Another Friend video this weekend:
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
9 More Frugal Friday Tips
from DLM:
How often do you resolve to spend less?
And how often do you actually manage that?
We’re constantly faced with opportunities to buy something – as we walk down the street, as we drive past stores, even at work with the vending machine or canteen nearby. And with online shopping, we can buy at any time of the day or night, with just a few mouse-clicks.
If you’re spending more than you want to, though, these are a few simple ways to cut your spending – without having to do any complicated budgeting, and without having to rely on willpower.
Nine Easy Tricks to Cut Your Spending Today
Posted: 11 Aug 2011 08:09 AM PDT
How often do you resolve to spend less?
And how often do you actually manage that?
We’re constantly faced with opportunities to buy something – as we walk down the street, as we drive past stores, even at work with the vending machine or canteen nearby. And with online shopping, we can buy at any time of the day or night, with just a few mouse-clicks.
If you’re spending more than you want to, though, these are a few simple ways to cut your spending – without having to do any complicated budgeting, and without having to rely on willpower.
- Write a Grocery List
Simple, yep, but this one trick can make a big difference. If you often find yourself buying groceries that end up being thrown away, or if you get lured in by the cookies or ice-cream, then having a list will help. It also prevents repeated trips to the store to pick up that one thing you forget...
A list lets you buy exactly what you need: no more, no less. It takes just five – ten minutes to write a grocery list, and you’ll easily save that much time in the store. - Leave Your Credit Card at Home
If you often find yourself spending more than you should when you’re out shopping, then leave your credit card at home. Take cash, or a debit card: that way, you can only spend what you actually have. - Record What You Spend
Just as keeping a food diary helps you lose weight, keeping a spending diary helps you save money. If you have to write down that bottle of cola and candy bar, you’re more likely to resist buying them.
A spending diary will also highlight patterns: any areas where you’re spending more than you realise, and where you might be able to cut down. - Try the Store Brands
If you normally buy branded products, try the store’s brand instead, or even a value range. You might be pleasantly surprised – sometimes, there’s little or no difference in quality (the products may even be produced in the same factory, by the same methods, and simply packaged differently). - Take a Packed Lunch to Work
It only takes five minutes to make sandwiches in the morning – probably much less time than you spend heading out from work to buy your lunch. A packed lunch will cost you far less than getting food from a store or restaurant – and it’s often better for your health, too.
You can find more tips on packed lunches here. - Add Items to a Wishlist
When you’re browsing an online store, add any items that you like to a wishlist – don’t buy them straight away.
As Trent Hamm explains here on The Simple Dollar, adding items to a wish list “takes the edge off of the immediate desire. I can also return to those ‘wish lists’ at a later time and determine if it was a ‘whim of the moment’ desire or something I actually have a use for.” - Block Online Shopping Sites
If you’re really struggling to control your online spending, then try blocking any problem sites for your browser. When you really need to make a purchase, you can unblock them – but the extra step involved will help prevent you from going onto those sites “just to browse”. - Use Coupon Codes
Any time you’re making an online purchase, search online for “coupon code” plus the name of the product or store. You might not find anything – but you might save 20% or more, with just a few seconds’ work.
Many sites offer regular roundups and emails of coupon codes – try Retail Me Not for starters. - Ask “Do I Need This?”
Any time you’re thinking of making a purchase, ask “Do I need this?”
Of course, there’ll be times when you want to buy something that you don’t strictly need – but asking the question can help you to become more self-aware about your purchasing habits. If you’re considering putting money down for something which you don’t need but which you think you want, then give yourself a day or two to mull it over. Often, that initial impulse to buy will just vanish overnight.
 | Written on 8/11/2011 by Ali Luke. Ali writes a blog, Aliventures, about leading a productive and purposeful life (get the RSS feed here). As well as blogging, she writes fiction, and is studying for an MA in Creative Writing. | Photo Credit: Monochrome |
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Read like Harvey
When was the last time you read a book?
What book would you recommend and why?
Let us know in the comments.
Here's Harvey:
Open a book ... open a mind
By Harvey Mackay
Our lives basically change in two ways -- the people we meet and the books we read
My friend, the late Charles "Tremendous" Jones shared this notion with me several years ago, and as an author, I took it as both a compliment and a challenge.
In fact, I thought it was so powerful that I use it in all my speeches.
And I have first-hand experience on the importance of books in our lives. My first book, "Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive" sold a lot of copies. But the best part was the feedback from readers: Thousands told me the book has changed their lives. Again, I am both honored and daunted. That was an enormous responsibility to assume.
Let me share the biggest secret of a really life-changing book: If you have found a book that taught you a tremendous amount, you need to go back and read that book three, five, seven and 10 years later after you've had different experiences. It is not enough to simply read a motivational self-help book. You have to study it, underline it, highlight it and take notes. Good books should never be put away permanently.
It doesn't matter whether you are a paper-and-ink fan or a Kindle/Nook devotee, books are your ticket to places you can only dream of. A good read can stretch your imagination and spark your creativity. Books inspire, comfort, teach and entertain. Inscribed on the Thomas Jefferson Building at the Library of Congress are the first eight words of a quotation by famed American author Henry David Thoreau, "Books are the treasured wealth of the world ..."
Reading researcher Kylene Beers of Yale University says something happens to U.S. kids as they make their way through school. "About 100 percent of first-graders walk in on the first day and are interested in this thing called reading," she says. "Eighty percent of graduation high school seniors tell us thy will never again voluntarily read another book."
J. K. Rowling is credited with reviving the interest in reading with the fabulously popular Harry Potter series, and the Twilight books hooked legions of fans. There is no lack of good reading material. And yet statistics tell us that the average person reads just three books a year.
Three books! Not only am I an advocate of reading everything I can get my hands on, I am a huge proponent of lifelong learning. When your career or family schedules preclude enrolling in a class, books provide another avenue. Read to expand your mind. Read for fun. Read because you are interested in something -- and read to become more interesting. You'll never waste your time if you are reading!
American writer Clarence Day said, "The world of books is the most remarkable creation of man. Nothing else that he builds ever lasts. Monuments fall; nations perish; civilizations grow old and die out; and, after an era of darkness, new races build others. But in the world of books are volumes that have seen this happen again and again, and yet live on, still young, still as fresh as the day they were written, still telling men's hearts of the hearts of men centuries dead."
Individuals read to live life to its fullest, to earn a living, to understand what is going on in the world, and to benefit from the accumulated knowledge of civilization, according to a U.S. Department of Education study by Bernice Cullinan of New York University. Even the benefits of democracy and the capacity to govern ourselves successfully depend on reading.
Another angle on the benefits of reading good books came from the late Norman Cousins, editor and writer for the Saturday Review, who said: "There is a simple non-medical technique for increasing longevity. This system goes by the name of 'book.' Through it, man can live hundreds of lifetimes in one.
"What is more, he may enjoy fabulous options. He can live in any age of his choosing. He can take possession of an experience. He can live inside the mind of any man who has recorded an interesting thought, any man who has opened up new slices of knowledge, any man who has engaged in depths of feeling or awareness beyond the scope of most mortals. This is what good books are all about."
Mackay's Moral: A person without knowledge is like a house without a foundation.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Screw Up Everyonce in Awhile
I'm not talking about Jackass style antics.
But test a few boundaries, get out of your comfort zone and check out these ideas from DLM:
Most people suck at improving themselves. Even when they’re trying their hardest to become a better person, they wind up running on the dreaded personal development hamster wheel – hours of effort, zero results.
It’s not because they’re stupid. It’s not because they’re lazy. It’s definitely not because it’s not possible. It’s because they’re making the mistakes that most people make when they’re trying to change their life for the better. That’s why there’s so many people reading self-help blogs, self-help books, and taking self-help classes and yet so few people making a meaningful and lasting difference.
So here’s a list of the eight most common (and most damaging) mistakes that people make in personal development.
Are you guilty of any of these?
Testing the quality of your personal development efforts can be one of the most powerful things that you can do today.
Making mistakes can be frustrating (especially when it comes to something personal), but identifying those mistakes allows us to improve. Most progress starts by noticing a mistake and deciding to do something differently in the future.
The worst personal development mistake didn’t make the list. The worst mistake is ignoring or refusing to do anything about failures. It’s turning a blind eye to potential learning opportunities. When that happens, people are doomed to continue running on that personal development hamster wheel.
I didn’t include it, because folks in that situation will always be stuck. On the other hand, if you’re passionately pursuing improvement and have an open mind to change, you’re almost guaranteed to succeed.
So go out there and become great.
But test a few boundaries, get out of your comfort zone and check out these ideas from DLM:
Do You Make These 8 Personal Development Mistakes?
Posted: 09 Aug 2011 10:06 AM PDT
Most people suck at improving themselves. Even when they’re trying their hardest to become a better person, they wind up running on the dreaded personal development hamster wheel – hours of effort, zero results.
It’s not because they’re stupid. It’s not because they’re lazy. It’s definitely not because it’s not possible. It’s because they’re making the mistakes that most people make when they’re trying to change their life for the better. That’s why there’s so many people reading self-help blogs, self-help books, and taking self-help classes and yet so few people making a meaningful and lasting difference.
So here’s a list of the eight most common (and most damaging) mistakes that people make in personal development.
Are you guilty of any of these?
- Are You Fixing Your Weaknesses?
Don’t you just hate being bad at things? It makes you feel dumb playing tennis when you’ve only ever played against Wii characters. You feel small when someone mentions James K. Polk and expects you to know he was the 11th American president (not that anyone would ever expect that).
So it’s natural to focus the majority of your personal development time on fixing your weaknesses. That’s all well and good, but you get a much better return on that time if you focus on improving your strengths.
Think of it like this. The vast majority of any successes you have in life will be because of your strengths. Your career security will be based on the strengths you bring to the table. You’ve probably heard of the 80/20 rule (80% of the results come from 20% of the efforts). That’s what I recommend here:
Focus the majority of your personal development efforts on your top 20% of skills, strengths, and talents. For the rest of the 80% do what you can to avoid them, delegate them to someone else, or create a system to avoid doing them. If a weakness is preventing you from hitting your goals, then get just good enough so that you can continue to focus on becoming an expert at what you’re good at. - Do You Want to Become “Better”?
Why do you focus on personal development? Well, to be a “better” person. To have a “better” life. To have “better” skills.
...What does “better” mean?
Every sane person on earth wants to be “better” in a bunch of ways. That’s a good thing – we’re ambitious. But “better” is a vague goal. We all know the thing about vague goals – vague goals produce vague results. Or in other words, vague goals don’t produce real results.
Your personal development path must have a purpose. There has to be a reason you’re working on whatever it is you want to improve. That’s the only way anything will actually ever happen. Change “better” to something like “know how to build a website so I can share my advice.” That’s how personal development actually happens in the real world. - Are You Learning Awesome Theories?
Theories are awesome and a lot of them are amazing. Seriously.
An investment strategy can sky rocket your wealth. A lifestyle design philosophy can get you out of the cubicle. A productivity system can help you get a whole heck of a lot more done.
But theories are also like crack or girl scout cookies – they’re addictive.
Once you’re exposed to a compelling theory or philosophy about something, it’s hard not to try to learn everything about it. Then it’s hard not to look for all the other competing theories or philosophies and learn everything about them. Then it’s hard to not look for comparisons to figure out which one’s best.
Worst of all it’s hard to bring any of the theories into real action.
It’s helpful to remember this simple concept – “everything that’s not stupid works.”
For example, there is an infinite number of ways to lose weight – choose from a million diets, exercise programs, supplements, gyms, programs, etc. – but nothing works if you’re doing nothing but researching.
It doesn’t matter if you have the #1 possible theory. It’s better to just find a path that’s not stupid and stick to it. (You can always improve it later). Learning theories isn’t personal development. Implementing them is. - Have You Never Had a Major Failure?
Avoiding failure makes you feel successful. After all, failure is bad. Right?
Well, kind of. No one should try to fail. That would make you weird. But if you’ve never had a major failure, then you’ve never really tried to succeed. If you’ve got your skin in the game for long enough something will go wrong. Period.
Don’t believe me? Name one successful person who’s never failed.
The strange paradox of it is that you cannot learn much from successes, but the bigger the failure the more you learn. In most aspects of life, people tend to look at the successes and copy them so that they can avoid the failure. The first part is good – copying previous successes is just smart. But you should expect to fail eventually. The only possible way to avoid failing is to not try in the first place.
Work hard for those failures, because that’s the best way possible for you to grow. - Are You Crazy Busy?
Everyone intends to improve themselves, but it’s just damn hard to find the time (see New Years resolutions).
You got work, family, obligations, travel, chores, and sleep. Who has time to work on themselves?
Yep, it’s tough.
It’s really got to be a matter of priority. How much of a priority is it that you improve yourself, your skills, and your life? It may be obvious that that’s a top priority for you, but real world implementation may be a bit tricky. Time may only allow you to settle for reading advice, not implementing it.
There’s two solutions:
First, you can schedule time for whatever kind of personal development you want to focus on. Then you guard that time with your life.
Second, if you can’t do that for whatever reason, you need to find ways to incorporate your improvement in other activities you have to do anyway.
Truth be told, you should probably find a way to do both. - Did You Choose The Newest and Shiniest Version?
It’s easier to think that the newest thing out there is the best. The newest strategy, technique, tactic, idea, book, etc.
It’s true with a lot of things – technology and medicine being two obvious examples. It’s not true with a lot of others.
Want to get an amazing memory? The best current memory courses are variations on methods from ancient Greece. Want to calculate crazy math problems in your head? India had that figured out about 2,500 years ago.
We like bells, whistles, and that new car smell, but sometimes we’re missing the old and tested approaches to things. Most personal development is about subjects that are timeless – the mind, the body, the spirit, selling, finances, communication, friendship, love, etc.
I guess the point here is no matter what you want to improve about yourself many people have gone through the same thing. Don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be. - Is Your Personal Development for Personal Development’s Sake?
If “personal development” doesn’t have a result, then it doesn’t count.
By “result” I mean a tangible, objective, other-people-can-see-change kind of result. That means you have to get something from your improvement efforts.
What’s that something.
Well, if you truly improve yourself then you should see some of the following things come into your life:- More money (gasp!) – Yep, if you’re more skilled then you should command a higher income whether your self employed or work for someone else
- More confidence – You’re more confident when you’re good at something. The more you improve, the more that should happen.
- More influence – The more you improve in a noticeable way, the more others will value your opinion on things
- Do You Love to Read?
Loving to read is great, but dangerous.
It’s dangerous because it takes you to another world. When you’re reading your imagination sparks and you are inspired by great possibilities. The world in your head is fantastic!
...then you go back to the real world.
With your personal development, spend maximum 25% of your time reading, learning, and researching. The other 75% (or more) should be spent taking action.
Let’s be honest, with most things we already know what we need to do, or at least where to start. Wanna be fit? Start with jogging before work and stop eating fast food. Wanna make friends? Start by joining a club or organization. Wanna be productive? Close your email.
For something we just don’t know how to do, finding that information is simple – Google it.
New information can inspire and motivate, but more often it can derail. So, maximum 25% reading and minimum 75% doing.
Testing the quality of your personal development efforts can be one of the most powerful things that you can do today.
Making mistakes can be frustrating (especially when it comes to something personal), but identifying those mistakes allows us to improve. Most progress starts by noticing a mistake and deciding to do something differently in the future.
The worst personal development mistake didn’t make the list. The worst mistake is ignoring or refusing to do anything about failures. It’s turning a blind eye to potential learning opportunities. When that happens, people are doomed to continue running on that personal development hamster wheel.
I didn’t include it, because folks in that situation will always be stuck. On the other hand, if you’re passionately pursuing improvement and have an open mind to change, you’re almost guaranteed to succeed.
So go out there and become great.
 | Written on 8/9/2011 Joey Weber. Joey teaches people how to get paid to improve themselves (that sexy intersection of personal development and online business) over at www.FindYourDamnPurpose.com. If that sounds interesting, check it out by >>Clicking Here Now<<. | Photo Credit: m.gifford |
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Survey Says...
{EAV_BLOG_VER:2c3f34de4b1f5cae}
(ignore the code above and keep reading)
No, it's not Family Fued...
It's a study about cell phones and driving:
(ignore the code above and keep reading)
No, it's not Family Fued...
It's a study about cell phones and driving:
No Talking While Driving
According to The Harris Poll of 2,163 adults surveyed online between June 13 and 20, 2011, 60% of drivers with cell phones use them while driving even though 91% of adults know it is unsafe to do so. This is particularly common among younger drivers with cell phones. In addition, 22% of drivers with cell phones send or read text messages while driving. However, the percentage of drivers with cell phones who use them while driving has fallen over the last two years, from 72% in 2009 to 60% now. And, the number who text while driving has fallen a little from 27% to 22%.
| Trend Of Talking On Cell Phone While Driving (% Of Adults Who Drive And Have A Cell Phone) | |||
|
| 2006 | May 2009 | June 2011 |
| Talk while driving (net) | 73% | 72% | 60% |
| All the time | 6 | 10 | 5 |
| Sometimes | 67 | 62 | 55 |
| Never | 27 | 28 | 40 |
| Source: HarrisInteractive, July 2011 (Note: rounding; * signifies less than .05%) | |||
Several studies have shown that drivers who use cell phones while driving are much more likely to be involved with accidents, and it is believed that texting is even more dangerous. Recent research has shown that both hand held and hands-free cell phones are almost equally dangerous because they are equally likely to distract drivers. However, 77% of the public believe that hands-free phones are safer.
72% of Echo Boomers, aged 18-34, and 69% of Gen Xers, aged 35-46 are more likely to use cell phones while driving than Baby Boomers, aged 47-65 (59%), and much more likely than drivers over 65 (32%) to do so
| Frequency Of Talking On Cell Phone While Driving (% of Adults who drive and have a cell phone) | ||||||||
|
| Generation | Type of driver | ||||||
| Frequency | Total June 2011 | (18-34) | (35-46) | (47-65) | (66+) | >Avg. | Avg. | |
| Talk while driving (NET) | 60% | 72 | 69 | 59 | 32 | 62 | 59 | 38 |
| All the time | 5% | 11 | 6 | 3 | * | 7 | 3 | 4 |
| Sometimes | 55% | 61 | 64 | 56 | 31 | 55 | 56 | 34 |
| Never | 40 | 28 | 31 | 41 | 68 | 38 | 41 | 62 |
| Source: HarrisInteractive, July 2011 (Note: rounding; * signifies less than .05%) | ||||||||
57% of drivers rate themselves as better than average drivers. Only 1% rate themselves as worse than average. 66% of men are much more likely than women (48%) to think that they are better than average drivers
Texting while driving is also much more common among younger drivers. 49% of drivers with cell phones under 35 send or read text messages while driving compared to only 24% of Gen X, 11% of Baby Boomers and less than 1% of people over 65.
| Frequency Of Sending Or Receiving Text Messages On Cell Phone While Driving (Base: Those Who Drive And Have A Cell Phone) | ||||||
| Frequency | May 2009 | June 2011 | Generation | |||
|
|
|
| (18-34) | (35-46) | (47-65) | (66+) |
| All the time | 5% | 2 | 7 | 1 | * | * |
| Sometimes | 22% | 20 | 42 | 23 | 11 | * |
| Never | 74% | 78 | 51 | 76 | 89 | 100 |
| Source: HarrisInteractive, July 2011 (Note: rounding; * signifies less than .05%) | ||||||
60% of drivers who use cell phones while driving use hand-held phones. This number has declined from 72% in 2006 and 66% in 2009;
| Hold Cell Phone Or Use Hands-Free Device While Driving - Trend (Base: Adults Who Ever Talk On A Cell Phone While Driving) | |||
| Phone | 2006 | May 2009 | June 2011 |
| Hold phone | 72% | 66 | 60 |
| Hands-free device | 28% | 34 | 40 |
| Source: HarrisInteractive, July 2011 (Note: rounding; * signifies less than .05%) | |||
The large majority who know that it is dangerous to use a cell phone while driving has increased from 82% in 2006 to 91%
| Hands-Free Phone Is Safer? - Trend (Base: All Adults) | |||
|
| 2006 | May 2009 | June 2011 |
| Safer (NET) | 70% | 71% | 77% |
| Much safer | 13 | 19 | 14 |
| Somewhat safer | 57 | 52 | 63 |
| Just as safe | 22 | 20 | 17 |
| More dangerous (NET) | 8 | 9 | 6 |
| Somewhat more dangerous | 6 | 7 | 5 |
| Much more dangerous | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Source: HarrisInteractive, July 2011 (Note: rounding; * signifies less than .05%) | |||
The percentage of the public who live in states that require (or, which they believe, require) the use of hands-free phones has increased from 14% in 2006 to 38% now.
The implications of these findings point to several important conclusions, says the report:
- Most drivers with cell phones are behaving in ways (talking on cell phones and/or reading or sending texts) that greatly increase the likelihood that they will be involved in accidents, and injure themselves and others
- Furthermore, many of them believe, probably wrongly, that if they use hands-free phones they are safer
- The problem may be made worse by the fact that most drivers think they are better than average drivers and, perhaps, that their driving skills can keep them out of trouble
The report concludes that "... the need for laws to ban all cell phone use and texting while driving, including the use of hands-free phones, except in emergencies..."
This Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.
For more from Harris, please visit here.
This report is from Mediapost.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Having it Both Ways
What is "it"?
Read on from DLM:
How happy are you?
Happiness is becoming a huge area in psychological research and even in government policy, with the UK government exploring a “happiness index”. It’s tough, though, to define exactly what happiness is, and what makes us happy.
There are two broad ways of looking at happiness, though: short-term happiness (a great cookie, a bottle of wine) and long-term happiness (financial security, achieving your goals).
Both types of happiness are valid, and important. The problem is, they’re often in competition.
Let’s say you’ve got a goal of losing 50lbs this year. You know you’d be happier and healthier if you weren’t carrying that extra weight. To achieve long-term happiness, you need to go on a diet.
In the short-term, though, it’s not that easy. A slab of chocolate cake, or a large glass of wine, might seem like just the thing to cheer you up at the end of a long day – or to celebrate with friends.
It’s the same with lots of other goals. Perhaps you want to save up money for a fantastic holiday abroad in five years time – but in the short term, that means cutting back on eating out and buying new DVDs.
Or maybe you’re trying to get qualified for a new career – something that would make you much happier in the future, but that requires a lot of hard work right now.
Looking to the Long-Term
Most of us find it much easier to see immediate rewards – and consequences – than ones which are years away.
If you want to achieve your goals over months or years, try:
Don’t pin all your hopes of happiness on some far-off future, though. There’s no point working a 60 hour week and making yourself thoroughly miserable in the belief that things will be perfect as soon as you’re making a six figure salary.
Life is for Living – Right Now
If you’ve got a tendency to prioritize long-term happiness at the expense of day-to-day pleasures, then start looking for some small ways to bring a little joy back into your life.
I’m not suggesting that you go out and get drunk every night, or that you stuff yourself with cake or go on a spending spree. There are plenty of other ways to enjoy yourself.
How about:
How happy are you? Do you need more long-term or short-term happiness in your life? Feel free to share your thoughts and ideas in the comments.
Read on from DLM:
Happy Now, Happy Next Year: Balancing Short-Term and Long-Term Happiness
Posted: 12 Jul 2011 03:09 PM PDT
How happy are you?
Happiness is becoming a huge area in psychological research and even in government policy, with the UK government exploring a “happiness index”. It’s tough, though, to define exactly what happiness is, and what makes us happy.
There are two broad ways of looking at happiness, though: short-term happiness (a great cookie, a bottle of wine) and long-term happiness (financial security, achieving your goals).
Both types of happiness are valid, and important. The problem is, they’re often in competition.
Let’s say you’ve got a goal of losing 50lbs this year. You know you’d be happier and healthier if you weren’t carrying that extra weight. To achieve long-term happiness, you need to go on a diet.
In the short-term, though, it’s not that easy. A slab of chocolate cake, or a large glass of wine, might seem like just the thing to cheer you up at the end of a long day – or to celebrate with friends.
It’s the same with lots of other goals. Perhaps you want to save up money for a fantastic holiday abroad in five years time – but in the short term, that means cutting back on eating out and buying new DVDs.
Or maybe you’re trying to get qualified for a new career – something that would make you much happier in the future, but that requires a lot of hard work right now.
Looking to the Long-Term
Most of us find it much easier to see immediate rewards – and consequences – than ones which are years away.
If you want to achieve your goals over months or years, try:
- Creating a vision board or another visual reminder of your goals, so that they’re constantly in front of you
- Breaking your dream into smaller steps, so that you’ve got something more immediate to focus on
- Writing down your reasons for pursuing this goal, so you can go back to your list whenever your motivation flags
Don’t pin all your hopes of happiness on some far-off future, though. There’s no point working a 60 hour week and making yourself thoroughly miserable in the belief that things will be perfect as soon as you’re making a six figure salary.
Life is for Living – Right Now
If you’ve got a tendency to prioritize long-term happiness at the expense of day-to-day pleasures, then start looking for some small ways to bring a little joy back into your life.
I’m not suggesting that you go out and get drunk every night, or that you stuff yourself with cake or go on a spending spree. There are plenty of other ways to enjoy yourself.
How about:
- Setting a budget for discretionary spending, so that you can buy magazines, computer games, books or whatever it is you enjoy
- Looking for forms of exercises that you find fun – exercise boosts your mood right now, but also improves your health over weeks, months and years
- Giving yourself time each day for leisure activities. (And I know TV gets a bad rap, but I personally think there’s nothing wrong with watching your favorite show once in a while.)
How happy are you? Do you need more long-term or short-term happiness in your life? Feel free to share your thoughts and ideas in the comments.
| Written on 7/12/2011 by Ali Luke. Ali writes a blog, Aliventures, about leading a productive and purposeful life (get the RSS feed here). As well as blogging, she writes fiction, and is studying for an MA in Creative Writing. | Photo Credit: shawnzrossi |
Sunday, August 14, 2011
The Next Stage
The next stage that I'm thinking about is with my family.
In the June 2006, my youngest daughter, Tiffany married Jon Lloyd.
On the weekend of October 10, 2010, 10-10-10, my son Josh married Madeline Helser.
A few months later, on Memorial Day weekend this year my oldest daughter, Rachael married Brandon Kelly.
And this weekend, my stepdaughter Abby married Jeff Morris.
What's the next stage?
How about grandkids?
I've already had an early start, as my stepson Ian is Dad to two boys, the oldest became a teenager this summer.
And the same day that Rachael was getting married, her little sister gave birth to Calvin, whom I got to spend a bunch of time with today.
Speaking of Rachael, she also has a due date at the end of February, 2012.
It's a fun and growing family that this only child is blessed to be a part of.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)