If you were to break your day into parts, you would easily see that each day is comprised of many different little segments of time. There is the period of time where you are getting dressed and ready for work, your morning breakfast or coffee time, the commute to work, the morning conference call, etc. ... the list of daily events goes on and on.

As we move through our day, we may just go from one thing to the next and not really ever have the opportunity to slow down. We are focused on doing whatever is in front of us in the best way possible and there usually is so much going on that it is easy to get sucked into all the activity.

Is This Really How We Should Move Through Our Day?

Despite the fact that it is by all means important to focus on one thing at a time and do each thing to the best of our ability, should we really allow ourselves to get completely consumed with the tasks we are completing? Isn’t there something more we need to be aware of as we move through our day?

Yes, it is great if we are able to maintain a lot of focus and produce high quality results, but it is equally important that we are also able to have a great frame of mind as we move through the day. At all times we should be aware of all the great things around us.

The alternaview

In addition to being productive, we also want to feel happy, content and at our best.

That means we have to do something more.

We need to focus some of our attention on conjuring up and maintaining positive emotions and feelings throughout the day. And, a great way to be able to consistently do this is to take notice of the little things we may usually overlook because we are consumed with what we are doing.

There is Something Great To Notice Every Moment

There is something great for us to notice every single moment of the day and the key is to be aware of exactly what that is as we move through our day. Often times it is the little things we may miss out on enjoying and appreciating … the beauty of a sunrise, the smile and laughter of your child, the kindness of the stranger that opens the door, the friendly and happy receptionist, the great taste of your morning tea or latte, the peaceful commute to work, the list goes on and on as long as you are looking.

There really is nothing better than being able to continually notice and appreciate all the great things that are always around you. When some of your attention is focused on doing this as you move through your day, great feelings just naturally flow and build on one another. It is the positive domino effect at work and each good feeling helps to create the next one and the next one until you have a day filled with great moments since all moments are connected.

And, that is really what it is all about.

You move through your day with a lot of productivity and you just feel great because you are able to appreciate the things around you. The greatest thing is that you can literally choose to instantly put this skill to work whenever you notice yourself falling into a slump or sucked into the hustle and bustle of life.

Don’t go through your day on autopilot or be so consumed with what you are doing that you don't notice anything else. Every time you can remember, be aware of the great things around you. Choose to tune in to all the things you can appreciate about the day and the people around you. You will be amazed at the positive impact this will have on your day … that is the alternaview.

Have you ever known someone who continues to be confronted with the same issue over and over again? Perhaps this is even something you are personally familiar with? For some reason, there is an issue that continually arises in your life in different circumstances.

Maybe you have continually struggled with the same issues in relationships? Maybe you keep encountering similar challenges at work or with your career? Maybe the same feelings that have held you back from accomplishing everything you can continue to crop up in other situations?

It is not uncommon to run into the same issues and challenges over and over again. Although the circumstances change, the underlying issues can continue to rear their ugly head from time to time in different situations.

And, the logical question is why? Why would the same issues, such as, fear, doubt, obstacles or the same challenges, arise in our lives over and over again in all different types of situations? "Why does this continually keep happening to me?"

Live and Learn: The alternaview

If you continue to experience the same issue or challenge time and time again, it most likely means there is more for you to learn. This is by no means a bad thing, it simply means you have an opportunity to gather some more information and insights that you may have not grasped the first time you encountered the issue.

There is a lesson within the situation that is yours for the taking, you just have to figure out exactly what that lesson is and then make certain you learn it.

This is one of the best things we can do because it sets us up to really grow and learn from every single experience and issue that comes our way. Instead of resenting or questioning challenges and obstacles, we focus our energy on learning from them and set ourselves up to overcome them in the future when they arise again ... and they always will in one way or another until we learn from them.

Many times these lessons are the keys to our success and they will serve as the foundation of something amazing we are going to accomplish in the future. We just have to be open to understanding and figure out how to behave differently so we can avoid making the same mistakes we have made before.

It's easy to fall into the trap where we blame other people for the situation we are in or assume we are just having a string of bad luck. And, while it is certainly true that other people can contribute and cause some of our challenges, there is always a reason why we are personally being affected. It is not something to beat yourself up over, but rather just to understand there is a reason for everything and we have more to learn.

How to use this alternaview:

1. Be on the lookout for repeated issues. We can get so caught up in the issues we are managing through that we overlook the fact that we have experienced something very similar before. You have to be on the lookout for situations or issues that continually arise because there always is a reason.  Recognize the similarities so that you can learn and focus on doing things differently.

2. Be open to learning. You have to be open to learning and understand that if you are going through a challenge or if you have encountered an obstacle, there is something for you to learn. You should have a deep desire to learn and want to figure out how to live each day better than you did the day before.

3. Try to not make the same mistake more than twice. It is highly probable that we are going to make mistakes at least once, and even possible that we will make them twice. However, if we are really tuned in and paying attention, we should catch on to the lesson by the third time. Really focus on what is coming your way and try to learn lessons by the second time around.

4. "When you Lose, Don't Lose The Lesson". This is a quote I came across and it is such an important piece of advice. When things don't go as planned, we should always make sure we are taking away a lesson. Don't get caught up in your disappointment with a situation, step back and ask yourself, what is the lesson? What can you take away from this situation?

5. Plan out how you will handle it differently next time. Once you understand the lesson, it is important to develop a plan on how you will behave differently if the situation arises again in the future. Figure out how you will improve your response the next time so that when it arises, you can easily recognize it and know how to handle it.

Conclusion

We are all very well aware that life is our training ground. We are supposed to live and learn from the situations and experiences that occur. This means that we must have a heightened sense of awareness and be focused on integrating the things we learn and our wisdom into our every day decisions and actions. Understand that life will provide you with every lesson you need to know, as long as you are open to learning ... that is the alternaview.

Are you a pleasant person?  Would the people closest to you say you are pleasant to be around all the time?  Would the people you work with or even the people you happen to encounter throughout your day say that you are pleasant?

This is a question we should all probably ask ourselves from time to time so that we can keep "being pleasant" top of mind. We should be honest with our evaluation and not provide ourselves with any excuses if we realize we have not been so pleasant. So often, people will say they are pleasant to other people as long as other people are pleasant to them.  Or, they will say they can be pleasant as long as the situation doesn't call for them to be otherwise.

The alternaview

Being pleasant is a choice we all can make every single day and there really is nothing that we should allow to interfere with our ability to be pleasant all the time. It shouldn’t matter if the other people you interact with are pleasant. It shouldn't matter if you have to express a contrary opinion or disagree. We should be pleasant people and continually have pleasant interactions because when we are able to continually do this, we open ourselves up to experiencing our days and life in a great way.

Think about those days when you had a bad experience with someone.  Even if you felt you were completely not to blame and there was nothing you should have done differently, you still were negatively impacted and didn't feel at your best after the negative encounter.  You were most likely all wound up and you lost your calm peace of mind.

How we experience every moment of our day really matters. The more moments we can have where we are enjoying the people around us and interacting with them in a great way, the better. And, even in those instances where it is necessary to disagree, when we are able to do so in a calm and rational way and we don't allow the disagreement to ever become intense, emotional or confrontational, we always end up in a better place.

If we genuinely want to be a pleasant person, it is helpful to observe and learn from the pleasant people around us.  These are some of the great characteristics I have noticed pleasant people usually have.

Take a look and check off all the characteristics you also have.

30 Traits of A Pleasant Person

1. Genuinely interested in knowing and learning about people
2. Understanding about issues and challenges
3. Willingly allows cars to merge into the lane in front of them
4. Says please and thank you all the time
5. Loving
6. Smiles many times throughout the day
7. Always listens to the person they are speaking to
8. Patient
9. Laughs a lot
10. Generous
11. Focuses on how other people are feeling
12. Attempts to tell funny stories and make other people laugh
13. Always willing to lend a helping hand and offer assistance
14. Compliments other people
15. Appreciates the people and things around them
16. Thoughtful
17. Happy
18. Not worried about always proving they are right
19. Can always see the good side of someone
20. Not worried that people are taking advantage of their kindness
21. Interested in learning from people
22. Happy to do favors for other people
23. Would give you their last bite of pie
24. Open minded
25. Freely and easily apologizes when appropriate
26. A great friend
27. A great neighbor
28. Holds the door open for the person behind them
29. Laughs at other people's jokes
30. Genuine

...that's the alternaview.

Are you a pleasant person?  Have you noticed any other traits? Do you agree with this alternaview?  Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Have you ever been in a meeting or a part of a discussion with someone where you could just tell that their main goal was to say something smart? Their mission was so transparent and you could tell their number one objective was to say something that would impress people. That can be really annoying and usually because they are trying so hard to be smart, you become even less and less interested in acknowledging the fact that they really may be intelligent ... which means they have failed to accomplish their mission to be smart.

Now, there is nothing wrong with wanting to positively contribute to discussions and say things that are smart.  I am sure this is something we all may strive to do from time to time.  However, the key is that we have to make certain we aren't turning people off.  We need to ensure that we aren't working so hard to say something smart that people can see what we are trying to do and that it ultimately ends up working against us.

The alternaview

Our main objective should not be to say or to do something smart, but instead to just be thoughtful with our words and actions. We should aim to be as thoughtful as possible with everything we say and do. Our goal is to really listen to what other people are saying, think through things, and be very thoughtful with our responses.

And, that is very different from trying to just say something that is smart.

When we are only focusing on saying something smart, our attention is often times on the wrong thing.  We are focused on how intelligent we sound, how impressed other people are with what we are saying and even sometimes how impressed we are with ourselves.  The majority of our attention is on ourselves, how we sound and when will it be our turn to speak again.  We are usually not engaged in the way we should be and we are not thinking about the right things.

When we focus on being thoughtful, our attention immediately shifts and we are focused on the experience we are offering other people. Our main objective is to be as helpful and thoughtful as possible.  It is not all about us and in turn we are more sensitive to the people and things around us.  We understand the need to really think about what people are saying and not just focus on ways to be impressive.

It is amazing what happens when we shift our attention from ourselves and broaden our focus so that it includes other people and we are focused on being kind and thoughtful with our words and actions. We consider how our words and actions are impacting other people and we make certain we are communicating in the most thoughtful way.

It is not that we are just a glad giver and don't speak the truth or share our opinion, but rather we are focused on expressing things in such a way that whatever we say can be well received.  Perhaps our tone changes, we make better eye contact or maybe we choose to say things slightly differently.  Whatever the case may be, our attention is on being as thoughtful as possible, and that has a positive effect on everything.

When we are thoughtful, it literally changes the way we interact with other people and everyone we come into contact with has a better experience and impression of us.  People then become more interested in being around us and listening to what we have to say.  Even though they may not know exactly why, they enjoy speaking to us and they can feel the good energy we are putting into the air. It becomes a pleasant experience that they are very receptive to and they end up having a better impression of us because they can feel our sincerity and they value our contributions.

It's not about impressing people, but rather understanding and focusing on the value of having a genuine and thoughtful connection with people. Ironically enough, when you aim to be thoughtful, the people around you decide on their own that you are smart. You don't need to prove how smart or intelligent you are with your words, because your ability to be thoughtful speaks volumes
...that is the alternaview.

Do you agree with this alternaview? Do you aim to be thoughtful? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

Everyone wants to improve the way they live. There is nothing better than looking back on life and realizing it is improving every single day.  How great is it to know that you are getting better and better at living?

Now we all know there are usually not instant fixes when it comes to improving things in life.  If you want to improve your skills, your job, your appearance or any other aspect of your life, often times that means you have to commit to changing things and then be disciplined enough to consistently take one step at a time until you reach your goal.

The alternaview:

However, what if there were things we could immediately start doing that would have such a positive impact on our life and how we live, that life would instantly improve? We literally could just incorporate certain things into our days and immediately our life would get better.

Now, I am not claiming to have a magic list that will change your life overnight, but I do think there are certain things you can do that will really allow you to live everyday better and ultimately improve your life. These things are like little doses of positive energy, and the more of them you do, the more your life opens up and things just begin to fall into place. They bring the right type of energy to your days and align things so that your life overall just improves.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but these are some of the best things you can do immediately ... or continue to do if they are already a part of your day.

10 Things You Can Do Right Now To Instantly Improve Your life:

1. Stop Complaining. It is amazing how much negative energy complaining injects into our day.  Often times we don't even realize the negative impact that complaining really does have on our day and how we are experiencing it.  We think we are venting and getting things off our chest, but when we complain we really are diminishing our own positive energy, even if we are complaining about someone else.  Choose to stop complaining immediately and be conscious of anytime you begin to complain. Stop yourself as soon as you realize you are complaining about any situation or any person.  Refuse to fall into the trap of complaining.

2. Start looking for what is great. So often we go through our days noticing everything that is wrong.  It's raining, it's cold, your job doesn't pay enough, your co-worker is driving you crazy, your neighbor is playing their music too loud, etc.  The list goes on and on.  Instead of focusing your attention on what is irritating  and annoying, choose to notice what you do like and what is going great. As you go through your day, change your focus from what is not working, to what is working.  You will be amazed at how much better it will make you feel as you go through the day.

3. Start focusing on people's strengths. It literally is possible to find something that you don't appreciate about someone else all the time. People's idiosyncrasies seem to stick out and their weaknesses  are usually easier to notice than their strengths. However, if you choose to focus on people's strengths and the good qualities they have, you will allow yourself to see people in a different and improved light. This will make all your experiences with them much more pleasant.

4. Find at least 10 things to smile about everyday. There are always things to smile about throughout the day. The problem is that we usually are so burdened by the things that are dissatisfying, that we miss out on many of our opportunities to smile and have fun.  Focus on smiling and laughing as you go through your day.

5. Have as many relaxing and silent moments as possible. Relaxation and silence are both key to improving your life. Take every opportunity you can to enjoy relaxing and silence. Turn the radio off in the car for your morning commute, and enjoy your silence and relaxation time in your morning shower. The key is to take advantage of anytime where you are alone and can just relax.

6. Don't eat food too late in the day. Aim to eat a large lunch and a light dinner and to not eat anything after 8 pm. Cut out the midnight snacks and focus on eating vegetables and other light meals at dinner.  When you eat a large lunch and give your body time to digest your food as you go throughout your day, you will really feel a lot better and be more energized.

7. Exercise. Gotta do it ... so find some type of exercise that you like.  Just about anything counts as long as you find some way to consistently be active and get in a good workout.

8. Drink lots of water. There is just something about drinking water that puts everything into balance.  Try to substitute water for soda, iced tea, juice or anything else that you usually drink.  It doesn't mean that all you can drink is water, but the more water you drink, the better.

9. Love whatever you can. As cliche as it may sound, love really does make the world go round.  Focus on the things and people in your life that you love. Anytime you feel yourself getting worked up, remind yourself of the things and people you love. It will always get you into a better frame of mind.

10. Really experience and enjoy as many moments as possible. Don't just go through your day on autopilot.  Really experience and enjoy what you are doing and all the experiences you are having. Find a way to pour as much passion and energy to as many moments as possible.

If you aren't doing all of these things everyday, why not try them out? You have nothing to lose and you will be absolutely amazed at the positive impact they will have on your life ... that is the alternaview.

Do you agree with this alternaview? What do you think of the list?  Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

This is a guest alternaview from Eduard Ezeanu and actually the first guest post on the alternaview.  I have always enjoyed seeing other people's alternaviews and I am inviting you all to share your alternaviews with us in a guest post.  Please just contact me if you are interested.

Eduard Ezeanu is a communication coach with an attitude-based approach. He helps others to improve people skills they find relevant and get top notch results. He also writes on his blog, People Skills Decoded, and you can follow him on Twitter at @eduardezeanu.

The way I see it, starting your own business is easy, in comparison with making it work. The percentages of businesses which open their doors only to unsuccessfully close them a short while later is huge. I believe that one of the main reasons for this is the lack of understandings about the skills which make a good entrepreneur.

The common logic for becoming an entrepreneur is this: I work for a couple of years, I develop professional skills and once they’re at a high level, I quit my job and start my own business. The concrete examples go like this:

• I work as a lawyer, develop my lawyer skills, then I start my own law firm;
• I work as a trainer, develop my training skills, then I start my own training company.

It all sound good at a first glance. But take a better look and you may realize that something is missing. What is it?

The alternaview: The Need For Business Skills

Well, the often misunderstood thing is this: what make a good entrepreneur in the first place are not his professional skills, but rather his business skills. Sometimes, an entrepreneur doesn’t even need to have professional skills in some field. He can just hire people who do. It is the business skills that define him. The skills to effectively design, launch, grow and manage a business.

Business skills are like the pipes which carry the water from underground all the way to your faucet. You can have the freshest, cleanest water in the world; without a good pipe system in its place, you won’t get it to your faucet.

There are a lot of skills involved in business. Here are those which I consider to be the most important ones:

1. Branding and marketing – the skills to effectively develop a business concept, to position your business and to promote it.
2. Selling – the skills to reach potential clients, to present your services to them with impact and to convince them to use those services;
3. Customer service – the skills to take good care of your customers, to respond to their needs in the best way possible;
4. Decision making – the skills to make the best business decisions, based on facts and reason, to plan a business effectively;
5. People management – the skills to coordinate a team of employees, to help them be motivated and to perform.

Interestingly enough, most business skills have to do with the way you think and they way you relate to others, but there is also a foundation of attitude which needs to be there for these skills to be used at their full potential.

As an entrepreneur and a previous employee of entrepreneurs, I have seen repeatedly how much business skills like the ones above can help you in your business, and how much lacking any of them will sabotage you.

How to Use This alternaview: Do A Realistic Evaluation

I believe that before deciding to start your own business, it’s essential that you do a realistic evaluation of not only your professional skills, but also of your business skills. And if you realize that some of your business skills are not quite at the desired level, you have two options: either you develop them, or you partner up with someone who does have them at that level.

I know that being a successful entrepreneur can seem easy: create a product or service, sell it, and make money. But there is more to entrepreneurship than meets the eye. This is why moving from employee to entrepreneur requires some serious learning ... that is the alternaview.

Do you agree with this alternaview? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

"This too shall pass"

"You create your own future"

"Live in the Now"

"Everything happens for a reason"

These are just some of the many truths and beliefs we subscribe to.  When situations or challenges arise, we may even refer to them or offer them as advice to other people. We recognize the validity of these beliefs and deep down we know we can rely on them to hold true in every situation.

The Challenge: Not Forgetting What we Know to Be True When We are in the Thick of It

When a situation arises, we may become so preoccupied with what is going on that we lose sight of the truths that should be guiding us through the situation and pointing us in the right direction.  Our emotions start running wild, we get sucked in and before we know it, we have lost any sense of the calmness that should stem from the reality and the truth we say we believe in.

As an example, when things are going well and you feel as if you are progressing smoothly through life, it is easy to realize that "everything happens for a reason" or the importance to "Live in the Now".

But, what about those times when things don't go as you like?  When issues and challenges arise that knock you off your feet?  The big things like a breakup, a divorce, or the loss of a job and even the small things like your laptop breaking, losing an important file or losing your cell phone.

How do we really live differently and not allow the truths we believe in to slip out of our memory when a challenge arises?  How do we not get so caught up in what is going on that we remember the beliefs we know deep down are true that really can help us through the situation?

The alternaview: Rely on Your Beliefs

It is one thing to say you believe in great truths and beliefs. It is wonderful if you can recite truisms and use them as positive affirmations. It is yet another thing to actually integrate those beliefs into your life. To actually live differently and make behavioral changes so that your actions and feelings are aligned with the beliefs you know deep down are true.

One of the best questions we can ask ourselves when any issue arises is:  Are we able to rely on the beliefs we know are true and disallow the situation from sucking us in and getting the best of us?

We need to always make certain our actions and feelings about what we are going through live up to the beliefs we know deep down are true.  We should have enough confidence in our beliefs that they are able to positively impact our actions and feelings when challenges arise.  Our beliefs should trump any challenges and situations should never be able to interfere with our peace of mind or cause us to totally dismiss what we know to be true.

We shouldn't find ourselves in situations where we are stressed out, overwhelmed or upset about any situation, because our underlying beliefs should have a calming presence and impact how we deal with everything.

Life as a Training Ground: Putting our Beliefs to the Test

Life is always going to throw us experiences and we are going to encounter challenges that put our beliefs to the test. However, we must believe so strongly in our beliefs that they are integrated into our everyday living.

Our beliefs should be so firmly planted at the forefront of our minds, that it would literally be impossible for us to get frazzled by a situation and forget what we know deep down to be true.  We catch ourselves before the downward spiral catches our complete focus and attention.

Life is our training ground and we have an opportunity to learn from every experience and continually improve the way we approach similar situations in the future. Eventually we reach a point where we realize we are living our lives in a way that perfectly reflects our beliefs. We have raised the level of our responses and let go of any thoughts or decisions that are not in line with our beliefs.

The first place to begin each and every time something undesired arises and you begin to get worked up is a place of reflection. Step back and ask yourself one question ... Are your actions and feelings consistent with those things you know deep down are true? And, if they are not, be willing to work at changing them, step by step until they are. We have to be open to living differently and making better decisions that are more in tune with the beliefs and truths we hold in high regard ... that is the alternaview.

I am sure it comes as no surprise that the way we see the world, our perspectives and beliefs really matter and affect who we are and everything we do.

It is easy to become accustomed to seeing things a certain way and many times we have had the same perspectives for a long time.  Our perspectives have had years to crystallize and settle in our minds and since they have been there for as long as we can remember, many times we have accepted them to be true, without really questioning or confirming their validity.

As a result, it is necessary from time to time to conduct a self audit of our perspectives and question every single thing we have ever believed in and see if it has served us well or if it has held us back.  Has it positively impacted our life or has it been a hindrance? And, if we identify perspectives that are problematic and not really helping us move forward, then we should push ourselves to look at things differently.

We should literally aim to develop different perspectives that may be the opposite of what we initially believed to be true, but are in fact true and helpful perspectives that will allow us to accomplish more and move easier through life. These perspectives are called alternaviews.

And although there are many…

Here are 5 alternaviews that we definitely should have:

1. There is no such thing as luck.

We should never attribute anything to luck because it overlooks the fact that we are in more control of our life than we may think.  When good things happen or work out for us, it is because they were supposed to and they are a direct result of something we put in motion.  All those times we thought we were just lucky or in the right place at the right time were actually circumstances we helped to create.

And, if we can identify what actions and beliefs have worked well for us in the past, we can develop an approach that we can consistently apply to all different types of situations and know for certain that we are setting good things in motion.

2. “Okay” is just not good enough.

We should never settle for mediocrity or become complacent with anything just being “okay” in life.  This applies to everything in our life…we shouldn’t have “okay” friends, we shouldn’t have an “okay” amount of dedication and work ethic, we shouldn’t have an “okay” relationship.  The list goes on and on.

It is not that everything in life has to be amazing, but if we feel that something is just meeting average standards, then we need to be motivated to improve it or change our perspective of it.  Why? Because how we feel about the things and people in our life determines our overall experience and how our life will unfold.  We need to make certain that we feel positive and energized about the things we have chosen to be a part of our life.  And, to the extent we don’t, we need to either change the things or change the way we are looking at them.

3. There is no such thing as a setback.

Any challenges that arise do so for a reason.  They are there to grab our attention and remind us it may be necessary to make some changes or modify our current approach.  What we have mislabeled as a setback, is actually something that is preparing us for advancement in the future.  It is providing us with information and feedback that we need in order to accomplish what we desire.

If we can recognize that what we learn is an integral part of our future success, we will be less apt to be discouraged by challenges.  We will realize that if we pay attention and learn from challenges, they will actually position us for success.

4.  Being realistic is overrated.

When we really want to accomplish something huge…something amazing…something beyond what we have ever thought was possible, we will let go of being realistic.  We will do more than just our ordinary, realistic goal setting and add a HUGE goal to our list of things we want to accomplish.

We will not confine ourselves by thinking we have to be realistic and we will add that one thing we have always felt we were meant to do to our list.  We will then take that first step…a small step, and begin working toward our #1 desire.  Regardless of whatever else it is we are doing, we will make certain we take small steps everyday and we will continually work toward our goal.  Why? Because we have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain.

5. Don’t aim to be perfect…aim to be diligent

When we set out to do anything, it seems to be the logical conclusion that we strive to do it perfectly.

However, aiming for perfection can be overwhelming because we are reaching for something that seems to be too lofty and difficult to reach.  It can also lead us to mistakenly arrive at the wrong conclusion that we aren’t making progress, simply because we have not reached our personal definition of perfection. And, we can be so focused on perfection that we sacrifice our ability to learn by doing and accept the mistakes we may make along the way.

Instead of aiming for perfection, we should instead aim only to be diligent.  This removes the handcuffs that come with perfection and requires only that we pursue something with an unwavering commitment. It gives us a recognizable goal to strive for and something we can feel good about doing when we have consistently maintained our dedication and focus.  Aiming to be diligent is really what sets us up for success.

Conclusion

Don’t accept things as true just because you have always believed them.  Don’t be afraid to question what you believe in.  Search for the truth…for alternaviews that inspire and encourage you.  Reprogram yourself where necessary and live your life according to your new perspectives…that is the alternaview.

Do you have alternaviews? Please share your thoughts with us in in the comments.

Everyone has had those days, or perhaps weeks, where you were caught up in all you had to do. We have experienced those days where we look at our ever growing “to do” list and feel overwhelmed because there is just too much we need to do.

Many of us feel a strong need to be productive and to continually get things done day after day.  We need to see signs of progress and our hard work paying off.  As a result, we set goals each day to get as much done as possible.  We fill our days with completing task after task and our focus is on doing as much as is humanly possible for the day. We aim to cross as many items as we can off of our “to do” list.

But … there is another way.  Maybe we should approach things a little differently.

The alternaview

Our goal each day should not be to do as much as possible, but rather to do a few things very well.  There is of course nothing wrong with being productive and getting things done.  However, we must always ensure that we are not prioritizing getting a lot done over doing things exceptionally well.

As we all know and have probably heard countless times, it is important to do things with the utmost quality and totally engage in what you are doing.  Whether we are writing a thesis or just sending a basic e-mail, we should always be completely focused on whatever is in front of us and devoting all of our attention and energy to it. We should aim to do everything in a great way because that is when we see the best results and when we set ourselves up to really be effective.

This means we should never sacrifice quality or really pouring our passion and energy into what we are doing.  We can never fall into the trap of thinking that life is about getting as much done as you possibly can everyday because that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

There is nothing more important than doing things in a great way with the utmost attention to detail and that takes time and requires we don't just rush through things simply to complete them as quickly as possible.  We need to be able to continually tap into that great side of ourselves where creativity flourishes and where we really can connect and put everything we have into what we are doing. And, that means we most likely have to focus on doing fewer things each day and devoting the right amount of time and attention.

How to use this alternaview:

1. Don't Be a Superhero. When it comes to creating your daily "to do" list, you are better off not pretending you are super human.  Don't try and take on too much.  Be realistic about what you really can do on any given day and allocate extra time to do things so you can really do them well.

2. Give Your daily "To Do" List A Second Review. After you have decided what you are going to do for the day, take another look at your list and double check that it really is feasible.  Be ready and willing to take things off your list if you have taken on too much.  Remember the key is doing things with more quality, not doing more things.

3. Slow Down. As you go through your day, make a concerted effort to slow down while you are doing things.  It is amazing how we can slip into automatic pilot and do things in fast forward without even realizing it.  Focus on slowing down continually and doing everything as well as you can.  You don’t want to ever feel rushed as you move through your day so simply focus on slowing down.

4. Really buy into “less is more”. You most likely have been conditioned to believe that that the more you do, the better.  It may be necessary to reprogram yourself with the truth ... doing fewer things really well will ultimately work out better for you.

5. Notice the Increase in Quality. Appreciate how much better you do things when you don’t do too much.  Notice and give yourself credit for the increase in quality of what you are producing.

6. Realize You Probably Have More Time Than You Think. It is amazing how we can convince ourselves that false deadlines are true and that things need to happen today.  Just let go and allow things happen and evolve on their own time line.  They always will.

Conclusion

If you are one of those people that takes on way too much, it is probably time to give yourself a break.  Remember that life is not about how much you can get done everyday, but rather about how well you are able to do things ... that is the alternaview.

Do you agree with this alternaview?  Are you good at managing your daily "to do" list?  Please share your thoughts in the comment section.

So often in life we are trying to break bad habits. There are things we do that we would prefer not to do any longer.  Biting nails, smoking, drinking, over eating, and complaining are just a few examples.

And, while there is nothing wrong with wanting to rid ourselves of bad habits and live better, perhaps instead of focusing on not doing certain things and breaking bad habits, we would be better off focusing on great things we should be doing. Maybe the best way to get rid of a bad habit is to fall in love with its opposite and always work to have great things as a part of what you do in your everyday life.

So, instead of focusing on dieting, we instead focus on how great we feel when we don’t over eat.  We fall in love with the feeling of how great we feel when we have had a day of healthy eating.  We work on developing our appreciation for healthy foods and exercise.  We fall in love with how much more energy we have when we eat right and how much better we feel about ourselves.  We focus on doing things that are consistent with creating those great feelings associated with healthy eating and we don’t focus on “not” eating.

This approach of focusing on doing those great things in life would apply to freeing ourselves of all bad habits.

Maybe, just maybe, if we live focused on creating and maintaining good habits, there would not be enough room in our lives for the bad ones. So, instead of focusing on breaking something down or getting rid of something, let’s try a new approach.  Let’s try to fill our lives with great habits.  Here is a list of 50 Great Habits (in no particular order):

1. Throughout the course of a day, look for things to love instead of things to complain about
2. Expect the best … Don’t just hope for it
3. Don’t take other peoples' issues personally; If people are being rude or behaving toward you in a not so great way, it usually has more to do with them than it does with you
4. Always look beyond the surface ... Is there something more to be noticed?
5. Exercise, but don’t overdo it
6. Really listen when other people speak; care about what they say and connect with them
7. Look for the lessons within every situation and be open to learn from them
8. Improve your perspective step by step until you are out of any mud puddles you may find yourself in
9. Stay close to your center; never stray too far
10. Be open minded about everything and everyone
11. Look at generosity as an opportunity, not a responsibility
12. Be Flexible (even if you are only pretending at first)
13. Eat healthy, but don’t starve yourself; find healthy things to eat that you can develop an appreciation for
14. Read great books that impact you at your core and point you in the direction of really living better
15. Read the signs that come your way
16. Look for and appreciate what is working in your life
17. Work hard consistently and find ways to be passionate about what you are doing
18. Be patient and allow things to evolve on their own time line; No false deadlines
19. Present your opinions without being emotionally charged or attached to them
20. Ask yourself questions and be patient until you find your own answers
21. Smile, laugh and have fun with life
22. Reflect, relax and be silent
23. Enjoy your time with other people
24. Make decisions that are consistent with who you are and your own truth
25. Really, really, really live in the moment; pour your passion into whatever it is you are doing
26. Expect the best out of other people and focus on their best qualities
27. Compliment people as soon as you notice something great
28. Always be willing to forgive and move on
29. Keep your mind clean and free; don't clog your mind with nonsense
30. Always look for the opportunity in any situation or challenge
31. See the trees, but know there is a forest

… that’s the alternaview

Do you have any great habits to share?  Do you agree with this alternaview? Please share your thoughts in the comment section.