We become what we think. This quote has been proven over and over again.
If we perceive something bad is going to happen to us, many times it does.
On the contrary, if we believe something good is going to happen, this often becomes true as well.
Science has affirmed the link between positive affect and its impact on an individual’s motivation and performance.
If we expect the best or we expect the worst, we’re usually not disappointed. Each time we perceive a positive thought, it increases our own perceptions of positive expectancy.
For motivation to last, it requires constant thinking with daily positive reinforcement.
The holiday season always makes me think about gratitude and blessings; about all the things that we take for granted.
We Americans have such an overabundance and such busy lives that we forget about the simple blessings in life. Sadly, we forget to be grateful. 😢
Gratitude is appreciation or thankfulness, a positive emotion or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive. Gratitude has been found to be connected to a feeling of well-being.
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The start of the final quarter is a good time to review your efforts and make adjustments to meet the goals you established for this year.
And to start thinking about your self-improvement plan for next year…
You may need to roll over some goals you didn’t meet this year into next year’s plan. You may have found some skill or knowledge gaps that you’ll want to work on next year.
But the plan is simple, identify your weaknesses and develop a way to master them. Everyone has weaknesses and that’s okay. You’re human and you’re not perfect.
Self-improvement is your responsibility
It’s important to step up and take action for creating your own path. You can’t sit around and wait for others to do it for you. And life is too short to waste living without a plan!
If you don’t take charge of your own life, you risk not reaching your full potential and not becoming who you are meant to become.
You are the master of your own ship. You need an action plan broken down into small steps to accomplish your bigger vision or goals.
The most successful people are those who develop a strategic self-improvement plan to improve and grow and do not depend on chance.
Yes, it takes time, sacrifice, effort, and discipline. But if you want something serious enough, it will all be SO worth it!
How to develop your self-improvement plan
Set clear, realistic, measurable goals in your strategic plan that you will be proud of achieving.
Write them down then break down each goal into action steps. Then assign a deadline for each action step.
Once you have a strategic self-improvement plan, commit to it and remember that little adjustments may need to be made along the way.
Review your goals habitually so you will remember how you are supposed to be spending your time and energy. This will be your roadmap to your success.
Once you know what you want and how to get it, you will be much more focused and engaged with your life or career.
Get help if you need it
If you need help or advice, you may need to speak with someone such as a trusted friend or colleague, enlist help from your network, a career counselor, or a life or career coach.
They could also serve as an accountability partner who checks in with you periodically to see how you are coming along with your self-improvement plan.
You could also do some research online or at the library.
The Waiting Place
You may not always meet your goals, or have the perfect strategic self-improvement plan. Focus on progress, not perfection.
The important thing is that you plan your work and you work your plan. If you don’t, it is way too easy to get stuck in The Waiting Place.
Conclusion
As long as you are working on the next step, you are making progress.
It’s the little steps in life that add up to big differences. Accomplishing your goals will bring you closer to what you want in life.
But nothing will change without your participation. So what are you going to do to make the changes you want to see?
No goal = no direction = no progress “Many people fail in life, not for lack of ability or brains or even courage but simply because they have never organized their energies around a goal.” ~Elbert Hubbard
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Is there really such a thing as work-life balance?
Is there a perfect balance?
Will we really be happy once we find our balance?
I believe that this ambiguous term can be described differently by each person depending on each person’s individual needs.
Our needs can be as distinctive as we are individuals and will depend on many factors: our age, marital status, whether we have children, our physical condition, health, income, and many others.
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I haven’t always been a positive person. I wasn’t raised in an abundantly positive home environment. It is something I’ve had to learn and work on.
I’ve had many lessons and teachers. I’ve learned to be happy even for the little things. I’ve learned to be thankful even in the midst of turmoil. It isn’t always easy. But I’ve decided it is better than the alternative — to be unhappy.
