Creating Ecosystems of Success – Page 3

15 Powerful Positive Affirmations to Help You Stay Motivated at Anything

Two focuses of my blog are Creating Ecosystems of Success and Health/Wellness. Many people find positive affirmations to be important tools for moving through the world and dealing with life’s challenges. This guest post lists 15 positive affirmations for you and is entitled, 15 Powerful Positive Affirmations to Help You Stay Motivated at Anything.

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Affirmations have a significant impact on your day-to-day life as it sets your course’s tone and mood. Studies have shown that positive affirmations have mental and physical benefits that impact their overall well-being. Start your day with these powerful affirmations that will keep you motivated in anything.

1. I am a work in progress towards positive change.

Embrace that you are on a journey that you will become a better person. Start the day with the thought that you are a work in progress and that each person has their journey. Tread a positive change in your life by affirming it today.

2. Today is going to be productive.

Boost motivation in whatever project, chore, or goal you have in mind by affirming it first thing in the morning. Start being productive by having a positive thought of productivity. Having a positive affirmation on productivity will set your course towards all your goals today.

3. I deserve success and the things I have today.

Set out that you deserve the success you have today. Knowing that you deserve the things you have affirms that you don’t hold back on your goals, and you are in a constant state of gratitude for everything you have. Aside from manifesting success, owning that you deserve it strays away from self-sabotage.

4. Happiness is a choice, and today, I choose to be happy.

Choosing happiness is a great way to let go of the things that hold your emotions back. Forget things that cannot be changed and choose a better outlook in life by letting happiness prevail in your thoughts. Exemplifying happiness as the choice will reflect on you physically, and the happiness within you will radiate to the people around you.

5. My past does not define me.

Letting go of who you were in the past can sometimes be a struggle. It is easier to accept that the past is no longer in charge of you are in the present. Take every past mistake and difficulty as a learning process. Acknowledge that your past is way behind you and that it won’t hold you back to the things you can do today.

6. The door of opportunity is open, and I will take advantage of it today.

This affirmation shows that you acknowledge that there are a lot of opportunities you can grab today. Positive affirmations are set to open doors that fill your thoughts with nothing but abundance. This thought sets out that you are open to set your life to a positive course of change.

7. All I need is within me right now.

Before you start your daily chores, a positive affirmation that you have everything you need is within you will help get things done. This positive affirmation negates out that there are still things you need beyond what you have. It also highlights that what you have are sufficient to deal with your day to day quests.

8. Note to self: I am enough

Having a mental note that you are enough gets you to a lot of places in life. There will be an instance where self-doubt eats up your day, but knowing your worth and recognizing that you are enough will change your perspective in life. Know that you are enough in all aspects of life. Accept compliments and validation, and accept that you alone are sufficient to keep yourself happy and motivated.

9. I am loved.

Keep this positive affirmation to yourself to have the glowing mindset of great value in this universe. Thinking that you are well-loved changes your outlook and will.

10. My goals are set, and I will accomplish them today.

Keep your eyes and your mind on your short and long term goals. A positive affirmation of your goals for the day will set it on fire. This affirmation is part of you trying to let the world know that you are goal-oriented and there is nothing that can set you apart from it. Abundance and productivity will come your way if you are focused enough and have a positive mindset.

11. I won’t let what other people think of me affect me.

Having a fear of what other people think is a significant obstacle you can easily overcome. Implanting what other people will think of you has a significant impact on your thoughts. Set out that you will mindlessly go on without their negative energy to focus more on your goals.

12. I will nourish my body with the right food choices.

Food can be a great source of comfort, especially when you are having a rough day. Positive affirmations have physical benefits, especially if you are mindful of what you eat. Positively affirm that you will choose healthy food choices, and other aspects of your well-being will follow.

13. I believe in myself.

Create no room for self-doubt today. Believe in who you are and what you can do today. There is no reason for you to doubt the things you are destined to do. You may stumble and fall but know that it is part of the process you are in. You are your best cheerleader, so affirm that you believe in all you can do today.

14. I am grateful for everything I am and everyone around me.

Part of having a better and more peaceful mindset is recognizing some people believed in you. Having a grateful heart plants seeds to pass on the good things that happened to you along the way. A positive affirmation of who you have become and the people around you balance the negative energy set out by others.

15. I am at peace with myself.

There is a difference between being at peace with the world and being at peace with yourself. This positive affirmation sets out that you have accepted your flaws and mistakes and that you are in the process of growing and changing. There is no definite you, and being at peace with yourself can clear out the clutter and clouds of doubt in your mind.

Say these positive affirmations to yourself and feel inspired, motivated, and empowered! Finally, love and trust yourself. You are you – and you CAN!

About the Author

Charles Vallena

Charles is the editor-in-chief at TheSleepMatters.com. He provides expert insights, guides, and reviews on the best mattresses online. When not working, you’ll often see him watching Gary Vaynerchuk and Tony Robbins’ motivational videos on Youtube.

References

4 Ways To Lay The Path To Success Early In Life

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“Finally, it’s important that children understand the concept and value of money from an early age. Children that don’t grasp this concept are more likely to end up in debt later in life or run into issues with money.”

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A key focus of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success. While the start we get in life is not the ultimate predictor of our overall success, it certainly helps. Likewise the better the start a child gets, the more likely they will be to succeed once they leave the nest. The following contributed post is entitled, 4 Ways To Lay The Path To Success Early In Life.

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Are there steps that parents can take to ensure that their children are successful later in life? Debates have raged about this question for decades and countless generations. There are thousands of research studies investigating how to help children learn, develop, and grow, perhaps at a faster pace than their peers. Of course, finding the right school for your child is essential. A higher education school for gifted students will often help them explore their potential, while institutions for those with learning difficulties will also help their students make fantastic progress. You need only see these Alpine Academy reviews to see how much academic approaches can have an effect. So, let’s look at some of the ways that people could potentially charter their children towards success.

Encouraging Group And Team Activities

First, parents should think about getting their children involved in teams and groups from a very early age. Working as part of a team is going to be an essential skill that children will need to succeed in adult life. Regardless of the business industry or sector you choose, teamwork is absolutely vital and always will be. Children learn skills related to teamwork naturally in school but the more experience they have here, the better they will be.

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Extra Learning

Various educational experts agree that children should be engaging with fresh levels of education outside of the boundaries of school. This could be useful in two different scenarios. First, it’s possible that kids are falling behind in certain subjects or classes. If that’s the case, then extra education will help them get back on track. Alternatively, it might be that they are racing beyond their peers. If that’s the case, then you should encourage their ambition and push them even further forward. The good news is that there are resources available for both scenarios. Sites such as https://studentreasures.com/teachers-lounge/lesson-plans/fourth-grade/ will help you craft lesson plans for home.

Develop Confidence

Next, you need to make sure that you are developing your child’s level of self confidence. Various research studies show that levels of confidence are positively correlated with rates of success. If you want your children to feel confident in who they are and what they can offer the world, you need to provide them the support they need in their endeavours. This could be one of the most important roles that parents fulfill in their child’s lives. This could be as simple as attending their sports games or helping them find where their talent lies.

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Teach Them About Money

Finally, it’s important that children understand the concept and value of money from an early age. Children that don’t grasp this concept are more likely to end up in debt later in life or run into issues with money. As well as impacting their finances, this can stop them from climbing higher in their career too. Teaching them about money can start with a piggy bank and pocket money. You might also want to consider planning lessons about how to spend money and highlight the importance of saving. Letting them make mistakes with money early on will ensure they don’t fall into the same traps later in life. You can learn more about money lessons for kids on https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/how-to-teach-kids-about-money.

It’s clear then that there are a variety of different ways that parents can put their children on the path to success. Exploring these options could be the difference between your child becoming a professional and working for professionals.

What’s The Goal In Life And How Can You Get There?

A key focus of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success. A major key to being successful is setting goals and then creating a plan to execute and achieve them. The following contributed post is entitled, What’s The Goal In Life And How Can You Get There?

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In life, everyone is going to have a goal. Some goals are where you want to end up, what you want to do and basically, what you want from life. Once you know what this is, you can start putting plans in motion to get there, and these are the things that we’re going to be looking at in this article. If you would like to know more about this topic, then keep reading down below.

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What Is The Goal?

The first thing that you’re going to need to think about is what the goal actually is. This is important for a couple of reasons. The first is that it will give you something to aim for. Once you know exactly what your goal in life actually is, you don’t have to worry about it anymore. Too many people spend a lot of time trying to come up with a goal in the first place, and it takes a lot of time away from their lives while they are trying to figure out what it is they want to do.

The second reason is that it gives you some kind of direction. What we mean by this is that once you know what your goal is, you can start taking steps in the right direction. The sooner you can do this, the better as it gives you more time to come up with a plan of action.

Get More Education

So, the first thing that you may need to do in order to reach your goal in life is to get some more education. You should figure out what kind of education you need in order to achieve your goal, and then you should work towards it. If you already have the required level of education, then there’s no need to do anything further, and you should simply move on to another step. However, it is more than likely that you’re going to need some sort of course in order to get where you need to be. For example, you may need to study to offer health services or even some kind of engineering. It’s entirely dependent on where your life is headed.

It’s About Who You Know

The final thing that you need to consider is the fact that it’s about who you know more than what you know. While this may not be entirely fair, if you can network and make friends with the right people, you are more likely to get further, quicker. Knowing people in high places is always going to come in handy, so it’s a good idea to be as sociable as possible, attend events that you think will help you meet people in the industry, and do whatever else you need to do to make some valuable friends.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you can do to reach your goal in life. Everyone’s goal is going to be different, so your journey isn’t going to be the same as other people’s. It’s for this reason that you’ve got to stick to your own path, no matter what anyone else is doing. We wish you the best of luck.

What Having Kids Teaches Us About Being a Leader

A key focus of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success. They say that having children forever changes you. If done right, it imparts one specific quality on you, leadership. The following contributed post is entitled, What Having Kids Teaches Us About Being a Leader.

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Being a parent is about raising this little person and nurturing them. In essence, you are the most influential person in the world to this little thing. As they grow older, you can find yourself losing your way, becoming caught up in your emotions, or making wrong decisions. And it’s the little things that can help you directly if you want to be a better leader. If you are looking to motivate employees or you are considering becoming a leader, what can having children teach you about being a leader?

It Is About the Team, Not the Individual
In the working environment, it’s about a group effort. As parents, we can get drunk on our own sense of power. If we start to be the parent that tells our children not to do things and then respond with “because I said so” when they ask “why,” we’ve got to make a lot of changes to our own abilities. Think about working as a team. And you can do this in simple ways. You can start to play sports together. You can incorporate extracurricular activities where you all play sports, such as baseball or softball. You can even start to make it a real team effort by providing a tangible goal for the kids, such as a trophy. And you can also make it a more fun effort with personalized lineup cards and create a tournament. And it’s all of these little things that work so well in both scenarios. By helping people to focus on the bigger picture, you start to motivate them. This works for employees, but it also works for children. And it also works for you because it makes you realize that you are part of a team and are not someone who is above them.

Everybody Is More Resilient Than They Think They Are
When you have employees and you are trying to improve their performance, despite stress coming from every direction, it’s about applying enough of a stimulus to facilitate an appropriate response. When we experience stress, we have to learn how to adapt to new situations. And there will be things that we can learn from our children that as adults we will completely forget about. Seeing children adapt to new situations is really interesting. You may see that they are incredibly upset when you drop them off for their first day of preschool. After all, you’re giving them away to a foreign environment, but what happens is that they adapt and get over their fears. This is something that we can all learn because we experience troubles but when we get stressed, we, as adults, internalize it. Children tend to externalize it so they don’t necessarily feel the scars, but they also learn to adapt. If we ever start to feel overwhelmed by something, we need to look at our children and remember that they have gone through stressful times more recently than we have, from preschool to all the emotional changes they have experienced in quick succession.

As a parent, we’ve got a lot of life experience, but we have to remember that this life experience can transfer to the office. Having children can train you to be a leader in more ways than you realize.

4 Ways to Make the Most of Time at Home this Winter

Two focuses of my blog are Creating Ecosystems of Success and Health/Wellness. With Covid-19, this may be an especially long winter. Similar to most of the year, using the time wisely will be of the utmost importance even if just for your personal health. The following contributed post is entitled, 4 Ways to Make the Most of Time at Home this Winter.

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Over the past year, you have likely spent more time at home than ever before due to the pandemic. As the weather starts to grow colder and the winter arrives, you may be starting to spend more time at home once again. If you are worried that you will struggle to stay occupied at home over the winter, then it may help to plan some ideas to fill your time. Now is the perfect opportunity to acquire new interests and to rediscover past hobbies. If you are looking for ideas to keep you entertained at home, why not give some of these a try?

1. Learn a Language

Learning a language is an excellent way to spend time and could be extremely useful. If you love traveling, why not learn the language of your favorite vacation destination? Alternatively, why not master a language that will further your career? Bi-lingual employees are always in high demand. You could even make a complete career change based on your new language skills, such as teaching English as a foreign language or working as an interpreter.

2. Discover Fascinating Facts

Everyone loves to learn fascinating facts, so why not do some research and discover new information to impress your friends with? You are sure to be the most popular member of your quiz team when armed with all these facts! With a little research, you can find out everything from who chrese evans is, to which country consumes the most chocolate. There is a whole world of information out there just waiting to be discovered.

3. Acquire a New Skill

If you want to use your time at home wisely, then learning a new skill is a great idea. Now is the perfect time to learn that skill that you have always wanted to master, but never had the time. If you have always wanted to learn to cook like a pro or to play the guitar like a rock star, then now could be your perfect chance to do it! Why not seize this window of opportunity and give it a go!

If you live with your family, why not see if they would be interested in learning something new? Developing a new skill can be so much more fun when you are learning alongside someone else and sharing the learning journey.

4. Reconnect with Friends

During the first stay at home order, many people found that they felt lonely and isolated. To avoid this, it is crucial to try and nurture your wellbeing as much as possible. While you may not be out and about during the lockdown and unable to meet up with people in-person, it is essential to connect with others during this time. With extra time spent at home, you may find that you have the opportunity to get back in touch with family members and friends that you don’t usually have the time to speak with.

Reconnecting with loved ones and learning new things will certainly keep you busy while at home.

5 Skills You Should Learn In Life

Two focuses of my blog are Creating Ecosystems of Success and Health/Wellness. Even before the Coronavirus/Covid-19 pandemic, there were a set of specific essential skills that everyone should’ve had some comfort level with, skills that are now more important than ever. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Skills You Should Learn In Life.

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If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that you never know what is around the corner, and it is important to be prepared for anything. How many people were thrown into the world of homeschooling this year? Or having to do more cooking as they had to stay inside more? Or what about those who have lost their jobs but used their other skills to make money or to help out with the pandemic? It’s so useful to have life skills as you never know when they might come in handy. Right now, if you’re spending more time at home, then it’s the perfect time to learn a new skill.

Cooking
You don’t need to be a Michelin starred chef, and while it’s absolutely fine to order takeaways every now and again and pop a ready meal in the microwave, it’s also really useful to be able to make just a couple of easy meals. There are loads of recipes you can make, which don’t require much effort, and these days with frozen or chopped vegetables, you don’t even have to do much preparation. It’s good to know that your family is eating healthily and that you know what is in their meals. Find your family favorites and begin with cooking those, and you’ll soon get that hang of what ingredients work well together, and you’ll build your confidence to be more adventurous.

Survival Skills
Survival information is important in todays’ world. With more people now taking staycations and doing activities such as camping for their holidays, having survival skills can mean a safer but also a more fun time.

Sewing
When you lose a button or have a hole in your jumper, do you know what to do, or do you just throw your clothes out? Having sewing skills means you don’t have to go out and buy new ones, but you can fix your favorite clothes. Now that’s just if you learn the essentials, but knowing how to make a dress or like in the recent months, those people who are a dab hand at sewing have been so helpful making scrubs for the NHS and making money from making pretty masks for people.

First Aid
Do you know what to do if someone has an accident? Or if someone is choking? Or even just if they have fallen over and are bleeding? Do you know the signs of a heart attack or stroke? It’s so handy to have the basic skills for your family’s safety and for your own. You can pick up a basic first aid book or sign up for some classes if you want to learn more and make sure you get it right.

DIY
DIY skills can be a very useful set of skills, not just for your own home, but it is something you can make money from too. People always need home repair, and if you know what to do, then you could be very popular. There are plenty of youtube videos available on how to DIY, so not only will you learn something new, fix something that is broken but also enjoy the satisfaction that comes with doing it yourself.

What Empowers Us To Help Each Other?

A key focus of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success. There are always people who want to exceed and excel but don’t know how to. In many instances our success is impacted by the help of others. The following contributed post is entitled, What Empowers Us To Help Each Other?

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Some websites are dedicated to sharing only happy and empowering stories, such as the Good News Network. It’s always a good idea to browse through their news and remind ourselves that there is still a lot of good in people.

Yet, it’s hard to read about positive stories without wondering whether you’d be able to do the same if you were in a similar situation. While it’s inspiring to read about people helping each other, it also reminds us of our limitations. But the real question you want to ask is not whether you can help someone else, but instead, what you need to feel empowered to be the hero of the next Good News Network story.

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Communication is at the heart of community support
The first and most surprising obstacle to helping each other is an obstruction to the flow of information. Communication plays a significant role both in business and social life? However, while we communicate every day, we still have a lot to learn to improve the way we share and exchange information. A streamlined flow of communication, for instance, can avoid unnecessary friction and ensures everybody is on the same page. Why does it matter? Because you can’t help people if you don’t know what’s going on. Having access to current and relevant facts can not only help you determine who needs help but also how to make a difference.

Finding a role model you can trust
We’re never too old to look up for a role model. Someone who is able to go above and beyond to help others, such as Irvington, NJ, Mayor Tony Vauss, provides the inspirational example we all need to change. The mayor has been seen building partnerships and reaching out to officials in order to keep the population safe. His actions demonstrate that creativity, perseverance, and engagement are crucial to helping those who need it, such as distributing emergency food and fresh produce. From an observer’s perspective, the real-life example can give us more confidence to take action ourselves.

There’s no secret: If you don’t believe in yourself, nobody will do it for you
Perhaps, the biggest issue you will have to tackle before you can embrace your selfless side is your self-esteem. Your self-esteem is shaped by a variety of experiences, relationships, and events. Many beliefs you have about yourself are often the result of the message you’ve received from your friends and relatives. Therefore, it is easy to have low self-esteem if you’ve received unhelpful messages. As a result, you may be tempted to believe that others are more capable than you, and therefore better suited to make a difference. Yet, identifying the roots of your lack of confidence can provide you with a key to move past and build something new. Ultimately, you can’t find value in helping others if you can’t value yourself first.

What does it take to reach out to someone else and give them a hand? It takes a lot more than you think. You need to be appropriately informed about their situation, guided by a role model’s success, and equipped with the self-belief to make it happen. The bottom line: Perhaps the lack of selflessness and care for each other is a societal cry for help that highlights the many human flaws that prevent us from becoming the best version of ourselves.

3 Benefits of Working and Planning for the Future

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success. They say that those who plan have many, many advantages over those who do not. Planning and looking into the future is in fact mentioned in many, many wealth building books. The following contributed post is entitled, 3 Benefits of Working and Planning for the Future.

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There are various different ways in which we can all choose to live our lives, across a variety of different dimensions.

One of the key differences in how people can choose to live their lives is that they can either decide to be focused on pursuing pleasure and satisfaction in the immediate to short-term, or they can be focused on working and planning for the future, and aiming for longer term and more enduring prizes.

Of course, as with all things in life, there needs to be a balance. There’s no point in being so future-focussed that you never stop to enjoy the present moment, or to be mindful of the blessings that are right in front of you.

But, here are some of the benefits of working and planning for the future, as a general rule, whether that means investing in universal life insurance, keeping up a regular fitness routine, or working on your own business.

Deferred gratification can lead to greater and more stable long-term happiness and reward

There’s some evidence in the field of psychology that suggests that a focus on short-term gratification primarily involves the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is associated with craving.

As a general principle, it’s impossible to “satisfy” the dopamine mechanism, but only to continue chasing after the next “hit.” Doubtless, this is why dopamine is highly implicated in the addiction cycle.

Deferred gratification, however, typically involves working on making progress towards desired and longer-term outcomes that are more carefully thought out, and that engage systems of the brain associated with the drive for happiness and fulfilment, rather than the satisfaction of craving. Such as, perhaps, the neurotransmitter serotonin.

The future is uncertain, by planning for it, you can potentially counteract some of its troubles

The future is always uncertain, and there are unfortunately bound to be struggles, troubles, and unpleasant events that we all have to confront down the line.

Working and planning for the future, however, can go a long way towards helping you to potentially counteract some of these troubles – and to at least reduce the sting a bit, if not to vanquish the potential trouble outright.

Being mindful of proper nutrition, exercise, and regular health checkups, for example, might save you from having to battle a tragic health condition later in life.

Efficacy is almost always built incrementally – but by keeping your eye on the prize, you can stay consistent in your daily habits and systems

With few exceptions, efficacy – skill, effectiveness, and insight – is always built up incrementally, rather than as a result of one-off, short-term actions.

Whether you want to become the best you can at some sport, or as a professional blogger, writer, entrepreneur, or anything else, keeping your eye on the future prize can help you to remain consistent in your daily habits and systems, so that you can keep putting in the steady and regular work that gets you to where you want to be.

If, on the other hand, you keep a much more short-term focus, those more ambitious goals and skills are likely to remain out of reach.

Goal Setting 101: It’s Not Too Late to Pursue Your Resolutions

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success. Many of us start off the year with specific goals in mind but fall off the wagon somewhere. Despite losing focus, it’s never to late to retool and continuing on your path. The following contributed post is entitled, Goal Setting 101: It’s Not Too Late to Pursue Your Resolutions.

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If you are like most people, then you made your resolutions at the beginning of the year. However, now that we’re halfway through the year, you don’t have to wait until next year to kick start your goals, why not start now? Below are a few steps that can help you achieve your career resolutions.

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Learn a new skill

Regardless of the field you’re in, there are other skills that you can learn, and that can help your career. Is there a specific skill that you have always wanted to learn? Make it one of your career goals of the year and get started. If that skill can enhance your performance at work, your employer may even be willing to pay for it.

Examine your areas of growth

Of course, you had already set your resolutions at the beginning of the year, but you may want to revisit them. Unfortunately, some goals, like getting a raise, can backfire. Instead, focus on resolutions that are tied to your values. The bottom line is that your resolution isn’t as important to the reason why. When your resolutions are tied to your values, you will have the intrinsic drive to pursue them. Perhaps you truly love helping people improve their smiles by providing them with excellent dental services. Let these values drive your resolutions and partner with Medifit Design and Construct to make your resolution a reality.

Stay healthier at work

Most people set health resolutions, including losing weight. You spend most of your time at work, and it’s important that you do what you can to improve your health. Some of the simple healthy things that you can do include packing a healthy lunch, getting up to stretch after every hour, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and switching your office chair for an exercise ball. All these small things will help to improve your health.

Create a professional network

There’s nothing wrong about increasing the size of your professional network. In the line of duty, you meet several people, but do you take the time to listen or connect with them? This year, try and find at least one person every month who you can add to your LinkedIn connections and gradually grow your network.

Set yourself up for success

While this may sound like an obvious way to go about your career resolutions, building a strong foundation for your career is important. Ensure that you have an up-to-date resume and improve your LinkedIn profile. Just like your resume, your LinkedIn profile also matters. Regardless of whether you’re searching for a new job or not, having an active LinkedIn profile to showcase your skills, accomplishments, and professional image will boost your confidence.

It’s Never Too Late

Just like Napoleon Hill said, you shouldn’t wait because the time will never be just right. Therefore, whether you’re afraid of progressing your career or you’re just waiting for next January to pursue this year’s resolutions, you may end up spending a lifetime sitting on the bench. There is nothing like the right time when it comes to pursuing your career goals. Remember, procrastination is the mother of failure.

3 Tips for Being More Respectful of Your Time

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Health/Wellness. A key problem many people have is not respecting their own time. Unfortunately time management is not something that is taught across the board. The following contributed post is entitled, 3 Tips for Being More Respectful of Your Time.

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In life, there are all sorts of resources of various types that you might have plenty of – or very little of – depending on a broad variety of circumstances.

One thing that everyone has equal access to, however, is the time available in a given day. No matter whether you are the most quick-witted and enterprising business guru in the land, or someone much more ordinary, you will never have more than 24 hours in a day to spend attending to your chores, chasing your dreams, and all the rest.

Very often, we end up convincing ourselves that the reason why we don’t do the sorts of things we would ideally want to do in life, is because we just “don’t have enough time.”

While time constraints are obviously real, it’s also true that we frequently sabotage ourselves and develop a distorted sense of what is and isn’t possible, due to the fact that we aren’t as respectful and thoughtful of our time as we should be.

In her book “168 Hours,” the writer Laura Vanderkam details many examples of successful people in a variety of fields who have nonetheless managed to juggle their hobbies and personal lives alongside fruitful careers. The secret? They always found a way to squeeze in a bit of time on a regular basis for the things they were really passionate about, even in spite of all the odds.

Vanderkam shares one particularly telling anecdote in the book, where she describes having read a publication where various members of the public waxed lyrical about the brilliant things they would do if they only had an extra 20 minutes or so a day to spend. Predictably, there were a lot of people who were apparently going to live out their dreams and pursue their hobbies if only that extra sliver of time would materialise.

Considering the fact, however, that the average person spends several hours a day watching television – this can’t help but ring a bit hollow.

Here are a few tips for being more respectful of your time in general, so that you can live your life in line with your true values, hopes, and principles.

Consider auditing your time for a while to see just where it’s actually going

In “168 Hours,” Vanderkam proposes a great exercise for raising time-awareness – that is, keeping daily “timesheets,” detailing how you spend all your time for at least a week or two at a stretch.

This isn’t necessarily meant to be a permanently ongoing exercise. The key point is that it will shine a light on just what’s actually happening with your time, so that you are no longer likely to be so inclined to feel as though the minutes and hours have just swept by in a blur.

After doing this exercise for a few days, you might be shocked to find just how much of your “working hours” were actually spent on browsing the web. Or how many of your evening leisure and relaxation hours were not actually spent on entertainment, time with friends and family, or relaxation, but were rather dedicated to checking work emails after hours.

There is a famous old saying that “what gets measured, gets improved.” By the same token, if you never actually track how you’re spending your time, you will inevitably have a very limited scope for mastering it and treating it with more respect.

Realise that outsourcing certain things is often a great way of freeing up more time

Generally speaking, it’s quite common for people to be reluctant to spend money outsourcing things that they could – if pushed – do by themselves.

Of course, it’s good to be self-reliant and not to spend money gratuitously, but both in your working life and your personal life, it will often be the case that “outsourcing” various tasks, projects, and chores, is one of the best and most reliable ways of freeing up more time that you can then spend more fruitfully.

If you are an entrepreneur, for example, there is quite a good chance that you will naturally be predisposed to try to micromanage your business as much as possible. But everyone has limited time, a limited range of skill sets, and a limited amount of energy to spend on a given day.

Bringing a third party network management company on board, for example, might therefore not only mean that this dimension of your business gets handled more effectively, but that you also suddenly find you have far more time and energy available in your day to spend on other things.

Use the power of your environment to keep you focused and on point

There is a popular idea in productivity-focused circles that suggests that willpower is the end-all-be-all when it comes to things like proper time management.

While willpower is certainly important, however, it is not a resource you can draw on endlessly in order to try and structure and arrange every aspect of your daily existence. According to the psychologist Kelly McGonigal, author of “The Willpower Instinct,” research suggests that willpower is actually a finite and expendable resource. If you try to rely on it too heavily for too many things, you’re setting yourself up for burnout and failure.

In order to be more respectful of your own time, and to manage your time more effectively, one of the most powerful things you could do would be to use the power of your environment to keep you focused and on point.

What exactly does this mean?

Well, essentially it means that as human beings we are all inclined to follow the path of least resistance, by default. The way you structure your environment can therefore serve to nudge you down more or less fruitful and intentional paths, requiring varying degrees of willpower.

When it comes to being more respectful of your time, a good environmental shift might be something like installing a web blocker on your computer to keep distracting sites at bay during certain hours. Or, surrounding yourself with people who will keep an eye on you and keep you accountable if you’re supposed to be meeting a certain deadline by a certain time.