I will be posting a little less here in the next week or so. I am in the middle of switching servers/hosting and updating my website, My Kids MY Why . I am changing alot of the site around. It's time consuming taking all of the info from one sight and adding it to another, which is what I am doing. Once it's complete, I will flick the switch and introduce the NEW, My Kids, My Why.
Have a great night.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Keeping Your Kids Busy During the Summer
Summer is here. Kids are home and just when you think all is fine and everyone is happy, you hear those words you dread... "Mom, I'm bored".
Yes, school keeps our kids busy during the day and homework keeps them busy at night. But during the summer months, it is easy for kids to get bored. It's as if our kids rush to get everything done that they want to do in the first couple weeks of their summer vacation. Then entering the third week they find they are bored and have nothing to do.
Here are some simple summer time tips that may help.
1) If you don't have a swimming pool, take your kids to your local community swimming pool. Or if you are near the beach (that's where I would be). I have a baby pool that my kids find themselves having alot of fun in when they are bored and it's hot outside.
2) Set an hour aside and show your kids your creativeness. Maybe you have a plain picture frame laying around and you would like to personalize it. Grab a few buttons, beads, uncooked macaroni noodles, and have your kids choose the places they would like to add these items and glue them on. You can even use finger nail polish and paint stars and smiley faces on the frame.
3) Don't forget the Lemonade sale I don't see kids do this as much anymore. But I believe this teaches more than just selling lemonade. It also teaches the kids that they have to do a little work to earn a little money. Let the kids make the lemonade as well.
4) Grab your garden hose, bucket of water and wash your car with your kids. This shows kids the work it takes to keep a vehicle clean and you will have fun along the way. When you can spray each other, let your kids spray you and wash your car at the same time, and have fun doing it, life does not get any better.
5) Grab a blanket and lay outside under the stars. You will be amazed the the conversations you can have with your kids by doing this. You will find yourself relaxed and creating another bonding moment with your children.
6) Go for a nature walk in your local metropolitan park. They all have trails that you can walk through. Not only is it cooler with all the trees and shade, but you never know what kind of animal you may stumble across and walking through the streams of water, looking at the fish, plants and rocks is really fun for the whole family.
7) Have an ice cream party. Grab all the toppings you can think of. Sprinkles, cherries, nuts, caramel, hot fudge, whip cream and marshmallow. Kids love to make their own creations and odds are, no matter how it turns out, they will eat it anyway.
8) Go for an evening stroll with your kids. It is cooler in the evenings and much healthier for our kids to be out walking instead on inside playing video games. And if losing a few pounds is on your to do list, this could very well help.
9) Head to your library. Our library has so much to offer. We receive a newsletter lettng us know all the classes that are coming for adults and for the kids. Every class is free, too. But most require pre-registration so they can have an idea of how many people will be coming. From a story time class, arts and crafts class, bingo evening, movie night. There's something for every age a couple times each week.
10) My favorite. A cook out at the park. Grab a few friends together and head for the park. Most have a pavillion and grill where you can prepare a nice lunch while the kids go play on the playground. After a few hours, the kids have let out some of their energy and everyone is happy, full and tired.
Article Source: Cindy Ashworth @ www.mykidsmywhy.com and www.successfulwahm.blogspot.com
Yes, school keeps our kids busy during the day and homework keeps them busy at night. But during the summer months, it is easy for kids to get bored. It's as if our kids rush to get everything done that they want to do in the first couple weeks of their summer vacation. Then entering the third week they find they are bored and have nothing to do.
Here are some simple summer time tips that may help.
1) If you don't have a swimming pool, take your kids to your local community swimming pool. Or if you are near the beach (that's where I would be). I have a baby pool that my kids find themselves having alot of fun in when they are bored and it's hot outside.
2) Set an hour aside and show your kids your creativeness. Maybe you have a plain picture frame laying around and you would like to personalize it. Grab a few buttons, beads, uncooked macaroni noodles, and have your kids choose the places they would like to add these items and glue them on. You can even use finger nail polish and paint stars and smiley faces on the frame.
3) Don't forget the Lemonade sale I don't see kids do this as much anymore. But I believe this teaches more than just selling lemonade. It also teaches the kids that they have to do a little work to earn a little money. Let the kids make the lemonade as well.
4) Grab your garden hose, bucket of water and wash your car with your kids. This shows kids the work it takes to keep a vehicle clean and you will have fun along the way. When you can spray each other, let your kids spray you and wash your car at the same time, and have fun doing it, life does not get any better.
5) Grab a blanket and lay outside under the stars. You will be amazed the the conversations you can have with your kids by doing this. You will find yourself relaxed and creating another bonding moment with your children.
6) Go for a nature walk in your local metropolitan park. They all have trails that you can walk through. Not only is it cooler with all the trees and shade, but you never know what kind of animal you may stumble across and walking through the streams of water, looking at the fish, plants and rocks is really fun for the whole family.
7) Have an ice cream party. Grab all the toppings you can think of. Sprinkles, cherries, nuts, caramel, hot fudge, whip cream and marshmallow. Kids love to make their own creations and odds are, no matter how it turns out, they will eat it anyway.
8) Go for an evening stroll with your kids. It is cooler in the evenings and much healthier for our kids to be out walking instead on inside playing video games. And if losing a few pounds is on your to do list, this could very well help.
9) Head to your library. Our library has so much to offer. We receive a newsletter lettng us know all the classes that are coming for adults and for the kids. Every class is free, too. But most require pre-registration so they can have an idea of how many people will be coming. From a story time class, arts and crafts class, bingo evening, movie night. There's something for every age a couple times each week.
10) My favorite. A cook out at the park. Grab a few friends together and head for the park. Most have a pavillion and grill where you can prepare a nice lunch while the kids go play on the playground. After a few hours, the kids have let out some of their energy and everyone is happy, full and tired.
Article Source: Cindy Ashworth @ www.mykidsmywhy.com and www.successfulwahm.blogspot.com
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
How To Set And Achieve Your Goals - Part 2
1. BUY INTO GOAL-SETTING
In other words, buy into taking control of your life. If you don't know where you want to go, how do you know in which direction to move? How do you know how close you are, or even if you've arrived? If you got into your car without a destination in mind, wouldn't you just drive around - going nowhere - until you ran out of gas? Reject the route that most people take: shuffling down the life path of least resistance, resigned to "making the most of it."
True, life has a momentum of its own, and while you must respect that, chances are you can control your life much more than you are now. Think about it honestly - most likely 99% of your best achievements in life happened because you set a goal, developed an action plan, and persisted.
Why is it that clearly 97% of the population has never set goals? The reason is FEAR. False Evidence Appearing Real. If the evidence appears real in your mind, then it is real. An example of this is someone who can rob a bank with his finger. He sticks his hand in his coat, walks up to the teller, shoves his finger forward in his pocket like a gun and robs the bank. Now is there really any danger? No, but to all appearances, there is.
We go through life collecting false evidence, letting it build up, and when we think of setting goals - we think of putting ourselves in danger: we might not reach them, we might fail. But it is far better to set them and miss rather than not trying at all. "Failing to plan, is planning to fail by default."
2. START BY FANTASIZING
If you could have anything, what would it be? If you could be anyone, who would you be? Imagine you are chatting with the person you are going to be in 20 years. How does that person look, speak and think? What do others think of them? Do they have any advice for you? Get back in touch with your childhood dreams. This is not frivolity! Many people fail to get what they want because they refuse to let themselves think about it.
Unfortunately many of us were told as children, "Stop daydreaming!" Not only should you think about it, you must visualize the goal - see yourself possessing what you want, and being who you want to be. Embrace it - get a clear view of your goals. Your subconscious mind is a truly incredible device. Although the term "subconscious mind" has been used loosely, it is probably more accurate to think of it not as a mind at all - but rather a mechanism or ability of the mind.
The human system is goal-seeking by design and one of the functions of this mechanism is goal-fulfillment - similar to the concept of the homing torpedo or the ballistic missile. The human brain operates in much the same way but it is much more complex than any system man could ever invent. Amazingly, it cannot distinguish between that which is real and that which is vividly imagined. It stores emotional fantasies as your own reality, and what it sees as reality becomes the "target" to hit - it will start to work with you toward reaching your goals. That is why it is so important to your success that you not skip this step - you must vividly imagine your goals and see yourself achieving them.
3. WRITE THEM DOWN
Goals must be written down to be accomplished. This simple process is a giant step towards the finish line. It's been said that the difference between a "wish" and a "goal" is that a goal is written down. Believe it. If it is not in writing, it is not a goal.
An unwritten want is a wish, a never-happen. The day you put your goal in writing is the day and time it becomes a commitment that will change your life. Another fascinating fact about your subconscious mind is the physical act of your hand writing down your goals in the "I will" tense, signals it to act to fulfillment. Amazing. Only 3% of the world's population writes their goals leaving 90% thinking about them and the remaining 7% doing neither one.
It is a proven scientific fact that writing crystallizes thought and thought crystallizes action. Make a Master Plan, a dream list, a goal sheet. Let your mind run free. Don't limit yourself to just career goals - set them in all facets of your life. Too much emphasis in just one area will throw you off-kilter - and that is the key: BALANCE in your life, an area we all need to work on.
Organize the sheet into 10 categories:
· Health/Weight· Family/Children· Friendship· Spirituality· Education/Self-Development· Community· Travel· House/Auto· Money/Salary/Promotions· Investments/Retirement
4. MAKE THEM REALISTIC & BELIEVABLE
Deciding what is realistic can be tough. Is it unrealistic to set the goal of becoming a millionaire next year? Becoming President of the United States? Living in Tahiti? Only you can decide what is realistic for you. Keep in mind though, that it is far better to set your goals high than to sell yourself short by setting them too low. Remember to aim high - not out-of-sight, but just out-of-reach.
Be sure to make your goals believable - if you don't believe you can achieve a goal, you won't pay the price (time, effort, patience, persistence, tears) that will be necessary to reach it. An effective goal is an exciting challenge. A goal must push you beyond where you are right now. It must demand your best and perhaps a bit more than you realized you had in you - otherwise, it isn't going to force you to change your ways.
5. MAKE THEM SPECIFIC AND MEASURABLE
For example, you want to be "well-read". What does that mean? Fiction? Biography? Current events? How many books? When do you want to have achieved it? You set the goal to "make more money". How much? Per week? Per month? When do you want to start earning that amount? Get precise! This may sound compulsive, but it is invaluable.
Guideline: If you can't quantify your goal - with numbers and dates - it isn't specific enough. Goals must be painfully specific. Until vague wishes are translated into concrete goals, progress will not be made. Again, just like the homing torpedo. It cannot function properly without specific data. If it is programmed incompletely or non-specifically or aimed at a target too far out of range on the horizon, this homing device will wander erratically around the sea or space until its propulsion system fails or until it self-destructs.
And so it is with your mind - programmed with vague, random thoughts or fixed on an unrealistic goal - the human system wanders aimlessly around and around until it wears itself out.The goals you program into your mind need to be of intricate detail. Give your miraculous subconscious mind the proper input to fulfill its mission."A goal is a dream with a deadline."
6. BREAK LONG-RANGE GOALS INTO SHORT-TERM DEADLINES
Deadlines have a magical way of producing results, so give yourself lots of them. If you know what you want in 5 years, you can also know what you have to be doing this year, this month, and this week to achieve it. Short-term goals should be set within a 90-day period. There is a tendency observed that you may lose interest if a short-term goal exceeds 90-days. This "divide-and-conquer" game plan gives you the small, immediate victories that keep your momentum and commitment level high.
Winners know that the achievement of one goal is the seed that spawns many more, and multiplies the open doors to success almost spontaneously. Each week, develop your weekly plan from your master plan. Each day, set your daily To-Do list. Crossing off the items as they are completed produces a powerful motivation to keep the day moving and complete the list. Take control of your time.
7. ANCHOR THEM
Have you ever wondered why some people set goals and reach them, while others just fail miserably? Well, there are many ingredients to reaching your goals which we are covering, but
the strongest one is persistence and perseverance that is anchored to a strong WHY. If your "why" is strong enough, the, "how" figures itself out.
Here's an example:It is the middle of the day - outside is a terrible blizzard raging that just seemed to come out of no where. The phone rings - it is the school calling - your son was just rushed to the emergency room and they need you to meet the doctor at the hospital. You run outside to jump in your car and you have 4 flat tires. Do you say to yourself, "Oh well, I tried, I just won't make it there - there is no way." Or rather do you tell yourself, "No matter what - I am getting to that hospital if I have to walk every inch of the way!" We all know the answer. Your "why" was so powerful - your need to get there so strong - that you surely found your way there. So it is true in all aspects of our life.
The goals you set that have a strong anchor are the ones you will reach. What deep-rooted, in-your-gut reasons do you have for wanting this to happen? What will happen to the quality of your life when you reach your goal? What will it feel like? Your "why" will keep you going in the direction of the goal even when it gets hard; even when it seems impossible. It is the tie that binds you emotionally to the task for the long-term.
It has been said that CHARACTER is the ability to carry out a decision long after the emotion of making the decision has passed.So, the next step is to write down your "why" next to each goal you have written down. If you cannot clearly state why you want this on your dream list/goal sheet in one sentence, cross it off the list.
8. MAKE THEM COMPATIBLE
Make your goals compatible with your efforts. If you only work your business about 5 hours each week, don't set a goal to become the "Top Dog" in the next 30 days. Keep your goals compatible with the efforts you are giving. Be realistic.
9. IDENTIFY ANY OBSTACLES THAT STAND IN YOUR WAY
Guess what? You are going to hit obstacles. Road-blocks, resistance. No problem. Anticipate. Prepare. What will you need to plan around to get to your goal? The goal we write is gold, but the plan on accomplishing that goal may be written in sand. You may have to change course, take a detour to get there - but you will get there.
And as far as resistance is concerned? Welcome it. Develop the "bring-it-on" mentality. Why? Because resistance is nothing more than life identifying just how bad you want it. When life pushes and resists - push back. A body builder will teach you a similar principle: Resistance is what builds muscle - it gives you something to push against - it makes you stronger.
10. IDENTIFY WHO YOU WILL NEED TO WORK WITH
No one is an island. The influence and cooperation of others is critical to your success. Assembling a group of people who have the same goal, drive and ambition you have is priceless. If you are going to reach your goals, surround yourself with people who will help you get there. Teaming up with a peer also holds you both accountable to the commitment - an excellent way to keep your head in the game.
11. IDENTIFY WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
We all need to be students. You are either "green and growing" or you are "ripe and rotting". As soon as you think you know it all, you are through. Keep reading, attending workshops, listening to tapes and sound advice whenever you can. If there is a specific part you don't understand or need help with - ASK !!! You certainly can't achieve your goals if you don't have the knowledge required.
12. DEVELOP AN ACTION PLAN
Goals load the gun, but action pulls the trigger. What is a clear-cut goal without an action plan? A waste of time. Imagine a football team that has developed some of the most effective plays to score touchdowns, they map them all out - but when they get on the playing field they don't put them into action. What a pity - no superbowl for them - just a waste of time and talent.
One of the biggest mistakes people make is confusing activity with action. Activities, many times are tension-relieving (shuffling papers, etc.) rather than goal-achieving. Activity is writing down a list of names, action is picking up the phone and making the appointment. Develop an action plan for each of the goals you set. Develop a "do-it-now" philosophy. If not now, when?"
The first step in achieving your goals is to recognize that ‘someday' is not a day of the week." - Ed Bliss, Author of Getting Things Done How many times are you going to review where you want to go? Analysis causes paralysis. Get moving! Put your plan into action!
13. STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE
Time to stop kidding yourself. We are all guilty of procrastination and playing-it-safe. The sting of rejection and the fear of failure keeps us from our own destiny. "If you want to keep on getting what you've got, just keep on doing what you've done."We should take our cue from nature.
When the time has come for the babies to fly, the mother bird literally throws her babies out of the nest - and guess what? They start flapping instinctively and they fly.We all want the "fruit" in life - funny, there's no fruit close to the safe tree-trunk - all the fruit is out on the limb of the tree where you'll have to risk falling to get it, Oh, there's that 4-letter word again - RISK. "A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships were made for." And neither were you.
To go forward in the face of overwhelming odds is to risk failure. But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing, is nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or love. Chained by his fear, he is a slave. He has forfeited freedom. Only a person who takes risks can truly be free. Yes, it's risky stepping out into the unknown - away from your comfort zone - but it is the first step toward reaching your goals.
14. MAKE A COMMITMENT TO YOURSELF THAT YOU WILL NOT QUIT
"Winners never quit, while quitters never win." Such a true statement. Understand ahead of time that there are going to be people and events that will stop you temporarily, but only you can make yourself stop permanently.
Don't ever let the negative influence of others change your chosen course. Stay in control - decide ahead of time what you are willing to give up in order to reach your goals. Understand that failure cannot cope with persistence.Guideline: Abandon goals only if they have lost meaning for you - never because they are too tough or you've had a setback.
15. REVIEW YOUR GOALS REGULARLY
Cross off the goals you've completed (what a good feeling) and revise, add to, or delete the others. Which ones have you ignored? Which ones are you flat-out avoiding? Now is the time to be honest with yourself about which ones you are really committed to, and which ones are only paper dreams. It is okay to change your goals as you go along - scratch some off if you need to. Recommit to the ones you are dead serious about. See goal setting as a process. The direction and focus you get from goal setting is just as important as the achievement. START RIGHT THIS MINUTE
Make a commitment to yourself that you will begin; that you will take over the helm of your life and no longer let time slip away from you. You can direct your own course in life by designing your life through the power of setting goals. Don't wait for external changes to trigger your activity - let an internal change begin to move you forward. Do it now.
GOAL SETTING IS THE POWER OF PURPOSE
"The credit belongs to those people who are actually in the arena, who know the great enthusiasms, the great devotions to a worthy cause; who at best, know the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst, fail while daring greatly,so that their place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."- Theodore Roosevelt
Thank you to Elvire Smith for sharing this.
In other words, buy into taking control of your life. If you don't know where you want to go, how do you know in which direction to move? How do you know how close you are, or even if you've arrived? If you got into your car without a destination in mind, wouldn't you just drive around - going nowhere - until you ran out of gas? Reject the route that most people take: shuffling down the life path of least resistance, resigned to "making the most of it."
True, life has a momentum of its own, and while you must respect that, chances are you can control your life much more than you are now. Think about it honestly - most likely 99% of your best achievements in life happened because you set a goal, developed an action plan, and persisted.
Why is it that clearly 97% of the population has never set goals? The reason is FEAR. False Evidence Appearing Real. If the evidence appears real in your mind, then it is real. An example of this is someone who can rob a bank with his finger. He sticks his hand in his coat, walks up to the teller, shoves his finger forward in his pocket like a gun and robs the bank. Now is there really any danger? No, but to all appearances, there is.
We go through life collecting false evidence, letting it build up, and when we think of setting goals - we think of putting ourselves in danger: we might not reach them, we might fail. But it is far better to set them and miss rather than not trying at all. "Failing to plan, is planning to fail by default."
2. START BY FANTASIZING
If you could have anything, what would it be? If you could be anyone, who would you be? Imagine you are chatting with the person you are going to be in 20 years. How does that person look, speak and think? What do others think of them? Do they have any advice for you? Get back in touch with your childhood dreams. This is not frivolity! Many people fail to get what they want because they refuse to let themselves think about it.
Unfortunately many of us were told as children, "Stop daydreaming!" Not only should you think about it, you must visualize the goal - see yourself possessing what you want, and being who you want to be. Embrace it - get a clear view of your goals. Your subconscious mind is a truly incredible device. Although the term "subconscious mind" has been used loosely, it is probably more accurate to think of it not as a mind at all - but rather a mechanism or ability of the mind.
The human system is goal-seeking by design and one of the functions of this mechanism is goal-fulfillment - similar to the concept of the homing torpedo or the ballistic missile. The human brain operates in much the same way but it is much more complex than any system man could ever invent. Amazingly, it cannot distinguish between that which is real and that which is vividly imagined. It stores emotional fantasies as your own reality, and what it sees as reality becomes the "target" to hit - it will start to work with you toward reaching your goals. That is why it is so important to your success that you not skip this step - you must vividly imagine your goals and see yourself achieving them.
3. WRITE THEM DOWN
Goals must be written down to be accomplished. This simple process is a giant step towards the finish line. It's been said that the difference between a "wish" and a "goal" is that a goal is written down. Believe it. If it is not in writing, it is not a goal.
An unwritten want is a wish, a never-happen. The day you put your goal in writing is the day and time it becomes a commitment that will change your life. Another fascinating fact about your subconscious mind is the physical act of your hand writing down your goals in the "I will" tense, signals it to act to fulfillment. Amazing. Only 3% of the world's population writes their goals leaving 90% thinking about them and the remaining 7% doing neither one.
It is a proven scientific fact that writing crystallizes thought and thought crystallizes action. Make a Master Plan, a dream list, a goal sheet. Let your mind run free. Don't limit yourself to just career goals - set them in all facets of your life. Too much emphasis in just one area will throw you off-kilter - and that is the key: BALANCE in your life, an area we all need to work on.
Organize the sheet into 10 categories:
· Health/Weight· Family/Children· Friendship· Spirituality· Education/Self-Development· Community· Travel· House/Auto· Money/Salary/Promotions· Investments/Retirement
4. MAKE THEM REALISTIC & BELIEVABLE
Deciding what is realistic can be tough. Is it unrealistic to set the goal of becoming a millionaire next year? Becoming President of the United States? Living in Tahiti? Only you can decide what is realistic for you. Keep in mind though, that it is far better to set your goals high than to sell yourself short by setting them too low. Remember to aim high - not out-of-sight, but just out-of-reach.
Be sure to make your goals believable - if you don't believe you can achieve a goal, you won't pay the price (time, effort, patience, persistence, tears) that will be necessary to reach it. An effective goal is an exciting challenge. A goal must push you beyond where you are right now. It must demand your best and perhaps a bit more than you realized you had in you - otherwise, it isn't going to force you to change your ways.
5. MAKE THEM SPECIFIC AND MEASURABLE
For example, you want to be "well-read". What does that mean? Fiction? Biography? Current events? How many books? When do you want to have achieved it? You set the goal to "make more money". How much? Per week? Per month? When do you want to start earning that amount? Get precise! This may sound compulsive, but it is invaluable.
Guideline: If you can't quantify your goal - with numbers and dates - it isn't specific enough. Goals must be painfully specific. Until vague wishes are translated into concrete goals, progress will not be made. Again, just like the homing torpedo. It cannot function properly without specific data. If it is programmed incompletely or non-specifically or aimed at a target too far out of range on the horizon, this homing device will wander erratically around the sea or space until its propulsion system fails or until it self-destructs.
And so it is with your mind - programmed with vague, random thoughts or fixed on an unrealistic goal - the human system wanders aimlessly around and around until it wears itself out.The goals you program into your mind need to be of intricate detail. Give your miraculous subconscious mind the proper input to fulfill its mission."A goal is a dream with a deadline."
6. BREAK LONG-RANGE GOALS INTO SHORT-TERM DEADLINES
Deadlines have a magical way of producing results, so give yourself lots of them. If you know what you want in 5 years, you can also know what you have to be doing this year, this month, and this week to achieve it. Short-term goals should be set within a 90-day period. There is a tendency observed that you may lose interest if a short-term goal exceeds 90-days. This "divide-and-conquer" game plan gives you the small, immediate victories that keep your momentum and commitment level high.
Winners know that the achievement of one goal is the seed that spawns many more, and multiplies the open doors to success almost spontaneously. Each week, develop your weekly plan from your master plan. Each day, set your daily To-Do list. Crossing off the items as they are completed produces a powerful motivation to keep the day moving and complete the list. Take control of your time.
7. ANCHOR THEM
Have you ever wondered why some people set goals and reach them, while others just fail miserably? Well, there are many ingredients to reaching your goals which we are covering, but
the strongest one is persistence and perseverance that is anchored to a strong WHY. If your "why" is strong enough, the, "how" figures itself out.
Here's an example:It is the middle of the day - outside is a terrible blizzard raging that just seemed to come out of no where. The phone rings - it is the school calling - your son was just rushed to the emergency room and they need you to meet the doctor at the hospital. You run outside to jump in your car and you have 4 flat tires. Do you say to yourself, "Oh well, I tried, I just won't make it there - there is no way." Or rather do you tell yourself, "No matter what - I am getting to that hospital if I have to walk every inch of the way!" We all know the answer. Your "why" was so powerful - your need to get there so strong - that you surely found your way there. So it is true in all aspects of our life.
The goals you set that have a strong anchor are the ones you will reach. What deep-rooted, in-your-gut reasons do you have for wanting this to happen? What will happen to the quality of your life when you reach your goal? What will it feel like? Your "why" will keep you going in the direction of the goal even when it gets hard; even when it seems impossible. It is the tie that binds you emotionally to the task for the long-term.
It has been said that CHARACTER is the ability to carry out a decision long after the emotion of making the decision has passed.So, the next step is to write down your "why" next to each goal you have written down. If you cannot clearly state why you want this on your dream list/goal sheet in one sentence, cross it off the list.
8. MAKE THEM COMPATIBLE
Make your goals compatible with your efforts. If you only work your business about 5 hours each week, don't set a goal to become the "Top Dog" in the next 30 days. Keep your goals compatible with the efforts you are giving. Be realistic.
9. IDENTIFY ANY OBSTACLES THAT STAND IN YOUR WAY
Guess what? You are going to hit obstacles. Road-blocks, resistance. No problem. Anticipate. Prepare. What will you need to plan around to get to your goal? The goal we write is gold, but the plan on accomplishing that goal may be written in sand. You may have to change course, take a detour to get there - but you will get there.
And as far as resistance is concerned? Welcome it. Develop the "bring-it-on" mentality. Why? Because resistance is nothing more than life identifying just how bad you want it. When life pushes and resists - push back. A body builder will teach you a similar principle: Resistance is what builds muscle - it gives you something to push against - it makes you stronger.
10. IDENTIFY WHO YOU WILL NEED TO WORK WITH
No one is an island. The influence and cooperation of others is critical to your success. Assembling a group of people who have the same goal, drive and ambition you have is priceless. If you are going to reach your goals, surround yourself with people who will help you get there. Teaming up with a peer also holds you both accountable to the commitment - an excellent way to keep your head in the game.
11. IDENTIFY WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
We all need to be students. You are either "green and growing" or you are "ripe and rotting". As soon as you think you know it all, you are through. Keep reading, attending workshops, listening to tapes and sound advice whenever you can. If there is a specific part you don't understand or need help with - ASK !!! You certainly can't achieve your goals if you don't have the knowledge required.
12. DEVELOP AN ACTION PLAN
Goals load the gun, but action pulls the trigger. What is a clear-cut goal without an action plan? A waste of time. Imagine a football team that has developed some of the most effective plays to score touchdowns, they map them all out - but when they get on the playing field they don't put them into action. What a pity - no superbowl for them - just a waste of time and talent.
One of the biggest mistakes people make is confusing activity with action. Activities, many times are tension-relieving (shuffling papers, etc.) rather than goal-achieving. Activity is writing down a list of names, action is picking up the phone and making the appointment. Develop an action plan for each of the goals you set. Develop a "do-it-now" philosophy. If not now, when?"
The first step in achieving your goals is to recognize that ‘someday' is not a day of the week." - Ed Bliss, Author of Getting Things Done How many times are you going to review where you want to go? Analysis causes paralysis. Get moving! Put your plan into action!
13. STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE
Time to stop kidding yourself. We are all guilty of procrastination and playing-it-safe. The sting of rejection and the fear of failure keeps us from our own destiny. "If you want to keep on getting what you've got, just keep on doing what you've done."We should take our cue from nature.
When the time has come for the babies to fly, the mother bird literally throws her babies out of the nest - and guess what? They start flapping instinctively and they fly.We all want the "fruit" in life - funny, there's no fruit close to the safe tree-trunk - all the fruit is out on the limb of the tree where you'll have to risk falling to get it, Oh, there's that 4-letter word again - RISK. "A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships were made for." And neither were you.
To go forward in the face of overwhelming odds is to risk failure. But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing, is nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or love. Chained by his fear, he is a slave. He has forfeited freedom. Only a person who takes risks can truly be free. Yes, it's risky stepping out into the unknown - away from your comfort zone - but it is the first step toward reaching your goals.
14. MAKE A COMMITMENT TO YOURSELF THAT YOU WILL NOT QUIT
"Winners never quit, while quitters never win." Such a true statement. Understand ahead of time that there are going to be people and events that will stop you temporarily, but only you can make yourself stop permanently.
Don't ever let the negative influence of others change your chosen course. Stay in control - decide ahead of time what you are willing to give up in order to reach your goals. Understand that failure cannot cope with persistence.Guideline: Abandon goals only if they have lost meaning for you - never because they are too tough or you've had a setback.
15. REVIEW YOUR GOALS REGULARLY
Cross off the goals you've completed (what a good feeling) and revise, add to, or delete the others. Which ones have you ignored? Which ones are you flat-out avoiding? Now is the time to be honest with yourself about which ones you are really committed to, and which ones are only paper dreams. It is okay to change your goals as you go along - scratch some off if you need to. Recommit to the ones you are dead serious about. See goal setting as a process. The direction and focus you get from goal setting is just as important as the achievement. START RIGHT THIS MINUTE
Make a commitment to yourself that you will begin; that you will take over the helm of your life and no longer let time slip away from you. You can direct your own course in life by designing your life through the power of setting goals. Don't wait for external changes to trigger your activity - let an internal change begin to move you forward. Do it now.
GOAL SETTING IS THE POWER OF PURPOSE
"The credit belongs to those people who are actually in the arena, who know the great enthusiasms, the great devotions to a worthy cause; who at best, know the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst, fail while daring greatly,so that their place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."- Theodore Roosevelt
Thank you to Elvire Smith for sharing this.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
The Power Of Setting Goals - Part 1
Goal: An object or result of effort; an end or aim; in a race, the winning post.
Here's the truth: The difference between achieving and not achieving is goal setting. It is the power of purpose. Those who set goals achieve much, those who do not generally achieve little. Successful people have a game plan for life. They know where they are now - where they have been - and where they are going - on a day-to-day basis because winners are goal-and-role oriented. They set and get what they want - consistently.
Did you know that your mind is goal-seeking by design? Whether you realize it or not, we all move in the direction of our currently dominant thoughts - whatever we are dwelling on and thinking of, we are unconsciously moving toward the achievement of. Successful people take the time and exercise the discipline to utilize this miraculous mechanism of the mind - they set goals. People will plan a 2-week vacation to the minute detail - and in most cases the vacations go great - because they were mapped out and put to paper. The sad commentary is most people will plan out their vacations, but not their life.
Have you ever heard the expression "Plan your work, then work your plan"? The sad thing is that when most people hear that, they say to themselves, "What plan?" This is the time of year when everyone should see themselves at a crossroads that can go in the following directions:
1) In circles
2) Backwards
3) Forwards
What will account for the difference in direction? A clear-cut goal for the forthcoming year and an action plan to back it up. In the movie "Alice in Wonderland", Alice comes to the fork in the road and is wondering which way should she go - to the left or to the right. A voice comes from a large tree next to her (which is the Cheshire Cat) asking her, "Where are you trying to go?" To which Alice replied, "I don't know."
The cat responds, "Well, then it doesn't matter whether you go left or right."The problem is not a lack of time, it is a lack of direction. Whether you are a millionaire, or a pauper, we all have the same amount of time in a day. Time is the great equalizer. Imagine there is a bank which credits your account each morning with $86,400.00. It carries over no balance from day to day, allows you to keep no cash on hand, and every evening cancels whatever part of the amount you had failed to use during the day. What would you do? Spend every cent, of course.
Well, everyone has such a bank. Its name is TIME.
Every morning it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off as lost whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the records of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against "tomorrow". You must live in the present, from today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness and success. The clock is running. Make the most of today.
The key purpose of setting goals is self-knowledge. By finding out what you want, you also find out who you are. Finding out what you want may at first sound pretty easy: You want a new car, You want to go to sleep, You want a candy bar, You want to go out on the town. If anything, you may think you'd be better off if you thought a little less about what you want. But knowing what you want on a short-term, day-to-day basis is different from knowing what you want out of your life. This is a whole other exercise. It is scary. In fact, it's so scary that many people purposely keep themselves busy with the wants of life as a means of distracting themselves from facing the goals of life. They build careers, raise families, and go merrily through the motions without ever questioning whether what they are getting is what will really fulfill them.
Why? Many fear self-knowledge will lead them to the conclusion that fulfillment requires dismantling their present life and constructing a new one. People resist change. What they don't know is that the people who have done this successfully, painful as it can be, are among the happiest people on earth. So while setting goals may be scary, it is vitally necessary. If you don't have the courage to pursue your goals, you leave yourself open to the many people who are only too happy to recruit you to pursue theirs.
The best definition of success has been "The progressive realization of goals that are worthwhile to the individual." And that's the key: YOUR goals - not your parents' - not your peers' - YOURS. We all have the potential and the opportunity for success in our lives, and it takes just as much energy and effort for a bad life as it does for a good life - and yet millions of us lead unhappy, aimless lives - existing from day-to-day, year-to-year - confused and frustrated - in a prison of our own making. The losers or underachievers are people who have never made the decision that could set them free. They have not decided what to do with their lives even in our own free society."You have to have a dream if you're going to make a dream come true."
Every Sea Captain knows his next port-of-call, even though he can't see his desired destination for fully 99% of his voyage. He knows what it is, and where it is. And barring an unforeseen catastrophe, he will surely reach it - if he keeps doing certain things in the same way every day. We are the same way - setting goals - one-by-one. In 1953, Yale began a study of the power of goal setting with their Senior Class. 3% of them had written down their detailed goals - 10% of the class had written down some goals, but not in detail, and the other 87% had not written their goals at all.
20 years later, Yale looked at this same class again and evaluated them in the only two measurable areas they could look at, their career and their finances. The 3% that set clearly defined, detailed goals had accomplished more than the other 97% combined.
Here's the truth: The difference between achieving and not achieving is goal setting. It is the power of purpose. Those who set goals achieve much, those who do not generally achieve little. Successful people have a game plan for life. They know where they are now - where they have been - and where they are going - on a day-to-day basis because winners are goal-and-role oriented. They set and get what they want - consistently.
Did you know that your mind is goal-seeking by design? Whether you realize it or not, we all move in the direction of our currently dominant thoughts - whatever we are dwelling on and thinking of, we are unconsciously moving toward the achievement of. Successful people take the time and exercise the discipline to utilize this miraculous mechanism of the mind - they set goals. People will plan a 2-week vacation to the minute detail - and in most cases the vacations go great - because they were mapped out and put to paper. The sad commentary is most people will plan out their vacations, but not their life.
Have you ever heard the expression "Plan your work, then work your plan"? The sad thing is that when most people hear that, they say to themselves, "What plan?" This is the time of year when everyone should see themselves at a crossroads that can go in the following directions:
1) In circles
2) Backwards
3) Forwards
What will account for the difference in direction? A clear-cut goal for the forthcoming year and an action plan to back it up. In the movie "Alice in Wonderland", Alice comes to the fork in the road and is wondering which way should she go - to the left or to the right. A voice comes from a large tree next to her (which is the Cheshire Cat) asking her, "Where are you trying to go?" To which Alice replied, "I don't know."
The cat responds, "Well, then it doesn't matter whether you go left or right."The problem is not a lack of time, it is a lack of direction. Whether you are a millionaire, or a pauper, we all have the same amount of time in a day. Time is the great equalizer. Imagine there is a bank which credits your account each morning with $86,400.00. It carries over no balance from day to day, allows you to keep no cash on hand, and every evening cancels whatever part of the amount you had failed to use during the day. What would you do? Spend every cent, of course.
Well, everyone has such a bank. Its name is TIME.
Every morning it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off as lost whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the records of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against "tomorrow". You must live in the present, from today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness and success. The clock is running. Make the most of today.
The key purpose of setting goals is self-knowledge. By finding out what you want, you also find out who you are. Finding out what you want may at first sound pretty easy: You want a new car, You want to go to sleep, You want a candy bar, You want to go out on the town. If anything, you may think you'd be better off if you thought a little less about what you want. But knowing what you want on a short-term, day-to-day basis is different from knowing what you want out of your life. This is a whole other exercise. It is scary. In fact, it's so scary that many people purposely keep themselves busy with the wants of life as a means of distracting themselves from facing the goals of life. They build careers, raise families, and go merrily through the motions without ever questioning whether what they are getting is what will really fulfill them.
Why? Many fear self-knowledge will lead them to the conclusion that fulfillment requires dismantling their present life and constructing a new one. People resist change. What they don't know is that the people who have done this successfully, painful as it can be, are among the happiest people on earth. So while setting goals may be scary, it is vitally necessary. If you don't have the courage to pursue your goals, you leave yourself open to the many people who are only too happy to recruit you to pursue theirs.
The best definition of success has been "The progressive realization of goals that are worthwhile to the individual." And that's the key: YOUR goals - not your parents' - not your peers' - YOURS. We all have the potential and the opportunity for success in our lives, and it takes just as much energy and effort for a bad life as it does for a good life - and yet millions of us lead unhappy, aimless lives - existing from day-to-day, year-to-year - confused and frustrated - in a prison of our own making. The losers or underachievers are people who have never made the decision that could set them free. They have not decided what to do with their lives even in our own free society."You have to have a dream if you're going to make a dream come true."
Every Sea Captain knows his next port-of-call, even though he can't see his desired destination for fully 99% of his voyage. He knows what it is, and where it is. And barring an unforeseen catastrophe, he will surely reach it - if he keeps doing certain things in the same way every day. We are the same way - setting goals - one-by-one. In 1953, Yale began a study of the power of goal setting with their Senior Class. 3% of them had written down their detailed goals - 10% of the class had written down some goals, but not in detail, and the other 87% had not written their goals at all.
20 years later, Yale looked at this same class again and evaluated them in the only two measurable areas they could look at, their career and their finances. The 3% that set clearly defined, detailed goals had accomplished more than the other 97% combined.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Are You Looking For Local Business?
If you are in business and looking for a different way to advertise your business, you may want to check out vista print. I am only going to touch on one specific item here. It's the car magnet sign. And for about $10.00, you can customize it the way you want and slap it on your vehicle and go. Now this is not the huge signs you see on the side of cars or trucks. But it fits fine on the back of my van. And, I have already received a couple interested people from it.
And of course there is the booster. And I am going to mention their post cards. (at top of page).
They have a post card for any occassion. Not just for business. And the prices are really great. For under $3.00, you can get 20 post cards. Of curse the cards I scanned do not do justice.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
The Big 40
Ok, there's something about the number 40.... It's different than 30. LOL. I mean turning 30, you still feel young and most things still feel new. But 40 is just different.
I will be turning 40 in a couple months. I'm not quit sure how I feel about it, yet. I do know that this is big for me. I want a huge party, all my friends and family....I want to share my life with the ones that I care about.
At 40, you know more than you did when you were 30 but not as much as you will when you are 50. So, there's alot more in store for me and alot I have learned along the way.
Here's What I Know:
1) I will NEVER get married. I have no desire to do so. Once upon a time I believed in marriage, vows and what they stood for. I still believe in marriage, I just don't want to get married. In my life, where I'm at today, I will not let anyone, again, dictate to me what I can and can't do. What I can or can't wear. That I can't pursue my dream, get a tattoo (yes, I once wanted a tattoo), or have one of my x-boyfriends kids over. (they were just kids wanting to visit me). This time in my life, it is My Way, or No Way. My how things have changed.
2) I know that happiness really does come from within yourself.
3) I know that I will always be there for my children, no matter what.
4) I know that you do get what you give.... Maybe that's why I'm blessed with so many friends.
5) I know that I would not be who I am, if not for my children.
6) I know that there is a God
7) I know that my kids will live with me way longer than I anticipate.... LOL.... My son tells me he is never moving out. LOL.
8) I know that where we will be, is determined on how hard I work today.
9) I know that for me, unconditional love can only be found in God and in my children.
10) I know that things are just material, you can't take it with you when you die.
Of course there is more... But too much to sit here and write about.
I just wonder what I will have learned when I am looking at turning 50?
I will be turning 40 in a couple months. I'm not quit sure how I feel about it, yet. I do know that this is big for me. I want a huge party, all my friends and family....I want to share my life with the ones that I care about.
At 40, you know more than you did when you were 30 but not as much as you will when you are 50. So, there's alot more in store for me and alot I have learned along the way.
Here's What I Know:
1) I will NEVER get married. I have no desire to do so. Once upon a time I believed in marriage, vows and what they stood for. I still believe in marriage, I just don't want to get married. In my life, where I'm at today, I will not let anyone, again, dictate to me what I can and can't do. What I can or can't wear. That I can't pursue my dream, get a tattoo (yes, I once wanted a tattoo), or have one of my x-boyfriends kids over. (they were just kids wanting to visit me). This time in my life, it is My Way, or No Way. My how things have changed.
2) I know that happiness really does come from within yourself.
3) I know that I will always be there for my children, no matter what.
4) I know that you do get what you give.... Maybe that's why I'm blessed with so many friends.
5) I know that I would not be who I am, if not for my children.
6) I know that there is a God
7) I know that my kids will live with me way longer than I anticipate.... LOL.... My son tells me he is never moving out. LOL.
8) I know that where we will be, is determined on how hard I work today.
9) I know that for me, unconditional love can only be found in God and in my children.
10) I know that things are just material, you can't take it with you when you die.
Of course there is more... But too much to sit here and write about.
I just wonder what I will have learned when I am looking at turning 50?
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
5 Positive Things To Do Instead Of Complain
One of the key principles of The No Complaining Rule is that we have a choice of how we invest our energy at home and at work. We can focus on the negative or the positive. We can focus on problems or use problems to create solutions. And we can focus on sharing positive energy or negative energy. It’s all about our intention, our focus and our habits. Bad habits create bad results and good habits create good results. And since one of the best ways to stop a bad habit is to replace it with a good habit, here are 5 positive things we can do each day instead of complain.
1. Practice Gratitude. Research shows that when we count three blessings a day, we get a measurable boost in happiness that uplifts and energizes us. It's also physiologically impossible to be stressed and thankful at the same time. Two thoughts cannot occupy our mind at the same time. If you are focusing on gratitude, you can't be negative. You can also energize and engage your coworkers by letting them know you are grateful for them and their work.
2. Praise Others. Instead of complaining about what others are doing wrong, start focusing on what they are doing right. Praise them and watch as they create more success as a result. Of course, point out their mistakes so they can learn and grow, but make sure you give three times as much praise as criticism.
3. Focus on Success. Start a success journal. Each night before you go to bed, write down the one great thing about your day. The one great conversation, accomplishment, or win that you are most proud of. Focus on your success, and you'll look forward to creating more success tomorrow. Even the smallest little success counts!
4. Let Go. Focus on the things that you have the power to change, and let go of the things that are beyond your control. You’ll be amazed that when you stop trying to control everything, it all somehow works out. 5.
Pray and Meditate. Scientific research shows that these daily practices reduce stress; boost positive energy; and promote health, vitality, and longevity. When you are faced with the urge to complain or you are feeling stressed to the max, stop, be still, plug-in to the ultimate power, and recharge.
What will you do instead of complain?
Stay Positive!
(Excerpt from The No Complaining Rule, Wiley, June '08)
1. Practice Gratitude. Research shows that when we count three blessings a day, we get a measurable boost in happiness that uplifts and energizes us. It's also physiologically impossible to be stressed and thankful at the same time. Two thoughts cannot occupy our mind at the same time. If you are focusing on gratitude, you can't be negative. You can also energize and engage your coworkers by letting them know you are grateful for them and their work.
2. Praise Others. Instead of complaining about what others are doing wrong, start focusing on what they are doing right. Praise them and watch as they create more success as a result. Of course, point out their mistakes so they can learn and grow, but make sure you give three times as much praise as criticism.
3. Focus on Success. Start a success journal. Each night before you go to bed, write down the one great thing about your day. The one great conversation, accomplishment, or win that you are most proud of. Focus on your success, and you'll look forward to creating more success tomorrow. Even the smallest little success counts!
4. Let Go. Focus on the things that you have the power to change, and let go of the things that are beyond your control. You’ll be amazed that when you stop trying to control everything, it all somehow works out. 5.
Pray and Meditate. Scientific research shows that these daily practices reduce stress; boost positive energy; and promote health, vitality, and longevity. When you are faced with the urge to complain or you are feeling stressed to the max, stop, be still, plug-in to the ultimate power, and recharge.
What will you do instead of complain?
Stay Positive!
(Excerpt from The No Complaining Rule, Wiley, June '08)
Monday, June 16, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Welcome, Baby Kayden
Well, I wanted to take a moment and welcome my newest nephew, Kayden. Congrats go out to my brother, Keith and Mollie. I love you both and I am excited to have another nephew. I can't wait to keep him for the weekend and then you guys can keep my kids for the weekend.... LOL.
Seriously, Kayden Jams was born on my daughters birthday.... How cool is that??? And my son was the first to know about Keith and Mollie being at the hospital, getting ready to have Kayden. Plus, my son has the same middle name.
Welcome to the world, There is alot to see
You are surrounded by loved ones
And a great big family
There's so much fun in store for you
And great big hugs and kisses too
Let me introduce myself
I am your aunt, you see
And I will be the one right there
To hold your hand in need
I can't wait to hold and see you
You are a part of me
Welcome to the world
And to our family.
We love you Kayden.....
And Happy Fathers Day, Keith!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Happy Fathers Day
I would like to send out a BIG Happy Father's Day to all the Great men out there who plug away every day, taking care of their children the best way that you can.
Our kids, they need a Daddy
Someone strong and safe
Someone they can run to
When things seem out of place
They look to you with eyes wide open
And watch your every move
Thinking and dreaming
Of how to be like you
You throw the ball around
After a long and tiring day
Wanting just to relax
But out there you will play
Even though you carry
The weight of all the world
You know what's really important
Your little boy or girl
Thank You to ALL the good men out there that take care of their children. They need you!
Happy Father's Day!!!
Yes, written by me....Not great, but I never claimed to be a poet.... Just wanted the men to know that someone appreciates them.
Our kids, they need a Daddy
Someone strong and safe
Someone they can run to
When things seem out of place
They look to you with eyes wide open
And watch your every move
Thinking and dreaming
Of how to be like you
You throw the ball around
After a long and tiring day
Wanting just to relax
But out there you will play
Even though you carry
The weight of all the world
You know what's really important
Your little boy or girl
Thank You to ALL the good men out there that take care of their children. They need you!
Happy Father's Day!!!
Yes, written by me....Not great, but I never claimed to be a poet.... Just wanted the men to know that someone appreciates them.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Look Out Kids, I'm Coming In.....
Ok, so it's been pretty hot here lately. I decided to get out the pool for my kids this past weekend. Since I did not have a hose, my friend brought hers over. Between the both of us, we could not get the washing machine hose off to hook up the other hose on..... LOL.... And yes, we checked the sink and even upstairs but the hose would not fit.... LMAO !
So, I had to resort to "The Buckets".... Yes, I spent over an hour bucket filling their pool up. So after my morning work-out, I got in the pool with my kids and laid back, soaking in the sun and relaxing.... (long overdue). Might I also point out that this was NOT a big pool.... LOL.... This was a little bigger than a baby pool.... What a site!!!
Taking time for what matters..... My Kids
So, I had to resort to "The Buckets".... Yes, I spent over an hour bucket filling their pool up. So after my morning work-out, I got in the pool with my kids and laid back, soaking in the sun and relaxing.... (long overdue). Might I also point out that this was NOT a big pool.... LOL.... This was a little bigger than a baby pool.... What a site!!!
Taking time for what matters..... My Kids
Monday, June 9, 2008
"Monster" Update
Awhile back I wrote about my full time job. How I needed to confront the "monster", my boss. Which I did and I even wrote about it.
Alot has happened since then. But to sum it up, I can say that we have come to a silent understanding and a sense of respect for each other. We have not had any encounters since the big blow up and she is aware of what I do at home, as far as my home business goes.
Jobs are scarce right now. The economy is getting worse. I don't want to even think about what it's going to be like in 3 years. A couple of my friends already lost their job due to closing or down-sizing. Gas is terrible. I really need to think about this. It's costing me $75.00 a week in gas to go to a job I'm not happy about. Hmmm.. LOL.... But unlike so many people, at least I have a job......Maybe I should talk politics next time.... I have ALOT to say... LOL.
Alot has happened since then. But to sum it up, I can say that we have come to a silent understanding and a sense of respect for each other. We have not had any encounters since the big blow up and she is aware of what I do at home, as far as my home business goes.
Jobs are scarce right now. The economy is getting worse. I don't want to even think about what it's going to be like in 3 years. A couple of my friends already lost their job due to closing or down-sizing. Gas is terrible. I really need to think about this. It's costing me $75.00 a week in gas to go to a job I'm not happy about. Hmmm.. LOL.... But unlike so many people, at least I have a job......Maybe I should talk politics next time.... I have ALOT to say... LOL.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Today - Reflection
I used to think I had to make everything perfect for my children. If they were given too much homework, I felt I should say something to the teacher. If my child did not play as many innings in a baseball game as I thought he should, I figured it was my responsibility to let that coach know how unjust I thought he was and try to change him.
I cannot make life perfect for my children or for me, for that matter. it helps to try and determine how important the situation is. There really are not that many cases I have discovered which are important. However, at the time I often think it is of the utmost importance. I cannot change the coach, I cannot change the teacher, and, in fact, there are really very few people I can change - probably no one but myself. I do not always know what is best, nor is it realistic to attempt to make things perfect.
Help me to give others permission to be different from me.
I cannot make life perfect for my children or for me, for that matter. it helps to try and determine how important the situation is. There really are not that many cases I have discovered which are important. However, at the time I often think it is of the utmost importance. I cannot change the coach, I cannot change the teacher, and, in fact, there are really very few people I can change - probably no one but myself. I do not always know what is best, nor is it realistic to attempt to make things perfect.
Help me to give others permission to be different from me.
Father's Day Craft Idea
Here is a great little project for your little one to do for father's Day. This was found at www.familyfun.com
Your child can surprise her favorite guy with an easy-to-make stand-up photo frame that reflects his special interests or hobby.
CRAFT MATERIALS:Paper towel tubesConstruction paperCard stockTape or glueScissorsMarkers or paintsCraft foam, optional
Time needed: Under 1 Hour
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Tape or glue construction paper to cover two cardboard paper towel tubes.
2. Cut out a piece of card stock that's slightly larger than the photo you plan to use.
3. Attach the photo to the card stock with rolled pieces of tape. With a craft knife, make vertical slits in the tubes for the sides of the card stock to slip into (a parent's job).
4. Now your child can cut out decorative shapes; such as a tennis racket, golf club or baseball pennant; from colored craft foam or construction paper. Then she can use markers or paints to add embellishing details before gluing the shapes onto the frame and presenting her gift to Dad.
Your child can surprise her favorite guy with an easy-to-make stand-up photo frame that reflects his special interests or hobby.
CRAFT MATERIALS:Paper towel tubesConstruction paperCard stockTape or glueScissorsMarkers or paintsCraft foam, optional
Time needed: Under 1 Hour
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Tape or glue construction paper to cover two cardboard paper towel tubes.
2. Cut out a piece of card stock that's slightly larger than the photo you plan to use.
3. Attach the photo to the card stock with rolled pieces of tape. With a craft knife, make vertical slits in the tubes for the sides of the card stock to slip into (a parent's job).
4. Now your child can cut out decorative shapes; such as a tennis racket, golf club or baseball pennant; from colored craft foam or construction paper. Then she can use markers or paints to add embellishing details before gluing the shapes onto the frame and presenting her gift to Dad.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Think on Paper
Only about 3 percent of adults have clear, written goals. These people accomplish five or ten times as much as people of equal or better education and ability but who, for whatever reason, have never taken the time to write out exactly what they want.
There is a powerful formula for setting and achieving goals that you can use for the rest of your life. It consists of seven simple steps. Any one of these steps can double and triple your productivity if you are not currently using it.
1) Decide exactly what you want. Either decide for yourself or sit down with your boss and discuss your goals and objectives until you are crystal clear about what is expected of you and in what order of priority.
2) Write it down. Think on paper. When you write down a goal, you crystallize it and give it tangible form. You create something that you can touch and see. On the other hand, a goal or objective that is not in writing is merely a wish or a fantasy. It has no energy behind it.
3) Set a deadline on your goal; set sub deadlines if necessary. A goal or decision without a deadline has no urgency. It has no real beginning or end. Without a definite deadline, you will naturally procrastinate and get very little done.
4) Make a list of everything that you can think of that you are going to have to do to achieve your goal. As you think of new activities, add them to your list. Keep building your list until it is complete. A list gives you a visual picture of the larger task or objective. It gives you a track to run on.
5) Organize the list into a plan. Organize your list by priority and sequence. Take a few minutes to decide what you need to do first and what you can do later. With a written goal and an organized plan of action, you will be far more productive and efficient than people who are carrying their goals around in their minds.
6) Take action on your plan immediately. Do something. Do anything. An average plan vigorously executed is far better than a brilliant plan on which nothing is done.
7) Resolve to do something every single day that moves you toward your major goal. Build this activity into your daily schedule. You may decide to read a specific number of pages on a key subject. You may call on a specific number of prospects or customers. You may engage in a specific period of physical exercise. Whatever it is, you must never miss a day.
Keep pushing forward. Once you start moving, keep moving. Don't stop. This decision, this discipline alone, can dramatically increase your speed of goal accomplishment and boost your personal productivity.
There is a powerful formula for setting and achieving goals that you can use for the rest of your life. It consists of seven simple steps. Any one of these steps can double and triple your productivity if you are not currently using it.
1) Decide exactly what you want. Either decide for yourself or sit down with your boss and discuss your goals and objectives until you are crystal clear about what is expected of you and in what order of priority.
2) Write it down. Think on paper. When you write down a goal, you crystallize it and give it tangible form. You create something that you can touch and see. On the other hand, a goal or objective that is not in writing is merely a wish or a fantasy. It has no energy behind it.
3) Set a deadline on your goal; set sub deadlines if necessary. A goal or decision without a deadline has no urgency. It has no real beginning or end. Without a definite deadline, you will naturally procrastinate and get very little done.
4) Make a list of everything that you can think of that you are going to have to do to achieve your goal. As you think of new activities, add them to your list. Keep building your list until it is complete. A list gives you a visual picture of the larger task or objective. It gives you a track to run on.
5) Organize the list into a plan. Organize your list by priority and sequence. Take a few minutes to decide what you need to do first and what you can do later. With a written goal and an organized plan of action, you will be far more productive and efficient than people who are carrying their goals around in their minds.
6) Take action on your plan immediately. Do something. Do anything. An average plan vigorously executed is far better than a brilliant plan on which nothing is done.
7) Resolve to do something every single day that moves you toward your major goal. Build this activity into your daily schedule. You may decide to read a specific number of pages on a key subject. You may call on a specific number of prospects or customers. You may engage in a specific period of physical exercise. Whatever it is, you must never miss a day.
Keep pushing forward. Once you start moving, keep moving. Don't stop. This decision, this discipline alone, can dramatically increase your speed of goal accomplishment and boost your personal productivity.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
The Creative Webmaster
Little Webmasters with Big Dreams . A practical guide to earning money with your website the real way- Absolutely everything you need to know from A to Z and absolutely free. No strings attached. Seriously! I am not selling an ebook. This is just what I have learned over years of being a webmaster.
Monday, June 2, 2008
I've Been Tagged
I have been tagged by: www.homeworkermother.blogspot.com
I am suppose to post 7 random things about myself.
1) I love carnations. The are simple, smell beautiful and last forever.
2) I always knew I would have 1 son and 1 daughter
3) Yes, the gray in my hair is my natural color.... LOL
4) I used to be a Karoake Queen
5) I love fishing. My ex and I took off of work to go fishing in the rain. And yes, I bait my own and take the fish off myself.
6) I love slow dancing
7) I am very persistent and determined
Here is what to do when you are tagged...
1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
http://jenn3.wordpress.com/
http://frugalhomemakerplus.blogspot.com/
http://www.thewidloefamily.com/
http://suburbia-calling.blogspot.com/
http://www.mommyspeak.com/
http://www.sarahviz.blogspot.com/
http://wahmof6.blogspot.com/
I am suppose to post 7 random things about myself.
1) I love carnations. The are simple, smell beautiful and last forever.
2) I always knew I would have 1 son and 1 daughter
3) Yes, the gray in my hair is my natural color.... LOL
4) I used to be a Karoake Queen
5) I love fishing. My ex and I took off of work to go fishing in the rain. And yes, I bait my own and take the fish off myself.
6) I love slow dancing
7) I am very persistent and determined
Here is what to do when you are tagged...
1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
http://jenn3.wordpress.com/
http://frugalhomemakerplus.blogspot.com/
http://www.thewidloefamily.com/
http://suburbia-calling.blogspot.com/
http://www.mommyspeak.com/
http://www.sarahviz.blogspot.com/
http://wahmof6.blogspot.com/
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Taking Time For What Is Really Important
That's exactly what I am going to do today. Today I am taking my kids to this beautiful park where we are going to cook out and just have some fun. A friend of mine is coming along with her kids, as well.
It's so easy to lose track of time. When you have a full time job, a home business, kids, cooking, cleaning and everything else... Time just passes. Before you know it, you realize that you have not spoke with a certain friend in so long.
I will be the mom that goes down the slide with my kids and I'll be sitting there swinging along with them. Today they will have the FUN mommy.... LOL... I am leaving work at home for awhile.
I am still learning how to manage my time effectively. It's so easy to do the same thing every day when you work from home . You do need to create a work schedule. However, I also need to check myself and do things with my kids. They are my main priority and it is more important for them to have me have fun with them.
While visiting many message boards and other mom sites, I have seen the common element that we all share. It seems that all of us single moms that are working a day job and working their home business fall into a mode where all we do is work! And I am aware of that. Which is why this year I have changed things a little.
I am spending less time working on the weekends and more fun time with my kids. They are happy and I am even happier......
It's so easy to lose track of time. When you have a full time job, a home business, kids, cooking, cleaning and everything else... Time just passes. Before you know it, you realize that you have not spoke with a certain friend in so long.
I will be the mom that goes down the slide with my kids and I'll be sitting there swinging along with them. Today they will have the FUN mommy.... LOL... I am leaving work at home for awhile.
I am still learning how to manage my time effectively. It's so easy to do the same thing every day when you work from home . You do need to create a work schedule. However, I also need to check myself and do things with my kids. They are my main priority and it is more important for them to have me have fun with them.
While visiting many message boards and other mom sites, I have seen the common element that we all share. It seems that all of us single moms that are working a day job and working their home business fall into a mode where all we do is work! And I am aware of that. Which is why this year I have changed things a little.
I am spending less time working on the weekends and more fun time with my kids. They are happy and I am even happier......
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)