Visual Productivity - When you look at it, it just makes sense!

Time 2020-12-08 04:03:02

Web Name: Visual Productivity - When you look at it, it just makes sense!

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Skip to primary navigation Skip to main content Skip to primary sidebarHomeAboutPodcastResourcesVisual ProductivityWhen you look at it, it just makes sense!Mind MappingProductivityPersuasionMotivationLifestyleI m a Certified XMind Master Here s How it Benefits YouNovember 28, 2016I've got some great news to share. I've just been approved by the folks over at XMind to become a Certified XMind Master. I'm one of the first.How does that help you?The best part of being a Certified XMind Master is that it's going to benefit all of us.You'll now be able to get 30% off of all the products on XMind's site by using my coupon code.Let's talk about what 30% meansLet me explain the 30%.XMind Pro is listed at $129, so 30% off is $90.30. That's the number you need to remember.XMind usually sells for $99. If you buy for $90.30, you'll see a savings of around 8.8% compared to the usual price.I plan on maintaining the EXTRA bonusWe'll also be changing up how we sell XMind products on VisualProductivity.com. Now, you can simply go to XMind's site and plug in my coupon code. You'll get the software right away, and then we'll figure out how to get you a bonus (besides the 30% off). I'm still trying to confirm the exact details with them, but I'm hoping that the receipt you get from them will have a reference to me on it somewhere (if my code was used). I'm hoping you'll be able to forward the receipt to me and then I'll get you setup with the Visual Mapping Quickstart just like we've been doing. The only difference will be a cheaper price for you and a faster experience.I've always hated making you guys wait for the code, so this will reduce some stress for me too especially on weekend orders.OK, so where's the coupon code?I'm still getting things setup with XMind for the coupon code, I'll obviously get things changed over pretty quickly once I get it. Keep an eye out.I'll make it available on YouTube, here on the site, and anywhere else that's relevant as soon as I can.Other certified XMind master perksIt looks like I'll also get a chance to be featured on their webpage too. I'll likely have some videos put up there, which will be great.I'll also have higher priority for the request and suggestions that I send them. I know they take all suggestions, but I think we can work with this to get some of the best productivity ideas added to future versions. I love when you share suggestions and difficulties you're having with the current version and I'm looking forward to helping to send more ideas over to XMind in the future.I'll keep you informed as I know more.Filed Under: Mind MappingInterview: Doing a Content Audit Kevin on Toastcaster PodcastNovember 3, 2016I had the chance to talk about my recent content audit on my good friend Greg Gazin's Toastcaster podcast.I go over why I chose to do my content audit and what I got out of it. I had a great experience doing the audit. I had a chance to see what worked and what didn't. I also took the opportunity to look for ways that some of the content I've already produced could be better used by connecting it with other material.In addition to the content audit, we talk a little about Abu Dhabi, and some of the fun we had.To finish things off we go over the fitness and Spanish goals that I'm currently working on.Here's the embedded player:Link to the post on Greg's siteDownload Link: In case you want to listen later.The Toastcaster podcast provides information about communication and public speaking. It's main focus is on topics of interest to toastmasters. Toastmasters is an organization that helps people practice the skills they need to be successful communicators and leaders.I was a toastmaster for 12 years and loved my experience. I'll throw a link up to the Toastmasters International site in case you're interested. Just click on Find a club.Filed Under: ProductivityChi Running Book ReviewNovember 1, 2016I read Chi Running years ago. At the time I was doing a lot of running, and reading pretty much every book I could get my hands on. I remember that Chi Running talked about doing away with the heel strike (when you land on your heel and roll your foot to your toes) in running and thought it was interesting. I didn't have time to go further with it then, so I thought I'd revisit it.Now, it's about 10 years later. The mid-foot strike (landing with a flatter foot) is more in vogue, and I'm a decade older.I'm getting back into running, so I thought I'd pull out the Chi Running book again and see if there was anything new in there I could learn. I don't have any aspirations of being in the olympics or setting world records, but what I do have is a desire to enjoy running without getting injured. Your speed will be a function of your ability to relax more deeply, not your ability to push harder. Danny Dreyer Chi RunningWhat is Chi Running?Chi Running's writer, Danny Dreyer set out in a quest to combine running with tai chi. Tai chi is a martial art that is most commonly know for relaxation and control. It also stresses balance, coordination, and breathing. I did some tai chi when I was in university (24 form, 88 form, sword, fan, and a little Chen style). I got into it for the relaxation, but soon found how it could easily take a lifetime to master, as you worked to spend time making each form just right, and then chaining them together.Chi Running takes a lot of those key concepts and incorporates then into his recommendations in the book. The basis for the technique is to use good posture, along with relaxation to help you run with less effort, and less stress on your joints.Danny Dreyer, author or Chi Running, gives the backstory:YouTube link (2:33)What I like about the bookThere are some great things in the book. There's plenty of good information throughout the book, and it's well explained. I feel like it takes a little searching sometimes to find the information I'm after and would have like to have seen a different layout. Perhaps something that reads more like a manual than a book. Other than that, I'm happy with the content.Here are some things that stood out for me while reading.PRE (Perceived rate of exertion)Danny talks about perceived rate of exertion (PRE) in the book. The PRE really just says how hard something feels to you. It's not measuring anything tangible like a heart rate or calories burned. Instead, it just asks you, On a scale of 1 to 10, how hard does this feel right now? I like how he talks about this and his workarounds. He gives an example of how running bending feels (and is) much harder to do. He then shows how good posture will make your run more enjoyable. The obvious result is that something you enjoy doing has a better chance of happening, because it feels like you're doing less.The book focuses on the right stuffHe talks about 3 focus areas:Maintain good postureKeep joints open and looseRemoving tension from your bodyThose areas are pretty much everything I want to get out of running. The rest of the book goes through his tips on how to make all of that a reality. I like that Chi Running focuses on form and relaxation. That's the kind of thinking that helps you enjoy what you're doing and prevent injuries at the same time. It's great.I remember when I first started running probably around 10 years ago. I would constantly have tense shoulders and arms. A friend of mine gave me a simple tip of letting my arms drop to my sides and wiggle them gently. Such a simple tip, but it helped me to get rid of a lot of tension during my runs. I still show that tip to people I run with, because it's awesome. A lot of the other tips in the book are like that. Simple, but I could feel the results immediately.I used to struggle during my runs, but once I learned to relax a bit and enjoy them, my perceived rate of exertion went down, and I felt like I could run forever.The fundamentalsI love looking at the fundamentals in the book. Here's a quick list of what they are.Great postureRelaxed limbsLoose jointsEngaged core musclesA focused mindGreat breathing techniqueHow does it sound to go out and focus on this list for a few hours per week while you run. The book goes on to say that, The benefits are the same as the fundamentals. I like that everything you're focusing on while running translates over to pretty much everything else you do in your life.I also like that connections are made between some of the different fundamentals. Dreyer talks about how tension makes it harder to breathe. So, if you reduce the tension in your body, you breathing automatically improves along with it.How to learn the new techniqueEverything laid out in the book as far as picking up the skills you need are all really reasonable. You pretty much learn all the important things and then you go out on some runs. Each run you choose a few things to concentrate on and try to improve it. It's a lot like tai chi. You start out learning how to do everything and then you try to refine things a little bit each time you're going through the actions.Once you get your form down, you can start running farther and faster. The cool thing about this method is that it doesn't feel much harder to run faster. Instead of pushing off harder, you focus on relaxing more and lengthening your stride behind you.I'm still working on my technique, but I've been really happy with how things are going so far.Chi Running AppThere's an app out for Chi Running.The app focuses on the features you learn about in the book. That's a plus. It can remind you of your focus areas to help you improve your posture and form.The only thing for me is that I already have a fitness watch with GPS, that tracks runs too.The Chi Running app:Shows correct postureReminds you of Focus areasRecords your runsHas a built in metronome for cadenceThe app is $13.99 in the US store.This is the company's video:YouTube linkMy overall thoughtsI really enjoyed the book. I'm also working to bring my running style in line with the Chi Running philosophy. I'm enjoying it so far, because it all makes a lot of sense. The are time during my day when I do the alignment exercise from the book and straighten my posture. I'm not out running, but I'm already starting to get used to doing everything with better posture.Chi running is one of those books where you can take as little or as much out of it as you want. I'll let my results speak for themselves as I continue to move through my running challenge of 10k in 40 minutes. I'm well on my way to doing good things, and I know I'll have awesome results before my races in February 2017.Thanks so much for reading.Filed Under: LearningFitness Challenge Goals Post 10K in 40 Minutes From ScratchOctober 19, 2016Everyone want to be fit, and I'm no exception. I'm setting a fitness challenge of running a 10K race in 40 minutes or less. I also have three other goals I'll be tracking and sharing with you.I've let my health slide over the last few years. Now I'm on a mission to get everything back in order. If you're interested in reading about why I've chosen 4 minute kilometers as a goal, or how I initially got into running you can head over to my Fitness Challenge Kickoff Post.I'm setting my target date in late February, because there's a race I've thought about running for several years. This will be the year that it actually happens.OK. Let's talk about each of the goals.Goal 1: Run 10K in 4o minutesI'm setting the goal of running 10K in 40 minutes (6:26 min/mile) as a challenge to myself to get back into a healthy lifestyle. I was able to run 4 minute kilometers about 10 years ago, but my commitment to fitness dropped off a lot since then.Let me say this, because you're probably thinking it. Yes, I'm 10 years older, and I'm in nowhere near the shape I was a decade ago. Being older doesn't make my goal impossible. My underlying goal is to get into amazing shape. Along the way, I'll be focusing on exercise, but I'll do my best to do everything most things right. That means putting a huge emphasis on nutrition, recovery, flexibility, proper technique, and other cross training activities.The 4 min per KM goal will just be a result of the conditioning I've been building up over the preceding 5 months. I'm including it down so we can see how far I get.During the time leading up to the races, I'll be sharing my experiences with you as to how my training is going. I also plan on checking out some new techniques and methods to improve how I run. The plan is to use videos, visual maps, and writing to share what I'm working toward, and provide real-life examples of how you can use visual tools to be more effective in the real world.You'll also get a chance to see what I think of my new watch.The race I'm targeting takes place in February, so yes, it's going to be a little cold and there will be snow on the ground. The race is called the Hypothermic Half. It's been a race I've been thinking about for years, but I never made to time to actually take part. So now this is the year that I finally make good on my intentions.The goals:Hypothermic half  Feb 12, 2017  Do 10K in 40 minHypothermic half  Feb 26  Do the 1/2 marathon (21.1K)  I'll set a target time closer to the eventUse a wearable and apps to improve resultsGoal 2: Do the full splitsOK. In case you're wondering, yes I'm trying to be a little sensational when I say my goal is to do the full splits.In reality, my main desire is to be more flexible overall. Doing the splits will just be the results of doing a lot of good things on a consistent basis.Another part of this goal is to ensure that the extra flexibility doesn't bring on any instability from what I'm doing that might cause injury. I'll research that aspect as well and share the results.Where am I at right now?Right now, my side splits are a disaster. I'm not naturally flexible. A 100 year old granny could probably do a better job, but I'm committed to consistently focusing on my flexibility and finishing what I start. I've managed to get very flexible in the past, so I know it's possible. I just need to be consistent.The challenge with stretching, like other health fields, is that there's a lot of crazy people out there saying whatever they want. I'll be on the lookout for new ideas, but we'll probably come back to a lot of stretches that we all know and love or love to hate.The goals:Full side splitsFull front splits both waysGoal 3: Take posture from Caveman to SupermanLike a lot of people, my posture could be better. The act of sitting down and typing for long periods hasn't helped me much.In the past, I've had some issues with my back and forearms. It was aggravated by typing, which meant working was a challenge some days. It started around the time I was spun around in a car accident. Someone drove through a red light and t-boned me spinning me around. I tried to be tough and didn't get treatment, which was a huge mistake. It took a few years before I got smart and went to physiotherapy.The physio helped, but my posture was still very caveman-ish, especially when I typed.I eventually heard about a book for back pain. It's called Foundation. The book goes over a few basic exercises that help to reduce back pain.I was obviously pretty skeptical, but it only took two or three days for me to see results. The book recommends doing three rounds of the exercises, but I only ever did one round. I also only did the first three of the five.I'm embedding a quick tutorial video for you to see what's involved. I'll remind you that you should consult a physician before attempting anything in the videos.You also get amazing postureThe best part was that in addition to making my back pain go away, my posture went from terrible to good. It wasn't perfect, but it was way better than what it had been.A few years after my initial experience, I felt my back again. So, I did the exercises again as well. I didn't have the book anymore, so I did the best I could. Looking back, I wasn't doing them quite right, but they still worked. Sometimes I would just do the main exercise, the founder, for a few days and I'd feel better.I've got a copy of the book again, and several YouTube links. I plan on going through each phase of the program. You start with the beginner routine for two weeks. Then, it's two weeks at intermediate which adds a couple of new exercises. Finally you hit the advanced workout. That's where I want to be.  At that point I'll decide where I need to be as far as maintenance exercises and go from there.Don't forget about the absI'll share some sources for quick routines that use the latest knowledge out there. It seems like there are about a million ab routines out there. My goal isn't to overdo ab exercises. I just want to pick a couple of good routines and stick with them for the time being.The Foundation book has a few extra exercises that might help out as well. I haven't tried them yet, but will see how they go.That's pretty much it. I'll do a few things consistently. Boring, but effective.The goals:Progress to advanced level in Foundation bookPerform Core exercises most daysGoal 4: NutritionI'm approaching nutrition from a meat-lovers point of view. I spent some of last year working on adding more plant sources into my diet and reducing the size of my meat portions.I got hooked on Dal while I was in Sri Lanka and started trying out a bunch of recipes when we got back to Abu Dhabi. The downside to all beans and legumes is that the take a long time to cook.I have a couple of resources I'll be talking about. I have plenty of advice from all over the place, but I'll also be covering some books and documentaries. I'll go a little deeper on books like, How Not to Die and The Paleo Diet. I'll also talk more about my experience with juicing.I know I'm  opening up a can of worms when talking about nutrition, so I'll keep this intro short. We'll get into it more in a follow up post.The goals:Make a realistic dietPlan healthy food that's quick to make (for busy people)Find vegetable dishes my kids (and wife) will eat with me. So far I'm eating some stuff alone.Cut the coffee. I still like it with cream and sugar. I'll replace with green tea.The Fitness ChallengeI'm already a few weeks into my challenge. I took a little longer writing this post than I wanted to. I'm having an amazing time and I've got tons of follow-up content ready to go.I've spent most of my running time doing slow runs to build up my cardio base. It's nothing spectacular, but it's necessary. My longest run has been just over 4K. I feel like I can run a lot further, but I'm trying to do things right by giving my ligaments and tendons time to strengthen. I'll continue to focus on slow runs for a while until my long run gets up around 10K. Then, we'll really start to rock and roll.My nephew has been running with me most days. That's been a great help. He's also started to take his nutrition more seriously too. If he decides to stick with it, I'll start including him in some of my posts too.Filed Under: LearningFitness Goal kickoff postOctober 13, 2016There are plenty of things I could have chosen for a fitness goal. For this challenge I'm going to focus on running.My goal is to run a 10K race in 40 minutes. That means I'll be running at a 4 min/KM pace (6:26 min/mile). That's not lightening fast, but it's also not slow.I've been fairly sedentary over the past few months/years, so it will take dedication and planning to achieve it.Why 4 minute kilometers?The basis behind my 4 minute kilometer goal came from the conversation that got me into running.It was probably 13 years ago or so that I had a conversation with a manager of mine. He was big into running and we were talking about racing. This manager told me how it would be a challenge to run 10K in 40 minutes. I remember thinking that it sounded easy. I told him so and that night I went out to prove that it could be done.I've always been athletic. I played a lot of hockey growing up, along with all the traditional ones. I also made the wrestling team in university as a walk-on.After graduation, I started focusing on work more than exercise. That meant that by the time I had the conversation with my manager, my conditioning was in pretty bad shape. In essence, I was approaching things like I was starting from scratch.At first, I just focused on getting out most days and going for a run. My results slowly started to improve.What I couldn't get rid of was the feeling of dread whenever I needed to go for a run. I didn't enjoy running. Not even a little bit. It was different when I had gone for runs in the past to train for other sports.I was probably only running around 3K at the time. It was a mental struggle to keep going. My body could do it, but I wasn't enjoying the process.  I was never going to hit my goal that this pace.My local running storeSomeone mentioned that I should take a running clinic. They suggested a local store called The Running Room. The Running Room is a company started in my home town of Edmonton Canada and has expanded across Canada and the US. You might not have a store in your area, but you'll probably find a friendly local running store who organizes runs in your area.Anyway. I picked out a 10K clinic and signed up.The results were immediate.Joining the clinic turned my running experience around for me.I actually learned to enjoy running. I don't have an exact reason why running was any easier. It probably has something to do with training in a group environment. We could talk, laugh, and encourage each other during our runs.My first unofficial half marathonSomething cool happened one day near the end of the clinic.We were paired up with a group training for a half marathon. Our 10K group was running the same pace as the other group, so we all started out together.There was a point where my 10K group was preparing to turn around. As we approached the fork in the path, the leader of the half marathon group told us that anyone interested in continuing on with his group could do so. He said they were Going to do a few more kilometers. I was feeling amazing that day. I had built up my training schedule and was running 7K a day at the time. I figured, Why not. I didn't know it at the time, but the half-marathon group was in the process of doing their longest run for their clinic. We kept running farther and farther away from the store where I was parked. We were just cruising along at what I think was a 6 min/KM pace which was my relaxed slow run pace.By the time we got back to the store that day, someone with a GPS watch confirmed that we had just run slightly more than 22 KM. To give you an idea of distance, a half marathon is 21.2 KM.That meant that without even trying I had accidentally run a half-marathon.My continued motivationOnce you know for a fact that you can run a certain distance, the next thing you always wonder is how much faster you can run it.At the time, I was running ran approximately 6 days/week and was loving it. With a little more training, I improved my speed enough that I was eventually able to run 10K in less than 40 minutes.I ran consistently for a few years, but eventually stopped when my daughter was born. Things were pretty busy at the time, and unfortunately running was one of my pastimes that gradually faded away.The marathonWhile I was running regularly, I had signed up for a marathon. I had paid my fee about a year in advance and was looking forward to it. My daughter was born a few months later, and I pretty much stopped running cold turkey.When the time came for the marathon, I still showed up even though I hadn't run at all in over seven months. It was already paid for, so I figured I should go ahead and participate.All I wanted to do was finish the race. I knew I could always walk it if I had to, but I wanted to give it my best shot.I remember how nice the first half of the marathon was. I felt good and had a fun time being around all the other people. Of course, the real gut-check came during the second half of the marathon. I got a few blisters, and that, combined with my lack of conditioning meant that the last 10-15K were pretty tough.I never considered quitting, but I would have liked to have gone a little faster that day. I still had a good time on the course though. My dad drove around and cheered me on from several locations. My Grandma also came to a spot at around 30K and brought me a snack. My fondest memory I have of the race is stopping for a quick bite to eat and and a picture with my grandma.I finished my first and only marathon in late 2008. I just wish I could have taken part when I was in better shape.Who knows. Maybe I'll need to look into another full marathon during the coming year.Where I'm at right nowI'm not in good shape right now. The last eight years have seen my fitness levels drop off.I was having a great time last year taking part in a fitness program called Get Driver Fit. It's scheduled every year leading up to the Abu Dhabi Formula One race. The program was based around the fact that world class racing drivers need to be in amazing shape. They need to be able to handle the tremendous g force created my their cars. They also need to have enough endurance to drive all-out for several hours at a time.I used to live close to the Yas Marina Circuit, so I would go over there for training a few times a week. It was great. at the end of the program, I got to go through a crazy obstacle course on the beach. It was great.I've since moved back to Canada, so I wasn't able to take part this year.I've been pretty sedentary for the last 10 months or so. We traveled a lot and I let that be the excuse for me to stop working out.I'm doing it rightMy goal is to take care of myself while I train.I've set some goals that would be great to hit, but I'm not willing to compromise my health to do it. That means I need to focus on injury presentation and recovery as much as getting out and running every day.I've already started doing some base runs and I've noticed that I'm not getting enough rest. When you train, your body needs time to repair itself. I understand that, so I'll be setting some additional goals and focus areas to help me get there.I'm going to dig up some more information on recovery and napping. I've always rejected taking naps during the day, but I also know that many professional athletes have an afternoon nap before a big game or match. Anyway. I'll dig up some research and report back on that, along with my results.Flexibility and PostureI'm setting a goal of being able to do the full splits by race day.I've been close before in the past, but I'm in bad shape right now. There's a lot of information out there about flexibility and exercise, but like you already know, much of it is junk.I've found some good sources. I'll show some tips, and I'll demonstrate everything I'm actually using.I will also focus on overall flexibility, but I doubt you'd ooh and aah if I told you I was going to perform a full quadriceps stretch. So yes. The splits will be the sizzle to what I'm doing and the full body flexibility will be the steak.The splits will be the sizzle to what I'm doing and the full body flexibility will be the steak.By there way. There's some absolute goofiness planned for when I hit this goal, so make sure you check back to see what happens when I make it.Top 10 Van Dam splits#2 is Time cop Just sayingP.S. This video might be too corny for work.

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