Delisha – Page 61

Blog April 15, 2013

Introducing: The Monday Morning Move

Let’s face it. Mondays can be hard, especially for twenty-sixers who tend to pack way too much into the weekend and forgo proper rest. But the truth of the matter is, Monday sets the tone for the days that follow. Start off on the wrong foot, and your entire week may be thrown. Confession – my Mondays have been a mess lately. Because I have a hard time “unplugging” on the weekends, I typically spend Monday feeling overtired, unfocused, and downright overwhelmed. This then leads to a drop in productivity, and I end up feeling behind for the rest of the week. It is a vicious cycle that has snowballed into missed workouts, pushed deadlines, and stalled projects. Time to do better!

With that being said, I have instituted “The Monday Morning Move.” Simply put, the MMM is something that I MUST get done on Monday. It is designed to put my week in positive motion. Just like my negative habits have had a significant effect on the other 6 days, I believe positive changes can do the same. The MMM really starts on Sunday because it requires some planning. For me, I knew that if I wanted to successfully accomplish my first MMM, I had to tackle one of my worst habits – going to bed at an obscene hour on Sunday night. I was determined to get to bed on time. I was up by 6:00 AM Sunday morning, halfway through my to-do list by noon, prepped for Monday by 8:30 PM and in bed by 10:00 PM.

My plan was to sleep a full 8 hours, but my body had other ideas. By 2:30 AM, I was WIDE awake. I tried to will myself back to sleep, but it didn’t really work out that way. By 5:00 AM, I gave up and got out of bed. I was definitely frustrated, but I had to acknowledge that I was trying to take my body through a major change in one night. Clearly, it’s going to take some time to retrain myself. I will admit, I have horrible sleeping patterns. I stay up way too late and get up way too early…which basically means I’m always exhausted. My sleep methods generally fall into two categories: “too little” and “crash and burn after days of too little.” The. Absolute. Worst. In any event, I had to shake off my failed attempt at a full night’s rest and press on. My MMM consisted of a few tasks:

1. 15-minute meditation

2. Work out

3. Clear old emails that I’ve been avoiding

4. Start one legal document that I’ve been putting off

*If spirituality isn’t your thing, you may be rolling your eyes at the first task. I’m not here to shove it down your throat, but trust me, it has its benefits.

I’m happy to report that I have successfully completed my first MMM! Now, did it all go perfectly? Absolutely not. I spent 20 unplanned minutes looking for my iPod pre-workout. Then, I felt like I was going to die midway through the actual workout (repeats to self: Falling off the wagon is never worth it. Falling off the wagon is never worth it…). And to be perfectly honest, as I write this post, I’m not physically at 100% (hello, headache!). But, emotionally and psychologically, I feel GREAT. Why? because I got it done!

Now, I’m encouraging you to do the same. Try out your own Monday Morning Move. Please don’t try to rewire your entire existence in one day. Take baby steps. You can pick one task, no matter how small. As long as it makes you feel accomplished and points your week in the right direction, mission complete. For some, productivity may not be the issue. I know plenty of really disciplined, hardworking people who are still negatively affected by Mondays. Inspiration may be all you need to get you on the right track. If that’s the case, listen to good music, read positive quotes, or maybe call a supportive friend. Whatever it is, Find the MMM that works for YOU. Lastly, don’t worry if you don’t get it done this morning. As long as you do it today, it’s fair game.

Let me know how it goes! Post your MMM in the comments section. FYI – we’ll be doing this every week. Join the fun, make your move, and get on the path to being extraordinary.

Interviews April 9, 2013

I Want to Interview You!

Are you making strides in your personal or professional life? Have you successfully pushed past failure, disappointment, or an everyday rut and gone on to do great things? Learned some lessons you want to share? If so, I want to feature you on the site! Contact me for more details.

FAQ's April 9, 2013

Legal FAQ: I didn’t get it in writing. Can I still sue for breach of contract?

It depends. Lawyers love to give that vague answer, but it’s true. By law, some contracts MUST be in writing (for example, marriage and transfer of land ownership, just to name a couple). Even if it’s not required by law, I advise everyone to “Always Get It in Writing.” But if you find yourself in a handshake deal gone bad, you may still have remedies. An oral contract may be considered valid if an agreement is made to buy, sell or carry out a service as a result of verbal statements or prior agreement. But, you’ll need to prove that such contract was really made. This can be done by way of witnesses or physical evidence, such as invoices, follow-up emails etc. Disputes over oral contracts often end up in an epic “he said, she said” match. If a deal goes wrong, wouldn’t it be much easier to consult a detailed written agreement which both parties signed? No further questions.

FAQ's April 9, 2013

Legal FAQ: What’s the difference between a Patent, Trademark, and Copyright?

No, these terms are not interchangeable, but they all serve the same purpose – to protect original ideas, creative works and inventions (all formally known as “intellectual property”).

A patent is an exclusive property right granted to an inventor for an initial period of 20 years. Essentially, it prevents others from making, using, or selling the invention in the United States or “importing” the invention into the United States.

A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol, and/or design that identifies and distinguishes the source of goods of one party from those of others.

A copyright is a form of protection provided to the authors of “original works of authorship” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works.

Let’s say someone invented a new mobile music player. A patent would protect the device itself, a trademark would protect the logo, and a copyright would protect the jingle written for the commercial advertising the device. Make sense?