Archive for the ‘Self Improvement’ Category

You live in a world of constant change and fast going days. How do you get balance in your life? There is always a time crunch for everyone who wishes that the days had more than twenty-four hours. Does that sound like you? If you are not careful it can make you physically drained, mentally drained and emotionally drained at the end of the day. If you can find balance in your life, it can make life so much easier. The first thing you need to do is to set priorities each day to begin your day. A coach or mentor will tell you to actually create a “to do” list the night before for the next day. List the first three items on the list as a “must do,” item. Make sure you finish those before you move on to the next.

To create more balance in your life means that you have to set short-term goals, intermediate goals and long-term goals and stick to them. You can always revisit your calls occasionally to make changes. However, for the most part, your life should reflect the goals that you set for yourself. In the meantime, don’t pressure yourself or rush yourself. Be patient if things don’t go exactly according to plan. Just redo everything and allow yourself to see change as good.

Here are some ideas for creating more balance for work and family:

1. Give yourself space to mess up. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Do what you can for the given day and whatever is left will be done the next day. Do your best always. No one can ask for more. Being a parent is a full time job in itself.
2. Don’t feel guilty because of what people think. Do whatever it takes to get the job done, but never lose yourself.
3. Get help when you need it. Don’t try to do everything on your own. Delegate any responsibilities that someone else can do.
4. Make changes if you have to in order to accommodate new ideas.
5. Create a team that you can rely on to pick up the slack.
6. Reduce stress. Go for a walk if you have to. This will help to release stress and give you a better start to your day.
7. Don’t waste valuable time doing things that are not productive.
8. Be positive. Focus on the good and not the bad. When you have a good day, make a mental note of it and allow this day to be your premise for creating better days.
9. Spend time alone with yourself. Treat yourself to a spa treatment, massage or just a movie. Don’t overwork yourself.
10. Spend time separately with each child if you are a parent and separate time with a spouse or partner. Each person needs his or her own individual time with you to create family balance.

Stay focused and center on who you are and where you are going. Let your time be well spent. Don’t worry about anything that is undone. It will get done. Relax. It is OK to stumble. Be patient with yourself. Everything comes in steps. As long as you are stepping toward something, you sure are going somewhere. Just make sure it is in the path of your goals and aspirations.

To really attract what you want in life, you must be willing to receive it; to know you deserve it and be open to accept the good into your life with joy and appreciation.

Resolving conflicting beliefs and fears is critical to being able to fully manifest your desires. If you find yourself spinning your wheels, that’s a sign that you have a belief that is in emotional conflict with your desire. Ignoring the conflict will only cause more frustration and stress with yourself and the situation you are struggling with. Here’s where your courage to dig deeper into self-discover will pay off in spades. And get help when you need it.

Each morning I begin my day with the following statement: “Hmmm, What shall I create today?” I love imagining the possibilities.

How about you? What will you create today?

Join me this Thursday Feb 11th at 7pm CST for my free teleseminar: How To Make Money in Your PJ’s – 20 New Ways to Work from Home. We’re gonna have a BLAST! so many of my clients and friends have asked if it’s still possible to make money in these challenging times. My answer is a resounding YES! I’d love to give you some new ideas to help you generate extra cash – so please join me this Thursday! REGISTER ONLINE FREE right now: http://positivelywomen.com/seminars/pajamas021110.html

Speaking of FREE: I’ll be drawing random names during the seminar to win free goodies – hope to see you there!

Saw this and had to share – some incredible insights!

When setting goals for yourself, you want to make sure that you keep them within reach.  In other words, don’t set your goals so high that you can’t achieve them.  There is nothing more upsetting then never being able to accomplish the things you want out of life.  Instead, break your goals into measurable ones. For instance, let’s say that you have to write a 150-page book in a month. Instead of getting frustrated and believing that you can’t get it done, break down the task. So, on week one you’ll research. On week two you’ll write 50 pages, on week three you will write 50 more and on week four you’ll write 50 more and then you’ll be finished.

Here are some additional guidelines to follow when you are setting your goals.

1.         Visualize success.  You must visualize yourself accomplishing the goal.  By being able to see the end result in your eye, you will do what it takes to get the job done.  By visualizing the end, you will feel powerful and can make your vision a reality. By seeing it and then believing it, your goal will be much easier to accomplish.

2.         Feel Motivated.  If you do not feel motivated to accomplish your goals then you might not achieve them.  By choosing goals that you truly want to accomplish, you can and will succeed. Your drive and determination will propel you forward even when you think that you can’t.

3.         Stay focused.  When you face an obstacle, rely on strength and ability to get through it. Focus on the end result.  Stretch and challenge yourself at all times. Go beyond your limits.

4.         Bask in your glory. Take a look at those things you accomplished last year and feel proud that you can achieve greatness. Then set those past goals against future ones.  For instance, let’s say that last year you finished a 10 mile race. This year plan to finish a 13 mile one.  By making your end result better than before and trusting that you can do it again, you’ll be successful.

5.         Enlist support.   To truly accomplish your goals, enlist the help of others. Ask them for help and let your friends, family and acquaintances keep you on task.

Having goals is a wonderful tool to accomplishing greatness because it inspires and motivates you. By following the above tips, you can accomplish your goals one step at a time and you’ll be closer to being the successful person that your mind sees and believes in.

We all go through some kind of conflict in our lives whether it is starting it ourselves or being confronted with it by someone else. Conflict and confrontation are quite similar, but none of them are a good way to come to solutions that are amicable. Usually when confronted with a conflict, it ends in an argument if you don’t know how to discuss things and are not a good communicator.

To get rid of conflict, you have to be a person who loves peace and know when to walk away from certain situations. You have to be a realist and have the fortitude to face the conflict if is faces you.

You also have to be the kind of person who knows when to walk away from conflict. You don’t want to be a confrontational person because you will always be in a conflict. Some people thrive on conflict, but it eats away at the core of who you are and makes you a different person. You don’t want to be involved in such negative behavior.

Surround yourself with positive people and you will gain more confidence and knowledge to be able to realize when there is going to be a conflict and try to avoid it. Be friendly to others because those who are friendly will attract friendly people and not people who thrive on conflict.

Keep yourself busy with positive things and it will keep you away from conflict. If you do encounter conflict in your life, be the first to seek peace. Step up to the plate and start a dialogue with the other person that will allow you to take responsibility of your own action in the situation and voice your opinion and feelings about how you both can move forward.

Try to improve your own personality to reflect positivity and the other person will see it. You attract things in your life by how others perceive you, but more importantly how you perceive yourself. You cannot control how others see you, but you can control how you see yourself.

Writing a letter is a good way of communicating in the time of conflict. On paper, you get to express your thoughts in a more peaceful and thoughtful way than exchanging angry words during a conflict. When you write a letter to the other party, it shows them that you really want to make amends and that you are trying to make it right with them. The ball is now in their court to make the next move.

When there is a conflict, don’t try to solve it right away because emotions might get in the way of all those involved and can make it even worse than it was before. Give it time and let the fuse of anger linger before making any move towards reconciliation or dialogue.

Concentrate on yourself and what you need to change about “you.” If you change and not point the finger on others, then you will be at peace with yourself and what others think won’t affect you as much.

Personal mastery is about approaching life from a different perspective.  Sometimes people would refer to it as a journey towards continuous improvement.  Personal  mastery is guided by key principles like vision, personal purpose, creative tension, commitment to truth and understanding the subconscious mind.

One of the most important fundamental aspects of personal mastery is personal vision.  Personal mastery when combined with personal vision can create a framework or guiding philosophy on how you can operate and live your life.  Some people would say that personal vision serves as a guide that will keep you on track.

Followers of personal mastery see that there are great opportunities to improve their growth.  Followers recognize that there are many avenues for growth and opportunities like books, tapes, lectures and school courses.  People may also benefit from organizations in their quest for personal mastery.

Personal mastery is about loving yourself and expressing your gifts to their fullest.  Some would think that personal mastery is controlling and limiting one self, but actually it is about understanding your personality.  To control or overcome some habits, it would be important to identify how and why those habits occur.  The more you suppress things, the more you will have difficulty in conquering and overcoming it.

Personal mastery is self-discipline.  It is about taking responsibility for the direction that your life is going to take.  You begin to slowly realize that you can do anything with the aid of your unique set of skills and talents.  Discipline will clarify and deepen your perspective in life.  Those who quest for personal mastery can develop patience and see life objectively.

Personal mastery can help you become successful in life.  You can say that you have developed personal mastery if you are starting to fully understand your strengths, talents and your purpose in life.  Personal mastery enables you to be inspired, energized and happy.  You start to show a sense of commitment in changing on how people perceive life and the world.  The ultimate thing about personal mastery is that you would always feel that you are guided and supported by a higher power.

It is also important for a person who is in quest for personal mastery to develop integrity, humility, justice and industry.  Actually, these are “rules” on how we could conduct ourselves professionally, socially and spiritually.

Peter Senge said that attaining personal mastery has no shortcuts or no “quick fixes.”  Sometimes it will take a lifetime for personal mastery to be attained.  Personal mastery detaches a person from self-interest or selfishness and encourage people towards providing care and service to other people.  Also individuals who follow personal mastery see the connections in their surroundings and perceive  everything as a whole.

Proactive behavior is also something that personal mastery helps you to develop.  Reactive behavior-  like thinking before-hand hand that you cannot do something -  is dealt with when developing personal mastery.  Actions and service that you provide are based on how you can creatively maximize your skills.

Experts would say that personal mastery could be truly gained by living purposefully and by living with integrity.  Living purposefully would include showing talents, gifts and strengths to achieve your goals and be successful.  Living with integrity is by integrating your ideals, standards and behavior.

To summarize it, personal mastery guides you to develop being aware with what your beliefs, attitudes and behavior impact.  It also enables you to accept yourself and be responsible for  your own actions, attitudes, and thoughts. If you are having a hard time with this please check out my new program “Prosperous Women”. It’s quick, easy, affordable and it will have you on the road to living the life you have always dreamed of.

- Sharon

Instant everything—including convenience, solutions, and results among so many others—is one of the major causes of stress that eventually lead to serious problems. Because of this stress, more and more people are learning to practice one of the most powerful means of concentration called “meditation.”

Described as a state wherein a person is in deep concentration on something, either awareness or some object of thought, meditation can be considered as one of the oldest means of calming the mind and the soul. Usually involving one’s attention to be turned into a single point of reference, meditation is practiced by so many people because it can lead a person to a consciousness an inch higher than the ordinary person.

If you are one of those who planning to indulge in practicing meditation or just interested in its seemingly limitless possibilities, then you should start by familiarizing yourself with the various forms of meditation known today. The most common forms of meditation include “Bodhidharma,” “Hinduism,” “Bahá’í Faith,” “Buddhism,” “Christian meditation,” “Islam Meditation,” “Jainism,” “Judaism,” “Sikhism,” and “Taoism.” Each and every one of these forms mentioned has their own understanding of meditation and also have different sets of practices that come with it.

Another important thing to take note about meditation is that it involves various physical postures to be able to perform the practice well. These postures include standing, sitting, and supine depending on the tradition of that you would want to follow.

Aside from the postures that are used, it is also important to take note about the various types of meditation before finally indulging into it. Experts say that the most common type is the prayer because this is the one of the most practiced types people does. Aside from the simple prayer, other types of meditation also include what is called transcendental meditation (TM), the mindfulness meditation, and some of the forms included in the Eastern tradition including the buddhist, Taoist, and zen meditation.

If you are just starting, the first thing that you need to concentrate on is the elements for involved in a basic traditional meditation. Usually, there are four elements that greatly affect traditional meditation including a place that is quiet, a posture that is comfortable, an object that a person can to focus his or her attention and n attitude that is relatively passive.

Learning meditation techniques

Meditation techniques are known to vary depending on the origin of the practice and the culture in that place. It also varies depending on the personality of the person and where he or she comfortable with.

Meditation techniques can be classified as “concentrative” that involves the means of focusing into a specific object and the other can be termed as “expansive” that involves a person’s free flowing thoughts, observation, and reflection. The most common meditation techniques that are being practiced by many people today include the “Mantra Meditation” which involve production of sound or the combination of one or more sounds that are played in a very spontaneous manner, the “trataka” or Steady Gaze where the person meditating is asked to gaze steadily in a certain an object and focus his or her attention to it, and the “Chakra Meditation” which greatly helps in the manifestation of energy and mind control.

Those who are practicing advanced meditation are also learning other effective meditation techniques including Vipassana Meditation, Raja Yoga Meditation, Zazen, and Nada Yoga, which have their own respective practices and postures.

Why don’t you try this out and let me know how you do?

- Sharon

A lot of people stay unsuccessful or have alternating experiences with success and failure, simply because they do not know that they have bad traits working against them. Bad traits are  habits and personal characteristics that ultimately lead to failure. Some of the things you’ve been so used to doing for your whole life may be the main reason why you struggle so much.

The Basic Bad Habits

Laziness is one of the worst habits that you can have. The worse thing is, lazy people usually do not want to get rid of the problem. If you want to achieve your goals, you need to understand the value of hard work and perseverance. Some of the greatest people in the world are known to work way more than those who did not leave a mark. The greats work longer hours, sleep less, eat less, wake up earlier and suffer more than anybody else. It takes sacrifice to reach your goals. The most important thing to know is that everything you have ever wanted is just outside your comfort zone.

Another bad habit that people can deal with for  years is fear. They fear things and events without even trying. Some people are even afraid of success subconsciously in a way that they refute any opportunity that can make them great. Some people do not realize that they just do not or cannot handle the bigger responsibilities that achieved goals come with. You should understand that once you reach a certain goal, it can mean that the bar has just been raised for you to accomplish more.

Personal Bad Traits

Selfishness is a bad trait that you need to get rid of to achieve your goals. There are individuals who do not want to get help from others because they do not want to share their expected success. What’s sad is that most of them do not actually reach their goals. There is so much joy and celebration for every success that can be shared between several individuals. There is even so much money in the world for everyone to stay rich. Even if you may be better off doing some things yourself, still you cannot do everything.

Being Negative

Pessimism is a trait of losers. Losers always find a reason to lose, even if the situation or opportunity is already presenting itself. In most cases, pessimism is tied up to fear. Seeing things in a negative light will result to bad results too, most of the time. If you start your day negatively, everything else will already seem bad, so you will focus more on the little things that do not matter and let them bother you, instead of keeping your mind on your goals.

Seeking Help

The first step to treating bad habits to achieve your goals is to look at yourself as a confident, capable and strong individual. You are responsible for whatever happens in your life. Although problems are bound to happen, you know that you always have the ability to stay successful in life as you choose. Minor setbacks are supposed to be a means for you to become better and stronger.

Write a list down indicating all your weaknesses and bad traits. Next, put the opposite trait for each. The opposite traits are now your new characteristics to be adopted. Start practicing one good trait per week or month, then add another one for consistency. Over time, you will realize that success follows you because of your positive aura.

If you need help with this – why not set up a short coaching session with me?

- Sharon