tough times

Tag Archive for tough times

How to Stay Organized When the Going Gets Tough

February 12, 2024 John Uncategorized No comments

How to Stay Organized When the Going Gets Tough

You’re an organized person for the most part. You have plans and schedules but sometimes life happens. Then your well planned life seems to crumble around you.

But there are things you can do to prevent that from happening. And GenuLines is here to help you stay in control.

Be Prepared

This is most important. By planning ahead you will know what to do when you’re snowed under. Like those everyday challenges from work and the family.

Get as much ready as you can for the next day before you go to bed. That includes clothes, work and school bags, your to do list and, if possible, breakfast and lunch.

Plan for the week ahead on a Sunday so that you know what the schedule is and have a meal plan in place.

Plan Your Meals

Meal planning may sound boring but it’ll save you time, stress and money. Plan meals in advance and do as much prep work as possible.

You’ll be less likely to head for the take out eateries.

Keep a selection of pre-prepared meals in your freezer. Freezer meals don’t have to be a chore. There are plenty of make it ahead dishes that can pop into a slow cooker.

Turn Off Technology

This includes the television, internet, Facebook, email or any other messaging service. You can chat with friends or catch your favorite show when you finish the work.

Prioritize

Don’t run yourself ragged trying to be a superhero and getting it all done. Instead take a look at your to do list and prioritize each item.

Cross off or move to another day anything that isn’t essential. Check off anything that you’ve already completed.

Delegate whatever tasks you can. Only do the things that need to be done and you’ll find you’ll feel more in control.

Remember: if it’s not important, ignore it.

Declutter

Clutter happens. Don’t let it become a problem.

Instead take a few minutes each day to put things away and toss the junk. Put the dishes into the dishwasher instead of leaving them on the counter.

Deal with the mail right away instead of letting it piling up.

Get Up Earlier

While getting up early may seem pointless it can provide a focused way to start your day. You’ll get going feeling both energized and organized.

Finish essential tasks to make sure that you and your family are ready for the day ahead.

Take Care of Yourself

Your good mental, physical, and emotional health will pay off when things don’t go as planned. And don’t forget to get enough sleep.

No matter how organized and well planned you are, you might worry that you won’t get everything done. Following these tips will help you to stay organized and in control.

JohnK 2-12-2024

chiforyourself.com

Overheard: “Organize your life around your dreams, and watch them come true”

~Unknown

You Can Find Joy In Challenging Times

April 15, 2020 John Uncategorized No comments

“There’s no joy in Mudville” is a line from the poem “Casey At The Bat.” Today there doesn’t seem to be joy anwhere in the world.

But GenuLines reminds you can build a foundation of joy, even in an age of social isolation.

(listen to this article by clicking on the radio image or scroll down to read)

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You Can Find Joy In Challenging Times

They are life’s ups and downs. A constant fluctuation of emotional highs and lows.

We spend most of our time in a rather even, mundane state of emotional normalcy.

This is broken up by peaks of the best times and unfortunately, valleys when nothing goes right.

The lows of everyday life are tough. But in times of crisis such as a worldwide pandemic, they only intensify.

Daily news of death, isolation, fear, grief, and loss can strip us of our joy. And, this can lead to depression.

While you can’t control what happens outside your door, you CAN control yourself. There are things you can do to maintain a positive and even joyful mindset.

Let’s look at three of them.

Surround Yourself With The Right People

It’s often said that we are the sum total of the five people we surround ourselves with most often. If so, make sure you get the right people around you.

Many times when life is beating us up, we retreat into the solitude of our home. We want to throw the covers over our heads and be alone with our thoughts.

Sometimes periods of solitude are healthy and necessary. Right now, isolation is the norm as we experience a health crisis.

But when you find your spirits cratering you feel robbed of your joy. So connecting with joyful types is crucial.

It’s not hard to stay connected to them during Shelter In Place orders. Technology has seen to that.

• Face Time on iPhones and Video calls on Android

• Skype

• A simple phone call

• Email

• Text

• Zoom and other video conferencing software can safely bring together friends and family.

• Good old-fashioned letter writing

Remember That Nothing Is Permanent

The time-honored adage says “THIS TOO SHALL PASS.” It would suggest that nothing in life is permanent.

So we tend to see extreme happiness and joy as temporary, and we play them down.

Yet keeping this expression in mind during the low times can be very beneficial. Whatever you’re going through, no matter how bad it may be, it WILL pass.

And consider this. Most of the difficult times you experience in life will end without any extra effort on your part.

It’s so easy to get into a mindset of having to put out a huge amount of effort to make something bad go away.

This is possible but most of the time TIME is the only remedy for tough situations. To maximize your joy in hard times, remember that your situation is not the way things are.

It’s the way they are RIGHT NOW.

Base Your Happiness On Yourself

So far we’ve discussed how life takes us through highs and lows. And that nothing lasts forever.

There’s one more thing to keep in mind during the best AND the worst periods.

To have more consistent joy never let your circumstances dictate your attitude.

Elation in good times and near despair during the bad can cause emotional exhaustion.

Stable, consistent, sustainable joy can only be created and found within yourself.

Life is far less about what happens to you than it is how you react to it.

You are in charge of how you feel. Don’t fall into the routine of letting happiness get to your head and failure to your heart.

JohnK 4-15-2020

chiforyourself.com home

Overheard: “Joy is untouched by circumstance”

~Anonymous

Article image by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Happiness Doesn’t Run On Success

December 27, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments

Happiness runs on a diet of success. That seems to make sense.

But GenuLines asks you to consider a different path to happiness.

Happiness Doesn’t Run On Success

It’s easy to simplify happiness and say that it’s obvious that successful people are happy. But if you interviewed 100 successful people you might find otherwise.

You can have wealth, great spouse and kids, and yet not be happy.

Turn the equation around and you find that happiness fuels success.

The Effect on Productivity

When people are happy with their work, they approach it more with a more cheerful attitude (some say they’d do it for nothing) When you have good health, food, and shelter you can find joy doing the most mundane things.

You focus on outcomes instead of effort.

The Bottom Line

Certain companies offer living wages, benefits, and flexible schedules. This can result in higher profits for the employer.

When people feel respected they’re likely happier about work, even when it’s hard.

Stability

When people are happy, they tend to be a lot more stable. They stick to tasks longer, and are more likely to complete an assignment.

They tend to job hop a lot less, too. This is one reason smart employers know that by making work a happy place they can reduce turnover.

A Better Work Ethic

People often think of work ethic as something that grows out of adversity. Happy people tend to stick to their jobs longer and work even harder.

They put their positive energy into envisioning the outcomes.

Don’t Bet on Wealth

An unhappy wealthy person may even be hateful. They seem to have everything but happiness.

Bank balances look good but don’t always make you feel good.

A New Attitude

It may surprise you but happiness can color your view of the world. You’ll see brighter outcomes regardless of your situation.

Staying In The Now

If you’re happy today you’re more likely to eat right, move more, get your work done, and do everything well. Of course, that can affect the future too.

Mindset

Still, doubt that happiness comes from your mindset? With some effort, you can train yourself to have a happier and more positive mindset.

This can work during tough times, too.

You can realize happiness now regardless of your life situation.

Accept that possibility while at the same time planning to make changes.

JohnK 12-27-2019

chiforyourself.com home

Overheard: “People don’t notice whether it’s winter or summer when they’re