Motivation Monday

Surround Yourself with Positive Images

Too often we submerge ourselves in negatives.

Often it happens subliminally.

Examine your home or your work space.

Remove the negative images.

Replace them with positives:

flowers, photos, music, scents.

Notice the change to your attitude.

Now Is the Time by Patrick Lindsay

Motivation Monday

Inspiration On The Go

You know those days when you are busy running errands, working on a deadline, or doing things for your family, that that's when you get a burst of inspiration.

Those busy days are usually the days when you get your best ideas, and stopping to write or sketch out your ideas may not be an option. If your like me and don't have time to document those ideas they can be lost as quickly as they appeared.

Doing a visualization exercise is a great way to help you keep those ideas fresh in your mind. It only take a minute or two to do these simple steps, to help you remember those really good ideas.

-Close your eyes
-Visualize what you want to create
-Make a list of the medium and tools you want to work with
-Choose the colors
-Visualize your finished piece
-Let you mind return to these mental pictures often

The best part is you end piece may not be exactly as you visualized it, but that's even better, because you nurtured your inspiration and allowed it to develop before it was executed.

"Even if its not possible to act on each moment of inspiration immediately.  It is possible to live in the moment and enjoy your creative soul."
-Pam Carriker

Have you used visualization to remember your good ideas?

You Can't Control Everything - So Stop Worrying

If your like most people you probably spend more time worrying than you should. We worry about our family, business, deadlines, budgets, our home, health, safety, even the weather.

Some things we can control, and some we cannot. The key to a positive attitude in life is to know the difference.

Did you know that 92% of the things people worry about are beyond their control.

The things that you worry about that you can control like your business, deadlines, or your budget you can take steps to make the changes necessary to get better results. Same goes with your home and your health, there are always things you can do for a better way of life.

Things we worry about that are beyond our control like the weather, government, world issues, to name a few, are things that we generally cannot control. Worrying about these types of things just causes stress that can effect your overall attitude an even health.

Here is an easy way to help you stop worrying:

Start by making a list of the things you worry about. Then divide your list in two categories:

Concerns you can do something about
Concerns beyond your control

Next to the items you can do something about include action steps to resolve them quickly. Then make a commitment to attack everything on your list that is within your control. Then be intentional about not worrying about them any longer.

Do this every time you feel anxious about something or you have a long list of things that you are worried about. The more you do this exercise the easier it will become to not worry about those things you can't control and take action on the the things you can.

What do you worry about they is beyond your control?

Motivation Monday

Promise Yourself

Promise yourself

to dream more and hesitate less.

To believe in yourself more 

and judge yourself less by

the accomplishments of others.

To accept life as it comes

and truly make each day special

-Deanna Beisser

7 Things Successful People Do Each Night

What you do before going to bed impacts your mood and how you feel the following day. It also determines how well and how much sleep you get.

Your mental health as well as your physical health play an important part in how you feel when your are working and how much actual work you get done. Not getting enough sleep can really effect how you feel the next day.

These 7 simple ideas are for relaxing your mind and your body, and preparing you for the next day.

Read
This is a good time to catch up on your business reading, check out your favorite blogs, and to get inspired by reading inspirational stories. If you really want to unwind then reading fiction or other topics you are interested in, will give your mind a break from work.

Reflect on your day
Journaling is a great way to track your progress, to get you motivated, and clear your mind of all the unnecessary work clutter. Try writing down 3 positive things that happened during the day, and thing your are appreciative of.

Make your to-do list
This is the best way to clear your mind for a good night sleep. Listing all the things you need and want to get done the next day will put your mind at ease knowing that you have a plan for the next day.

Disconnect from work
Right before bed is not a good time to check your email or messages. Let all that wait till you start your work the next day. Not dwelling on work related items before bed will making getting the rest you need easier.

Meditate
Take 10 minutes to relax your body and quite your mind this will put you in a positive frame of mind and help you sleep better.

Lie down on a positive note
Don't let the negative situation of the day keep replaying in your head. Remind yourself of the positive things you listed in your journal and celebrate the successes you had in your day.

Picture a positive tomorrow
Picture yourself having a great day, achieving all the things on your to-do list, everything working out as planned, and a positive day all around. This will not only give you good dreams, you will wake up in a positive frame of mind.

Reading, making my to-do list, and meditating are my favorite things to do before bed. I am working on keeping a journal and disconnecting from my work, but they are both a work in progress.

Being in a positive frame of mind before I go to sleep really does help with waking up in a ready to have a great day. 

Give these ideas a try. Having a great night sleep makes for a productive day!

Which of these ideas do you find challenging?

Now that you know what you need to do for a good night sleep that will help you be successful for the next day, check out what you can do in the morning to keep you motivated.
7 Ways Successful People Start Each Day

7 Ways Successful People Start Each Day

When you start your day with a can-do attitude you will have a more productive day and the energy to keep moving forward. 

The ideas I am sharing with you today are simple ways to start your day, and will help you achieve the can-do attitude you need to succeed. These ideas are very basic, but if you add them to your morning routine you will see a positive effect in how you feel and the work you do.

Move your body
When you get out of bed stretch your entire body, to get the blood flowing and take slow deep breaths to clear your mind. If you have the time add in a few exercises to loosen up your muscles and joints.

Inspire your mind
Before starting your workday is a great time to review your goals. Having them fresh in your mind when you start your day can inspire your best work as you go through your day.

Ignore email and messages
I know this is a hard one, but by if you wait till you are ready to start your workday to check your messages it will leave your mind free to reflect on your goals and thing you want to accomplish.

Fuel Your body
Breakfast defines how you feel for the day, so choose what you decide to eat wisely. Fruit, veggies, and lean protein will sustain you for hours. This is not a meal to be skipped, you do your best work when you have the fuel you need.

Feed your mind
While you are dressing, eating breakfast, or if you have a commute, these are good times to listen to motivational audio and inspirational music. Listening to the news or talk radio will only add stress to your day.

Be Cheerful
When you are upbeat and enthusiastic and share those positive feeling, it will inspire everyone around you to do the same. 

Do an important project first
Start your workday by deciding what is your most important project and do that first. By doing this you create momentum that will keep you energized all day.

I have incorporated all these ideas into my morning, and I found that it was not as difficult as I thought it might be. The hardest part for myself was not looking at email and messages, but it has been a few weeks now and I'm now fine with waiting till I'm ready to work.

Try to incorporate some or all of these ideas into your morning and see how you feel about your work and your goals over the next few weeks. 

Which of the 7 ideas do you think would be challenging for your morning?

Motivation Monday

Forget Your Troubles

Forget problems

that don't matter anymore

and worries that will wash away

on the shore of tomorrow.

Determine your own worth 

by yourself,

and do not be dependent

on another's judgment of you.

Live life fully 

with thankfulness and joy

for all the gifts 

you've been given

-Debbie Oehman