Insights
Guest blog by Jimmy Moreno
Embrace or deny it: in today’s fast-moving society, almost everyone wishes they could brag about their practically Olympian exercise regimens and their ultra-healthful eating habits. However, almost no one can actually find and stick to a simple, daily routine that does not require extraordinary feats to maintain.
Our mindset is trained to believe you need to buy a gym or sports club membership, invest in miraculous all-in-one body-sculpting exercise machines, or only shop at your local organic health food store to attain the wellness and fitness you seek. But the secret is much simpler. We all have it. We all want more of it. And once you lose it, you can’t ever get it back.
It ‘s TIME.
You only need a few minutes each day to make the shift toward a healthier you. Just a few minutes! Imagine spending 5 fewer minutes on social media, 5 fewer minutes stressing over a problem you can’t find an immediate solution to, 5 fewer minutes complaining to someone about your lack of fitness or your poor diet. Transform those precious minutes into the tools you need to succeed.
Try one or all of the following tips to get you through the rest of the winter and beyond. And save the cash you were planning to spend on that treadmill/clothes hanger to buy an economical pedometer or exercise app.
1) RPM (Rise, Pee, Meditate). Starting off with this little routine will help establish balance and awareness for the rest of the day. Before you go to bed the night before, try setting you alarm 30 minutes earlier and preparing a quiet, restful place to sit. Upon waking up in the morning, do what nature requires (i.e. not checking email or drinking coffee) to make your mindful meditation easier. Also, avoid lying down, or you will fall back asleep! Find your quiet place and simply practice breathing deeply in and out, praying, or just watching the day get lighter. This practice will help set the tone for a day of gratitude and appreciation.
2) Morning Lemonade. This should be your first go-to beverage. You can still have your coffee later in the morning. Although lemons are considered acidic, they in fact have amazing alkalizing properties. According to nutrition expert Michele Chevalley Hedge, lemon juice also allows the body to absorb more iron, which is a necessary nutrient for keeping the immune system working at its best. Lemon juice also helps to reboot your liver function by allowing it to remove toxins. Warm water allows for smoother absorption at the digestive level. So squeeze some fresh lemon into a steaming glass of water, and your energizing morning cocktail is ready to fuel you through the day!
3) Move it! Move it! A brisk 15 minute warm-up session followed by a simple stretch routine will do wonders to awaken the body and help the flow needed to kick-start your day. After your warm-up (like walking the dog), do a series of static (no jerky bouncing) hamstring stretches by reaching for your toes or doing back bends. This promotes musculoskeletal mobility and the alignment required for daily basic functional movement. If time allows, adding 15 more minutes to your warm-up will also help tap into more of the fat the body loves to hold on to.
4) Be the Plank. This tried and true exercise is so underrated and misunderstood. A cousin of the classic push up, this prone position pose will firm up your…well, EVERYTHING! Starting with your elbows at 90 degrees, position them on the floor under your shoulders. Keeping your arms parallel, fully extend your feet back and balance on the ball of each foot. It is okay if your hips are slightly elevated, but the sweet spot is having your shoulders, back, hips, and back of legs aligned. You will feel the weakest muscles working the most. Holding the position for at least 20 seconds is a solid goal. Test yourself every other day by increasing your time by 5 seconds. Ultimately, once you are holding this position for 3 sets of 1 minute, you will start to notice tone in your chest, abs, deltoids, and gluts. A lot less flabby, not too shabby…
5) 90/10. This is the standby rule to keeping your eating clean and your mind sane. I live in a real world like you do. So, 90% of the time, I focus on eating clean, wholesome, organic and minimally processed foods. 10% of the time, all bets are off. Yes! Hamburgers can be clean and GOOD, just look for grass-fed beef. Enchiladas? Heck yes! Make sure the tortillas are organic. And what about cookies? Of course, but save some for the rest of us! One cookie with a glass of organic milk is a great treat after eating a satisfying, healthful meal…as long as you make sure to savor every bite.
The tips listed above are free of cost and take minimal time out of every day. Let your own imagination go wild as you try new ways to improvise and expand on any these tips.
You already have the time; it’s time to make the time.
Learn more about Jimmy and Santiago Multisport at santiagomultisport.com.
Twitter: @CoachSanti
Facebook: Santiago Multisport
The Time Is Now
We love living in San Diego! Over the years, we've found a few favorites. We hope you love them as much as we do...
1- Oceanfront Yoga
We love the free oceanfront yoga classes hosted every Saturday and Sunday. It's a perfect 1.5 hours of exercise, ocean breeze, and meditation. Details here: http://www.meetup.com/www-namasteveyoga-com/
2- Pappalecco Happy Hour
Pappalecco (an amazing gelato spot in Little Italy and Hillcrest) has a wonderful happy hour at their Hillcrest location. Just order a glass of wine, and you can enjoy their full counter of food-- tons of bite-sized Italian sandwiches, pizza, cheeses and more! Specifics here: http://sduptownnews.com/hillcrests-big-italian-secret/
3- 85 Degrees
We love 85 Degrees, and we are so glad they opened a location in San Diego! They have a fabulous selection of homemade breads and cakes to choose from. One of our favorite drinks is the Salted Caramel Coffee. When you get it, just shake it up to mix the salted caramel and coffee and enjoy. Yum! http://85cafe.us/
4- Potato Chip Rock
San Diego has some pretty great hiking trails, but we love potato chip for how great of a work out it is. Plus, the reward at the top is well worth the work. Be prepared for a 2.5-3.5 hour hike that will leave you exhausted, but feeling thoroughly satisfied. Get more information here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/potato-chip-rock-poway
5- Chicken Charlies
Ever just feel like eating some downright bad for you comfort food? Well our go-to place is Chicken Charlies. We personally love their grilled cheese, but they have some pretty killer fried ribs too. Top it off with Dessert Nachos or Deep Fried Oreos for dessert. Check out their menu here: http://www.chickencharliesfrybq.com/
6- Rancho Cocina
The best mexican food in San Diego always comes from those hole in the wall places that you would nearly miss on first glance. Rancho Cocina is no different. This tiny little restaurant serves some yummy Mexican food but with a healthy touch: whole wheat tortillas and vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options are available for everything they make. Healthy never tasted so delicious. Definitely worth checking out: http://ranchoscocina.com/
7- USD Library (Copley Library)
When we need a nice quiet place to sit and read or get some work done, Copley Library is the place to go. There is a room where you can sit and work that looks exactly like the dining hall from Harry Potter. Get a visitor parking pass and enjoy the beautiful views of the campus or stop by the church too if you haven’t been in.
What are your San Diego favorites?
San Diego Favorites
About a month ago, we launched our Instagram account. Take a look here: http://instagram.com/outaboutcomm
We're posting about wonderful San Diego finds--restaurants, events, and happenings around town--positive quotes, and more! If you like what you see, make sure to follow along.
Follow us on Instagram!
Let's Get Social!
We have a new Marketing Coordinator role (details here and below). If you know someone who would be a good fit, please reach out at hello@outandaboutcomm.com.
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MARKETING COORDINATOR
Out & About Communications is seeking a talented Marketing Coordinator to assist with projects on an as needed basis. Work assignments could include but are not limited to project research, support with digital accounts, support with media campaigns, building media lists, drafting copy, and coordinating special events.
We are looking for someone who is a self-starter, has an aptitude for details, and who has a passion for marketing communications. Fluency in WordPress, Google Docs, Dropbox, and Hootsuite is a must.
If you are interested in supporting this type of work on an as needed basis, please email us your resume, cover letter, social media links, and any inquires to hello@outandaboutcomm.com.
Our Team is Growing!
We've pinned some fabulous social media and blogging tools for you to check out. Some of our favorites include...
Vector vs Raster: This graphic is a great 101 on vector vs raster files. Next time your printer asked for a vector file, you'll know what to send them. Also, this graphic is a great tool to reference when saving your images.
Media Kit Tips: Bloggers who are looking to advertise or attract media need a media kit to pitch their offerings. If you're looking for tips on how to make a great kit, check out this pin.
SEO Step by Step: SEO helps direct people to your site. Check out this guide for a 101 on how to implement basic SEO into your site. Also, if you're looking to better understand how to use blog categories vs. tags, check out this pin.
Best Days to Post: Have you ever noticed that the day and the time of day your post impacts the number of likes, clicks, and retweets you receive? Check out this graphic that outlines the best days to post.
Facebook Apps: Want to add apps to your Facebook page? You'll need to design some graphics and upload (101 on how to add apps and upload graphics here).
For more tips, check out our Social Media and Blog Buff Pinterest board here. What are your favorite social media and blog tools?
Social Media & Blog Buff
Blog by Marshele Scherrer
Most of us write a “to-do list” each day. We sit down with our cup of joe each morning and, as we read through our emails, we create a list of all of the tasks we have to do that day. When was the last time you woke up and created your “goal list”? Many do not realize the difference between setting goals and setting tasks. A quick run down…
Tasks are things that you are going to get done eventually. No matter what—going grocery shopping, for instance, will get done. You may eat out five nights in a row before you actually go to the grocery store, but at some point, you will buy groceries.
Goals are things that are not going to happen unless you make a conscious effort to achieve them. Examples of this may be running a marathon or starting your own business. Goals are what inspire and motivate you. Goals require a sense of possibility. Soren Kierkegaard says this about possibility,
“If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of the potential, for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible. Pleasure disappoints, possibility never. And what wine is so sparkling, what so fragrant, what so intoxicating, as a possibility!”
There are three things that I want to mention about the possibility as it relates to goals.
1) Possibility allows the past to stay the past.
2) It provides ways to overcome or remove constraints.
3) Possibility comes from above the line.
More specifically, in my opinion, there is an invisible and sometimes indistinguishable line where our motives reside which can impact how successful we will be in achieving our goals. For example, if a goal is set below the line on the foundation of anger, jealousy or fear, we are less likely to achieve those goals. However, when we create goals driving above the line from a place of passion, confidence, or commitment, we empower ourselves to succeed.
My challenge to you today is to discover your “possibility.” Before setting your day-to-day tasks, make sure you take the time to set goals. You can set your goals for next week, for the next year and for the next ten years. This way your daily tasks align with bigger goals that align with your purpose.
Align Your Daily Tasks to Goals
Exciting news! We just finished designing a new website for the Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Community of San Diego! We worked with them to design a site that features their events (check out their amazing upcoming events), takes alumni membership registration, and servers as a hub for those interested in government/ political related happenings in San Diego. In the interim, we also helped them design a landing page (before the site was live) and social media sites. Congrats to HKS@SD on the launch of your new site, and thank you for all of the great things you're doing for the San Diego community!
Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Community of San Diego Website Design
Guest blog by Haney Hong
If you’re familiar with the term “strategic planning,” you may associate it with lofty goal making, lots of time spent in frustrating conversations, and money spent on glossy documents that gather dust; if not, it may just sound like an abstract exercise meant for the brainy eggheads in your company or organization. Truth be told, it’s none of the above if done right and strategic planning may be the very process that helps keep your doors open while your peers or competitors find themselves in varying stages of irrelevance.
Good strategic planning results in an imagined story of your future value to others. And while it isn’t hard to write a good story, it takes a few commitments to let your imagination run. You have to make deliberate assumptions to simplify the future. You have to tolerate risk to achieve something big. And you have to trust your gut and jump. A participant in a recent strategic planning session I facilitated said it well: “You have to place the hard bets, and you have to be willing to ante up.”
Strategic planning writes a story, and next month, I’ll want to discuss with you the process of story writing and get your thoughts about those commitments above. In future months, I’ll also want to dialogue with you on the leadership, followership, and management of change to turn that written story into real life. But before digging into either, I think it’s important to recognize why having a strategy–a story–is so important.
Having worked with organizations of varying missions and at different stages of growth, I’ve encountered some common problems:
- The day-to-day tasks of employees don’t align with business goals or “the-way-it’s-done” putters along inefficiently, lowering morale and motivation. Time–and therefore salary or payroll costs–is spent on miscellany that does not contribute to the core business, and this wasted time and money perpetuates itself.
- There are a lot of good–and bad–ideas on how to make things better, but there’s either no way to share and explore them or no ability for leaders to be secure in their decisions, including resource allocation, on those ideas.
- Work moves along every day with no real challengers (“this is the way we’ve always done it”), but the organization gets caught off guard when someone leaves for a better opportunity, a competitor swoops in and grabs market share, or a new product makes yours irrelevant.
A strategy–a story–is important because it unifies everyone behind what your business does and prevents these common problems from occurring. It motivates your employees to bring their creativity to bear, because they know why they are doing what they do. It gives your leaders an ability to decide what to do, as the story talks about how you bring value to others. It prevents strategic surprise, because the story recognizes many of the villains that will take you off track.
Your strategy is important, because it’s how you talk about your future. But when you forget your story, someone else’s story becomes what’s told.
Post originally published on hdhaa.com.
Why is “Strategy” Important?
Over the years, we've developed a list of favorite tools that can help to streamline your day-to-day and increase productivity. Check it out...
Mobile Office
- Turboscan (scanner app)
- Dropbox (save your docs in the cloud)
- Google Drive
Task Management Tools
- Remember the Milk
- OmniFocus
- Basecamp (great for groups)
Communication Tools
Free Text Messages
News Feeds
Photo Editing
Stay Connected
- Wi-Fi Finder App (searches for free and paid wi-fi near you)
- Boingo Wi-Finder App
Heading out?
What are your favorite tools to run your business from anywhere?
Tools to Run your Business from Anywhere