March/April 2004

Get Involved!

Who hasn’t wished for more hours in the day? More time to spend with family and friends, more time to pursue a favorite pastime or take a class? Well, Trust E. Duck® is here to tell you to wish no more. All you need to do is muster a little self-discipline and hide your TV remote!

In our media-driven society, it’s so easy to switch on the television and get caught up in the latest show or log onto the Internet and get lost in cyberspace. As a result, we spend inordinate amounts of time watching other people get on with their lives! Whether it’s a reality TV show, the 11 o’clock news, the Internet, or even People magazine that’s eating up our time, too many of us are paying more attention to other people’s lives than we are to our own.

In this issue of Duck Tales,™ yours truly urges you to reclaim your time as the precious gift it is. Of course, some may say, “But I’m so exhausted by the end of the day that all I want to do is put my feet up and watch something mindless on TV.” Horse feathers! If you are tired or stressed out from the workday, do something to help you unwind. Take a yoga class, go for a jog, listen to a book on tape. Activities like these may take more effort, at least initially, but they feed your mind and your body, making you a healthier, happier person.

Pulling the Plug

This month marks the tenth consecutive year that TV viewers are invited to “Turn off TV, turn on life.” Last year, some 7 million Americans turned off their television sets for a week in April, according to the TV-Turnoff Network. The biggest reason for the anti-TV campaign? TV usurps your time. The average American watches four hours of television each day—that’s almost an entire day of TV viewing each week!

Most Americans feel more stressed and rushed than ever, so turning off their televisions is a great way to reclaim time that could be spent on more meaningful activities. Furthermore, studies have linked television viewing to obesity, aggressive behavior, and, most recently, attention deficit problems. Watching television increases the amount of time children spend being inactive, and it encourages unhealthful snacking. According to the Center for Media Education, television is the number one after-school activity for children ages 6 to 17.

Even if you are able to wean yourself from “American Idol” and “The Sopranos,” be careful that you or your children don’t substitute similar pastimes like surfing the Internet or playing video games. Like TV, these activities eat up your time and are linked to childhood obesity and aggressive behavior. In the end, you must ask yourself what is worth doing. In 20 years, chances are you won’t be saying, “Boy, I wish I’d watched more TV over the years.”

The Virtues of Volunteering

Now that you’ve unplugged your TV and found an additional 21 hours each week, what are you going to do? One of the most satisfying and useful things you can do is to volunteer in your community. Sadly, there are many homeless and needy people who could use your help, but there are other organizations too: zoos, museums, parks, schools, theaters, civic clubs, retirement homes, prisons, after-school programs, libraries, hospitals, and churches (and let’s not forget the splendid bird sanctuaries either!).

Those who volunteer at places like these say that what they get in return is priceless. If you are interested in volunteering opportunities, call your local United Way chapter or log onto www.networkforgood.org, where you can enter your zip code to find nearby organizations that need volunteers. Volunteering is a wonderful way to make a difference in your community, to set a good example for your children, and to meet new people who share your interests.

Consider 13-year-old Nadia, who lives in Sydney, Montana. She’s been volunteering for various organizations since she was eight years old. Nadia visits residents of local nursing homes and homebound hospice patients. She says, “Making someone happy makes you happy, and they go on and make others happy. It’s like a chain.…Love is the same when you are 7, 13, or 102.”

Your Internal Compass

Do you live your life by your watch? Is time rushing by with few rewards? Try wearing a compass instead. Why? Because if you live by the clock, you’re measuring productivity by how quickly you accomplish something instead of how important the project was to begin with. A compass offers direction, purpose, vision, perspective, and balance. It’s a case of efficiency versus effectiveness. If efficiency is your sole yardstick, you come up short. Efficiency is only a method of moving things fast, and efficiency alone won’t cut it when you’re dealing with people and crucial issues.

How can you improve your personal leadership skills, become more effective in your work, and make win–win decisions? Start by asking yourself what comes first in your life. What can you do that no one else can? Then throw away the clocks and promise yourself to keep the first things in your life first. Once you do, you’ll find yourself thinking differently. You’ll think less about schedules and more about people, purposes, and principles. You’ll notice that petty concerns become secondary. You’ll find yourself reacting to fewer crises, putting out fewer fires, and erasing the word “urgent” from your vocabulary.

Ideas for Action

Feeling motivated yet? Most people will know exactly how they want to spend their reclaimed time. And for those of you who feel inspired, yet unsure of what direction to turn, consider these possibilities:

• (1) Join a book club. There’s nothing quite like a good book. Call your library about book groups or start one yourself.
  
• (2) Take up a musical instrument. How many adults do you know who say they’ve always wanted to play the piano? Or maybe guitar or trombone or even banjo. It’s never too late to learn an instrument or to brush up on rusty skills.
  
• (3) Learn a foreign language. If you still don’t have time for a class, go to your library and check out its audio section. You will find plenty of tapes and CDs for people who want to teach themselves Spanish, Italian, French, or even Greek or Japanese.
  
• (4) Get in shape. Even if you’ve never been an active person (and especially if you’ve never been active), visit your local fitness clubs to see what they offer and which one you like best. Working out regularly will lift spirits and increase motivation, not to mention boost your overall health.
  
• (5) Change your routine. Do you take the same route to work every morning? Eat at the same restaurants? Wear the same colors? One doctor says the best way to keep your brain young is to alter your routine. Mix things up, do the unexpected to help you feel young and vibrant no matter what your age.
  
• (6) Feed the ducks. Why not? When was the last time you just quietly enjoyed your own company?

• Bits and pieces. Break large projects into manageable sections. Complete smaller projects until you reach your goal. You’ll feel more motivated as you see your progress.
  
  
• Partners in procrastination. Tell a colleague or friend when you plan to complete your project. Encourage him or her to ask you how you’re doing throughout the project to help keep you on track. Being held accountable is a great motivator.
  
  
• Schedule accordingly. According to your most productive, creative periods, that is. If you’re highly motivated in the morning, set aside time to complete one job you least want to do during this period.
  
  
• Reward yourself. Promise yourself some type of incentive when you complete a task. Whether it’s an ice cream cone or an evening out, you deserve it.