What exactly is a gratitude journal? A gratitude journal is a journal that you are only allowed to write positive thoughts into. If you can, everyday, write in your gratitude journal at least five things that you are grateful for that day, and usually before bedtime, so you can go to sleep thinking positive thoughts about the day that has just passed.

The things you could be grateful could range from the courteous service at the car wash, the help of a friend, to the love of a family member, to the hand of god rocking you gently, anything counts really. Of course, writing in your gratitude journal is much easier after you have had a great day. If you have had a bad day, you still have to write five things down that you are grateful for. It’ll be a lot tougher, but you still have to find some and write them down. (more…)

Popularity: 1% [?]

Time is a precious commodity and if yours is getting away from you, you are in need of the self help practice known as time management. It is too easy for life’s interruptions to get the best of you and make you a slave to everyone else’s agenda.

Spending time wisely naturally plays a big role in the level of success a person can achieve. You can read all the self help literature you want but without some sort of plan for your day, your day will simply “happen” to you. You will not accomplish much and you will miss out on new opportunities because you will be in such a constant state of being behind, that you will be out of time for anything else.

Start out by planning your day ahead of time. The key is to schedule a routine time either first thing in the morning or sometime the night before, and stick with it. Make note of what needs to be done for that day. Set new goals and review those previously set. (more…)

Popularity: 8% [?]

We all play different roles in life and one can only assume that you want to achieve your maximum potential in all of them. My primary roles are Self, Wife, Mother, and Professional. Let’s begin by asking a simple self help question, “If you don’t set goals for yourself, how do you know if you have accomplished anything?”

That sense of achievement is a big motivator to keep on climbing those mountains of life, so it is essential to get your priorities in order and set goals, achieve, and give yourself credit every one of your successes.

To address goal setting for a wider audience, let’s address the misconception that setting goals is just for your career.

This is unfortunate because at home, where we play the roles of spouse, parent, and household manager, organization and achievement are key to all other successes. To those folks I recommend to use the term “life list” instead. When it is time to put pen to paper, if you prefer, scribble “LIFE LIST” at the top of yours. Maybe even put some doodles around it. Whatever makes you excited to continue. (more…)

Popularity: 11% [?]

In my studies of human development, I found that procrastination destroys more things than any other single element. If this habit gets out of control, it ruins marriages, careers, relationships, and self worth. Over time, it has the capability to grow until it completely paralyzes an individual. The effect equally devastates the people doing the procrastinating and all others around them.

Everyone procrastinates to a certain degree. It is a natural human tendency to put some things off, especially those activities we deem negative. Where this habit becomes a problem is when it becomes the default mindset. As children, we are inclined to do things the moment that we think of them. The “do it now” mentality is prevalent. The concept of time is not well formed, thus the child lives completely in the moment. Of course, as we age, this all changes.

As we mature, we learn certain lessons. These lessons are taught in a variety of ways. However, the overall message is that responsible people do a lot of things they do not enjoy. To show us how this work, most of us are given chores to do while growing up. Tasks such as mowing the lawn, taking out the garbage, setting the table, and doing the dishes suddenly are assigned to us. Naturally, the desire to go out and play is stronger than the will to do these things. The reason is playing (more…)

Popularity: 60% [?]

There’s a condition that holds a lot of people back from progressing towards their goals. I’ve been guilty of suffering from this condition on some occasions, and maybe you have too.

It’s been called ‘analysis paralysis’, and is a form of perfectionism. Here’s how it looks: you have an idea. It could be a project that would generate extra income if you pulled it off. It makes sense. It sounds feasible. Heck, it even sounds easy and straightforward.

But days pass, weeks pass, months pass and you still haven’t taken the first step towards making that project a reality. Rather, you’re still thinking about how you’re going to solve every problem before you get started. You’re analyzing the idea to death, literally.

You want it to be perfect before you launch.

As a result, you never launch. All you have is an idea. Possibly a very good one at that.

While you’re dilly-dallying, someone else comes along with the same idea, launches the project with faults here and there and starts making a lot of money with it (as a result of the benefit it’s bringing to lots of people). You then feel like kicking yourself, thinking ‘if only I’d acted when I had the idea, I would be the one (more…)

Popularity: 65% [?]

Whenever I’ve worked on ‘de-cluttering’ my living or working space, I’ve always found that it’s the unfinished project – whatever I’m procrastinating about - that takes up the most room.

Physically, it’s a constant reminder of something I tell myself I SHOULD be doing.
Mentally, it consumes my thoughts and diverts my attention from the present moment.
Emotionally, it weighs down my heart and nicks away at my confidence.

In this article, I invite you to consider how procrastination, as a form of self-sabotage, shows up in the different areas of your life.

Understanding Procrastination - Why do you procrastinate?

Maybe your physical surroundings and your ’systems’ of organization are getting in your way. For example (more…)

Popularity: 37% [?]

Do you feel guilty about all the publications you purchase but never read — or the articles you read with great ideas or opportunities you never implement? Are you spending time recreating marketing materials because you cannot find what you wrote the preceding month or year? Do you run out the door for an appointment at the last minute because you could not find your keys or the directions you needed to get where you are going? Are you frequently feeling tired and overwhelmed? Do the people you care about express frustration at your disorganization or want to spend more time with you? If so, “getting organized” should be high on your priority list!

One of the continual frustrations in my career as a professional organizing consultant has been people’s misconceptions about what it means to be “organized.” Visions of unrealistically tidy desks and impossible mandates such as (more…)

Popularity: 45% [?]