I am an Elite Zombie Fighter!

If you saw me before I had a chance to, workout in the morning and get my first cup of coffee, you’d probably go running  to the hills yelling ZOMBIE! I know when I look, in the mirror that is exactly what I do. (Metaphorically speaking!) And I am pretty sure though that I’m not the only one in this situation.  The difference however, is I have a weapon to fight my inner Zombies!  Call it a zombie cure, if you will.  It is a weapon that I use everyday, and so far it has never failed me.  If you want to join my team of zombie fighter and get rid of your inner zombie, here is how I do it.

1. Exercise more

FitnessBlender.com has become my favorite site for strength training and cross training videos.  Even before I get to that portion of my day however, I look to Kelli and Daniel for a morning stretch routine.  I may even  do some push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups and curls afterwards. Here is my favorite:

2. Eat better

While exercise is only one part of the equation for fighting zombieism so is my diet.  I grew up hearing that Breakfast is probably the most important meal of the day.  Yet, It is also the easiest to skip.  I’ve found that I get out a by-product of what I put in. In other words, If I eat crap, my body will respond with the same.  Although I’m learning my way around the kitchen, and take all the credit for all of my nutritional well being, by simply adding more fruits and veggies to your diet, you can experience energy increases that will last.

3. Get more sleep

IMG_0525
I am probably one of FitBits biggest supporters, but not for the reason that you may think.  While I know that I will meet my movement goals daily, my sleep goals are earning me a big “F!” Fit Bit not only tracks the amount of time that you sleep, It also tracks the quality of your sleep as well.  Without adequate sleep on a consistent basis, your inner zombies will definitely take over.  One of the things my wife does in order to clear and relax her mind before bed is to  read a book. If your mind is constantly thinking about things that you still have to do.  you will not be able to sleep well at all.  Reading,  helps her to get her mind ready to rest. I’m usually too exhausted form my day to keep my eyes open.  But, a short run or some type of exercise usually does the trick for me.

4. Take more vacations

We all need to recharge our batteries.  Working to hard is something that although seems like that path to success, actually works against us.  Take time to enjoy the things that matter most. Now your vacation doesn’t have to be a grand extravagant trip nor does it have to break the bank.  A Staycation would work just as well.  You’ll get to know more about your local area, save money, and I guarantee you it will be fun!

5. And don’t work yourself into the freaking ground.

No one has ever said, I wish I spend more time working. The point of life is to enjoy the time that we are here and the many blessing that we do have.  Yes, work is apart of that.  It is a necessary distraction from enjoying life. We need to work in order to maintain and sustain the life that we want.  But, knowing when to take a break  and simply enjoy life is also paramount.

No one likes a grouch. And let’s face it, zombies are not really fun either.  If you want to be apart of my elite zombie fighting team. These are just 5 of the steps to help get you there.  Perfect and share these tips these tips and you will be well on your way to destroying your inner zombies, so that you too can call yourself an Elite Zombie fighter.

Resources

Suggested Reading

  • 4-hour Body By Tim Ferris

 

Handmade by Corey: The Etsy Project!

For years, my wife urged me to put my woodworking projects on Etsy; And I’ve consistently  delayed doing it! Recently, that I decided to actually go ahead and create an Etsy store, I called it HandmandbyCLS. And that was the birth of the Etsy Project!

At the time of writing this, I have one product in my store, 3 others in pending status and a pad of blank spaces ready for more ideas. I have since even contemplated adding digital copies of my books to the store; in order to fill the shelves.

[etsy-shop shop_name=”HandmadeByCLS” section_id=”13932531″]

Since creating Hand Made By CLS, a month went has gone by and truthfully I didn’t think anything of it. I figured when something happened I’d respond to it, and I went on to other projects.  Needless to say, my level of enthusiasm was low.  I didn’t even install the app on my phone.   I also vaguely remember seeing an email saying my store would be closed.  Then out of the blue… “Ding Ding- You’ve got mail.”

My Email From Etsy!
Email I received from Etsy on 2/14/2016

That’s right My first sale!  Full excitement, I started to panic. What! what was out there? Who ordered?How was I going to get it delivered? Of course, at the time I was in the middle of Walmart so I couldn’t get any answers to these questions. So I did the only thing that I could do, and My wife is still laughing at me because of it.  I called my Mamma to tell her my good news!

Anyone that has known me long could tell you that I am a business minded person, I’ve always had some business plan in the works. Even from a very young age typing documents for my classmates. This transaction, however, came as a surprise.  My Etsy Project once again had my attention.  So let’s see how this process goes!

Since receiving my first Sale, Things have been quiet on the Etsy front, But I’ve been busy at work.  Cutting, sanding, staining. and preparing a Custom Magazine Rack for shipping.

Do me a favor, I’m looking for ideas to fill my store Leve me a comment to let me know your suggestions are!  If I choose your suggestion, I’ll send you the first one I make absolutely free.

 

My Thoughts : Retire Inspired by Chris Hogan

 

retireinspired
Retire Inspired: It’s Not an Age, It’s a Financial Number

It is no secret that I hold a special place in my heart for Dave Ramsey and his team, they have changed the direction of my life tremendously. One thing that I have learned from listening to the financial gurus that come from Financial Peace plaza is to seek advice from someone who has the heart of a teacher. This way when you need to, you can make an informed decision.  Chris Hogan’s book  does just that. He provides you the , information along with the personal and professional stories to back it up.

Prior to picking up the book, I expected to hear lots of talk about becoming debt free. Chris, being a Dave Ramsey personality, I expected to read much of the same material that I could find from Dave Ramsey. My hope, however,  was that the material present was not presented the same. Chris did not disappoint! He maintained his own theme of creating a retirement movement. Giving a brief synopsis of how our current retirement system became age focused, Chris wants to spread the message that we should not look at retirement as an age, but as a financial goal that we can reach before we can enjoy our golden years.  For some of us, that means working well into the 8th and 9th inning (using Chris’s analogy)!

The point was clear! It is never too early, or too late to start thinking about what retirement looks like for you.  The goal should be to actually put some thought into forming that picture (and keeping it at the front of your mind) so that you can create a roadmap to get your there. Breaking it down into a baseball analogy, this book provided a layout of what each decade should look like.  Without looking at your specific information, though, Chris often referred readers to seek the advice of a professional.

Get your copy of Retire Inspired: It’s Not an Age, It’s a Financial Number here!

After finishing the book, I would have liked more of an explanation of the RIQ tool, such as an example of it’s use, but I didn’t mind going to the website to find out more information.   There were also a few instances that I felt questions that were brought up, were not answered as fully as they could have been.  The answers that Chris did give, however, lead me to further investigate and come up with an answer for myself.

On my visit to ChrisHogan360.com and the RIQ tool, I entered my information my information and received exactly what the book said I would.  A financial number based on my goals and vision for my future.  If you change, the goal and vision of your future the number changes as well.  The tool gave me an overall figure as well as a monthly saviings goal in order to reach the overall figure.  It also provided a checklist, with everything that I still needed to complete and a contact form to get in touch with a professional to help me reach my goals.

Overall, I consumed this book!  I had a hard time putting it down.  Even though, I sat on the bench for many of my run day’s while completing this book, the time that I spent listening to the audiobook was well worth it. This is definitely a book that I’ll keep on my bookshelf.