3 Easy Steps to Achieving Your Goals According to Science

Many people are living in mediocrity and most don’t seem to get anywhere worthwhile because they lack direction. They have no idea what they want out of their lives. One of the most important keys to success and living a fulfilling life is to know what you want and work relentlessly toward that worthy ideal. The problem is that most people have no idea what they want. Or in other words, they don’t set goals for themselves.

If you think about extraordinary people who went on to accomplish amazing success in life such as top-level athletes Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, and successful entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Mark Cuban, you will notice that they all shared a common trait – they know what they want, they set goals, and they are making progress towards reaching their goals every day.

When you set goals, it gives you a long-term vision to focus on and at the same time, it also provides you the short-term motivation you need to work through each day. Dr. Gail Matthews, a professor at the Dominican University, once conducted a study on how writing down goals, committing to action, and being accountable, can influence the achievement of the goal.

Dr. Gail Matthews recruited 267 participants from various groups ranging from age 23 to 72, and they were all from different countries including the United States. England, Japan, and Australia.

The participants were then randomly divided into 5 groups:

Group 1 – Participants were simply asked to think about their goals (what they wanted to achieve over the next 4 weeks) and rate the goals according to their difficulties, importance, motivation, and more.

Group 2 – Participants were asked to write down their goals and rate them.

Group 3 – Participants were asked to follow Group 2 and also to formulate action commitments.

Group 4 – Participants were asked to follow Group 3 and also send their goals and action commitments to a supportive friend.

Group 5 – Participants were asked to follow Group 4 and also send a weekly progress report to a supportive friend.

Guess what happened at the end of the 4 weeks?

Results grew from a 43 percent success rate in Group 1 and increased to 76 percent success rate in Group 5.

This means when you write down your goals, make actionable commitments, and send a weekly progress report to a supportive friend, you are 76% more likely to achieve the goal.

“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.” – Norman Vincent Peale

Therefore, to achieve outstanding success and reach your goals, you need to focus on these 3 easy steps:

1. Write down your goals

First, you have to identify what you want to achieve, and then you will have to write it down. Many personal development coaches like Jack Canfield, John Assaraf, and Robin Sharma suggest their students write down their goals because when you do so, you increase your commitment to your goals.

After all, you will never bother writing something down if it is not important to you, right? Hence, make it a habit to write down your goals and constantly review them.

Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert comic strip and one of the most successful cartoonists in the world, said that he wrote down his goal 15 times a day. He wrote down, “I, Scott Adams, will become a syndicated cartoonist.” And he continued to do so day-in and day-out, for 15 times a day.

Eventually, his dreams came true. He became the world’s most syndicated cartoonist. In the year 2000, Dilbert was featured in 2,000 newspapers in 57 countries and 19 languages. The comic strip also spawned dozens of television series, books, and themed merchandise items.

Therefore, if you are serious about achieving your goals, write them down. In fact, do it like how Scott Adams did, write down your goals every day so you condition your goals to your subconscious mind.

2. Create action commitments

Writing down your goals is the first step. The second step you need to take is to create action commitments. In other words, you need to come up with a plan of what you need to do to reach your goals.

You can’t just think or write down what you want and hope that things will magically appear in front of you. No, goal setting is not a magic lamp, it is a technique that helps you identify specifically what you want so you can formulate a plan to achieve it.

Most people don’t make plans for their goals. They just think of their goals and nothing more. Remember you need to make a plan if you are truly committed to your goals.

Write down all the specific action steps you can take to accomplish your goals. If you have no idea what you can do to achieve your goals, your action commitment is to do just that.

There are plenty of books and courses you can learn from. For instance, if your goal is to set up an e-commerce website, but you have no idea how to do that, your action commitment is to learn how to do it.

List down all the possible action commitments you need to take. Lastly, work on each of them one-by-one because that’s how you make progress.

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

3. Get an accountability partner and send your weekly progress report

Finally, to make sure you stick to your plan, you need to be accountable for it. Thus, get an accountability partner who supports your work. Commit to sending your partner a weekly progress report each week.

You want to get an accountability partner because if you don’t, you will never hold yourself accountable. However, when you know someone is watching and monitoring your work, you become more committed to working on your plan.

Plus, when you commit to sending a weekly progress report, it creates a deadline and urgency to get the action commitment done.

Getting an accountability partner doesn’t need to be difficult. You just need to get someone who supports and is willing to keep an eye on your progress. Your job is to send your progress report to him or her each week.

When you do this, you will make sure you are making progress toward your goals every week.

Conclusion

These are the 3 easy steps on how you can achieve your goals. Remember, according to research, you can greatly improve your success rate by as much as 76% when you follow the 3 simple steps above.

So, identify your goals, write them down, create action commitments to achieve them, and get a supportive partner to hold you accountable for your progress.

What’s one goal you’re looking to accomplish this year? Share it with us below so we can help keep you accountable!

from
https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/3-easy-steps-to-achieving-your-goals-according-to-science/

5 Mindset Hacks to Gaining More Opportunities and Increasing Your Income

Growing your business and slaying your sales isn’t an upward-only trajectory. The highs and lows can be exhausting, so it’s important to have a few mindset hacks in your back pocket to get yourself in the frame of mind that invites opportunities instead of polarizing momentum.

Here are five mindset hacks that you can use right away, either in a pinch or consistently in your routine to amp up your results:

1. Get Fired Up

Learning how to motivate yourself is a priceless skill, especially because you won’t be inspired to take action every day. There will be days that it’s hard to motivate yourself to wear pants, let alone conquer your day. That’s when you have to motivate yourself to move forward.

Simple ways to get fired up are to pick a weekly or monthly theme song that you can vibe with. Music is a great motivator because you can borrow the energy of the song to create your own momentum. 

Similarly, having a role model or mentor that you can connect with and stay accountable to can be the difference between a long arduous road to getting what you want out of life and fast-tracking your way to success. Mentors can inspire you in special ways that other people just can’t. They’re invaluable.

Another way to get fired up is to call a super loyal or grateful client. Their excitement about working with you is contagious, which will get you in the right headspace to bring in more clients just like them. If you find yourself in a moment of doubt or where your confidence is shaken, borrow the confidence other people have in you to refill your cup and move forward. 

“Once your mindset changes, everything on the outside will change along with it.” ― Steve Maraboli

2. Find Reprieve 

Owning a business is freaking intense! It’s easy for your body and energy to get tightly wound in the day to day activities of it all. That’s why it’s important to find reprieves where you can calm down. That doesn’t always mean finding a getaway or going on a silent retreat for two weeks (although I’m not knocking it). Something as simple as calling someone special or spending time with someone you love can help you relax your mind and body. 

Another way to find a reprieve is to find a time of day that you protect as your peace time. This may look like doing yoga, going rock climbing, journaling, reading a book, singing, or anything else that makes you focus on only that one thing while you’re doing it. Intentional attention to something that brings you joy or clears your head is a powerful way to keep your mindset strong. 

3. Focus

What you put your focus on grows. That’s why you want to focus on what you’ve done right and the opportunities ahead of you, instead of beating yourself up over mistakes you’ve made. It’s great to see where you need to grow and make a plan to move forward, but getting stuck in “I should’ve known better” and similar perspectives will only hold you back. The faster you pivot a loss into a lesson, the faster you’ll create opportunities for success.

One way to keep your focus on what you’ve done right is to create a cave of wins. This could be a box that you keep all of your wins in, a journal you use to record your wins, or even a file on your home screen that you can open to see the wins you’ve created thus far. Every day, catalog all of the wins you’ve had for the day. These don’t have to be just business wins either. 

If you’ve been working on your health and you stuck to the food plan your nutritionist gave you, that’s a win! If you’ve been trying to have more present conversations with your significant other and you went through dinner without picking up your phone, that’s a win! Review your cave of wins each week to see just how far you’ve come on your journey of success.

4. Burning Building

This mindset hack is the most important tool in this entire list. This is a technique that will help you take action when you’ve been paralyzed by fear. Are you ready?

There’s a burning building and someone you love is inside. The action that you’re afraid of taking is the only way you can run into the building to save them. In many cases, this is what’s happening metaphorically when you show up in your business. 

As a business owner, you solve problems for your customers. If you don’t take action to get your solutions out there, you’re ignoring the people who are suffering and shouting for help. You wouldn’t leave your loved one in a burning building, so don’t abandon your customers either.

“There are no limitations to the mind except those we acknowledge. Both poverty and riches are the offspring of thought.” ― Napoleon Hill

5. Decide

All powerful mindset shifts come down to one thing—making the decision to do something different. Once you’ve made a decision, you follow that up by taking the actions that support that decision. Practicing steadfast decision making is a great way to experience quantum leaps in your growth because it puts all of your focus, attention, and energy into creating what you want with certainty. This growth can turn you into a magnet for business and income growth opportunities.

from
https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/5-mindset-hacks-to-gaining-more-opportunities-and-increasing-your-income/

3 Things Every Entrepreneur Must Know to Grow Their Business

It seems like everyone these days is an entrepreneur. After all, anyone with a computer and an internet connection has the opportunities to serve a global audience. The harsh reality is that the vast majority of these budding entrepreneurs will never make the money they hope to through their new business venture. Most will fail to ever make a dollar, others will earn very little and eventually abandon the idea as the novelty wears off and discouragement sets in. 

The difference between the runaway success stories and the masses of entrepreneurs silently toiling in their businesses is that the former possess a skill that the latter do not. The winners know how to sell.

Weekly, I encounter starry-eyed entrepreneurs with big ideas and a palpable disdain for sales, sales processes, and anything that conjures mental images of used car salesmen in cheap suits who reek of equally cheap cologne. These entrepreneurs likely won’t make it. If you want to succeed you have to learn to sell.

Here are three lessons from top sales leaders on how entrepreneurs can improve their sales results:

1. Educate, don’t pitch

Don’t even think about pitching your offering until you know exactly what ails your would-be buyer. The fastest way to sink a deal – and your reputation – is by pitching an offer that won’t actually work to alleviate your customer’s pain point. A superior way to sell, however, is to avoid pitching at all. This proverbial high road is one that will set you apart from virtually every other sales person who comes knocking. You will become more than another offering in a crowded field; you will become the trusted advisor.
The first thing you must do in any selling situation is take the time to self educate by asking thoughtful questions that invite your prospect to open up about their current situation. The best sales leaders do this effortlessly and the meeting begins to feel more like therapy than a sales call.

Once you’ve established a level of trust with your could be buyer, now is the time to show them how your offering would be the right next step to solve their problem – but only if it actually will. Spinning your offering to shoehorn a customer into a deal they’ll later regret is a fast way to trash any trust and goodwill you’ve managed to create. By demonstrating how your offering will make their lives better, you have put yourself into the role of the trusted advisor and your soon-to-be customer will thoughtfully consider your offer free from the typical pressure of transactional sales.

“Keep yourself positive, cheerful, and goal-oriented. Sales success is 80% attitude and only 20% aptitude.” – Brian Tracy

2. Expect to hear ‘no’

Hearing no is hard. Especially when you know that the product or service you’re selling will genuinely help make your customer’s life better. The first time you hear a no it can be pretty devastating, especially true when it’s your business that you’re trying to get off the ground. Rejection is always hard though a healthy perspective can go a long way towards keeping you on the path to eventual success.

The good news is that every no is a great opportunity to learn. From building your confidence as you pitch your offer to modifying how you present the benefits of your offering each no give you permission to experiment with your presentation.

3. Do the Hard thing

Bottom line is you’ve got to put yourself out there. Yes, it’s easy to send out a handful of cold emails to potential prospects and wait, with fingers crossed, and hope for an unlikely ‘yes’. Unless you are able to craft a curiosity inducing subject line and an email that provides an astounding amount of value, cold emails seldom work. That widely accepted reality doesn’t stop scores of entrepreneurs from spending untold hours in their inbox sending messages to every email address they manage to track down.

If you want to succeed you need to strand out and that means finding less crowded spaces to occupy with your message. It means doing the thing that no one else has thought of or that no one else wants to do. Sending an email is easy while getting up on a stage at an industry trade show is not. Neither is cold calling prospects out of the phone book. Consistently do the hard thing that no one else will and you’ll find success sooner than later.

“If people like you, they’ll listen to you. But if they trust you, they’ll do business with you.” – Zig Ziglar

Falling in love with the process of selling is no small task but it’s critical for entrepreneurs who desire to leverage their businesses to achieve lifestyle and wealth. The most successful entrepreneurs and sales leaders are the ones who have designed processes that align with their personality and strengths. Ultimately the road to success is one of consistency so map out your path and commit to walking it out every day.

from
https://addicted2success.com/entrepreneur-profile/3-things-every-entrepreneur-must-know-to-grow-their-business/

Acceptance is the Key to Resiliency and Success

I was sitting on the sofa, waves of emotions poured through my thoughts streaming downwards from my mind into my heart. They are the sensations that wrap the mind in a fog or steal up the heart into a ball of anxiety. I allowed somewhat of a sarcastic puff of air to exhale out of me, blankly staring forward looking at my dog laying on the floor and the pile of dishes in the sink. I laughed at myself.

“This is what I do for a living,” I said out loud. My dog just gazed up at me with his perfect golden retriever eyes. These are the moments I walk people through everyday, when the mind goes blank or anxiety tightens the breath. When the burdens of life and living increase upon the back, neck and shoulders closing in on the individual’s breaking point. These are the very moments I train people on how to use a variety of tools and methods to find center, calm and grounding amidst the onslaught. 

As all of us can, I recognize that the life I live out in the world can be seen and experienced one way while the life I live at home, in private, can be lived out in another. Do I walk the talk? Do I live the practices I teach? Do I pause, take a deeper breath, refocus and hold to intention when  the waves of emotion or stress build up and the undertow threatens to pull me under? 

It is important to me to live congruently. What do I mean by that? I think we all know the person, perhaps we have lived being that person, where we are more like a chameleon of sorts, living one way within one set of circumstances only to show a different face in another. I’ve been that person whose shape shifting skills reached an admirable level, being a people pleaser while also longing to keep the peace I could morph my body into all sorts of contorted positions. 

“Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery.” ― J.K. Rowling

I was also truly apt at hiding what was going on within the insides, creating a facade of peace and strength while my interior was crumbling. I learned how to show up, play the part and be the actor on the stage. My body and mind paid the price as the reality of sustaining such practices became wearisome, it was not the life I wanted to be living.

Moments as I was having on my sofa, cross the paths of our lives all too often. They are always going to come, that is the truth about living in today’s world. What you and I do next is where the real story begins. I wish I could say that with all the skills I possess as a yoga therapist and spiritual advisor, I instantly snapped out of that space, but that would not be the case. I did place my feet more firmly upon the floor lengthening my breath, lifting myself from a slumping position to create intention deep within my body. It is those seemingly small adjustments that create different spaces time and time again. As it would be, something did happen that turned my sarcastic grin into a genuine smile.

In that moment something came back to me to serve as an anchor in the storm. I remembered being in two places at one time during a visit to an amusement park. This one in particular straddles the state lines of North and South Carolina where there exists a painted line that provides just such a space. I remembered the fun of it and the pictures that were taken, most importantly, I acknowledged that it was possible. It was the shift I needed to remind myself that one doesn’t have to pretend to not be where one is currently physically, emotionally and mentally. I can be in two places in one moment recognizing the stressors and anxiety of the day while remembering the practices that abide deep within my sense of being. 

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” ― Lao Tzu

Acceptance is the very gateway to resiliency. Allowing oneself to be “both and,” or giving yourself permission to be in a bad mood, anxious or frustrated is key to your daily success. Take the labels off of what are deemed “bad” emotions in order to give them space to breath and move through the moment. It isn’t about feigning peace or contentment beyond what is actually happening but, being with what is actually happening. I can acknowledge that I do, indeed, know what to do in moments like the one I was having on the sofa AND I can still have the moments like the one I was having on the sofa and so can you. It is this ONE secret that has built up the resiliency in my life that has launched me into successful daily living.

from
https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/acceptance-is-the-key-to-resiliency-and-success/

10 Things Holding You Back And How to Take Control of Them

It’s no secret that we all have far more potential than we could ever imagine. Well, it may be a secret for some. Why is it then, that so many people never get where they want to go in life? Why do so many lack simply being able to visualize what they want their life to look like? It’s because they’ve been held down. We all have things holding us back to some degree and often we’re completely unaware of many of these things. The great thing about being human is that we have the ability to control our circumstances and create change, which is exactly how to break free of the shackles holding you back.

Here are 10 things that can hold you back and how to take back control from them:

1. Dependence

What is a tell-tale sign of someone who is not in control of their life? Dependence. Whether that be dependence on family, friends, or even the government, it is you and only you who is in control of your life. The sooner you realise this, the sooner you reclaim your independence and take back control.

2. Indecisiveness

How many times have you gone to a restaurant, only to be plagued by having to decide on ordering one of the one hundred items on the menu? If you’re like most, chances are you’ll take 15 minutes before making up your mind. Even then, you might still question your decision! 

The most successful people in the world make decisions fast. Develop your decision making muscles by being conscious every time you have to make one – think fast and trust your gut.

“The way to develop decisiveness is to start right where you are, with the very next question you face.” – Napoleon Hill

3. Friends & Family

Oftentimes it’s the thing we least suspect that’s holding us back the most. One of the biggest factors of people not succeeding is friends and family. Whether it be their own limiting beliefs, negativity or lack of belief in you, it is critical to distance yourself from anyone or anything that will bring you down. Sometimes you have to be ruthless about this, because you’d rather cut someone out of your life, than be stuck in the hamster wheel forever with them.

4. Lack of Discipline

Will Smith notably stated that “self-discipline is at the centre of any kind of material success in the world” – which I 100% believe to be true. Are you waking up on time? Are you exercising? Are you eating the right foods and going to bed on time? If the answer to any of them is no, then you’re holding yourself back. Fortunately, discipline is transferrable and by taking more control of discipline in one area of your life, you will be able to bring it across to others.

5. Your Phone

On average, people check their phones every 12 minutes, which is quite disturbing when you really think about it. Our phones are perhaps the greatest hindrance of them all, as we have them on us at almost all times.

The fastest and easiest way to take control of your phone usage is to set your intentions. Remind yourself to only use your phone for important tasks, and to turn it off when you don’t need it. The less time you waste on your phone, the more success you’ll be able to achieve.

6. Social Conditioning

Now this one isn’t really our fault – we are all conditioned by society and its expectations from a young age. As our journey of growth continues however, it is necessary to break free from the chains holding us down. It’s far too easy to fall back into these patterns of self-doubt and lack of self-worth that are imposed upon us, which is why it is vital to practice discipline in this area daily. Whether it be through affirmations, visualisation, or meditation, we must only feed our minds with information that will help us grow.  

7. Vices

If you’re a human being, then there’s a strong chance you have some kind of vice. Whether it be alcohol, binge watching TV, pornography or excessive eating. These are the things we know are bad, but they somehow continue to draw us in. We become addicted to the dopamine rush the vices provide us, except we’re usually left feeling down and depleted. 

I’m a big believer in removing anything in my environment that will hold me back. Whether that be turning the TV off at the power, blocking certain websites or not keeping bad foods in the house. Our willpower is limited, which is why we need to make it as easy as possible to steer clear of our vices.

8. Fear

Some of the biggest fears that most people experience fall into these three categories; fear of failure, fear of rejection and fear of embarrassment. I like to refer to fear as ‘False Evidence Appearing Real’, to which I analyse and make the choice to no longer acknowledge it as real. A great way to break out of certain fears is to remind yourself that one day, you will die – and all those decisions and things you did, or didn’t do, will no longer matter.

“You’ll always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky 

9. Lack of Awareness

Self-awareness is one of the biggest keys to happiness, purpose, and fulfillment. From my own personal experiences, I realised I lacked awareness for a long time – who I was, what I wanted to do, and what was possible for me. It wasn’t until I began to implement deep work on myself that I began to develop my self-awareness. This truly helped me regain control of my life and see exactly who I was along with who I wanted to be. 

See yourself from the outside, looking in. Take a step back and reflect upon your actions, who you are, and what you want to be. 

10. Perspective

Perception is reality, for some at least. Everything we experience in our own lives comes down to our perception of it. What often separates those who succeed from those who fail, is their perception. Some perceive failures as the be-all-end-all, while others see it as an opportunity to learn and know what to do next time. 

Viktor Frankl, a well-known survivor of the holocaust is someone who we can learn from. Frankl was able to control his perception of everything that was happening, allowing him to remain in as positive a frame of mind as you possibly could in the circumstances he faced.

Your mind is the most powerful thing on earth – and what life boils down to is just that. If you can control your mind, you control your circumstances. There is real power behind positive thinking. Refer back to these 10 tips if you are ever doubting yourself or simply aren’t sure what’s currently holding you back.

What’s currently holding you back in your life? Is there anyway we can be of service to you? Let us know below!

from
https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/10-things-holding-you-back-and-how-to-take-control-of-them/

How to Appreciate Life and Not Just Exist in It

Do you sometimes stare off into space and wonder “Why am I here?” “What am I doing?” or “There has to be more to life than just this.” We get caught in the everyday routine of sleep, work, home, sleep, work, home, and…you get the point. 

Since when do we become conditioned to settle for this way of life? Was it from our parents and their parents before them? Or is it from our environment that we have to accommodate in order to comply with the rules in place? I believe this way of life is called ‘existing.’ When we go through the motions of everyday life and fall into the routine, we don’t realize that there is another way of life, which is called ‘living.’

Few people understand the difference and very few people make the leap from existing to living. We don’t realize that there’s another way until we choose to recognize that there is. Usually, it’s shown to us by a mentor, teacher, elder, or a friend. When you choose to ‘live’ rather than ‘exist,’ you start to view your life on earth in a completely different perspective. It’s as if your mind opened and you are seeing your life with a new pair of glasses, never wanting to take them off.

I understood the power of ‘living’ when I saw a mentor in a webinar. The things discussed made sense to me and I wanted to learn more. This mentor was talking about creating experiences to enjoy life, surrounding yourself with rich and loving relationships, and being purposeful and intentional in everyday actions. I wondered “How do you start to live life that way? I want to do that.” I got to work and read anything I could about how to live life, not just exist in it. 

“Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” – Carl Bard

I came across three helpful tips that I use today to guide me in living life. Below, you can read about them:

1. Become mindful and present in every situation

This is a skill that is continuously worked on all the time! What does that exactly entail? It involves becoming aware of your own thoughts and what you say to yourself. We generate thousands of thoughts everyday and it’s impossible to be mindful of each and every one. You can be mindful over most of them though. Becoming mindful requires mental discipline and focus. It’s just like a muscle, it gets stronger with more practice.

Being present is also a challenge that requires mental discipline and focus. It’s being able to appreciate and acknowledge your surroundings, whether it’s eating a meal or sitting at a park or even being stuck in gridlock traffic. 

Reminding yourself to be present in the moment brings to light the ‘living’ part of life. It’s the fall colors in the tree you saw in the park or it’s relishing each bite of your meal and the delicious flavors you’re tasting. It’s paying attention to the here and now.

2. Create experiences

I feel that a majority of people don’t take advantage of creating experiences in their lives. Sure, you take the annual family vacation 2 weeks out of the year but what about the other 50 weeks? What kinds of experiences do you create in the remaining 50? 

Recently, I was listening to a mentor of mine and he shared that given a pool of money, it is best to use the money into creating experiences and adventures than to use it towards objects. The rationale behind this is because with objects, we create momentary happiness with that object. Happiness doesn’t last long. 

When we use money towards creating experiences and adventures, we are left with the memories and the physical response to that adventure or experience. You can relive it again and again. It will continue to provide happiness. When was the last time you created an experience? Was it camping in the back yard with your kids? Or taking a cooking class with your friend? Or how about that weekend getaway with your partner and did everything spontaneously? Inject experiences into your life so that you can ‘live’ and see what’s out there. Create memories!

“The saddest summary of a life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have.” – Louis E. Boone

3. Do more of what makes you happy

I’ll be honest. This is a really tough question for a lot of people to answer. “What makes you happy?” It’s as if there’s some unwritten rule or law about being happy. Like it’s forbidden or something. 

It seems that once you become an adult, you’re not supposed to be happy or happiness is only meant for children. Or worse yet, happiness is temporary. Yes, there are times where we are facing unfortunate circumstances such as a divorce or perhaps you have just been given bad news regarding your health. There can be some bad things in the world. I don’t deny that. But the choice is how you want to feel regarding these circumstances. Even if you are in a horrible situation, there is absolutely something that can brighten your mood, even for a moment. Whether it’s reading a book or going for a walk or even talking to a friend. 

When we become conscious and choose to do more things that bring us joy and happiness, we start to look at life a bit better. When we realize and notice what makes us happy, it’s up to us to make the intentional purpose of doing it often so that we can enjoy being happy. Regardless of if you’re 8 or 80, make sure to allow yourself to feel the emotion of joy and happiness.

I frequently utilize these three tips in my life, and it’s helped me see life in a new way. I’m more mindful of the people I’m interacting with, appreciate and express gratitude in everything I experience, and spoil myself with happiness because there’s nothing wrong with that. Isn’t it time you start ‘living’ and not ‘existing?’

What makes you the happiest in life? Share your thoughts and stories with us below!

from
https://addicted2success.com/life/how-to-appreciate-life-and-not-just-exist-in-it/

7 Ways to Declutter Your Personal Health

For most of us, our health is cluttered. Not necessarily cluttered by stuff, mind you, but cluttered with information. Too many new diets, new must-have supplements, or new workout plans. Too many opinions on how much water to drink, which must-have supplements to take, and how much sleep you need.

Enough. Caring for your health starts with the basics we all know well: eat nutritious food, break a sweat every day, get enough sleep, and take time to meditate. But, if you’re asking for tips to follow, this is where I would start:

1. Get rid of the diet books

You don’t need them! Think about it: how many times have you seen or heard about a new cure-all diet plan, rushed out, bought the book, skimmed the first 40 pages, and then shelved it?

Now, how often do you think back, and say to yourself, “I really need to follow that XYZ plan…it makes so much sense!”?

You’re cluttering your mind with information that, frankly, is only made to sell books. Yes, there’s tons of research being done on various methods and strategies of eating. But that’s all they are: strategies. No one system is going to work for everyone, and unless you’re a doctor, dietician, or nutritionist, you’re not in a position to do the experiments yourself! Mass-market diet advice is designed to sell copies to as many people as possible, not solve problems for individuals.

It’s okay to read a blog post explaining what keto or paleo or vegan is. But beyond that, are you really going to change your lifestyle every time a new book comes out?

2. Get rid of the supplements

You don’t need them! Yes, I recommend supplements to my clients. But they are (ready for this?) Supplements.

The research tells us that most people in North America are deficient in some or all of the micronutrients. But the people in those studies are also deficient in plain old healthy food. Supplements make up for deficiencies in nutrition, which may result from a poor diet, a medical issue, or extreme training. Outside of that, if you’re a relatively healthy adult who eats well and gets regular exercise, you probably don’t need much or anything for supplementation.

A multivitamin may help, but anything you’re not deficient in will just get peed out anyway. So, don’t waste your money. Start with food, and have your doctor or nutritionist review your blood panel for gaps or symptoms. Then tweak only what you need.

And don’t obsess over “cure-all” herbs either. While they can be nice to add support, no illness was ever caused by a lack of ashwagandha in the diet.

“To keep the body in good health is a duty…otherwise we shall not be able to keep the mind strong and clear.” – Buddha

3. Simplify your food

You’re really overthinking your food. Somewhere along the way, we got to thinking that we need to be constantly entertained by our food. Do you sit there, scratching your head wondering what to make for dinner because you had chicken and broccoli last night? So what?! Eat it again if that’s what you have on hand.

Research shows that even though we have this notion that constant and ever changing variety is necessary in our routine meals, most people default to the same four or five go-to meals every day anyway. It’s in our nature. 

We evolved eating what was available when it was available. But too much variety, and the self-imposed pressure of constantly changing things up, actually leads to increased stress and anxiety. What if you choose the wrong thing? Is kale healthier than spinach? What if it’s not what you really wanted? Will you be disappointed?

Don’t stress over cluttered piles of cookbooks and an overstuffed pantry. You know what’s healthy and what’s not. When you’re not working on a specific goal, formulate four or five consistent go-to meals so you don’t have to stress about having the ingredients on hand. Then on the weekend have some fun with something new.

4. Simplify your training

What’s best: cardio or strength training? Walking? HIIT? Yoga?

Stop it. Unless you’re training for a specific goal or sport, my 5-4-3-2-1 recommendations are very easy to follow:

• 5 times a week (minimum), internal and breath work. That means meditating, at least 10 minutes a day.
• 4 times a week (minimum), mobility and internal work. That means yoga, taiji, qigong, or some other stretching routine (this CAN double with breath work).
• 3 times a week, resistance training. That means weights, bands, bodyweight, whatever.
• 2 times a week, cardio training. Whatever you like doing, or whatever your trainer prescribes. I like burst training because it’s usually 15 minutes or less and metabolically active.
• 1 day a week (minimum), playing. That is, go for a hike, zipline, go to the park with the kids, swimming, or skiing. Make it fun and outside of the house.

These are minimum guidelines just for healthy and active living. If you’re behind in any of these areas, or you’re not sure how to fit them all into a busy schedule let me know.

5. Simplify your water

Argh!! Water drives me crazy!! No, you’re not constantly dehydrated. Remember, the vast majority of these nutrition and health studies came out in the 80s and 90s, and were based on a very different health paradigm than we’re living now.

In truth, new research tells us that yes, you do get water from your tea, coffee, juice, fruits, vegetables, protein shakes, etc. And yes, you do probably get enough during the day that keeping a little timer to make sure you get your 72 glasses every day is maybe just giving it a little too much brain space.

On average, aim to finish a glass of water over the course of every two hours. The rule of thumb is that if you’re peeing 5 to 6 times a day, you’re plenty hydrated. Stop tracking it.

And taper off closer to bedtime. Overnight dehydration is a thing, but disrupting sleep to go to the bathroom is actually worse.

6. Go to sleep

You don’t have to be a member of the 5 a.m club to be successful. But you do need a good night’s sleep.

Think about when you need to get up, and calculate 8 hours back from there. That’s bedtime. If it feels “too early,” tough. You need sleep more than you need late-night talk shows (and they certainly don’t need you…they’ll be fine).

Two hours before bedtime, kill the phone. Just put it away. You don’t need it, except maybe to text a good night message to someone special. Just get some sleep.

“The first wealth is health.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

7. Simplify your morning

Following on from the previous night: in the time you have left before bed, get yourself set up for morning. Once you know your morning ritual (let me know if you need help planning one of those), you’ll know what you need laid out.

• Get the coffee maker set up.
• Get your pre-workout set up (if you’re using supplements…see #2).
• Get your writing tools set up.
• Get your top three morning tasks set up.
• Get your workout gear set up.
• Get your clothes for the day laid out.

When your feet hit the ground in the a.m., you shouldn’t have to delay or think about any of these steps. They’re ready to go, so you can own the morning and control your day.

How do you take care of your personal health? Any suggestions for our readers? Share them below!

from
https://addicted2success.com/life/7-ways-to-declutter-your-personal-health/