Most of our behaviors weren’t consciously chosen. We just seem to find ourselves doing the same things each day, day after day. Change Your Behavior

However, changing your behavior is the key to changing your life! Change Your Behavior

1. A clear objective. For example, it’s insufficient to tell yourself that you want to eat less. What does that mean? How many calories is that? What is the breakdown of macronutrients? How often are you going to eat? It’s important to be specific. A few examples include: Change Your Behavior

> Eat fewer than 2,000 calories per day.

> Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day.

> Eat whole fruits, such as apples, bananas, oranges, or berries for snacks.

2. Consistency. You can’t create a new behavior with a single effort. You haven’t quit smoking because you refused your urge one time. You don’t go to the gym regularly just because you’ve gone one time. Repeating a behavior over and over is necessary if you’re going to make a lasting change.

> The less time you’ve put in, the more likely you are to have a relapse and return to your old behavioral patterns. Change Your Behavior

3. Immediate rewards. New behaviors only last if there’s a reward for doing it, or a significant, immediate punishment for not doing it. Change Your Behavior

> Take your favorite unhealthy food as an example. You might love ice cream. There’s an immediate reward for eating ice cream. There is a punishment, but it’s more of the long-term variety. You’re not going to destroy your figure in a day by eating a bowl of ice cream.

> Consider most positive behaviors, such as going to the gym. The majority of the benefits only happen in the future. Avoiding the gym is actually rewarding in the short term, but harmful in the long-term. That’s why so many bad habits are hard to break, and good habits are hard to create.

> Work out a more immediate reward you can give yourself for changing your behavior. Avoid this step at your own peril. Willpower is in short supply.

4. Starting small. Avoid starting with the objective of going to the gym for an hour each day or meditating for 90 minutes straight. These are fine objectives but start slowly. Begin by meditating for 10 minutes, or just showing up at the gym and doing whatever is enjoyable to you.

5. Tracking progress. See how many days you can perform your new behavior in a row. Keep track of your results – all the pounds you lose, dollars you save, pages you read, or minutes you meditate, for example. Change Your Behavior

> Be sure to also track the benefits you notice as a result of changing your behavior.

6. Persistence. There will be plenty of bumps in the road. It’s imperative to stay the course for as long as it takes. Regardless of how many setbacks you endure along the way, you simply must keep trying. How could you possibly fail in the long-term if you never gave up? Change Your Behavior

Define your desired behavior, give yourself rewards, and do your best each day. Success will be yours! Change Your Behavior

Change Your Behavior

Own The Day And You Own Your Life. Each passing day can seem inconsequential, but the totality of your days is your life. So, each day matters a lot. If you can get the most out of each day, you’re going to have an amazing life!

Learn how to master the day and in turn, your life: Own The Day And You Own Your Life

1. Realize the power of each day. A day doesn’t seem like much. You’ve experienced plenty of long days where it seemed you accomplished nothing. It’s true that a single day might mean a lot, but a small amount of progress each day can result in a dramatically different future. Own The Day And You Own Your Life

Realize the power and potential of each day and be determined to make the most of it.

2. Have a plan for the day. Have a detailed plan for the day and for the week before you even think about going to bed at night. When you wake up, grab your list of to-do items and get busy as soon as possible.

There’s an added bonus to planning out your day the night before. Your brain has a chance to think about your list of items as you sleep. Your brain will predict the challenges you’re likely to face and have a few solutions in mind.

Try it and you’ll find that your day goes much more smoothly. Own The Day And You Own Your Life

3. Wake up earlier. If you want to own the day, get started early. Successful people tend to get up pretty early. How successful do you want to be? A successful person doesn’t scramble around in the morning trying to find a pair of clean socks. Start your day as early as possible and grab it by the throat.

4. Focus. What are you going to do for the next hour? Ask yourself this important question each hour. Whether your objective is to write a report, return phone calls, or enjoy your favorite movie as much as possible, identify what you’re trying to accomplish and focus on doing it. Keep your mind on the identified task. Own The Day And You Own Your Life

5. Take breaks. You can get more accomplished each day if you take planned breaks. Working nonstop leads to slowing down later in the day. You’ll ultimately accomplish more if you take a break every couple of hours.

6. Remove distractions. Distractions will prevent you from owning the day and from owning your life. There’s no reason to rely on your will power to avoid the distractions in your environment if you have the ability to remove them instead.

Avoid trying to be tough and stoic. Just remove the distractions to the best of your ability. Own The Day And You Own Your Life

7. Review. You had a good day, but it could have been even better. Figure out what you could have done differently. Make a new plan for tomorrow and include this knowledge.

Reviewing your day is a pivotal part of developing your approach to life. So many people simply repeat the same mediocre days over and over. Mediocre days lead to a mediocre life.

Own The Day And You Own Your Life

Why You Never Have Enough Time. Are you always wishing you had more time available to you? The truth is, you probably have plenty of time. You’re just not focused, and you’re not using your time wisely.

These reasons could be why you never have enough time:

1. You fail to prioritize. What’s the most important activity you must do in order for you to accomplish your objective? If you’re not asking yourself this question regularly, you’re not getting the most bang for your time and effort. It’s easy to stay very busy but fail to accomplish much.

> Ask yourself, “What is the most important thing I need to accomplish?”

> Then ask yourself, “What is the best way for me to accomplish that?”

2. You waste time. This could be due to procrastination. It could be due to inefficient work habits

> Make the choice to avoid wasting time, period.

3. You’re disorganized. When you’re not organized, everything takes longer than it should. You spend time looking for a pair of clean socks, your car keys, searching for files on your computer, and trying to pull off things at the last minute.

> Disorganized people never seem to have enough time, and they’re frequently late with their work.

> Make an effort to organize your life and yourself. There are many resources dedicated to organization. Use them.

4. You have too many distractions in your life. It could be low-quality social interactions, TV, needlepoint, your baseball card collection, noisy kids, clutter, or your prize-winning rose bushes. Having too many things in your life takes too much time.

> Remove the things from your life that are unnecessary. Minimize the distractions you can’t remove, like your noisy children!

5. You don’t start your day early enough. Most of us do little in the evening. That time is largely wasted just lying around the house or staring at your phone. That’s why so many highly successful people skip the evening hours by going to bed and waking up extra early.

> Your brain tends to shut down by the late afternoon, whether you started your day at 9:00AM or 5:00AM. Give yourself a few extra productive hours by getting up early and going to bed early.

6. You fail to track your time. Track how you spend your time each day. Switch tasks when appropriate so everything receives the time it requires.

> Keep a simple journal and make a record each hour of how you spent the last 60 minutes.

7. You don’t have a plan for your day. Your day shouldn’t be random or determined on the fly. To get the most out of your time, it’s necessary to have a plan for the day.

> Make a detailed plan for your day before you go to bed. Spend your day executing that plan as well as you can. Why You Never Have Enough Time

8. You’re not focused. You’ve been told to “focus” or “concentrate” since you started kindergarten. Too bad the education system never taught you how. If you sit down to work on something for an hour, how many minutes is your attention truly focused on that task?

> You probably have plenty of time to accomplish everything you need to do each day, but you just need to focus at a higher level. Practice meditation. Practice focusing on whatever it is you’re doing. Focus is built through practice.

You have 24 hours each day. Ensure that you’re using them wisely!

5 Keys To Managing Your Unhelpful Thoughts

It never seems to fail. You’re trying to concentrate on your work, but your mind wanders off to a completely unrelated topic. Or, maybe you’re about to go on a first date, but all you can think about is how horrible your last few dates have been. These are examples of unhelpful thoughts.

Unhelpful thoughts can be distractions or be destructive. Neither is helpful.

Your mind is a terrible thing to waste, and if you can’t manage your thoughts, you’re not using your mind to your advantage. Imagine how powerful you would become if you could ignore or replace your negative thoughts! You could accomplish more and get greater enjoyment from your life. 5 Keys To Managing Your Unhelpful Thoughts

Use these strategies to manage thoughts that don’t support you:

1. Maintain space between yourself and your thoughts. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to engage with your thoughts. You don’t focus on every person, tree, and car you pass when you’re driving down the road. Most of these things pass through your awareness without you pursuing them further.

> You can do the same thing with your unhelpful thoughts. Allow them to simply pass on by. 5 Keys To Managing Your Unhelpful Thoughts

> Your thoughts are simply something that you experience. You are not your thoughts. If something doesn’t serve a purpose in your life, ignore it. What is the point in dwelling on it?

2. Understand that it is your brain’s nature to produce random thoughts. The thoughts you experience say little about you. It’s the nature of your brain to produce thoughts. It’s always going to give you something to think about.

> Occasionally those thoughts are useful. Frequently, they’re frivolous. Sometimes, your thoughts can be quite disturbing. Understand them for what they are and then move on. 5 Keys To Managing Your Unhelpful Thoughts

3. Meditation is a helpful tool for understanding the nature of your mind. The first thing you notice when you attempt to meditate is the random and restless nature of your mind.

> Focus on your breathing. When you find yourself fuming about your boss, wondering what happened to your high school friends, or making a mental grocery list, simply redirect your attention back to your breathing.

4. You can focus your attention on a thought of your choosing. You can think about anything you choose to think about. You can think about riding a flying bicycle, eating a lemon, or what you need to accomplish today. 5 Keys To Managing Your Unhelpful Thoughts

> When you’re experiencing an unhelpful thought, you can decide to think about something more useful. Recognize that you have the power to direct your thinking as you see fit.

5. Apply logic. Poor thinking leads to poor decision making. When your thoughts are leading you astray, put your logical mind to good use. Ask yourself what a sensible person would do in this situation. What is a logical, intelligent decision for your circumstances? What would you advise a friend to do?

Are negative or distracting thoughts getting in your way on a regular basis? You’re not alone. The human brain loves to stay active and will wander from one idea to another if you fail to take control of it. 5 Keys To Managing Your Unhelpful Thoughts

The key is to focus your attention on what you intend and avoid getting too involved with your random thoughts. Just allow them to pass.

If you’ve never meditated before, this can be an excellent way to learn how your mind works and how to deal with random, intrusive thoughts. Most importantly, remember that you are not your thoughts. There’s no reason to take them personally.

Say Goodbye to Impostor Syndrome

That’s the term psychologists invented in the 1970s when they were studying successful women. Now, they know that men are just as likely to be affected. Say Goodbye to Impostor Syndrome

Impostor syndrome may be caused by your personality or the way you grew up. Whatever the reasons, you can stop undermining yourself. Learn to experience doubts without letting them interfere with the happiness and success you deserve. Say Goodbye to Impostor Syndrome

Changing Your Thinking: Say Goodbye to Impostor Syndrome

1. Remember your achievements. Review your track record. Putting your victories in context will show you that they’re not flukes.

2. Give yourself credit. Change your self-talk. When you catch yourself becoming critical, congratulate yourself, instead. Reframing your thoughts will help you to view yourself in a more positive light.

3. Accept uncertainty. Impostor syndrome is often associated with perfectionism. Embrace yourself unconditionally, including your strengths and weaknesses. Set realistic goals and expectations. Say Goodbye to Impostor Syndrome

4. Validate yourself. Live up to your own standards rather than relying on approval from others. Be mindful of your thoughts and feelings so you can manage them effectively.

5. Appreciate effort. Do you regard struggling as a sign of weakness? In reality, success often requires careful planning and hard work.

Changing Your Behavior: Say Goodbye to Impostor Syndrome

1. Talk it over. Impostor syndrome can be a difficult cycle to break because your first impulse is to cover it up. On the other hand, revealing your insecurities will help you to put them in perspective.

2. Build support. Ask family and friends for help. Having the courage to be vulnerable will boost your confidence and strengthen your relationships.

3. Fight stereotypes. Feeling like an outsider can contribute to impostor syndrome. For example, maybe you’re much older or younger than your coworkers. Look for ways to turn that diversity into an advantage instead of feeling awkward about being different.

4. Be spontaneous. You may be putting unnecessary pressure on yourself if you frequently over-prepare for various events. Throw a party with takeout pizza instead of spending an entire day in the kitchen.

5. Accept compliments. Can you receive praise graciously or do you secretly want to run and hide? Practice saying thank you sincerely. You’ll create a more pleasant experience for yourself and your admirers.

6. Find a mentor. Changing long-standing habits can be tough work. Working with a mentor will give you the benefit of ongoing feedback from someone you trust. You may also feel more accountable knowing that someone else is monitoring your progress, too.

7. Teach others. Recognizing your areas of expertise can be tricky when knowledge and skills build up slowly over time. Instructing others is an excellent way to learn more about yourself while providing a valuable service.

8. Stay relaxed. Challenging situations are likely to trigger any defense mechanism. You’ll find it easier to be authentic if you manage daily stress. Block out time for meditation and physical exercise. Slow down and take a deep breath if you find yourself starting to question your worth.

9. Take risks. Impostor syndrome can hold you back from trying new things. Make a list of projects that excite you and take pleasure in learning as you go along.

Say Goodbye to Impostor Syndrome

8 Tips for Avoiding Indecision and Overthinking

The quality of your decisions affects the quality of your life. Making better decisions is one of the most effective ways to enhance your life. However, making a good decision requires actually making a decision. Too many people avoid making decisions, or they spend far too much time and energy making a decision. 8 Tips for Avoiding Indecision and Overthinking

1. Know your purpose. Your purpose makes the best option more obvious. For example, if your purpose is to be an ultramarathoner, it’s easier to decide what to eat and how to spend your time away from your regular job. 8 Tips for Avoiding Indecision and Overthinking

> Where should you live? If you want to be a dairy farmer, the city won’t work. If you want to write a book, in what environment do you write most effectively?

2. Be logical. Most people make decisions based on emotion. Logic is only used to justify the decisions they made emotionally. Most people are prone to making poor decisions. You don’t want to be like most people in this regard.

> The best decision is often clear if you apply logic to the situation. Consider how you would advise a friend to proceed. That’s probably your best option. 8 Tips for Avoiding Indecision and Overthinking

3. Plan your day the night before. It’s easier to make smart decisions in advance. For example, it’s easy to say, “I’m going to meet my mother for lunch tomorrow.” However, you might be less enthusiastic when the sun comes up. Avoid changing your mind. You already made the decision, so stick with it.

> We make great plans in the evening for the following day. We plan out our days. We make plans to eat a good lunch, hit the gym, and finish that report. The next day, we start overthinking everything and blow it.

> You don’t need to make perfect decisions. You need to make decent decisions and stick with them. Do your thinking at night. Execute your decisions the following day.

4. Know your values. The best option is often obvious if you know your values.

> Take the time to examine your values and then list them in order of priority. When you’re faced with a tough choice, take a look at your list of values and apply your values to your decision. You’ll probably find that an answer is easier to find. 8 Tips for Avoiding Indecision and Overthinking

5. Give yourself a deadline. A good decision can often be made very quickly. Avoid taking longer than you need to make a choice. A deadline can be an effective way of making a decision quickly. Give yourself a few minutes to a few days, to make up your mind. Pull the trigger and move on.

6. Know that if you’re indecisive, any option is probably acceptable. When you’re torn between a couple of choices, there’s probably not a “best” option. Just pick one and move on. Flip a coin if necessary.

7. Consider the reason for your hesitation. Why are you hesitating? What’s holding you back? What are your concerns? What are you afraid might happen?

> Is there a way to mitigate this fear so it doesn’t impact your decision process?

8. Forget about trying to be perfect. Perfection leads to procrastination and indecision. Worry about being good. Worry about being smart. That’s as close to perfection as you need to be.

8 Tips for Avoiding Indecision and Overthinking