Note: This is a guest post from Amber Smith of How to Get Up Early

A lot of people find it difficult to wake up early in the morning, and indeed it takes much effort to become an early riser when you are used to be a night owl. When it comes to waking up early, it turns out to be very rewarding. These five reasons to get up early in the morning can give you needed motivation to become an early riser.

1. Health improvement

First of all, early rising is a fundamental part of healthy living. Human body was designed to function in harmony with nature. We are supposed to get up when the sun rises and go to sleep when the sun goes down. But how often we forget about that and stay up all night or sleep until noon. All these are bad habits that affect our health on a daily basis. We should remember about the Mother Nature’s original plan and wake up early.

Of course, it is not easy to make drastic changes in your sleep schedule, and it can be stressful too. So, you should start waking up a little earlier every day. Making it a routine and never sleeping in will help you succeed. This way you will be able to build a strong habit of getting up early.

2. Time management

Start getting up early every day and soon you will notice that you have turned into a totally different person, more confident and productive. Along with the right morning routine, early rising will pay you back with an energy boost for the rest of the day. Get out of bed as soon as the alarm rings. Avoid the snooze button, now it is your worst enemy. Always have time to take a contrast shower, if for some reason you are being late, make sure to at least wash up alternating warm and cold water. Have your morning coffee and head to work. Now you are ready for new achievements.

3. Dreams come true

Everyone has something he always wanted to do but never had time for. By waking up early you can find a few hours of free time to fulfill your dreams. You can start learning foreign languages, writing your own blog, or practicing your hobby from high school that you never had time for. Remember how fun and joyful it can be to do something for yourself.

4. Live today

Now think of the things that you need to do but you set aside until the last moment. These things can also be done during the morning hours. Put on a few extra pounds and plan to join the gym tomorrow? But how often does tomorrow turn into never? Spend your morning working out and soon you will be back in shape. If you don’t like the idea of joining the gym, find something you would like more. Get a dog and walk him out every morning. Walking in fresh air is very good for your health too.

If you have kids and never have time for cleaning, spend your morning hours on that while the kids are still asleep. Don’t set aside these routine things, do them today and you will have less to worry about.

5. Everything counts

Think of every single thing you get out of waking up early even if it’s a little one. Do you like to drive to work avoiding morning traffic? Or maybe you enjoy watching the sunrise? The best morning coffee in a city can be a real reward for coffee lovers. There are so many great things around us. Just wake up early not to miss them!

This is a guest post by Amber Smith. Amber is the owner of the site www.howtogetupearly.com.  HowToGetUpEarly is about offering all kind of solutions for waking up early by providing original tips and innovative products.

Photo by SashaW

If you want to grow, you need to expand your personal capacity. I already wrote about it before, but I think it’s necessary to touch on this topic again. It’s an important topic that deserves constant reminder.

Expanding your personal capacity is essential for your personal growth. It will take you the next level in life. It will make you a better person. For that, what you need to do is taking a new challenge. You should move out of your comfort zone and do something that stretches your skills and abilities. It’s inconvenient, but that’s the way to grow.

So here is my question to you:
What new challenge are you going to take this year?

We still have eleven months in 2012 which is enough to work on a new challenge. Don’t waste them by just doing what you always do. Do something that will take you to the next level in life.

To help you choose a new challenge to take, here are a few ideas:

• Take an online course
  Is there a subject you are fascinated about and want to study if you had time? Well, this year might be the time for you. There are a lot of courses available on iTunes U that you can choose from, not to mention other sources like YouTube. There is even a new breed of interactive courses that will give you assignments and give you feedback (here are some examples). With so many options available, I’m sure you can find something on the subject you are interested in.
• Start a side business
  Perhaps you already have an idea for a side business. It could come from your hobby or from a specific need that you come across. Why don’t you make it a reality this year?  Having a side business is a good way to expand your capacity because it will teach you a lot in the process. Plus, it could give you an extra cushion in this uncertain economic times.
• Start a blog
  Today everyone can express his or her thoughts through a blog. You are no longer limited to just being a consumer of information. If you have a subject you are passionate about, it’s a good idea to start a blog on it. You will learn a lot more by writing about it, plus you will meet interesting people along the way.

One word of caution: don’t expect instant success if you decided to build something. It takes time to build something, so don’t get discouraged if your blog didn’t attract many readers or your business didn’t give you enough revenue in the beginning. Remember, your goal here is to expand your personal capacity.

Those are just a few ideas from me. I’m sure you have a lot more ideas on how to expand one’s capacity. I’d like to hear from you, so feel free to share them in the comments.

For updates and interesting links, please follow me on Twitter.

Photo by Tony the Misfit

Note: This is a guest post from Clay Andrews of The Path to Passion

I don’t mean to be a downer here. If you’re interested in optimizing your life and living it to the fullest, you probably have a lot of big goals and dreams. It’s important to focus on what you want and to use that as motivation to move you forward.

However, it’s also important to be realistic about the common pitfalls that people tend to get stuck in as they work toward their life goals.

Here are 5 common things I’ve seen in others (and myself!):

1. Pursue Material Success Above All Else

It is easy to get mesmerized by the thought that your life would be perfect if only you had more money, a bigger house, or a new pair of shoes.

Don’t get caught in the trap of chasing the best and brightest new thing. I’ve been there myself, and all those new toys lose their luster after a few short days or weeks.

Though those things may make you feel good for a while, it is important to realize that those good feelings of confidence, joy, and happiness come from within you, not from the object

2. Wait for “Someday”

You’re busy. I’m busy. Everyone is busy these days. Somehow it seems like a struggle just to find the time to go grocery shopping or get the oil changed in your car.

It is easy to put things off on the “someday” list, especially if taking action frightens you or you’re unclear about what the next step should be.

However, it is important to realize that unless you actively make the choice to change your situation and take control of your life, your dreams, or the direction you’re headed, you will just keep drifting on the same course you’re already on.

Living the life you want doesn’t happen by accident and it doesn’t happen because your to-do list is finally complete and you can, at long last, find the time to concentrate on what matters. The only way to get the life you want is to take action and make time for it.

Make your goals a top priority and you won’t run the risk of endlessly putting them off until they reach the graveyard of “someday.”

3. Settle for Less Than What You Want

I know it can be difficult to go after what you want. You pour all of your effort into getting that dream job, asking that special person out on a date, or getting started on that new diet only to be met with disappointments.

After a little bit of failure, it is only reasonable to think that you’ve just set your goals too high and that you should settle for something a bit more “reasonable.”

However, settling for less isn’t going to give you what you really want. It will also develop a belief in your mind that you can’t get what you really want or that you don’t deserve it. This kind of thinking will limit your motivation or the amount of action you’re willing to take to go after other things you want in life.

4. Avoid Fear and Uncomfortable Situations

I get it. It’s tough to walk into your boss’ office and demand a raise or go up to that hot girl at the bar and introduce yourself. It’s frightening. You don’t know what will happen, and there’s a reasonable chance that you may not get the desired outcome.

However, it is only through reaching outside of our comfort zone that we can begin to expand what is possible in our life.

It’s the things we have to work for and take a risk to get that we treasure the most in life.

Yes, you might experience the sting of rejection, but the courage needed for taking a chance will start to build, like any muscle that is exercised, and you’ll begin to become more bold and courageous in other things in life too.

5. Choose to Believe Discouraging Thoughts

We all have negative thoughts. There is no denying that. However, we do have the choice to believe those thoughts or not.
And it sure is easy to believe them. After all, we thought them up or someone “important” told them to us, so they must be true, right?

Keep in mind though, that just because you have a limiting or discouraging thought about your own abilities or value does NOT mean that you have to accept that belief.

You can choose what beliefs you are willing to accept and which ones you are not. Even if you’re unable to control anything else in your life, you can always control your thoughts.

***

The important thing is to not feel bad if you see yourself in any of these 5 pitfalls. Often, we may not be aware of what we’re doing so you shouldn’t feel bad when you discover something counter-productive. Instead celebrate its discovery and correct course as needed.

The journey to achieving your life goals may not always be a straight line, but finding your path amidst it all is one of the biggest joys in life.

Clay Andrews is a relationship advice blogger. He loves meeting new people, so stop by his website, The Path to Passion, and say hello.

Photo by Per Ola Wiberg

Note: This is a guest post from Michael Martel of Achieve the Green Beret Way

A manifesto, by definition is a public declaration of a person’s principles and intentions. Throughout history a lot of manifestos have been political in nature. Marx and Engel’s Communist Manifesto sticks in many people’s mind as an example of a manifesto. Other famous ones have been on the subjects of art or technology. However, it doesn’t have to be on a certain topic. A manifesto lays out what is important to someone and publically draws a line in the sand as to what they believe in and what they will do and not do.

Manifestos have gotten bad press lately. Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber had his own manifesto. Manifesto can be for good or evil. The Declaration of Independence is essentially a manifesto. Architect Frank Lloyd Wright had one. So does present day marketer Seth Godin. Organizations have manifestos; Apple has one.

Personal Manifestos

It is a great thing for people to have their own manifestos. Much of the modern world is lived in shades of gray. There isn’t a right or a wrong in modern society. Family norms have been established by reality TV. Ethical standards are eroded by the activities of political leaders. People can have standards for themselves. These standards create the foundation stones of our lives. A manifesto establishes this foundation and declares it to everyone, “This is who I am and what I stand for.”

You Don’t Have to Get It Perfect, Just Get Started

You might feel a little daunted at the task of writing a manifesto. You needn’t worry. All you need is something you feel strongly about. It doesn’t really matter what the topic is. It can be whatever you want to make a statement on – politics, your work, the environment, or a social issue or cause. It could even be about sports. The important thing is to be bold. Manifestos throw your intentions into the arena for others either to agree to or not. You don’t want to just make a list of things you like or don’t like. Make a declaration as to why this is something you would go to battle for.

The mechanics of writing a manifesto are simple. First, decide what you want your manifesto to be about. Your first manifesto doesn’t have to be War and Peace. Keep it short and sweet by focusing on one topic. Is it healthy living? Is it football officiating? Is it what kind of job you will take or not take? Make a list of a couple topics. Let them sit for a couple days while you let it brew around in your mind and then settle on one.

Next step for writing your first manifesto is to lay it out on paper. Pull up your favorite word processing software and get it going. Remember you don’t have to get it perfect. You just need to get it started. For your manifesto, I suggest a format of introduction, background, discussion, declaration. The before mentioned Declaration of Independence has the same format.

Your manifesto’s introduction should establish what your target is and why you are taking aim at it. You might talk in generalities why this is important to you and why it needs to be addressed. Don’t spend too much time on the introduction, the real meat comes next.

The background of your manifesto is the hook for your reader. People want to know why this is important to you. Personal stories are what draw the reader. They want to know what motivates you, thereby bringing them into the rationale. Also this is for yourself to explore why this gets your blood boiling and why you feel the attraction to it. The background isn’t just for the future readers. Even if you don’t intend to ever show this to another living soul, be honest in the background of your manifesto. If there was some element of abuse, emotionally or physically, try to write about it. This is a good place to talk about perceived slights, snubs. Every time you reread it, the background will bring you back to why this is a passion for you.

Manifestos Are Gritty

The discussion is where you make your case. Manifestos are gritty. This is not the place to dance around and try not to antagonize anyone. Simply say why you believe what you believe. Some will agree and some won’t. You will upset some people if your manifesto is bold. Don’t use a pro and con approach. Take that attitude that what you believe is the only approach and work from there. Go ahead and attack counter opinions and say why they don’t make sense. Most of all, state why this is important to you and it is important enough to make it a manifesto.

Finally, make a declaration in your manifesto. What will you do as a result of the manifesto? What will you not do as a result of it? Are you going to stop watching television? Are you going to seek out another line of work? Make a declaration that reflects what you stand for.

You Finished It, Now What?

Once you have your first manifesto finished, take a deep breath of satisfaction. You have placed yourself above the mob. You are one of the few who actually know what they stand for in life. You are not letting the winds of public opinion blow you around like a rudderless sailboat on the waves. Men are meant to be the captains of their own ships.

Take this further if you dare. Share your manifesto with family and friends. Encourage your friends to write one of their own. Write a couple more on other single topics. After a while when you have a few manifestos under your belt, write your life manifesto. Establish your values and how you will live according to them. This is the stuff legacies are made from. You deserve this.

For 20 years, Michael Martel was a Green Beret in the US Army. He now works with people to put Special Forces like effectiveness into their lives and businesses. Go to Achieve The Green Beret Way and learn about his book Get ER Done: The Green Beret Guide to Productivity.

Photo by Ben Fredericson

Last week I wrote about HabitMaster. Actually I don’t want to write about my apps two weeks in a row, but – since we are in the beginning of a new year – I think it’s the right time to introduce this app to you.

A few days ago I released a new app for the iPhone and iPod touch called Resolutions Tracker. It’s an app that helps you keep track of your resolutions (including but not limited to New Year’s resolutions).

As you know, making resolutions is easy, but keeping them is not. So I designed this app to help you plan, do, and evaluate your progress in keeping your resolutions.

It’s a good complement to HabitMaster. For resolutions that deal with building new habits, HabitMaster is the app for you. But for resolutions that are not, Resolutions Tracker is the app to use. I will give you an example below.

How It Works

First of all, here are some features of the app:

• Add tasks
  For each resolution, you can add tasks to do. It helps you take real actions to keep your resolutions.
• Set alerts
  You can set alerts to remind you to do the tasks. This way you will never miss any of them.
• Check your progress
  Whenever you complete a task, it will go to your Accomplished list. By looking at your Accomplished list, you can see what you have done to keep the resolution. It will help you stay motivated.
• Grade yourself
  You can grade yourself on how good you are in keeping your resolutions. It encourages you to be honest with yourself and helps you see where to put more attention.

Now let’s see an example of how to use the app. Let’s say you have three resolutions:

• Upgrade my skills
• Live a healthy lifestyle
• Spend more time with my family

The first thing to do is to put all your resolutions into the app. Here is how it looks (you may want to turn on the option to display images if you read this through an email):

Now let’s take one resolution, Upgrade my skills. The next step is to outline what you want to do for that resolution. In this case, you should specify the skills that you want to learn. Let’s assume that the two skills that you want to learn are web design and copywriting.

After that, you should specify what exactly you will do next to learn those two skills. Let’s say that you plan to find good copywriting books and watch Photoshop tutorials. You should put them into the To Do screen.

I jumped forward a little bit here. See how those two tasks are already marked as completed? They will now show up on the Accomplished list of Upgrade my skills resolution.

To remove the completed items from your To Do screen but keep them on the Accomplished list, you can tap the Archive button on the top right part of the To Do screen.

Lastly, in the second screenshot above there is a section with five stars that is labeled Grade. You can swipe the stars to grade yourself on how good you are in keeping your resolutions.

That’s it. Pretty simple, isn’t it?

My hope is that this app can help you keep your resolutions. As I said above, I designed this app to help you plan, do and evaluate your progress in keeping your resolutions.

Click here to check out Resolutions Tracker on the App Store

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Thank you!

Note: This is a guest post from Marisol Garcia of The Pleasure Cure

Unemployment, stock market crashes, foreclosures, and increasing national debt are topics that preoccupy Americans today. Most of us are worried, if not petrified, about our financial future. Thoughts about how to survive permeate our lives. We function under the belief that if we don’t work all the time, we will miss an opportunity or lose what we have.

What we may not know is that we need more than financial health to secure our future. We need emotional, relational, spiritual and cognitive well-being as well. This means feeling that we have an overall sense of happiness. If not, scholars note, we won’t flourish to our full capacity; we won’t be as productive and successful as we can be. Researchers have found that people who have an increased sense of well-being or happiness thrive in every domain including work.

But how can we attend to all our needs without compromising our economic vitality? The answer is pleasure. Researchers have found that engaging in pleasure results in greater happiness. Happy people get more things in life because they engage in more pleasure. Not only that, but the most sought after pleasures cost little in terms of time and money.

Some Pleasurable Activities That You Can Do

The following are but a few examples of pleasurable activities that are free, require little time, and have been documented by researchers to increase well-being:

Rocking

Rocking in a chair, being on a boat, swinging on a swing, or swaying in a hammock relieves physical and emotional ailments. Rocking is argued to be an activity that relieves stress, fear, pain, loneliness, and anger. It has also been documented to heal heart attacks, strokes, arthritis, colds, diabetes, and cancer. Rocking is a soothing technique that is practiced universally in different ways. Rocking produces reactions in the body such as lowered blood pressure and slowing of respiration. These physical reactions tap into the pleasure centers of the brain and produce endorphins that make the body feel pleasured.

Doing Nothing

Doing nothing promotes clarity, sense of connection, energy, positive mood, and calmness. Doing nothing is sometimes referred to as mindfulness or meditating. Other meditative experiences include praying, running, listening to music, etc. Pleasure is experienced when we meditate because it often brings us to another state of being. In a meditative state, your sense of self and your environment is altered. Additionally, meditative experiences provide a space for one to regenerate energy, hope, and perspective. Meditation has been described as “the best natural high” and has been reported to provide a feeling of “restful, silent, and of heightened alertness.”

Exercise

Exercise takes as much or as little time as you have. A mere 10 minutes per day makes a big difference. Not surprisingly, researchers report that exercisers are happier than non-exercisers. Exercise contributes to physical and emotional well-being including sexual functioning. People who exercise regularly are at much lower risk of depression and anxiety than those who do not. Exercise increases memory, concentration and clarity of thinking.

Food/Eating

Eating is a universal pleasure. Furthermore, a lack of nutrients such as calcium, iron, folic acid, magnesium, etc. is correlated to cognitive and emotional ailments such as depression, anxiety, etc. The only requirement for pleasurable dining is having the intention to make it pleasurable. The French, for example, are famous for the pleasure they get out of eating. That means paying attention to what we eat, making sure we eat sitting down, giving thanks for our food, and/or setting a nice table.

Music

Listening to music can be one of the most exhilarating and motivating experiences. There is overwhelming evidence that music alters mood in a positive way. Music changes our physical and emotional states. Music helps us sleep and reduces anxiety, depression, pain, stress, developmental disorders, traumatic brain injury, etc. Sound is vibration and every part of our bodies feel the vibration, even our cells. Joshua Leads in The Power of Sound says that “sound touches us and influences our emotion like no other source of input.”

Social Contact

Researchers and therapists often prescribe social contact and support when increasing well-being. Happy people engage in more social activities than those who are not as happy. Scholars maintain that in order to have a happy and satisfying life, we must have connections with others. Furthermore, it has been noted that those of us with strong social networks and connections fare better in situations of adversity. Finding ways to connect with others in a way that doesn’t interfere with other responsibilities is a really smart choice as it is the one activity that researchers repeatedly mention to be beneficial to our well-being.

Positivity

People report that thinking about positive things gives them pleasure (e.g. how grateful you are about something, how good a person is, something exciting happening). Not surprisingly, researchers have noted that happy people tend to have more positive thoughts than those who are not as happy. Happy people see the good before they see the bad. Happy people believe in themselves, others, and the world. One way to experience more positivity is by finding positive reasons for why things happen. Researchers have found that people who attribute positive understandings to events or actions are happier. Dr. Fredrickson suggests that you ask what is going right or what is good right now to shed light as to the positive aspects of an event or interaction.

How to Do Them

How can we engage in more pleasurable activities when there isn’t enough time to do what we have to do as it is? First, give yourself a set amount of time to engage in pleasure. Setting a limit to the time you will spend in pleasure will reduce your anxiety about it. Start of with 15 minutes per day. Try to really engage with what you are doing or thinking during that time by making your mind stay focused. Don’t let it wonder off. If it does, bring it back to what you are doing.

Second, when you do every day things (e.g. washing the dishes, cleaning, driving, eating, grocery shopping, spending time with family/friends, etc.) try and slow the process down so that you enjoy the moment. For example, instead of rushing when you go grocery shopping, take 10 minutes more and enjoy the experience. Ten minutes will not break you as far as time is concerned. You may have to remind myself over and over again that you don’t have to rush.

Third, breathe. How difficult is it to breathe? Very. Each breath may highlight your emotions. At the same time, each breath may give you relief from your emotions.

Fourth, when you start to think about work, fears, the economy, etc., ask yourself, “What is stopping me from feeling pleasure right now?” Generally, thoughts about the future or past and the fear or anxiety that they produce, stop people from feeling pleasure. Also, thoughts that something bad will happen because you are having a good time will limit the pleasure you feel. Many of us believe that any happiness or enjoyment is followed by sadness or bad times.

Finally, find something you enjoy doing. A key ingredient to maximizing pleasure is finding activities that match you. If you are a person who doesn’t like loud noise, a rock concert would not be pleasurable no matter how many other people find it pleasurable. Engage in your own version of pleasure even if it is only for 15 minutes a day. After all, pleasure will help you regenerate your strength if only to handle the economic reality that we face.

Marisol Garcia is a therapist, social researcher, writer, and lecturer. Her book, “Pleasure: The Secret Ingredient in Happiness” has recently been published. She received her doctorate from the University of Connecticut. To learn more about her work, you can visit her website at www.garciawestberg.com and www.thepleasurecure.com.

Photo by Kevin Dooley

In a post last year, I wrote about how I expanded my personal capacity by working on iPhone app business. I also wrote about some lessons I learned in the process. But one thing was missing: I didn’t talk about the app itself. As I wrote in the post, I wanted to be sure that the app is solid first before writing about it here.

Well, I think the time has come for me to talk about it.

I’m passionate about personal growth, so the app I developed is related to that. The name is HabitMaster and it’s an app that helps you build positive habits in your life.

How It Works

HabitMaster works by tracking how you keep the habits that you want to build. For each habit, you can see your current and longest streak. Your goal is simply to make your current streak as long as possible. Aim not to break the streak and you will automatically keep the habit. Simple, isn’t it?

It’s simple, indeed, but I think it’s a good way to help you build positive habits.

In more details, here is how HabitMaster works:

• Add habits to build
  First of all, you must add the habits that you want to build. They can be daily, weekly, or monthly habits.
• Track the habits
  Next, you need to track the habits. There is a checkbox next to each habit’s name. If you do the habit in the current period of time (today, this week, or this month), then check the checkbox. If you did the habit but forgot to check the checkbox, you can still give the check mark anytime you want.
• See the details
  As I said above, you can see the current streak and longest streak of each habit. But not only the numbers, you can also see the details of the streak. This way you can easily see when you succeeded and when you didn’t.
• Choose the days that are okay to skip
  For daily habits, you can choose the days that are okay to skip. Your streak will continue through these days. So if you choose not to do a habit on the weekend, for example, you won’t break the streak.
• Set alerts
  To remind you to do the habits, you can set alerts. The alerts will appear automatically according to the type of the habits (daily, weekly, or monthly).

Here are two screenshots of the app (there are more on the App Store page that I link to below):

The app is available for iPhone and iPod touch. So, if you own any of those, you might want to check it out. I have had good response from the users so far.

Click here to check out HabitMaster

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***

So that’s it. Besides writing, building apps is something that I love to do. Thanks to the world we live in now, it’s easier than ever to do both of them. I’m sure that’s also the case with whatever it is you are passionate about. We now live in an exciting world.

Note: This is a guest post from Rachael  of KitchenCourses.com

Eating is a necessity, but cooking doesn’t have to be these days. It’s simple to swing by a drive thru after work to pick up dinner and never really think much about what you’re putting in your body. The truth is that this lifestyle choice isn’t really great for us, and most of us know that. We know we need to make meals that are good for us, but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen when we have a million other things to do each day. Even as someone who loves to cook, I still don’t like to spend hours in the kitchen if I don’t have to.

Putting meals together each day doesn’t have to take a ton of time. With a little bit of planning, thoughtful stocking and arrangement of items in your kitchen, a few key ingredients, and some go-to methods, you’ll be able to make meals to be proud of in no time flat. In the spirit of taking baby steps to maintain a healthy lifestyle, here are just a few ways that you can make the most of the time you dedicate to spending in your kitchen, whether it’s an hour a day or just fifteen minutes.

1. Set your kitchen up in a way that works to your advantage

This means regularly stocking your pantry with items you know you’ll keep coming back for and that are healthful choices. When you have items stocked, you don’t have to worry so much about what meals you’re making and trying to think up things to eat. There is also something to be said about organization: when you know where ingredients are stored, you’ll never have to wonder where something is again. Whenever you need a particular ingredient, you’ll always be able to return to that place for that item and not have to wander around wondering what you did with it last time. When you know where ingredients are, pulling meals together can be quick and simple. Having pantry items on hand at all times will help you to bridge the gap between a one-dish meal and a meal with multiple side dishes.

2. Choose quick cooking methods that don’t take up a lot of time

Stir frying vegetables and thinly cut meat is one of the quickest ways to get a flavorful and healthy meal on the table. The most time you’ll have to invest is heating the pan and chopping up vegetables. The key to a good stir fry is starting with a nice hot pan, so don’t be shy, but definitely be careful! Another good choice for quick cooking is grilling indoors. If the meat is thin enough, it will cook up in a flash.

Any weeknight dinner can become a meal with the addition of one or two side dishes. One of the simplest ways of doing this is by eating vegetables raw or by quickly steaming them over boiling water. Not only do most vegetables cook up in under ten minutes using this method, but they also retain a lot more of their nutritional value as well.

3. Turn to quick cooking ingredients that are flavorful and healthy

Ingredients like pasta, canned beans, couscous, quinoa, and canned proteins, like chicken or tuna, can be your best friends when you want to throw a meal together quickly, but still eat well. Not only are these few ingredients quite easy on the wallet, but they’re pantry staples that you can keep around all the time and fall back on when you need them. Pasta, couscous, and quinoa can all be used as a base for a salad and when tossed with a little vinaigrette and vegetables are a perfect compliment to grilled fish, chicken, or steak. These quick cooking grains can also become a complete one-dish meal when mixed with cooked and cubed chicken and a vegetable or two.

4. Plan out your time in the kitchen before you get there

Even if you spend ten seconds thinking about what you’ll be making before you get into the kitchen, those ten seconds will be worth it. Before you take start chopping or pulling ingredients from the fridge or pantry, take a moment to think if you’ll need to preheat the oven or start a pot of boiling water. Preheating the oven can take around 20 minutes to get to the right temperature, while boiling a pot of water can take around 15 minutes. Use that time to your advantage and get a head start on these tasks, while you’re prepping ingredients. A little bit of planning can save you from staring at a pot of not yet boiling water when the rest of your meal is finished and getting cold.

5. Take a little help from technology

Don’t be afraid to use small appliances that can aid in saving you time. Pressure cookers can cut cooking time in half for some dishes and still give you a delicious and flavorful dish. Another time saver in the kitchen is the tried and true crock pot. While it hinges on cooking at low temperatures for a long period of time, you can virtually throw ingredients in them and walk away for up to 8 hours without having to worry about it. This means you can chop your ingredients, put them in the pot, cover, turn it on, and walk away while you make your way through the day. Having dinner ready when you are – now that is time-saving!

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Whether you’re making your way through the drive thru more than you’d like to admit or are just looking for a few ways to spend less time in the kitchen and more time gathered around the table with your family, these tips are sure to help you get at whatever goal it is you’re after.

What are some ways that you find help you the most when saving time in the kitchen?

Rachael is the blogger behind KitchenCourses.com and is the author of How to Cook For Yourself: A Complete Beginner’s Guide. She writes about her passion for food, eating well while saving money, and inspires people to get familiar with their kitchens and cook for themselves.

So here we are in 2012. We have left 2011 behind and the new year has come. No matter how you did in 2011, the important thing is that you improve yourself in 2012. Aim to make this year your best year ever.

To make it happen, here are two self improvement habits that you may want build in this new year:

1. Journaling

This is one of the most important habits to build for your self improvement. There are at least three reasons why journaling is important:

• It makes you find the lessons behind every experience
  Perhaps this is not the case in the beginning, but once you make journaling a habit, your mind will automatically explore every possible lesson in your experiences. Rather than just being a passing event, every experience becomes a learning opportunity.
• It encourages you to think through the lessons you learn
  Journaling involves writing down the lessons you learn. To do that, you will have to get the gist of the lesson and put it in a concise form. That encourages you to think through the lesson so that you can truly get it. This will make the lesson sinks deeper into your mind and heart.
• It helps you remember the lessons
  First, the act of writing itself helps you remember the lesson. And second, your journal becomes a place that you can refer to in case you forgot the lesson.

As you can see, journaling is good for your self improvement, not just for the end product but also for the process itself. So, if you haven’t done so, make journaling a habit of yours this year.

2. Reading books

I know I’ve written about this many times, but this is worth repeating: reading books is an important habit for your personal growth.

One day I listened to an episode of Freakonomics podcast titled Growing Up Buffett. It features an interview with Peter Buffett who is the son of Warren Buffett, the famous investor. There is one thing the young Buffett said about his father that’s interesting to me: “He read a lot and he still does.” Reading has been a habit of Warren Buffett for years. No wonder he can make so many good decisions in changing market situations.

Many other famous people also have this habit in their self improvement arsenal, so it’s wise to make it a habit of yours as well.

If you already have this habit, aim to do it better this year (for example, by adding some biographies to your reading list). I still have a lot of room for improvements in this area so this is something I’m going to work on this year.

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That’s it. Just two simple habits. I don’t want to give you too many things or something too complicated to do. These two habits are certainly doable. They are simple, yet they can do a lot for your personal growth.

Happy New Year!

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Photo by Vinoth Chandar

Note: This is a guest post from Jake O’Callaghan of Slowchange

Small, simple life changes can be powerful. Implementing some of these changes can literally change your entire life.

How do you change? Take on one change at a time, and go slowly. Implement each change consistently so that it becomes a habit. Don’t do too much too fast.

What follows is a list of changes that are simple, yet incredibly powerful. Some are obvious and some aren’t. I hope they serve as reminders of useful changes.

1. Walk daily

We humans aren’t supposed to be sedentary human beings. We are born to run, but even more so to walk.

Walking every day is good for your physical health. But more importantly, it’s good for your mind. Walking is a joy. You are outside without distractions. You may even see people. And there’s few better ways to boast your mood.

2. Wake early

If you asked me what’s the best change you can make this instance, I would say “wake early.” The early morning is peaceful – there are no interruptions and no noise. You can wakeup and go for a walk. You can meditate. And you can create.

And waking early is the most productive thing I’ve ever done. I often get more work done in a couple hours in the morning than during the entire day.

3. Eat less

Many of us overeat. Let’s stop. Eat slowly, and eat until you’re full. Eat so that your belly doesn’t bulge.

4. Stop watching, start doing

Watching is easy. Anyone can watch someone. Spectating isn’t inherently bad, but I believe we do too much of it. Instead of watching, do something. Or better yet, create something great.

5. Go slowly

Our culture tells us to go fast, to sprint and win the race. Problem is, the race never ends. When you choose to go slowly, you are choosing peace and happiness.

6. Declutter

Clutter whether mental, physical, or virtual takes a toll. The only way to get rid of clutter is to get rid of stuff. Deal with bad thoughts and be done with them. Delete unneeded files. And get rid of unnecessary items.

Then when you feel like adding something, ask yourself if it’s necessary. For the most part, it will just contribute to clutter.

7. Become stronger

There are many ways you can become stronger. You can refuse to back down because of fear. You can stand up for what’s right. And you can become physically stronger.

All do one thing, increase your confidence. Gradually become stronger, and the world will open up.

8. Drink water

Often, I used to feel like crap just because I wasn’t hydrated. Drink water, and it will make you feel better. Soda and most other drinks often make you feel worse.

Drink water and only water (besides maybe some tea or coffee). Drink it with meals and drink it throughout the day.

9. Meditate

The incredible benefits of meditation are well-known. But most people don’t practice it because it seems complicated. The truth is, you don’t need to shave your head, or sit with crossed legs to meditate.

The simplest way to meditate is to just sit and breathe. Focus on your breathe. Or focus on the sounds around you.

10. Let go of expectations

Expectations are completely pointless. Try it for yourself: think of how something will be in advance. Most of the time your expectations aren’t met or are exceeded. Or your expectations create negative results.

Live without expectations, and you won’t be disappointed. You won’t have to worry about things you can’t control. You will just flow and accept things as they are.

11. Live in the moment

The past is yesterday and the future is later. The present is the only time we are truly living.

So instead of analyzing the past or worrying about the future, live in the moment.

12. Forget goals

Goals look nice on paper. They provide order to your life. They aren’t necessarily counter-productive – people have done great things using goals.

However, I think they’re useless. Instead of focusing on a goal, focus on the moment. Do things that you love, and do things well right now. This will get you farther than an arbitrary thing  that you can check off.

13. Focus on what’s important

Too often, I used to let the little things get in the way. Now I forget the trivial and focus on what’s important.

What is important? It’s up to you. Family, writing, reading, and playing soccer are all important to me. I clear away distractions and do the important things.

14. Change things up

A routine can make you a zombie. Instead, change things. Often you will find that a change makes things more exciting.

Don’t be afraid to change things up.

15. Wait before you buy

Often we think we need something, but it ends up in the basement – unused. Before you buy something, wait a month. If you still believe it to be useful, then you can but it.

Understand that every time you purchase something, the cost is more than just monetary. You are taking on this item. You must put it somewhere, you must protect it, and you must maintain it.

16. Stop judging

Judging is easy. It’s also stupid. It’s impossible to fully understand others. You don’t know what they’ve been through.

So why do we judge? It’s harmful to your own peace, and it’s harmful to others.

17. Stop interrupting

Let people finish their sentence. You aren’t in such a hurry that you need to interrupt.

Let people speak. You might learn something.

18. Create

Everyone has something they can add to the world – something they can create. Spend time everyday creating. You are capable of creating something life-changing – even if it only helps one person.

19. Single-task

Multi-tasking is a myth. We can’t multi-task – our brain can only switch between two tasks. So multi-tasking is actually less productive; not to mention stressful.

Instead, focus on a single task. Move on when it’s finished.

20. Play

We are too serious. Laugh and goof off sometimes. Forget being judged, and let loose.

We aren’t so different from children – only we try to hide our play. Forget maturity. Forget working for now. Play. Enjoy life.

Jake O’Callaghan is passionate about teaching and helping people change. Slowchange (slowchange.net) is his blog on making simple, lasting change. zenteen (zenteen.net) is a blog he created to help teens simplify and deal with the crazy teenage life.

Photo by Per Ola Wiberg