One More Move | Zinga Hart

unplug in order to increase productivity and live an authentic life

One More Move: Unplug

Posted on October 12, 2015 by Zinga H

Happy Monday! On our journey towards authentic success, leadership, and overall self-improvement, it is important to note progress is a process. In order to make progress you must be aware of where you currently are, then you must plan and move to where you want to be, and along the way measure you growth. Our process may be creative and no two journeys will ever be exact copies, but there are some steps we must take before being able to take another. A part of my process for self-improvement is finding time to unplug.

Naturally, I am an INTP/J, which is a personality type that loves to analyze and absorb an abundance of information to soothe an insatiable hunger for new ideas. This personality means the internet is bottomless source of pleasure to feed my need. I read e-books to improve myself as an employee, board leader, entrepreneur, landlord, writer, mother, friend, etc. I follow news websites and my Feedly covers a gamut of topics. Sometimes, I’ll have a news article in one hand, an audio book in the background, and a Youtube video going on branding. It then when I realize the information overload has to stop. Talk about overload! This easy access can cause some serious hurdles on the journey for authentic self-development, but there are easy ways to overcome and the main one is unplugging.

Before the internet grew to be my cheap buffet of information, I lived a relatively simple life. It was not until high school that I got my first internet-ready computer and at that time I was still a Hebrew Israelite. A sect under Judaism, which means every Friday night to Saturday night we unplugged as a family. We started this routine when I was five years old, so I easily spent over a decade, living one full day out of the week disconnected from television. Several religions later, an enrollment in an out-of-state college, and I soon lost interest in keeping a Sabbath. Now 7 years later, I set aside time to unplug as a crucial part of my week.

What are the benefits on unplugging?

You make decisions using your own faculties. Have you ever been in this situation? You are wondering what you should have for dinner so you google it and then 1 hour later you are knee deep Pinterest recipes and running to the store to buy ingredients you didn’t have or need before? When you are disconnected from the internet, you are forced to rely on your environment and mental faculties to aid in your decision making. Search around your cabinets, make up a recipe! Not having the answer readily available helps us exercise our imagination.

You can practice your patience. Sometimes we have to wait in life. Prior to having the internet in our pockets, waiting including creating a conversation with a neighbor or watching the comings and goings around us. Now in a rush to constantly be doing something we cultivate this idea that we need to always be doing something. Disconnecting reminds us that at its best the world is at peace and when we are patients we can be at peace with the world.
You can feel more rested. Constantly engaging with information is tiring. As it constantly churns to connect, store, and retrieve information it takes away from our energy of just being. Walking away from this engagement gives our brain time to rest so it can grow in the long term. Just like the refreshing feel we get after a good nap, walking away from our screens for a while replenishes our capacity to continue discovering more.

While complete unplugging might not be possible (how would you read this blog?) it is something we can set aside time to do. Here are ten things to do instead of powering up electronics, phones, or any other device.

Birdwatch
Dance
Go for a walk
Meet a neighbor for a talk
Paint
Sew
Volunteer
Read a physical book
Write
Build something

Simple, yet effective. Making times to get away from all the information is essential to staying motivated, productive, and calm. If you still need ideas here are more things to do sans the internet from Gala Darling. Do you unplug? How do you rest from being connected all the time?

photo credit: AC power plug/socket via photopin (license)

One More Move: Automate Some Emails

Posted on September 28, 2015 by Zinga H

Over the course of a year, I handle hundreds of emails helping adult learners who are beginning or ending their graduate degree careers. Fresh from school myself, I realize it is important to deliver quick, user-friendly responses to help them continue their paths with one less roadblock. Anyone who has to consistently answer familiar questions will find relief in e-mail automation. Taking time to direct anyone who approaches directly to valuable links on the website helps students while boosting your brand as a service leader.

Here’s how:

Think of common links you share with others.
Group them around frequent questions you get on a daily or weekly basis
Use your email service provider to create link snippets:
- Create a canned response with Gmail
- Create a Quick Part on Outlook
Take time to write a 1-2 sentence response and provide helpful links in your message for each and every person.

This blend of human response and helpful links elevates your email customer service, while shaving time for high order activities.

Do you automate your emails

What are your favorite tools?

Another simple step to take this week. Check out more moves on the site or send an email to weigh in on being an authentic leader in a branded world.

One More Move: What will you let go?

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Zinga H

Just like in the Free Your Team article we must free ourselves from the burdens that hold us back from success. What can you think of in your personal, spiritual, business or community life that you wish would just go away. With our current times of ever more visible violence, deception, and distrust we need to constantly feed on positive sensations to manage the stress of simply being in the 21st century. Now that millennials have emerged in the workforce and are slowly becoming parents, the same old song and dance starts to wear thin on our history’s books. That goes for our personal lives as well. I confess this is the seventh blog I’ve started. It has taken that many tries to fully commit to the idea that I am meant to write for the rest of my life. My true passion is to write. Like a lifelong love that is always nagging at my spirit.

How do you envision your passions? We can discuss below.

So here we are, where we will claim our authentic success together. In order to hold on to these values, ethics, and beliefs that build our leadership we have to make space by letting go. This means dropping safety nets and, as Daymond John would say, taking affordable steps. At heart, this is the philosophy of One More Move. Taking conscious time to connect with our inner compass and ensure we find happiness with the decisions we take.

So here’s a tiny way to practice letting go. Find a junk drawer or go through your closet. Completely clean it out and only keep what you need. Get rid of at minimum 75% of what you have. You can give it away, sell it, or have it recycled. Use Craigslist, Facebook, or even your local post office for distribution. When your done admire the clarity you created in the space. Letting go allows us to have space to accept things we truly want in our lives. Release wisely.

That’s it for this Monday! I hope you all have a great night.

One More Move: Face Yourself

Posted on September 14, 2015 by Zinga H

Being an authentic leader, requires a healthy and growing amount of self-awareness. Back when I was in college (not tooooo long ago), I realized, I would avoid myself in the mirror if I was feeling the winter/semester blues. Now, I am a lot better at choosing to be positive, optimistic, and present, but back then I found this to be a big indicator that I was in a fog.

So why might one avoid seeing themselves in the mirror when they are down?

Avoidance is a coping mechanism we think helps us escape feelings and thoughts we do not want to deal with. I didn’t want to deal with being a first-generation, out-of-state, working-class dishwashing college student in the middle of my first dreary/frozen Ohio winter. From my reflections, I saw this as a time where my mind was not happy with my situation and thus nothing was good enough, most importantly the view of myself. It was almost as if I could not look myself in the eye because then all the truth would spill out and I would have to face it. One good thing is: avoidance and other limiting thoughts and behaviors are surmountable. It just takes practice.

Here I am, growing my authentic leadership everyday, and hopefully you are too! Facing yourself in good times and especially bad times is a conversation you must continue in order to ensure your mind, body, and spirit are all on good terms. So my One More Move Challenge below is to Face Your Self.

Challenge steps:

Find a comfortable place with a mirror.
Stand in front of the mirror and move close enough to feel as though you are truly staring within – .
Ask yourself: How can I achieve [x] ? ; or How can I project who [I truly am]?
Answer yourself
Accept your answer and express gratitude for your honesty.
*Bonus*: Give yourself a big kiss. [Rarely my style, but it can be fun :)].

Seems simple, but this may be uncomfortable for some people. Facing ourselves is not a practice people delve in often. Find a moment to make friends because you are your own best friend for life. Repeat this exercise every and you’ll begin to build your confidence and character leading to your authentic career brand.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

One More Move - Sounds out the word omm which is a common chant in yoga

One More Move: Solidify Your Top 5 Values

Posted on August 24, 2015 by Zinga H

Knowing what values we hold dearly saves us a lot of time in decision making. Take a moment one day to set your top five values that motivate you towards your chosen success. One exercise I like a lot was one shared by Warren Buffet. Here are some tweaks to his prioritization system, which focuses on goals versus values.

Check out this list of values, that I found on a great blog post. Choose your top 25, then choose your top 5. It’s a simple exercise, but you will build character strength upon completion.

So what are your top five values?

I ended up choosing: Beauty, Connection, Creativity, Abundance, and Wisdom.

One More Move: Drink a Bright Green Smoothie

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Zinga H

photo credit: ~ Green Goddess Smoothie ~ via photopin (license)

There’s something I love about the color green. Perhaps it is how it represents growth, wealth, and health or because it can symbolize balance. One thing is for sure, leafy green vegetables contribute to many positive attributes, including the potential to keep our mental capacities sharper over time or contribute to the health of our gut instinct. Sharp faculties and a strong gut instinct all us entrepreneurs must maintain to persevere. One of my favorite ways to get my daily dose of green goodness is through a refreshing smoothie. Since it is summer now I could drink one two three times a day. Here are some of my favorite recipes. Here are my top three

Pre-Workout Smoothie

Simple Green Smoothies pre-workout smoothie is a great way to gain energy and nutrients before getting an intense workout. It also provides a basis for a good smoothie where you can get creative and mix and match your own fruits and juices.

Pineapple Chia Smoothie from Jelly Toast Blog

When I want a cup of delicious energy, I got for my pineapple chia green smoothie. The mixture of pineapple and chia seeds gives me a boost that outweighs coffee exponentially and without a crushing caffeine crash.

Ginger green smoothie from Love and Olive Oil

Finally, when I am feeling the need to detox, I reach for my ginger. This recipe for ginger spinach smoothies covers what I like, but I would include some extra honey for a more immunity-boosting drink.

Comment below! Do you drink green smoothies? What is a recipe you like?

One Move Monday: Give a Good Hug

Posted on August 3, 2015 by Zinga H

One Move Monday Give a Good Hug - Cute Hugging Kittens

It’s Monday and it’s time for One More Move that will bring you closer to your authentic success. This week I challenge you to hug someone for five minutes. Yes, five minutes! In this digital world we’re constantly seeking to connect with more information; more friendships; and more experiences, but sometimes the rush to go from one activity to the next causes us to miss the authentic human to human connection that comes from physical contact. Hugging, holding a hand, or giving a pat on the back are always to physically and spiritually connect and be a touch point in someone’s life. As a #mompreneur I am always struggling to find quality time with my husband and daughter, yet when I take the time to hug them beyond the quick embrace on my way to work, I find I feel refreshed and fulfilled.

There may be some science behind the method! When we connect in a hug, we generate an oxytocin flow that helps us feel less anxious; get better sleep and boosts our sense of belonging.

Interested in learning more about oxytocin? Here is a great Ted Talk discussing how oxytocin may build our morality, which builds trust and eventually stable authentic success.