Do you ever have days when you feel like giving up? Sometimes, negative emotions can be quite overwhelming. Intense sadness, grief and pain can even lead to depression. When you feel like you are at the lowest point in your life, don’t give up just yet. At least, not today! Remember that tomorrow is a new day. You just have to wait until zero o’clock and it is already a promise of a new day. So, how to not give up today?
1. Listen to Music
The first thing that you need to do is to listen to music. Music has the power to relieve stress and relax the mind. It affects both your mind and body. However, not all music is created equal. To calm your mind, it is best to listen to slow, meditation, classical or piano music. You can also opt to listen to positive affirmations. The purpose is to help you calm down.
2. Breathe Properly
Once you have calmed down, the next thing to do is to concentrate on your breathing. Have you heard of the ‘fight or flight’ response of the body? It is a natural reaction of the body to confront or avoid danger and to survive. When we are stressed, our heart rate and blood pressure increases. Our pupils dilate. We are tense, trembling and are on edge. Our breathing becomes shallow. The best way to control this is by deep breathing.
Get yourself in a comfortable position. Then, begin by inhaling through your nose. Fill your abdomen with air, expanding the belly outward. Then, hold your breath for a few seconds. Now, release your breath slowly through your lips. Repeat until you feel relaxed.
3. Start a Gratitude Journal
Then grab a notebook and a pen. Start your gratitude journal. A gratitude journal is a diary of all the things that you are grateful for. Compared to an ordinary diary where you record the events of the day, regardless of whether they are happy or sad memories; a gratitude journal simply focuses on the positive things in your life. By reflecting on all the blessings that you have received in your life, you are shifting your focus from the negative to the positive. Remember, what you focus on expands. if you focus on the positive, good things will happen to you. In the same way that if you focus too much on the negative, bad things will continue to happen to you.
Focus on the positive things in your life and you’ll be shocked at how many more positive things stat happening.
– Sophia Amoruso
Note that a gratitude journal has the power to change your life. Make your life happier by making it into a habit.
4. Create / Update Your Bucket List
Do you have a bucket list? If you have, then update your bucket list. If you still don’t have one, then it is time to create a bucket list.
A bucket list is a list of things that you want to accomplish in your lifetime. While in the process of creating a bucket list, you will begin to dream of a brighter future. instead of focusing on the things that you lack now, you will become excited about the possibilities of a better tomorrow. The bucket list will give you something to look forward to. it will also give new direction to your life.
5. Love Yourself
At this point, you are now ready to redesign your life. But before you do, it is important that you believe in yourself first. Always remember that happiness is a choice. The same is true with success. Choose to be happy. Choose to be successful. Any you can only do this if you love yourself. Keep in mind that you are special. No one has the power to hurt you unless you let them.
Did you know that how you dress influences how you perform in life? Numerous studies show that how you dress affect your physical and mental well-being. If you look good, you feel good. If you dress well, you will exude confidence and this will simply affect how others perceive you. Whether you like it or not, appearances do matter. Thus, if you want to become successful, you need to dress the part. You need to learn how to dress for success. The good news is that you don’t need to actually wear expensive clothes to look expensive. Here are some secrets on how to look expensive even on a budget.
1.Wear Black
If you have been to Paris, London, Milan, New York and other fashion capitals of the world, you will be surprised that most people in those cities prefer to wear black. Black has been the symbol of power, elegance, luxury, and fashion.
Black is a neutral color. It blends perfectly well with any other color of clothing or accessories because it is very versatile. It will look good on anybody regardless of skin color or body shape.
Black is the most slimming of all colors. It is the most flattering. You can wear black at any time. You can wear it at any age and you can wear it for almost any occasion.
Black is simple and modern. You can experiment on different fabrics and styles without hurting your budget. The black pieces that you purchased more than a decade ago can still look good until today. You can wear it 24 hours a day. It works perfectly in the morning as well as the evening. You can never go wrong with black.
2. Wear White
If black is not your thing, then wear white. The color white is the color of perfection. It is pure and it looks clean. A white on white ensemble is simple yet it is chic. You can wear it on the street or you can wear it on the beach. You can match it with any other color. A white shirt or blouse paired with a pair of jeans still looks elegant despite its simplicity. Just add any accessories and you are good to go but don’t forget to wear nude or white underwear.
A bag is very useful. It is not only functional, it also completes an outfit. If you can spare a few bucks and do your budgeting responsibly, a designer handbag can be a form of investment too as long as you stick to the classics. If you visit some designer outlets in some parts of the world, you might get lucky and find your investment bag in outlets at a discounted rate.
On a budget? Fret not. It is possible to find a stylish bag that looks expensive without actually splurging. Forget about those knockoff designer handbags with big logos. Instead, opt for a structured bag. They are chic and timeless. The simple lines and hardware gives the added poise and polish that will complete your look. Use the structured top handle bag in the office and use the cross-body strap for a more casual look on the weekend.
4. Wear Pointed Shoes
Wearing pointed heels or shoes create an elongated effect. It instantly makes your legs longer making you look taller, slimmer and more graceful. They give a sleek, sophisticated and expensive look. It is also easier to dress it up or tone it down. A black pointed heel is a must have in every closet.
Pointed shoes can be paired in almost everything. If you are a woman and you are not fond of wearing heels, fancy flat pointed shoes on formal occasions will do the trick. If you are wearing casual clothing and you want to dress it up a little, pointed shoes will also do the trick.
5.Wear Clothes That Fit You
Fit is the most important aspect of dressing. Well-fitting clothes will complement your body. If you wear something too tight, not only will it make you uncomfortable, it will also make you appear fatter. On the contrary, if you wear something too big or oversized, you tend to be more relaxed. Although it will cover your true body shape, you will end up exhibiting a poor posture. You will come off as sloppy.
Unfortunately, most people buy clothes that don’t fit them, especially if the clothes are on sale. If in case you end up buying one, make sure to visit the tailor first and have it adjusted to your size before you even consider wearing it.
6. Don’t Wear Wrinkled Clothes
Going out looking like you slept in your clothes is a big no, no. If you want to look nice and expensive, you have to make sure that your clothes are properly steamed or pressed. Wearing wrinkled, dirty and sloppy looking clothes gives the impression that you don’t care or you don’t put importance to people that you are meeting. Put it this way, it will turn off prospective clients, your boss or even your date.
Well ironed clothes make them look more expensive than they actually are. Pressing your clothes before going out makes a lot of difference in your overall look.
7.Have a Signature Scent
Have you ever met someone that you are drawn to because they look so elegant and lovely because of their scent? A signature scent is a fragrance of a person that lingers in your memory that it becomes a part of that person’s very essence. Your task is to look for your very own signature scent. The scent need not be expensive. It can be a perfume, a cologne or an eau de toilette. The important thing is that it has to be scent that suits you. It has to be something that you like that will make you feel confident about yourself.
8.Choose the Right Materials
When it comes to clothing materials, choose the ones that are made of natural fabrics like cashmere, cotton, leather, linen, silk and suede. Unfortunately, not all can afford these materials because most of them come with a price tag to match. The good news is that there are some affordable clothing materials out there that look expensive. All you need to do is to look for these fabrics the next time you shop.
9.Add a Statement Piece
A statement piece always works in improving an outfit. You can use a scarf, a belt, necklaces, bracelets or other jewelries. If you have extra cash invest on vintage accessories or a luxury watch. Just choose something that will accentuate your outfit and bring it to life. Just remember not to overdo it.
10. Pay Attention to Small Details
Little things do matter. It is the finishing touches of an outfit that help complete your look. Here are some small details that you should pay attention to that people normally overlook:
Lining should be invisible.
Zippers should not be exposed.
Clothes should be correctly buttoned.
No loose threads on hems.
Threads should be the same colour as fabric.
First Published in Pinoy Smart Living on 01.28.2019.
Do you want to become wealthy? The key to wealth is to master the wealth mindset. The difference between the rich and poor has nothing to do with the amount of money that they have in the bank; rather, it is all about their mindset. Your mindset is your set of beliefs and attitudes about certain areas in your life. If money is your concern, then chances are you have symptoms of a poverty mindset. You need to be able to change your poverty mindset to wealth mindset.
Your first step towards financial prosperity is to break out from your poverty mindset. Having a poverty mindset is ruining your chances of success. It is not yet too late to change your life for the better. Once you have the correct mindset, you can slowly rise from whatever position you are in right now in your life.
Here are ways on how to change your poverty mindset to wealth mindset.
1. Have a Grateful Heart
Did you know that about 150,000 people die each day around the world? That number is even greater now that we are in the middle of the pandemic. The fact that you woke up this morning is already one big reason to be grateful for. I’m sure if you take a closer look in your life, you will find so many simple things to be grateful for,
Unfortunately, most people take their blessings for granted. Everyday life is full or worries, challenges and busyness. In the midst of all that pressure, it is very easy to forget to be grateful.
I remember a story told by preacher and best-selling author Bo Sanchez in one his weekly prayer gathering called The Feast.
A woman approached him complaining how everything is wrong with her life. Here is how Bo Sanchez replied.
Bo asked, “Do you have cancer?”. The woman replied saying “no, I don’t have cancer”.
Bo then asked, “Is your husband having an affair?”. The woman laughed saying “no, my husband is ugly. The only two persons in this world who likes him is her mother and me.”
Bo then asked, “Is your child a drug addict?”. By this time the woman was laughing, “no, Bo. My child is only three years old.”
The woman then proceeded to explain that she is having problems with her boss at work.
Then Bo answered by saying that “It is not true then that everything is wrong with your life. Only a small fraction of your life is not doing well.”
This story is a classic example of how a poverty mindset works. People who have poverty mindset focuses on the negative aspect of their life. In order to be happy and to grow, you need to focus on the positive. Be grateful to all the blessings in your life. Always start your day by thanking God for all His blessings. Be thankful also to the people around you have always been there for you.
2. Spend Time with People who have a Growth or Millionaire Mindset
Did you know that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with?Your mindset is a product of your environment. If you have a poverty mindset, chances are the people around you have the same mindset. In order to grow, you need to get out of your circle. It does not mean ditching your old friends, it only means that you should spend more time with awesome positive people. If you spend too much time with negative peopledoing meaningless things, you will never get anywhere.
He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.
– Proverbs 13:20
3. Set Goals
When was the last time you set a goal for yourself? Setting goals will make you look at things in the long term rather than the short term. A millionaire mindset looks at things in the long term while a poverty mindset looks at things in the short term.
What you should do is to imagine yourself in the future living the life that you want. What will your spring day be like? Discover where you want to be in one, five, ten or even twenty years from now. Remember that success always starts with a vision. Then, write them all down in paper. Read them everyday in the morning to remind yourself of what you want to achieve or better yet, have a vision board. A vision board will inspire you and keep you motivated to achieve your dreams.
Setting goals is the first step to turning the invisible to the visible.
– Tony Robbins
4. Refrain from Speaking the Poverty Language
How many times have you said the following statements?
“I cannot afford it.”
“That is only for the rich, not for us.”
“We don’t have money.”
“I can’t do that.”
Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits.Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
– Lao Tzu
Be conscious of the words that come out of your mouth because your words are simply a manifestation of your thoughts or your subconscious mind. Speaking the poverty language indicates that you have a negative state of mind regarding your situation. If you want to get out of your situation, you need to get rid of the negative, only then can you change your future.
5. Educate Yourself
For most people, education ends the moment they graduate from college. If you are one of these people, this is probably one the biggest mistake that you can do in your life. Continuous learning is an essential strategy for your success. Education does not not necessarily mean that you need to go back to school to get your Masters or PHD. There are many ways to learn. You can attend training or seminars, read books or simply have a mentor.
For starters, do you have idols? Who among the successful people out there do you wish to become? Then, study those people. Study their lives, their values, their life strategies. Find out what they did in order to get to where they are now. Their stories will definitely inspire you.
By educating yourself, you are improving your skills. You need better skills to be more qualified and successful in whatever field you are in right now. For example, if financial freedom is your goal, have you studied about money and how it works? If not, how do you expect to gain financial freedom if you don’t spend time learning about money?
Continuous learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field.
– Brian Tracy
Follow the steps above and you will just wake up one day with a different mindset. However, this is not a one day to do list, it is something that you have to do on a daily basis.
Good luck!
First Published in Pinoy Smart Living on 09.04.2018
If there is anything, the arrival of the vaccine gave the world hope. But just when we thought that the world would soon return to the way it was before; the discovery of the new COVID-19 variant forced many nations to a new set of lockdowns. Thus, it is difficult to move on in life when the external environment is prohibiting us from doing so. Although there is no magic formula on how to move on in life especially when we are struggling, we know that life entails us to move on. We need courage to dare to do the Life Goes On Challenge.
So, how do we go about it? What do we need to do in order to move on? The answer is simple, we take little steps to success each day. Success by definition is not limited to your career or financial life. Success can be applied to health, wealth, relationships, money, spiritual life and even general well-being. Little steps means take advantage of this time, when the world is in slow motion mode, to plant seeds for success in whatever aspect in life that you want to succeed.
#LifeGoesOn by BTS Challenge
An example is the #LifeGoesOn Tiktok Challenge by BTS, the biggest boy band in the world right now. It is a worldwide campaign for their fans to upload videos of themselves showing how they are moving on with their lives in creative ways while the world is still in the middle of a pandemic. The challenge was able to set a record of 930 million views in 15 days.
It is a small step. It may seem trivial for many. Yet, it sends a powerful message of Life Goes On. Every person that submitted an entry is doing their best to move on in life, in their own ways. Life is a decision. These people could have chosen to be depressed, sad, and moped during these trying times. Yet, instead, they chose to move on by showing their creative sides.
Your Own Life Goes On Challenge
What about you? Are you willing to take the challenge? If so, ask yourself. What little thing can I do today to take me one step closer to a better life?
If your goal is health, maybe you can try to start exercising today or drink an extra glass of water. You can make a simple phone call or send a message to someone if your goal is to have better relationships. If you want a better financial life, maybe you can use this time to upgrade your financial literacy to learn about investing and how money works. If you are unsure of what you want to do in life yet, then maybe you can take advantage of this time by reflecting and knowing yourself better. Try to unleash the genius within you. And once you have discovered it, you are now ready to redefine your life through a bucket list.
It does not have to be a gigantic step. Just little things done daily can determine your success of failure in life.
Simple daily disciplines – little productive action, repeated consistently over time – add up to the difference between failure and success.
– Jeff Olson
What are you waiting for? Take the Life Goes On Challenge now.
The end of the year can be a great opportunity to give thanks in advance for the things you want to manifest in the new year. Before we turn over a new chapter in our calendars; let’s reflect on our goals and decide what wishes we want to fulfill in the future. This is one of the ways that you can have a healthy, fresh start for the new year.
Reflect On Your Goals
The first thing to do for this challenge is to sit down and review the past year. Review the goals you had for this year. How far have you come in your current goals? Are you going to continue on with some goals? Decide which goals are still worth pursuing. Recall the lessons you learned for this year. Do you have new goals? Which areas of your life have you lacked focused on this year? Try to create goals for that area that you can work on for next year. Take your time to meditate on this topic for awhile so you can do a deep reflection.
Make Your Wish List
The next step is to list down your goals. Try to categorize them according to the different areas of your life. Essentially, you are creating a bucket list of the things that you want to accomplish in the new year. Make sure that you follow the SMART method when creating your goals. This way you can measure your progress more easily.
Give Thanks in Advance
Finally, say thanks for your goals. Write down a “Thank You” statement for each of your goals on strips of paper and store it in a jar. You can also do this on a sheet of paper or on your gratitude journal if you want. The aim of this activity is to give thanks for your wishes in advance in order to manifest them faster. Try to visualize how it feels when your wish has come true as you say your thanks. If you prefer, you can also do a vision board.
Of course, you still have to work hard for you wishes to come true. But by saying “Thank You” in advance, you are giving a signal to the Universe that you are ready to receive the manifestation of your wish. It also rewires your mindset for success. Remember the mind-body connection? If your thoughts already anticipate your wishes coming true; then you will be in the mood to physically act on your goals.
As we welcome the New Year, the real challenge starts. Try to adopt an attitude of gratitude for the blessings you receive daily even as you work hard to achieve your goals. This will help you to maintain the positive vibe that will keep you always ready to receive blessings. It will also help you to attract even more blessings.
Reflect, Say Thanks, Repeat
Keep your wish jar or wish list in a safe place at home or in your room. You can also have your family put in their wishes in one jar. At the end of the year, take out the wish jar or wish list. Read them and see which ones have come true. You will be surprised at how much you have to be grateful for. You may end up saying thanks for more than what you wished for. Then, say your thanks for your fulfilled wishes and repeat this challenge for the next year. ‘Till then, let’s keep smiling to welcome the new year and each day of the year.
Are you happy? Are you healthy? Do you consider yourself a highly successful person? Are you a millionaire? You are where you are today because of your habits. So, if you want to change your life for the better, you need to start changing your habits. So, what are the morning habits of highly successful people?
Habits Defined
What are habits? Habits are your usual way of behaving. They are your thoughts and actions that you repeat over and over again.
In short, everything that you repeatedly do from the moment you wake up until the time you go to sleep are habits. According to Charles Duhigg, author of best-selling book The Power of Habit, 40% to 45% of what we do each day are not conscious decisions but habits.
Habits Formation
Habits are formed through repetition on a daily basis. Some habits were developed during childhood like tying your shoelaces or brushing your teeth. Other habits like how you parallel park your car are formed each time you learn something new. Studies suggest that as an action becomes automatic, the brain shuts down. For example, you can completely concentrate on something else while brushing your teeth.
Thus, habits are very powerful. They dictate how successful or unsuccessful you will be in life. Your life today is the sum of all your habits.
Making a Choice
While luck and genetics may be contributing factors, it is the behaviours of individuals that ultimately lead to success. The good news is that new habits can be learned and old habits can be unlearned. So, if you want your life to get better, you cannot continue doing what you have been doing. You need to make some changes.
Success does not happen overnight. Rather, it is the result of all the successful habits done over time.
Success is the sum of all efforts, repeated day in and day out.
– Robert Collier
In this case, how and where to start? Brian Tracy, the most listened to speaker on the development of human potential and personal effectiveness recommends starting with your morning routine. According to him, what you do in the first few hours of the morning set the tone on how the rest of your day will turn out.
Five Morning Habits that will Change your Life
Specifically, morning habits are routine things that people do in the morning. Starting the morning right can influence how the rest of the day will turn out. Every successful person in the world out there has similar morning routines.
1. Get Up Early
Morning people are successful people. Tom Corley, author of Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals, spent five years studying 233 wealthy people and 123 poor people. According to him, self-made millionaires woke up three hours before their schedule actually begins.
Robert Iger, Disney CEO wakes up at 4:30 am.
Former US President George HW Bush would get up at 4:00 am.
Apple CEO Tim Cook gets up at around 3:45 am
Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne gets up at 3:30 am.
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz gets up at around 4:30 am.
Best selling author Dan Brown wakes up at 4:00 am
Jack Dorsey, Co-founder and CEO of Twitter wakes up at 5:00 am
2. Meditate
Gone were the days where meditation is just for the monks, hippies and yogis. Science has proven that meditation has many beneficial effects on the body. Meditation reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, enhances creativity, lowers depression and improves performance. Meditation is a form of contemplative practice just like prayer and visualisation. Start your meditation with gratitude and then visualise the day ahead of you.
Ariana Huffington, co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post does 20-30 minutes meditation as a part of her morning routine.
Rick Rubin, former president of Columbia records is a daily practitioner of Transcendental Meditation.
Padmasree Warrior, chief Technology and Strategy officer of Cisco Systems allots 20 minutes a day for meditation.
Jeff Weiner, CEO of Linkedin empties his mind each day to meditate.
Ophrah Winfrey, the most influential woman on media who has her own media empire, spends 20 minutes of meditation to start her day.
Jennifer Lopez meditates 20 minutes in the morning and at night.
3. Exercise
Tom Corley said that about 76% of the wealthy exercised for at least 30 minutes a day. In another study done by Psychology Today on 5,402 Finnish twin males, results revealed that the physically active twin earned about 17% more income than the less active twin. Daily exercise not only controls weight but also improves health and stimulates the brain.
Jennifer Aniston, one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood, includes spin-yoga and gym workout as part of her daily morning routine.
Bill Gates, the richest man in the world, spends an hour each day on his treadmill.
Former US President Barack Obama goes to the gym at 6:45 am to do weights and cardio work-out.
Steve Rheinmund, former chairman and CEO of Pepsi does a four mile run every morning at 5 am.
Anna Wintour, Vogue editor-in-chief plays an hour of tennis at 5:45 in the morning each day.
4. Eat a Healthy Breakfast
The word breakfast came from an old English word which means to break the fast of the night. After a whole night of fasting, the body needs essential nutrients to function properly for the day. That is why, breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day.
Richard Branson, founder and chairman of the Virgin Group opts for a high fiber, high vitamin breakfast. His breakfast includes fruit salad, muesli and some kippers occasionally.
Winston Churchill, former British prime minister ate a hearty morning meal of poached eggs, toast, cold meats and grapefruit.
Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, eats two hard boiled eggs with soy sauce.
Shaquille O’Neal, former NBA star, confessed that he never drank coffee his whole life. Breakfast is normally composed of bread, omelette and a glass of fresh orange juice.
Justin Timberlake, singer songwriter and record producer eats breakfast twice daily. The first one includes waffles with flax, almond butter and scrambled egg. He eats another egg and a protein shake for his second breakfast after workout.
5. Read
According to Tom Carley, the most significant disparity between the habits of the wealthy and the poor concerns reading. About 88% of the wealthy read at least 30 minutes each day compared to only 2% of the poor. Successful people make it their business to stay informed. They read to increase their knowledge, learn new things and to stay current with events especially in their industry.
Warren Buffet, the most successful investor in the world reads the American Banker, Financial Times, New York Times, Omaha World Herald, USA Today and the Wall Street Journal every morning.
John Carney, writer and former CNBC editor reads ancient philosophy by Plato, Socrates and Xenophon.
Dave Girouard, former president of Google, reads Winston Churchill’s speeches.
Charlie Munger, vice-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway reads The Economist.
Fran Tankerton, former National Football League quarterback read local and national newspapers from cover to cover.
To change a bad habit, all you need to do is simply replace it with a new one. Studies show that on average, it takes 21 CONSECUTIVE days to create a new habit, although some people take a bit longer. This simply means that you need to do the habit that you want to form for at least 21 straight days preferably at the same time everyday. For example if your goal is to wake up at 5:00 am, you need to set the alarm at 5:00 am from Monday to Sunday. If you fail to do it even for a day, you need to restart on Day 1. An effective technique is to use a daily reminder or alarm and to mark an X on your calendar once you have done it for the day.
You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.
People have the tendency to always make themselves feel better, or at least pretend to be better when in front of others. That’s human nature. However, what if you are emotionally broken? Is it still okay to fake it when you are breaking inside? Well, life is full of challenges. All our emotional experiences, our pains and failures, are all necessary components for our growth and success. Thus, it is important that we go through them and not avoid them. No matter how painful it is, feeling the emotional experiences is the only way to overcome challenges in life. So yes, it’s okay to not be okay.
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Have you seen the Korean drama It’s okay to Not Be Okay? Aside from the stellar performances of its cast, the drama is packed with significant lessons on life and mental health. It’s all about overcoming psychological wounds in order to grow and be truly happy in life.
We all had to go through painful experiences at one point in our lives. In truth, all of us are broken in our own way. What’s important is how we get through the lowest point in life. And the only way to do this is to first feel the pain. Pain is necessary. It is unavoidable. So give yourself time to feel the pain. It can be a day, a week, a month or even a year. No need to pretend that you are okay when you are not.
And then after some time, it is time to let go. That’s the only way to move forward.
It’s healthy to admit you’re not okay. It’s okay not to be okay, it’s brave. But don’t let it win. Be sad. Have your moment, your day or week. Then do something about it and be happy for yourself.
Are you making time to work on your dreams? All of us have a dream but most of us are not working on our dream. Instead, we are working daily to make other people’s dreams come true.
Why not work on our dreams right now? Take the Big 3 Challenge and start working on your dreams even as you go about your regular work activities.
Unless we make time for the things that are important to us, we will never be able to feel satisfied with our accomplishments for the day. We may have done so many things throughout the day but they don’t really contribute to our long-term goals or to realizing our dream.
The Big 3 Challenge
Your challenge is to take the time to plan out your day so you can launch yourself into action as soon as your day starts. Before you go to sleep, take a notebook, your journal or planner and sit down to write. Write down all the things that you need to accomplish the next day.
From your list, highlight the 3 big things that you need to accomplish on that day. These items are your Big 3 and you need to prioritize accomplishing these tasks. This means that even if you don’t check off all the things on your To Do list for that day, as long as these 3 things have been done, you can be satisfied with your day.
You should be able to come up with a Big 3 list for your work but you should also have one for working on your long-term goal. You may even list down a Big 3 for other aspects of your life such as for your health and finances.
There will always be many things that you think you need to do each day. However, setting your priorities will allow you to feel focused on the most important tasks so you can actually see and feel your progress. This also helps you to jump on to the next set of important tasks for the next day.
Finishing major tasks also gives you more motivation and confidence to tackle the smaller, not-as-important, but still necessary things that need to be done.
If you’ve already been practicing prioritizing your Big 3 daily, then level up your progress by taking on any of the Launch Challenges. See how you can use them to get closer to your goals and dreams.
Feeling lost in life? Then, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is for you. One of the best-selling books of all time, the Alchemist is about the story of a young shepherd boy, Santiago and his quest to find treasures in the pyramids. The story is more than just your typical fiction stories. It is a philosophical book that will give you a better understanding of what life truly is all about. It is about listening to your heart, chasing your dreams and pursuing your destiny. There are so many powerful and valuable life lessons from The Alchemist that every person should read this book at least once in their life.
Here are 10 Valuable Life Lessons I’ve learned The Alchemist.
1. Life is Continuous Learning
Life is a continuous learning process. We can only grow us a person if we broaden our horizon and discover new things. Santiago knew this. Although a shepherd boy, Santiago loves to read books. He was able to dream of faraway places because he read about them.
Santiago also listens and seeks advice from people who are smarter than him. Throughout his journey, he met people along the way that served as his mentors– the king, the merchant, the Englishman and the alchemist.
Sadly, many people stopped learning after school. That is the reason why they got stuck in life. Others are too proud to ask advice from others. They think they know everything. The moment you think that you know everything is the start of your downfall.
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
– Socrates
Santiago also learns from experience. His quest for the treasure was not smooth sailing. He made mistakes along the way but he learned from them.
There are so many valuable lessons to be learned throughout your life’s journey. Master the lesson. If you think that you have the same problem over and over again, that is because you have not learned the lesson yet. This applies in all aspects of your life whether it be your finances, career, health and even your relationships. Learn the lesson from past events, apply it and move on.
2. Always Look at the Bright Side
Santiago always find the good things in a bad situation no matter how big or small it is. Instead of complaining about how he had to carry the weight of his jacket in the heat of the sun, he remembered how that jacket kept him warm during winter nights. Likewise, he could have wallowed in self-pity when he lost everything in Africa; but he chose to change his perspective. Instead of looking at himself as a victim, he looked at himself as an adventurer in a foreign country.
In both cases, notice that both situations can be viewed negatively. But Santiago chose to look at them differently. Instead of of the negative, he looked for the positive. It is all about themindset.
3. Follow your Dreams
Ever since Santiago was a child, he wanted to travel the world. His parents wanted him to become a priest. Rather than adhering to his parents’ wishes, he summoned enough courage to talk to his dad to tell him that he wants to do something else in life. Instead of becoming a priest, Santiago decided to become a shepherd so he can travel.
That’s the problem with most of us. We become victims of other people’s definition of success. We follow a different path because that is what our family and society expected from us. As a result, we lost track of our destiny. What used to be very clear when we were young seems to be impossible when we grow up.
The thing is no matter how successful we become with our chosen path, there will always be a feeling of emptiness. You will never be truly happy if you are not doing your purpose in life. Destiny is what you always want to accomplish. If you feel that something is lacking despite having everything, that is life’s way of telling you that you are not doing what you were born to do.
Follow your passion. Wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure. Pursue your destiny if you don’t want to spend the rest of your life with regret.
4. Give 10 Percent
Giving a tenth of your income to others is a form of gratitude to God for all the blessings that we have received. We have an obligation to share a portion of what we have. The only way for us to receive more blessings is when we learn to give first. Don’t promise to give what you don’t have yet. If it is hard for you to give when you have little, it will be harder to share when you have more. Give 10% of what you have right now.
5. The Simplest Things in Life are the Most Extraordinary
The secret to happiness is to be able to appreciate the beauty of your day to day life. It is seeing the wonders of the world and the beauty of the little things that we normally take for granted like the flowers, the scenery and the people around us.
Take pleasure in the simple things.
Happiness is never about the destination but rather it is about enjoying the journey. Each day matters. Every second counts. Learn to love everyday. Show the people around you how much you care. It’s all about mindfulness.
Towards the end of our life, the simple things like the time we spend with our family is what truly matters. True happinessboils down to the quality of our relationship with others. It is best that you cherish every moment while you still can.
6. Negative Things Happen in Life Because They Prepare our Spirit and our Will
Bad things happen to everyone, even to good people. These things happen not because we are being punished but because they are necessary for our growth. The pain that we experience in our lives actually prepares our spirit and our will in realising our destiny.
The road to the fulfilment of our dreams is never easy. There will be bumps along the way. Sometimes, we will be forced to make detours. We need to make some adjustments but the destination remains the same. The important thing is to keep on going forward. Once we have succeeded in overcoming life’s challenges, we become better persons.
You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.
– Steve Jobs
The roadblocks that we will encounter are all part of a master plan. They all happened for a reason. It is difficult to understand at the moment but everything will make sense once you have found your treasure.
7. When you Want Something, All the Universe Conspires in Helping you Achieve it
Have you heard of The Secret? The Secret is actually the Law of Attraction. It states that if you really want something and you focus your thoughts on that, the universe will give it to you.
This belief system has been mentioned several times throughout the book, that there is a force out there that guides us. Whether you call it God, the Universe or the Soul of the World; that force is always nearby especially to those who wants to realise their destinies.
We should learn to recognise the omens or the signs and follow them. Sometimes, it appears as a solution or an idea. Sometimes, it presents itself as a direct message from somebody whom you are having a conversation with. Remember, there is no such thing as coincidence. There is a reason why you bumped into an old friend or why you are reading this article right now. We have to listen to what the universe is telling us. We also need to listen inward to our intuition.
In the same way, that if you think that the world is out there to get you, negative things will start happening your way. Thus, you have to be careful of what you think and what you say. In the story, when the monk told the alchemist that his payment goes well beyond his generosity; the alchemist quickly told the monk not to say it because life is listening. What the alchemist meant was that the universe responds to thoughts; thus, the monk might receive less next time.
There were numerous times when Santiago could have just given up, when he lost everything in Africa, when he had enough money to go back to Andalusia after working for the merchant or when he met Fatima in the desert oasis; but still he persevered.
Your treasure can only be uncovered after a series of tests. The closer you get to your dreams, the harder it will become. It takes a lot of courage, patience and persistence to finally be able to achieve your destiny.
9. Success Happens Outside your Comfort Zone
Santiago was already traveling as a shepherd boy but he sold his flock of sheep to go to Africa. After a year in Africa, he already earned enough money to either stay there or to go back to Andalusia but he chose to go to the desert. While in the desert oasis, Santiago had met the love of his life and earned the respect of the community but still, he opted to continue his quest for the treasure.
In all three scenarios, Santiago was already successful and comfortable with his life but he gave them all up to continue his journey and pursue his destiny. Just what do you think would have happened in the story if he decided to stay in his comfort zone. Do you think, he would have found his treasure?
In reality, many people don’t like change or are scared of change. As much as we want to pursue our dreams, we are more scared of disappointment. We are scared that we might lose everything that we have worked for if we are going to start anew. We would rather stay in our comfort zone. This is the reason why people get stuck in life whether it is a bad relationship or a job that they don’t like. Fear is one of the biggest obstacles that is keeping us from achieving our dreams.
10. Everyone has His Own Destiny
If a person is successful in one area, it does not mean that you too will be successful in that same area. It is because each person has his own destiny to fulfil. His way is not the same as yours. So, don’t compare yourself with others.
No matter who we are, everyone has a central role to play in the history of the world. Each one of us is unique. Embrace your uniqueness. As the Englishman said, we all can’t become alchemist, otherwise, gold will lose its value.
Good luck on your journey and I hope you find your treasure!
First published in Pinoy Smart Living on 08.24.2018
Feature Image from Free Image and mbll from Pixabay Images.
How is your year going so far? How are you progressing in your plans for this year? Maybe you need to adjust your plan. Maybe you need to make new plans. A plan is an important part to your success. It serves as a road map to guide you towards your goals.
If you do not have one yet or you need to make changes to a current plan, here are some tips on how to do it.
Define
First, you need to decide what your goals are. You can start by defining your goals for each aspect of your life. Ask yourself these questions:
Where am I in each aspect of my life right now?
What do I want to achieve in this aspect of my life?
How can I improve this aspect of my life?
Why do I want to achieve this goal for this aspect of my life?
How does this goal benefit other aspects of my life?
If these questions don’t work, then try to use your imagination. Ask yourself:
How does it feel like to have a successful life?
What does it look like to be the successful version of me?
What are the things that I do when I have become a successful person?
You can put your goals on a vision board to remind you of your goals daily. You will end up with several goals but you will need to prioritize. Decide which aspect of your life you need to take action on right now and which can follow later. Focus on 2-3 key areas so you don’t get overwhelmed. Remember, you’re taking baby steps to improve your life so choose the top 2 or 3 for now.
Divide
Now that you have your goals, you also need to define the milestones for each goal. These become your smaller goals which you can divide according to a schedule. For example:
Long-term goal – the major goal that you need to accomplish in a year, or 3 years.
Medium-term goal – the smaller goal that you need to accomplish in 3 or 6 months time to help you get closer to the long-term goal.
Short-term goal – the even smaller goal that you need to accomplish each week or even daily so you can reach your medium-term goal.
When creating these goals, be sure to follow theS.M.A.R.T. method of goal-setting. This way, you can ensure that your goals are realistic and can be accomplished in a specific period of time.
Give yourself space to adjust to the new schedule. Don’t expect that you can just do it right away or perfectly each time. You’re the one setting your target dates so don’t be too stringent on yourself but don’t be too easy on yourself either.
Dedicate
You have your goals and you have a schedule on how to accomplish them. It’s time to put the effort into getting things done.
The short-term goals can be considered practice. These help to set you up for the medium-term goals and so on. Your short-term goals may consist of daily tasks that you have to learn to do consistently. Dedicate yourself to this and try not to miss a day.
You’re trying to discipline yourself into your new routine but don’t be too hard on yourself. If you miss a day, don’t beat yourself up about it and just resolve to do better the next day. You don’t want to burn out while trying to accomplish the goal. Of course, don’t forget to have fun while dedicating yourself to your goals.
Debug
While you’re trying to accomplish your goals, you may find out that some things don’t work well for you or don’t suit you. This shouldn’t stop you from going forward in your goals. This is the debugging process where you work out the kinks in your plan to make it easier for you to accomplish them.
For example, if you find out that exercising in the morning doesn’t work for you, then reschedule it for the afternoon or evening. Just replace your morning schedule with something else on your daily goals.
You will find that you need to do this constantly for your short-term goals. That’s why it is important to incorporate some time for adjustment when setting your goal targets. You may even need to reset your target date for some goals and that is just fine.
You can use this method for whatever goals you have, big or small, and in whatever path you are in your journey to success. The important thing to remember when planning for success is to be consistent. Keep showing up to accomplish your plan starting with your daily habits.
Don’t be too hard on yourself when you fail at times. Accept that some things won’t work out; try a different approach until it works out for you and keep moving forward.
