The Underachiever Life

As I write this Stockmarkets around the world have popped up pretty significantly.

Phew, Glad THATS over... (Hah - I let this sit for a day and of course the markets have plunged again!)

But it's not really, I mean today is really no different to yesterday, the same opportunities and obstacles you face are still their but if you have CNN/Foxnews/Name your paper and your obsessing over every piece of news (BTW Note to you - Stop doing that!) you'll think the world is now a happier place.

Call this the Manic in manic depression phase...

It doesn't annoy me at all - and don't worry I'm not so zen that I can watch the market tumble like that and think about it

That's natural...

Question is - what do we do about it. What's a useful thing to obsess over (I'm all for obsessing - it just needs to be useful!) I had been thinking about this all weekend. What can you do that will make a useful impact. If the world is entering a tough economic phase what can you do...

Control And The Lack Of It

I really don't want to go all woo-woo in the blog - but something that I try to work out is what stauff I have control over and what stuff I DONT CONTROL.

As much as my "master of the universe" self image allows - incredibly there is not a single thing I can do to influence the market. ( And hey -  I tried check out this post on Warren Buffet and John Mayer during the hight of the panic).

So anything useful to do must be something in your control. It's a really hard thing to learn  - you can control the process - it's very hard to control the outcome (John Mayer touched on that in his awesome lecture)

So...I'm going to see if I can suggest a few of the things that you can do (and I can do too...)

Are you ready for the first one...

It's a beauty....

Here it comes...

MOVE!

Ok _ I can tell your stunned by this insight but I can tell you the single best thing you can do to cope with everything is to get of your (hopefully) comfy seat, get your but out the door and use what ever faculty you have to MOVE

Thirty Minutes of Walking is going to make you feel better and it's going to help you cope with anything that comes your way. As you sit reading this, 95% of you (the other 5% are yoga instructors) are in a posture that is just perfect for you get depressed.

I'm serious.

Look - the science of physiology (aka how you hold yourself, your posture) is wide, deep and well established. This is not new-age Tony-Robbins, NLP voodoo - Read John Medina's wonderful book "Brain Rules" there is a heap of science that backs this up

It's funny Gary Halbert always used to insist on going for walks prior to doing copywriting, Steve Jobs often walks when he is taking key decisions - He did the deal to return to Apple while Taking a walk with Gil Amelio.

Now I have a confession - I HATE to walk, but after reading Brain Rules I relised that my lack of moving was really imperaing my ability to do waht needs to be done.

Many years ago I listened to a Tony Robbins tape and I remember this great series of questions he used to ask about any unpleasent task.

The cliff-note version is this question - What can I do to make this thing that SUCKS actually be something that non-sucks...

It's a really powerful question - For me to jazz up the walk  - The thing that turns it from suck to non-suck is listening to podcasts. (Podcasts are a whole new topic and something that you MUST get your head around!)  - This way I ckeep up with what's going on in my area of interests.

In fact I currently listen to these podcasts - most are weekly so that I can rack up a few and go through them.

(note-to-self - create a post with my favourite podcasts!)

While I'm writing - like right now - I can't listen to podcasts so I use the AWESOME genius function on iTunes to pick songs with the feel I'm going for.

Going for a walk (or whatever you are capable of doing that is physical) has huge benefits.

If you are not a walker - try to do one half an hour walk this week.

If you ever get really tough news or someone gives you the royal shaft  - going fo r a walk is the single best thing you can do.

Mental block - Go for a walk
Procrastinating - Go for a walk (Hey at least you'll get fitter!)
Can't get the Pentatonic Scale at 75bpm - Find a new Instrument - actually go for a walk...

I am so far south of a fitness freak I can't tell you - but MOVING will actually make you a better Marketer.

Ed

PS For walking substitute any physcal activity that you can do for thirty minutes...

Tags: InternetMarketing, Economy, Walking