You’ve Only Got One Life, 5 Steps to Making It Lovely!

If it's a better life you're after then these simple steps will have you organized and on your way to fulfillment.

1. What do you want?

Make a list of everything you want.It sounds simple and actually it is. Many of us are just to busy to take the time out to sit down and work out what we actually want. This is an absolute priority if you want your life to be happier.

Sit down at a time you are unlikely to be interrupted and write a list of all the things you want out of your life. While writing your list, remember; If another human being has done it before. It stands to reason that anybody can.

2. Be specific.

You will find you have a page full of lovely things you want. Now you need to make them specific. To check whether you're being specific enough ask yourself. How you will I know when I have it? If it's a Ferrari you're after that's easy but it gets more complicated when things are a bit more vague like

'I want to spend more time with my family'

With this one you will need to shave it right down to specifics and word it like a task. Not "I want to" but "I will"

E.g. I will be home by 5.30 every week day night.

3. Be realistic

Make sure your goals are realistic. You won't have a Ferrari by Friday if you earn £3.50 an hour. (Unless you break the law, or win the lottery.) The first is inadvisable and the latter unlikely.

There is no reason however that you can't get one by 2010. You will have to spend the time and energy completing the small steps to get to the big one. It may be that you will have to retrain, start your own business etc. It's all do-able and far better than sitting around saying "I'll never be able to afford a Ferrari" If it's what you really want go and get it.

The other point about being realistic... Do you really want it? If you don't you won't have the inner push. If that's the case stop talking about it, let it go...

4. Choreograph the steps.

Now you know what you want you need to write down all the steps you need to take to get there.

Making changes in your life is always going to push you out of your comfort zone. But the good news is pushing you out there means you're growing and personal growth is always good. Being pro-active in your life is far less satisfying than letting it all happen to you.

Remember there is no such thing as 'can't' only 'I choose not to.' You are in the driving seat.

Making changes will make ripples in everyone else's life around you. For some people it is that alone that keeps them stuck. Most of us don't like to think that it's our ripples that are rocking someone else boat but to achieve a lovely life you're going to have to make ripples.

Successful people are rippling and rocking all day long and they barely notice it!

So make sure you write all those steps down. When will they be done by? Make sure they’re fixed in a timeframe. Deadlines are important they keep us moving forward and give us a sense of achievement.

5. Walk the steps

Do everything on your list and tick each task off as you complete them. This is when you start feeling the buzz. That buzz just gets better so keep your focus on the big goal as you complete each little step! Good luck and enjoy the fun!

Attitudes that Make Changes to Your Life Forever

How you cope with your life is very much dependent on your attitude. If you truly understand and really know yourself and what works best for you, it can be a lot easier. However, accepting and appreciating what you can change and what you cannot change is not always easy.

Self Esteem

Self esteem, how you see yourself and how you feel about yourself is formed by so many things. This can be your relationships, your body image, your many roles and what you think others may think about you. This can all be shaped by the conditioning from your childhood, by your family and friends, workmates and also from your own comparison with other people.

People with low self image or self esteem are very much more susceptible to anxiety and depression disorders and increased mental and physical health problems. The key here is to focus on your successes and achievements in order to improve your self esteem.

Body image

It is well known that women spend more time worrying about how they look than men. Only 1 in 5 women are satisfied with their body weight and even less are happy about how they look. Almost half of all women over estimate their size and shape. Women are also subjected to what is perceived to be the images of perfection, by what is in the media.

Learning to live with and really appreciate your own body as it is now can be the key to having a healthy body image. Beauty does come from within, within yourself and how you see yourself. Learn to accept, like and love yourself with positive self talk and treating your body with the respect it really deserves.

Find the balance

It can be a juggling act between work, responsibilities and play. Balancing between yourself and others is not always easy. Do not put too much pressure on yourself to do everything at once. Start by making a commitment to yourself to pay special attention to the basics. Eating well, pleasurable physical exercise, letting go of old habits and conditioning that can deprive us of our health and self esteem and learning new techniques to help deal with the stress.

Emotional acceptance

It is not always easy to understand our emotions and how they can be different from day to day, hour to hour. Some days it is a struggle and other days it can be a breeze. Even the most positive of people can, at times feel anxious or even depression.

The first step is to accept that it is normal to have fluctuating emotions and then if the balance is starting to be weighted in favor of negative emotions; it could be time to look at new strategies to make positive changes.

Take action

Having a great attitude is wonderful and an excellent start. Now start to turn that attitude into a balanced and healthy lifestyle by actually doing something different. If you do not know where to go for the right help, there are many, many resources that you have at your fingertips to get you on the right track. Research the Internet, read books, ask other people about what they did, seek out professional help. There is never a real reason for not finding something that will work for you. All you have to do is look around you and do not be afraid to ask for help. It is all about taking action and doing something different.

If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always got.

Thinsgs that You Need to Accomplish In Life

Do you know all the things you want to have, do and be in life? Have you listed them? Not too many people do, but it's interesting, of the people who accomplish a lot in their life, most all have a list.

Though the years I have noticed that most highly successful, adventurous and accomplished people have a list of all the things they would like to do. And most of them did not know how they would accomplish all the things on the list when they initially wrote them down, yet they do it.

There is magic in a list of this sort; the people who do make a list eventually come up with ways to accomplish much or their entire list. And those who do not make a list usually don't even try to figure out how to do something. Even if you think about something it is not nearly as powerful as when you start by writing it down. This looks so simple, so why don't many people do this?

There are several reasons:

• You don't think about it.

• No one ever told you about doing it.

Why list things that are clearly out of your means? I don't have any experience in those things. But I bet you do have some things that you still think would be exciting, rewarding, fulfilling or just fun to do. We all do, but generally we push them aside as unattainable. Why don't you do a list for yourself now? Here's what to do and not do when making a list.

Do:

• Think big

• Dream big

• Imagine

• If money and resources were no object

• Disregard perceived skills needed

• Time is of no concern

• People you want to meet

• People you want to do something with

• Something you have always wanted

• Places you want to see/go

• Activities you want to experience

• Challenges that are calling you

• Accomplishments you seek

• Records to set

• What you should have done before

• No restrictive reasons

• Think you are worthy

Don't:

• Consider worry or fear

• Consider doubts

• Consider current situation

• Consider knowledge, skill

• Consider education or position

• Consider social status

• Consider your opinion of self

• Analyze how

• Listen to naysayers

• Be 'reasonable'

• Be 'logical'
  

OK you get the idea, get to it.

First, do a brain dump.Write down 100 things as fast as you can, don't think for 5 minutes. Just write whatever comes to mind quickly, abbreviate. However many you get down is good. Skip about 4 or 5 lines between items to allow room for step three.

Second, keep the list handy and look at it at least once a day for a week, adding whatever comes to mind.

Third, after each item write how you will benefit from accomplishing each item. Is it personal satisfaction, fulfillment, serving others, whatever you feel about it? What emotional feeling would be attached to its accomplishment? This helps support the item with reasons why, which is more powerful in your mind.

Setting into your mind the desire to do this will activate your inner thoughts. For some people it may take a while for some of the things to surface. Particularly if they have been emotionally buried deep in your mind. Then, look at the list at least once a week, daily is better. Read it over; think about what it would mean to fulfill each of the items. Say, 'what if I could . . . ?'

Don't allow negative critical thinking to come in, just dream and enjoy the possibility. Pick out one or two that you think you may be able to accomplish. What can you do right now to move towards it? Even just a small step, I can just be learning more about it. Do whatever you can at the time to move towards at least one item.

Look at the list on a regular basis to keep the ideas active in your subconscious.

The reason why you have not moved towards any of them up to this point is you have not formally stated them as desires. In the past you may have even negated the idea of attaining them. Don't close the door on any possibility, if you can't see yourself stepping out tomorrow to do something, let it be. Don't negate it forever, let it be a possibility that someway, somehow you can.

I'm not going to guarantee to you that they will magically come to be, but remember, the people who write down their wants and their goals get more of them than those who don't.Having great goals attract more energy than do small ones. Set your sights on grand ideas that are exciting, glorious, support personal growth, assist others, and expand human potential. Let your emotions get involved.

Protect your ideas, feelings and energy, be careful about sharing your grand ideas with people who are likely to negate them and any possibility of your accomplishing them. Only share them with people who you know to be supporting of big dreams.

You get what you expect to get, so expect big things. Plant the seeds of grand ideas, keep nurturing them while paying attention for messages and opportunities to move closer to them. Keep it up read the list often and imagine how it will feel to accomplish each one.

Your personal development is your responsibility, become active in your growth every day because you're worth it.