{ Evolving Blueprint } : Building your best life

Holding on to Passion

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Fri, 16 May 2008 16:43:00 +0000

A while back, I did a series of posts on finding and living your life passion. (If you haven't read them, check them out: parts one, two, three, and four.) In the series, I talk about ways to discover what you are passionate about, and also how to begin living those passions once you discover them.

Passion for something is a wonderful thing. It makes us feel alive; it gives us a sense of purpose and drive. But if we're not careful, passion can smolder and eventually die. Sometimes this will be a natural thing, as our dreams and passions definitely change as time passes. But sometimes the loss of passion happens because we lose focus or because we are no longer taking action.

I've found this to be the case for me lately. I haven't taken enough action toward my dreams. I really haven't engaged in enough action, period. As a result, my life feels smothered, lifeless, and I feel myself losing all sense of passion for the things I once loved. I don't want that to happen, so it's time to make a change.

As I read back over my series on finding life passion, I saw a common theme: passion requires action. Just as our physical bodies require action (i.e. exercise) to prevent atrophy and the breakdown of the body, our minds and hearts do too. Even if you were living your life deliberately and with passion a few months ago, if you do not take the necessary actions right now, you won't feel the benefits now. I'm at just such a place, so I need this reminder.

What is holding me back from living my life the way I know I want to? Here are some of the biggest ones:

Fear. Passion and purpose can be scary, because you might fail. You might not get what you want, so it can be easy to rationalize that you don't really want to go for it. Or that you will take action later. It's true, your dreams will always be around, but if you don't take action NOW, you may be missing out on some amazing opportunities.
Complacency. Do you know why we get stuck in ruts? Because they're comfortable. They're easy. You don't have to extend yourself or make a lot of effort. Sometimes you need a little break where you are comfortable. But if you stay comfortable in life, you aren't moving anywhere or growing your soul.
Distractions. I say distractions, but what I mean is distraction, because my main distraction is the Internet, and I freely admit that. I'm not proud of it, but I'm coming clean and saying that the Internet is my biggest time waster and I want it to stop!

So what do we do? How do we start taking action toward our goals and dreams? How do we push past fear, complacency and all the distractions out there? I'm not certain we can ever fully beat these monsters, but if we don't fight them by taking action, they take over and we lose. Is that dramatic? Maybe. But if we don't take action now, before we know it life will be over. All we have is today. So...here's what I pledge to do, starting today.

I pledge to act on my feelings. Sometimes I think to myself, "I should call so-and-so" or "I should start playing guitar again." Well, needless to say, I don't often actually DO the things I think about. When I get a prompting, I will act on it.
I pledge to actively live my life, every day. By this I mean that I will enjoy the moments I have right now. I will seek out new experiences, do instead of think, and actively BE the person I know I am meant to be.
I pledge to cut distractions from my life. This is a hard one. I use the Internet for work, for communication, for entertainment. But it also wastes my precious time. I'm going to find ways to get it out of my life as much as I can. I'll detail this in a future post. Instead of allowing my mind and heart to be distracted, I want to be active, to live, to be.

Do you have things holding you back from your passions? Tell us in the comments what is holding you back and what you pledge to do in order to live your best life!

Kitchen clutter

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:45:00 +0000

I don't know about you, but my kitchen gets dirtier faster than any room in the house. Maybe it's because it's a tiny kitchen. Maybe it's because 3 meals are made in there every day. I'm not sure the reason, but I'm getting very tired of the mess.

I get behind on dishes just one day and it looks like an explosion happened in there! And to be honest, a messy kitchen gets me down and makes me feel guilty. So I want no more of that! But how to keep the kitchen manageable?

Okay, we're going to start with the FlyLady, because all cleaning eventually comes back to her, doesn't it? Her first tip of all is this: Shine your kitchen sink every day.

I guess the secret is that in order to shine your sink, you've got to get the dishes out of there first. And once the sink looks nice, you'll be inspired to keep your kitchen looking nice all day. Or so her theory goes...

My problem is that once I've made lunch or dinner, I'm tired! I don't feel like doing the cleaning as well. That's the first hurdle I need to overcome. Here are the things I'll be trying in order to keep my kitchen clean and organized:

Clean as I cook. Putting stuff away and cleaning up as I go seems like the best solution for me. I'm already in the kitchen, so adding in a little cleaning will hardly be noticeable.
15 minute timer. FlyLady had this one right - 15 minutes of cleaning is not that bad! And you can get a lot done in 15 minutes! I'll do a 15 minute session a day in the kitchen.
Enlist my husband's help. This might be the hardest one of all to implement, but I think it's time my husband did his fair share. :)

And that's my plan for the kitchen. I'm going to try it for a week and see how it goes. I'll let you know what comes of it. How about you - what are your secrets for keeping your kitchen in good shape?

12 Ways Utilize Resources at the Public Library

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:36:00 +0000

I may be a little biased because I have a master's degree in library science, but I love the public library. There are so many resources. Helpful librarians are there to help you find what you need. And it's all free!

Some people don't even set foot in the library, and many don't know what's there. Here are several ways to use your local library that you may not have thought of, and which could help save you money. My library is in a fairly large city, so your library resources may vary, but it doesn't hurt to check!

The obvious resource is books, but not just fiction. Are you interested in a new hobby? You'd be surprised at how many useful books the library has. Just recently I decided to find out more about web design. I found an amazing book at the library and read it for free.
DVDs and VHS tapes. My library has a great selection of movies that are available for a free three-week checkout. I don't use Netflix or Blockbuster anymore, I just look for a movie on the library website, request it, and I'm usually viewing it within a week or two. The newest releases are more scarce, but if you don't mind watching a movie after it's been out a while, this resource is amazing.
Exercise, Dance, and How-To videos. I thought these DVDs and VHS tapes were worth mentioning separately. Do you need a new workout? Your library may have a collection. What about learning how to do something? My library has 'how-to' videos, including topics as diverse as belly dancing, home improvement, and getting through pregnancy.
Books on CD or tape. I don't use this resource anymore because my car stereo is broken. But my commute time used to be a perfect chance to learn a new skill (like learning Spanish), learn about a new topic (like world history), or just catch up on a fiction book I haven't had time to read.
Music. Most libraries have a good collection of CDs you can check out in just about every genre. It's a great way to explore all kinds of music for free.
Download books to your computer or mp3 device. Some libraries have a program where you can "check out" books by downloading them and listening to them on your computer or mp3 player. Definitely take advantage of this if you can.
Inexpensive books, music, and videos. Many libraries sell used library items that have been donated or that the library no longer needs. You can find books, music, and DVDs for a great price.
Free Internet and computer use. Back when I was without the Internet and looking for a job, this resource was worth its weight in gold. Some libraries don't even require you to have a library card to use the computers.
Free classes, lectures, and movie showings. There is always something interesting going on at the library. Try going to a lecture at the library sometime instead of going out to the movies. It could prove to be more fun, and it's definitely cheaper!
Study. The public library is a great place to study. It's quiet, there are several desks or comfortable chairs, and many libraries even have study rooms where you can study with a group. For a student or someone who needs a quiet place to work for a few hours, this is a useful resource.
Story Time. If you have small children and have the time to take them to Story Time, it is well worth the effort. The kids get to interact with others, learn songs and games, and have fun. They also get more exposure to reading and books.
Teen Programs. If your teens are looking for something fun to do during the summer, many libraries are updating their programs to appeal to teenagers. Fun classes, crafts, activities and movie showings are just some of the resources out there.

Have I convinced you yet that the library is worth checking out? Perhaps you are already a library enthusiast. What resources do you use at your local library?

Organize Your Life

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 22:31:00 +0000

My life has been busy lately. We recently moved to Georgia and at first I didn't have a job, so I felt as if I were between lives. I had stuff to do, like find a job, but nothing too strenuous. Then out of nowhere I found freelance writing work, took on a position of responsibility in my church, and I'm suddenly busier than I was before we moved. I realized I would need to organize my thoughts, my paperwork, my home, and my life in order to accomplish all that is required of me. Here are the areas I plan to focus on.

My thoughts. I have a million things in my head at any one time, and it's easy to forget them or miss out on an important detail because I haven't written things down. From now on I plan to keep a notebook with me at all times and write down absolutely everything as it comes to me. I will also need to keep a pretty thorough 'to-do' list. I may go back to using todoist.com, but for now, I'm going low-tech with the notebook and paper calendar.

My paperwork. I don't know about you, but we've got papers everywhere in this house. The dining room table is the repository for recent mail items. My work desk is littered with bills, documents, and important scraps of paper. Our filing box has a stack of documents six inches high on top of it, none of it organized at all. This is one area of my life that will require a lot of changing on my part.

My home. I constantly battle dishes and clutter in my house. Things are not where they should be, so I'm constantly wandering through the house looking for an item that I searched for (and found) just the day before. It's frustrating, to say the least. I would like to organize my home in such a way that everything has a place, and is there when I need it. I would like to find a system in the kitchen so that I don't fight mountains of dishes all the time. (It doesn't help that our dishwasher is minuscule!)

My life. I need to organize my life so that I use my time wisely. I've got a lot to do, and I'd like to maximize my efficiency so that I can accomplish a lot but still have plenty of free time for relaxing.

I think I will write longer posts on each of these four areas. I'll let you know what I do in each area to organize myself, and hopefully share some good tips for keeping things running smoothly. I hope you will share your ideas as well.

5 Quick Tips for Starting Your Day Right

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 04:33:00 +0000

Some days are really good for me. I'm productive, I feel confident and happy, and I check a bunch of things off my to-do list. Other days, I have to force myeslf to get going, and my day never quite takes off.

Why is this? I think the key is the way I start the day. The way you start the day can set the tone for the rest of the day, so it's important to get off to a good start. I've found several things that help ensure that my day is happy and productive rather than blah. Here are 5 quick tips for starting the day right:

1. Get up. Okay, maybe that was obvious, but I mean that when you wake up, get up immediately. If you take your time getting up, you'll fight grogginess for the rest of the day.

2. Meditate or pray. Spend 5-1o minutes at the start of the day in prayer or meditation. You may be surprised to find out what kind of effect these quiet moments will have on the rest of your day.

3. Eat breakfast. Your body needs fuel. We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so don't skip it! And bonus points if you make it healthy.

4. Exercise or at least breathe. If you have time (or want to make time!), exercise in the morning. The endorphin boost can get you going and help you feel good. If you don't have time for exercise, take some deep breaths and notice how good it feels.

5. Go for it. Before you settle in with your time wasters (whatever yours happen to be - TV, Internet surfing, chatting, etc.), get started on your first 'to-do.' Pushing forward and finishing a task feels good and can help you build momentum toward the next task.

There you have it. Try one or several of these tips and see if they help your day go better. Let me know the outcome! And if you have your own tips, feel free to comment and let me know what yours are.

Stuck in a Rut

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:06:00 +0000

I have been stuck in a huge rut lately. It has affected my ability to work, blog, and even enjoy life. I just didn't feel like doing anything. I think this happens to everyone occasionally, but it can be very frustrating when you're in the middle of it.

How did I get out? I think part of it was me riding out the bad time until it started to ease. I'm not sure that's the best way to handle it, because what if it lasts a long time? Not to mention the fact that my productivity levels went WAY down during this time period.

Something else that helped me happened this weekend. My husband and I were given tickets to see an amazing concert pianist play on Friday. I hadn't been to an event like this in a long time, and it rejuvinated me! It was exciting to see what one person could do with hard work and practice.

So the next time I get into a rut, I'm going to try the following:

Try something new. It could be playing a sport, spending time with a different friend, seeing a concert, trying out a new restaurant, etc. Anything to get me thinking again.
Do something. Many people recommend setting a goal to do 3 things in a day. I always feel like I need to do MORE than that, which can stress me out. When I'm stuck, I should focus on doing ONE thing in a day, and go from there. Once I start, doing more gets easier.
Ask for help. During my very worst day, a good friend decided to come over to my house and help me clean. It sounds like a small thing, but her help and friendship made me feel so much better. Ask for help when you need it!
Exercise. What is it about exercise that makes it so hard for me to do when I'm in a rut? It is one thing that gives energy and can help rejuvinate you. I just need to do it!
Manage stress. If there's something weighing you down, find a way to deal with it. Maybe you just need to vent your feelings, but maybe you need to tackle a project so that it's not hanging over your head. For me, a stressful situation can really bum me out.
Find your energy. What makes you happy and renews your energy? Think of some things and just do them. For me, spending time outdoors or with my niece and nephews really lifts my spirit.

Those are my ideas for picking myself back up and regaining my energy. What helps you during those 'blah' times?

I'm back and ready for action!

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 22:02:00 +0000

Posts have been scarce during my two-week vacation for Christmas. But I got back today and am ready to do great things in 2008! It's really hard to work on goals when you're at someone else's house living out of a suitcase, so I'm glad to be back in my own house so I can get started with my plans.

I already mentioned many of my goals in my previous post, but I came up with another one that is really key to achieving all the rest - ORGANIZATION! I want to organize my life in such a way that I make time for the important things.

That means staying on top of cleaning, cooking, laundry, etc. (the stuff I don't currently enjoy doing). It also means setting a work schedule and sticking to it (I work from home, so I've been known to work until midnight before. But not anymore!) It also means that I have to stop procrastinating projects and tasks I need to accomplish.

2008 is the year that I get organized and just do it!

Setting goals for the new year

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 05:31:00 +0000

The new year is coming soon - have you thought about goals for the coming year? I know several people who don't like new year's resolutions, preferring instead to constantly update their goals. I think that's great too. But I like the way the new year feels like a clean slate. The year 2008 has never happened before. So no matter what I did in 2007, the year 2008 is wide open for me.

So I set goals every year. I usually focus on five areas:

Spiritual - For some this may mean volunteering, getting in tune with nature, or building a relationship with God.
Physical - Health and fitness are always important, and I have to renew efforts in this area or I lose focus.
Intellectual - I like to find a way to learn something new each year.
Social/Relationships - I'm always looking to improve my relationship with my husband, other family members, and friends.
Financial/Career - It's important to me to improve my finances as well as set career goals.

Does anyone else have different areas of focus? Here's a short list of things I'd like to accomplish this year.

Spiritual - I would like to spend time each day in prayer and meditation.
Physical - I want to be able to say that I am physically fit. I want to work up to exercising 5 days a week. And I don't want to eat greasy food anymore.
Intellectual - I'd like to take a writing class this coming year.
Social/Relationships- I would like to make sure to date my husband weekly, and set up a time each day for sharing thoughts with each other.
Financial/Career - Financially I'd like to finally remove credit card debt from my life. Career-wise, I'd like to triple my freelance writing income (It's possible - I'm fairly new to the business, so my salary isn't what I'd like it to be yet), and also get an article published in a top magazine.

Anybody else care to share some goals? Leave a comment and let me know.

I may not post again before the new year, and if not, have a wonderful holiday season. And happy new year! See you in 2008.

Rediscovering your passion

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 01:32:00 +0000

Ever since I wrote the series on finding your passion and life purpose, many people have found my blog from the search term "finding your passion." It is evident to me that so many of us out there are searching for their own life passion.

Ririan Project recently wrote a post called 8 Powerful Ways to Rediscover your Passion, and it shares some great tips for finding and living your passion. My favorite tip is to spend more time alone -

"When you surround yourself with lots of people, or even one very strong individual, it is difficult to know what excites you. It is easy to become influenced if outside energies are stronger than yours."

Check out the rest of the article here.

8 Tips for a Stress-Free Holiday

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 22:09:00 +0000

Are you ready for the holidays? I know I'm not. No matter how early in the year I start getting ready, I still feel unprepared when Christmas comes around.

Sometimes it feels like the holiday season is somebody's evil plan designed to stress me out. But that's not what this time of year is about! It should be a time of peace, reflection, enjoying family, and having fun. I've come up with a few ideas for making the holidays more enjoyable and less stressful.

1. Cut down. Your December may be filled with family parties, work parties, friend's parties, church activities, shopping sprees, all-out decorating, cookie baking, present wrapping, sending cards, standing in line to see Santa, house cleaning, gift exchanges, ornament exchanges, school performances, traveling, making holiday meals, etc. Can you feel the stress? It stresses me out just to write all that down. Bottom line: You don't have to attend or participate in everything. Cut out the things that don't add value for you and your family.

2. Take time out. You spend a lot of time during the month of December thinking about giving to others and making sure everyone has a good holiday. Don't forget the one person you truly need to care for - you. Give yourself a break and allow for some down time this month. You're going to need it.

3. Cut spending. I know, tis the season to max out the credit card, or so the commercials would lead us to believe. But honestly, most gifts are forgotten within days, and most family and friends appreciate the gift of your time more than a present. A small but thoughtful gift works just as well as going all out, and it's less work not to mention less stressful when you get your credit card bill in January. You want your kids to have a memorable Christmas, but it doesn't take a ton of gifts to provide that for them.

4. Shred the to-do list. Okay, not really. There are going to be some things that you cannot avoid doing. But why add anything to your list that isn't totally necessary? I used to send out Christmas cards, but now I post a message on my blog or send out a holiday email to everyone. That's what works for me. The same goes for you - what can you remove from your to-do's?

5. Give up perfection. We all want to give the perfect gift, make the most delicious eggnog, or be complimented on our perfectly gorgeous Christmas decorating skills, right? You may have a picture in our minds of how the holiday should be, but you need to let that picture go. Things WILL go awry at some point, but if you let go of expectations and just let things be what they are, you will be much more free to enjoy what the holidays have to offer.

6. Smile. Have you spent time in a mall or the (necessary evil) store Wal-Mart on a Saturday in December? Then you know how frustrating it can be, and how desperately everyone around you needs a smile. Don't let yourself get bothered by crowds and lines. Avoid them if you can! But either way, smiling at a stranger can make you feel good and brighten someone else's day.

7. Do a good deed. Or do several good deeds. Kindness and giving are what make this season so special. Spend a little less money on your family this year and spread the joy by giving to someone else. It doesn't even have to be much. I particularly enjoy the thrill of leaving something on someone's doorstep, ringing the doorbell and then running away before they see who was there.

8. Make time for loved ones. Spending time with family and friends is (usually!) what makes us the most happy at this time of year. I recognize that family time can also be stressful, so just be sure to also take time out for you. It's not going to matter that you attended every party or baked the most cookies. What you'll remember most from the holidays is the time spent with friends and family.

And there you have it. My 8 strategies for surviving the holidays. I hope they help you out. I know I'm going to go cut some things off my to-do list right now!

Happy Holidays!

Best of the Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 21:53:00 +0000

Because of my participation in the LiteMind writing project, I found a few really great new blogs. Here are the entries that I have deemed most worthy of your attention:

Articles:
7 Powerful Tips to Overcome Failure
7 Tricks to You Need to Fight Procrastination (Boy do I need this one!)
26 ways to Change the world (Easy ideas that make you happy in the process.)
10 Ways to Improve Personality (Apparently it can be done. Not that any of us need to...)

Resources:
100 Resources to Improve your Career, Relationships, and Money (This is a long list of articles that look excellent.)

No Cost Business Tools: 37 Free Applications that Make Your Life Easier (Tons of free resources for getting stuff done online.)

And that's that. Stay tuned for a longer post from me soon. I plan on writing some idea and tips for the holiday season.

Link love - Frugality and Personal Finance

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 02:22:00 +0000

Hi. If you're new here, welcome! Please consider subscribing to my blog's feed, found in the upper right hand corner. And feel free to browse around, leave comments, and make yourself at home.

Today I'm sharing some end of the week link love. I've recently done a lot of thinking about personal finances. Probably because my husband just started a PhD program at the same time that I went from a full-time job to beginning a freelance writing career. So we've had to do a lot of changing where finances are concerned. There have been several great posts from other bloggers this week (and a few weeks ago) on the topic, so I thought I'd share.

If you have trouble saving money, Force yourself to save! is a great article that shows you how you can.

I'm looking to spend less money at the grocery store, and for that reason, I found this article How to Feed yourself for $15 a Week very useful. (Though I know I'll NEVER be able to limit my food intake to $15 a week...)

Are you thinking about switching careers or quitting your day job to branch out and do something new? Quitting the Day Job: Finding the Guts to Pursue your Dreams is a very insightful post about doing just that. For me, it didn't take as many guts to quit the day job (I had to quit because we moved across the country), but having the guts to stay with this freelance writing thing is quite a leap for me!

Want a quick rundown of the main points of personal finance? Check out Everything you Need to Know about Personal Finance. It comes with cool illustrations!

This post, How to Budget with ING Direct, is a look at how an online savings account can help you budget for and save for a variety of different things. I'm experimenting with the idea myself. I like ING Direct so far. (If you want to sign up, let me know and I can get you the $25 sign-on bonus.)

Lists writing project

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 02:07:00 +0000

I submitted one of my blog entries to a writing project contest at LiteMind. I don't think you can vote if you aren't one of the project participants, but you should check it out anyway, because there are a lot of interesting blog entries. You may discover a great new blog!

Being grateful for the daily small miracles

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 02:54:00 +0000

In my last post I talked about switching from a negative outlook to a positive one. Megan commented on one of her techniques for doing that - a gratitude list. I find that listing out the things I'm grateful for really does help me feel more positive, happy, and yes - grateful.

I wrote about increasing gratitude before if you'd like some tips on making room for gratitude in your life. I also want to share something I've tried to do lately that has increased my gratitude and helped me focus on the positive things in my life.

Every evening I like to reflect back on the day. I try to remember the positive things that have happened, and think about the things I am grateful for that day. I also look for the little 'miracles' that occur daily.

For example, yesterday I was backing out of a friend's driveway. Her driveway is narrow and has ditches on each side. See where this is going? Yes, I backed up right into a ditch and got stuck. :( But it was a miracle to me that we got the car out quickly and safely. I'm grateful that (so far!) I didn't seem to cause any damage to the car. (We haven't noticed anything, anyway.) But even if there is damage, I'll still be grateful that it was a small accident and that no one was hurt.

There's always something to be thankful for; there will always be tiny miracles happening in our lives every day. If we aren't paying attention, we may not even notice them. Take some time to reflect today on the miracles in your life. Even better, write them down so you can get a positive boost every time you read it.

What you think is what you see: 4 Ways to stop negativity

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 14:55:00 +0000

When my husband and I moved this summer from Arizona to Georgia, I noticed an interesting phenomenon. I already knew that the things you think about are the things you see, but the principle became real to me at that time.

During the time that we were shopping for deals on moving trucks, we saw moving trucks on the road all the time. Then when we decided to go with Penske, we suddenly saw Penske trucks everywhere on the road. Was there an influx of moving trucks on the road because summer is the time of year when people move? Maybe. But more likely we noticed the trucks because we had moving trucks on our minds. After we moved, I no longer noticed or cared about moving trucks on the road.

This illustrated to me perfectly just how powerful the mind is. My thoughts dictated what I saw and payed attention to. The world is what it is, but how we see it depends upon what we're looking for. I guess you could say that it's like the law of attraction (though I'm not talking about it the way some people do. I don't believe that if I sit around thinking about money that a money bag will suddenly appear on my doorstep.)

What I mean is that you will notice and pay attention to the things you are thinking about, and that will become reality for you. If you think about the kindness and goodness the world has to offer, you will find it. If your mindset is one of abundance and gratitude, you'll find the world to be a plentiful place.

I'm going to admit to you right now that I struggle with this principle. There are times when my attitude is negative and I can only picture negative outcomes in certain areas of my life. Not surprisingly, a negative outcome is exactly what I get. And the negative outcome makes it easier for me to picture negative outcomes, so the negativity becomes circular and powerful and difficult to escape.

But it is possible to short-circuit negativity and to focus on the positive instead. There are several things we can do in order to break the negativity cycle:

Focus on the positive things in your life. There are so many good things to be thankful for but it's easy to take them for granted. It's often easier to notice the negatives, so work at it and notice the positives!

Change your behavior. We often behave in certain ways that reinforce and help cause the negative outcome. Change the behavior that leads to negative. Choose to act differently. One example from my life is my tendency to nag. Nagging is a negative behavior that does not inspire positive change in others. In order to increase the positive outcomes in my life, I can choose to not nag.

Find faith and hope. Do you have faith in yourself, faith in others, faith in a higher power? It is important to be able to trust that good things will happen to you and that even difficult or painful situations can benefit you and lead to a positive outcome. How do you develop that faith? It's difficult. Meditation or prayer can help. It also helps to look back to past events. Haven't you learned important things, even from your most difficult trials? I know I have, and this helps me to have faith that the right things will happen in the present moment.

Seek and you will find. How do you want your life to be? If you desire goodness, abundance and happiness, you have to be those things; you have to send those things out into the world and seek for them in others. I think it's a life-long process. Sometimes I'm better at positivity than at other times, but I believe it's important to keep at it. There are good and wonderful things in this world, and it's up to us whether we see them or not.

Seven Ways to Stop Wasting Time

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 01:35:00 +0000

I've had a hard time lately with time management. I have a lot to do, but it's hard to make myself do what needs to get done. Instead I manage to waste time. I'll sit down to check my email in the morning, and next thing I know, an hour has gone by. I still get the essential things done, but it takes much more time to get them accomplished.

You may know the feeling. For my benefit, I've assembled a few tips for avoiding the 'time-waster' trap. Perhaps they may help you as well.

Have a planning session with yourself. What are your big goals? If you have a purpose, it's a lot easier to stay focused on what's important to you. Think about your long-term goals and what you need to do to get there.

Start each day with focus. What is it you want to accomplish today? Make sure your tasks and activities fall in line with your main goals. If you want to clean your kitchen, then sending email all day does not fit with your goal. Know what you want to do and stick with those things.

Have a clear-cut plan. Instead of going through your day aimlessly, list out your most important tasks and set out to achieve them first. That way, even if you waste time later, you'll still have accomplished the important things. I like to schedule each hour of the day, assigning myself certain tasks for each hour. That way, I always know what I should be doing.

Cut out (or at least cut down on) your time-wasting culprits. You know what they are - TV, Internet, email, magazines, blogs, chatting with co-workers or friends, ... etc. If you can't cut them out completely (and who can?), start by cutting down. Cut one hour of TV every day, and you've got a lot of time on your hands!

Set a timer. Set a timer for 15 minutes and accomplish as much as you can within that time frame. I learned this trick from FlyLady, and I was shocked to find out just how much can get done in that amount of time.

Reward yourself. Decide that you want to work at something for x amount of minutes. At the end of that time, you can reward yourself with your time-waster of choice -- but set a limit on it!

Throw in a 'lazy' day every now and again. I don't know about you, but every once in a while, I like to lounge in my pajamas all day and watch cheesy movies. It's a somewhat rare occurrence, but it allows me to rest my brain from my goals, plans, and to-do list, which in turn assures that my goals stay fresh.

Time-wasters will always be lurking around. But with a little planning and some practice, we can say goodbye to wasted time. What techniques do you use for managing your time?

Good, Better, Best

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:58:00 +0000

I recently decided to take a serious look at the way I use my time every day. Some of the patterns I discovered are disturbing - I waste time, I check my email almost incessantly, and I spend a lot of my free time in front of a computer or a TV.

I'm not really happy with my usage of time lately. Especially since hearing a talk given by a respected leader in my church entitled Good, Better, Best. The talk is fairly religous in nature, but I think it has a larger application.

The point of the talk is that there are practically limitless good things we could be spending our time on. Researching a topic on the Internet could be considered good. Educational TV programming falls under the good category as well, and there are countless other good pursuits out there.

And not to say that pursuing good things is bad; it's not. But his point is that there are better and even 'best' ways to use our time. I agree. With the infinite possible ways to use my time, I'd like to make sure I'm using my time on the best things possible.

Some 'best' things for me: Spending quality time with my husband. Keeping in touch with family and friends. Getting involved in charity work and doing good deeds (big and small) for others. Doing good things for my body (like exercise). Learning new skills and gaining knowledge.

I haven't done such a good job of focusing my time on the best things, but I'm looking to change that. What are your 'best' things? Are you spending sufficient time on them?

The start of a new (Celtic) year

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 20:36:00 +0000

Did you know that the end of the Celtic calendar year is (or was...) celebrated around October 31? Neither did I. But now that I do know, it's a perfect opportunity to set a couple of goals to see me through to our new year.

Are you with me? Let's all set a goal that we will achieve by January 1, 2008. My goal is health related. I've been really bad in that area. I am going to exercise three times a week and lose five pounds by the new year. And if I have a bad week, I don't get to scrap the whole plan - I keep going with my goal!

What goal will you set? I'd love to hear yours, so leave me a comment!

Free Disposable Phone Numbers - Numbr and PrivatePhone

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 02:23:00 +0000

Have you ever had a need for a disposable phone number? Let's say you sold something on Craigslist or filled out a form that required a phone number, and you didn't want to put your actual phone number. Or maybe you just met a potential love interest (but you don't know yet if that person is a psycho stalker.) That's when a disposable phone number comes in handy.

You can get a free disposable phone number at either of the following sites:

Numbr
PrivatePhone

Since I've used both of them, I’ll review them both, sharing the pros and cons of each. Keep in mind that these services are free. PrivatePhone has extra features if you want to pay for them, but I don't! So I'm reviewing the free stuff. Also, I am not being paid to write this review, nor do I benefit in any way if you sign up for either service. I just like the flexibility of having a disposable phone number.

Numbr
Pros:
• It can be set so that calls to the disposable phone number are forwarded to an actual phone.
• You can also set up a 'do not disturb between 9pm - 8am', which means all calls received during that time will automatically go to voicemail.
• The customer service is excellent, which is very important to me. I sent a 'technical difficulties' email to them, and within hours they had responded, and they worked with me until the problem was solved.

Cons:
• The disposable number is ten digits plus a three digit extension, which is sometimes awkward.
• The number expires automatically after one month if you do not access your account and extend it. (But if it expires, you can always reactivate it.)
• You can't record a personalized voicemail greeting.

PrivatePhone
Pros:
• The disposable number is ten digits only.
• You can record a personal voicemail greeting.
• You can listen to the voicemail online OR by calling your account from a regular phone.

Cons:
• When someone calls the disposable number, they can only leave a voicemail - calls cannot be received on an actual phone.
• If you do not access your account regularly, the number will be deactivated.
• If the number is deactivated, you only have seven days to reactivate it or your number is lost to you forever.

As you can see, there are benefits to each provider. I personally use both, but my bias is toward Numbr because of the amazing, personalized customer service I received from them. Plus I prefer to receive calls on a regular phone rather than have them sent directly to voicemail. However, it's really a personal preference.

Whichever you choose (maybe both, like me), it really does come in handy to have a disposable phone number. It's nice to have another way to thwart the telemarketers.

New personal development blog

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 03:52:00 +0000

Hey, all. I just got back from a trip across the country where I had zero access to the Internet. I know, how did I survive?!! In fact, while on the trip, I decided that I may have an Internet addiction. I definitely felt some withdrawal symptoms from being away from email so long. :) Perhaps it's time for some serious cutting down on computer time. Perhaps I'll bring you along for the ride!

Anyway, I'd like to be back up and posting regularly by tomorrow. Meanwhile, check out a blog I recently found - Think Simple. Be Decisive. It focuses on simplicity and happiness and definitely has some great ideas.

A Life of Passion - The Raiders Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 01:42:00 +0000

This is part four in a series on how to discover and live your passion and life purpose.

In 1982 , three twelve-year-old kids fell in love with the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark. The boys, Chris Strompolos, Eric Zala and Jayson Lamb, dreamed of becoming filmmakers, so they combined their two loves and decided they would film their own Raiders of the Lost Ark, scene for scene, shot for shot.

The kids gathered their resources and became the actors, directors, producers, editors, and scene and wardrobe creators. For eight summers, from age 12-18, these three boys focused entirely on filming Raiders.

They created detailed sets, found authentic-looking props, performed their own stunts (including the scene where people catch fire!), and spent several thousands of dollars over the course of eight years. They worked tirelessly each summer creating sets and shooting scenes. They gained access to an editing studio during the night, so from 12am – 8am, they edited film.

You’d think that after one summer of their project, they’d tire of it and give it up, but not these kids. They worked at filming Raiders of the Lost Ark until it was done. Eight years worth of work.

I’ve seen this film (called Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation), and the detail is impressive. It is obvious that it was a labor of love. And the quality is surprisingly good, especially considering it was made by twelve-year-old kids. I probably enjoyed it more than the actual Raiders of the Lost Ark.

You might be wondering what the point is. What possible value did it add to these kids’ lives to remake a movie that they could never sell commercially (without facing lawsuits)? Well, beyond the obvious benefit of allowing these kids to do something they truly loved, making the movie eventually produced some surprising results.

After their movie was finished, they shared it with a few people. It eventually ended up in the hands of Stephen Spielberg, who loved it. He invited the boys to see the original items from the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark. They toured Amblin Entertainment studio and met Stephen Spielberg. George Lucas also invited them to visit Skywalker ranch.

Years after that, as adults, the ‘kids’ got back together again. They had the opportunity to go around the country, screening their movie for small audiences, helping to raise money for various charities.

Their dream of becoming filmmakers is finally being realized – they now have their own film production company – Rolling Boulder Films, and are working on an original screenplay with plans to turn it into a movie. Oh, and Paramount bought the rights to their story, so eventually the story of the Raiders Kids will be made into a film.

I truly believe that if you follow your passion and do what you love, opportunities will open up to you. The Raiders Kids are just one example of that. Even if your endeavor fails, you will experience benefits from following your dream. So what are you waiting for?!

Like this post? Give it a digg or a stumble. Thanks!

Be sure to check out parts one, two and three in this series.

Living your Passion

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 01:44:00 +0000

This is part three in a series on how to discover and live your passion and life purpose.

In part two we discussed ways to discover your passion and life purpose. You may not have fully explored your dreams and life purpose, but you probably have some ideas. Here are some strategies for making your dream a reality.

It’s important to understand that you can live out your dream, but you can’t live every dream at once. So don’t attempt them all! Choose to focus on one dream (or maybe two) at a time.

Write your goals down, then write down the next step you will need to take in order to achieve your goals.

Think about the things that are currently holding you back from living your dream. Is it a lack of money? Lack of time? Lack of knowledge? Fear of failure? Most of the obstacles can be cleared from your path if you truly desire to pursue it. Face your fears and do it anyway. Clear something less important from your schedule in order to free up time (There is always something that can go). Read a book or take a class. Brainstorm ways to live on less money or bring more in. Acknowledge your obstacles and then find a way around them.

Take action! You can dream, plan and prepare forever, but you won’t be living your life purpose unless you take an action. The hardest step is the first one, so just take the leap and go for it.

Be prepared spend time outside your comfort zone. Taking a step toward your ideal life is a step away from your comfort zone. You may feel fearful, feel like an imposter, or worry that you won’t succeed. That’s normal – it just means you’re walking in the right direction.

Living a life of passion and purpose requires trial and error as you discover your dreams, and requires you to take action. It also entails effort, sacrifice, and a willingness to live outside your comfort zone. But the rewards of living this way are great. You will feel joy, excitement, and peace in living your best life.

Part one in this series gives a general overview of living a life of passion. Part two gives tips on how to discover your passion. The final part to this series will share a real-life example of someone who lived their passion.

How to discover your passion

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 22:27:00 +0000

This is part two in a series on how to discover and live your passion and life purpose.

I think we all desire to follow our dreams and live our passion. When you live your life with purpose and passion, you have peace and joy in knowing you are doing what you are meant to be doing. But what if you don't know what your passion is?

There are several things to consider when discovering your passion and life purpose. Take some time to think about the following questions. You may want to write your thoughts down so you can see your ideas on paper.

First, brainstorm about the things you enjoy and would spend your time on if you could:

If money didn't matter, what kinds of things would you do with your time?
Is there an idea, hobby, or thing that you LOVE to think about or talk about?
What is one thing you would regret not doing if you found out you were dying?
Is there something you did when you were younger that you wish you hadn't given up?
What kinds of things challenge and interest you?
What things bring you the most joy?

You should also take some time to list your strengths:

What are the things you are good at?
Are there any skills you get complimented on?
What areas do you feel confident in?

After writing some ideas down, you may start to see ideas and interests that keep coming up. If so, you may have stumbled upon some of your dreams and passions. Now it's time to take some action. You don't yet know for sure which ideas will work the best for you, so you have to try them out:

Take a risk - Try taking a step toward one of your interests. For example, if one of your ideas was to become a great cook, sign up for a cooking class or check out a book on cooking from the library.
Volunteer - Try volunteering in an area you think you may enjoy. There are many volunteering opportunities that will allow you to try out your interests. You may find your passion! And you may also find some useful contacts in the process.
Remember that finding your passion can be a trial and error process, so don't be afraid to try something out or try something you've never done before. You may not discover your passion; but you just might.

Finding your passion and life purpose is not an easy process. It takes a fair bit of soul searching, trial and error, and enough courage to try new things. Don't be discouraged if you don't discover your life purpose right off - you will find it! It will probably come to you when you least expect it.

For me, finding my life purpose was a process that took many years. (And I'm assuming that life purpose changes over time, so it's a process that lasts your whole life.) I tried about fifty different majors in college because I had so many interests. It took me a lot longer to graduate, but it was worth it to find the right major for me - Humanities. And the best part is that I took a great many interesting classes that I wouldn't have taken otherwise if I had known as a freshman what I wanted.

I guess what I'm saying is - it's a great thing to find your life purpose and passion, but it's also great to enjoy the journey. Explore different options, try new things. Enjoy the things you learn and the people you meet on the way to discovering your passion!

Part one in this series gives a general overview of living a life of passion. Part three will focus on how to live with passion and purpose.

Blog Action Day

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 02:54:00 +0000

Today is Blog Action Day. Bloggers around the world are posting about environmental issues with the idea that if many people talk about it all at once, we can make a difference.

My post isn't about what you should or shouldn't do in regards to our environment, because each person has to decide their feelings for this earth and how they will treat it. Each of us must decide for ourselves, and every person's answer will be slightly different.

Nor will I share how-to's or tips, because believe me, there are hundreds of posts out there today addressing those issues.

So what I will say is this - take some time and think about your feelings regarding the environment. Is there something you can do that will make a difference and improve the earth? (There are so many ideas. You can find some here and here.) Take time today to think about our earth, and then take an action - even a small one - that works for you and helps the world.

I'll tell you my action. I live in Georgia where there is currently a serious drought. They aren't sure that in four months there will be enough drinking water for the population here. So I am trying to cut my water usage by at least 10%. I take shorter showers. When it's yellow, I let it mellow. I use much less water for rinsing dishes. That is my contribution for now.

What will yours be? Don't feel that your contribution won't change the world, because it will. Every action we take makes a difference somewhere. If we each make one baby step at a time, our world will be different and better.

Living a life of passion and purpose

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Jo) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:25:00 +0000

This is part one in a series on how to discover and live your passion and life purpose.

Many of us spend years of our lives wondering what it is we were 'meant' to be doing, or perhaps wondering if the path we've chosen is leading us toward the most happiness. Are you currently living your passion? Do you know what your passion is?

I'm not talking about a career or job, though career can certainly play into living your passion. But the passion I'm taking about goes a little deeper than that. I guess when I say, "are you following your passion?" I mean, "are you following your life's purpose?"

Life purpose can be different things to different people, and there can certainly be more than one 'purpose' in your life. For example, imagine a woman who is a mom and wife, who works, and is religious, and loves to paint, and one of her deep desires is to help children in need.

This woman has several purposes and desires in her life. She presumably desires a happy and loving relationship with her husband and children, wants to succeed at work, serves God, and loves painting and helping children. Several or all of these things could be her passion or life purpose.

But doing all these things at once (and doing them all well) is difficult if not impossible. Sometimes we must choose to follow one passion for now and let another germinate in our hearts until the time is right.

Another solution is to combine our passions. The woman in the example above could seek a career that involves her love of painting or helping children (or both). She could also decide that her best career is staying at home with her children (I know, it's an unpopular notion, but a valid one nonetheless.) She could teach her children to paint. She could involve her family in helping children in need. She could also find a career that intersects with her love of God.

The point is, when we combine things that we love, especially as it relates to our career (because a career or job uses up most of our available time), we are able to follow more of our passions. And if our career encompasses one or more of our passions and life purposes, how much more enjoyable would our work be?

Don't forget that we don't have to do everything all at once. And more importantly, we can't! We have to choose which of our many passions to focus on right now. We get to choose. And much as some of us would love to have a blueprint of our life handed over to us, we often have to stumble around a bit before we find our purpose.

Part 2 in this series will focus on how to discover what your passion and life purpose is.