Tag: goals

Smart Goals: The Best Goal Setting Practices for Success

Posted on by Orenda Rivers

Today, being successful often comes down to setting and reaching goals. Whether you’re an extrovert or an introvert, a planner or a list maker, the ability to set smart goals is crucial to your well-being. Whether you’re looking to improve your life in general or simply looking for ways to better focus on specific things, smart goals are the answer. Not only do they help you reach your short-term goals but they also help you think long term as well.

What Are Smart Goals?

A smart goal is one that has a specific, measurable outcome. This means you’ll know exactly what you need to do to reach your goal, and how much time you’re willing to invest over a certain period of time. To create a smart goal, identify your goal and break it into steps or milestones. Write down the main points that compose the steps or milestones and review them often as they may change over time. The most important part of creating a smart goal is tracking your progress towards achieving it. When you track your progress, you will be able to see the progress in real-time and adjust accordingly when needed.

To set the perfect goal, start by setting it up in a way that’s specific, measurable, attractive, realistic and time-bound. For example, if your goal is to run a marathon in 2 years, make sure you pick an attainable date and don’t break it down into smaller milestones. You can also see how these different elements come together with our favorite SMART Goal setting examples below:

  • Specific: The specific way to reach my goal
  • Measurable: How I will measure success
  • Attractive: How will this benefit me?
  • Realistic: Is this challenging enough?
  • Time Bound: How long will I work on achieving this goal?

Why Is Setting Smart Goals Important?

Setting smart goals and achieving them is important because it helps you take the first step in building a better life. Imagine, for example, if you are struggling with your school or work performance. If you had set a goal of improving your grades by 10 percent, for example, this would help you focus on what was most important to you. And, as you reached that goal, it would give you confidence in yourself to continue carrying out the task towards other personal goals. Setting smart goals also helps you think long term. Being able to clearly define short-term and long-term goals can help guide your decisions as they relate to what’s important to your life overall. For example: If a friend has asked you to go see her play her first Shakespearean production next week but all of your days are booked up with work commitments, setting smart goals may help show why seeing the play isn’t possible for now but could be in the future when time allows. Additionally, setting smart goals helps guide and motivate your decision making process – which is absolutely crucial when it comes to finding success. Knowing what’s most important will keep you focused on those things instead of being overwhelmed by everything else going on around you – which can lead to procrastination and eventually failure at reaching any of your goals. Now that we’ve shown why setting smart goals is so important, let’s talk about how we can actually do this successfully (and effectively).

Develop a Personal Mission Statement

The first step to setting a goal is to establish a personal mission statement. This is the guiding principle behind your entire life, and it should be based on what you want out of life. If you don’t have a personal mission statement, ask yourself what’s most important to you; this will help guide your goal setting process. Here are some examples of personal missions statements:

• I am determined to live each day to the best of my ability.

• I am a successful investor in the making.

• Every day I create success opportunities for myself by taking smart risks and being creative in everything I do.

Define Your Why

First, it starts with defining your why. Your why is the driving force behind what you’re doing, and it can help you stay motivated. Some examples of your why are “I want to work towards a career in public relations,” or “I want to be able to afford my dream house one day.” Once you have an idea of what your why is, try breaking down that goal into specific steps. In other words, if you want to be a public relations professional, define what exactly that means for your career and how that looks on paper. Next, think about the different types of people who might be interested in pursuing a career in public relations. You might target college students who are looking for something new after graduation or people who are more interested in the social side of the industry rather than publicity-driven events.

Take a Sabbatical Day Challenge

One of the most creative and insightful ways to challenge yourself is by taking a Sabbatical Day Challenge. This type of challenge allows you to take a break from your everyday life and focus on something different for one day. It can be as ambitious as attempting to start a new business or as simple as trying something completely different in your fields of expertise. Imagine if you could make new friends, get a tan in the sun, attend a networking event, or learn a language in just one day. Not only would this give you an opportunity to test out skills that may have been dormant in your life–it would also help you feel more fulfilled and less stressed while giving you time away from your favorite tasks and responsibilities. The key is picking one goal or many goals that will unleash your creativity without being too difficult or stressful to accomplish. You can even do two days if you’re feeling ambitious!

Organize a Free Dinner for Goal Setters

A goal setting example that may be good for you is organizing a free dinner for your closest friends and family. This idea can be useful to anyone looking to get their social circle involved with goal setting and accomplishing their goals too. This could be an amazing way to celebrate the beginning of a new year, as well as start the year off on the right foot. The best tip we have for this example is to make sure you communicate your idea in advance and decide who will provide what so you don’t end up with somebody taking care of all the cooking, cleaning, and other tasks. You also want to organize a time that is mutually convenient for everybody in case they don’t want to stay long or take care of other tasks afterward; it’s important that everyone feels included in this process!

Ask Yourself Uncomfortable Questions

Have you ever noticed that when you have a goal, it can sometimes be easy to get distracted by other things? Like, maybe you start thinking about how much money you could make if money were not an issue. Or how great it would be to live in another country. That’s because, as humans, we often allow our goals to take over our lives. And while these distractions may seem harmless and do help us accomplish the goals we want to achieve, they can actually take away from our overall happiness. So instead of taking on other tasks, try asking yourself some uncomfortable questions that may help you find your motivation again. Maybe ask yourself what is the most important thing for me in life? Or what am I really scared of? These questions will help you prioritize your goals and give them more weight than distractions that are easy to ignore.

Identify Someone Who Can Mentor You

If you don’t know where to start or what you should be focusing on, it can help to identify someone who is better at the activity than you. Look for a mentor who has expertise in the area you want to learn, and then get them involved in your goal setting process. They can share their wisdom with you, offer advice and guidance as you progress, and point out areas of improvement so that you can continue to grow. With this strategy, it doesn’t matter if it’s someone who is already successful in the field or just an expert in general because even an outsider will have valuable insight into the task at hand.

What Are Your Long-term Personal Goals?

In order to make progress, you first have to define exactly what you want to accomplish. That’s why it’s so important to set a long-term goal or personal mission statement. You may want to make this statement something that is very specific and not too general like “I want my life to be more fulfilled” or “I want my family and friends to love me the way I deserve.” A personal goal helps you stay on track by providing direction and motivation. It also gives your life meaning and purpose. These goals can provide an actionable framework for how you should spend your time each day, where you should focus your energy, and what actions will lead you closer to accomplishing them.

What Are Your Professional Goals?

What are your professional goals? These can be anything from reaching a certain level of income to improving your leadership skills. Your goals should challenge you and push you to grow in multiple facets of your life. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to goal setting, so find the one that is most beneficial for you and go from there.

What Are Your Short-term Goals?

If your short-term goals are to make friends, learn a new skill, or just get out more often, then you may need to try goal setting in a different way. Creating a personal board of goals with specific dates can help you stay focused on what’s important and avoid the temptation of getting stuck in the “what if” phase of goal setting.

Keep a Goal Journal

A goal journal is a unique way to develop goals. It helps you to brainstorm and visualize your dreams. When you use a goal journal, you can include anything from an image of yourself living in your dream home or career to a list of things that could get in the way of achieving that goal. You can use a goal journal for every aspect of your life including personal, professional, academic, and creative goals. For instance, you could create a family goal journal where you write down the date when your children will graduate college or make it to their wedding day.

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10 Best Natural Detox Foods

Posted on by James Miller

Here are our 10 picks for the foods that can make for the best all natural detox.

Each of us has a different opinion when it comes to what makes a good natural detox.

Some say we just need to drink more water. Others say we should eat less sugar and processed foods. Then there are those who say drinking less alcohol will do the trick.

They’re not wrong. These are effective ways to rejuvenate our bodies. But if you ask us, they don’t sound all that easy.

Just take cutting back on sugar and processed foods. It’ll be great if you pull it off, but it involves what could be a pretty drastic change to the way you normally eat. Anybody who’s trying to lose weight will be the first to tell you that’s easier said than done.

Instead of making a major change to how you eat just so you can have a natural detox, why not add natural detox foods to your diet?

Healthy, tasty and most probably available at your nearest grocery store at affordable prices, these foods are packed with all kinds of nutrients that can help your body detoxify itself naturally. All you have to do to enjoy these foods as an all-natural detox is to add them to your diet—making them arguably the best natural detox there is.

To help you get started on your journey of healing your body from the ravages brought on by toxins, here are 10 of what we trust are the best natural detox foods.

Spinach

Spinach is a green and leafy vegetable that, just like any other vegetable, has hardly any calories but is rich in vitamins, like:

  • Vitamin A, which is good for your sight, growth and immunity
  • Vitamin C, which helps protect your cells from free radicals
  • Vitamin E, which helps keep your blood, brain and skin healthy
  • Vitamin K, which is necessary for normal blood clotting
  • Vitamin B1, or thiamin, which is essential for glucose metabolism and healthy nerve, muscle and heart functions
  • Folate, which is important in red blood cell formation and for healthy cell growth and function
  • Magnesium, which helps keep your blood pressure normal, your bones strong and your heart rhythm steady
  • Iron, which helps transport oxygen throughout your body
  • Calcium, which you need to build and maintain healthy bones and teeth

Spinach also contains compounds called flavonoids that help keep you healthy by acting as antioxidants, which help fight off infectious cells, like cancer.

Broccoli

Broccoli is a green vegetable that looks just like a miniature tree. Aside from vitamin C and vitamin K, it’s rich in sulforaphane, a sulfur-rich compound that helps your body keep infectious cells at bay and boosts liver function.

You might be surprised to know that sulfur is good for you, but it actually has many health benefits. Not only does it help protect cells from damage, it also builds and repairs DNA.

To get the most out of eating broccoli, it ought to be steamed or stir-fried instead of boiled. Doing so preserves it.

Blueberries

Blueberries are fruits considered as powerful healing plants for their impact on health.

To begin with, blueberries contain a natural aspirin that helps lessen the damaging effects of chronic inflammation. They also help prevent urinary tract infection and keep toxins from reaching the brain.

Blueberries can be consumed raw or as jam, jelly, juice and even wine.

Avocado

Say what you will about millennials and avocado on toast, but the fruit is great for keeping healthy.

Considered as “nutrient-dense” fruits, avocados are packed with vitamins, including several B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K and potassium, which helps manage blood pressure by helping your body remove sodium.

Avocados can be served raw, as a dip called guacamole, a spread or soup.

Grapefruit

The grapefruit looks just like an orange on the outside, but its flesh is usually bright red. Just like the avocado, it’s loaded with nutrients, like:

  • Vitamin B5, or pantothenic acid, which helps break down fats, proteins and carbohydrates
  • Biotin, which helps keep your eyes, hair, skin, liver and nervous system healthy
  • Potassium
  • Vitamins A, C and B1

The grapefruit also contains fiber, which isn’t only necessary in regulating digestion, but helps prevent certain diseases.

Kale

Like spinach, kale is also a green and leafy vegetable, except it has a distinctly earthy taste.

Since it’s rich in amino acids, kale is great for staying healthy. It lets your mind stay sharp and your cholesterol manageable. It’s also high in magnesium and potassium, which helps with blood pressure management.

Kale can be served as chips or as an ingredient in certain dishes.

Celery

Celery is a green vegetable with thick, juicy, ribbed stalks and parsley-like leaves. It’s most commonly used as a herb, but it’s also an excellent blood cleanser for being full of anti-inflammatory substances. It’s so effective that even celery seeds, which are turned into powder and used as a spice, also have the same effect.

Asparagus

Asparagus is a green vegetable that bears shoots ending in pointy, feather-like clusters.

Not only is it a good source of fiber and vitamins, A, C, E and K, it contains the antioxidant glutathione and folate, or vitamin B-9, which is important in the formation of red blood cells and for the healthy growth and function of cells.

Asparagus is best served boiled then tossed into a salad or some pasta or with just a squeeze of lemon.

Legumes

Legumes are basically the edible seeds of certain plants. Examples include peanuts, soybeans, chickpeas and lentils. They’re full of fiber, which helps cleanse the intestines, lower cholesterol and regulate blood sugar levels. They also contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Beets

Referred to as beetroot in British English, beets are vegetables that grow a round, reddish-purple bulb with green leaves. They’re high in antioxidants and rich in more than a few nutrients, such as betaine, which helps your liver rid itself of toxins, as well as a fiber called pectin that clears those toxins.

Beets can be eaten raw, boiled or roasted and either alone or mixed into a salad.

     References

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              10 Best Herbs for Weight Loss

              Posted on by James Miller

              Here are our picks for the 10 best herbs for weight loss to help you shed those unwanted pounds naturally.

              There are many ways people can lose weight. We can eat more vegetables, we can cut back on our sugar intake, we can work out and, of course, we can go on a diet. What we aren’t usually told to do is eat more of something.

              Surprisingly enough, eating certain foods can help us lose weight. Among the most effective are herbs. They’re most often used as seasoning, so we don’t typically eat a lot of them. But they help keep our weight down when added to our diets by either letting us better fight off food cravings or boosting our bodies’ ability to burn fat.

              To help you get started on your weight loss journey, here are our 10 picks for the best herbs for weight loss that will not only make your meals more tasty but also more healthy.

              Ginseng

              Ginseng is a fleshy, light-tan root with stringy, twisted shoots. It vaguely resembles a voodoo doll, hence its nickname “man-root.” A staple in traditional Chinese medicine, it has many health benefits. Rich in antioxidants, it may reduce inflammation, boost your brain’s functions, your immune system and your energy levels; and lower your blood sugar or blood glucose. Studies suggest it’s a powerful weight loss aid, able to stimulate weight loss, delay the absorption of fat and modify its formation. It’s available as herbal teas, energy drinks and dietary supplements.

              Caralluma Fimbriata

              Caralluma fimbriata, or caralluma for short, is an edible cactus that grows in India. It’s used in preserves (ex: chutneys), medicine and diet pills. It’s thought to aid weight loss by increasing the levels of serotonin, the chemical that affects mood, emotions, appetite and digestion, in the body. When this happens, your appetite decreases. The less you want to eat, the less food you consume. The less food you eat, the more you lose weight.

              Gymnema Sylvestre

              Gymnema sylvestre is a woody vine with green, elongated, oval-shaped leaves that is native to Asia. Australia and Africa. Aside from just gymnema, its common names include Australian cowplant, periploca of the woods and gurmar, which is a Hindi term meaning “sugar destroyer” in English. Its last nickname perfectly (although a bit dramatically) describes its ability to ward off sugar cravings by reducing the sweetness of foods. Excessive sugar intake has been proven to cause weight gain. Since gymnema sylvestre helps avoid this, it effectively aids weight loss.

              Withania Somnifera

              More commonly known as ashwagandha or winter cherry, withania somnifera is a short, tender shrub with elliptic, dull-green leaves that bear small, green, bell-shaped flowers and tiny, round, orange-red fruit. Native to India and North Africa, it’s been called the “king of Ayurvedic herbs,” able to reduce the levels of cortisol—the stress hormone—in the body. Since being stressed can lead to overeating and withania somnifera helps relieve it, the herb is effectively a weight loss aid.

              Green Tea

              Green tea isn’t just a nice, relaxing drink. It’s also a great weight loss aid, thanks to its several weight loss-aiding properties.

              To begin with, green tea contains epigallocatechin gallate, an antioxidant that can boost metabolism.

              It also has caffeine, which helps our bodies burn fat.

              Last but not least, it’s scientifically proven to curb food cravings by suppressing appetite as well as stimulate the hormones that help burn fat as well.

              Hibiscus

              Aside from planting some in your garden, you can take hibiscus flowers and boil them to make a vermillion-colored tea that can help you lose weight. The plant itself contains antioxidants called anthocyanins, phenolic compounds and flavonoids that all boost fat elimination by helping regulate the genes involved in fat digestion. It’s also been scientifically proven to lower the risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver, fat accumulation and adipogenesis. It also reduces ghrelin, the hunger hormone, in the body as well as blood pressure.

              Dandelion

              Just like the hibiscus, the dandelion is a pretty flower that can be turned into fat-fighting tea. It’s been scientifically proven to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-diabetic and anti-obesity properties. It also increases our sensitivity to insulin and our ability to secrete it, which both help regulate our blood sugar levels, as well as improve digestion. Its leaves may also help reduce blood sugar, cholesterol levels and a type of fat found in the blood called triglycerides.

              Aloe Vera

              Almost everybody knows aloe vera is good for our hair and skin. What most of us probably aren’t aware of is how helpful it is in losing weight.

              In addition to being an Ayurvedic herb for having laxative properties, it can help boost metabolism, enabling our bodies burn fat better.

              To enjoy its weight loss benefits, you can take 1–2 teaspoons of aloe vera extract every day or take the plant’s gel right from its leaves and add it to the juice or smoothie you drink every morning.

              Arugula

              Usually eaten as part of a salad or burger, arugula is quite a nutritious herb. It’s a great source of folate, vitamins A, C and K; and the dietary minerals magnesium, manganese and calcium. As a weight loss aid, it helps our bodies produce a digestive enzyme that helps metabolize carbs.

              Rosemary

              Most commonly used as seasoning in a variety of dishes, such as stews, casseroles, salads and soups, rosemary is a surprisingly good weight loss aid. It has antioxidant properties and helps reduce blood sugar levels by increasing liver glycolysis, or the breakdown of glucose stored in the liver. It also increases fat oxidation, or the process of breaking down fatty acids.

              References

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                                10 Manifestation Techniques for Success That Work

                                Posted on by James Miller

                                Here are our 10 picks for the manifestation techniques that are sure to help you succeed in life.

                                “You are what you think. So just think big, believe big, act big, work big, give big, forgive big, laugh big, love big and live big.”

                                This is one of the many notable quotes of Andrew Carnegie, the Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist who emigrated to Pittsburgh with his parents in 1848 at the age of 12, started working as a telegrapher and later became one of the richest Americans in history. By the time he was 24, he had investments in railroads, railroad sleeping cars, bridges and oil derricks. Aside from becoming a leading philanthropist in the U.S., Great Britain and the British Empire, he is best remembered as having led the expansion of America’s steel industry in the late 19th century.

                                Who wouldn’t want to be as successful as Andrew Carnegie, right? But where do we even start?

                                Well, as Andrew himself so cleverly put it, it all starts in the mind.

                                The mind is an amazingly powerful tool that can be harnessed to achieve what we desire. That involves manifestation, the process of using the right thought processes to make our dreams come true.

                                There are many ways to achieve this, referred to as manifestation techniques. Some are more effective than others. To help make sure you get the most out of life, here are our 10 picks for the most effective manifestation techniques for success.

                                Start Clearing Your Mind of Negativity

                                Many people don’t go after what they want because they’re discouraged by their negative thoughts.

                                Take fear. Sure, it can be scary to pursue our goals. It might be hard, we might fail and most don’t even know how to go about it.

                                But why cast yourself down right from the start?

                                Hope for the best instead of stressing over everything that could go wrong.

                                If you start out in a positive frame of mind, it will be easier to keep trying to achieve your goals even if it gets hard. The more you try, the better your chances at success.

                                Determine What You Really Want

                                If asked what they want in life, most people answer with vague concepts. The most common ones include happiness, love and lots of money. While these are all great things to have in life, they’re not exactly clear. For example, when we say we want lots of money, what do we even mean? Do we want $100 million? A billion? How much would be enough?

                                Instead of thinking about your success in such broad terms, be more specific. Say you do want to be rich. Instead of just being wealthy, why not start a business that becomes so successful you’ll be able to retire in the next few years?

                                The more concrete details your goal has, the easier it will be for you to come up with the steps needed to achieve it.

                                Dig Deep Into Your “Why”

                                Okay, we admit, figuring out the one thing we really want to have or do is easier said than done. It’s like trying to predict how our lives will turn out in the end. It’s not easy, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

                                If you have a hard time coming up with your life’s goal, explore why you want to succeed. Understanding why you want to have or do a certain thing will make it clear what that one thing you really want to have or do is.

                                For example, if you want to fall in love, what you might really want is to meet someone with whom you could spend the rest of your life and who feels the same way about you so you can be safe, secure and happy when you’re old.

                                Remember, be as detailed about your goal as possible so you know exactly how to achieve it. You’ll only be able to do so by exploring your “why.”

                                Trust the Process

                                As we already said, pursuing your life’s goal won’t be easy. You’ll have to work hard, you might have to make sacrifices and you might have to get out of your comfort zone. But, as Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th U.S. president, said, “Nothing worth having comes easy.”

                                If you do have a tough time trying to succeed in life, know that it’s just part of the process. Just keep it at. Surrender to the process. Believe in it. Believe in yourself that you’ll make it. When all’s said and done, your life would have been changed for the better. 

                                Visualize Your Success

                                Remember that saying “fake it till you make it”? It’s not just for developing self-confidence. It can also be applied to the pursuit of success.

                                Picture this: You’re the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. You have thousands of employees. You make billions of dollars every year. You own multiple mansions across the country. You have a loving spouse and kids.

                                If you already see yourself as having already succeeded in life in your mind, you’ll be much more confident you’ll succeed in the real world. You can gain this confidence by visualizing your success as often as you can. The more clear your success is in your mind, the more confident you’ll be.

                                Physically Prepare for Your Success

                                As important as it is to see yourself as successful in actually becoming so, you still need to do things to make it happen. In other words, you need to take action. That involves making the necessary adjustments in your life to make sure your “wish” gets granted.

                                If you want to be in a relationship, that means making the needed space for it in your life.

                                If you want to land your dream job, that means gaining the skills you need to get it.

                                Project More Positive Energy

                                It can be hard to stay positive if you run into obstacles in pursuit of success. Keep negative thoughts from creeping back into your mind during hard times by becoming more positive.

                                The easiest way you can become more positive is by being nicer to the people around you. Smiling more, asking them about their day and giving them compliments are just some of the ways you can try that take little to no effort.

                                The more positive energy you exude, the more positive energy you attract. The more positive energy you draw to yourself, the more positivity there will be in your life.

                                Become More Grateful

                                It’s easy to assume we haven’t achieved much in life when we compare ourselves to others. But if we look closely, we’ll realize we have so much more than what we thought we had.

                                If you have a roof over your head, you eat three meals every day and you have electricity, clean clothes, clean water and a clean bed to rest on, you’re better off than millions of people around the world.

                                Be grateful for everything you have and every step you take towards achieving your goal—no matter how small—and your life will be brimming with positivity, attracting success to you even more.

                                Start Living in the Moment More

                                Every time you start looking back on all the mistakes you’ve made in the past or thinking about everything that could go wrong in your life in the future, yank yourself back to the present. There’s nothing we can do about what we’ve done in the past and there’s no knowing for sure what will happen to us in the future, but we can make the best of the present.

                                Use the Manifestation Tools That Best Suit You

                                Given how hard pursuing success could be, it’s a good thing there are tools we can use to give ourselves a fighting chance.

                                For instance, if you’re a visual person, you can use a vision board to visualize your life’s goal more easily.

                                No matter what you choose, just make sure it suits you so you won’t have any issues with it. The easier it is to use, the more help it will be in achieving your goal.

                                References

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                                    Why Making New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work and What to Do Instead

                                    Posted on by James Miller

                                    Whenever it’s a New Year, many of us try to come up with New Year’s resolution ideas. We ask ourselves, “What should be my New Year’s resolution?” We try to figure out what would be a good New Year’s resolution or maybe even the best New Year’s resolution for us, hoping it will make next year turn out great.

                                    What do most people usually choose as their New Year’s resolutions? They decide to lose weight, make strides in their career, pay off their debt, get organized or be more healthy. Any of these are great promises to make to ourselves. Achieving them greatly improves our quality of life. Yet, somehow, many are unable to do so.

                                    A study conducted for two years found that nearly a quarter of people quit after just one week, and only 19% are able to keep going.

                                    Does that mean we can’t ever hope to better ourselves?

                                    Of course not!

                                    We can improve, but not through the usual way we make New Year’s resolutions.

                                    To discover how to stick to your New Year’s resolutions, we explain what a New Year’s resolution is, why we make New Year’s resolutions, why we fail to keep them and what we can do to actually make a change in our lives below.

                                    What’s a New Year’s resolution?

                                    A New Year’s resolution is a holiday tradition where we make a promise to ourselves around December or early January that can have a positive effect on our lives.

                                    It’s usually a choice to either start doing something good or stop doing something bad.

                                    An example of something good for us that could be our New Year’s resolution would be to exercise more. The more we work out, the healthier we’ll be.

                                    Something bad we ought to promise ourselves to stop doing as our New Year’s resolution could be smoking. Once we quit, we’ll no longer suffer the side effects, making us feel a whole lot better.

                                    Why do we make New Year’s resolutions?

                                    For most of us, New Year’s Eve is more than just a holiday. We see it as a fresh start. When we throw out our old calendars or planners and replace them with new ones, we see the next 365 days laid before us, full of possibility, giving us a chance to make a change.

                                    This sense of having a clean slate, coupled with the high from last year’s celebrations, encourages us to improve ourselves or make improvements in our lives.

                                    A year might not seem like enough time for some to make good on such promises, but the positive vibes usually all around us this time of year boost our chances of seeing them through and reaping the rewards.

                                    Why do we fail to keep our New Year’s resolutions?

                                    There are various reasons many aren’t able to keep their New Year’s resolutions. Those include how healthy they are, their environment, their financial status and the company they keep. But the most common ones usually come from within.

                                    5 Common Reasons New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work Out

                                     

                                    Not Having a Plan

                                    It was Benjamin Franklin himself, one of the Founding Fathers of the US, who said, “By failing to plan, you are preparing to fail.”

                                    How can you keep your New Year’s resolutions if you don’t know how?

                                    Instead of just winging it, you need to find out the steps you need to take.

                                    Being Overconfident

                                    There’s nothing wrong with believing in yourself. You need to in order to achieve something. It will give you that push you’ll need to keep going when the going gets rough.

                                    Being confident becomes a problem when you become too confident.

                                    Doing something new is never easy, no matter how easy it seems. You’ll run into obstacles you would’ve never expected. If things turn out harder than you thought, you might lose your drive to stick to your plan and fail to make your New Year’s resolutions a reality.

                                    Accept that you have weaknesses that could cause you to struggle. The more realistic your expectations are, the more emotionally prepared you’ll be when challenges arise.

                                    No Accountability

                                    Striving to become better is great and all, but having no means to monitor your progress is a recipe for disaster.

                                    That’s why fitness apps work. Showing you that you’re making progress keeps you motivated. If it shows you’re slipping, that very same motivation will compel you to get right back on track.

                                    Monitor your progress towards making good on your New Year’s resolutions or ask someone to help you to keep your eyes on the prize.

                                    Unwilling to Make Sacrifices

                                    No great thing was ever achieved without giving something up.

                                    Want to get fit? You need to start exercising or exercise more, eat healthy or healthier and consider going to the gym.

                                    These aren’t things most people are willing to do, so you need to commit in order to do them.

                                    It’s the same for any New Year’s resolution. Find out whether you need to get rid of certain things in your life in order to achieve yours. If there are any, ready yourself to make the needed sacrifices and let go.

                                    Not Really Ready to Change

                                    It’s easy to make promises if you aren’t serious about keeping them. They’re just empty words with no meaning. But how are you supposed to enjoy the benefits?

                                    So you can keep your New Year’s resolutions and make your life better, you need to be ready to change your life accordingly. It won’t be easy, but know it will be worth it.

                                    What to Do Instead of Just Making New Year’s Resolutions

                                    To experience meaningful change in your life next year, you need to set goals. Unlike New Year’s resolutions, goals consist of concrete steps you need to take in order to achieve them. Knowing exactly what you need to do gives you the best possible chance at success.

                                    Steps to Set a Goal

                                    1. Decide on what you want to do.
                                    2. Commit to it.
                                    3. Plan on how to achieve it.
                                    4. Take action.
                                    5. Monitor your progress.
                                    6. Keep at it even if it gets hard.
                                    7. Celebrate when you succeed.

                                    Conclusion

                                    Even though they’ve been done for as long as anyone can remember, making New Year’s resolutions doesn’t always work for everyone. But we can still work towards something better for ourselves when the holidays come around. As long as we go about it the right way, there’s no telling what we can achieve.

                                    References

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                                    10 Proven Morning Routine Benefits

                                    Posted on by James Miller

                                    Waking up in the morning isn’t always easy.

                                    There are many reasons it can feel like you’re trying to get out of a swimming pool full of molasses.

                                    Whether you just had to binge that entire new season of your favorite show, rank up in your favorite game to get that cool new skin, or talk for one more hour with the one you love before they call it a night or leave for work while their miles away on a working vacation, you know you have to get up to go to work or get to class once the sun comes up.

                                    Is there something you can possibly do to make it any less excruciating?

                                    Why, yes, there is! You can create and follow your very own morning routine. Not only can this healthy habit take much of the pain away from having to wake up whenever doing so gets harder than usual, it also helps set you up for a successful day each and every time.

                                    To learn more about this life-changing habit, here’s our definition of what it is followed by no less than 10 morning routine benefits to prove just how good it actually is.

                                    Morning Routine Definition

                                    A morning routine is a set of habits that a person does every day when they wake up to make sure their day starts off on the right foot. They vary from one person to another, depending on their interests. But no matter what they choose to make a habit, the benefits are pretty much the same.

                                    Morning Routine Benefits

                                     

                                    Lets You Prepare Yourself for the Rest of Your Day

                                    Having time in the morning to focus before you get on with the rest of your day puts you in a positive frame of mind, letting you easily stay focused and motivated throughout the day to do the things you need to do.

                                    This is similar to centering, a widely practiced technique in the martial art of aikido, where deep breathing is used to remain calm, relaxed and grounded in stressful situations.

                                    Energy Levels Boost

                                    Any routine provides those who follow it structure and guidance in their daily life. It lets them act with purpose instead of just going about aimlessly. Doing so helps them stay active, focused and sharp.

                                    That’s why athletes are so good at the sport they chose to excel at compared to the rest of us. By engaging in a pregame routine that involves hours and hours of training, they elevate their game by being able to get into the zone easily.

                                    Increased Productivity

                                    Knowing exactly what you need to do every time you wake up increases the likelihood you’ll accomplish everything on your plate. Having that sense of certainty with what to expect throughout the day keeps you from getting overwhelmed. Such efficiency leaves no room for the possibility of a task getting left unfinished. If you start your day this way, your entire day will surely be productive.

                                    Feel More in Control

                                    Remember the saying: control your day, don’t let it control you? It means managing your schedule in such a way that the sheer number of things you need to attend to doesn’t unravel into a chaotic mess. This doesn’t just apply to work. You can also put it to use as one of your morning habits. Organizing your mornings lets you calmly and comfortably ease into the rest of your tasks for the day, letting you handle them with hardly any issues.

                                    Less Stress

                                    It’s so stressful whenever you need to rush because your work or chores somehow piled up and you have to move fast to finish them all on time. That usually happens when you just let things get thrown at you instead of planning how to deal with them. Establishing a routine lets you put everything in a neat, little order. The less stressed you are, the less likely you’ll suffer from its adverse effects, which include anxiety, high blood pressure, heart disease and even depression.

                                    Not Forget About Things Easily Anymore

                                    Since it’s done every day, a routine is hard to forget. Even if you don’t consciously think about it. If you do it long enough, it will probably become part of your muscle memory, in that you’ll accomplish tasks without being focused on them at all. A great example of this is being able to get dressed for work even if you hardly had any sleep.

                                    If you manage that with taking out the trash, feeding your pet or any chore you need to do in the morning, it’s highly unlikely you’ll forget the other important things you need to do later in the day, preventing it from getting ruined.

                                    More Confidence

                                    Creating a morning routine isn’t just all about accomplishing tasks. It also involves self-care. Whether it’s having time to fix yourself a nice breakfast, do your hair or talk to your kids before sending them off to school, making a self-care habit or habits part of your morning routine will surely lift your spirits right at the start of your day.

                                    The better you feel, the more confident you’ll be.

                                    Stronger Relationships

                                    Speaking of being able to talk to your kids over breakfast before they head on off to school, you can do one better and carve time out from your schedule every morning so your entire family can just sit down and spend time together before going about with the rest of the day. Being able to bond like this every day will bring you closer together, strengthening your relationships as a family.

                                    Become Even More Flexible

                                    But no matter how carefully you plan out your morning routine, there’s always the possibility that something could come up and disrupt it. All you have to do to get back on track is to continue following it. Keep doing this every time something unexpected happens and you’ll get better at anticipating problems. The better you get at this, the more flexible you’ll be.

                                    Easier to Develop More Healthy Habits

                                    The more often you do something, whether it’s good or bad, the easier it is to keep doing it. That’s why bad habits are so hard to break and why good ones get easier and easier to keep, no matter how hard they are. You can think of succeeding at creating and following your very own morning routine as a stepping stone to having more healthy habits. If you manage to keep at it, there’s no telling how great your life could become.

                                    References

                                    Image Source

                                    gpointstudio on Freepik

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