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Monthly Archives: January 2018

Evening Routine: End with the Beginning in Mind

January 29, 2018
Living Today
2 Comments

blue skies

One of the things that I got good at last year was getting things done first thing in the morning. I wrote down what I wanted to do and got a lot done. I started doing some work in the afternoon and evening, but I didn’t get as much done as I would have liked especially toward the end of the year. Therefore, I am adjusting my evenings a little more by framing my day. I am ending my day with the morning in mind.
Here is what someone else suggested. I will try to get it into my own words and situation.

Begin at the End of the Day’s Work

Immediately after work, if I haven’t already done it earlier in the week, I will compile a list of to-dos for the next week. Then I will say yes or no for each item on the list.
Then I complete the list and review my calendar for the week and add tasks accordingly.
Next, I figure out the one thing that I want to do in the morning. That one big thing that I want to do.
Then I write that one thing on a post it not and put it on the corner of my laptop.
Now I outline related content that I want to focus on and add it to the corner of my laptop as well.
Now I review what I did that day. 10 wins, 1 thing to improve and 10 things that I am grateful for.

Attend to Your Usual Evening Routine

Then I attend to my usual evening stuff—cleaning, getting ready for work the next day, social business.

Finally Right Before Bed

Then right before bed, I set up the coffee maker, get ready for bed and then I go over my twelve month and quarterly goals, close my eyes and visualize having accomplished them. And dream about things that I will be doing as a more successful person, how my life and others’ lives will be changed for the better.
Next, I post a question to myself to work on while I sleep, put it on a post-it note, grab some water to drink in the morning, set the alarm and revisit my morning routine.
Then I read an inspirational book until I can no longer read.

And Then in the Morning

When my alarm goes off in the morning, I drink my glass of water, follow my morning routine and then start working on the one big thing that I know will lead me further down the path to my end goals.

Living Today, The Power of Now

In my book Living Today, the Power of Now, I offer similar tips to make the most of each and every day.

 

 

The One Thing

January 22, 2018
Living Today, The Productive Writer
2 Comments

 

success sign post

Up to this point, we have determined our goals, and decluttered time and space, as well as recognizing the need to decrease stress through mindfulness. All this is important, but we also must realize that our time and resources are finite. We could live from moment to moment, spending our time and resources on whatever we fancy in the moment only to discover at the end of our lives that we accomplished little or nothing, or we can create a strategic way to utilize time and resources.

 

By having our goals right in front of us, we can look at what it is that we want to accomplish and determine what it is that we will need to do to make this year the year that we make amazing strides towards accomplishing those goals.

 

Write Down Every Task

 

In order to achieve our goals, it helps to write down all the tasks that we want to accomplish in a day and then go through the list and determine what we can do later, we can delegate, or that we can eliminate from our list all together. Discover what that one thing, and your work will be half done.

 

Decide What’s Most Important to Do Today

 

Once we decide what still needs to be done, we determine what one thing would make the biggest difference in accomplishing our biggest scariest goals. For instance, for me, today, I decided that the best use of my time that would get me closer to my biggest goal (starting my own publishing company) was to draft several of my blog posts for several months. I know what I want to put in these posts, so by getting the drafts out of my head and into a document, I have more space in my head to work on other projects. I wouldn’t finish any of them today, but I would make a major push toward getting them ready for publication. Therefore, that one big thing I want done today is to have the first drafts of thirteen different blog posts written.

Other things that I want to do such as starting to create YouTube videos or finish organizing my files, I am putting off until I get several weeks of post drafts written.

 

Make Prioritizing Part of Your Daily Routine

 

I know I cannot finish all thirteen posts that I have ideas for today, so I know that I will have to do put it off until another day. Tomorrow, I will do the same thing. I will find what it is that I need to work on and try to finish. If I don’t finish the blog posts today, I will continue working on that project If finish it, I will move onto the next project I need to do and continue from there.

 

Begin Prioritizing Today

 

What is the one thing that you can do today to push you toward your big goals? Do you need to outline a plan to complete your goals? Do you need to do research? Do you need to determine the projects needed to reach your big goals? Perhaps you just need to break down a specific project into tasks and begin working on it today. Make this year your best year yet by doing the most important things first.

Living Today, The Power of Now

I share other tips like these in my book, Living Today, the Power of Now. Pick up your copy today.

Available on Kindle (free on Kindle Unlimited)

Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072WFW3HZ

Also available in print:

Link: http://www.lulu.com/shop/cygnet-brown/living-today-the-power-of-now/paperback/product-23261831.html

Living Today cover 2

Living Today, The Power of Now Get Your Copy Today!

 

 

One Less Thing!

January 15, 2018
Total LIfe Makeover
2 Comments

January 15, 2018

Do you remember in the movie Forest Gump when Forest is sitting at the bus station and is telling about how Lieutenant Dan took over the day to day business of the Bubba Gump Shrimp Business and invested in Apple Computers making Forest a “gazillionaire” giving Forest “one less thing to worry about? If you don’t know this scene, here  is a link to it on YouTube https://youtu.be/SNa4EMUWnAc

Your One Less Thing

Although I cannot offer you a deal like Lieutenant Dan gave Forest, I can offer you a chance to have more than one less thing to worry about. I am offering you some tips on getting rid of clutter in your life.

box

Now is a good time to declutter. January is  not only a good month for resolutions, but is a good time to clear out the clutter that we have accumulated over the past year. By getting rid of the things that clutter up our space and time, we can make more room for those things that will improve our lives and create better opportunities. Every day, I have been putting aside some time to deal with one area of clutter.

Here are five different types of clutter that I am clearing away.

Physical Clutter–

Right now is a good time to go through every closet, look through every draw, and look under every bed and determine what you should throw out, what you should give away and what you really love and want to keep.

if you bring something out of a space and decide that you are going to get rid of it, put it in a location where it can easily be disposed of.

Since before Christmas, my family has been going through our house and clearing the clutter that we have accumulated over the past year. Anything that we haven’t used during the past year, we decide how much we really want to store it. As much as possible, we try to determine that keeping it probably isn’t in our best interest.

In addition to tossing trash, some of the things we are getting rid of are being recycled. Clothes and household are getting sent to goodwill. Plastic bags are recycled at the grocery store. Recently we discovered an electronics recycling place where we can safely discard old computers, other electronics, and batteries.

Paper Clutter

One of the things that I have done for a number of years is to get rid of as much of it as possible as soon as it hits the door. I go through the mail over the trash can, immediately discarding any junk mail and getting rid of useless mailer inserts.

Some paper however, does accumulate over time and going through it is still necessary. Now is a good time to go through papers that we have accumulated over the past year too, because tax time is here. While we are going through our financial papers in preparation for our taxes, we clear out the paper clutter that regardless of care, invades our files.

Body Clutter

People don’t always think of extra weight from the holidays as clutter, but really it is. the best way to get rid of excess body clutter is to focus on healthy eating and healthy exercise. Drinking plenty of water, especially now in the winter months helps clean toxins from our bodies.

Digital Clutter–

The week before Christmas, my laptop that I have had for five years decided it was ready to retire. Because it gave me such good service, I went out and bought a newer version of the same machine. This gave me a good reason to clean out the files I stored on the laptop as I transferred from one to the other. I started by deleting files that I stored because I needed them for various projects, but that I had long since finished. I then deleted older versions of finished projects an\ organized what was left into a usable format.

I then re-examined other files used for projects that I had long abandoned and determined whether I should return to these projects or file-13 them. (delete them to the recycle bin).

In addition, I worked to get rid of emails and other digital files that no longer served me. Because I knew that this process should be a more routine part of my online file management, I determined that I needed attack a certain aspect of digital file for at least fifteen minutes every week.

Emotional Clutter

If you didn’t do it with the good cheer of the Holiday season that just passed, January is a good month to forgive, get rid of stress, and learn to relax. During my last post, I mentioned mindfulness so I am not going to repeat that here, however, it does bear repeating that getting rid of emotional clutter will help improve your health.

Time Clutter

I decided to do a time journal where I write down everything that I do for a week and find those things that I do that waste time and get rid of them. This doesn’t mean that I need to get rid of relaxation time. Last week, we saw thp value of relaxation through mindfulness. What this simply means is that we have to plan relaxation time.

Living Today cover 2

Living Today, The Power of Now Get Your Copy Today!

 

Clearing away time clutter can open up time that can be used to utilize the action steps suggested in my new book Living Today, the Power of Now. Read the book and then find the area that you feel would make the biggest impact on your day and go from there.

 

What if you only had one day to live? How would you live your life differently?

 

You really do only have one day at any given time, and that day is today. You cannot live in the past. You cannot live in the future. Today is your day to shine.

 

Today, and only today, you have the power of now, and it is strongest when you know that you are on the right path.

 

From Living Today, the Power of Now, discover:

  • Awareness and Focus on the present moment.
  • Tips for obtaining fire starting focus
  • Change bad habits to good habits
  • Creating a Time and a Place to dream
  • What “Don’t Worry” really Means
  • Learn How to Build on Past Experiences
  • Overcome Fear and Find Faith
  • Letting Go of the Past
  • The value of forgiving yourself and others
  • And much more

 

Available now on Amazon Kindle and in print

 

Living Today, The Power of Now (Free with Kindle Unlimited) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072WFW3HZ

Fill Your Mind Through the Senses and Lose the Stress

January 8, 2018
Uncategorized
2 Comments

January 8, 2018

Adams fall

Stress is a killer. In addition to a healthy diet and getting proper exercise, getting rid of stress is valuable to good health. We can either let it control us or we can control it. One of the ways we can control stress through regular rest and sleep. A second way to control stress is through mindfulness.

Mindfulness is becoming very popular these days. Many sites and apps are available online that show how we can use mindfulness. It is an essential ingredient in yoga and meditation programs. Mindfulness is all about living in the moment and experiencing every aspect of every sense and feeling. By taking the time to stop and observe you will decrease stress and improve your health. Mindfulness comes by becoming aware of what is happening in us and around us at any given moment.

An Easy Way to Incorporate Mindfulness Every Day

One of the ways we can do this is through becoming aware of everything around us by being aware of each one of our senses at a given moment. To do this, we must first stop everything that we are doing and observe first what we feel inside.

Close your eyes and take a few long slow deep breaths. Feel the breath as you breathe in and breathe out. Starting at the tips of your feet and moving upward toward the head, become aware of every part of your body.  Be aware of what you’re touching. Where your body is touching where you are seated. Of the feel of the air in the room upon your skin. Become aware the life-giving force within you and how you are part of the creation.

Now with your eyes still closed, listen to everything around you. What do you hear? Can you hear birds tweeting? Cars and trucks moving in the distance? Someone speaking in the next room?

What do you smell? Move your tongue around your mouth. What do you taste?

Now look around you, really look at your surroundings. What do you see?

Notice how calming this exercise is. Do this exercise from time to time in different locations, and whenever you’re feeling undue stress.

Living Today cover 2

Living Today, The Power of Now Get Your Copy Today!

This concept of the mindfulness can be used when utilizing the actions suggested in my new book Living Today, the Power of Now. Read the book and then find the area that you feel would make the biggest impact on your day and go from there.

What if you only had one day to live? How would you live your life differently?

How many days at a time can you live? You really do only have one day at any given time, and that day is today. You cannot live in the past. You cannot live in the future. Today is your day to shine.

Today, and only today, you have the power of now, and it is strongest when you know that you are on the right path.

From Living Today, the Power of Now, discover:

  • Awareness and Focus on the present moment.
  • Tips for obtaining fire starting focus
  • Change bad habits to good habits
  • Creating a Time and a Place to dream
  • What “Don’t Worry” really Means
  • Learn How to Build on Past Experiences
  • Overcome Fear and Find Faith
  • Letting Go of the Past
  • The value of forgiving yourself and others
  • And much more

Available now on Amazon Kindle and in print

Living Today, The Power of Now

Get your print copy now: http://www.lulu.com/shop/cygnet-brown/living-today-the-power-of-now/paperback/product-23261831.html

(Always Free with Kindle Unlihttp://www.lulu.com/shop/cygnet-brown/living-today-the-power-of-now/paperback/product-23261831.htmlmited) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072WFW3HZ

 

Planning for the New Year

January 1, 2018
Total LIfe Makeover
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January 1, 2018

Happy New Year!

2017 was a good year for me. What it good for you?

Another Year has passed and another one is now beginning. If you looked at your resolutions from last January one, would you have made any progress toward the dreams and goals that you had then?

Some people say that they gave up on resolutions because they were too ambitious and they weren’t able to keep up with them. The way I see it, we shouldn’t give up one our dreams. For Christmas this year I got a bulletin board that says “Don’t give up your Day dream”. I really believe that. Don’t quit just because things get difficult. Who hasn’t heard the phrase “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail?” It’s true, you know. It is also true that plans don’t always go as we plan them, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t make those plans. Plans can be adjusted. They are not made in stone. Take some time to analyze the plans you made and adjust them to where they are possible to reach, but difficult at the same time. During the past month, I spent some concerted effort making plans for the next year. I intend to make 2018, my best year yet.

Look (or Create if you don’t have any) Over Long Term Goals

I have several long term goals that I have worked on for several years now.

The first one was to be a published author. I am a published author ten times now and have drafts of several other books already in the wings, so I guess I can cross become a published author off the “to do” list. Except for the new NaNoWriMo project that I do every year, I am not going to start anything new this year. The biggest thing I need to do as an author is to market and sell books.

I do however, have a related long term goal. That goal is to create my own publishing company to include other authors. I started some planning for this last year, but this got bogged down while I was working on the business plan. As I see it, the business, Jerjoboch Publications, will have to become a corporation, but for now, since I am the business’s only “full time” employee, I will stick to keeping it a sole proprietorship.

A third goal that I am looking at is the fact that a number of years ago, I wanted to have been in all fifty states. I have been in 36 states, but have not been in: Hawaii, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.

A final goal is to improve my health over the next year. This means better nutrition and more exercise. This is sort of a family goal because my husband and daughter would also like to do this.

Determine This Year’s Goals

On the long term goal of developing Jerjoboch Publications, I will focus on developing marketing and sales online and off line and live speaking engagements. A big part of developing this goal will be to build up online and off line marketing presence as well as making a more concerted effort at becoming a speaker.

On the long term goal of going to all fifty states, find a trip related to speaking engagements (or two) above where I can have a working vacation in either the northwest or in the New England states.

On long term goal of improving health, keep a journal about how I am taking care of my health on a daily basis starting with eating healthier meals when at home and doing yoga as well as measuring how much I am drinking water.

Determine January’s Goals Based on This Year’s Goals

This month, my goal to develop my publishing business will be to take on daily goals of reaching out to other authors, libraries, bookstores, chambers of commerce, and conventions concerning buying my books and allowing me to speak before their crowds. The templates are already written all I have to do is adapt them to the specific recipient. I will also maintain this blog every week throughout the year and promote a different book per month. This month the book is Living Today, The Power of Now.

My goal to go to every state will be explored by looking for locations that I can go which will help fulfill the first goal to get speaking gigs at chambers of commerce and in conferences.

My goal to improve heath will involve keeping a journal of the meals that I am eating, of the exercise that I am doing, and the water that I am drinking.

Determine Weekly Projects and Daily Tasks for January 2018

I am not going into the details of weekly and daily goals except to say that the weekly projects are sections of the monthly goals. The daily tasks are actions taken to complete the weekly projects.

There you have it, my major goals for the year. What major goals would you like to accomplish over the upcoming year?

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