Resources

Here are resources that I use and recommend to personal growth seekers. After I mention a useful resource in a blog post, I’ll make sure to add it here.

• Staying Healthy
• Building Daily Practices, Focus & Productivity
• Favorite Books
• Books on Writing
• Getting Started with Blogging

Staying Healthy

Stay Healthy While Working From Home

What if there was a way we could get those steps in, increase our physical activity, improve our overall health, and workplace performance, all without taking up any extra time in the day? There is, and luckily it doesn’t involve swallowing a tapeworm pill or submerging yourself in an ice bath. The answer is to put a treadmill under your standing desk, and walk at a slow pace throughout your workday. See So I Tried a Treadmill Desk.

Learn about healthy practices that I’ve adopted, which have supported me while working from home. My intention is not to try to convince you to adopt these practices. Instead, imagine we’re sitting in a coffee shop together. I’m sharing these practices to encourage and spark ideas for practices you could adopt in your own life. See Three WFH Practices for Managing Stress.

Transformational Fasting

Fasting is a bit like weight lifting—the first time you try it, it will feel more intense; but after you’ve had some practice, it gets easier. For this reason, if you come to me as a fasting beginner who typically eats three meals a day, I would suggest that you start by skipping a meal. Then try a 24-hour fast. Next, you’ll be ready to try a three-day fast. After you’ve tried your first three-day fast, you’ll have a better idea of what to expect. And if you feel called to it, you’ll be ready to try fasting for a longer period of time. 

If you already have experience with intermittent fasting, and are looking for a deeper personal transformation, I’ve written a book that can help. My new book, Transformational Fasting: Reconnect with Yourself, Get Healthy, and Find Your Purpose, launches on January 1st, 2022. Download your free sample chapters today.

Mindfulness Tools

I highly recommend the eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course by Jon Kabat-Zinn. This course was life-changing for me in terms of deepening my mindfulness practices. It includes a supportive community, weekly classes led by an experienced instructor, as well as guided yoga and meditation sessions. Taking the MBSR course is a great way to determine the mindfulness techniques that work best for you. This is helpful in regards to fasting, as you can integrate your favorite mindfulness techniques into your fasting practice. See MBRS website.

Regardless of whether or not you take the MBSR course, I recommend downloading the course’s guided audio sessions for yoga and meditation. It includes four 45-minute guided sessions, which are beneficial practices to combine with a transformational fast. You can find them on iTunes or other audiobook stores by searching for “Guided Mindfulness Meditation, Series 1” by Jon Kabat-Zinn.

If you’d like to try a chanting meditation during your fast, I recommend “Sa Ta Na Ma”, which connects you to your true essence, and is recognized in research as preventing Alzheimer’s disease. I do a guided version of it using a 12-minute recording on Spotify by Paramjeet Singh titled “Sa Ta Na Ma.” Before trying the recording, be sure to read the instructions for it here.

Calm is my favorite meditation app. It has guided meditations of varying lengths for the most common types of meditations, such as body scan, loving-kindness, and practicing non-judgment. You can find the Calm app on the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Energy-Boosting Beverages

I used to have a habit of drinking 4-5 cups of coffee per day. After getting sick with a bad cold, I switched to herbal and green tea. Researching tea more, I discovered matcha. After reading about its health benefits and unique taste, I gave it a try and was instantly hooked. I started a blog to help others along with myself in finding the best matcha, knowing where it comes from, and having fun with it! Check out my blog Matcha Reviews.

Building Daily Practices, Focus & Productivity

Build a Daily Practice

Most healthy practices die young because you rely on your motivation and set the bar too high. By setting the bar small and tracking your practice using a Don’t Break the Chain calendar, you’ll be on your way to building a healthy practice.

Build Focus and Productivity

The Pomodoro Technique involves deciding on a task, setting a 25 minute timer, working in “monk mode” for 25 minutes, and then taking a 5 minute break (the key is to get up and move around during your break!). See the official website. I’ve tried quite a few Pomodoro timer apps for the iPhone, and my favorite is Focus Keeper. My favorite thing about using Pomodoro technique is that it allows me to set mini-goals along the way and gamify my task. See Using the Pomodoro Technique for Focus.

Favorite Books

Here are my three favorite books of all time, each has touched me deeply:

1. The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer

You are not your thoughts; you are aware of your thoughts. You are not your emotions; you feel emotions. You are not your body; you look at it in the mirror and experience this world through its eyes and ears. You are the conscious being who is aware that you are aware of all these inner and outer things.
—Michael A. Singer

2. The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book) by Don Miguel Ruiz

Every human is an artist. The dream of your life is to make beautiful art.
—Don Miguel Ruiz

3. Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

Those who have a “why” to live, can bear with almost any “how.”
—Viktor E. Frankl

Books on Writing

Coaching the Artist Within– Eric Maisel teaches you how to use the techniques used by creativity coaches on yourself. This book is invaluable, especially if you find yourself creatively blocked. Get the book on Amazon.

Daily Rituals: How Artists Work– Mason Currey’s book is a collection of the habits of 200 artists. This makes for good bedtime reading. I’ve found myself re-reading it a few times as well. It’s addictive! Get the book on Amazon.

Bird By Bird– Anne Lamott has written an honest and approachable book about writing. It’s helpful if you’re looking for some encouragement on writing from a down-to-earth writing coach (with some laughs along the way). Get the book on Amazon.

Show Your Work– Austin Kleon teaches you how to become known by sharing your work and engaging in the creative community. Get the book on Amazon.

The Classic Guide to Better Writing– Rudolf Flesch and A.H. Lass provide helpful techniques and exercises to write simply, clearly, and correctly. Get the book on Amazon.

Getting Started with Blogging

Bluehost: This is the web hosting solution that I use, and the one I recommend for hosting your website. Hosting starts at $3.95 per month and it takes minutes to get your domain and WordPress set up. Give Bluehost a try.

WordPress: This is the software I use to run my blog. You can do a one-click install of WordPress using Bluehost. Set up a WordPress blog.

ConvertKit: I use this software for sending out my email newsletter and creating email marketing campaigns. Try ConvertKit.