3 Ways to Save Time
February 22, 2008
Is life running you ragged? Do you constantly feel like you never have enough time to get everything done you need to do? This article gives you three super-simple ways to save a little time throughout your day. Here they are…
PLAN YOUR WEEKLY MENU AHEAD – Many families have two working parents, or a single working parent. This leaves for very little time to cook meals every day, so many opt for unhealthy fast food, simply because it’s easy and fast. Change things up by planning your dinner menu a week in advance. Not only will you have a full menu planned, but your family can help out with the cooking and you can create your grocery list from your menu as well.
TURN OFF THE TUBE – Television can be a huge time waster without you even realizing it. Let’s say you get home around 6 in the evening from work, cook dinner, and clean the kitchen. By 7, the kids may be studying or finishing up homework and getting ready for bed. You’re worn out from a long day at work, so you crash on the couch to watch some T.V. At 10 you get up and head to bed. You’ve just wasted three hours of time on T.V. that could have been spent paying bills, folding clothes, or any other household chore. Double up your duties or turn off the tube.
SHOP EARLY – One of the best reasons to shop before 7 a.m. is because there are very few people in the store. Most super centers are open 24 hours so you can head out for groceries around 5:30 or 6 a.m. If you bring a list, you’ll get in and out really quick because there won’t be any long lines to wait in.
It is possible to save time. You simply have to look in the most obvious places to figure out how to do it.
Define Your Core Beliefs
February 21, 2008
A core belief is a belief you hold deep inside. Much like a moral, core beliefs are your centrifuge and lead the direction you take in your life. If you don’t know what your core beliefs are, and your life seems in total disarray right now, that could be why. Let’s take a look at how core beliefs are formed, and what they mean.
A core belief is created when you do something that goes against your personal values. It becomes an inner message you play over and over to yourself, until you begin to believe it—whether it’s true or not.
One simple example of this is an abused woman. She starts out in a great relationship, and then one day out of the blue, her husband slaps her out of anger and calls her stupid. Later, he apologizes, but then the next week this same scenario is played out again, only he gets more physically violent with her.
This scene continues playing out, each time the husband telling her how worthless and stupid she is. Eventually, the woman has heard this same message again and again: “You’re stupid. You’re worthless.” And she begins to believe it. It becomes a core value.
Every time she does something and fails, she reminds herself, “I’m stupid. I’m worthless. That’s why I can’t do anything right.” Another core value is taking shape: she can’t do anything right.
As you can see, these core beliefs start taking on lives of their own. Sometimes this happens and you don’t even realize it because these are inner messages you play in your mind. But they become real to you and govern the way you think and live. They also become a deciding factor. You decide if you’re good enough, smart enough, sexy enough…
Learning to release these negative core beliefs and define better ones is recommended. In order to do this, you have to reprogram your way of thinking. This can be done with positive affirmations. Sometimes counseling and therapy are necessary to help purge all the negative input you’ve experienced that formed your current core beliefs.
How to Keep a Gratitude Journal
February 20, 2008
The idea of a gratitude journal was made popular when Oprah proclaimed on her talk show that she keeps one herself. The gratitude journal took the world by storm, but seems to have died down over the last few years. If you don’t already keep a gratitude journal, you should. It is a great way to record daily blessings and will motivate and inspire you to look for the good in everything.
Step 1: Choose a journal. First, purchase a journal to write your gratitude lists in. It can be as simple or elaborate as you’d like. You might even want to buy a blank journal and decorate the front cover yourself.
Step 2: Write your gratitude list daily. The most important thing about keeping a gratitude journal is to write in it every single day. There will be days when you don’t feel like writing anything. Those days are the most important ones to write a gratitude list.
The beauty of a gratitude journal is that it becomes a fun habit once you write in it for a few weeks. You’ll begin to look forward to writing your daily gratitude list. Here are some tips to keeping you going:
- Ask yourself every day, “What am I grateful for today?”
- Write in the present.
- Think about the little things you’re grateful for that you usually take for granted.
- If you’re traveling, bring your gratitude journal along. Write in it at the end of the day.
- Write a list of things you’re grateful for about yourself.
