Motivation

Take Care Of Your Week to Take Care of Your Life

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You’re reading Take Care Of Your Week to Take Care of Your Life, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Do your best to take care of your week, and you’ll take care of your life.

This may be something you understand on the surface level, but do you live by this idea? Many of us actually tend to favour looking through one of the lenses below:

  • The Today Mindset: You focus on getting as much done as possible each day
  • The Monthly Mindset: You think about how you can have a great month
  • The Year Mindset: You often dream about what you plan on achieving this year
  • The Retiree Mindset: You reflect on how magical life will be once you finally retire

None of these mindsets are optimal. That’s because they either produce too much pressure (the today mindset) or they provide a likelihood of procrastination (all the rest). Think of always looking at the distant horizon instead of doing what you can to live meaningfully this week.

I would argue that most people, unconsciously fall into one of previously mentioned mindsets. I used to lead my life from the monthly mindset. Every task, or goal, and philosophy I used to have, was about having the best month possible. Let’s see why this is a poor strategy.

Why the Monthly Mindset is Inefficient

A couple of years ago, I made it my goal to read four books per month. But month after month, I wasn’t able to reach my target. Because I had such a large window of time, I could easily slack off for a couple of weeks at the start. So I would end up only reading right towards the end of each month due to my deadline. You can put that down to a mixture of laziness and poor strategy, but it was largely because of the strategy.

How Focusing on the Week Changed My Life

So, instead of making it my goal to read four books per month, I decided to read one book per week. Same result, but slightly, different tactic. The subtle shift from focusing on the month to the week massively increased my consistency and focus. I started reading more books and enjoyed the process a whole lot more.

I then started thinking about how I could apply this concept to all the areas of my life…

The value in this small story is that the time-window with which you view your life, can dramatically impact your results. To generate more consistency and appreciation,  everything in your life gets better when you see it through the lens of this current week. 

So if you want a great life, do what you can to build it this week.

Questions to ask yourself:

  • How can I implement the most enjoyable workout routine for me this week?
  • How can I do what I love more often this week?
  • How can I create a bigger impact this week?
  • How can I take more risks this week?

Focusing on completing daily tasks to achieve your goals is inflexible. Focusing on the month is a better strategy, but still, it lacks sufficient positive pressure. If you choose to focus on your year – there’s hardly any pressure to take action. There’s a chance of losing track of your goals, and you can quickly revert to living without intention. Living with the retiree mindset forces you to delay living your best life in your youngest years.

The Week: The Perfect balance between Focus and Flexibility

I’ve used this ‘weekly mindset’ to play my favourite sport more often, improve my fitness, and write more articles. Life feels a lot easier when you experience life through the viewpoint of a week. Your week is not an isolated series of days. What you do during your week represents the person who you are becoming.

Take care of the week, and you’ll end up taking care of your month, year, and life.

My Last Words

If you’re a creative and interested in learning how to upgrade the way you use you live your week, read my free guide on Spiritual Productivity.

  • You’ll learn about how to split up your day into four chunks, so you worry less about external influences.
  • You’ll discover the small hacks that will take your creative work on your PC to the next level. And much more…

 Samy Felice is a writer who is passionate about unique ideas related to living a meaningful life. His Free Guide explores ways people can make success easier.

You’ve read Take Care Of Your Week to Take Care of Your Life, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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5 Great Energy-Boosting Alternatives to Coffee

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You’re reading 5 Great Energy-Boosting Alternatives to Coffee, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

If you’re like me, you need to have that cup of coffee to help you get started early in the morning. Just imagine: a warm, steamy brew that gives off a gentle aroma while you take your first sip.

Coffee has been around for centuries, enchanting us with its miracle effect. Besides its stimulant effect, caffeine has also been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.

But that same cup of coffee also has a dark side. Drinking numerous cups in a day can leave you feeling jittery during the day and restless at night. Over a period of time, you can develop caffeine tolerance, which means you need more caffeine to feel the same effects.

But what if it’s late in the day and you still crave that much-needed energy boost, minus the caffeine crash?

Here are 5 alternatives you should try the next time you need a lift:

1. Chai tea

Chai is a combination of black tea and numerous spices, such as cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. With its soothing, calming quality, no wonder this tea is practically India’s national drink.

Serve with a dash of milk and a teaspoon of the sweetener of your choice. The creaminess of this drink will make your brain think you’re drinking coffee!

2. Lemon water

It might not seem like it, but a glass of warm lemon water is a simple way to help you feel alert and energized. The combination of lemon juice and water also helps digestion and promotes healthy skin.

There’ve been a number of times when I felt like drinking coffee, but a lemon wedge squeezed into warm water did the trick.

3. Yerba mate

Named the “drink of the gods” by indigenous South Americans, this popular brew provides a gentle and calm energy buzz without the negative effects of coffee. Yerba mate is rich with metabolism-boosting nutrients and antioxidants.

You can prepare yerba mate in a variety of ways – using the traditional mate cup, a coffee pot, or a French press, either hot or chilled.

4. Chicory coffee

This alternative is probably the closest tasting beverage you can get to coffee. Highly popular in New Orleans for its rich, slightly bitter taste, chicory root reduces inflammation and regulates blood sugar levels.

Steep a tablespoon of roasted chicory root in a large cup for several minutes, and top with almond milk and sweetener if desired.

5. Peppermint tea

With its minty taste, this tea is a refreshing choice any time of the day. The cooling sensation helps reduce pain and acts a natural breath freshener.

Peppermint leaves are fairly easy to grow outside. You can boil either fresh or dried leaves for a few minutes before drinking.

Use Your Energy Where It Matters Most

Are you ready to get closer to your goals? To take action, here’s a guide for you:

How To Get Anything You Want

This guide will help you to:

  • create a plan to help you focus on your most important goals.
  • find out how to find a feasible interest to pursue.
  • use a strategy included to overcome challenges and setbacks.

Ready to bring positive change to your life? Grab your free guide here (it’s free).

———

Melissa Chu helps people live better and make an impact through their work. You can download the free guide on how to set and achieve your goals.

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A Guide to the Basic Anxiety of Life

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By Leo Babauta

Underlying much of what we do is an uncertainty, an anxiety, a fear, doubts, dissatisfaction …

And we react to these anxieties, dissatisfaction and uncertainty in so many unhelpful ways: we seek distraction, we eat unhealthy food, we procrastinate, we get caught in a cycle of anxiety and unhappiness, we lash out at others, we dwell in our loneliness, and then we get in denial about it all.

If we could learn to deal with the basic anxiety of life, we would have much more ease and less struggle.

The Anxiety Underneath Our Problems

On Twitter, I asked people to share a problem they’d like me to write about … the problems were all very difficult, but the basic anxiety of life was the undercurrent to all of them.

Each one has an external problem, with the undercurrent of anxiety, fears or uncertainty underneath the external problem. Let’s take a look at a few:

  • Feeling of being left out, lack of belonging: We can all relate to this feeling of not belonging. Externally, the problem is not finding people you connect with, not having that connection in your daily life. But on top of that, we add the anxiety/dissatisfaction of feeling like we’re left out and don’t belong. This is normal, but it’s good to notice.
  • Finding your passion, optimizing potential: The external problem is that you are in a job you’re not passionate about. On top of that is the anxiety/dissatisfaction of not finding that passion, of feeling like we’re not optimizing our potential. We can all relate to this too!
  • Headaches cyclicly prevent me building a career and paying my way properly, affects my self worth hugely: The external problem (bad headaches, leading to career and financial problems) is very real, and not easy to deal with. But on top of that, we have anxiety about it all, and we add self-criticism (most of us do this, right?), self-doubt, and a downgrading of our self-image.
  • That phase of anxiety before big changes occur: The external issue is that we’re facing a big change, and then because it’s a situation filled with great uncertainty, we feel anxiety about it.
  • Beginning/purchasing self improvement books/classes/plans and not using them: The external problem is not finding the time or energy to use materials you’ve bought, but we add to that an anxiety about ourselves not living up to our potential, not taking advantage of opportunities, not doing what we hoped we’d do. I think we can all relate to this.
  • Addiction to social media, videos and cell phone: The external problem is the distractions that keep pulling our attention. But the anxiety is that we feel addicted and feel something is wrong with us for not being less distracted. In addition, the addiction is probably a coping mechanism for dissatisfaction with the moment in front of us, or anxieties in other parts of life.
  • PTSD — Post Trump Stress Disorder: A lot of people are coping from dissatisfaction with the political scene right now, no matter what your views on the president might be. There’s the external situation of what’s going on, and then we add our dissatisfaction, anxieties about uncertainty, frustration and anger.
  • Sometimes feel helpless & empty for a reason I can’t identify. Only time makes that go away but I feel that time was wasted: There’s probably an external situation that’s causing a feeling of uncertainty, anxiety, dissatisfaction and/or helplessness. But the real problem is the feelings about it all, the uncertainty and anxiety about it all, and the anxiety about wasting the time it takes to get over it.
  • Getting over breakups: The external problem (end of a relationship) is overshadowed by the pain, dissatisfaction, anxiety that follow the breakup. We might have frustration and anxiety about wanting it not to have ended, about not wanting to be alone, about how we feel about ourselves after being dumped, about how the other person acted.

I think we can all relate to these problems, to not only the external situation but the reactions that we have.

There’s a fundamental anxiety and dissatisfaction that runs through the human condition, about whatever we’re experiencing in life, about other people and about ourselves.

So how do we deal with it all?

Where Does Basic Anxiety Come From?

It’s good to start by recognizing why we have this basic anxiety. It’s caused by:

  • Uncertainty about life, about the current situation, about people
  • Wanting certainty, stability when life isn’t stable or certain
  • Dissatisfaction with the above facts — which is also dissatisfaction with our situation, ourselves, and others

If you sit right now for 5-10 minutes and just pay attention to your breath, you’ll likely notice the fundamental anxiety … it results in wanting to stop paying attention to the breath, wanting the meditation to be over, wanting to get on with the tasks of life, wanting distraction, thinking that the exercise is stupid, wanting to think about problems you have.

But instead of running from this anxiety, instead of getting away from it into thinking about problems or getting out of the meditation … what if we just stayed with it and paid attention to it?

If we can get in touch with this fundamental anxiety that we suffer through in life … we can start to work with it.

Learning to Deal with This Basic Anxiety

Instead of running from the anxiety, instead of trying to cope by using distractions, food, shopping, alcohol, drugs … we’re going to find the courage to face it, with a smile.

Here’s how to work with it:

  1. Face the physical feeling. Drop out of the story that’s spinning around in your head, that’s causing the anxiety. Instead, just be mindful of how your body feels. What does the anxiety feel like, and where in your body is it located?
  2. Stay with it & be curious about it. Don’t run, just stay with the physical feeling. Instead of rejecting it and wanting it to stop, just open up to it and see it with curiosity. What does it feel like? Does it change? What kind of reaction does your mind have to the feeling?
  3. Smile at it. Develop a feeling of friendliness towards the physical sensation of this anxiety. See it as one of the fundamental realities of your existence, and learn to be friends with it. See this as a chance to work with something that will be with you for your entire life, an opportunity to get comfortable with this discomfort. If you can do that, you’ll need your coping mechanisms a lot less.
  4. Open to a bigger space. Our normal way of relating to this feeling is wanting to reject it, because we’re stuck in a small-minded, self-centered way of seeing it (I say this without judgment, it’s just something we do). Instead, we can start to touch the wide-open space of our minds, like a big blue sky, not a small space but expansive. In this open space, we can hold the anxiety like a cloud against the backdrop of the blue sky, but not be lost in the cloud. We can see the anxiety but also see that like a cloud, it’s temporary, it’s not that solid, it’s not all-encompassing, and it’s just floating by. This wide-open space of our mind is always available to us.

It’s that simple, and yet it’s not always easy. Sometimes the anxiety we feel is small, just a bit of tightness in our chest once we investigate it. But sometimes it’s quite big, a looming depression or a manic energy that we just can’t tolerate. So face it in small doses, just for a minute, just for a moment. Then let yourself run. Continue to work with it in small, tolerable doses until you start to trust that you’ll be OK if you face it and smile at it.

Once we start to touch on this anxiety, face it with courage, stay with it like a good friend would … we start to realize it’s not so bad. It’s just something that comes up, like a ripple in a pond, like a breeze in a field, and it will go away. We don’t need to panic, we don’t need to run, we can relax, invite it to tea, and see that nothing else is required. Instead, we stay, we give it love, and see that this place of uncertainty we’re in is absolutely perfect as it is.

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4 Culprits Hijacking Your Motivation and Daily Performance

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You’re reading 4 Culprits Hijacking Your Motivation and Daily Performance, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Why don’t we set meaningful goals? And if we do, why do we often fail to achieve them?

What internal forces cause our behavior to stay constant despite our desire to change?

Why do we neglect the development of essential skills that would transform our lives and professional performance?

We resist change. This resistance expresses itself in four key ways: neurotic fear, limiting beliefs, disempowering habits, and inner voices.

Once you understand how these little culprits operate, you’re empowered to make any change you can imagine.

Culprit #1: Neurotic Fear

Fear is at the root of most of our excuses. Doing something new creates risk. Risk evokes fear. Fear is the primary barrier that keeps us from following through on our goals and ambitions.

Fear occurs because of a subconscious assumption that if you do the thing you want, you’ll experience more pain than pleasure, more hardship than enjoyment.

Sometimes we fear failure: What if I fail? What will it mean about me? What will other people think or say?

We also fear success: What if it works out? How will be my life change? What if people perceive me as different?

Healthy fear triggers a flight or flight response. Neurotic fear immobilizes us. Any time you’re not following through on something you want it’s because of this fear.

There’s a cure for neurotic fear: do the thing you fear. Develop competence in this area and the fear, which has no substance, vanishes.

Culprit #2: Limiting Beliefs

Beliefs are challenging to uproot because we’re often unaware of them. You might consciously believe you’re capable and worthy. Subconsciously, you feel you’re incompetent and unworthy. These beliefs dominate our behavior.

“I’m lazy” is another common belief. We all have a lazy part within us. But we also have a disciplined, willful part. If you’re only identifying with your lazy part, examine your life. You’ll discover at least one area where you get things done. (Assume that’s true or your mind can convince you otherwise.) You can consciously access that part by getting in the same state you’re in when you’re willful. Evoke it. Call on it to support you.

And watch your language. If you’re calling yourself lazy or undisciplined, your mind will believe you. It will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

What you focus on grows. Be mindful of your thoughts and beliefs regarding your behavior, your abilities, and your strengths and weaknesses.

“I don’t have the time” is another common belief. Challenge this belief. Maybe you can you carve out 30 minutes in the morning. Or perhaps you can stop doing something that’s not serving you. Or maybe you can learn how to eliminate distraction and focus better. If you invest time in what you’re interested in, you’ll build energy and momentum that will enable you to be far more productive with your day.

When you challenge your limiting beliefs, opportunities present themselves.

Culprit #3: Mundane Conditioning

Poor habits are common for most of us. Cultivating empowering habits and behaviors takes conscious effort.

Common poor habits include procrastinating, getting distracted, being busy, addictive behaviors, and going to sleep late. The list is endless.

As long as we link more pain to doing something (fear) or more pleasure to avoiding it, we procrastinate. All of this conditioning results from our environment.

The science of willpower has shown that changing your environment is more effective than exerting your will. Psychologists call it situational self-control. For example, if you want to stop watching television when you get home from work, put the remote control in an inaccessible place and remove the batteries. This self-imposed inconvenience will delay the habitual impulse and give you time to make a different decision.

Distraction is pervasive in modern life. The habit of eliminating distractions is vital to getting things done. Block off time in your calendar to work on projects important to you. And honor that time.

Close your email program. Power down your smartphone. Close your door. Put on some inspiring music. Set up the environment that allows your brain to enter an absorbed, focused state.

Realize that busyness is an unsupportive habit. We often use it as an excuse to avoid making progress on what’s purposeful to us. Be clear on what’s most important and meaningful to you. What lights you up? What interests and challenges you? Focusing your attention on those things will shift you out of busyness and into a state of flow.

Culprit #4: Inner Saboteur

There’s always a voice within us that gives us reasons not to do something. It’s often called the Inner Critic or Inner Saboteur. It seeks to sabotage or undermine our progress.

In stories, this part is symbolized by conflict, by the many trials, tribulations, and enemies the hero must overcome on his path to personal transformation. Although this sabotaging part is trying to protect us, its efforts hijack our performance and development.

Learn to listen to this inner critic. Allow it speak because if you repress it, it will control your behavior. Instead, let it voice its concerns. Then, dialogue with it. Refute its claims when appropriate. Respect it and make friends with it.

Breaking Through Resistance

Overcoming these four culprits isn’t something you do once. New fears emerge, old disempowering beliefs creep in, unconscious behaviors take over, and the inner saboteur speaks his mind.

Breaking through new layers of resistance is how you walk the path to self-mastery. With daily practice and observation, however, it gets easier.

Mindfulness of these four barriers is the first step. Observing them at the moment reduces their subconscious influence on us. So remember:

  1. Take action in the face of fear.
  2. Challenge your disempowering beliefs.
  3. Establish habits that support you.
  4. Dialogue with your inner saboteur.

The art of following through on our interests brings greater joy and personal meaning to our lives. Focus on that. It will help pull you toward a compelling future.

Scott Jeffrey is a writer and business coach. He’s the author of numerous books including Creativity Revealed: Discovering the Source of Inspiration. Join his mailing list to receive free personal development guides and research-based methods for realizing your potential.

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How to Live a Happy Life: 10 Things to Say Yes to Starting Today

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“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.”
Marcus Aurelius

“Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
Abraham Lincoln

“If you want happiness for an hour — take a nap.
If you want happiness for a day — go fishing.
If you want happiness for a year — inherit a fortune.
If you want happiness for a lifetime — help someone else.”
Chinese Proverb

Saying no is often the easier way out.

When you say no you can safely stay within your comfort zone. You don’t have to fear failing or being rejected. The scary unknown and sometimes difficult change can be avoided.

But if you say yes your life can expand and deepen. The yes allows you to open up your life to more happiness.

Today I would like to share 10 things that I have said yes to and that have helped me to become happier in my life.

Pick one of these that resonate the most with you and focus on making it a part of your life.

1. Being imperfect.

Trying to be perfect is setting the bar too high. It will be impossible to reach. And so you’ll lower your self-esteem. You may not feel very happy about how things are going in your life. Even though they might be going very well indeed.

Perfectionism is mindset that eats at you and your happiness. Saying yes to being imperfect can turn that around.

How to do it:

  • Realize the costs of buying into myths of perfection. By watching too many movies, listening to too many songs and just taking in what the world is telling you it is very easy to be lulled into dreams of perfection. It sounds so good and wonderful and you want it.
    But in real life it clashes with reality and it can harm or possibly lead you to end relationships, jobs, projects etc. just because your expectations are out of this world. I find it very helpful to remind myself of this simple fact.
  • Go for good enough. Aiming for perfection usually winds up in a project or something else very slowly or never being finished. So go for good enough instead. Don’t use it as an excuse to slack off. But simply realize that there is something called good enough and when you are there then you are finished with whatever you are doing.

2. Being you.

Not being able to be yourself, always trying to change for others or censoring yourself don’t feel good at all. It makes life feel so small and limited.

So how can you be yourself? Your environment plays a huge part.

How to do it:

  • Supportive people. Spend more time with the people who support your dreams, values and you. Or are at least neutral. And spend less time with people who always criticize you or you simply aren’t a good fit for.
  • Supportive and life-expanding influences outside of your everyday life. Change your environment not only close to you. Go further and spend more time with sources of information that supports your dreams and can give you information that expands and makes your life happier and more exciting. Find support from people you have never met via books, movies, blogs, forums and music. And spend less time with negative and limiting influences.

3. The things that make you come alive.

It is important to find some time and energy for the things that you feel makes you come alive.

How to do it:

  • Mix it up. Try something new, even if it is just something small each week. Eat the vegetarian dish at lunch if you always eat meat. Listen to some music that isn’t your normal cup of tea. Go out to a movie, café or pub with friends if you usually stay in at night. Or vice versa. Create variation and expand your comfort zone regularly in small ways to live a happier life.
  • Reconnect with what you used to love if it has fallen by the wayside. If you used to go fishing, paint or play the guitar and it really made you come alive then reconnect. Use an hour for it this week and see if it still brings you joy and makes you come alive.

4. Optimism.

Pessimism can really limit your life and bring it to a standstill. It can make it feel like there’s no point in trying because it won’t make a difference or you’ll just fail. It can create ceilings and walls made out of glass where there really are none.

Saying yes a more optimistic way of thinking can on the other hand open your life up.

How to do it:

  • Ask yourself optimistic questions. When you’re in what seems like a negative situation then make something better out of it by asking yourself questions that promote optimism and helps you to find solutions. Questions like: What is one thing that is positive or good about this situation? And what is the opportunity within this situation?
  • Start your day off on the right foot. As mentioned in tip #2, the influences in your life can make a huge difference. So choose to spend your breakfast time with an optimistic influence like for example a book, a blog or your mom. Or talk to someone early in the day that most often supports and cheers you up like a co-worker or a friend in school.

5. Turning negative self-talk around.

It is very important to keep your motivation and your self-esteem up to live a happier life.

Your inner critic may be one of biggest obstacles standing in your way of that. If you make a mistake or fail, if someone criticizes you or if you are just getting tired then that small inner voice can become louder and louder and drag and keep you down.

It can tell you that you are stupid or lazy. That you will not succeed. That you are worse or uglier than someone else.

Being able to turn the inner critic around or to shut it up as soon as it pops up is a very helpful skill.

How to do it:

  • Say stop. Simply create a stop word or stop-phrase that you say or shout in your mind whenever your critic pipes up with a distorted and self-esteem hurting thought. Say: Stop! Or: No, no, no, we are not going there again!
  • Explain to yourself what this will lead to over the next year or more. As I mentioned in tip #1, reminding yourself of the cost of buying into myths of perfection is a powerful way to replace those thought habits. This works very well for other self-esteem hurting thought patterns too. Remind yourself of how the inner critic has shaped your life so far. And in your mind see the cost of letting it roam free for another year or five.

6. Saying no when you feel it is the right thing for you to do.

To have the time and energy to say yes to the most important things you have to say no to some things too.

How to do it:

  • What do I truly want to focus my time and energy on? When you get an offer or an opportunity arises ask yourself this question. When you look over your schedule ask yourself this question. Think about and look at what your top priorities are and what you deep want before you say anything.
  • Disarm and then state your need. It becomes easier for people to accept your no if you disarm them first. You could for example do that by honestly saying that you are flattered or that you appreciate the kind offer. Then you, for instance, add that you do not have the time for accepting and doing what they want. Or say that you do not feel that this offer is a good fit for your life right now.

7. Forgiveness.

Not clinging to the past and to the hurt that is there but to let it go and look to the now and the future is an essential thing to find more happiness in your life.

Forgiving is not always easy and can take time but there are some things that can make it a little easier.

How to do it:

  • Remind yourself that you forgive for your own benefit. As long as you don’t forgive someone you are linked to that person. Your thoughts will return to the person who wronged you and what he or she did over and over again.
    The emotional link between the two of you is so strong and inflicts much suffering in you and – as a result of your inner turmoil – most often in other people around you too. When you forgive you do not only release the other person. You set yourself free from all of that agony too.
  • Make a habit of forgiving yourself. Do not just forgive others but also yourself. By forgiving yourself – instead of resenting yourself for something you did a week or 10 years ago – you make the habit of forgiveness more and more of a natural part of you. And so forgiving others becomes easier too.

8. Making someone else happy.

Making someone else happier has many benefits. The happiness spreads back to you as you see his or her face light up and as you know you did the right thing.

It spreads back to you as people have a strong tendency to want to give back when you have done something good for them. And it spreads out into the world as that now happier person may spread his or her happiness to other people.

How to do it:

  • Help out practically. Lend someone a hand when they are moving. Or give them a ride in your car. Or if they need information, try to find a solution by asking the people you know or via Google.
  • Just listen. Sometime a friend or someone close to you may just want to vent or for someone to listen as he or she figures things out. It may not seem like much but it can be an immense help for someone who needs it. So be there fully – don’t sit there thinking about something else – and listen.

9. Openness and growth.

Saying yes to being open to the good things in life and growing as a person plays a big role when it comes to happiness.

The other things in this article will help you with that. But here are two more tips that will make your journey a little easier and simpler.

How to do it:

  • Change one thing at a time. Changing many things or your whole life at once sure sounds good. But willpower is something we often overestimate and everyday life tends to come in the way. So to make sure you have a much better chance of changing a habit or area of your life change just one thing at a time.
  • Start small. Just say no to one small thing you don’t want to do this week. Or forgive one person for one thing. Or help and make someone happy in some small way. Take just one small step outside of your comfort zone.

10. To living your life fully despite setbacks.

When things have been standing still for while or you hit a bump in the road then it’s easy to back down. To shrink. To give in or give up.

But a better way to say yes to happiness in those situations is to say yes to living your life fully.

How to do it:

  • Keep going. When you fail or make a mistake don’t give up. Reconnect with optimism by using the questions further up in this article. Find inspiration from books and blogs and the people around you. Don’t beat yourself up. Instead nudge yourself back on track again.
  • Remember, it’s not too late to change your life. I didn’t really try to improve my life very much until I was 25. And many throughout the world and history have made positive changes far later in life than that. So if you want to make a change then start today. Work with what you have where you are right now. Start small and take the first step towards something new.

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The 7 Best Blogs on Anxiety

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You’re reading The 7 Best Blogs on Anxiety, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Moody, stressed, anxious or tired all the time? These symptoms can signal either plain old stress or a real depression rooted in deep-seated issues. It is incredibly important to heed the warning that our body and mind communicate in order to create wellness in our lives. Scientific studies support a ‘stress spectrum’, which range from simple fatigue, body aches and pains, to Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD) and full-blown personality disorders. If we’re lucky, the down times won’t last long. The key to figuring out how to overcome these anxieties lies in our capacity to take the necessary steps in order to change our lives and/or discover the origin of our anxiety. Here are 7 blogs that aid in developing tools and uncovering truths about where and how our anxiety surfaces:

  1. This blog is a real account of a woman’s lifelong struggle with anxiety. Unable to recognize it as a teenager, she buried it down and decided it was just your run of the mill every day stress. However, when it resurfaced later in life accompanied by physical symptoms of shakiness, lack of concentration and fast heartbeat she knew she must acknowledge its presence and decided to seek treatment. This is an all too familiar story and she urges others to take heed early on in order to not suffer with anxieties through moments in your life. Many people can be happy if they sought treatment or therapy.

http://ift.tt/2lm2muV

  1. This article breaks down what it means to feel stressed versus depressed. Stress will signal changes that need to be made that are specific, such as lack of sleep or unhappiness at your job, where as depression hangs around longer than little ‘spells’ like stress, and is usually triggered by something or feels like it just pops out of nowhere.

http://ift.tt/2maKlyc

  1. Feeling powerless in our current world is a commonality we all share. However, some people develop real anxieties and fears based on the unpredictability of our future. This article helps us rebuild a sense of control over our own lives and the difference we can make in the lives of others. Define your values and live them, accept what you can’t change and control what you let it in. These are of utmost importance in regaining control and   overcoming our anxieties.

http://ift.tt/2ksFBpu

  1. This is actually a podcast but felt it should still make it onto this ‘blog’ list. It is a rarity when one speaks positively from personal experience. This podcast doesn’t sugarcoat the fact that there is a healing process to overcoming anxiety for which we must acknowledge. Trying to detach oneself from an outcome is a good step to achieving this as well as developing patience toward discovering the root of your anxiety.

http://ift.tt/2fJEwc1

  1. This blog delivers an interview with the author of ‘Hot Feminist’, Polly Vernon. The discussion veers into her mental state of anxiety, after she was bullied and abused online following the release of her book. She helps one understand that normalizing the stages of your anxiety can help to get over it, as so often we would just alienate ourselves and perhaps even begin to feel as though we could lose our identity. The act itself of talking about your fear, anxiety and depression increases the social acceptance of it as a real disorder.

http://ift.tt/2llXbvi

  1. Generalized anxiety is a term used to describe a malaise that won’t go away, a feeling of tiredness as well as constant worry. When this affects children the symptoms often appear as physical, such as irritability, difficulty breathing and/or sleeping and various aches from their heads to their stomachs. Since anxiety is a very tiring disorder, it is important to be vigilant in recognizing these signs in children, as they particularly vulnerable to its manifestation but lack an understanding of its origin.

http://ift.tt/2matj3g

  1. In this blog, we are given the how-to tools for overcoming your anxiety. They are everything from becoming more in tune with your body and checking in with everyday occurrences that trigger feelings of anxiety. It is also very important to face your feelings as soon as they come up, not allowing for the emotions to take over and snowball out of your control.

http://ift.tt/2lm1K8E

Anxiety is a normal physical and emotional response to feelings of fear, stress and toxicity within and around us. To be pro active in our own wellness, we must recognize and accept that we feel them before we can embark on uncovering how to control and understand them. Often we ask ourselves, how do we get to a point where we feel ‘normal’ again? Any life changing transformation requires work and change, which can be painful. Ultimately, the life that comes out of self-growth is a life with the potential to feel content and stress-free. That thought does not induce anxiety, which signals it must be the right choice!

Do you read a great blog about anxiety that’s not on the list? Leave a comment on FB!

Larissa Gomes is a breast cancer survivor and single mom to her spirited baby boy! Originally from Toronto turned Angeleno, she has worked in roles from writer, actor and producer for well over a decade. In that time, she’s developed concepts, film and television screenplays, short stories, along with freelance articles, blogging and editing work.

You’ve read The 7 Best Blogs on Anxiety, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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Join Me: The Zen Habits Mindfulness Retreat in April

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By Leo Babauta

I’m excited to announce my first retreat: the Zen Habits Mindfulness Retreat in San Francisco!

The urban retreat will be held over a weekend, on April 21-23, 2017. It’s aimed at teaching you key mindfulness skills that can help you transform your life.

There are limited spots (at 3 different levels), so I would get your spot soon if you’d like to attend.

What This Retreat is About

It’s a 2.5-day retreat that focuses on:

  • Mindfulness practices
  • Using mindfulness to deal with our struggles and old patterns
  • Finding joy and gratitude in life
  • Seeing the underlying goodness in ourselves & overcome dissatisfaction with ourselves
  • Dealing with uncertainty, developing trust in the process
  • Finding what happens when you have no escape

Through these practices, we’ll help you develop tools that can lead to the changes you’ve been hoping for.

We will learn different types of meditations and practice exercises that help us work with our struggles.

We will also explore San Francisco a bit:

  • Mindful tea tasting
  • Mindful chocolate tasting
  • Delicious vegan food will be provided
  • We’ll go on an easy hike
  • We’ll form connections with each other to support our life changes

I’m so excited to have you join me in one of my favorite cities in the world, working on things that have changed my life completely and that I hope will change yours as well.

Three Options for the Retreat

The basic retreat described above doesn’t include accommodations (you’ll have to book your own AirBnb or hotel) or transportation to San Francisco (book your own flights).

But it does include vegan meals, activities described above, and the talks and group exercises with Leo.

Basic option: The basic retreat comes at a price of $2,995:

Mindfulness Retreat (Basic)

But I’m also including two other options:

  1. “With a Bed” option (below) that gets you a bed and a room in an AirBnb apartment, and
  2. a Premium Package that includes an additional lunch with me, a 1-on-1 session at the retreat, and a follow-up coaching call with me a few weeks after the retreat (see “Premium Package” below).

The “With a Bed” Option

I’ll be renting a couple AirBnb apartments with about separate beds available (each in their own room), so if you’d like to stay in an apartment with other retreat participants, you can book at the “With a Bed” rate … you’ll get a bed in your own bedroom (unless you choose to share a Queen bed with a friend or your spouse/partner).

The “With a Bed” spots come at a price of $3,395:

Mindfulness Retreat (With a Bed)

The Premium Package

Finally, I’ve created a few bonuses if you’d like to purchase the “premium” package …

This package includes:

  1. A bed in one of the AirBnb apartments (same apartment where Leo is sleeping)
  2. An extra lunch with Leo on Friday April 21 before the retreat starts
  3. A 1-on-1 coaching session with Leo during the retreat
  4. A follow-up coaching call with Leo about 3-4 weeks after the retreat

There are 5 premium spots available, at a price of $4,395.

Mindfulness Retreat (Premium)

I am really excited about this retreat and I hope you’ll join me!

Questions & Answers

You might have some questions … here are a few answers:

Q: Who is this retreat for?

A: It’s for someone who is willing to take a weekend to change their life. Someone who has been struggling and is open to practicing mindfulness and changing mental patterns. Someone who is ready to let go of old patterns and embrace new ones. Someone who is willing to put in the work for better habits and a transformed life.

Q: Are airfare or accommodations included?

A: Airfare is not included, you’ll need to book tickets on your own. Accommodations for the two nights are only included if you choose either the “With a Bed” or “Premium” options, where you’ll be staying in an AirBnb apartment with other participants. If you choose the “Basic” option, you’ll need to find your own hotel or AirBnb apartment in San Francisco, and this is not included in the price.

Q: What if I don’t like vegan food?

A: I’d suggest bringing an open and flexible mind to the retreat, and the food we’ll be eating is pretty delicious, and it’s included in the cost … however, you are free to go off and explore on your own, and buy your own food. In that case, you’ll be missing out on group meals, unfortunately.

Q: Can I book two retreat spots with a shared bed with my partner or friend?

A: Sure! In this case, book one spot at the “With a Bed” or “Premium” level (to get a bed) and then a second spot at the Basic level. Then email us to let us know you want to share a Queen-sized bed with your partner or friend.

Q: What is your refund policy?

A: No refunds after March 1, 2017. If you buy a spot, you’re preventing others from buying them, as spots are limited. So if you don’t ask for a refund by March 1, you’ll lose your fee if you can’t make it. If you ask for a refund before March 1, we’ll refund 80% of your fee.

Q: I can’t pay right now, can I pay later?

A: No, the spots will only be reserved by those who pay. If you want to wait until you can pay, it will mean there might not be any spots left.

Q: I just bought a spot, now what?

A: There is a PDF download that came with your purchase, please download and read that for more info. We’ll also be sending you a few emails over the next month, please read these and reply with your info!

Q: What do I need for this retreat?

A: A notebook and pen for notes, layered clothing for San Francisco’s fluctuating weather, and an open and flexible mind. A willingness to change and practice. An open heart. Toiletries.

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Learn by Example: 5 Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs

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You’re reading Learn by Example: 5 Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

In business and life in general, it’s only normal to make mistakes now and again. Still, if the only lessons you learn en route are those you draw from your own mistakes, you won’t exactly be a happy camper on Planet Earth – or a thriving entrepreneur, for that matter. The good news is you don’t have to go putting your foot in all the wrong places until you’ve come up with the best choreography of entrepreneurial success: you can steal tricks from top-rated businessmen and learn by example instead. So, what items can you add to your bag of daily habits in order to hack safe and rapid entrepreneurial growth?

1. Put Your Customers First No Matter What

Entrepreneurs who rise above the curve are the ones who put their customers before profits. In an overly crowded marketplace, buyers have grown extremely sensitive to the way they’re being treated by brands, and they’ll quickly walk out of your door if they but suspect that their money, time, and personality aren’t valued. The focus on user experience over revenues is precisely the approach which earned Twitter founders Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, and Biz Stone an edge over the competition early on – and look how far they’ve come by now. The takeaway: put customer satisfaction first if you want to get your brand to attract potential users like a magnet and grow even when success seems impossible.

2. Take Every Chance and Drop Every Fear

The road to entrepreneurial stardom may be covered by thorns and slivers of broken glass, but if you don’t take to it, you should renounce hope of reaching the finish line in foreseeable future. A dose of caution and forethought is okay, but try not to overthink or overplan every step of the way in advance – and even more importantly, don’t let anyone sway your belief in success. Elon Musk is a shining example of a businessman who simply wouldn’t take ‘No’ for an answer, and it won him a hefty fortune and the title of a tech industry mogul. Musk’s secret success formula is dead simple: take risks and visualize success instead of failure, and you’ll be acing every project.

3. Go the Distance, Plus One Step Further

The early bird may not catch the worm, but the persistent one will eventually dig it out and take it home. The main difference between a successful and an average entrepreneur is the former’s ability to go the distance, and then take one step further. Although perfectionism isn’t always an asset in business, it can be an invaluable trump card up an emerging business shark’s sleeve. For instance, it’s a well-known fact that tenacity and commitment to excellence were precisely the qualities that got Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer a place in the corporate sun. The takeaway? Take to the road, make a run for the gold, and don’t stop ‘till your competitors run out of breath.

4. Come Up with a Regimented Agenda

Though little growth happens within the confines of the comfort zone, consistency is what keeps an entrepreneur’s bowling ball rolling towards the ninepins of peak business results. A clearly laid out daily agenda, with tasks and objectives listed according to priority, can help an up-and-coming businessman keep their eyes on the prize and minimize delays and dead alleys en route. Fueled founder and CEO Rameet Chawla says that a consistent schedule is key to brilliance, and she believes her priority-based lifestyle contributed to the startup’s rapid growth. If you want to avoid pitfalls and win medals fast, devise an achievable daily agenda and stick to it religiously.

5. Work Hard, Play Hard, Rest, Repeat

All work and little play never made a star entrepreneur. To rise above the crowd, you’ll need to achieve – and maintain – work-life balance, and play at least as hard as you work. You can use opportunities such as business trips to let your inner child have a go at travel gadgets and board games, or design a part of the office as play area to keep motivation in check on busy work days and during slow weekend shifts. “Work hard, play hard” is the slogan Richard Branson swears by and it’s apparently worked for him like a charm, and it also opened his mind and heart, allowing him to participate in the creation of a better world on a daily basis.

As human beings, we’re creatures of habit and daily rituals give structure and substance to our lives. If you want to pull out all the stops on the quest to the Garden of Entrepreneurial Eden, arm yourself with these habits and steer your business onto the speedy and successful lane in a flash. Good luck!

You’ve read Learn by Example: 5 Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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7 Ridiculous Standards We Need To Stop Sticking To

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You’re reading 7 Ridiculous Standards We Need To Stop Sticking To, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

I don’t know what it is exactly, but it seems like in today’s day and age, we’re taking almost everything for granted.

Common sense isn’t so common anymore.

And adults aren’t being adults.

It’s ironic because the internet, social media and modern technology are all making us go backwards.

Here’s 7 ridiculous standards we need to stop sticking to

1) It’s okay to be late

No. It’s not.

I don’t know when, but some people think that it’s okay to never be on time. The worst I came across was people showing up for a movie late, making the rest of us late.

It’s not okay to be late.

If you think it’s okay, it means you don’t respect the other party. If you don’t show up on time, it means you don’t respect time, and that means you don’t respect yourself.

Grow up and show up. It’s not that hard.

2) It’s okay to be busy all the time.

No. It’s not.

I get it. You have many things to do. But everybody is busy today. If something or someone means something to you, you’ll make the time and put in the effort.

Trust me, you’ve your entire life ahead of you to be busy, especially after you start work. It’s up to you to make the choice, make some changes and realize that you get to do things that really matter.

3) It’s okay to not reply or return a call

I actually just only recently encountered this phenomenon, that some people out there simply do not check their phones at all simply because “they’re that type of people.”

Yes. Others validated this to me, telling me that it is a normal habit to not want to check one’s phone entirely and effectively disappear for a few days.

I think it’s alright to prioritize your communication habits, but to disappear entirely? Not cool.

A smartphone is meant to make people smart, not stupid.

4) It’s okay get away with anything just because you’re rich or famous

You know it’s true. Rich or famous people are getting away with doing bad things just because of their status.

It’s sad because the average person doesn’t dare to talk back.

5) It’s okay to cheat on your partner

Infidelity, for some reason is extremely common today, even among married couples. It’s so common that research is done on it, particularly on good people who you never thought will cheat.

But cheating, is still cheating.

It’s a horrendous act that hurts people. End of story.

If you aren’t ready to commit to a relationship, then don’t. Be honest and respect your partner. Cheating will never end well and there’ll be consequences.

6) It’s okay to allow bullying

I personally find that not enough is done to curb bullying.

The victim is always told to simply “get over it.”

That’s not enough. We need more education. The bullies must be punished to a certain extent while the victim must be given more encouragement.

7) It’s okay to allow a friend to be toxic and not do a thing about it

This entire article can be encompassed in this point: allowing a friend to be toxic.

Time and time again, I am always told, “He’s like that. Let him be” or “She’s a girl. They get to be unreasonable.

I find that extremely ridiculous.

If someone is doing something wrong, then something needs to be said. Tolerance can only go so far and it’ll only eventually harm others.

Stop accepting ridiculous standards I say. Make a change for yourself and others around you.

Just for Pick The Brain readers

Hey guys! Want to start being nice to yourself to lead a happy life NOW?

Get my free book then. I’ll activate that happiness in you: 12 things happy people don’t give a f**k about!

  • More confidence
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This free book only available through this link. Enjoy!

Alden Tan is a passionate breakdancer and writer. He writes about honest and real self-improvement without the bullshit. Get his free book already!

You’ve read 7 Ridiculous Standards We Need To Stop Sticking To, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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Getting Into The Zone: 5 Strategies To Help You Keep Focus, Be Calm and Perform Under Pressure

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You’re reading Getting Into The Zone: 5 Strategies To Help You Keep Focus, Be Calm and Perform Under Pressure, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Setting a strong foundation – repetition, repetition, repetition.

One of the most effective ways to increase your performance in anything is simply by turning up and practicing! This may sound extremely obvious but it can be discounted far too often. Some people want all the glory but are not willing to put in the time to achieve it. So repetition, repetition, repetition cannot be overlooked as it’s the cornerstone of executing the task in hand.

Moving practice to performance

With a strong foundation in practice, our next task is to convert that to the match or performance. A classic example is the musician. They practice for many years in their bedroom to then hopefully one day play to hundreds or thousands of people. Their next step is to then move that playing to the stage.

The paradox of performance

Let’s just quickly address one area that can cause many people to trip over when trying to perform at their best. Always wanting to perform at perfect standards can cause problems if it’s not addressed and managed. We want to create an environment in which we push for our best performances, aim for a high level/standard, but have a heavy level of perspective whilst doing it. So if we have a bad day at work or at the session, we can quickly turn ourselves back around and get back to it.

Taking off the pressure

One of the most effective ways to take the pressure off yourself is to simmer the amount of focus on yourself. This is a little paradoxical, but the best way to do it is to focus on your main mission. Some performers, instead of focusing so much on themselves, switch their focus to entertain the crowd; giving them a great evening or offering a product or performance that can impact their lives. This can be especially helpful for entrepreneurs. When they focus on their overall mission, it can help keep them on track when the challenges come. It helps to alleviate the pressure THEY PUT ON THEMSELVES!

So let’s take a look at ten techniques that you can apply in any pressurised situation:

  • Visualisation – visualisation plays a huge part for many athletes and performers. Simply put, it’s the ability to visualise the desired outcome you would like by mentally running through your performance, bit by bit. This is a great technique for many golfers, basketball players, musicians etc – they clearly visualise the outcome they would like. A study by Edmund Jacobson proved how effective visualisation truly is with a set of basketball players. Check it out! http://ift.tt/1jpKatG
  • Movement – your physical body (the way you position your body). Resetting your posture under pressure can massively affect your performance. Take Cristiano Ronaldo’s body positioning when he steps up to take a free kick. With Ronaldo being a ‘J’ shape kicker (direction of the kick) he inputs greater power into the ball in the direction of the kick. His upright posture gives him a ‘power’ stance that can also add huge mental benefits. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy has done some phenomenal work on body language and how it effects our testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain. Fascinating! http://ift.tt/1i3VmIF
  • Meditation – in any pressurised situation, being able to regulate your thoughts and emotions is huge. Meditation can be a great tool to keep your emotions and impulses at bay in performance. Restful alertness is the key here: with training we become more and more aware of our thoughts and emotions. Therefore, we can respond more effectively in high performance.
  • Language – reframing the situation – a healthy way to increase your performance is the way you shape the situation. Many performers still feel nerves before aperformance, but it’s how they manage and use it to their advantage that is the key. Mike Tyson before many of his boxing fights would be extremely nervous, but his coach would say: “The hero and the coward both feel the same thing, but the hero uses his fear, projects it onto his opponent, while the coward runs. It’s the same thing, fear, but it’s what you do with it that matters”.
  • ‘There are many opportunities’ – think about how many times you have to get it right. The band Coldplay got turned down by over 20 record companies but they kept going. You will have other opportunities if you put yourself out there and keep on being proactive. The irony is you feel less pressure knowing there will be other opportunities.

These are five of many strategies you can begin to develop in your arena. Start with one and see how it can help with your development and training.

Step into your greatness today!

You’ve read Getting Into The Zone: 5 Strategies To Help You Keep Focus, Be Calm and Perform Under Pressure, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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