In previous posts I have asked “if you don’t know where you are how can you know how to get to where you want to?”

A simple enough question.

But how do you know where you are? Which tools do you use to know where you are? Do you have guides? Do you have a map?

Keeping your own journal is a wonderful way to keep track of what you’ve been doing, where you are now and where you might be headed. You can jot down as much information as you deem necessary in your journal (it is yours after all). Here are a few things that you might choose to record:

• your achievements
• your failures
• what you’ve eaten
• what exercise you’ve done
• how you feel (physically and emotionally)
• what your current goals are
• your outlook
• who you’ve met
• what you are reading

Numerous notable people have kept a journal (or diary) including:

• Anne Frank
• Leonardo Da Vinci
• Che Guevara

Here are some great online resources:

• Penzu
• LiveJournal
• The Online Diary

So, get to it. You may even find that your writings inspire others.

The Type 2 Diabetic suffers from insulin resistance. His/her cells have become resistant to insulin. Consumption of carbohydrates leads to the release of insulin into the bloodstream. Too much insulin leads to insulin resistance. So, how would you treat a Type 2 Diabetic?

If you answered “By getting 60% of dieatary nutrients from carbohydrates” you’d be following the American Diabetes Association’s plan. And you’d be wrong. That’s right the association that exists for diabetics has things ass about.

If you answered “Eat less carbs” – well done. It makes sense – uncommon sense it would seem.

Eating less carbs and therefore reducing your production of insulin helps with the issue of insulin resistance.

Sometimes, even those you think would know everything about a particular area are way off the mark. Be careful. It’s your body, not theirs.

1. Where will I be in ten years time?
2. If I could do one thing – right now – to change my life for the better what would it be?
3. Should I really eat this piece of cake?
4. If I worked 10% harder or smarter, what would it get me?
5. What am I prepared to sacrifice to get what I want?
6. Which books should I be reading if I am to succeed?
7. Am I surrounded by the right people?
8. What does it feel like to be in his/her shoes?
9. Am I as good as I think I am?
10. Can I spend my time more wisely?

It strikes me that the problem with commonsense is that it isn’t. I mean it isn’t sense. It is common. It might be better to call it commonnonsense.

Here are a few example of commonnonsense:

• eating fat makes you fat
• you can’t lower your cholesterol through diet and exercise
• you should base your diet around grains and rice
• statins help fight cholesterol
• cholesterol is bad
• 97% fat free is good
• walking every day is enough exercise
• the healthy food pyramid is correct

Popular media, doctors and other experts, government departments and many others tell us untruths and stick by them even if they find out they are incorrect (sometimes they think they’re right when they start out). The status quo is maintained by ignorance on the behalf of the majority in society. Most people accept what they are told without question (a position fraught with danger).

It is becoming more apparent that uncommonsense is where the truth lies. Those of us prepared to ask questions, to research, to try new things have uncovered the lies that masquerade as commonsense. Here are some examples:

• intense exercise brings about the most rapid and dramatic results
• women can lift heavy without becoming overly muscular
• eating more fat and less sugar will help you lose weight and stay in shape
• you are (probably) not eating enough protein and fat
• breakfast cereals are bad for you
• statins are a great way for pharmaceutical companies to make lots of money even thought the evidence of their effectiveness is lacking
• sleeping in a completely dark room for nine hours is essential for elite health

The point of this post is that you can’t simply accept what you read or are told. You have to think for yourself. Not all experts are actually experts (many are something else entirely). Stop believing in commonsense, the truth is more likely to be somewhere else. If everybody else is doing it and getting fat, then do something else. Got it? Good.

There are not many worse ways to start your day off than a terrible night of sleep (or more accurately: lack of sleep). Waking on the wrong side of the bed due to bad dreams, inability to get comfortable or a mind that won’t stop ticking is infuriating at best. This is something that we all have to deal with from time to time. But we don’t have to accept it as standard.

Not getting a good night’s sleep is bad, mmm-kay.

If you are regularly waking up cranky, tired or otherwise not at your best, then it’s time to start taking steps to remedy the situation. Don’t let it get out of hand. If you are tired you are never going to be able to contribute fully at work and you will more than likely rub your friends and family the wrong way too. More seriously, you may be a danger to yourself and others on the road, at work and at home.

When my clients turn up to morning training sessions looking like they’ve just gotten home from a night of clubbing it’s time for some questions and answers. If you are getting to work and desperately reaching for your mug of hot coffee whilst yawning and wiping the sleep from your eyes, you need to take a good hard look at things too.

Here are a few things I recommend to those struggling to get a good night’s sleep:

• Get into a rhythm – try to rise and retire at the same time every morning and night. Your body craves rhythm, once you get used to the pattern it will become natural.
• Hit the sack when your body tells you too – if you feel like it’s time to go to bed then it’s time to go to bed, don’t watch the rest of the TV show or read another chapter of your book. Your body follows its own inner patterns of about 90 minute intervals, if you don’t go to sleep when you get tired chances are it will be another 90 minutes before your body and mind will relax again.
• Don’t watch the TV right before bedtime – TV stimulates your brain, all those bright lights and flashy noises aren’t going to calm you down, are they?
• Write down what’s on your mind - before you go to bed write down everything that you are thinking about, list your tasks for tomorrow and anything else that needs attention. Now forget about it and get some sleep.
• Meditate – you don’t have to be a reclusive Zen monk to benefit from a little meditation. Keep it simple – find a quiet room where you won’t be disturbed and let you mind wander for 10-15 minutes, once you’ve thought everything through your mind will relax all by itself.
• Nine is the magic number – aim for nine hours of sleep every night in a totally dark room. Sacrifice whatever you have to in order to get to the magic number.

Good night and good luck, Adam.