Tag Archive for goal setting

Five Effective Ways to Find Inspiration

January 28, 2020 John Uncategorized No comments

Inspiration can come to you in a flash. But it can also avoid you when you need it most. 

GenuLines invites you to read on for some ways to get access to this thing called inspiration.

(you can listen to the article by clicking on below or scroll down to read)

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Five Effective Ways to Find Inspiration

light bulb of inspirationAt a loss for inspiration? Here are five techniques you can use to try and coax something new and exciting out of your brain.
 
They won’t always work, but give them a shot. They may just surprise you!
 
 
 
Go for a Walk
Walks are inspiring for many reasons. For starters, they allow us to take a break from what we’re doing and to change our environment.
 
In turn, this leads to new input. This can help us to gain a new perspective on whatever problem or task we’re wrestling with.
 
At the same time, walking is a monotonous task that allows our default mode network to kick in.
 
You could end up daydreaming, which is often, a source of great inspiration.

Ask the Right Questions

Sometimes, inspiration is merely asking the right questions. This can help to re-frame the problem and see it in a new way.
 
Let’s say you’re wondering how to solve a problem and you can’t come up with an answer. Make up a name.
 
Then try asking yourself how ‘Johnny’ would approach it. Likewise, instead of thinking about what you want something to be, decide what you don’t want it to be.

Take a Break

Sometimes, the best thing you can do to spark some creativity or solve a problem is to take a break. With a time-out, you stop trying to force the idea.
 
You ease your stress, and that lets ideas come to you much easier. This is why we’re often encouraged to sleep on big decisions.
 
Listen to Music
Music can be a great inspiration. It alters our mood and energy level and takes us to different places.
 
Often, you’ll find that music can leave you lost in thought. So try listening to some tracks while you mull over a subject, and see if that helps.

Talk it Over

You’ve seen ideas depicted as light bulbs. Or, as lightning strikes that show up in a flash, fully formed.
 
When you ask them most people admit that their best ideas formed slowly. They’ll tell you that they gestated for days, months, or even years before showing up.
 
Often, the best ideas come to us when we discuss them with other people. Even if we’re just thinking aloud, this can help us to see new perspectives.
 
And it can lead to new breakthroughs.
 
JohnK 1-28-2020
 

stick figure talking about inspirationOverheard: “Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out”

                                        ~John Wooden
 
 
 
 
 
 
disclaimer about inspiration
 
 
 

Happiness Is More Than Thinking Positive Thoughts

December 24, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments
 
Your happiness level isn’t what you’d like it to be. Someone in your circle suggests that you should think positive thoughts. That’s the answer, or so it seems. 
 
Today GenuLines looks at happiness as more than just staying in a positive mindset.  
 

Banner helps with happiess

Happiness Is More Than Thinking Positive Thoughts

The dictionary defines happiness as “the state of being happy.” Not a lot of information to go on there.
 
Let’s look at some different things that happiness can be. But realize that in truth, happiness is in the mind of the beholder.
 
smiley faces show happiness
 
Your Needs are Met
When a person is happy, they usually aren’t wanting for much. It doesn’t mean that they’re not having a tough time.
 
Rather, they’re making what they have fill their needs.
You feel satisfied
When you’re happy you tend to feel satisfied with your life. You think about your life and feel good about your good fortune.
 
This could include your living space, your life partner, or the fact that you live alone.
 
Contentment is a hallmark of happy people. Whether it’s their job, home, health, or things in general.
 
Happy people do experience stress. But they have a way of drawing on their contentment when things are less than perfect.
 
You Are at Peace
A happy person often feels a lot of peace surrounding their life and family. They tend to know that everything will turn out okay.
 
They’re pretty good at turning negativity into positivity.
 
Your Definition
You can set your own definition of happiness. It’s not necessarily about getting tons of stuff.
 
It’s not about finding a spouse unless you want that. Or about having kids, unless you want that.
 
It’s a Journey
Happiness isn’t a destination where you’ll forever dwell. It’s a lifelong journey that will have many ups and downs and struggles.
 
Still, you manage to feel good about it.
 
In the 1989 movie “Parenthood”, one of the main characters is a struggling mother. She says she loves “the roller-coaster” of life.
 
Her husband, though, is struggling and not as happy. He focuses on the downs instead of the ups.
 
It’s How You Act
When you’re happy your actions lean toward the positive. You eat better, you move more, you think better thoughts.
 
Know that you have it in your power to be happy where you are in your life right now.
 
Thinking positive thoughts is not the be-all and end-all of happiness. It’s having your needs met, yes.
 
But it’s not about having everything, or even the best. It’s about being satisfied with what you have while also being able to work toward the things you want.
 
It starts with your thoughts. And it manifests with your actions.
 
JohnK 12-24-2019
 
stick figure talking about happinessOverheard: “If thou wilt make a man happy, add not unto his riches but take away from his desires.”
                                                         ~Epicurus
 
 

 

 

Article Image by Gino Crescoli from Pixabay  
 
 
disclaimer about happiness
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Make a List of Everything You Are Grateful For

December 3, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments
Business magnate Richard Branson says he’s “passionate about lists.” What’s on your lists?
 
GenuLines suggests making a list that proclaims your gratitude.
 
Banner helps with lists

Make a List of Everything You Are Grateful For

You may forget the little things that you’re grateful for in your life. But, if you keep them in plain sight, it can help you reinforce your gratitude.
 
check listSo why not write them down, and keep them close by?
 
If you find yourself overwhelmed by negative feelings, refer to your list. It can serve as a way to reset your negativity.
 
Think of all the things you’re grateful for and start listing them. If you get stuck, think about the people in your life.
 
 
 
Who gives you happy thoughts?
 
List the aspects of what those people do to make you happy. If you love the way your spouse smiles at you, write that down.
 
It can be something simple, such as reading the newspaper on the train. The point is, no item is too small to add to the list.
 
Do you love the jokes that the server tells you when you get your cup of coffee and your muffin? That goes on the list, too.
 
Your list should never be complete as you will find new experiences and people to add to it. Each day, there is potential for people to make a small difference in your life.
 
But, remember that you make differences in other peoples’ lives as well.
 
Try to make those experiences more positive than negative. If people around you bring you down either avoid them or try to help them to be more positive. 
 
If you are the one bringing people down, you need to try and reverse this.
 
The list will be a big factor in helping you. Negative and bitter feelings stem from not appreciating your life and all the things in it.
 
That’s one reason why keeping a list is so important.
 
You can choose to write this list on a piece of paper, or keep it on an electronic device. It doesn’t matter how you store it, but you want it to be accessible.
 
Commit to reading it and make regular updates to it. Add to it as you find more things that you are grateful for in your life.
 
Maintaining this list could be the basis for a book that you write about appreciating your life. By publishing your list, you may help others do the same.
 
Reading your ideas might spark them to be grateful, too.
 
JohnK 12-3-2019
 
stick figure talking about listsOverheard: “Lists today are a way of trying to get through the day because we are losing a sense of time”
                                                ~David Viscott
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Article Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

 
 
 
 
disclaimer about lists

Does Your To-Do List Work For You?

November 19, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments
A to-do list can help keep order in your life. But does your list make the grade?
 
This GenuLines overview will help you get up to speed.
 
Banner helps make to-do lists

Does Your To-Do List Work For You?

picture of to-do list
 
The to-do list is a helpful tool. Something is satisfying about checking off an item when completed.
 
It can also be a reference when a boss wants to know employees’ progress. But, are you doing the right tasks to meet your longer-term goals?
 
 
 
That can leave you feeling as though you aren’t progressing.
 
Worse, you’ll be going through the motions of “doing something.” This will make the process of not getting anywhere that much more frustrating.
 
To-do lists are a good idea. But, you need to make sure they’re in-line with your goals.
 
You should consider taking a top-down approach to your tasks rather than bottom-up.

Start with your long-term goals

picture of to-do listWhere do you see yourself in a few years from now? If you can’t answer that question, you need to do some soul-searching.
 
Find what you want to accomplish at a high-level. Then, you can use that to break it down into granular tasks.
 
 
Finally, you use the mid-level tasks to help define the to-do list that you use daily. People put off setting long-term goals because the time frame seems so far in the future.
 
How can you be expected to know what’s going to happen five to ten years from now? It’s much easier to choose the shorter-term time frames.
 
You can measure what happens two weeks from now as it’s going to happen soon.

Commitment

picture of to-do listSome people believe that declaring a long term goal and chiseling it in stone commits them to it. Remember that circumstances can change, and goal adjusting may be called for.
 
Don’t be afraid to commit to your goals. You may want to create a few long-term goals.
 
 
As you’re working on what it will take to reach those goals, you can decide which path makes the most sense. You can take into account both feasibility and costs.
 
Some goals become unattainable for one reason or another, so prepare to change course. In fact, if you can project these possibilities, you can put them on your list of goals.
 
Set your goals and break them down into sub-tasks. Creating your to-do lists will become easier.
 
And, they’ll get you closer to accomplishing your goals.
 
JohnK 11-19-2019
chiforyourself.com home
 
stick figure talking about to-do listsOverheard:  “The best cure for a sluggish mind is to disturb its routine”
                                             ~William H. Danforth
 
 

 

 

 

 

disclaimer to fit with to-do lists

 

 

Make Your Exercise Routines Less Routine

July 2, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments

Your exercise routine is so, well, routine! GenuLines has a few ideas on making it less so.

And in the process making it less likely that you’ll abandon it.  

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Make Your Exercise Routines Less Routine

It’s difficult to get into an exercise routine, and for the few who do, it starts to become too routine. In other words, it becomes too easy to stop doing the routines and give up on exercising altogether.

 

exercise routine

When you do the same routines with exercise, you get fewer benefits from it after a while. Your muscles get used to the routine.

And they’ll reach plateaus that are difficult to break through.

By mixing up your routines, your muscles will have new plateaus to reach and will develop faster. This is why trainers vary their clients’ exercises.

They switch up the sets of routines to keep the muscles from not getting the benefits from new exercises. Then, over time, they bring back the previous sets to once again break up the routine.

Routine exercise is still better than no exercise at all. Without exercise, your muscles will start to break down and become out of shape.

But, once you start changing your routines, your muscles will develop quicker.

Also, your mindset about exercise will stay fresh. That’s one of the best ways to keep going with it.

Anticipation

You can look forward to trying something different. Of course, your muscles will hurt when you give something new a try for the first time.

But, it doesn’t last forever. In fact, it should be a reminder that those muscles haven’t been getting the proper exercises.

Most people break their exercises into two major categories, cardio, and weight training. You can do cardio exercises more often than weight training. In fact, you can do cardio every day.

But work the weights every other day or every two days. The rest period gives the muscles time to rebuild.

Even though you can do cardio training every day, it is still beneficial to break up the exercises. You can do the same exercise for a few weeks and then change to something different.

Or, you can alternate between two or more cardio exercises. If you use a treadmill one day, use a cycle the next.

If you jog one day, then swim on the next day, etc. Shaking up your exercise routines will give your body the most benefits.

And you increase your chances of sticking with exercising. You’ll be happier as well as healthier because of it.

JohnK 7-2-2019
 
stick figure learning exercise routineOverheard:   “Exercise should be regarded as tribute to the heart”

                                              ~Gene Tunney

 
 
 
 
 
disclaimer to help exercise routine
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

Knowledge, Trust and Being a Know-It-All

June 25, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments
 
man increasing his knowledgeQuestion: When is knowledge not a good thing?
 
Answer: when it goes to your head!
 
This GenuLines offering is aimed at keeping you grounded while acquiring and using your knowledge.

 

(Image by Tumisu from Pixabay)

 

call to action for knowledge

 

Knowledge, Trust and Being a Know-It-All

It’s said that knowledge is power. It gives you the power to make decisions and even keeps you from making the wrong ones.
 
 
people gathering for knowledge
 
But, trouble comes into play when you get to the place where you believe you know everything. That can hurt your ability to make those decisions.
 
At that point, you’ll lose trust in your abilities.
 
 
 
 
 
 
You’re one smart cookie. After all, you went to a respected college.
 
You landed a great job after graduation.
 
But once you start working, you come to believe that you know everything there is to know. That’s when you’re in danger of losing your edge.
 
You’ll start to make bad decisions which could end up costing you a job or two.
 
It’s important to trust yourself with the knowledge you’ve learned. Just remember, times and technologies change, and you need to be ready for those changes.
 
Too many people get left behind by getting comfortable in their current positions.
 
Companies have been trying to help by offering training or tuition reimbursement. It’s a step in the right direction.
 
But without appropriate corporate or college training it’s a waste of money.
 
There’s another danger with companies that offer internal training. They can blame employees when those employees don’t learn from the offerings.
 
Even if employees learn their knowledge may not boost the bottom line.
 
These companies don’t rate the effectiveness of their programs.
 
What’s worse are broad claims that their training makes them leading-edge firms.
 
There are some great training programs online. These include websites such as Udemy.com, SkillShare.com, and others.
 
Keep in mind, though, that anyone can submit training modules. This can make your selection process hit or miss.
 
There are good offerings with these programs. But, you’ll want to get feedback from others.
 
Expired knowledge
No matter where you find training there’s a chance it will be out-of-date.
 
And sometimes courses get high ratings based on the fact that they’re well-presented. That gives you a false sense of security.
 
Be selective when choosing training for the current work environment. Be critical, but don’t let it stop you from seeking training.
 
Good training exists. Ask people you know for suggestions.
 
Stay in learning mode, no matter where you went to school or how much knowledge you think you have. In a world that keeps on changing, you’ll be way ahead of the curve.
 
And you’ll have the tools you need to trust your decisions.
 
JohnK 6-25-2019
 
 
stick figure gains knowledgeOverheard:  “Time, as it grows old, teaches all things.” 
                               ~Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound
 
 
 
 
 
disclaimer to help our knowledge
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Project Into Your Future: Appreciate the Small Stuff

June 11, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments
crystal ball to projectSuppose you had a crystal ball. You gaze into the ball, and it starts to reveal your life for the next twenty years.
 
It’s showing your future. How would it look?
 
 
 
 
Today GenuLines takes a “look.”
 
 
call to action for projecting

 

Project Into Your Future: Appreciate the Small Stuff

While there are no definite ways to peer into the future to date, you do have some control over the process. There are random events that will be beyond your control.
 
Unfortunately, some of them will be unpleasant. But, there’s a lot you can do to shape your future.
 
The point of the exercise is to try and determine if you appreciate the small things in your life.
 
A look into the crystal ball
Are you spending time with family or friends? Or are you working long hours and not interacting with anyone?
 
If you keep your focus on making money, you may look back on your time and wish you hadn’t. There’s much more to life than work.
 
At some point, the company could turn you loose. They may replace you with someone younger and less expensive.
 
You aren’t as important to them as you make yourself out to be. Everyone is replaceable.
 
People do need to work. You have to be able to provide for your family.
 
But, you need to have a balance between work and spending time with your family and friends. Work and money are things you can always manage to find.
 
Family and friends are irreplaceable as is the time you spend with them.
 

Opportunity knocks

Another reason to spend time with people is they can also present you with opportunities. For instance, you may not like your career, but you stick with it because the money is good and it’s steady work.
 
As you interact with other people, you may hear about opportunities for work that you’d much prefer. This kind of thing happens quite often.
 
If you spent the majority of your time at your job, you would never discover these opportunities.
 
Of course, you don’t want your friendships to be dependent on the opportunities they provide. Yet, friendships often lead to forming new ventures.
 
That’s a natural part of the process.
 
But don’t pick your job on the basis of forming close friendships. In time some co-workers can become good friends.
 
Just remember that these relationships are professional.
 
JohnK 6-11-2019
 
stick figure ready to projectOverheard: “We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”
                       ~Albert Schweitzer
 
 
 
 
 
disclaimer to help us project
 

Complainers Can Learn to Appreciate Small Things

April 2, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments
Complainers complain. It’s what they do. Are you dealing with such a person? If you are, consider the points in this GenuLines post and apply them to your situation.
 
banner helps complainers
 

Complainers Can Learn to Appreciate Small Things

 
woman complainingDo you know a chronic complainer? Someone who never seems to be happy about anything.
 
They find everything wrong with what others do. If there’s a new idea, they’ll knock it down.
 
They’re also the type of person who will interrupt others to make their point. They’ll do that because they know best.
 
 
 
But at some point, people start to ignore them. And they’re high on the list if cutbacks should ever hit the company, too.
 
Complainers have forgotten how to appreciate the small things in life.
 
They don’t realize that it’s difficult to get a new job and it takes much more time than it used to.
 
They don’t appreciate that they have a job.
 
Sometimes, chronic complaining can be a result of complacency. Since no one is listening to what the person says, it’s just easier to complain.
 
No company or situation is perfect, and sometimes it’s best when problems are out in the open. But there is a time and place for complaints and a correct way to air them.
 
If you have to complain offer up several solutions to the problem. That’s a productive use of complaining energy.
 
Call it problem recognition with applicable solutions.
 
There’s a critical difference between you and a chronic complainer. You appreciate your job or your situation.
Help the complainer
If you want to help a chronic complainer, point out the problem using a subtle approach. Instead of telling the person they complain too much, show them how to be grateful for the little things in life.
 
Remind them that you feel appreciative of the fact you have a job, etc.
 
Relate a story- may be about how your last job search was difficult. It took you months, and it made you realize that jobs are not easy to find.
 
Also, talk about how you appreciate your home life and your family and what it means to you. That’s a subtle approach.
 
The person may start to understand there is much to appreciate in everyday life. You can show that complaining is ineffective and may lead to problems down the road.
 
Aim to get friends and colleagues to relate to the same gratitude for work and family.
 
The chronic complainer may start to see it pays to be appreciative.
 
JohnK 4-2-2019
 
 
stick figure hears complainersOverheard: “Instead of complaining that the rosebush is full of thorns, be happy that the thorn bush has roses.”
                               ~Proverb
 
 
 
 
 
disclaimer for complainers
 
 
 
 

Your Routine: Good, Bad, or In Need of a Tuneup?

March 19, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments
We’re talking routine today. If yours is working for you, way to go!
 
If not, GenuLines is here to help you power up your routine 
 
 
call for a routine
 

Your Routine: Good, Bad, or In Need of a Tuneup?

Routines are neither good nor bad. It all depends on the context by which you apply them.
 
symbol for routineIf your routines are making you crazy, or have you in a rut, it may be time for you to break away from them, at least temporarily. Then again, if you don’t have some structure in your life, routines may be what you need.
 
If you’re feeling like you’re in a rut, consider going on a vacation. This can be a great way to reset the ordinary.
 
 
It can also lead to meeting new people or opening up opportunities. How many stories have you heard of people going on vacation and falling in love with the place they visited?
 
But keep in mind that making the new place your home can result in still more routine. Another way to shake things up is to join a club that you wouldn’t otherwise join.
 
For instance, if you never tried a certain type of craft, join a local club where you can learn all about that craft. Or, join a group that plays music together.
 
You may have to learn an instrument or try out with the group as the singer. No matter what the activity, try doing it in a different way.
 
If your life is a bit unstructured, and this isn’t working for you, try to introduce some routine into your days. This could be as simple as creating a to-do list.
 
And you might want to find someone who can hold you accountable to the routine. People form accountability partnerships for this purpose.
 
You can hold your partner accountable for reaching their outcomes.
 
Many people find having a mix of routine and spontaneity works best for them. Doing something spontaneous helps to break up the routine before the people get into a rut.
 
Getting back to those routines after taking a break will restore order in their lives. This isn’t necessarily the way everyone will work best, though it’s worth a try.
 
Make sure you give yourself some time before writing this off.
 
Only you can decide whether you need to incorporate a routine or if you have too much routine in your life.
 
Remember, you’re the only one who can determine if you need to do a mix of routine and spontaneous action.
 
JohnK 3-19-2019
 
 
 
stick figure shows routineOverheard: “It’s a hard thing to leave any deeply routine life, even if you hate it”
                                 ~John Steinbeck
 

 

 

disclaimer for routine

Self-Doubt And What You Can Do About It

March 5, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments
Have you ever wrestled with self-doubt? That might seem like a silly question.
 
Most people doubt themselves at some point in their lives. Scroll down for some good words from GenuLines on dealing with self-doubt.
 
Call to self-doubt action
 

Self-Doubt And What You Can Do About It

 
Why do people engage in self-doubt? The reason is that it’s easier to doubt yourself than it is to believe that something is possible.
 
ape with self-doubtYou may believe in your concept, but it’s something that hasn’t materialized yet. It’s unfamiliar territory for you.
 
Our protection mechanisms tell us to reach for something that’s familiar. We use this as a reason to quit.
 
The unknown also helps us to come up with excuses. It’s easy to say it won’t work because, and then insert whatever reason can set your mind at ease.
 
 
You can even find help from others in coming up with excuses. They have plenty of them for you to choose from.
 
If they didn’t, they would be succeeding at their goals.
 
A survival mechanism
Sometimes self-doubt can help us survive. For instance, someone tells you that you can jump off a cliff and survive.
 
Your self-doubt probably jumps in and tells you this is a bad idea. Self-doubt can sometimes keep you from making bad financial decisions.
 
This might be an opportunity that sounds too good to be true.
 
In most cases, self-doubt is not something that will advance your life. It will hold you back, and you need always to be aware of that.
 
Don’t take the easy way out. Do prepare yourself as much as possible for unfamiliar situations.
 
But, go forward with a strong belief that you can complete what you set out to do.
 
Try to structure your life so that you have more positive than negative energy. Flush out as much negative energy as possible.
 
Use affirmations, support groups, or whatever works for you.
 
Negative energy is what self-doubt is all about. Two forces are opposing each other.
 
If you have 100% negative energy that means you have 0% positive energy. Try to tip the scale toward as much positivity as possible and push away the negativity.
 
No shortage of negative energy
It’s unlikely that you can ever have 100% positive energy. But, you can work towards exposing yourself to positive energy.
 
You can stop listening to or reading the news, and you can reduce your exposure to negative people. Positive people do exist.
 
You just need to find them.
 
JohnK 3-5-2019
 
 
 
stickman with self-doubtOverheard: “Every time I start a picture I feel the same fear, the same self-doubts, and I have only one source on which I can draw. Because it comes from within me”
                                                  ~ Federico Fellini
 
 
 
Photo by Paolo Nicolello on Unsplash
 
 
disclaimer for SELF-DOUBT
 
 
 
 
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