Tag Archives: transitions

5 Ways To Start Living Up To Your Values

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Sometimes it can be hard to do what you set out to do. For whatever reason, the values that you hold dear, like work ethic, are not doing anything for you at a particular moment. Maybe you set goals for yourself, but in the end, you feel like you are contradicting yourself because they never get accomplished. Perhaps you plan to be productive, or to gain the courage to do something important, but you end up falling into the same rut you said you never would. It can be hard not to fall prey to contradictions in your life, but there are always ways that you could change things and definitely step up your game!: 1. Combat cognitive dissonance with positive imaging. What exactly is cognitive dissonance, you ask? Well, it is the idea that your mind has a particular goal, but your actions speak as contradictions in that respect. For example, you might really despise lateness, but you are always running behind yourself. In order to overcome specific weaknesses in your life, you must be willing to go the distance to make your inner monologue and outer self match in values. By creating positive images in your head of your eventual success, a sense of inner motivation could be a strong catalyst for a change in your situation. 2. Write your goals down and post them somewhere as reference. This might seem like a simple, somewhat obvious way to remember what you mean to accomplish, but writing things down could be the tangible way you need to properly stack your priorities. Sometimes when the ideas are flowing through your head, any sort of distraction can cause you to lose focus from what you are planning to do. In order to make the most out of your time, it can be very useful to have everything laid out in front of you to instill subconscious motivation! I know that some people (like myself) are not very good at planning, but the very existence of a tangible goal list can be a helpful reminder of what you COULD be – and a core level of determination is all you need to get there! 3. Remind yourself of things you can look forward to. Sometimes the best events in life are ones that you have to patiently wait for. Maybe you are waiting for a trip to see someone you miss or have a few days off from work in order to just relax. If you make it so you have rewards or exciting prospects in the forefront to look forward to, it can be easier for you to be able to accomplish new things and be productive until those events arrive! Perhaps you want to teach yourself some of your favorite songs on your guitar or become more proficient at a certain aspect of your job. When you have something fun you’re waiting for, in the meantime, you can accomplish anything! 5 Ways To Make Life Transitions Easier 4. Know yourself and set goals based on the way you think. If you know that you naturally wake up late and are on the run all of the time, then don’t try and change your internal clock! Working around your weaknesses and finding productivity around your already formed habits can be a much better way to improve your productivity. Why try to change something that is already fundamental to your being? The same goes with procrastination and the way you get your work done – sometimes what hinders others in the work atmosphere is something that is successful for someone else! Everyone has their own individual habits and techniques that they use to get through the day, therefore, setting goals should be a unique process built around the person, not the task. 5. Start small and build on what you can slowly accomplish. Taking baby steps towards your goals is the best way to go, as trying to accomplish too much at once can tear down the very wall of productivity you created! As a close family member uses as his humorous motto: “How do you eat an elephant? By breaking it into small chunks.” In order to get the most out of what you have done, you have to take it slowly and make sure you are not taking on too much at once. Having productive, realistic goals makes for the strongest results, so being slow and deliberate about life can have its advantages! No matter what your core values are, the fundamental idea of bringing your inner motivation to the front of your mind is the best scenario for success! If you don’t naturally have that internal determination to accomplish tasks, channeling someone who has the productive bug might be the best bet for you. Try to spend more time in a lively, collaborative atmosphere where your ideas can be bounced off others and goals can be tweaked. Whether it’s a small personal goal or a lofty career move, it’s important to remember that the best outcomes come from internal motivation mixed with external action. Never forget the values you associate with yourself, as keeping yourself true to your methodology is what makes accomplishments what they are! Not Motivated To Workout…Here Is A Great Tip Are These BP Artists Good Enough to Get Signed? 2011 BET Award Winners & Recap FACT OF THE DAY: Foxy Brown Was Not Always Foxy FACT OF THE DAY: LL Cool J Dropped Out Of High School To Record His Debut Album

5 Ways To Start Living Up To Your Values

Optimism & The Art Of Facing Your Fears

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Last night, as I was getting ready for bed, I happened to stumble upon the most recent Time Magazine, which features a cover article about whether or not optimism is a genetic trait. After flipping through the magazine, I was struck by The Optimism Bias and how much people tend to not think about the genetic value of their thoughts. I’ve always been a glass-half-full type of person. Even as a child, I remember being described by adjectives such as “sunny” or “bubbly,” something that I feel has followed me throughout my life as a model of what I aspire to be: free of doubt and full of dreams. However, despite these reminders, I had never realized that the strong hope and open-mindedness I possessed for life might be part of my core being. In my continual thoughts on this topic on the train and subsequent subway ride over here, I looked around at my fellow passengers and saw many grim expressions among the crowd. It might be because it was early in the morning (completely understandable!), but there did not seem to be an air of optimism about the day in the sea of faces, despite the new beginning that happened with the sun rising. While there are definitely factors such as stress and the time of day that contributed to my observations, I still could not help thinking that a bit of laughter or smiles might have improved the moods of the passengers, thus adding an air of friendliness to the morning commute. While friendliness and optimism do not necessarily correlate, the art of smiling and expressing upbeat emotions can definitely contribute to one’s self-esteem and internal optimism. I recently spent a few short months in Europe and noticed a more open air of communication that seemed to point toward a culture more focused on sharing their internal selves, which may or may not be predisposed to “rose-colored glasses.” Part of the reason I have been examining optimism in the world around me and in my own life is because of the Time Magazine article, as well as a review of an upcoming book called My Year With Eleanor which explores some of the same ideas, but with a twist. The author of this memoir, Noelle Hancock, was stuck in a rut in her late 20′s when she came upon a quote by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt in a coffee shop which said, “Do one thing every day that scares you.” A lightbulb went off in her head at that moment and Noelle from then on was on a mission to add one thing that she was scared to do to every subsequent day, including public speaking and even swimming with sharks. This inspired the optimistic, glass-half-full part of me because even in her late 20′s, when most of us have formed a set identity, she chose to make significant changes to who she had become. The idea that life is a canvas, something that can be constantly added to and tweaked is an interesting way to look at the path that one is on, since it can be constantly rerouted and in transition. Optimism is important to note from this upcoming memoir because while Noelle might just have forward-thinking in her blood, there was also a sense that she took charge of her life because she knew in her heart that she had more courage than was normally displayed. Through looking at her life as an open-book, full of numerous possibilities, she found the optimism that comes with securing one’s future in hopes and dreams in a healthy way, which is definitely inspiring for every day life! 5 Ways To Make Life Transitions Easier While thinking about optimism, it’s important to be reminded that life may throw hurdles at you and there will always be challenges, but by thinking of life as continually changing an evolving, there is always a bright side that you’re yet to explore! Thinking back to The Optimism Bias and Noelle Hancock’s upcoming memoir (look for it starting June 7th!), you might have a genetic “bias” toward the sunny side of life, but as well, you might just have to dig deeper into yourself to discover the inner quotes that define the way you live your life. As with the yin and yang, with the good comes the bad – with the difficulties comes the inspiration to will yourself with change and optimism. Work It Out Wednesday: 8 Steps To Being A Positive Person

Optimism & The Art Of Facing Your Fears

5 Ways To Make Life Transitions Easier

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No matter what direction life takes you, there are always times when you have to make the transition from one environment to another. Whether you are trying to decompress on vacation after a long stint at work or are just getting back after time off, there is a lot to think about when changing one’s mindset based on one’s surroundings.  Being thrown into a new atmosphere can be a drastic change, especially when you find yourself in a stricter environment. Maybe you only had a short day’s notice and there was not enough time to mentally prepare for the daily grind, or perhaps you have had time to acquaint yourself with the idea of being productive, setting your sights on future goals that you have had in the back of your mind for months. It can be weird to think about changing the pace of one’s life, going from sleeping late and beach reading to the daunting task of focusing one’s mind, but there are definitely ways to ease the transition and make the changes flow into every day life. Middle grounds can be tricky to navigate, but these five tips below can help you get past the uneasy feelings of transitions and go full-force into a change for the better. 1. Make a schedule that works for you. It can be simple things like grabbing the same train every morning or getting breakfast from your favorite coffee shop on your way to the office. The more things that become predictable or relaxing, the easier it will be for you to get into a productive mindset. Other ideas would be to organize one’s clothes and necessities for work the night before, as to leave the next morning a stress-free commute, as well as create a check-off list for anything important you might forget. Creating the semblance of normalcy from the beginning is a great way to start off in a new environment, as it sets a precedent from the get-go! 2. List all of your goals out for yourself. If you start grounding your mind in the tasks you have to complete and what you want out of your work, it is possible to gain relaxation while still being in work mode. Having everything in order is always a great way to ease stress levels and make transitioning into a new environment all the more smooth. Goals are healthy, optimistic ways to remind yourself that you have dreams, ambitions, and places you want to go. It’s important to keep the faith, even when the transitions seem difficult. Once the transition period is over, all that will be there are the goals that you set for yourself! 13 Tips To Keep Healthy, By Expressing Your Creativity 3. Create a balance early on. Don’t expect yourself to be fully absorbed in your work right away or you are just setting yourself up for failure. Slowly ease into the new routine, but be kind to yourself. While you should attempt to jump right in to a new routine on the first day, there is only so much transition you can take on in one day. Keep busy, but take breaks if you need them. Take a nice lunch out and decompress. When you’ve been out of the game for a while, it can be hard to It takes time to get into a full routine and gain a sense of what one is supposed to do with the time they are given. 4. Keep yourself healthy and well-rested. When you’re stressed out AND over-tired, everything just seems worse and you are unable to focus on the new-ness of the situation with clarity. Getting a good night’s sleep, a warm cup of coffee or whatever perks you up in the morning, and a delicious lunch while on-the-go can all be important points that help you be productive, yet also keep a strong well-being throughout the day. The mind is clearer when the body can focus! 5. Be positive about the changes you’re dealing with. Keeping the optimism and elev8ing yourself in terms of what you can accomplish is a healthy way to live your life. It’s important to continually remind yourself that you’re a strong, independent individual with lots of strengths and ambition. This transition is only a stepping stone to your eventual success in life and there is no reason you can’t pull through it. You can do it! 5 Ways To Prepare Yourself For A Stress-Free Vacation

5 Ways To Make Life Transitions Easier

New Republic Finds ‘Insidious’ and ‘Pathetic Sexism’ on Morning Joe, Parker Spitzer

Over at The New Republic, they hate MSNBC's Morning Joe — because it's insulting to feminists. Eliza Gray's Monday lament was promoted as “The Pathetic Sexism of Morning Joe.”