Day 564, Water Wonders and How to Achieve Your Goals in a Pandemic by Paying Particular Attention to Process

KaeLyn and Dad at Point Reyes, California, U.S.A., 2003
 
“For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants” (Isaiah 44:3).
 
A friend of mine once exclaimed, “Water, water everywhere, but none to drink!”  She was referring to a large number of single men in our congregation, but “none to drink,” for us anyway.
 
Though I live in the mountains of Colorado, and not at the side of the ocean, I want to focus on water in this blog, not just this blog entry but beyond as well.  I contemplated publishing my books under the pen name ‘KaeLyn Stream.’  Water has a special meaning to me.  My first name means “pure” (Kae) “water below the fall” (Lyn).  According to a questionnaire I took, I have a water-type personality.  And my alter ego is a mermaid.
 
What I do not know about water, I want to learn.  The subject is as vast as the oceans itself.  Yet, we can swallow water drop-by-drop.  We need water to live.  When I studied at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, we learned that “drink more water” is the first step to health and happiness.
 
My husband just asked, “Could you get me a little water?”  He usually thinks wine provides him enough H2O.  Happily, I brought him what he asked for.
 
We want enough water without getting flooded.  An excess of water is very dangerous.  Even here in dry Colorado, we experienced mold growth in our master bedroom closet when it was flooded by the air-conditioner above it.  In the future, access to water is not only going to be a political topic, but it will also be survival itself.
 
Global climate change is melting the polar caps, raising the sea level.  People may have trouble defending their coastline.  Already, it is a challenge.  For generations, the Dutch have done it.  In the United States, New Orleans is below sea level also.  I thought the Big Easy might give up on their city after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.  However, it is still being rebuilt–it is too valuable to let go of.  We may all have to learn something from them.  It is not easy.
 
Why water?  Water is essential.  I believe it is more precious than gold.  Without it, we would all die.  Agriculture would not be possible.  Why are so many people getting dehydrated, often without even knowing it?  Coffee consumption involves the intake of water.  However, coffee is a diuretic.  It can end up causing a state of dehydration.  If you drink alcohol or coffee, be sure to consume additional H2O.  Sugary drinks set you up for weight gain.  Do not drink them to quench your thirst.  
 
Photo by Curology on Unsplash
 
Water can cure many ills.  It reduces the chance of kidney stones and blood clots.  Be aware that dehydration causes tiredness, sleepiness, irritability, nausea, and lack of energy. Whenever you have a viral or bacterial infection, drink plenty of water besides whatever medicine you take (and even if you do not take medication).  Use ample water to wash your hands multiple times a day, especially each time you use the bathroom.   In our current pandemic, authorities are stressing hand washing along with social distancing.  When you enter your home, immediately wash your hands.  When you bring in groceries, wash your hands after you have put them away.
 

Saturday Morning

 

Living in the Pandemic

 
On Wednesday night, my husband’s condition necessitated a trip to the emergency room.  I was reluctant to go.  The emergency room is enemy territory, the frontline of our war with the dreaded COVID-19 virus.  However, I knew my husband’s condition was potentially fatal, so I drove him over there.  The emergency room personnel treated us very well, and we got out in only two hours.  However, there were COVID-19 patients there.  Could we have been exposed?  In a few more days, it will be apparent whether we contracted the virus or not … after it has had a few days to incubate.  So far, neither of us has any sign of fever.
 

Earthquake

 
Life has gradually become more and more challenging, as this week has progressed.  My mother and niece suffered an earthquake in Utah.  Thankfully, it was only 5.7 on the Richter scale, which resulted in much less damage than a 6.7 earthquake would have caused.  My mother was well-stocked with all of her needed supplies, so she was not panicked in the slightest.  Unfortunately, though, my niece lost her food service job due to the pandemic.  That affected me because she is renting my Utah apartment.  The shock waves of the pandemic are reaching out to everyone globally.
 

Water

 
So far, we have all the water we need.  Bottled water is hard to come by, but thankfully, I had the foresight to buy a Berkey filter and rely on tap water instead.  Very recently, I changed the filter in my refrigerator.  If those filters get scarce, I have one for a while.
 

Economy

 
We can be grateful that things so far are no worse than they are.  At least we have water.  My heart goes out to those who have lost their jobs.  However, there are jobs available in specific sectors of the economy.  Amazon alone is planning to hire 100,000 people.  Their business model is exceptionally well-suited to the current economy.  I predict that even after this pandemic is over, most businesses will do well to expand their online segment.  That will create additional opportunities for those with technical know-how and those who can drive.
 
The government is interested in gaining equity in portions of the economy.  This reminds me of the Bible during the famine in ancient Egypt.  The people were starving, and the only place to buy food was the government.  Eventually, the people sold their land to the government, so they could buy food.  This resulted in the government gaining title to a great deal of property.
 
What is to become of us?  The first thing is to keep our heads on straight and not panic.  Next, we continue working, whether at work or at home.
 

Motivation

 
Motivation has long been a hot topic for me.  My bipolar disorder causes extreme swings in mood and energy, derailing my motivation, and interrupting my projects.  What can I do to level that out, and how can I help others who may suffer similarly?
 
I am still reading The Motivation Manifesto by Brendan Burchard.  Though it is a statement about our motivational needs as a nation, it failed to light an immediate spark under me.  A more useful book, to me anyway, is The Motivation Myth: How High Achievers Really Set Themselves Up To Win by Jeff Haden.
 

The Process

 
Jeff Haden’s central message is:  1) choose a goal, 2) use the goal to determine the process to achieve it, 3) focus on the process, 4) forget the goal.
 
Whether that really works, I do not know yet.  However, the importance of focusing on the daily activities needed to accomplish a goal is not lost on me.  I already have my JV Life Tracker app, which I use to score daily activities.  My task now is to be sure those activities cover the processes needed to achieve my goals.  I can use the analysis part of the app to see how many times a week, month, etc. I am actually doing the necessary tasks.  Also, I started defining my processes more clearly, producing a series of ordered, HTML flashcards that prompt me on which tasks to do.  I have just started this.  However, already this exercise is getting me to focus on the processes for the “not as fun” project tasks.
 

Pay Particular Attention to What Needs to be Done Today

 
Jeff Haden says that to focus on the end goal and compare where you are to where you want to be can be de-motivating because the end goal is so far away.  However, comparing where you are now with what you need to complete today is much more motivating.
 
Ultimately, we must learn to love the process.  If we cannot learn to love it with a passion, we will probably not get there.  In this case, it may be wise to choose another goal.  The work will often be hard, but that does not mean that we cannot love it.
 
The following images show what I have done so far with my process.
 
 
 
 
 
 
I plan to work more on my process.  Today is the present.  (That is why it is called a gift.)  You can see that mealtimes are a big part of it.  Without a clear process for my projects, I found that my anxiety about the pandemic scattered my brain into non-productivity.  My JV Life Tracker scores dropped precipitously.  I was spending almost all of my waking time watching television and talking to friends and family on the phone.  Some of that was warranted, I mean earthquakes do not happen every day, so I am not beating myself up about it.  However, I want to spend time on my projects and advance them as never before.
 
Notice that I said, “if possible,” regarding a green drink.  During this uncertain pandemic, I do not even know if I will be able to buy greens.  I will do what I can, however.
 

Prayer

 
AFTERNOON PRAYER
Dear Lord,
 
Our U.S. economy is on the verge of collapse with this cataclysmic pandemic upon us.  Many people have already lost their jobs.  The federal government wants to help us out.  However, that will considerably increase the National Debt.  
 
Please, bless our leaders with wisdom at this time.  Bless my readers with wisdom also.  Joe Dispenza speaks of being in “survival mode” when we react rather than respond and do not make the best decisions.  Help us all to reclaim the functions of our prefrontal cortex so that the executive functions of our brains can operate.
 
Bless the supply chain so that hospitals can get what they need to battle this pandemic.  Amplify the supply of toilet paper.  People are already clogging their plumbing systems by flushing down products other than toilet paper.
 
As I mentioned in my previous blog entry, we are fighting a worldwide virus.  Bless those who are on the front lines of that war.  I carefully watched the emergency personnel in the emergency room.  I thanked them for their bravery in working at this critical time.  One said through his mask, “Thanks, but we did not have much of a choice.”  That does not matter.  Drafted soldiers can be just as brave as volunteers.
 
Bless my readers with sound mental health during this period that tests our mental health perhaps even more than our physical health.
 
Amen.
 
If you would like to join me on this journey from the beginning, please start with Day One.  If you wish to download a FREE copy of my ebook (with no need to enter your name or email), click on the book below.
 
 
 

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