It happens sometimes that we get caught up in doing, in acting on plans that we’ve made. I know it happens to me. And it’s great when your job can transport you out of time and place for a while. A lot of times though, we go through life, living whole chunks in passing without focusing on anything.

From time to time though you have to assess where you are. You need to look up from your grindstone to make sure the pieces your milling will still fit into your bigger picture.

The way to gain perspective is to ask yourself questions. Start with three. If your first 3 questions don’t get you where you need to be, then switch out the questions.

I’ll usually keep separate the ones I swapped out, to use later. When I did this exercise using the questions below, I had three alternate queries that got swapped out because they were too far removed from what I was looking for, in the first round.

Picking Threes

What this exercise does is get you a snapshot, to show you where you are at the time. This snapshot is full of useful information.  Three is a good number to get a snapshot for three reasons.

1. Two is flat and doesn’t give enough information
2. Three is brief enough to keep the activity from taking too much time
3. Three invokes deeper thought—if you look up the metaphysical and spiritual significance of 3, you’ll likely find that it is strongly related to reflection, expression and creativity

What do You Need?

• Spirit and mind open. Release your idea of what you know. Remember, the point is to get beneath the surface. Use your process for opening your mind, a nature walk or silent meditation. Sometimes I do this exercise just after I wake.
• Something to write on or a blank screen in your word processing app.

How it Works

Pick what you want to assess and ask the main question. Why? is the question to ask with this exercise. Quickly list three aspects of your topic and then give three responses to the each.

Assessment question: What moves me to write?

If you start out broadly, still keep to three questions. You can repeat the process to narrow your focus. So, once you get through the three related to your main question, you can pick one part and repeat the process, further narrowing your scope.

Three things that make me want to write:

1. A great idea
2. A good idea
3. An idea

Three reasons to get it done:

1. To get my point across
2. To get someone else’s point across
3. To understand what I’m thinking

Three places I regularly write in:

1. Personal journal
2. Reading material notebook
3. Flash ideas notebook

What do the Answers Mean?

Take a look at your answers. See how they relate to your original question. And remember, this is a personal assessment. You ask and answer the questions and interpret their meaning. If you don’t think your answers are clear yet, repeat the process. You’ll find that asking variations of the question Why? will be more effective than asking questions that are answered with yes or no.

To reach the fullness of your responses, write about the answers that you’ve come up with. Describe in some detail what each means to you. Use your words to paint the full picture of your thoughts. Expound or change directions. Here, you can add in the results of your questions that were set aside.

The added value of this exercise comes from mining it for the nuggets of ideas that it presents. These nuggets are organic and you can grow them into useful material, possibly taking you in a whole new direction.

How Do You Get Clarity?

I’d love to read your thoughts: Did you find this exercise useful?

Do you have a quick assessment tool that help you gain perspective? Share your practices.

This is the first installment for the post from the healthy habits series. Be sure to return for other entries in this set.

Do you know what to do when your health starts to flag?

You know how sometimes you get sick, your sinuses fill and apply pressure to your head to bulge, only there are no plates in your skull to allow expansion? Your eyelids want to shut but it feels like they can’t go over your eyeballs which are burning, itching, and stinging–even they feel swollen. Whoa, I had a flashback.

Anyway, it makes you wonder how you can avoid the next bout of flu or sinus infection. Or, you hear someone else’s story and you think it’s time you took stock. What do you do with that motivation? Start by reviewing some key lifestyle points. Thins often covers things that we overlook, underestimate or just let slide now and again, until bad habits are formed.

Often making simple, easy lifestyle changes can improve health, life and work. Following are five lifestyle areas that you can optimize with good, healthy habits.

1. How’s your diet? Your body is nourished by foods providing vitamins and minerals. I have a habit of letting many things get in the way of eating a balanced diet–until I get sick. Then I try to do everything right, to recover faster at least. In my search for good, healthy foods, I have discovered 2 things:

• I could prepare some of the foods I eat differently, and get more out of them
• My diet doesn’t include enough raw, live foods

Better eating habits can make you feel better and be more productive. In my next post I will share the dietary practices I am implementing, and why.

2. Are you drinking enough of the right fluids? Water is all your body really needs. Adequate amounts of water help to flush out toxins that can drag you down. It can be more refreshing than energy drinks, and it’s definitely safer—especially if you drink purified water. For example, did you know a cool glass of water can give you an energy boost.

3. Are you getting enough exercise? Enough is a term relative to who you are and what you do. But if you’re writing for a living, chances are you don’t get enough. Especially if you work from home. Showering, dressing and preparing breakfast before you sit at the computer probably isn’t doing all that your body needs. Adding 15 to 20 minutes of exercises to raise your heart daily is easier than you might think. Try dancing to your favorite dance music.

4. Do you get enough good rest? If you really love what you’re doing and are drawn into it, you may lose track of time. Doing this on a regular basis can cost you a lot for your health, and work. Develop and keep to your schedule. I find that my writing is much easier when I’m properly rested.

5. Can you identify and eliminate other stress? Many things can cause stress, besides a bad diet, dehydration and sleeplessness. And what gives me stress may not give you stress. Find out what causes you stress and work to eliminate it because prolonged stress can cause reactions like loss of focus, headaches and digestive issues.

Pay Attention to What Your Body is Telling You

When your health concerns become chronic, when they last for too long, you may need to see a doctor. You know your body. Be still and in your quiet times, attend to what’s going on that might be keeping you from your best health. If several symptoms happen together and persist for long, (in my case it was months), let your doctor check to be sure it’s not something serious. Assess your lifestyle, and begin to make changes.

Related entries:

• healthy habits for writers
• out of focus: the value of a rested mind
• The Health Dangers of Energy Drinks