Debra Moorhead . com

Motivation, Education, Inspiration /// Empowerment for Those Who are Ready

December 31st, 2007

True Expectations

As you set your New Year’s resolutions, what do you really expect to accomplish in 2008?

 

Now, think about this for a moment.  Really think about it. 

 

How many times have you set a goal or New Year’s resolution that you knew, deep down, was just absolutely crazy?  Losing weight, making a million dollars, quitting your job to start your own business, or finding the love of your life are all achievable goals, if you truly expect them.  But do you?  Here’s what I mean.

 

Your conscious mind creates wants and desires all the time; all day, every day.  However, your subconscious mind holds beliefs that either match up with those desires, or goes against them.

 

For example, let’s say you want to lose weight next year.  Consciously, you know it is possible to eat right, exercise, and control your caloric intake and expenditure in such a way that you could lose how ever many pounds you want.  But subconsciously, you believe that doing so would be difficult, time consuming, and not worth the effort.  So, guess what happens?  No lasting change.

 

Money is another good example.  One reason that most motivational gurus teach us to set our goals at something we believe is reachable is because they know that setting a goal that is not in line with the subconscious is setting yourself up for failure.  While it’s great to have big goals and dreams, those really grand accomplishments are best left with no deadlines, and not within a New Year’s resolution context.  So dream big, and plan to take it one, logical step, at a time.

 

What you consciously desire and what you subconsciously believe about that desire must be in agreement in order to succeed.  Gain the support of your subconscious mind, and all your dreams will come true.

 

“Well, that’s great, Debra.  But how do we do that?”  (See, I can hear you thinking even before you read this article.)

 

The first thing you have to realize is that your subconscious mind is like a one-way street, and the direction it always goes is, “Yes.”  So if you say to yourself, “I want to make more money,” your subconscious will agree, “Yes, I want to make more money.”  But then if you turn around and say, “Money is evil,” the subconscious will say, “Yes, money is evil.”  And what we usually do is give our subconscious mind so many conflicting messages that we end up going in circles, experiencing no real results.  When that happens, we say, “See, all this positive thinking stuff is just crap – it doesn’t work..  I knew I couldn’t lose weight and keep it off.  I shouldn’t have set my expectations so high.”

 

The universe responds to your vibration.  Your vibration is born from your beliefs and your beliefs are rooted in your subconscious.  Here’s the good news:  Your beliefs are nothing more than the thoughts you think over and over and over again.  Control your thoughts, control your beliefs.  Control your beliefs, control your vibration.  Control your vibration, control your experience.  Control your experience, get what you desire.

 

Go back and read that again if you need to.

 

Let me give you a simple example of this.  A client of mine, “Greg,” is having trouble with an employee, “Nancy.”  Actually, several other employees are having trouble with Nancy as well.  Her attitude is negative, even though she thinks and claims to be trying to be a positive influence.  Nancy does admit that she struggles with her attitude, but only because Greg is so negative. 

 

Greg blames his negativity, when it flares up, on Nancy.  Needless to say, this is bringing down the morale of the entire team.  But here is what is really going on.

 

Nancy is not performing well on her job due to personal difficulties at home.  Greg, who has a lot of stress on the job, expects Nancy to perform at her best, like the other employees.  When she doesn’t, Greg becomes upset and gets on to her.  Nancy, wanting someone to blame, throws it back in his face saying, “If you didn’t have such a negative attitude, I wouldn’t perform so poorly.”  Greg, in his defense says, “If you would just do your job, I wouldn’t become negative!”

 

Both parties say they want and are willing to change, but neither expects it to happen.  Both Greg and Nancy go to work each morning with the subconscious expectation that the other is going to mess up, or become hateful.  Both parties are giving their control to past conditions, and giving knee-jerk reactions that will continue to play out time after time because the law of attraction responds to their true expectations.  They are vibrating what is instead of what they want.

 

It’s the same with your New Year’s resolutions that you make, repeatedly, year after year.  You say you want change, but you don’t really expect it, so you don’t end up doing anything differently, and end up with the same results.

 

So, how do you break the cycle?

 

Now that you are aware of what is going on, you can use my four-pronged attack. 

 

  1. Create affirmations to change the beliefs in your subconscious mind.  Here are just a few examples.
  • I am healthy and fit.
  • I am making more money every day.
  • I am doing good things with my money.
  • I am grateful to have Nancy working for me.
  • I am grateful to have Greg to work for.

What’s even better is to find statements that back up your affirmations.  For example:

  • I’ve lost 2 pounds and I’m eating much better and drinking more water.  I’ve given up soda and I’m exercising every day.
  • I just got a raise at work.  I am no longer impulse buying and saving money can be just as good as making more money.
  • I gave some money to my charity last week.  I gave some of my good belongings that I no longer use to Goodwill.
  • Nancy hardly ever misses a day of work, and once she learns something, she is really good at it.
  • Greg is a good employer.  He really cares about the work he does and gives his customer good, quality results.
  1. Focus on what you really believe is possible – visualize it.  What would you look like 10 pounds lighter?  How about 20?  Do you have pictures of yourself at your goal weight?  Get them out and put them where you’ll see them.  If not, buy an outfit you’d like to wear when you get down to that weight and hang it where you will see it every day.  I’m recalling a commercial from a few years back where a bikini was hanging a woman’s bedroom wall.

 

Imagine depositing more money into your bank account or writing a check out to charity.  Obviously what you envision will depend on the belief you are attempting to reset. Use your imagination and get creative.

 

Greg and Nancy need to envision the work relationship they want to have.  Do you know that you can actually change someone else’s behavior just by truly expecting it?  I’ve done this many times, but it first required a change in me and my attitude toward the subject or person.  And that’s the good news – all it takes is a change in your own attitude toward the other person.  Why is that the good news?  Because you can’t change someone else’s attitude.  Honestly, most of use can barely control our own!  Sure, motivational speakers can inspire us to make a change in ourselves, but the change has to come from within.

 

  1. Develop a plan.  I love a good plan!  I think it’s because a good plan is the best way to set up the proper beliefs in your subconscious mind.  If you develop a plan to lose weight that you can consciously accept will work, your subconscious will say yes to it and, BAM, success guaranteed!  If someone you work with gets on your last good nerve, a good plan would be to avoid that person until your beliefs have time to change.  A break just might be what you both need.  In the case of Greg and Nancy, Greg could assign Nancy to duties she’s good at and not expect quite so much from her.  Nancy, likewise, could realize that her mistakes cause her boss to lose his cool and do better at her work, (which would require another belief change), instead of expecting him to yell at her every time she makes a mistake.  (Can you see the double-whammy belief system here?)  Nancy is not only expecting to get yelled at, but also setting herself to make mistakes.

 

  1. Catch yourself in the act.  When you catch yourself having a knee-jerk reaction, and you will now that you are aware of it, stop yourself and ask, “What is it that I really want out of this situation.  I’m vibrating here—but I want to be over there.  What would it feel like, look like, be like, to be over there?”  Focus on that.  Expect that your plan will work and if you don’t, re-work your plan. 

 

Don’t give your power to others.  Expect that everything will go smoothly at work today and that everyone will get along fine.  You can have that experience even if others do not, and if they choose to have a bad experience, realize that it’s their choice, but it doesn’t have to be yours.  Seven people can go to work in the same office, share the same space, the same customers, the same hours, but have seven different experiences.  Or, six people can give in to the temperament of one who is in a bad mood, and all seven will have a bad day.  Wouldn’t it be great if we could become evolved enough that if only one person showed up in a good mood, that that would be the mood we all attract and our days are transformed?  A good leader will do that – but that’s another post!

 

What do you truly expect for 2008?

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GET CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE NOW When you’re ready to create the life you want, purchase my latest book to get started on the right path. I share my latest success tips and how I’ve applied 20 years of solid business principles and the law of attraction to acquiring the life of my dreams. Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment is helping many others do the same.  If you choose the downloadable version, it comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.”

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December 28th, 2007

De-cluttering for Success

Have you ever felt like something was holding you back from reaching your full potential but you didn’t know what it was – you just couldn’t “put your finger on it?” I’ll often hear someone say, “I must have an energy problem; I can feel something keeping me from my success, but I’ve made every attempt I can think of to get rid of the blockage and it’s still there.”

Most people need look no further than their own home. The biggest energy drain on the human psyche is clutter – all clutter, physical and mental.

It amazes me how so many people will hold on to things out of guilt or fear. Guilt and fear are the two most wasted human emotions and yet we hang on to them relentlessly by hanging on to Grandma’s doilies fearing that she’ll haunt us from the grave or from guilt over not spending enough time with her before she passed away. I’ve known people who hang on to things from a divorce because “it was the only thing she didn’t take – I hate the item, but it’s the principle.”

Let it go. Let it all go. The Quakers had a saying: “The beauty of an object is in its usefulness.” If you’re holding on to something that doesn’t serve your present dreams, give or throw it away. If it brings you joy to look at, put it somewhere that you will see it on a regular basis. If you’re holding on to a belief that no longer serves you, let it go. We are constantly evolving and becoming more.

I had a rather unique experience with evolving and becoming more while writing this post that I’d like to share with you. I’m sure many of you will remember taking Speech 101 in undergrad. For my demonstration requirement, I prepared a recipe. It was made of simple ingredients that we could purchase at the store on campus and was prepared in a microwave. Several of my classmates told me for a couple of years after that class that they had prepared that dish on their own, several times, and really enjoyed it.

In searching for something different today for lunch, I thought of that dish for some reason. (-had no idea I would be writing about it.) I got out the recipe, checked to see if I had all the ingredients, I did, and I prepared it. It was . . . okay, but not something I’ll ever fix again. (Trust me – I made a note on the recipe.)

My point is that I used to love that recipe. And although it tasted exactly the same, it didn’t appeal to me any longer. My taste buds have advanced, along with my cooking skills!

After writing a note on the recipe, it occurred to me that maybe I should take a second look at the other recipes I had marked from all those years ago. As I perused through the cuisine of my past, I decided to throw the entire book away – who cooks in a microwave anymore? Then I remembered what I was writing about and thought, “how appropriate.”

Sometimes it takes more than one run-through to get rid of everything. I’ve kept that cookbook for several years now even though I haven’t used it. My husband is finally on board with the de-cluttering philosophy and I’ve been cleaning out our basement. The more I get rid of the more I want to get rid of and I’ve made three passes over just one wall. Some items have been down there for over 26 years and I’m just hoping that they are not the structural support for the house at this point! One thing’s for sure, we’ll find out.

Now it’s your turn to find out how freeing and energetically uplifting de-cluttering your life can be. Use this list as a guide but obviously add your own.

  1. Clean off and out your desk, both at home and in the office.
  2. Throw away all the useless stuff in the kitchen drawer, and any other “junk” drawers in your home or office.
  3. Donate to a school or library all of the books you’ve hung onto and will never read again.
  4. Empty your purse and put back only what you really use.
  5. Organize your wallet.
  6. Rid your bathroom vanity of toiletries you brought home but decided you don’t like. (Anything collecting dust probably needs to be thrown away.)
  7. Give or throw away all those ugly ties that you received as gifts but you’ve never liked or worn.
  8. Throw away your old underwear, socks, and shoes.
  9. Toss the pile of magazines by the bed or next to the sofa, or anywhere they might be piling up.
  10. Recycle everything you can around your house. If it can’t be used, get rid of it.
  11. Weed out your closet. Take out anything you don’t wear or love and send it to Salvation Army or Goodwill.
  12. Grab a trash bag and a vacuum, and clean out your car.
  13. Clean out the garage.
  14. Clean out your refrigerator.
  15. Chase out the dust bunnies in the basement.
  16. Empty all your wastebaskets and clean them out.
  17. Return all your wire hangers to the dry cleaner.
  18. Get rid of all the ugly sheets and towels you’ve had since college.
  19. Clean out your cleaning supplies - pitch out the half-used and clumped up Comet, the dried up and filthy sponges, and the gray pieces of soap.
  20. Clear up unfinished obligations and commitments.
  21. Clear out your inbox and Outlook tasks.
  22. Pay any money that you owe.
  23. Resolve any arguments from your past if you can, or just let it go.
  24. While you are at it, throw away any bad attitudes and the tired old stories of misery and failure as well.

Life is great. It really is. You just have to let it be. Get rid of anything, anything, that tells you or reminds you of times when life was anything but great.

Until next time,
Live joyfully!

If you’d like to sign up for retreat information as it becomes available, click here.

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GET CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE NOW When you’re ready to create the life you want, purchase my latest book to get started on the right path. I share my latest success tips and how I’ve applied 20 years of solid business principles and the law of attraction to acquiring the life of my dreams. Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment is helping many others do the same.  If you choose the downloadable version, it comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.”

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December 26th, 2007

De-Cluttering Your Life: Where to Start

The topic of de-cluttering can be very overwhelming and I’ve found that people who struggle with it the most are the ones who need it the most.  That just makes sense, doesn’t it? 

 

Today, I’ll give you some motivation, education, and inspiration for getting started on your path to a clutter-controlled existence. Over the next two posts, I’m going to share with you some of the techniques I’ve found to work best, and some of the paradigms I’ve found most inspirational.

 

1.  Start with your immediate surroundings.  Office, home, home-office.  I always teach that the best way to test this theory of, “Clutter Around You Creates Clutter In Your Brain,” is to clear off your desk except for the one thing you want to work on.  You will be amazed at the increase in your clarity and energy level.  Once you get that one project completed, take a few minutes to organize and prioritize the remaining paper on your desk.  Move on to areas that you see every day.

 

2.  Listen to your mind.  Clutter is anything unfinished.  What do you think about?  What weighs on your mind?  What area comes up to mind frequently of something that needs to be dealt with?  When I’m feeling confused or overwhelmed as to what to do next, I just get quiet, and ask my subconscious mind for guidance.  Whatever subject pops into my head is what I do and this has never failed me yet.  Your mind knows exactly what order to take things in so let it help you.  Often, we approach things from an overly analytical methodology and that is what holds us back. 

 

3.  Observe the most commonly overlooked area - your computer.  Clear out your Outlook tasks – one way or another.  In the days of paper-based time management systems, we used to train people that if they had to carry a task over more than X number of times, it probably meant the task was not really important to them and that they probably needed to just drop it.  With electronic systems, it’s easy to just leave the task undone.  This, however, creates mind clutter.  Your subconscious brain knows it is there and every time you open Outlook don’t you get that overwhelming sense of “I’ll never get it all done.”  If you have trouble finding files when you need them, you also need to organize your “My Documents” folder and other areas of your computer as well.

 

4.  Break big areas down. Basements, attics, seldom used closets and drawers are the areas you always see the gurus on HDTV and the like “making over,” and these are the areas that, once you get them under control, will make you feel truly organized.  It is very liberating to have a spotless home and these are the areas that make it so.  I always focus on them last because it does you very little good to have an organized garage if your desk is still a mess, or there is something more relevant going on in your subconscious.  However, having all of your life de-cluttered and clean will free your mind and energy for use on other, much more productive things, like creativity and intuition.

 

For most of us, the reason clutter collects in these areas to begin with is because the task of organizing them seems so overwhelming.  But have you ever watched one of those television shows I mentioned earlier?  Even if a team of people go in and get the, for example, garage cleaned out all at once, it still takes them 2-3 days to accomplish it.  Realistically, it’s going to take someone who works full time about a month to tackle just one of these areas.  But, once it’s down – oh, what a feeling!

 

The mistake most of us make, is that we set our expectations too high.  Don’t necessarily expect that you’ll get the entire basement cleaned out in one day.  Start with one area, perhaps the most critical – the one you use the most.  Once you’ve accomplished that, you’ll feel more motivated to move on to the next area.  In time, you’ll have it the way you want it.

 

5.  Hire help if necessary.  I am getting ready to hire a woman to come in and help me clean out our basement.  One of the reasons it is still in the shape it is in, is because there are items I cannot move on my own.  Also, if I dedicate a day for it and I’m paying someone, I’ll definitely get as much done as I can.  That’s the advantage to hiring someone over getting your friends to come over and help.  Too often, you end up chatting and reminiscing and get less than desirable results on the de-cluttering.  Trust me, the amount you pay this person will be recouped in many ways.

 

6.  Conclude unfinished business.  As we get ready for the New Year, let “auld acquaintance be forgot” if necessary.  Forgive those who have hurt you, so that your ego can let go of the memory, and free your mind for better things. People who hurt you are only hurting themselves. When you forgive others you release yourself from their energy and take your power back from them. When you refuse to forgive someone, you are allowing them to hurt you over and over again each time you remember the occurrence.  It was bad enough that they hurt you in some way, but why are you now doing it to yourself?  Forgiving says, “I take back my life.  I choose to live in joy, not hurt.”

 

7.  Hold on to nothing negative, physically or mentally, so that negativity doesn’t get a hold on you.

 

In my next post, we’ll explore this topic a little further; I’ll give you some specific guidelines for de-cluttering and we’ll talk more about the importance of letting things go.

 

Until next time,

Live joyfully!

 

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If you’d like to sign up for retreat information as it becomes available, click here.

You can subscribe to this blog here.

GET CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE NOW When you’re ready to create the life you want, purchase my latest book to get started on the right path. I share my latest success tips and how I’ve applied 20 years of solid business principles and the law of attraction to acquiring the life of my dreams. Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment is helping many others do the same.  If you choose the downloadable version, it comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.”

December 24th, 2007

Instant Manifestation

Are you suffering from this disease:  I-want-this-but-if-I-can’t-have-it-right-now-forget-it–itis? 

 

Well, it is Christmastime, after all.  Isn’t that what Christmas is all about?  Wishing for something, telling your friends what you’d like to receive as gifts and then getting everything you want a month or so later?

 

Don’t worry.  This is not going to be a lecture about the true meaning of Christmas; there are plenty of places all over the web where you can get that.  Instead, I want to reflect on how we teach our children some very dire habits during this season.  Maybe your household is different, but here is how things went when I was growing up.

 

About a month, maybe two, before “the big day,” my friends, teachers, extended family, and parents would start asking me what I wanted for Christmas.  It started with Santa Clause:  “What do you want Santa to bring you for Christmas?”  Then it moved into, “Santa will bring you toys, we will get you other stuff, what do you want?”  Then it became; “We give each other gifts to show how much we love each other and to celebrate the birth of Jesus – God’s greatest gift to the world/mankind.”

 

Have you ever stopped to think about the paradigm this sets up – in all of us?  Let me explain.

 

A few weeks ago when my book came out in print, I gave a copy to a mother and her response was, “Great!  I remember you talking about this and wondered what ever happened – I just thought you gave up on it.”

 

Now, I had told my mother when I finished the book and when it became available as an e-book, and that I was working on self-publishing.  I know she didn’t understand all of that but here’s my point:  When the book didn’t materialize in the 2-3 months she perceived it would take to write, edit, and publish a book, she thought I’d given up on the idea.  Why?  Because that tends to be about how long she gives something to materialize.  Then, upon reflection of this, I realized that’s about how long a lot of my family, friends, associates, and acquaintances give a new idea.  In fact, this way of thinking seems to be running rampant among almost everyone I know and it’s as detrimental to one’s success as a disease.

 

When I started to ponder where this attitude comes from, it just happened to be around Thanksgiving.  That’s when it occurred to me that this whole concept of writing a letter to Santa and having things gloriously arrive under the tree is sending the wrong message to our youth, and , many of us grew up with that way of thinking:  Wish for it for a month or two, and you’ll get it.  If not, you’ll just have to wait until next year and by that time, you’ve moved on to wanting something else.  I call it, “I-want-this-but-if-I-can’t-have-it-right-now-forget-it—itis.”

 

You will know that you have this ailment if you frequently give up on your goals.  If you set deadlines and, when you don’t meet them, you change the goal to something less than what you truly want.  In other words, if you catch yourself settling for the next best thing in most areas of your life, you’re infected.

 

So how do you overcome it?  Here’s my 7-step cure.

 

  1. Stop setting deadlines.  There is no December 25 when it comes to getting what you really, really, really want out of life.  Most goal-setting teachers will tell you to always set a deadline to your goal.  That’s okay unless the deadline is bumming you out.  Big dreams may take a while to materialize.  Unless you know exactly when you’re going to die, there’s no point in setting a deadline to your life’s purpose.
     

  2. Don’t expect someone else to deliver.  Most of the time, what we truly want is self-actualized.  Think about it for a minute.  Aren’t the things you’ve worked hardest for some of your proudest accomplishments?  There’s a great deal of satisfaction in earning something yourself.  Even children know this.  The baseball glove that your child “earns” by doing chores around the house will mean more to him or her, and they will take care of it better than the one Santa brings.  They worked for it, they earned it, they appreciate it, and they understand the value of it.  They are proud of it, and for good reason.  Take a moment to reflect on similar situations in your own life.
     

  3. If you’ve really got this bad, in other words, you’re never reaching goals; you’re constantly settling for less, do this:  Stop accepting gifts.  Really.  Don’t take anything this Christmas, accept nothing for you birthday – just start saying, “I create my own happiness.  I do not need material things from others to feel worthy.”  Now, a lot of my spirituality cohorts are going to say, “But, Debra, accepting good into your life is part of the cycle of giving and receiving.”  Yes, if you’re at that level.  But some people take and take and take, and give only out of obligation, and never learn to give to themselves.  They get into this cycle of “I have to tell others what I want and hope they will bring it to me.”  Have you ever been Christmas shopping and saw something you’d really like to have but said, “Oh, I can’t buy that for myself, it would be too selfish.  I can only have what other people decide to give me for Christmas.  Besides, it would blow my budget since I have so many gifts to buy for everyone else.”  Then what happens?  Every gift you get that year is a disappointment.  Guess why?  No one can read your mind!  Then, you resent the fact that you spent so much on everyone else getting them what they said they wanted when you got nothing but a Goodwill pile.  When you start to give to yourself in a positive way, and give to others because you want to, things will start to line up for you and you will begin to receive what you truly want – from others and yourself.
     

  4. Create a list of things you will purchase in the next year for yourself.  Give yourself one gift every month, and plan them now.  If you’re living on a budget, start with a pack of gum – something fun and delicious – just make it something you’ll look forward to.  You can always change them if you want to, but decide now what you want next November, knowing that you’re going to have to wait until then to purchase it.  Practice delayed gratification.  The principle here is this:  Between now and November, you know that this really fantastic thing is on its way, you just have to wait. It’s coming, it will be here, it will materialize, and you know all of this, so you’re going to be joyous in the waiting.  Choose something really fun for that far away, but choose something for every month.
     

  5. Keep a list of these items and add to it as you think of something.  Before long, you’ll start setting “fun” goals for two years away or more.  Some things you’ll have to follow step #1 and not set a deadline because you don’t know when you’ll be able to do it, but the fun is in the wanting and in seeing how long it takes to get it.
     

  6. Start a separate journal where you track how you feel along the way to your accomplishments.  Didn’t have the money to fulfill one this month?  What happened?  How do you feel about it?  What are you going to do about it?  Brainstorm ways to get back on track.  Say to your higher self, “I wonder how I could make up for this?  I wonder how I could get caught up with my fun gifts to myself.”  Listen.  The answers will come.
     

  7. Be playful and easy about it.  Did you ever throw a fit when you were little over not getting something you wanted?  Or were you the type who got depressed and decided that no one loved you – not even Santa Clause?  Not even your own parents?  I remember throwing pity parties like that.  See, that’s what happens when your happiness depends on what someone else does or gives you.  Accept responsibility for your own happiness, your own gifts, your own toys, and your own pleasure. 

 

You can overcome “I-want-this-but-if-I-can’t-have-it-right-now-forget-it—itis”, you just have to want it, and be willing to wait for it.  The joy really is in the journey.

 

Until next time,

Have a Very Merry Christmas!

If you’d like to sign up for retreat information as it becomes available, click here.

You can subscribe to this blog here.

GET CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE NOW When you’re ready to create the life you want, purchase my latest book to get started on the right path. I share my latest success tips and how I’ve applied 20 years of solid business principles and the law of attraction to acquiring the life of my dreams. Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment is helping many others do the same.  If you choose the downloadable version, it comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.”

December 21st, 2007

The 3-Items Rule

Whew!  I don’t know about you, but I am busy and can hardly keep up!  Add to that the fact that it’s cold outside, the Holiday season, and I don’t want to work right now and it becomes really tempting to just leave the computer off and go into hibernation for a week or two.

 

Since you, like me, probably cannot do that, I’ve come up with a way to make our loads a little lighter until we can get our grooves back.  I call it, “The 3-Items Rule.”

 

First, remember to focus on what is truly important to you.  It just might be that taking some time off will help you regain your perspective.  If you’re like me, though, and have 48 items appearing daily on your to-do list, and you’ve become a do-it-now person, it’s difficult to find that balance between relaxing a little and not letting things pile up.  What I’ve discovered is that deciding to just do three things makes a difference in my life and helps me maintain that balance.  Here’s how I pick my three.  

 

I choose one item that gets me closer to my long-term goals.  Today, for example, this was starting the process of submitting my book to Amazon.  I always choose a task that seems overwhelming, but that I know I can break down into doable steps.  Then I promise myself to just take that one step today.  Once I’ve started, I can stop once that step is completed and record what to do next, or I can keep going if my energy level says it’s okay.

 

Next, I choose one item that I must do – one urgent task – and get it over with.  Often, this is something that I know will weigh on my mind if I don’t get it done.  For example, my husband came up one shirt short for this week.  I could iron it at the last minute, it’s not the most important task on my list, but if I don’t get it done, all day long, I’ll lose energy just by thinking, “I have to remember to iron a shirt for BJ.”  I do it so I can forget about it.

 

Last, I do one task that I know, once it’s completed, I’ll feel better.  I let myself have one task that I just want to do.  All of this is energy work.  It’s a lot like clearing clutter and realizing that you can’t do it all at once, but that just cleaning out a little makes you feel better.  So this last task is one that I wouldn’t have to do, and it’s not necessarily career-related.  (Although, almost everything is career-related when you work for yourself.)  Today I reviewed my goals list and made some changes – upgrades, if you will.  Doing this boosted my energy and allowed me to joyfully complete a few more tasks.

 

So, if just for today, pick 3!

 

Until next time,

Live joyfully!

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December 19th, 2007

Clearing Clutter is Helping Her Lose Weight