Does it really need to be done?

In Scott Scheper's book How to Get Focused, he outlines 'eight things everybody ought to know about concentrating'.

Number four is: Questions that kill procrastination

The brain processes meaning before detail. This is where procrastination stems from. Your boss, professor or co-worker tells you that the task on your desk is important, but your brain doesn’t yet agree. If you push forth anyways, and embark on the task before understanding its meaning, you’ll end up frustrating yourself and wasting time because you may have to do it all over.

For this reason, whenever you find yourself procrastinating, ask yourself the following questions:

Question one: Does this really need to be done?

• If you’re in the business world, term it as, “Will this increase revenue, and/or reduce cost?”
• If you’re in school, ask “Will this impact my grade?” Note: In school, it’s not necessarily about preparing you for the real-world, it’s about assimilating information, regurgitating it on a test, and then hopefully remembering some of it in the future, which gives you more context for the real world. This is why, the question isn’t, “Will this prepare me for the real world?”

I agree with most of his reasoning behind his eight tips to learn good concentration skills, and as a student learned quite a bit about what questions to ask myself when having too much on my plate. To learn more about this chapter or the book on the whole, visit his website at http://howtogetfocused.com

HOWEVER, It was more than upsetting to read about the only question Scott Scheper states as important to ask yourself when you are a student. I do not believe that grades are everything, even if our school system is set up to honor them. Instead, learning real world experiences and knowledge that pertains to real occupations that could be held in the future is more important than remembering information memorized from a text book for a few months and then loosing it. I strongly believe that listening to professors speak is more important than trying to take notes and not understanding them later. Really grasping at least a few topics from a course that will pertain to things one does in a future career is more important than a grade!

MyMcKenzie project.

I currently just finished my university's Environmental Leadership Program working on the MyMcKenzie project. Our main goal was to take photographs of the great McKenzie River watershed here in Oregon, that invoke emotion that wouldn't normally be seen from various different people within the community, while showcasing its beauty and educating them on its destruction. We created a photography based website with photo essays, a gallery of all of our pictures, and ways in which the viewers can get involved.  I was extremely thrilled to of gotten the chance to work on such an amazing project. You can check out our website here MyMcKenzie.

During the project I found myself looking for inspiration every chance I get, and I continue to do so now that I bought a new camera. 

Below are a few pictures I took at D-Wright Observatory, Highway 242, Clear Lake (the McKenzie River's headwaters) and then Tamolitch Pool (also known as Blue Pool), an area where the water comes back to the surface from underground.

Reminder

Protein boost breakfast

A morning full of PROTEIN!! The most important thing to have in the morning is protein and good carbohydrates to give your body power throughout the day!

The other morning this is what I made: A delicious vegetarian sausage and veggie stir fry with scrambled eggs on the side.  

 

Ingredients: 

1/3 of an onion

1/2 of a sweet pepper (I used red)

5 mushrooms

1 vegetarian sausage link (I used the Field Roast brand)

1 handful of spinach 

2 eggs 

[The onion, red pepper, and eggs are all organically grown from my landlord who has a farm out in Venita OR :) ]

Directions:

•  In preparation I cut all ingredients into thin slices as seen in the pictures above.
• Grease the pan. I added some organic Olive Oil to the pan.
• Start with cooking the ingredients that take a longer time to cook. I put my sliced sausage and  red peppers in first. Then added Onions after a minute or so. 
• At this time in another pan (that I greased also) I start to make my eggs. I tend to like them scrambles of over-easy.
• After a few minutes stirring often, add the ingredients that cook faster such as the spinach and mushrooms. 
• In a few minutes once the mushrooms and spinach are soft, it will be done, simultaneously the eggs will finish cooking. 

And... tadaaaaaa!

I like to serve my scrambles with a piece of toast or pancake (as seen here partly eaten already, haha).

Btw- You might have noticed a drink called Synergy in the picture when I'm preparing the food and in this larger image. You might or might not be curious about it, but since I thoroughly enjoy it I thought I would share some info on it!  It is a KOMBUCHA drink!! Kombucha is a tea like drink made of a fermented mushroom (sounds gross I know, but it doesn't taste like it). It is highly beneficial to you, giving your body an immediate energy boost with natural good bacteria. You should do your own research in the drink however if you are interested in starting to drink it on a regular basis because there is some discussion of it being bad for your health in drinking it too often. I tend to grab this Synergy brand when I am out and about on the go in a small shopping market near or on campus, but there are also great local brands that I am sure you can find in your town or city. If you are not able to, try a health food store nearest to you. 

Beware- Due to uptight governmental laws, the Classic Synergy can now only be purchased if you are 21 years or older due to slight (very very little) alcohol content. In no way is this an actual alcoholic beverage.