life – Page 32 – Personal Growth Cafe

October 22, 2018February 15, 2018

The Art of Organization: Seven Time Saving Tips

Organization is more important in your life than you may imagine.

Organization is so difficult for some people that they feel as if they’re just meant to be unorganized.

The truth is, however, is that none of us are meant to be unorganized!

We’re a species that functions better when we have structure in our lives. Without structure, we live in utter chaos.

All is not lost, though, if you have trouble organizing things!

Organizing only one aspect of your life helps you to begin on the rest of it.

This nice chain reaction helps things fall into place the way they should.

Time Saving Tips to Organize Your Life

The worst part about organizing your life is that it seems like it can take so much time.

That’s one reason why so many people refuse to find an organization strategy.

They feel like it will take too much time out of their day.

However, it doesn’t have to take much time at all!

The strategy is to work it into your life in ways that don’t take so much time.

Once your strategy is in place, it can actually save you time.

Here are some time saving tips to help you get organized:

1. Pace yourself. You don’t have to do everything all at once. Take care of one thing at a time.

A lot of unorganized people have clothes lying across the floor and shoes in strange places.

You could contain such a mess by picking those things up as you pass by them.

Don’t wait to do it all at once; otherwise it may never get done.

2. Set achievable goals. Make a plan to do only certain chores each day so that an entire day isn’t taken up by trying to do it all.

For example, set the goal of cleaning off your computer desk one day.

That’s a task that may take only ten minutes.

That’s a whole lot more manageable than resolving to clean your entire house in an afternoon!

3. Storage. Invest in some functional storage containers.

There are also some nice storage boxes that are decorative, too. Fill them as needed and when convenient.

Keep a storage box handy in your closet.

As you find things you don’t use or wear anymore, put them into the box.

Before you know it, your closet will be cleaned out!

4. Make a game out of it. Get the whole family in on it. This will save a lot of time if everyone pitches in.

Tell the kids if they help that you can have a special pizza night.

Present them with a reward and they’ll work hard, saving you time and getting your home organized quickly.

5. Change habits. Changing some of your habits can make things easier on you.

Instead of waiting for days to wash those dirty dishes, pick a time at the end of the day to wash them or do it in the mornings.

That will save you time because it only takes a few minutes to wash a few dishes, instead of a heaping pile.

6. Make the entire family responsible. Give everyone in the house responsibilities so that things can become organized and stay that way.

Put up a chart on the refrigerator or on a wall that outlines the weekly responsibilities and who’s supposed to do each chore.

It’s not your responsibility to clean your child’s room, make sure they take ownership of their own tasks.

7. Use racks and shelves. Make a place for everything so that everything has its own place.

Use a spice rack for your spices.

Invest in shoe organizers for the closets.

Hang stuffed animal hammocks in the kids’ bedrooms.

The Importance of Organization

The importance of organization cannot be underestimated because it carries over into other aspects of your life.

Without it, it’s hard to see clearly what’s going on around you.

When your life is organized, you can better point out the solution.

You can also feel better about yourself and your environment.

Plus, you’ll be able to find more time to do things you actually enjoy.

How do you manage your time to have enough for all of the things you need to do?

When was the last time you were able to set time for yourself?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Also, as your gift for taking this to heart – and this is profoundly important… to us ALL – go to UnitingPlanetEarth.com/ignition/ and do the Uniting Planet Earth 7-Day Quick-Start Ignition Program… and Allow it to Transform Your Life.

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October 21, 2018February 15, 2018

The Art of Deep Breathing: A Sanity-Saving Strategy

Have you ever had one of those days where you were so stressed that you felt like you could use some help to save your sanity?

If so, you’ll be pleased to discover a strategy you can use to reduce stress and improve your health at the same time!

This strategy is easy and convenient, and it’s called deep breathing.

What exactly is deep breathing?

Deep breathing is a breathing exercise that involves manipulating the breath in ways that bring about certain feelings on an emotional level.

There are various deep breathing exercises that are designed for:

Developing the mind and the body

Helping you enter a state of meditation

Bringing on a healthy sweat, enabling you to feel revived

No matter what emotion you’re trying to achieve with your breathing exercises, the beauty is that it doesn’t cost you anything to breathe.

But when is it appropriate to do breathing exercises?

And how often can they be done?

When To Do Deep Breathing Exercises

There are no hard and fast rules stipulating when to do breathing exercises.

It really depends on what you’re wishing to achieve by doing them.

You can use breathing exercises at any time to:

Achieve a state of calm

Feel alive, invigorated, and ready for your day

Reduce stress in tense situations

Wind down at the end of the day

When you wake up in the morning, you may wish to do some quick deep breathing exercises to feel invigorated and ready to go.

You can go outside, take a deep breath, and then breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth.

This breathing exercise can serve as a workout for your abdominal muscles and lungs.

It can make you feel quite refreshed at the beginning of your day and provides a similar effect to taking a morning jog.

When you’re having a rough day at work or dealing with conflict, you can use a few calming breaths to help reduce stress.

Sit back, close your eyes, and take a deep breath. Hold it in and then let it out. Repeat the process until you feel relaxed.

Health Benefits of Breathing Exercises

If you just need a quick lift, then you’ll only need to spend a short time here and there doing some deep breathing exercises.

On the other hand, if you’re looking to have a significant impact on your health and serenity, you can form a routine of several breathing exercises throughout your day.

Whatever the duration, breathing exercises can bring you many health benefits, including:

Reduce your blood pressure

Calm your nerves

Tighten your core muscles

Aid in better digestion

Aid in the elimination of waste and toxins

Bring you higher levels of energy

Increase your awareness of the functions within your body

Reduce stress

Your own results will depend upon the type and frequency of breathing exercises you use.

Anyone Can Benefit From Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises can benefit virtually anyone. The only individuals who should take extreme caution are those with respiratory issues.

Always check with your physician before attempting these exercises.

Nevertheless, sit back, close your eyes, and enjoy the relaxing effects that deep breathing can provide.

It’s an effective solution to reduce stress, bring you peace, and improve your life.

What do you do to relax when you feel stressed out?

How often do you take time to relax in a day?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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October 21, 2018February 15, 2018

When you can’t have what you want, it’s time to start wanting what you have. – Kathleen A. Sutton

October 20, 2018February 15, 2018

Step-by-Step Ways to Plan a Budget

Using a budget is one of the best ways for you to determine where you stand financially so you can plan for future expenses.

A budget can help you live within your means, get out of debt, and have money available for a new car, vacation, or education.

Planning and using a budget doesn’t have to be complicated.

Plus, once you’ve put your budget into place, it makes spending decisions a snap.

Here’s how to plan your budget, step-by-step:

1. Set goals. Before you begin to plan, it’s important to know what your financial goals are.

Do you want to save for a new home?

Have you always wanted to travel overseas?

Are you thinking about your children’s educational future?

Write down your family’s financial goals and post them where everyone can see them.

This will help you all remain focused on reaching your goals rather than giving in to temptations to buy things you don’t need.

2. Determine income. Figure out how much money you currently have coming into your home.

It’s hard to establish a budget if you don’t know how much money you have at your disposal. This would include:

Employment income for each family member contributing to the budget

Interest earned from money markets, savings accounts, or investments

Inheritances

Any other form of income

3. Figure out your expenses. Write down your family’s expenses.

Listing each bill will help you determine how much money you need to earn each month to reach your financial goals.

List every bill your family has regardless of how often it’s paid.

Group expenses together (insurances, credit cards, etc.) to make them easier to calculate.

Include cash for each day, such as money for gas, lunches, tolls or parking.

4. Include savings. Remember to pay yourself!

Instead of waiting to determine what money is left after paying the monthly bills, include your savings account as a bill and pay it just as you would any other expense.

5. Subtract expenses from income. Add together all income sources and then add together all expenses.

Subtract the expenses from the income, and this will tell you what financial shape your family is in.

6. If your income is greater than your expenses… If you have money left after paying the bills, you may choose to do one of the following:

Put additional money in savings.

Invest the money with the help of a financial planner.

Pay off credit cards or other monthly credit accounts so you can get out of debt.

7. If your expenses are greater than your income… If your expenses are more than your income, you have some decisions to make.

They may not be pleasant, but if you want to get out of the avalanche of debt, changes are necessary.

Here are some changes you may want to make:

If your home is too large for your family, you may want to downsize into a home with cheaper payments.

Do you have, and do you need, more than one vehicle?

If two or more cars are necessary, by all means keep them.

However, you may be able to buy vehicles that are cheaper to own and maintain.

If all the cars aren’t necessary, why not sell the extra ones?

Avoid eating out. You may not think eating out is that expensive, but a family of four can easily spend $40 or more each time they eat out.

That same amount of money can buy groceries for several meals, instead of just one.

Put a hold on credit card spending.

Either cut your credit cards up or put them in a plastic bag filled with water.

Place the bag in the freezer and leave it there.

As you’re able to pay off one credit card, close the account.

Then use the money you spent each month on that bill and add it to your payment for the credit card with the next highest interest rate.

This process accelerates the elimination of your debt.

It’s possible to create a budget you and your family can live with.

By following these step-by-step instructions for planning a budget, you’ll be taking a financial step in the right direction.

Stick to your budget, and before you know it you can be out of debt and saving for something special!

How much of your budget goes to things you want?

How does proper budgeting bring joy to your life?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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October 19, 2018February 15, 2018

I allow myself to rise above the challenges by being proactive.

October 18, 2018February 15, 2018

Know how to listen and you will profit even from those who talk badly. – Plutarch

October 18, 2018February 15, 2018

Simple Active Listening Techniques Anyone Can Use

Being heard and understood is a need for every member of the human family. We all want to know the people in our lives care about us.

Having someone listen and respond to your needs can help you feel important.

Conversely, you give others a boost when you listen carefully to them.

This is where active listening techniques becomes important.

Maybe you haven’t heard of active listening before.

Basically, it’s listening with the intent of understanding the total meaning of what’s being said.

You do this by allowing the person to speak without interruption, and then you repeat back what they said.

The goal of active listening is to improve understanding between both parties.

You may not believe it, but there’s more to listening than merely being quiet.

In fact, someone who’s an active listener will encourage the speaker to talk, try to clarify any points they don’t understand, and be sure they’re aware of the speaker’s intent.

An active listener will enable the speaker to feel like they’ve truly been heard and understood.

Before you begin a conversation, especially if the subject matter is important, be sure you’re in a location where you won’t be interrupted by noise or distractions.

This sets the stage for a meaningful conversation.

Here are some active listening techniques you can use to improve your communications:

1. Be attentive. Pay attention to the person speaking with you.

Stay focused on what they’re saying, without trying to anticipate what they’re going to say next. Stay in the moment.

2. Respect the speaker. Even if you think you know what they’re going to say, try to listen to what’s actually being said.

3. Pay attention to both verbal and nonverbal clues. Body language, facial expressions, and posture can all provide a detailed picture of what’s going on.

4. Keep your attitude in check. Avoid confrontation or anger.

You’re not trying to win an argument; you’re trying to understand the person with whom you’re speaking.

5. Avoid letting your personal preferences affect how you listen. Try to keep your personal beliefs from clouding the speaker’s statements.

6. Don’t jump to conclusions. Regardless of what the speaker says, don’t make assumptions or judgments about what they said.

Find out all the facts and ask questions if you need to.

For example, if you see someone who’s unshaven and poorly dressed you might deduce he’s homeless.

The case may be that his wife had to be rushed to the hospital to deliver their baby and he didn’t have time to clean up first.

You just can’t make assumptions.

If you don’t understand what’s being said, clarify by asking questions. Refrain from interrupting.

Ask your questions in an even tone of voice when the speaker pauses.

7. Try not to become distracted or lose track of what’s being said.

Daydreaming about what you need at the grocery store won’t help your friend in need, and if you lose track of the conversation you’ll come across as uncaring.

8. Give appropriate nonverbal clues. When you’re actively listening to someone, your body language will show whether you’re paying attention or not.

Look the speaker in the eye while they’re talking and try to maintain eye contact as long as it’s comfortable for both of you.

Reaching out and touching their arm or shoulder will also help the person you’re speaking with recognize that you’re interested in what they’re saying.

Nodding your head is another indication that you’re listening.

9. Repeat what you heard. This lets the speaker know that you’re really listening.

Also, when you say what you understood, it gives them a chance to clarify any miscommunication.

You can learn how to listen actively. It doesn’t take long and the results will be worth the effort.

You, your spouse, business partner, co-worker, or children will all benefit from learning and employing these simple active listening techniques.

How can active listening show that you value the person speaking to you?

How do you feel when someone listens to you?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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October 17, 2018February 15, 2018

If you don’t like something change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. – Mary Engelbreit

October 17, 2018February 15, 2018

Learning To Cope With Things Out of Our Control

At some point in your life, you’ve no doubt had to deal with a situation that was out of your control.

Whether it’s a car accident, financial difficulties, or other challenge, these events cause stress and frustration, which negatively impact your health and mental outlook on life.

Learning how to cope with events you can’t control will help keep you in a positive frame of mind and alleviate your stress.

Consider the Serenity Prayer, written by Reinhold Niebuhr:

“God grant me the serenity

To accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,

And wisdom to know the difference.”

The words of this prayer exemplify the solution to a problem that plagues all of us.

Once you’ve come to terms with the fact that you can control only your own actions (and reactions), you can begin to find peace of mind.

What Can You Control?

Worrying about the people or events in your life that you can’t control can cause all kinds of stress-related health problems, such as angina, high blood pressure, and sleeping difficulties.

If you need to feel more in control of your life, focus on those things that you can physically change.

Who you decide to accept as your friends and spend your time with is something you can definitely control.

It may not be easy to meet new friends, but the opportunities are plentiful if you look for them.

Being around negative people can drag your attitude down, since you adopt the mood of people around you.

If you have people in your life who aren’t encouraging you to fulfill your potential, find other people to surround yourself with.

Having the support of people who believe in you will propel you toward reaching your lifelong goals.

Live One Day at a Time

When you intentionally consider each day a gift, your struggles don’t seem as dire.

While life does deal some bad hands, such as death, divorce, and financial challenges, how you cope during these hardships can make you stronger or break you.

When you purposely feel gratitude for the good moments within each day, you can genuinely start to accept your struggles as a path to a new beginning.

Coping with Financial Difficulties

One of the most stressful situations is coping with financial difficulties.

Loss of a job often means having to give up things you’ve worked hard to acquire.

If you’re having a difficult time accepting that you have to cut expenses and give up the comfortable things in life, even temporarily, it helps to remember that it could be worse.

Be grateful for having your home and your health because there are many people in the world who have neither.

Once you know you can be happy with less, you can focus again on achieving your goals.

By accepting that you can’t change some things, you’ll become more powerful in changing the things that you do have control over.

You’ll free yourself from the negative thoughts and emotions that can stifle you into sad complacence.

Use these tips to help you cope with things out of your control, and you’ll find peace, joy, and the passion to persevere through all challenges.

What do you do when you experience things that are out of your control?

How can you learn from them?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!

October 16, 2018February 15, 2018

Tag: life

The Art of Organization: Seven Time Saving Tips

The Art of Deep Breathing: A Sanity-Saving Strategy

When you can’t have what you want, it’s time to start wanting what you have. – Kathleen A. Sutton

Step-by-Step Ways to Plan a Budget

I allow myself to rise above the challenges by being proactive.

Know how to listen and you will profit even from those who talk badly. – Plutarch

Simple Active Listening Techniques Anyone Can Use

If you don’t like something change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. – Mary Engelbreit

Learning To Cope With Things Out of Our Control

Never give up on something that you can’t go a day without thinking about. – Unknown