Flow is a state of complete absorption and focus in an activity. When in a flow state, you are fully immersed in the present moment and concentrating on what you are doing. You lose track of time and become so engrossed in the activity that you forget everything else. Flow is a delightful state whereContinue reading “How to get in the flow “
Tag Archives: lifestyle
Do you know how to listen to a book?
The history of books is an interesting one. The first books were utterly unreadable to anyone but the author or someone who studied the book intensely. Without punctuation or spaces, these books were written as a memory aid rather than to disperse ideas. Thanks to the invention of punctuation and the development of writing, booksContinue reading “Do you know how to listen to a book?”
It’s time to stop should-ing all over yourself
The words you use when defining your values or asking questions determine how likely you are to have that request fulfilled or live up to the values you set. The arduous path to lasting change is through sheer willpower. It is much easier to start paying attention to your self-talk and use your words toContinue reading “It’s time to stop should-ing all over yourself”
The importance of community
Do a kind and caring community surround you? If not, it might be time to reconsider the role of friends and family in your life. It will make you feel better, boosting your longevity and keeping you feeling younger for longer. I learned the importance of community while travelling the world making wine. It wasContinue reading “The importance of community”
How to prepare for a longer healthspan
What is the opposite of war? If you think it’s peace, truce, or ceasefire, googles antonym generator would agree with you, but not me. War is an active conflict, which means the opposite should be an active resolution such as a collaboration, partnership or alliance. Throughout history, countries have either been at war or not.Continue reading “How to prepare for a longer healthspan”
Choosing wisely in a finite time
Deciding what to do with our time takes a lot of work. Pop-up notifications trying to steal our attention are making it increasingly challenging. We all have digital vices where we spend more time or money than we should. But there are techniques we can use that make these difficult decisions easier. I consume audiobooksContinue reading “Choosing wisely in a finite time”
Would you rather be rich or wealthy?
Wealth and riches may seem the same, but they are not. Morgen Housel explains in the psychology of money the difference between the two. To be rich is to have expensive things, while wealth is derived from the ability to buy expensive items. He uses the example of buying an expensive car. When you see someone withContinue reading “Would you rather be rich or wealthy?”
The misleading effects of the compound effect
What makes Warren Buffet the most successful investor of all time, more than anything else, is his longevity. He has been investing successfully for over 75 years, leading to explosive financial success. There is no other word that can better illustrate the compound effect than an explosion. Let’s take an explosion we are probably allContinue reading “The misleading effects of the compound effect”
How to be spiritual in a modern world
It is possible to be spiritual in this modern world, but doing so is becoming more challenging daily. We are constantly bombarded with newer and shinier technologies that make it impossible to focus on any one thing for more than a few seconds but whether we see this technology as a blessing or a curseContinue reading “How to be spiritual in a modern world”
How to be at peace with being cold
Winter is here, and the season of swimming in nearly freezing water. We all know that one guy that goes swimming in winter. Sometimes it’s your neighbour, your co-worker or even your grandfather; in my circle of friends, it’s me. I took my first ice bath at Angelus Hut in the mountains of New Zealand.Continue reading “How to be at peace with being cold”
How to learn buckets of languages
We’ve just entered a new year, and many of us have resolved to learn or relearn a language. Assuming you can stick to your resolution and study that language long enough for it to become a habit, you’ll want to watch out for the leaky bucket effect. The leaky bucket effect started its life as a marketingContinue reading “How to learn buckets of languages”
How to stick to your New Year resolution
As the saying goes, “New year, new me.” It’s tempting to make a life-changing promise to ourselves at the change of the year. We make a New Years’ resolution to lose weight, learn a language, or practice mindfulness, telling all our friends about it, but what happens? Without the right plan: nothing. New Years’ resolutions are great in theoryContinue reading “How to stick to your New Year resolution”
How to spice up your Christmas
Christmas is a time that brings out the best and worse in people. Originally a Pagan holiday, it was adapted to become a Christian one. It is safe to say that Christmas has become an atheist festival and something people can celebrate regardless of these backgrounds. Christmas gives us something to look forward to whenContinue reading “How to spice up your Christmas”
How cultivating your curiosity
Having a growth mindset in today’s fast-paced economy is crucial. If you stand still while everyone moves forward, you are actually going backwards. To keep up with upcoming trends and to stay relevant in your industry, you must keep moving forward. Let’s use inflation as an analogy. With so much news about inflation lately, I’mContinue reading “How cultivating your curiosity”
How to boost your productivity through aimlessness
After so many blogs about reaching your goals, it’s time to write one about practicing aimlessness. Learning aimlessness through meditation can help you get to new levels of understanding which will help you on your path to accomplishing your dreams. It is more than a benefit of meditation; we aim to appreciate aimlessness through meditation.Continue reading “How to boost your productivity through aimlessness”
What is the snake effect, and why should you watch out for it?
Have you ever noticed that you don’t age? Not visibly, it happens slowly, especially as you reach adulthood, where changes occur so gradually that they become imperceivable. Then, one day you wake up and are much older than you remember. In The Science and Technology of Growing Young, Sergey Young describes aging as: “… theContinue reading “What is the snake effect, and why should you watch out for it?”
The wave of craving – how to overcome any bad habit
Do you find yourself constantly struggling to avoid temptations? Me too; that’s why I have written this blog to reaffirm what I have learned about self-discipline and guide you down a path to better self-control. Craving as a wave My meditation practice began falling apart lately, and I noticed it has had knock-on effects onContinue reading “The wave of craving – how to overcome any bad habit”
How to cultivate curiosity
The leaves are falling, and school is in full swing with exams just around the corner – this is a learning time. The days are getting darker and colder, giving us the perfect reason to curl up with a blanket in a warm place and learn something new. To make learning a habit, you mustContinue reading “How to cultivate curiosity”
How to bundle temptations to build habits.
Using temptation bundling can increase your motivation and help you build good habits. It’s simple; you pair something you enjoy with something you would like to enjoy. This way, you develop a positive association with the new thing and eventually crave it. Coffee and alcohol do this automatically. Most people don’t actively decide to startContinue reading “How to bundle temptations to build habits.”
Are you ready for the next stage of your life?
Life has traditionally been divided into three stages: school, work, and retirement. This three stages system has become outdated and is quickly being replaced by a more flexible multi-stage system. In this new system, people float between different levels of what would have previously been called “success.” Traditionally, you would have gone to school. InContinue reading “Are you ready for the next stage of your life?”
Why autumn is perfect for cold showers
Those in the Northern Hemisphere can feel it – winter is coming. The mornings are getting colder, the days are getting shorter, and soon we’ll all be snuggling in a blanket, waiting for the spring. If you want to prepare for this cold period, I suggest ditching the snuggy and taking a cold shower instead.Continue reading “Why autumn is perfect for cold showers”
How to manage your assets for long life (part 2)
Last week I discussed the importance of maintaining your financial and mental assets. This week I will focus on the importance of building a community and maintaining your health for increasing healthspands. Community In elementary school, having a robust social network was easy. If you still live in the region where you grew up, you likelyContinue reading “How to manage your assets for long life (part 2)”
How to manage your assets for a long life (part 1)
To manage your assets, you must develop a long-life mindset and habits that match that mindset. In life, there are tangible and intangible assets. Tangible ones are the ones most people think of with an attached financial value. Meanwhile, the intangible ones are the ones that have an impact on your life but have noContinue reading “How to manage your assets for a long life (part 1)“
How to avoid the accomplishment trap
This is the moment you’ve been training for; all of your effort over the past weeks, months, and years has been for this moment. It’s finally the big day, the biggest challenge you have undertaken; you are ready for it. You start, you struggle, but in the end, you succeed, and then you are hitContinue reading “How to avoid the accomplishment trap”
The three-step approach to achieving your goals
Do you ever wonder if you are on the right path? There are many ways to get to a destination, so it can be hard to know if you are on the right one. To ensure that you are on the right path, you must first have the right mindset. The Motivation Myth illustrates that you areContinue reading “The three-step approach to achieving your goals”
How to have a more optimistic mindset
Do you believe in abundance or scarcity? The world might seem to be falling apart, but that’s probably because of the media you consume. Read on if you want to have a brighter view of the future.
How to be rich, a guide to investing in yourself
Art is a physical representation of the value of someone’s time. How can you know what you are worth if you never make an audit? The value of shares, bonds and NFTs depends on many complicated factors. This blog aims to help you improve your overall life, not just your financial life, so I willContinue reading “How to be rich, a guide to investing in yourself”
What’s better: meditation, coffee, or both?
Medicine is taken regularly to keep you in the “therapeutic window” of that medication. Too little, and it becomes ineffective; too much, and you risk side effects. This zone is when you get all the benefits with minimal side effects. I will use coffee to illustrate this point as it contains a bitter white powderContinue reading “What’s better: meditation, coffee, or both?”
Lulu shorts and a magical tailor – the best financial habits for millennials
Longevity is about more than health; you will also need money as you age. The earlier you develop healthy money habits, the better off you will be. This post was inspired by a recent trip to the tailors. Hence, the Lulu shorts. I love these shorts as they have convenient pockets and are quite fashionable. Continue reading “Lulu shorts and a magical tailor – the best financial habits for millennials”
A meditation on chocolate – how to appreciate chocolate
A meditation on chocolate – how to appreciate chocolate If you are reading this, then I imagine that you – like I – love chocolate. Chocolate has been my weakness for as long as I can remember. I used to devour anything chocolaty like Cookie Monster eats cookies; through meditation and practice, I have learned to savour itContinue reading “A meditation on chocolate – how to appreciate chocolate”
How meditating with a group can deepen your practice
Meditation is the act of focusing on a single thing and simply observing the rest of the world. This activity has many benefits and is a buzzword in many circles. I would even go as far as to say that people now talk about their meditation practice as much as vegans like to point outContinue reading “How meditating with a group can deepen your practice”
How to live with less – the art of substraction.
We live in a world where we constantly have to make decisions; these are made even more challenging by the endless number of choices available. How we choose is important and affects the quality of our life, but how much we choose to surround ourselves with can also be draining. Individuals and businesses tend to solve problemsContinue reading “How to live with less – the art of substraction.”
How to effectively boost your motivation using a visualization meditation.
Yin and Yang represent the complementary forces of light and dark, positive and negative. Last week I discussed the importance of maintaining a positive attitude. Pessimism can be combined with optimism to ensure you are ready for the pitfalls as you work towards your goals. In life, there must be balance; every Yin must have aContinue reading “How to effectively boost your motivation using a visualization meditation.”
Three steps to a wealthy and fulfilling life
Looking backwards, it seems like everything I wanted to be when I grew up happened; I wanted to travel the world and go on adventures. Now that I have spent the last five years doing exactly that, I am ready for another type of adventure: stability. I didn’t realize it as it was happening, butContinue reading “Three steps to a wealthy and fulfilling life”
How to use suffering to be happy, healthy and wealthy
The world you live in is the world you create for yourself. Whether you live in a happy or miserable place depends more on your perception of it than the place itself. Negativity in the news often misleads us thinking that the world is hostile. Still, in reality, the world is full of opportunities. RhondaContinue reading “How to use suffering to be happy, healthy and wealthy”
How to plan for a long life
Most people have a grim vision of what it’s like to reach 100 years of age. They imagine that by then, they will have lost all their friends, watched their bodies deteriorate and have difficulty remembering where they left their keys. It’s not a pretty picture, but it can be. Three limitless things will changeContinue reading “How to plan for a long life”
How to acclimate to the longevity diet
Since Dr. Valter Longo published his meta-analysis on what is the optimal diet for longevity a ceaseless stream of articles has been published outlining what you should be eating. While insightful, they seem to be a simple regurgitation of the detail rather than elaborating on them. So, instead of simply rewriting the longevity diet, as has beenContinue reading “How to acclimate to the longevity diet”
The best way to develop exercise habits for longevity and weight loss
What if you were only allowed to have a certain amount of fun in life? You can enjoy your life, but you make it a little shorter with every fun activity – like in the movie The Covenant, their magical powers age them rapidly. Still, for us mere mortals, instead of magic, it’s fun. Well,Continue reading “The best way to develop exercise habits for longevity and weight loss”
Mental habits for longevity
Habits for longevity are meta-habits; they are composed of other habits. The three meta-habits for optimizing your brain health over time are sleep, spirituality and mental exercises. It’s hard to see sleep as a meta-habits or even a habit as it is something that we must do every night. Sleep itself is not the habit;Continue reading “Mental habits for longevity”
Longevity habits – A guide to a long and healthy life
Longevity is about more than just living longer; it’s about having a sustainable lifestyle. Too many people assume that pain and sickness are a natural progression of life, thinking it is what happens as you age. They gradually gain weight, become progressively more sedentary, and are more frequently sick as they age. All habits haveContinue reading “Longevity habits – A guide to a long and healthy life”
4 Methods to Help you Choose Wisely
To work out or not to work out, that is the question. Decisions are not all created equal; they vary in subtlety and difficulty. Whether complex, simple, obvious or subtle, any decision can be made easier through habits. Every day you make thousands of decisions. Making these is taxing and can easily lead to makingContinue reading “4 Methods to Help you Choose Wisely”
How to let go of the past: a lesson from psychedelics
Trying to relive an experience is the quickest road to disappointment; learning to appreciate the moments as they happen is the slow windy path to a happy and fulfilling life. That’s it; the art of letting go is the practice of appreciation. Practicing appreciation is much easier said than done. Sure, that piece of cakeContinue reading “How to let go of the past: a lesson from psychedelics”
How to meditate: a beginner’s guide
Compared to monks or even long-term meditations, I am still a beginner myself than monks or even long-term meditations. In a sense, a meditator is always a beginner; the goal of meditation is to learn to keep a beginner’s mind. Think of the Dunning-Kruger effect: When you first start, your confidence skyrockets and before youContinue reading “How to meditate: a beginner’s guide”
The best habit for boosting your happiness
The habit I am talking about is altruism. Altruism – the act of selfless giving – is possibly the most selfish action there is because of how much joy it brings you. We get so much when we give selflessly that the sacrifice is easily forgotten. The key is to start, once it becomes aContinue reading “The best habit for boosting your happiness”
How to optimize your mornings
Taking advantage of the morning is the secret to increasing your daily productivity. This is the period in the day when you have the most creative and physical energy but most people underutilize it, choosing instead to sleep in and wake up just in time for work. I am usually exhausted after work. The firstContinue reading “How to optimize your mornings”
How sleep can save your life
We all do it, and we are completely lost without it: sleep. That seven to nine hours in which you lay in bed are much more important than you may realize. Most of us never ask ourselves why we sleep, we just accept it as part of life. For those interested in learning what weContinue reading “How sleep can save your life”
How to taste wine like a professional
I never thought I would grow up to say this but technically, I am a wine professional. Most people that write about tasting wine have a very well-developed pallet but only a vague idea of how the wine is made. I am the exact opposite. My focus is making the wine and while I amContinue reading “How to taste wine like a professional”
How your word choices cause motivation
The words you use when defining your values or asking questions determine how likely you are to have those requests fulfilled or to live up to the values you set. Some words are hard while others are soft. When seeking to motivate either yourself or others it’s important to use the hard ones and avoidContinue reading “How your word choices cause motivation”
What Is Meditation and Why Does it Matter?
I have previously mentioned meditation as a path to spirituality. Now I want to focus on what meditation is and how it can benefit just about anyone. The practice of meditation is several thousands of years old, but recently it seems to have gone viral. Everyone I have talked to lately has either developed aContinue reading “What Is Meditation and Why Does it Matter?”
Longevity Coaching 