First Fruit of the "Feeling Good" Experiment !

My first walk for three months !

Comments

[Natalia]

Well done, Mark! :)

[Margaret1]

Looking good, Mark! I'll be very interested to hear how your experiment goes.
Best wishes.

[Zane]

Bravo!

[Jay]

good one!

i never commented before, but your blog has been a true inspiration of practical ideas since i found it a few years ago

keep it up

all the best

[Don R]

It made me feel really happy to see your smiling face. I've been rating how good I feel since you posted. It seems like it has a different effect depending on the situation. I guess it shows you various different reasons for feeling good or not good.

Examples: being burnt out from working too hard. Going the opposite direction and feeling stressed from NOT taking care of things. Feeling optimistic from starting to get organized again, and getting moving by taking the smallest steps on things. Feeling a little disappointment that something unplanned took half the day and didn't gain much accomplishment. Deciding that thinking about it that way only makes you feel bad for no reason, and you're actually doing fine. And so on. That's just from a couple days, and it seems like there's so much more to learn from it.

It seems like it helps find a balance (sweet spot) between all kinds of factors of behavior and thinking. And since there are uncountable combinations you could probably keep learning and adjusting.

[Don R]

I think what I'm actually trying to say is, for me anyway, it makes me try to be more creative about trying breaking out of whatever type of rut I'm in.

[Seraphim]

So glad you are able to go for walks again!! Hurray!

[Bernie]

Congratulations on getting back out there, Mark. It must feel good to move like that again.

[teckwyn]

so inspiring!

[Philip]

Bravo! Glad to see you out and about again.

PS: I've been on Real AutoFocus for a fortnight now, and it's really working for me. Even my stubbornly non-productive days have benefited. Thanks.

[Alan Baljeu]

Congrats, and hope the good feelings continue. I don't know whether you'll succeed overall, but I'm certain I could never do this non-system as an approach to getting things done. I don't have the right mindset, the right habit of doing things, etc., feeling of freedom to do just what I want.

Having said that, the RAF method is working marvelously, and keeping a bit of mindfulness of how I'm feeling is also a positive factor. Citing Peter Bregman's advice:

"Set your watch to ring every hour. When you hear the beep, take a deep breath and ask yourself if you spent the last hour productively.... When the beep sounds, take a breath and use that one-minute pause to ask yourself whether you are [at this moment] the person you want to be."

He discusses a variety of things to consider. But I think the key notion is the hourly checkin, and exactly what you focus on can be whatever you think is most useful. For example, when the watch chimes, ask "How good do I feel?" I currently am trying the hourly chime. In addition I have a task in my RAF list reminding me how to stay relaxed. I think it's effective.

[Mark Forster]

Alan Baljeu:

Glad RAF is working for you. I shall be writing a blog post shortly describing my experiences with the experiment.

I believe it's possible to buy a timer which rings at random intervals. It might be even more effective than an hourly check-in.

[Klaus]

@Mark and @Alan
There is a device and also an app called "Motivaider" which does exactly this at random intervals.
I used to have one and loved it until my wife put it in the washer ;-) together with the clothes.
Now I use the much cheaper app.

www.motivaider.com
http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.MotivAider

[Mark Forster]

Klaus:

Thanks. I'd been trying to remember the name. Motivaider, of course!

[Brandon]

God Bless You. I still have my signed copy of How to Make your Dreams Come True.

[David W]

Happy to see you have been out walking, a wonderful way to spend time. I have been away from the site for a long time but it is good to see familiar names on the comments board. I hope to lurk around here a bit more and see what 'Feel Good' and 'Real Autofocus' is all about. regards