Cerebral Space

All week I have been thinking about blogging, trying to be mindful of it, hoping to come up with something prolific.  As I am sitting here in front of the computer trying to figure out what to write for this week's blog, I've got nothing.  It is not for a lack of things happening right now, probably just the opposite.  The past few weeks I have blogged about being organized and trying to get stuff done. Thing is, nothing really has change this week.  I have been trying to think of something else to write about, but that is all that's been on my mind.  Unfortunately, between an over flowing plate at work, a busy household, spending a good portion of my weekends lately taking foster parent courses and finding myself trying to coordinate a team of siblings to care for an unexpected ailing parent, Kung Fu seems to be taking a back seat.  Although, time is very valuable, it seems to be more about cerebral space than anything. Trying to be mindful of everything going on is where I feel that I am struggling these past few weeks. Unfortunately, I have also missed some classes recently, which is what I rely on to keep myself grounded with respect to Kung Fu.  Although, I was mentally spent by the time Thursday's I Ho Chuan class came, I felt somewhat rejuvenated by time I went home.
So, beyond all of this, how am I doing?  Well, I have been doing push ups, sit ups and getting more kilometers in.  I have been working at making these a part of my routines.  I have been getting reps of my forms in and have been doing AOK. Doing them when I have the chance through out the day. I feel good about that.  The downside, I am not sure I have been mindful regarding these.  With having problems with cerebral space, I haven't been tracking these like I should.  I have been doing these mindlessly, not sure if that is a word or even the right word, but you know what I mean.

My apologies for the rambling and being over all over the place.

Thanks for reading.

Mike

Organization, lists and the wiring of a brain.

On the heals of last weeks post, I found my routines in an absolute upheaval for a few days this week. For several days, I wasn't at work nor was I at home, the two places where my routines are based. I was very cognisant of this fact, which added to the stress of being away, however, it also helped me get back into routine sooner.
Further to establishing solid routines and ensuring I stay mindful about maintaining them, I have also found myself really needing to get organized in all aspects of my life.  I am not sure if I have mentioned this before, but I am a list person.  I find if I don't have a reference or reminder for what I need to do, I loose track or get distracted.  My Kung Fu is no different.  Last week Sifu Brinker mentioned training yourself to hardwire your brain to do certain things (I am paraphrasing a bit).  I am very interested in this, but it will take some time to learn. I know I have done it before with my education and training, but it has been a long time.   I will try to develop this again, but until then, I will make some lists.  I think I will start by making a list of the different lists I need.

Thanks for reading.

Mike

Routines and what not

My decision to join this year's I Ho Chuan team wasn't a simple one.  I have struggled in the past with some of the commitments.  Whether Blogging or my numbers, I start off strong, but fall off the wagon or loose momentum. I (like most people I'd suspect) find it difficult to keep all my plates  spinning all the time. Multitasking between work, home, my Kung Fu, the kids Kung Fu and all the other extra curricular activities proves to be a challenge at times.  With recent changes to our family(acquiring two more fabulous teenage boys), we have committed to keeping a few more plates spinning.  Taking on the I Ho Chuan requirements and team commitments seemed even more daunting than before.  Something that works for me is developing and maintaining daily, weekly and monthly routines.  The downside to being reliant on routines is when something changes or a routine is disrupted, I am usually dead in the water.  Good habits are lost or forgotten and I usually go into survival mode.  The key, which I havent been good at in the past, is re-establishing routines as soon as possible.  This will be something I'll need to focus on this year.

Thanks for reading.

Mike

Looking Ahead

My second year on the I Ho Chuan has come and gone. My year of the Monkey witnessed several successes and failures. It is difficult not to let the failures over shadow the successes. As I embark on this year's journey with the rooster, I need to focus on where I am today and where I want to be tomorrow. It is hard not to dwell on where I wanted to be today, but if I can't move past this, my failure will never become a success.  I am going to move forward with renewed focus and optimism for this year. Again, making improvements along the way, learning from my mistakes and not letting them hinder my progress.  

Although I have several goals for this year's I Ho Chuan, my focus is going to be on tackling the finesse side of Kung Fu. Ironically, from navigating delicate situations to maintaining good relationships with many stakeholders, my job is about 90% finesse. However, it definitely feels that when I enter the Kwoon, I go into brute force mode.  This will be a challenge, but I am looking forward to the journey and the end result. 

I am excited to be working with old and new team mates this year and can't wait to see what is in store. 

Thanks for reading. 

Mike