tips – Page 6 – Personal Growth Cafe

April 15, 2019March 12, 2018

How to Free Yourself from Anxiety

Anxiety and worry can take over your life if you allow it to.

Whether we like it or not, constant stress and worry can physically make us sick.

The good news is that there are ways to help alleviate anxiety.

The first step is to figure out exactly what you’re stressing about.

Is it something you can change? Is it something you have no control over?

By determining the root of your anxiety, you can better understand how you can overcome it.

For example, if you’re feeling anxious about losing your job, you have the capability to change this worry.

You can work harder to prove that you’re an indispensable part of the team or you can start searching for a new job.

Taking action is the surest way to defeat anxiety.

The truth is, there are plenty of situations in your life that you can change with some effort.

For example, if you’re concerned about your weight, the good news is that you can change it!

You already know it takes a healthy diet coupled with regular exercise.

Little by little, your weight will melt away and your health will improve.

By determining the root of your anxieties, and developing ways to turn them into something positive, you can often overcome them.

Here are some tips and techniques to help you manage your anxiety:

1. Know your anxieties. Write down exactly what’s causing your anxiety, then note down ways you can change the outcome.

Knowing what you’re up against is the key to feeling better about yourself and your current situation.

2. Breathe. Once you’ve pinpointed the things you need to change, sit back and take a breath.

This form of relaxation can help you calm your racing heart and give you peace of mind.

Rapid breathing from anxiety can lead to a panic attack.

Don’t let it get that far. Breathe deeply and slowly as soon as you feel yourself become worried or anxious.

3. Visualize. Perhaps one of the most effective ways to overcome anxiety is the technique of visualization.

Choose a quiet space in your home, light some candles, and close your eyes.

Imagine yourself in your ideal situation.

Feel how calm you are and visualize letting go of your worries.

Think about how happy you’ll be once your source of stress has been diminished.

Positive visualization can help you move toward the happier vision you’ve created in your mind.

4. Use positive affirmations. When things get tough and you feel yourself losing control, repeat a positive statement over and over in your head.

For example, if you’re in need of a job, you can repeat something like: “I am a valuable and hard working individual who is worthy of a fulfilling new opportunity!”

Reaffirming positive thoughts repeatedly can help you believe that anything is possible. The power of the mind is endless.

5. Diet and exercise. Eating a well-balanced diet and exercising can physically help you handle stress and anxiety.

The stronger the body is, the stronger the mind is.

It’s a fact: if you abuse your body with junk foods or drugs and alcohol, your body and mind will react in a negative way.

Take good care of your body and it will help take care of your worries.

6. Seek support.

Talk to someone who has been in the same situation.

Reaching out to friends and family or seeking professional help can do wonders to help you get rid of your anxiety.

Once you’ve seen that someone else has gone through and overcome what you’re experiencing, it gives you great hope that you, too, can do the same.

Anxieties are a part of everyday life.

How you choose to manage them is what makes the difference.

Stop letting anxiety control you.

Take the reins and let anxiety and worries know that you are the one in the driver’s seat of your life.

What are things that cause you to worry today?

How can you use what you learned here to free yourself from worries?

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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April 14, 2019March 12, 2018

How to Live Consciously

Have you ever seen ants marching in search of food?

They just follow one another in an almost endless game that seems to drone on and on.

Does your life feel like an ant’s life – as if you’re going from day to day, doing the same thing, the same way, and nothing ever changes?

If so, then there’s a very good probability you’re not living consciously.

Conscious living is being aware of your life and the things you’re doing.

It’s about taking the time to stop and smell the roses so you can see where you fit into the whole picture.

Living consciously is a vital component in enjoying the fleeting moments we have on Earth.

It’s important to take note of what’s going on around us and be aware of what we’re doing.

Living consciously brings us an understanding of what we’re capable of doing and paves the way for us to get where we want to go.

Benefits of Conscious Living

Perhaps you’re wondering, “What’s in it for me?”

Conscious living brings with it many benefits, which you may already be seeking in your life.

Here are just a few of these benefits:

1. Relieve stress. Conscious living can be a great stress reliever.

Not only does it make life more enjoyable when you alleviate your stress, but it also makes you healthier.

Stress affects every process in our bodies and can cause serious disease if it builds up within us.

2. Expand your horizons. As you become more aware of your surroundings, you’ll find that you can better understand the world and your place in it.

3. Live in the moment. Throughout the day, you’ll be more focused on your work because you’re consciously acting on a specific task in the moment.

4. Enjoy more passion in your relationships.

While living consciously, your relationships will become more meaningful because you’ll be appreciative of them as well as the other person.

You’ll be more in tune with your partner and aware of every want and need.

5. Know your importance. Your job will become more fulfilling because you’re more conscious of your role in the grand scheme of things.

You no longer just answer a phone or hand someone a photocopy, but you are consciously making a difference.

6. Bring color into your world.

Your surroundings will become more vibrant because you’ll notice things like the subtle differences between the shades of the trees and the direction of the soft breeze.

7. Being conscious of life makes life more fun. When you’re living consciously, bad days are few and far between.

Action Steps to Living Consciously

Luckily, transforming your humdrum life into one filled with vibrant joy is easier than you may think!

You can make some simple adjustments to your everyday routines to live consciously and more fully enjoy your life.

Here are some action steps you can take to bring conscious living to your life:

1. Stop. Take some time to stop throughout the day and look around. Be aware of where you are and what’s around you.

Become conscious of your surroundings and notice how you fit into them.

Notice the details such as the green on the trees, or the condensation dripping down the side of the cup.

Become in tune with what your body feels and actually search out the sensations of your fingers and toes while feeling your chest rise and fall with each breath.

2. Breathe. Take deep breaths and be in the moment.

Don’t think about what you’ve done or what you still have to do, just take a minute or two to just breathe!

3. Learn. Take a few minutes each day to try something new.

Pick up a book you’ve wanted to read or learn a new skill.

By doing this, you’re starting to become conscious of your life and the things you can do with it.

There are many things you can do to live life to its fullest.

Living consciously is one of the easiest changes to make on a day-to-day basis.

Take a few of these ideas, integrate them into your routine, and begin enjoying the benefits of living consciously!

How much time do you give to yourself?

How are you living the life you have right now to your enjoyment?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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April 12, 2019March 12, 2018

How to Respond to Criticism

Constructive criticism is a good thing.

It helps you improve yourself and refine your skills.

Destructive criticism, on the other hand, is useless and serves no good purpose, aside from hurting your feelings.

Destructive Criticism – What Should You Do?

Even though it’s difficult receiving destructive and negative criticism, you should still listen to it.

This type of criticism is normally motivated out of someone else’s need to feel superior, but there may be a shred of truth in there somewhere.

Try not to take it personally because, chances are, you’re not the problem.

The person lashing out may be feeling envious or jealous, which colors their opinion.

Destructive criticism tends to be a personal attack.

When the heart of an insult or comment is you (rather than something you’ve done), it is destructive and should be ignored.

After all, no one has the right to determine your self-esteem!

Constructive Criticism – How to Respond Appropriately

Constructive criticism is meant to help you. Listen carefully to what the person is saying.

When the speaker is finished, ignore any personal attacks and simply let them know you’ll consider your actions.

Constructive criticism can be useful if it’s based on performance or behavior.

We don’t always see our own behaviors in the same way others do, so listening to others’ viewpoints can be helpful.

Constructive criticism usually comes from a place of genuine concern.

If the person giving the criticism didn’t care about you, they wouldn’t offer the criticism in the first place.

If you receive professional constructive criticism from a superior, you should take notes and ask questions.

If your boss is giving you constructive criticism about your job performance, take it to heart.

Your boss is likely speaking from experience and their job is to help you improve and excel.

If they’re taking time out of their day to offer their insight, it means they value you as an employee and believe you can do better, so the least you can do is listen.

Types of Constructive Criticism

There are certain expressions you can look for to know you’re receiving constructive criticism.

If you hear these, then recognize the person is trying to help you rather than attack you.

Listen well to these types of criticism, analyze if there is credence to what is being said, and then act on their suggestions.

1. The compliment sandwich. Someone gives you a compliment followed by a suggestion for an area of improvement and then finally, another compliment.

This tells you that the person sees the good things you do and thinks you can improve further.

2. Encouragement criticism. In this type of constructive criticism, the person is trying to help you do better at something you’re already doing fairly well.

This tells you the person knows you try hard and maybe even wants to help you take it to the next level.

3. Thank you. If the conversation starts with someone thanking you for a job well done, you can be sure that they appreciate your efforts.

This person usually wants to help you do better because they like you.

When responding to constructive criticism, you want to be sure to understand where the person is coming from before you say anything.

You should always ask them to clarify something if you don’t fully understand what they’re saying.

When you receive constructive criticism, consider what is being said honestly and objectively.

Constructive criticism is all about improving.

Unless you accept it from this point of view, it will be difficult to change your behavior for the better.

The only thing you need to say when receiving constructive criticism is simply “Thank You.”

Responding appropriately to criticism shows your maturity and willingness to improve.

So swallow your pride, take it in the spirit in which it’s offered, and you’ll come out on top.

How often do you receive criticism?

How do you feel when you are criticized?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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April 11, 2019March 12, 2018

How to Save Money During a Recession

Whether you want to admit it or not, there’s a global recession happening, and it’s affecting millions of families.

People are being laid off, companies are going under, and even some state governments are completely broke.

Finding ways to cut back on your spending can help you during this difficult economic period.

Saving money is always good, but it’s a skill that becomes especially important during a recession.

How can you save money during a recession?

It’s all about planning, cutting frivolous costs, and changing the way you spend money.

Here are some handy tips you can use to help you save money:

1. Pay important bills first. The mortgage, electricity, water and heat have to be paid no matter what.

2. Save Money on groceries. Groceries are a huge, yet necessary, expense. After the bills are paid, most of the budget will fall into the groceries category.

Buy generic rather than name brands. They usually taste just as good but cost less.

Buy non-perishable foods in bulk. Many items can be bought in bulk such as rice, canned foods, and frozen foods.

Never shop on an empty stomach. Eat before grocery shopping; otherwise, you’ll wind up buying more junk and convenience foods because you’re hungry.

Make a list of what you need and stick to it. It really is that simple!

Cut and use coupons. 10 for $10 deals and sale items are your friends.

Combining coupons with sales can slash your grocery bill even more.

Avoid shopping at expensive stores, even if they’re closer to home.

Instead, go a few miles out of the way for the discount grocery stores.

Most items in the store are exactly the same thing, other than the price tag.

3. Rent movies instead of going out. Have a movie night once a week.

Sit down with some popcorn (the kind you pop on the stove) and watch a movie.

This is a great way to spend quality family time, without much expense.

4. Put the credit card down. Credit purchases may get your “stuff” now, but you’ll pay double for it later.

If you want something, save up and pay cash or wait.

5. Cook at home. If you go out to eat two or three times a week, cut back to once every two weeks or once a month. Instead, learn to cook at home.

If you plan ahead and cook in quantities, you’ll save time and money by popping the extra portions into the freezer.

6. Unplug. If there are things in your house plugged into the wall and you aren’t using them, unplug them.

Many items, like computers and phone chargers, draw electricity whether they’re on or not.

Plug it in when you need it, then unplug it when you’re done.

7. Lower your thermostat. Set your thermostat at a specific temperature and leave it there. 68 to 70 is an energy-saving setting in the winter.

If you get chilly, put on a sweater or grab a blanket. You’ll save more than you realize on your heating bills.

These are just some of the many ways to save money and stretch your dollar a bit further during these challenging times.

These tips require a change to your habits, which can take some getting used to.

In time, however, you’ll adjust and the money you save can make a big difference in your budget.

It’s important to stick with your plan to save money.

Making a change for a week won’t do the trick.

Committing to changing bad habits for good will reap the greatest benefits in the long run.

What money saving strategies are you currently doing?

How does budgeting well help you live happier?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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April 9, 2019March 12, 2018

How to Work Smarter, Not Harder

Ever since computers have become such a large part of our lives, it seems that workloads have dramatically increased.

Now, instead of things getting easier, we’ve gotten busier and more hectic than ever before.

This may cause you to feel overburdened with your heavier workloads, especially when it comes to tasks you have to do repeatedly.

Finding better ways to accomplish your to-do list can save you time, money, and a whole lot of frustration.

How do you “work smarter, not harder?” Look at what you do on a daily basis and develop ways to get the same amount done with less effort and struggle.

Here are some ways you can work smarter, not harder:

1. Simplify repeated tasks. Forms and templates can save time on a lot of tasks.

For example, if you have to send out a lot of the same email, create a template email so you can just fill in the specific parts for each person individually.

2. Delegate. Delegate some of your responsibilities to other people.

If you have too much housework, give the kids some chores and set up a schedule.

Four people doing four things will get them done faster than one person doing all four things alone.

3. Automate.

If you’re in a position that requires the same thing done every day, at the same time, then try to find a way to get the process automated so it happens without you there.

An example would be to back up your computer every night, automatically.

4. Eliminate the useless. There are unproductive things you do on a daily basis.

In fact, you probably already know exactly what these distractions are!

Once you identify your time-wasters, remove them from your routine and focus on those tasks that are truly productive.

5. Focus. Stay focused on your responsibilities, not the responsibilities of others.

If everyone focuses on their primary responsibilities first, the large portion of the job gets finished and then minor details can be taken care of later.

6. Learn to say “no.”

Many people take on too much work because they’ve never learned to tell others “no.”

Before taking on extra duties for someone else, make sure you schedule time for your own needs first.

7. Know your limits.

Avoid taking on more than you can handle in order to please someone above you.

If you do this on a regular basis, you’ll ultimately be working twice as hard because you’re not performing at your very best.

Learn how much you can handle while still being productive.

We all have limits, and respecting our own limits leads to greater productivity.

Working smarter, not harder is all about planning, executing and knowing your limits.

Planning saves time and money.

It allows you to delegate and assign tasks to those most qualified to complete them.

Using systems and automation to execute tasks eliminates repetition and assures quality control.

Wisely considering limits prevents burnout and late work.

All in all, working smarter, not harder does just what it says.

Not only does it save you valuable time, but your production levels will soar as well!

How often do you stress yourself out because of work?

How can you make your work lighter yet still efficient?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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April 7, 2019March 12, 2018

Overcoming Obstacles to Your Success

In order to be successful, you have to overcome a great many things.

Some of those obstacles are created internally.

You can overcome these self-created obstacles with a little hard work and determination.

No matter what task you’re taking on, you can set yourself up for success!

Here are some ways to deal with obstacles that may thwart your endeavors:

1. Understand your goals.

Know exactly what it is you’re trying to do.

You can’t just run in without a plan of some kind.

Take the time to plan out your goals and the steps you intend to take to reach them.

Even with an exceptional plan, the reality is that things rarely go exactly as you’d expect.

You’ll have to stop and make changes at times, and that’s okay!

Be prepared for the unexpected with ideas on how to handle a situation if it arises.

Identify the parts of your plan that may become problematic and lay out alternatives.

2. Trust yourself. You’re in charge of your journey to success.

You set your goals and you’re the one making it happen, so you must trust yourself.

If you truly have a great passion for what you’re going to do, then you’ll be the best judge of what you want.

Follow your instincts.

That little voice in the back of your head may very well end up telling you exactly what you need to succeed in your goals.

3. Get help.

If there’s something in your way and it’s too big of an obstacle for you to remove on your own, get help!

You can’t do everything by yourself.

As humans, we’re social beings and we need help from those around us.

Get your friends, family or co-workers involved and welcome their input on how to get around an obstacle in your path.

This will bring in new ideas and fresh perspectives on the problem in ways you may have never considered.

4. Gain a fresh perspective.

There are times when, no matter how hard you try, things just don’t go your way.

This is where you need to stop, take a step back, and look at things from a different perspective.

You become used to your routine, so the fine details can easily slip past you.

Take a break and walk away for a little bit.

Change your focus for a time; then come back to the problem and you may see something you missed.

3. Never ever give up. Nothing has ever been solved or accomplished by giving up.

Vince Lombardi said it best: “Winners never quit and quitters never win!” This is as true as it gets.

Being too rigid on something can be counterproductive.

In order to succeed, we sometimes have to change our approach completely.

Keep at the problem until you find a solution. It’s there; you just have to find it.

4. Start again. Sometimes, despite all your efforts, you need to rebuild from the ground up.

Maybe one of your fundamental ideas was wrong and had an effect on everything else.

This happens, and while it’s a setback, it’s not the end of your dream.

With a little more effort and hard work, you can do it!

Being successful isn’t easy and it involves a lot of hard work, dedication and sometimes sacrifices.

With these tips, a good plan, and positive people around you to help, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.

What obstacles do you have now that hinder you from becoming successful?

How can you work on becoming better everyday?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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April 6, 2019March 12, 2018

Procrastination Avoidance Tips

Did you ever feel like you wanted to join the Procrastinator’s Club, but never quite got around to it?

At some point in time, procrastination plagues us all, some more than others, but everyone at some point gets a bite from the bug.

We’ve all heard the quote, “Why put off till tomorrow what you can do today?”

For some of us, this is the only motivation we need, while others struggle with putting things off for weeks, months, or even years.

Procrastination doesn’t have to be a way of life for you; you can overcome it.

With a little focus and the right attitude, coupled with some practical tips and techniques, procrastination can be a thing of the past.

Here are five strategies you can use today to help you bite the procrastination bug back:

1. Set small goals.

Many times, we feel overwhelmed with a task, so we continue to put it off until we have no choice but to complete it.

Now throw on all the new projects we received while we were putting off the first project, and you have a prime equation for some serious procrastination.

Setting small, quickly achievable goals can help you avoid procrastinating in the first place so you don’t get overwhelmed.

Here are some tips for setting those small goals:

2. Break your big project up into smaller steps.

These steps can be completed systematically one at a time.

Make sure you have well-defined end points for each smaller goal, that way you have something to keep you going.

Setting small goals provides you a nonstop feeling of accomplishment as they’re attained.

With each individual success, you feel better about yourself, and this motivates you to continue.

Giving yourself break points allows you to focus on each individual task and takes the overwhelming feeling out of the job.

In addition, they give you a prime place to get up, move around, and refresh yourself for the next step.

3. Avoid distractions.

We all do it. We sit down to start working, but have to get back up and grab some coffee.

Then we sit back down and check email, then voicemail, and then email again just to make sure no one sent a message while we were checking the voicemail.

How long did that take?

Try checking your email only twice a day instead of every 5 minutes.

You need to have some time to focus!

Get everything you want, need or think you need before you sit down to start working so you can concentrate.

4. Delegate.

Start giving some of your responsibilities to others instead of hogging them for yourself and creating more stress.

Stress leads to procrastination, procrastination leads to tight deadlines, and tight deadlines lead to more stress; it’s a vicious cycle.

5. Keep a list.

A constant reminder of the things you absolutely need to do is a great way to avoid procrastination.

A small pocket notebook or even a note card works wonders for list keeping.

Keeping a list puts your daily to-dos in front of you at all times for quick reference.

Include your small goals on your list.

Get started early each day completing those small, easy goals.

Doesn’t it feel great to scratch through the things you’ve completed?

Before you know it, the whole list is marked off!

6. Turn it off.

When you’re done for the day, shut down everything work related. Don’t take it home if you can help it.

Turn your brain off at the end of your workday.

By giving your brain a break, you help avoid over exhaustion and keep your mind fresh for the next day.

7. Spend some time doing the things you love to recharge your batteries for the next day.

Pick one or two of these techniques and try them out for three weeks.

Studies have shown it takes 21 days to form a habit and if you truly want to beat procrastination, you have to make productivity a habit.

When you’ve made a habit of one of the strategies, pick out another one, and before you know it, you’ll be the personification of productive!

What can you do today that you moved to sometime in the future?

What is keeping you from doing that now?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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February 21, 2019March 11, 2018

Top Seven Ways to Boost Your Self-Esteem

Everyone needs to feel a sense of self-worth and healthy self-esteem in order to live a successful, contented life.

While some people look to others and their material success to gauge their own self-worth, the most important assessment is how you feel about yourself.

There are many things you can do to boost your own self-esteem.

By taking the steps to build your own self-worth and well-being, you’re practicing the best form of preventative medicine possible.

Here are the top seven ways to boost your self-esteem:

1. Do things you love.

The more time you spend doing things you love to do, the better it makes you feel.

Doing the things you enjoy causes your brain to produce higher levels of endorphins, which are chemical in the brain that increase your sense of joy and well-being.

Engaging in activities we love also helps us recall other times we’ve done them, and those memories increase our self-esteem.

Our favorite activities are often things we do well, which is a factor in increasing our self-esteem.

2. Strengthen your strengths.

When you exercise your strengths, they become stronger and your self-esteem rises as well.

We all like to feel proud of the things we excel at and those things cause us to feel better about ourselves.

Spend time working on, building, and renewing your strengths, and your inner approval rating will soar.

3. Surround yourself with positive people.

Positive energy is like an electrical charge as it spreads from one person to the next.

When you spend time in the company of positive people, your own attitude will lift to match theirs, and you’ll be charged from their energy.

4. Measure your worth based on yourself, not on others.

Everyone sees the world based on his or her own biases and circumstances.

When someone pours negative thoughts on another person, it’s a greater reflection on their own deficiencies than the person they’re attacking.

Basing your self-esteem on another person’s opinions is never a good idea.

Instead, take your value from what you know to be the truth about yourself from the inside out, not the other way around.

5. Believe in yourself. Trust in your ability to achieve whatever you set your mind to accomplish.

When you believe that you’re capable of attaining your goals, you unleash the ability to do so from deep within you, so trust in the process.

6. Set your thoughts on the things you want to attract.

Albert Einstein determined all things are made of energy and energy attracts more of the same energy.

Focusing your thoughts on the things you desire in your life keeps the energy of those things moving toward you.

7. Speak affirming thoughts to yourself.

We’ve all heard the phrase “act as if.” Affirmations work on that principle. Instead of saying, “I want to be happy,” say, “I am a happy person.”

Say it out loud everyday.

You’ll begin to reprogram your subconscious to believe it as the truth, and soon you’ll be feeling that truth every day.

These simple steps to boost your self-esteem are easy to put into practice in your day-to-day life.

Start today and build your self-worth and self-esteem into the foundation of your character. Your life will never be the same.

What do you like about yourself?

How do you show yourself that you are a worthy person?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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February 18, 2019March 11, 2018

Setting Goals for Success: Five Tips to Define Clear Goals

Whether you want to set goals for your business or your personal life, defining clear, concise goals is very important.

Without clear goals you can end up confused about what you want to achieve, and you may be putting yourself on the path to stagnation.

Clear goals can give you tremendous momentum and intense purpose in your life.

Here are five important tips to help you to define clear goals in your life:

1. Understand what you want to achieve.

In order to define clear goals, your first step is to determine exactly what you want to achieve.

If you don’t know where you’re going, you can’t figure out a route to get there.

Once you know where you want to be and what you want to achieve, you’ll be able to come up with the goals that will help you get there.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Take the time to sit down and brainstorm your long-term dreams and desires.

2. Determine a timeline.

Setting timelines will prevent procrastination and spur you on to action to meet your goals.

Having a timeline for your goals also helps to clarify them because now you know what you want and when you want it!

Come up with goals that you want to meet in a month, year, and even five or ten years from now.

Make a plan that will keep you on track; however, don’t etch your plan in stone! Allow for changes along the way, but keep your eye on the main goal.

3. Ensure your goals are realistic.

With realistic goals, you can almost guarantee that you’ll be able to achieve them, and you won’t stress yourself out trying to accomplish something that’s out of reach.

A clear goal is a realistic one.

Break your long-term goals into small, achievable action steps.

Reaching multiple goals along your journey will give you a feeling of accomplishment and motivate you to continue.

4. Be specific. Clarify your goals with the details of exactly what you want. Avoid vague generalities.

When you make a specific goal, you’ll be better able to accomplish it.

Specific goals allow you to form your timeline and define your action steps. There’s no guesswork involved when dealing with specifics.

For example, “make more money with your business” is a vague goal.

Come up with a specific goal, such as, “I will make $1,000 more per month, three months from today.” This goal is specific, measurable, and realistic.

5. Refine your goals. Your goals may change as your life changes.

During this process, you’ll be able to make them more specific, realistic, and achievable.

It’s okay to refine your goals several times in your life!

What’s important now, might not be important to you six months or six years from now.

Be willing to accept change. Revisit your goals from time to time and make new plans if necessary.

Some people flounder through life, unsure of their purpose or what they want to achieve.

Don’t let this be you!

Your life will have clear meaning if you put some thought into what’s important to you, what goals you want to achieve, and what actions to take to make your dreams a reality.

What are you doing to achieve your goals?

What are you focusing on today to help you move closer to reaching your goals?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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February 17, 2019March 11, 2018

Overcoming the Fear of the Unknown

Overcoming the fear of the unknown is a challenging endeavor, but it can be done.

If you suffer from a fear of uncertainty, understanding what fear is, and how it affects you, can start you on the road to conquering it.

Fear has been defined in several ways; however, the most basic definition of fear is an emotional response based on the fact that we’re faced with something unfamiliar or impending danger.

When we experience fear, several psychological and physiological responses take place all at the same time.

Psychological events include feeling emotionally overwhelmed, having high levels of anxiety, and even feeling terrified.

Physiological responses include a faster heart rate, shallow breathing, and similar effects.

Experiencing fear can greatly impact your view on life, your confidence levels, and even the potential that you have as an individual.

Here’s an example of a situation where a woman had the crippling fear that everything she did would result in failure:

Janice was very successful in her career and personal life.

It seemed that people were instantly drawn to her and her ideas, but on the inside, Janice was a mess.

Every time she worked on a project, she would throw herself into it.

In the end, she would ultimately succeed, but on the inside, she was always worried that she would fail or that her completed project wouldn’t be good enough.

For the most part, she recognized the fact that her fear was irrational.

However, Janice grew up in an abusive home.

She was physically beaten and consistently ridiculed by her father.

Regardless of what she did, it was never enough to meet his expectations.

The result was that she grew up to become a workaholic, often struggling to finish several things at once, and leaving very little time for herself.

The root of her fear of failure was grounded in her childhood.

Her father harbored unrealistically high expectations and would be mentally and physically abusive towards her when his expectations weren’t met.

Once she realized this about her past, Janice was able to ease her personal expectations and overcome her fear.

Here are some strategies you can use to help overcome your fear:

1. Recognize your fears. By realizing that you’re fearful, you’re more likely to get to the bottom of what the fear is.

You may also have a fear of facing your fears.

The best way to conquer this fear is to accept the truth behind what’s causing you to experience limited happiness in life.

You might come to understand that you’re afraid of failing or taking chances.

You may even be fearful because you simply don’t have confidence in yourself.

Regardless of the issue at hand, it’s important that you recognize your fear and attempt to define what it is that makes you terrified of the unknown.

The key here is not to dwell on your fear, but rather to understand precisely what it is you’re worried about.

2. Determine the underlying root of your fears.

How can you identify the cause of your fears? An insightful look at your life might reveal the answer.

By recognizing what causes your fears, it’s likely you can overcome them with great success!

3. Face your fears.

Once you’ve accepted your fear and identified the root cause, you’re ready to conquer it! The best method to do this is to face it head on.

Make a decision to purposely tackle your fears by indulging yourself in activities that push you outside of your comfort zone.

For example, put yourself in a place where you’re safe, yet uncomfortable, or respectfully confront someone from your past.

In the end, you’ll find that you can successfully overcome your fears, one by one!

Overcoming your fear of the unknown is a difficult undertaking.

However, if you take the time to engage in these three steps, you’ll discover a renewed peace and happiness within your heart!

As you work to unlock the chains that bind you to your fears, you’ll enjoy a freedom that you’ve never felt before.

How can your fear be turned into a good opportunity?

How can focusing on your goals rather than your fears help you become a better person?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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