Traveling is an escape from reality and the perfect time to dive into a good book. Here are some of our latest favorites. Enjoy!
Time & Goal Setting: 2 Tips for Success
Time is one thing we can never quite get enough of...but there are ways to make it more effective by making yourself more productive. Here are two ways to make reaching your goals and completing your tasks a little easier.
1. Break everything you do down as much as you can and write a list. You are 42% more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down. It is crucial to not only write them down, but to also break them into the tiniest pieces so you can check off each individual task. For instance, if your goal is to renovate a room in your home, break down each and every task into micro-tasks. The sense of achievement from completing each little item will have a snowball effect, and you will gain momentum throughout your project.
2. Utilize the Pomodoro method. Use a timer to break your work into focused time blocks (usually 25 minutes) separated by a 5-minute break. After 4 consecutive working time blocks, take a longer break, around 15 or 20 minutes. The benefits of the Pomodoro Technique come from the frequent breaks, which help your mind stay fresh. The focused time blocks also force you to adhere to fixed limits, so you’ll be encouraged to complete a task more quickly, or in the case of a large task, spread it out over a number of Pomodoros. Learn more and get a timer for your phone!
An Activity to Analyze Your Priorities
This is going to sound a bit odd, but I assure you it is a powerful activity. Honestly, I can't take full credit for it as I heard it on a Podcast, but I want to share it with you because I found it incredibly impactful.
Pretend there is an alien from outer space, staring down on you watching your life unfold (stay with me here.) They watch your life constantly, all of your activities trying to understand humans and how they interact with their world.
If they were analyzing you specifically, what would they think your priorities are? What would they see you spending most of your time on? Would they see you constantly over working yourself or on social media, or concerned with trivial things?
Would they see you changing the lives of those around you and making a lasting impact on the world?
The Power of Affirmations
Every day I tell myself, "Something amazing and wonderful is going to happen to me today." Not only do I say those words over and over in my head, I also feel the emotions as if something grand has already happened. Great joy washes over me through this process. "Something amazing and wonderful is going to happen to me today." is my personal daily affirmation and mantra.
Friends, there are so many beautiful reasons to be happy and the more we repeat them to ourselves, the more at peace we will be. In this post we shared a morning affirmation printable. This is a great resource, but we also encourage you to make up your own personal affirmation as well. Here is how to get started:
Make your affirmations a short simple statement.
Include “I” or “My” in order to show ownership in your affirmation statement. I choose to be positive” is much better than “Positive thoughts are coming into my mind.”
Write your affirmations in the present tense. Write as though you’re experiencing what you desire right now, not in the future. For example, “I easily see my own worth and value” is superior to “I will easily see my own worth and value.” It’s also better not to put a time frame on your affirmation such as a certain date or “within six months,” because doing so limits when what you desire can happen.
Don’t begin your affirmations with “I want” or “I need.” You don’t want to affirm that you’re lacking in any form. Rather, write your affirmations as an expression of already having and being what you want.
Make sure all your affirmations are positive statements. If you tell yourself you are discarding negative behavior and thoughts, your focus will be on those rather than on what you want to do and be. Don’t include words like “don’t,” “won’t,” “am not,” “can’t,” “not,” “doesn’t,” or “am stopping.” Instead of “I’m eliminating my miserable thoughts,” create an affirmation such as, “I’m happy being who I am.”
Add feeling to your affirmations by inserting an emotion. For example, you could say, “I am excited about being able to express what I think.”
Create affirmations that you truly believe in.
Physically write your affirmation and place it where you will see it everyday,i.e. the steering wheel of your car, or your bathroom mirror.
For more exercises and tips, click here.
The Importance of Serving Others
On this Memorial Day, we cannot think of a more meaningful topic than serving others. This Holiday in and of itself is an example of the ultimate sacrifice, ones own life in the name of service. On this day, we not only recall our loved ones who gave up their lives for us in the name of freedom, but all those who have served our country and their families who also have gone through so much to provide all of us with the gift of independence.
Not all of us are called to such service, but all of us can make a difference. Not only can we be the change we wish to see in the world, it is actually healthy for us to do so. Recent studies suggest not only is volunteering and giving back actually healthy for us, it also can help us live longer.
If you are unsure of where to start, but have a desire to volunteer more, first look inward. What are your strengths? What sparks joy in your heart? Are you a talented musician? Perhaps teach music, or play for the elderly. Does cooking making you feel at peace and calm? Maybe sign up to cook for a local soup kitchen. Are you a talented hairstylist? Think about cutting hair for the homeless, or needy. Bring your talents to those who need them most.
Our efforts do not need to be dramatic in order to be meaningful. A simple gesture of kindness can change someones life.
Giving 100% In This Moment, Right Now
Life is incredibly overwhelming. We are constantly being pulled in several directions and our "to do" lists grow in our brains by the second. A recent survey revealed we spend 6.5 years of our lives on average, worrying. That, my friends is 6.5 years wasted. Want to get those years back, and use them for something productive?
Here is a tip...instead of focusing on what you need to do in the future, or how something went in the past, dedicate the following week to this mantra,"I'm going to give 100% to right now." Every day, every minute, tell yourself this. Each task, each moment spent at work, with your family, cooking dinner, doing something that would normally make you uncomfortable, tell yourself as your mind starts to wonder into the land of worry and stress, "I'm going to give 100% to now."
This is a simple change, but the results from it, can add years onto your life.
Surrounding Yourself with Like-Minded People
You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. This certainly makes you think twice. Whether you are on a sports team like our incredible Cleveland Cavaliers, on a team at work or have a personal goal, being surrounded by like-minded people can help you succeed!
When we say, "like-minded" that doesn't translate to people exactly like you. We are referring to individuals with similar values. In fact, it is best if the people closest to you have different backgrounds, and strengths. They need to challenge your way of thinking and decisions by providing constructive criticism. Think of yourself and the closest five people to you as your favorite sports team.
When you all have the same end-goal in mind and are driven towards that objective,and you all bring unique strengths to the table by combining your efforts, anything is possible!
Be a Rainbow in Someone Else's Cloud
"They may not dance the same dance as you do, or believe in the same God, but be kind, always." Maya Angelou explains the importance of being a blessing to someone who may be very different from you.
Maya also had "rainbows" with her at all times. People of different ethnicities, marital and spiritual backgrounds, surrounding her. The variations in their "colors" created rainbows in her clouds. By surrounding herself with people different from herself she was broadening her horizons and learning more about life simultaneously.
This week we challenge you, to be a rainbow in some else's cloud. Reach out to those in different circumstances than yourself and be the light in their day that fills them with wonder and awe.
The Importance of Going High as a Business
Michelle Obama's famous words ring through our minds. "When they go low, we go high." Such a simplistic yet moving statement applicable in our personal lives as well as professional.
Recently, we watched in horror as a passenger was dragged off an Airline flight after refusing to give up his seat. While many competing airlines could have taken advantage of United's damaged reputation, Delta took the high road. Instead of bashing their competing company, they showed their devotion to changing the world for the better. Watch the short video below. We hope it inspires you as well to take the high road, event when presented with other options.
Thank you Delta, for taking us higher, both figuratively, and literally!
FREE Morning Affirmation Printable
Happy Monday everyone! Are you in need of an extra boost, especially on Mondays to get you excited and aligned for the upcoming week? Simply print out this free printable and tape it to your bathroom mirror and read it to yourself as you are getting ready in the morning.
Repeating a morning affirmation to yourself will not only uplift your emotional state, it will also connect new pathways in your brain that signal to the world you are open to positivity and opportunity.
Looking for more ways to get motivated and reach your personal goals? Attend an upcoming THRIVE class, or contact us for a personal coaching session with Jeff Taylor.
