken more seriously when it matters if you are well-presented.

8. He does something scary every day (and accomplishes it).
If you don’t challenge yourself you don’t grow as an individual. Challenges are the most effective way to make positive changes in your lifestyle; when you aren’t challenging yourself, you are sinking further in to your comfortable rut.

9. He can adapt to his environment.
Bond is sent to all corners of the world and can adapt easily to his environment. If your circumstances change are you agile enough to adapt quickly? If you are not perhaps you have areas of your life that you need to simplify, declutter and organise.

10. He never gives up.
Bond never gives up pursuing the bad guy and you should never give up in the pursuit of your target.

11. He’ll pay for quality (when it’s needed).
OK, so MI6 picks up the tab, but Bond certainly knows that quality is worth paying for. Don’t scrimp on the things that are really important to you, but don’t waste money on things you don’t need.

12. He is always early.
If Bond needs to assassinate someone, he is there early to scope out his environment and lie in wait. Give yourself the edge. Be early.

13. Possessions are functional rather than material and do not define him.
If Bond needs a car, sure it’s a nice one, but he rents or borrows it. Possessions don’t define bond, his actions do.

14. He is not scared to use his real name.
Bond doesn’t like cover names. He is James Bond and doesn’t care who knows it. Sure it might get him in trouble, but if you believe in yourself and what you do then you shouldn’t hide.

15. He’s a big tipper (again when necessary).
Bond is generous. He knows the value of service he receives and is prepared to reward for it when appropriate. If you are getting value out of something, be sure to give a little back (note: this does not always mean money).

16. Bond is a man of action.
Have you ever seen bond wondering what to do? No. He is a man of action, you should be too.

17. Doesn’t care what people think.
Why would he and why should you?

18. Expect the unexpected.
Bond always knows when someone is sneaking up behind him. He knows the risks of a situation and is always prepared. Make sure you are prepared for the unexpected and reap the benefits.

19. Shaken not stirred.
Stirring a drink apparently encourages equal diffusion of the components throughout the volume (or something like that). You might be a slow stirrer of your life to make the changes, or maybe you should start to shake things up a little? Make some positive changes and challenge yourself outside of your comfort zone.

20. Knows how to use his weapon.
In both the literal and anatomical sense (it’s Bond, you’ve gotta have innuendo), Bond sure knows how to handle himself and equips himself with the right tools for the job and knows how to use them.

21. Bond keeps himself fit.
He is ready for action at all time. Bond doesn’t get sick, Bond is fit and can act instantly. Eat, sleep, exercise and rest well so you can be prepared for anything.

22. Knows when to ask for help.
Bond knows when he needs to rely on someone else’s local knowledge or expertise to progress with tasks more effectively. If you are operating outside of your skill set then don’t be too proud to ask for help.

23. When he has his target he goes for it.
He doesn’t procrastinate, he goes for it.

24. Bond is human.
Bond gets hurt both emotionally and physically, he may get knocked but it is only ever a temporary blip. He gets back on his feet and moves on to the next mission.

25. Sometimes you have to kill someone.
OK, so I’m not suggesting you have to kill anyone! But sometimes you have to make sure you that people don’t block you from reaching your target.

26. Knows what he likes and how he likes it.
He knows what he likes and how to get it. Be assertive in what you want and know how to get it.

27. But he’ll try new things…
Bond will always try new things. Change is good, embrace it.

28. Knows how to relax.
Bond certainly knows how to do this, and you should too. Sometimes you have to recharge your batteries to be effective.

29. Bond leaves everyone hungry for more.
So the Bond franchise has been going for longer than I’ve been on this earth (in my current form). That’s because people are always hungry for more. Do you leave your readers, clients, interactions wanting more?

30. Be lucky.
Let’s face it, Bond is lucky at lot of the time and that’s why he hasn’t died yet. It is easier said than done but you do make your own luck to a certain extent. Good luck!

Can you think of any James Bond inspired Lifestyle Design Tips? Let me know in the comments below!
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Bits & Bobs:

• For updates in real-time (ish) you can follow me on Twitter.
• I’m planning a series of competitions on my blog starting very soon. Make sure you are subscribed for more updates.
• Can I help you? If you’d like a link,a guest post or something else please let me know and I’ll see how I can help!
  

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Time for Three:
Reading around the web:

• “How to Bootstrap Your Life” @ Never the Same River Twice
• “Why The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side” @Hit Your Goals
• “The Danger of Virtually Living” @The Change Blog
  

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All images found on Flickr via Creative Commons, in order of appearance:

Bond Poster – titlap
Bond Girl Now – Rob Beyer
James Bond Island (Thailand) – Lutz536
Aston Martin – Kmeron
Casino Royal Premiere Amsterdam – Katerina Plevkova
James Bond Invasion – helter-skelter

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Thanks for reading.

I hope you enjoyed my post. I’d love to hear your comments below or get a Digg or Stumble!

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I’m on holiday this week visiting New York City (follow me in real time on twitter), so here’s a video that is in keeping with the topics here and filmed in New York. Hope it inspires you to take some action!

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Start every day with this question. What will you do today? How can you make a difference to your life and the lives of others?

Fifty People, One Question: New York from Crush & Lovely on Vimeo.

(If you are one of my wonderful subscribers and can’t see the video in RSS or Email, click here)

What will you do today? Let me know if the comments below!

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Bits & Bobs:

• This week I secured my first social media consulting job. It’s a favour for a friend, but you have to start somewhere.
• I have increased my subscribers by a third this week, so welcome new people! Get ready, Lifestyle Project steps up a gear after my break.
• I’ll respond to comments when I’m back.
  

Image Credit: by Stuck in Customs on Flickr via Creative Commons

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Chris’s time for three: reading around the web:

• http://writetodone.com/2008/11/20/ask-leo-live-qa-for-bloggers-and-writers/
• http://www.willitchangeyou.com/personal-growth-where-to-start/
• http://www.blog.neverthesamerivertwice.com/2008/11/21/in-defense-of-television/
  

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Thanks for reading.

I hope you enjoyed my post. I’d love to hear your comments below or get a Digg or Stumble!

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Image by desevilla on Flickr via Creative Commons

Last week I received comments that readers like the Friday Fun and Roundup…so here’s another one. However, there will be none next week as I am away on holiday and as it is collection of stuff I’ve seen in the preceding week it would just be pictures of beer and tapas. There is a guest blog post coming your way next week so keep an eye out for that, it’s a good one.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0Pw7vKtqpo&feature=related]

This video is both nuts and cool!

Links for you:

• http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/09/17/how-to-never-forget-anything-again/
• http://zenhabits.net/2008/09/10-unbeatable-tips-for-overcoming-micro-addictions/
• http://www.thelifeofchange.com/2008/09/ubiquity.html

Have a great weekend!

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Image by mundocuadro on Flickr via Creative Commons

“Think little goals and expect little achievements. Think big goals and win big success.” David Schwartz

I’ve been thinking a lot about the difference between a positive and negative attitude in working towards your goals. I am the worst person for finding reasons why things can’t be done. If everyone had this attitude we would not have the many great products, achievements and events in the world. Unless you think Big and aim high you will never achieve great things.

Last night I watched Mission Everest. This is a documentary about Bear Grylls and Gilo Cardozo and their attempt to fly Paragliders over the height of the summit of Mount Everest 29,035ft (8850m).

Here’s the intro from their web site:

Reaching the ‘ceiling of the impossible’
Conventional wisdom says that technology has tamed the elements and removed risk from almost every human activity. GKN Mission Everest turns conventional wisdom on its head. Pitting a team of aviators against the forces of nature, the mission seeks to achieve a first: to a height above the summit of the world’s highest mountain using just powered paragliders – and reaching what explorers call the ‘ceiling of the impossible’.

Impossible?

Here are some things to consider, before this attempt no one had taken a paraglider above about 20,019 feet. They had to cope with temperatures of -60 °C and dangerously low oxygen levels to reach 29,500 feet, and they had to design and build specialist motors that would be capable of achieving this feat at these altitudes, as conventional paraglider motors could not cope at this altitude.

Now, how many people (including paragliding enthusiasts) would have said this couldn’t be done? Or not even tried? The answer = 99.99%.
Believe

The reason they achieved this is because they believed it could be done. Despite all the risks (including death) and reasons why it perhaps could not work out they still went for it, it is an admirable way to approach things.

Think and believe BIG and you will achieve great things. Set your sights low and small scale and you’ll achieve small things. They say ‘you are what you eat’, well you achieve what you think. This is important to remember in all areas of your life. If you think you will get ill, you probably will. If you think you can’t get fit, you probably won’t. If you think you and your new business will not work, you will fail (or worse, not even try).  Ask yourself: Do you not achieve things because you think that they can’t be done, or do you not even try because you don’t believe in yourself?
Aim Higher

There is a theory that it is easier to get $100 million than $1 million? Why is that, well the competition for $1 million is greater, there are more people trying to achieve that aim, more competition and lower odds. Less people are going for the $100 million goal because they think it can’t be done. The competition is therefore less and if you are going for it and believe in it then it is highly likely that you are the type of person who thinks big enough to achieve it.

Look at your goals and ambitions? Are they easy to achieve? Surely the hardest things to get are the best things to go for because the reward is so much greater. If you set yourself mediocre dreams then you will never be truly happy.
Start Today

Here’s a plan to get started on your road to achieving bigger and better things:

1. Remove the word “can’t” from your vocabulary.
2. Believe in yourself and what you can do.
3. Set your goals high.
4. Overcome challenges, don’t be defeated by problems.
5. Increase your energy, eat well and be fit.
6. Eliminate negativity (both internal and external).
7. Talk the talk (say “we will approach it in this way”, rather than “it won’t work that way”).
8. Smile more, look, feel and be positive.

Go for it!

“Some people dream of success while others wake up and work hard at it.”

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There is a complimentary post to this on my other blog Lists for Life called ‘Principles of Thinking and Achieving Big.’

————-

Thanks for reading.

I hope you enjoyed my post. I’d love to hear your comments below or get a Digg or Stumble!

Also be sure to check out my other blog Lists for Life.

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Since I started reading blogs and subsequently blogging myself, I’ve always been a fan of list posts. Why? Well lists are simple to understand, they get you straight to the point and it’s a great way of getting the core messages of the post quickly by scanning the titles. I’ll be honest, I only really scan most blog posts as I don’t have the time (and often the focus) to read each one work for word. List posts allow the reader to scan the content quickly and delve in to the points that they want more information on. However, increasingly I find myself just reading the points, understanding them instantly and moving on.

(Modifed) Original Image by Nocas on Flickr via Creative Commons

This is why I have launched a new blog “Lists for Life”. This is basically a collection of lists about anything and everything. My aim is to post one list per day. The lists will likely be a varying length and subject matter. I’ll be looking to put up “Guest Lists” from other bloggers, commenters or readers. If you are interested in a submitting a list please contact me.

Please check it out here and let me know what you think!

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Thanks for reading.

I hope you enjoyed my post. I’d love to hear your comments below or get a Digg or Stumble!

Also be sure to check out my other blog Lists for Life.

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So it’s September now and in the UK the nights are drawing in. It is noticeably cooler and raining (no change there then). Another interesting week for the blog, a lot of traffic still for my GTD post. Lots coming via Stumble Upon so thanks to the stumblers!

This week I launched a new blog. It’s called “Lists for Life” and is a simple, basic site which just feature lists. I’ll be aiming to post one per day of varying length, and will be looking to ‘Guest Listers‘ for help! Also hoping to get some big name bloggers posting lists so watch this space!

Check it out here. Find out Why Lists? here.

This week’s inspirational video:

British Paralympics Ad, great images, insiration and music! Directed by Ridley Scott’s son, music by Paul McCartney.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CxH8NZhJHw&NR=1]

My image of the week:

This is Girona (Gerona) in Northern Spain. It is 100k North of Barcelona and I’m going (back) there in a few weeks. Hoping to spend some extended time living around there soon.

Blogs I’ve been reading

• http://writetodone.com/2008/09/04/learn-from-the-greats-7-writing-habits-of-amazing-writers/
• http://locationindependent.com/blog/2008/08/18/23-things-we-wish-wed-known-before-becoming-location-independent/

Random Stuff

• Avoid internet procrastination, set this as your homepage so everytime you open your browser you ask yourself if it is really what you should be doing?! http://www.merlinmann.com/rightnow/

Music

What kind of music do you like, and what does it say about you?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7598549.stm

(I like anything with cool guitar in it – so blues, jazz, rock etc)

That’s all folks, have a great weekend!

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Thanks for reading.

I hope you enjoyed my post. I’d love to hear your comments below or get a Digg or Stumble!

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This your kind of thing? Please think about subscribing via RSS or eMail (it’s free). Thanks for taking the time to visit! Chris

Image by Lone Primate on Flickr via Creative Commons

“Every artist was first an amateur.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

It’s been an interesting week for the Lifestyle Project. My post on 10 ways to implement GTD simply made the front page of wordpress.com which resulted in a massive increase in traffic on Wednesday. It was great to get the extra comments and visitors to the site.

I also had a few more people telling me about their Lifestyle Projects. Good luck!

Only one post this week for the simple reason that my GTD post getting so much traffic I wanted to keep it as the top post for a little longer. I have a few posts lined up that I would like to get the right focus so I’ll be publishing those next week. Plan is to have 2-3 posts per week plus the Friday Fun. Let me know what you think in the comments…

I’m also working on a side project blog as well which I hope will be interesting to a lot of people.

Here’s this week’s Friday fun:

Video

This weeks video is great for me this week as my running training is progressing well for my upcoming triathlon, and I’ve been doing lots of reading this week too.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEMEBBwO6J8]

Blogs

My favourite post this week: http://zenhabits.net/2008/08/7-little-habits-that-can-change-your-life-and-how-to-form-them/

I’ve been trying to reduce the amount of RSS i’m reading this week so, less posts this week ;)

Random Stuff

Check out http://www.picnik.com – free online photo editing software. Cool if you need to make a quick image amendment whilst out and about.

Bit of a short post today but I’m off away for the weekend so short on time…!

Have a great weekend! Do something good!

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Thanks for reading.

I hope you enjoyed my post. I’d love to hear your comments below or get a Digg or Stumble!

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