Roll the DICE

The other day when I was going out to work my horse, (or was it the pony?) I thought of a simple thing to make sense of the way I try to make everything I do, COUNT!

None of us have unlimited time during the day to get everything done that we'd like to. None of us have countless hours to do as we please and hope someone else will take care of the ___________ for us. But there is something we can do to make quick work of what may seem like an endless, loathsome chore. Getting something done that will leave us time for more enjoyable things- things we actually WANT to do...

Stop for a second. Remember to take a deep breath and 'Roll the DICE'.

At horse shows this works for riders, grooms and trainers alike. Anyone who has been to a show to compete or assist a friend, knows without a doubt, a horse show can be a grand display of organized chaos at it's best. Hurry up and wait. Everyone is doing things at a fast pace, trying to squeeze it all in, stuff it, pack it, cram it all together and do as much as they can to be ready for their class... Get the horse into the ring, the gate closes and now the pressure is all on the rider/handler/driver.

Once the class is over you can go back to the barn and feel the sense of 'let down'. Everything has slowed down, everyone is relaxed, you can breathe again, maybe laugh a little. The pressure is off now so you joke around some. It's sure a lot different feeling, isn't it?

One way you can change how things go throughout the day is to take a deep breath and Roll the DICE. Make every move you make, count!

Deliberate,
Intentional,
Calculated-Confident and
Efficient.

DICE for short if you will.

Be Deliberate in what you do. Pay attention and make 1 stroke of the brush instead of three to clean the same area. Dip your applicator into the hoof polish and swipe it around the coronet band letting the polish run down the hoof covering as much as it can in one pass instead of smearing it up and down, around and around leaving streaks...

Make Intentional movements and strokes. Do things to attain a desired affect not willy-nilly and hap hazard. Did you mean to put this on there that way or did it just end up like that?

Calculated movements made with Confidence provide better results. They just do and not by accident.

When you start being Deliberate, Intent, make Calculated moves with Confidence, your work becomes incredibly streamlined and Efficient. You accomplish a lot more, a lot faster, with greater ease and ability. You gain a new level of pride in your work, the endless daunting tasks, seem to get done in no time at all and you are free to go do fun stuff sooner.

Rolling the DICE works for riding too. Take a deep breath, Roll the DICE and apply it in the saddle. Make clear, Deliberate, Intentional, Calculated & Confident, Efficient cues to your horse. You might be amazed how they respond. Enjoy it. You will notice you're smiling because you can't help it.

People around you may wonder what's going on. Tell them you gamble a lot, take a deep breath and Roll the DICE.