Your goal is a prize worth pursuing. But at times staying on course can be frustrating.
It’s a process that GenuLines intends to help you with today.
Keep Your Eye On The Prize
Catchy statements are often used to help people get motivated. The title of this article is a common one.
Of course the prize is whatever goal or task you’re looking to take on.
But, to keep an eye on it, you first need to define it. You need a concrete plan that gives you step-by-step directions on what it will take to get the job done.
This isn’t easy.
Contacts
People aren’t always familiar with what the job entails. If this is the case, try to find someone who has done what you’re trying to do.
If you can find someone, set up an interview with them. Be sure to have a list of questions ready before the interview.
Some people may want payment for this interview while others may do it free of charge. You could offer other incentives such as bylines on a website or some other mention.
You’ll have more weight if you have an outlet that has authority, such as a magazine or website. It will also depend on how popular that outlet is.
Stay On Task
Try to keep the questions focused on accomplishing your goal. Ask what kinds of road blocks the person had to overcome and whether it took longer than anticipated.
Don’t be afraid to ask tough questions as your aim is not to publish the interview but to gather insight. If they happen to push back, then you can scale it back a bit.
Mentors
Another possibility is finding a mentor or a coach who will help you set up your goals for you. Make sure this person has the qualifications in the field or area that you are working in.
Coaches who are generalists may not be able to help you with specific situations that come up for you. You want someone who has been through it before.
Of course, this all depends on what you’re trying to do. If it’s general in nature, you could choose the generalist.
You may also be able to find information online.
And it can’t hurt to do an initial search (which you may already have done.) It’s prudent when doing this, to take much of what you find with a grain of salt and fact check as much as you can.
Looking for happiness? Sometimes it’s found in the most unusual places. Or, as GenuLines points out today, it can be found in the small things.
Focus On The Smaller Things to Find True Happiness
Happiness is many things to many people. It could be preparing to eat the meal you’ve waited for all day.
Or sitting down on the couch and knowing you’re about to watch the new episode of your favorite TV show. Or getting a backrub from your partner.
These are all examples of what many of us would consider ‘little things. But that doesn’t mean that they can’t be instrumental in helping us to feel happier.
These are ‘creature comforts’ and pleasant asides. But they’re super powerful in raising our mood.
So the question is, how do you get to the point where little things make you happier? And how do you make sure you have a constant supply of such things to make you happy?
Little Things
The first thing to do is to find those little things and to make sure they keep coming. We have things that make us feel great, such as hobbies and activities that we enjoy.
The trick then is to identify how you can enjoy those things on a regular basis.
Next, you need to make plans to enjoy those things. A little ‘pleasure delay’ here can work wonders.
Spend your day at work looking forward to that thing that you want to do in the evening. But don’t indulge.
Instead build up the moment in your mind and look forward to it happening.
Great Things to Do
The problem is that many of us don’t know how to make the very most of our spare time. We spend all day watching TV shows we aren’t interested in.
And we call this our ‘down time’.
In fact though, there are countless great things you can be doing all the time. And the vast majority of them are free.
You could download a free computer game for instance. You could try out a new program or film on Netflix.
Head Outdoors
You could explore a local park. Or read that book you bought ages ago and forgot about.
You could try cooking something weird and ambitious. You could try to plant your own bonsai tree…
There are a million different possibilities.
So spend some time thinking about all the exciting things you could do at home. Make a habit of writing more ideas down as they come to you.
In time you’ll find your life filled with amazing little moments.
It’s bad enough that life today can be loaded with stress. But stress often comes with an accomplice- overwhelm.
Push back against these intruders with this GenuLines look at how they work.
Overwhelm And A Hectic Life: 2 Key Sources Of Stress
We all have our share of stresses in life, but some of them are within our ability to change. Overwhelm and living a hectic life are two of the biggest stressors.
Yet there’s a lot you can do about it!
We’re going to look at how these two things are skyrocketing your stress level and what you can do about it.
The Effects
Living a hectic life that causes overwhelm forces you to stay in a constant state of stress. You keep going and going with little to no break.
This isn’t good for the human body.
You need to take a break, allowing you to calm your mind and body, starting anew with fresh energy. Keeping yourself in a constant state of busyness is very bad for your stress level.
Of course, that, in turn, is bad for your health.
If your life seems too hectic, it’s time you do something about it. You don’t have to do everything yourself.
Start delegating. This will help you to reduce your stress and feel less overwhelmed.
More To-Do’s
There are some hectic and overwhelming things that are out of your control. But there are a few things you can do to help calm things down and reduce your stress.
First, get your priorities in order. Make a list of everything you have to do in descending order of importance.
When you’re done, see what you can cut out or delegate to someone else.
Organize
Next, get better organized. Keep a well-detailed calendar.
Divide your day into what you have to do and the time you’ve allotted in which to get it done.
This will help you to feel less overwhelmed.
Finally, ask for help. This is where your loved ones can help you.
Start delegating tasks and try to make your life less hectic.
Delegating Is a Difference Maker
It can be hard to let certain things go, but sometimes, when it comes to your health, you have to.
Delegating is a great way to turn off your feelings of overwhelm.
Delegating means allowing others to do some of the work for you so you have time to do other important things. To help with your stress, you can delegate chores to others in your household.
Have someone else drive your kids to their extracurriculars. You may even be able to let someone else help with some of the responsibilities in your life.
Why You Should Bother
It’s no secret-stress kills. Stress can cause heart attacks, strokes, and several other life-threatening conditions.
Minimizing your stress can help you think clearer, sleep better, and be healthier. It can help lessen your anxiety, as well.
So why, given an easy way to lessen your stress, would you not try it? It could mean a life and death difference for you.
We all deal with stress daily, but that stress builds up and could cause some serious health problems. Being overwhelmed and living a hectic life are two of the biggest stresses in life.
But it’s good to know that with practice and some patience you can manage them.
Your most excellent life begins with your taking agency for it. Simply stated, it’s all up to you.
Start with these GenuLines tips to head you in the right direction.
Be Excellent by Taking Ownership
Are you trying to lead a life of commitment to displaying excellence in everything that you do? One way to do this is by taking ownership and responsibility for all your actions.
Once you ‘own’ your choices and accept the consequences you’ll gain others’ respect. They’ll see you as someone they can count on.
Take It Easy
The easiest way to display ownership is by not making excuses. If you were late for an appointment don’t come up with a ridiculous excuse.
Tell the other person why you were late, then apologize for not calling to let them know.
Stay Inside
It’s easy to blame outside influences for your mistakes or oversights. No-one can control one hundred percent of what happens.
But you can control how you respond to certain situations. This reaction can change your life.
Take ownership for your relationships, your education, your fitness and your social life. As you start this process you’ll find that you feel more confident and have a purpose in life.
Flexibility
Along with ownership you need to learn how to be flexible. Are you willing to do things in a different way?
This means not being stubborn when something isn’t working.
Take advice and attempt to change what you’re doing. If you do you will begin to excel at more tasks and this helps increase your confidence and self-esteem.
Becoming a flexible person means that you’re happy to respond to a situation in a different way. When you’re flexible you’re not rigid and set in your ways.
Balancing Act
There’s another important factor in your move toward excellence in everything you do. This is the step of adding balance to your life.
When you live a balanced life you’re focusing on those things that hold meaning for you. At the same time, though, you’re still mindful of those around you.
You make choices related to the way you feel and what you’re thinking.
Add It All Up
Balancing your life includes knowing not go out with friends when you need to finish up an important project. You recognize the importance of staying healthy and fit and you follow through.
Combine taking ownership, being flexible, and balance, into your life. You’ll be well on your way to leading a life that’s committed to excellence.
Tough times make tough conditions for relaxation. A calm mind helps you stay focused.
So GenuLines offers some ideas to keep you in the calm zone.
Relaxation Is An Important Part Of Mental Focus
It sounds counterintuitive. But if you want to improve you mental focus, you need plenty of rest and relaxation.
In other words, it’s easy to overdo it, and work too hard, which can then lead to lapses in concentration and focus.
For Starters
Start out by doing what you can to get a good night sleep. Poor sleep makes it harder to concentrate.
And a couple of hours of sleep isn’t going to cut it.
Your brain needs long periods of rest to process information. This “makes room” for you to focus on something new the next day.
Late Nights
While burning the midnight oil may seem like a great way to get more done and stay productive, the opposite is true. Yes, you can power through a long night to finish a project every once in a while, but it isn’t sustainable for the long run.
Do it when you must, but get in the habit of getting good sleep the rest of the time. Your brain and your body will thank you.
Taking breaks throughout your work day is another good way to stay focused and get more done. Work hard in short bursts of time and then take little breaks.
Break Time
Go get a cup of coffee. Move around your work space for a few minutes.
Or enjoy a day dream and give your brain a short rest before diving back in.
This doesn’t have to be long. You can get big benefits from breaks shorter than five minutes.
Go chat to a coworker, or do something like filing or straightening up a few things on your desk.
Then get back to your most important task at hand.
Time Out
A few longer breaks throughout the day can be as important as short breaks. Every couple of hours, take a 30 minute or longer break and walk away from your desk.
Go to lunch, have coffee with a friend, or go for a walk outside.
This gives your brain time to process what you’ve done so far and gets you ready for the next couple of hours of work
Balance
Now, don’t forget to do something fun and completely work unrelated at the end of the day and on the weekends. We all need balance in our lives.
If you enjoy your work and you’re invested in it, it can be hard to unplug and not think about it for a while. Make a conscious effort to take time for rest and relaxation.
You’ll find you actually get more done in the end since you’re able to focus when it’s time to get back to work.
You barely notice some of your habits. Yet one of more of them can lead to big results.
Go big with this GenuLines look at a life changing process.
7 Small Habits That Will Change Your Life
It’s hard to imagine sometimes what deep impact small things can have. But if you’ve ever doubted the impact of tiny actions then think about how erosion created the Grand Canyon.
Over time, something as small as sand, water, and rock have created one of the most awesome of nature’s miracles.
So too will small habits affect your life in such a way that they create lasting and significant change. Read on and find some habits you can start immediately implementing.
These can reshape you into the person that you’re meant to be.
1. Get up on time
Starting the day with repeated hits of the snooze alarm sets a bad tone for the rest of the day. You set the alarm with the intention of rising at that hour – why are you breaking that promise to yourself?
By getting up on time, you’re putting a positive start on the day. Shouldn’t you give yourself the best odds of a good day as possible?
2. Make every meal healthy
It’s hard to feel energized when you’re slogging along on a diet filled with fats and sugars. When you put more healthy choices onto your plate, you will feel better.
Your mind will be sharper, and you’ll be better energized to get through the day.
Start small. Add a salad to your meal.
Or replace dessert with that piece of fruit instead.
3. Exercise
Fancy equipment or huge time investment isn’t necessary here. Start small.
Try taking the stairs at work instead of the elevator.
4. Read more
Dedicate a half hour of every day to your mind. It’ll stay sharp while you expose yourself to new ideas.
Pick books that inspire you or encourage you to think.
5. Be an ‘idea’ person
Make a goal of writing down a few ideas every day. Some researchers suggest ten.
But even one new idea a day gives you material to challenge yourself.
6. Become more mindful
Meditate. Even a brief meditation has a positive impact.
It can reduce stress and lower your heart rate. Plus it corrals your mind when it’s running in a million directions at once.
7. Think about your day
When you finish the day, reflect on your accomplishments. Focus on the things you’re proud of, on the things that made you smile.
These actions shouldn’t take long – even 15 or 30 minutes a day on some of these is enough to create lasting change. You’ll not only feel better, you’ll like the person you’re becoming.
This is building ‘you’ at your best. If a small change can do all that, then isn’t it time you got started?
You never know when one of your everyday decisions will turn out to be a life changer. It’s best to be prepared for whatever you face.
So GenuLines has prepared some pointers to guide you in the decision making process.
Make Better Personal Decisions
You’ll make countless decisions in your life. Some of these decisions are small. (What should I watch on TV?) and some of these decisions are big. (Should I take that job overseas?)
But, the outcome of a vast majority of these decisions, big or small, affects us in a very personal way.
These outcomes can have both a positive and negative effect on your life. So it makes sense that you take the time to learn how to make better personal decisions.
Under Construction
You use your brain to make decisions. That brain is the product of millions of years of development and evolution.
And it continues today.
Think of this development as the remodeling of an old house.
In the beginning, there was the original house.
Over time, you might add a garage.
Then, a family room. Then a second story.
Follow that up with a fireplace. The point is the skeleton of the old house is still there.
Over time it’s surrounded by all the new additions.
The Old and The New
Our brains evolve this way. Parts that developed a million years ago work alongside newer parts.
Newer as in those that developed ten thousand years ago.
It’s like the light sockets in the older part of the house. They’re designed for a different era, so to the older parts of our brains.
Yet, today the whole brain works to make decisions that have a direct affect on us.
Studies show that the average person makes a decision in less than ten seconds. When confronted by a life and death situation, you don’t have time to think about your next move.
Otherwise in less critical situations your best move is to take some time to think.
Easy Does It
A primary step in learning how to become a better personal decision maker is to teach yourself to slow down. Then think about the decision that’s facing you.
With any decision, big or small, you need to take the appropriate amount of time. You want to assess and weigh all the choices involved.
Look at all the angles and all the possible outcomes. Start making choices that increase you chances for positive results.
Time can be a merciless tyrant when you let it get the upper hand. But things go much better when you’re the one in charge
Here are some ideas from GenuLines on how to become master your time.
Time Management: Key to a Better Life
Time management is pretty much about focus. The Pareto Principle is also known as the ’80:20 Rule.’
It tells us that 80% of efforts that are not time managed or focused generate only 20% of the desired output. But 80% of the desired output can result from only 20% of a well time- managed effort.
(The ratio ’80:20′ is only arbitrary. It’s used to put emphasis on time management’s effect on gains or losses.)
Some look at time management as a list of rules. They can involve scheduling of appointments, goal settings, and thorough planning. It can also include creating to-do lists and prioritizing.
But There’s More
There are more skills involved in time management than the core basics. You also need to see the big picture.
Your efforts are meaningless if you have the wrong goals. Other personal growth must-haves are decision making, clear vision, and critical thinking.
Personal time management involves everything you do. No matter how big and no matter how small, everything counts.
Take into consideration what you learn, advice you consider, and skills you develop. And make life-style balance the desired result in your personal time management.
This is a part of personal time management that many of us overlook.
Stress?
For some people, time management seems stressful. They think it means that they must not ‘waste time’ by doing anything they don’t enjoy.
But that’s not it at all. In fact, it can be closer to the opposite.
Time management is making time for the things that matter to you, not about being busy.
There are six areas of life that personal time management can improve. These are- physical, intellectual, social, career, emotional and spiritual.
The physical aspect involves having a healthy body, less stress, and fatigue.
The intellectual aspect involves learning and other mental growth activities.
The social aspect involves developing personal or intimate relations. Add to that being an active contributor to society.
Time Management and Choices
The career aspect involves school and work. The emotional aspect involves recognizing appropriate feelings and desires and manifesting them.
The spiritual aspect involves a personal quest for meaning.
Some of these areas lend themselves well to basic time management skills like to-do lists. But determining which area isn’t getting enough attention is important too.
Each one creates the whole you.
For Your Consideration
One permanent improvement step to consider is reviewing your goals. This is the case whether it be immediate or long-term goals.
A way to do this is to keep a list that is always accessible to you. This is not a to-do list but a list of your goals.
You can add to it as you like. Remember, you have goals in all aspects of your life.
In fact, everything you do moves you toward one of those goals. Even if it is a goal you did not know that you had.
Get Physical
Another aspect of time management is recognizing your physical abilities and needs. For example, everybody has peak times of day when their concentration is at its best.
For most people, this is around the middle of the morning. Use that period to work toward one of your goals that calls for concentration and sustained effort.
It would be wasting that peak time if you spent it sitting and watching TV. Yet sitting and watching TV for an hour in the evening may not be a waste of time at all.
It can be a good way to wind down for a restful night’s sleep. You can include most every kind of activity that you enjoy in your day.
But make sure it keeps its proper place.
Get To It
It’s important not to procrastinate, or put off the things that need doing right now. If something is your top priority for the day, then get started on it right away.
If you start doing other things first it will become harder and harder to tackle the main task. You’ll end up without much achieved.
So the night before, decide what will be your top priority for the following day. Then tackle it as soon as you can when the day comes.
Be In The “No”
Learning to say “No” to some people or activities is important if you’re going to make the most of your time. It could mean telling your boss that you’re not the best person to do a certain task.
Or that if you do this, you won’t be able to do that more important thing that he also wants from you.
It could mean telling your kids that you can only play with them at certain times. It could mean turning down an invitation.
Or rescheduling a meeting to make way for something more important.
Remember Your Priorities
None of this will be a problem as long as you make it clear to other people that they’re important to you too. When it’s time for work, you don’t play with the kids.
And when it’s time to play with the kids, you give that your full attention.
You don’t act in a way that makes them think that you would prefer to be working. Remember, time management does not mean prioritizing your work above all else.
It means making room in your life for everything that is important to you.
You do your best every day to cover all of life’s bases. But do you include excellence?
Allow GenuLines to help you make it the centerpiece of your efforts.
Are You Committed to Excellence
Even if you’ve heard the phrase ‘committed to excellence’, do you understand what it means? The following quote is from Aristotle and defines what it is.
“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”
You can see that excellence is a habit, and you can solidify any habit. The best way to create a new habit is by setting yourself new goals and creating a plan of attack.
How you can do this
First you want to define your reasons, or why, for wanting to commit to excellence. Does this pertain to your business, your family life or for some other reason?
If it helps write down your reasons and your why for wanting to achieve this.
There are some simple actionable steps that you can put into place.
Get into the habit of demanding more from yourself than customers or clients do of you.
What you can do:
Give more value
Over deliver
Finish the work ahead of schedule
Add a bonus
Here’s another way to project excellence in your business. Portraying a professional image.
Are your website, logo, brochure information, business cards well-designed and up to date? If not this is an area to improve upon.
Service
Customer service is another area you can improve. Make sure you have a great customer service center, whether online or offline.
It’s very easy to set up online help desks today. Become known for quality customer service. Always respond to tickets in a timely fashion.
Never get angry at the customer, regardless of the situation.
If you want to excel in your life you can start by attempting to put forth your best effort. If you do this consistently you will have that air of excellence surrounding you.
This will rub off on other people and they’ll begin to view you in a different light.
You can look at fear as friend or foe. It depends on the situation.
Today GenuLines reminds you that sometimes you just have to kick it to the curb.
Setting Aside Fear Can Free You
Fear is something that can protect you. When you enter into an unknown area, your sense of fear increases.
You want to survive to live another day. In this way, fear can help you determine whether you should move forward or go somewhere else.
But that same fear can hold you back from experiences that may advance your life. People fear the unknown.
Most will need to venture into the unknown to reach their goals or to get out of unwanted situations.
Stories
One way to overcome fear is to read about others who have faced similar situations like yours. See what steps they took and try to fit what they did to what you would like to do.
Not every solution will be viable.
But if you search for ideas from different people, you may find a set of ideas that will work. Know that usually most of what we fear is not as bad as we first believe.
In other words, try something that you’re afraid to try,
That Was Easy
You may find it was much easier than you thought it would be. This won’t happen in every case, but with a fair majority, it will.
Think about those times when you said to yourself, “that wasn’t so bad!” There are likely to be many of those in your life.
Create a vision of what your situation would be without the fear. Continue this vision for as long as it takes to reduce or end it.
Mind Game
The very act of believing the fear is not real can help convince your mind that there is nothing to be afraid of.
There are circumstances where we should take heed of our fears. Jumping out of a 50-story building is going to kill you unless you are somehow very lucky.
Of course you have to respect and acknowledge these fears. Other fears have the potential of positive outcomes.
Get Started
Think asking for a raise, buying a stock for the first time, or starting a new business. These are the types of fears that we need to try and overcome.
It can cripple you in other ways, too.
For instance, you have a lot of experience in your job. So you get caught up in avoiding new experiences since you’ve already “done it all.”
Your experience tells you that these new situations will not work. This is also the reason why inexperienced people try things without fear.
Overheard: “Be generous, be delicate, and always pursue the prize”
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