Common Sense Living

I’m in the final stages of a major project. But it’s the final stages that are the most overwhelming. I know what I need to do – but there’s so many things I need to do. How on earth will I ever get this all done?

Are you like me? Do you have a dream that you’ve been puttering with for years, but you’ve never really seemed to put much of a dent in it?

Are you frustrated and feeling like it will never happen?

Don’t give up. The work that you’ve been doing has been quietly laying the foundation. You’re farther along than you think.

You see, many of us are striving for a dream, but we don’t really know what the outcome looks like. We’ve never seen or experienced it. We know in vague terms what we want to accomplish, but we don’t really know what the final outcome should look like. How could you?

As you study and try different things, you learn what works for you, and what doesn’t. You start putting pieces together, and you make mistakes. Lord knows I’ve made thousands.

And then suddenly - one day you can see the big picture…

And how much work it’s going to be.

It’s at this point that most people run.

It’s overwhelming. It’s scary. What if you can’t do it? What if it all falls apart? Fears circle like vultures.

OK, Get A Grip!

Figure out what you need to do.

Break it down into small chunks that you can do daily.

Now figure out how long it should reasonable take you to finish this, and double it. If you think you should be able to finish this work, working a little bit everyday, in 30 days, make it 60 days. That will give you a little comfort zone and reduce your stress a little.

Mark that date on your calendar. Mine is August 1.

Write that date down on a piece of paper or post it note and put it on your desk where you can see it every day.

Have a to-do list every day with at least one task, preferably 3. Some life coaches will tell you to have 5 or 6 tasks on your list. But the key is to make sure that it’s work that you can reasonably expect to be able to get done.  I really mean to make those tasks small enough that you can’t make excuses for not getting them done. I think 3 is perfect, and then if you can accomplish more on any give day – go for it. Some days you will. I think you’ll find a commitment of 3 is plenty to try to fit in to your already busy life. It’s got to be a plan you can stick with and see it through.

If you don’t happen to get a task done, make sure it’s top of the list for tomorrow.

Do this religiously every day.

If you are truly committed – you can do it. Don’t keep making excuses – make your plan and stick to it – no matter how afraid you feel.

How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time.

How many days do you have where you just don’t feel like doing this, or that? Or you spend more time deciding what you need to be doing, rather than actually getting anything done? Days spent spinning your wheels but never really accomplishing anything? Here are 3 things that when done everyday - will turn your entire life around.

Give yourself a fresh start everyday

Take 15 minutes before you go to bed and clean up your kitchen and bathroom. “What does that have to do with improving my life”, you ask?

When you get up to a clean kitchen and bath, it’s like giving yourself a fresh start every morning. No facing a splattered mirror and smelly dishes to remind you of what you didn’t finish yesterday. Nope, now you start with a clean slate every morning. Besides, once you develop this habit - it really only
takes you 15 minutes. You can pat yourself on the back for a job well done before you go to bed too. You can’t have too much positive reinforcement!

Put your best face forward everyday

When you look good, you feel good.
When you feel good, you get more done.
The more you get done, the better you feel.

But most people have it backwards. You feel depressed, so you don’t fix yourself up and then you feel worse because you look worse. See how those nasty cycles work? Take the time and look your best everyday.

The magic list

Why do I call this magic? Because it truly works. This one tip is so effective it can change your entire life. But most people won’t take the time “to-do” it.

Yep, the “to-do list”.

At the end of your business day or before bed, think about what you need to accomplish the next day. It’s best to do it while things are still on your mind. What did you not get done? What are the next steps you need to take? Always put down at least 3 things related to your business or goals. They
can be as simple as a phone call you need to make.

Put both business and personal things you need to do on the list. You still have to dust the living room, do a load of laundry, order a birthday gift, take Johnny to soccer, and so on…

The list will keep you organized and on track. Your day will have focus. Now your attention is on getting the list done, not how you feel, or what should you do today. It’s right there ready for you to start working at it. Within a day or two you will notice an immediate difference in how productive you are.

I know a lot of you use PDAs, and task managers and such, but the most effective list is one that is handwritten. There’s a different sort of wiring in your brain that responds when you actually take the time to write something down. Remember in school it was easier to learn something if your read it, wrote it, spoke it, and heard it? The same principles apply here. You’re telling your subconscious that this is what you expect to get done today- so get to it! You’ll be amazed at how much more you’ll get done.

Now there’s just one more thing - and this is actually fun when you start doing it- As you finish each task, cross it off the list.

Not just a check mark - cross it off! It’s a little psychological trick, almost like rewarding yourself for a job well done. Hey, as you cross it off, tell yourself - “good job!” You like it when someone else tells you that you’ve done a good job. But somehow we’re wired to beat up on ourselves faster than giving
ourselves any credit. This is an easy way for you to acknowledge your daily accomplishments and start to feel better about yourself.

This may all seem so primitive and simple. But let me tell you, it works. Just these 3 little things can make a big difference in how productive you are everyday.

—————————————————————–

Learn how to be more productive everyday

Could You Use a Whole Life Overhaul? 
Try this revolutionary e-course that helps you make small,
consistent changes in your life everyday. Next Session
starts Monday! Click here to enroll >>>

There’s one person who brings home the bacon, fries it up in the pan- and manages it all without the help of a man. She’s a baker, a banker, a nurse, a mechanic, a handyman, and whatever else life calls for - everyday. She’s a single mom. Here’s some tips from the ultimate time-management professional on how to get through it all, with almost all of your sanity in tact;

Lesson #1 - there are 24 hours in a day. Use them wisely. Do what you need to do, when you need to do it. The last thing you need is a list of unfinished things to do to drive you over the edge.

Lesson #2 - It doesn’t have to be perfect - it just has to be done. In later years, you can return to perfectionism if you choose, but for now - don’t take time away from what’s really important to stress over things that aren’t that important.

Lesson #3 - Learn how to do things efficiently. Learn the tricks to keeping your house clean. Learn how to cook fast healthy dinners. Plan your trips in a logical sequence. Use lists. Shop online. Minutes are precious - save as many as you can. 

Lesson #4 - swallow your pride and ask for help if you need it. As much as you may want to prove to the world that you are capable of everything, we can’t do everything all by ourselves. If you’re running late or tied up in traffic and don’t think you’ll make it in time to get your kid out of daycare, call a friend or neighbor. Offer to feed them. You’ll have a nice visit and relax a little. Everyone wins. 

Lesson #5 - give help as much as you can, without taking away from your own family. If a friend or neighbor doesn’t have a car, offer to take them to the store when you go. If they’re not feeling well, offer to pick up something when you go to the store. Make an extra serving of your dinner to take over. You can do a lot of little things for people with hardly any effort. 

Lesson #6 - Learn to get along with difficult people - there are many people in your life that you would rather not deal with, but have to. Ex-spouses usually hold the #1 position on that list. But the long-term benefits of not having to argue all the time, less stress on your kid, not having to take everything to court to settle, really do outweigh the discomfort of having to deal with this person and remain civil. If you are newly divorced, take comfort, it gets better after a couple of years in most cases. That is until your child turns 13, but that’s a whole nother story! 

Other people on your hate to deal with list may include bosses, family members, and some customers. There are benefits to being able to deal with these people. Always remember that point, tough as it is sometimes. 

Lesson #7 - Choose your battles. Only yell, argue, or stress over things that really make a difference. Let little things slide. That being said, don’t be a doormat either. If it’s important, speak up! 

Lesson #8 - Make health and fitness a priority. You need every ounce of energy. Fruits, vegetables, vitamins, exercise and water need to be on the top of the list for you and your kids so you all can operate at peak performance and get sick less often. Nothing throws a wrench in the works like once of you getting sick. And fresh fruits and vegetables make for really fast dinners and fewer dishes!

Lesson #9 - Get enough sleep. You know how much sleep you need to function through the next day. Make sure you get it. For most people, 6 hours is the minimum. 7 is optimal for me. How about you? 

If you are practicing the other lessons, such as living efficiently, and getting enough nutrition and exercise, and getting help when you need it, getting enough sleep probably won’t be difficult.

Lesson #10 - Make time for fun. Especially with your kids. Friends and family are important too, but your kids will be grown before you know it. How do you want to be remembered? As a workaholic? A grouch? Depressed? Or happy, fun, confident, and capable?

And fun is important for your well-being. You can’t just live in a world of constant drudgery. It’s not healthy, and it sure doesn’t give you much to look forward to each day. All work and no play makes any of us dull.

Lesson #11 - You don’t have to have a mate to be complete. I see men and women all the time who are waiting for that perfect person, (or at least acceptable person) to make their life complete. I think this is so sad. There is so much to do in life, having someone else to answer to might actually be a hindrance. Go do things with your kids. Go out for lunch or dinner, or to a movie or play or museum, or art show, or concert, with friends. Get together often with friends who have kids. They don’t have to be single. You can enjoy each other’s company even if you don’t have a mate. Maybe even more.

Start a business. Take up a hobby. Create a garden. Decorate a room. Read books. Rent movies that you want to watch.

Make your life fulfilling. Then if someone comes along who fits in – that’s icing on the cake. But you’ll be less likely to settle for someone who’s wrong if you’re living a full life.

Lesson #12 - Live life on your terms. Your beliefs, dreams, and moral fiber are different from everyone else’s. Do not comprise who you are to make someone else happy. It never works. And certainly don’t compromise yourself to make money. Be rich in spirit. You’ll be a lot happier when you look at your reflection in the morning.

———————————————————–

You can do more than you think you can.

Need more help managing daily chaos? Check this out!

Law of attraction, abundance thinking, positive thinking,
affirmations, manifesting… You’ve heard all these
words trying to sell you on the next best greatest
self improvement programs, but does any of this
stuff really work? 

You’ve no doubt heard from a bunch of people teaching
you about creating abundance in your life. I’m sure that
you have to be wondering if any of this stuff works, or
if it’s just a misty hocus pocus way to get money out
of you?

Well, most of it does work – and for quite logical reasons.

Let’s take a look at a few of them.

Positive Thinking

If you change the way you think, you change your life.
This is absolutely true. No magic here.

If you think you can’t do something well, you won’t do
it well. If you think only bad things happen, you will
only notice bad things that happen – and usually create
more by your negative mood. People will be antagonized
by you. You’ll be more likely to have accidents just because
your thinking is clouded.

Now say you’re 50 years old, and you’ve been laid off
from your job. You can believe that you’re too old to
learn something new. You just accept that you will be
a greeter at Walmart until the day you die.

Now let’s say that you know you have had to file taxes
for the last 32 years, and you know a bit about taxes.
You’ve heard that there is a tax course in town, and
once you complete it you can do tax work for this
particular company. You think you could do that.

Or maybe you always wanted to write a book. And you
know that with all the available technology you could
self-publish, or write an e-book, or maybe even get
a publisher to accept your work.

Or maybe you can do free lance articles for magazines
in a certain area of interest for you. Maybe you know
a lot about bass fishing, or caring for aging parents,
or decorating with antiques, or selling at flea markets.

But what happens when you think you could do something,
but you know it would be a lot of work, and you don’t know
for sure that it will pan out. You sort of believe, but…

That’s where visioning and affirmations can help you out.

Visioning is where you practice seeing yourself doing
what you want to do, or living the way you want to live.
It’s a very important exercise to help you build your belief –
because as you saw, your belief can make or break you.

This is a simplistic overview. There is just not enough
room in a one page article to tell you all the ways to
use visioning techniques. Visioning is not just about
daydreaming and living in a fantasy world. It can be
used for planning and problem solving too.

Affirmations are sort of self coaching. Keep telling your-
self you will, and you will. Keep telling yourself you
can’t, and you won’t. You do affirmations everyday
without giving it much thought. Start being more
aware of what you tell yourself.

Is there magic? No, not really. The simple truth is,
the more you believe you can do something, the more
likely you are to take the actions to make it happen.

By using these techniques, you can build your belief.
As your belief grows, you’ll take more action and your
skills will grow. Once the ball starts rolling, the only
way to fail is to quit.

So think positive thoughts, picture yourself as
a true success, repeat your affirmations often,
take action everyday, and don’t quit. That’s
the formula.

You are a Winner!

———————————————————

Could You Use a Whole Life Overhaul?
A revolutionary self improvement course that takes
you by the hand and shows you how to apply the
principles in your everyday real life. There is a special
4 week free trial set up for you. Try it today >>>

Lift Your Spirit Today

OK, it’s cold, still…. Think you can’t find something to do?
Here’s a list of things you can do to lift your spirits today.

Listen to music that makes you want to dance.

Go ahead and dance!

Buy fresh cut flowers.

Watch a funny movie.

Visit friends.

Have an impromptu informal dinner party.

Have a toga party or a luau, or something else silly.

Give yourself a spa treatment -
- Indulge in a skin softening body wash.
- Dry off and apply a good moisturizing lotion.
- Give yourself a facial. Gently wash with scrubbing grains.
- Rinse well. Apply a good moisturizer.
- Wait half an hour and apply self tanning lotion.

Put on your favorite cologne.

Make your favorite dinner. Make the table look special.

Light some great smelling candles.

Call a friend you haven’t talked to in a while.

Look at old pictures.

Repot your house plants. It’ll make you think of gardening,
and spring.

Paint a room.

Read a gardening catalog and start picking out plants you
want to plant this spring.

Plan a vacation.

Clean the storage room. You’ll probably find some good
memories, throw out a bunch of stuff (that’s always
refreshing!), find some stuff to sell at a garage sale
when it gets warm, and be able to find things the
rest of the year!

Buy a car. If you’re getting money back when you file your
taxes, and you need a new car - you can get some really
good deals when the weather is crummy.

Play a game. UNO, Yatzee, Charades, Pictionary, and Gin
Rummy are all fun games.

Go to the library. If you haven’t made use of your public
library in a while, go. You’ll find all kinds of books, movies
and music, all free to use.

Make brunch and have some Mimosa.

Try something new - a new recipe, a new restaurant,
a new cologne…

Go bowling.

Go to a museum.

Learn how to do something new.

See if you can still -

Touch your toes

Hula-hoop

Do yo-yo tricks

Rub your tummy and pat your head

Take a nap.

Get a haircut.

Make an Ultimate Dream List. Here’s how >>>

Go to Church.

Take pictures of your family acting silly.

Teach the dog a new trick.

Listen to your old motivational tapes.

Pop in an old exercise tape and see if you can keep up!

Click here to help provide free mammograms, feed the
hungry, provide books for kids, and more - costs you
nothing but a few clicks.

I think you could find a few things here to do!

I’m off to do a few things on that list myself…

Carole

Other things that make you feel good -

Get the house cleaned up >>>

Get healthy >>>