Tag: goals

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Morning Rituals: Setting the Stage for a Serene and Centered Work-Day

 

When you get up in the morning to go to work, are you sluggish and hesitant to get out of bed, or are you energized and ready to face the day? Do you feel stressed or calm when you think of going to work?

If you answered the first part of these questions with yes, then it’s time to reverse this and get you motivated to start your day pm well. Stress can lead you to think and feel negatively and you won’t do your best.

There are better ways to start your day on a positive note so you will perform at your highest, and that is by having daily rituals that start your day.

Rituals can change the way you view the day and can improve your well-being and quality of life. Having a set routine helps to develop good habits and reach your goals and aspirations, while rituals can improve your mood and shape your beliefs. They will allow you to keep accountable and stay motivated on the days when you do not want to get out of bed.

 

Morning rituals are the best way to set your days up for success and stay in control of the day, regardless of challenges you may face. The way that you wake up each morning will dramatically increase your quality of life and balance your stress levels, allowing you to feel calm and at peace throughout the rest of the day.

 

What is a Morning Ritual?

 

Both routines and rituals are crucial to a positive state of mind and maintaining mental stability. However, it is important to know that they are not the same thing but that they complement one another. A morning ritual takes on a task that may be part of one’s routine and puts meaning and intention behind it.

 

Rituals are habits that an individual develops to nurture and build a strong mindset. They allow you to appreciate the benefits these routines provide in  your daily life and provides value beyond completing a task.

 

Rituals are self-empowering and allow a change in your perspectives  reality. They allow us to reinforce habits with reasoning behind them that can be very effective on improving our mental health and emotions. They are a great way to improve your outlook and attitude so your day becomes easy; you will learn to become calmer and deal with any stressors you face.

 

Here are some examples of Morning Rituals:

 

Gratitude

 

Gratitude reinforces happiness and can set the tone for a positive outlook on the day. It allows you to appreciate the little moments that occur throughout the day and finding ways to be grateful for whatever the day presents.

 

One way to practice gratitude is through journaling. By making a list each morning of the things you are most grateful for, you will train your mind to look for moments of appreciation throughout the rest of the day. Starting your day off with a grateful mind is the best way to stay positive and full of joy each and every day.

 

Goals and Aspirations

 

Writing down your goals and how you will achieve them is the best way to stay motivated and keep yourself accountable. It is easy to say a goal out loud but writing it down and staying attuned to it each morning will make you more likely to achieve it and stick to it.

 

Along with your gratitude journal, writing daily goals will lessen any stress as you will know what to do each day, plus will be getting closer and closer to your goals. Goals that you think about each and every morning will keep you dedicated and committed no matter what obstacles arise.

 

Read

Take time each morning to read from a book; it could be a chapter or a few lines from a novel you enjoy or that motivates you. By doing so, you will be working on your personal or professional development and be inspired to get to work. Many people read Bible verses to start their day. Set a timer for 5-15 minutes, or read a page a day – soon you will have the book finished.

 

Meditation

 

Meditation is a great practice to keep your mind healthy and productive throughout the day. By clearing your mind for a short period of time each morning, you will notice the positive impacts that meditating has on many different components of your life.

 

Research has shown that meditation has direct links with happiness, reduced anxiety and depression, balanced emotions, and alertness. When you acknowledge and sit with your emotions, you will notice that they no longer follow you throughout the day and prevent you from completing your daily tasks.

 

Meditation has tons of benefits that will improve your perspective on reality and your calmness throughout the day. Meditating will also help you realize gratitude and focus on your aspirations while staying as productive and dedicated as possible. It’s important to remember that mediation is not taking your thoughts away but, with practice, you won’t feel compelled to do anything about them. Start with 2 minutes, then work your up to reap the benefits.

 

Creating rituals leads to more focus, concentration, and inspiration to face the day. These are only a few suggestions so take one and start using it, then do another and so on. Soon, rituals will be a part of you day you can’t miss.

 

If stress is taking over in your workplace, reach out to learn about services and programs that will help you to manage it so you can have a more productive team.

 

 

 

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It’s March Fourth and Do Something Day

Today is March Fourth and Do Something Day (I said there are celebrations for everything) and, since we’re in this first week of March, what are your plans for what you want the next 31 days to look like? Now is the time to make new plans, new goals, new thresholds for what you want in your business. I like the premise of doing something you’ve not done before – challenging yourself- with the idea of marching forward. They both go together wonderfully:

  1. What is on your ‘to do’ or bucket list? What did you say you would do in those resolutions a couple months back? What are you feeling you need more of are ready to do? Answering these questions will help you to make a decision on a specific action you want to accomplish by March 31
  2. Start with choosing one of those (not to overwhelm) and write it out very specifically, i.e. I will be in my new job as an IT software developer by March 31. What this does is create a visual on the goal, which the brain will latch on to and want to achieve it, as well as giving it a deadline. The more specific we are, the more compelling it becomes and then we will seek out the ways to get it.
  3. Write out every possible action you would need to take to get that goal accomplished; this is not about limiting but about every possibility out there – this is where you may need to ‘leap’ and stretch in what those may be. Work backwards from March 31 (you with a successful team or business), thinking of what it took to get there; this will really expand the creative side of the brain to come up with ideas you might not think of in a conscious state (left side).
  4. Armed now with a goal and specific steps to take, make the leap; decide what time you will make it to hold yourself accountable and get mentally prepared. Then, begin. It may feel a bit scary at first but the more you, the easier it will become and the faster results you will see.

The key to any of these is taking action and doing something that, while it may feel uncomfortable, will move you achieving your business goals.   Ensuring you have a good mindset is the driver for all behavior and goal-achievement, so take time each morning to create a positive mindset – say gratitude, have goals, use positive self-talk, breathe to energize your brain, and affirm your intentions. Practicing this daily will create a new habit that will lead to your success.

If you’re ‘stuck’ and want to stop the struggle, then contact us to day to change this around.

 

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If Your Goals Scare You, You're on the Right Path

If you want anything in life, it starts with a goal, which is the end-result of what you desire. Goals spur us on, they motivate us and they turn our ideas and dreams into reality. You have goals, even though you might not realize it – when you got up this morning, when you left for work or opened this notice; these are all little goals. They get you through each day effortlessly.
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But what about  bigger goals; you know, the ones that scare you? These are the type of goals that, while they sound good in your head, once you put them on paper seem to put some fear in you. You get that know in the pit of your stomach and feel uneasy; so uneasy that you shun them, saying ‘this will never work.’ If you have that type of goal, then you’re on the right path.
You need to be setting goals that will stretch you out of your comfort zone, as you have more ability and strength than you realize. Pushing past the emotion and focusing in on the end-result is what will spur you on to using the strengths and abilities you possess; you’re go into more critical thinking mode to come up with the steps you need to take until you reach the end.
When those fears start to creep in, as they will, stop and listen to what they are telling you and then challenge the little voices: :I don’t know I will fail, or that someone will laugh, or yell, at me,” or whatever else lives there. Focusing in on why you want the desired goal, and the benefit you will have from having it, will keep you motivated; thinking back on a past success will keep the voices at bay.
If you really want whatever the desire is badly enough, you will work for it. Think of how good you will feel at the end. Create this picture in your mind and keep focusing on it – it will motivate you until it is achieved. “Growth demands a temporary surrender of security” (Gail Sheehy). See you at the top!
Committed to Your Success Coaching & Consulting focuses on workplace happiness and organizational success. If you need help gaining clarity on your business or career goals, why not get some help – stop the struggle and call today to get started! https://www.cyscoaching.com (check out our blog) or barbara@cyscoaching.com

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To Achieve Goals, Focus on the End Result You Want

When a goal is set at the beginning of the year, it somehow gives a conviction to complete the goal with a renewed motivation towards completing it. However, most people don’t ever accomplish their goal, often losing the motivation, feeling frustrated, and giving up.

One way to avoid this is to focus on the end result – the goal you want to achieve. Give that goal clarity and a visual picture so your brain can “wrap itself” it. Once you have this picture in your mind, it is important to write the steps that will take you to this goal. Most people write a goal but never really plan the steps, or they make the steps seem unmanageable. Write your action steps in small increments so that your motivation and actions will be consistent. Use a planner, a white board or create a vision board to visually keep this goal in front of you. If you want to lose weight, for example, find a picture of yourself when you were at your goal weight, so you can focus on that picture.

Not being clear on what you want will set you up for failure. Once a goal is set, the next question usually is “How” – how am I going to complete the goal? This can prevent people from taking action. We can become so focused on all of the steps needed that they can seem impossible to achieve. Our brains, being the supercomputers that they are, sort and store information and the resources needed to complete goals. Taking yourself out of the equation and allowing yourself to “be” will lead you to the answer; the “how” will come. Sit in a space that gives calm and allow thoughts to come; also, don’t be afraid to think big. Keep the focus on the why as this is the driver of your actions. Big thinking leads to big actions.

Doing these steps, and focusing on the end result, will help you to keep motivated and in action mode and will take you closer to goal achievement. You have all the tools you need in your mind – use them to the fullest and you will achieve amazing results. It all starts with the end result.

Committed to Your Success Coaching & Consulting focuses on workplace happiness and organizational success. If you need help gaining clarity on your business or career goals, why not get some help – stop the struggle and call today to get started! https://www.cyscoaching.com or barbara@cyscoaching.com

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Goal Reached (Day 30 of my Blog Challenge)

Today is day 30 of my blog challenge!  While it hasn’t always been easy to find the time (and sometimes topics) I made the commitment and did it.  Knowing that it takes at least 30 days for a habit to form, I should assume that mine is set; but, alas, it is not (quite).  Habits can take up to 60 days as we deal with social media and that old myth of ‘multitasking.’  Wanting instant results will lead to failure of ensuring that the actions you take will stick.

The key to sustaining habits lies in consistency of the actions you’ve taken towards whatever goal you’ve worked for.   If you desire to reach your goals, keep in mind that it is not a  race but a marathon; I liked to equate it to the tortoise and the hare – you can do things quickly (the hare) but it is better to take slow and methodical, like the tortoise.  If you remember, he won the race but it wasn’t from running quickly or taking short-cuts.

Here are steps I took to help me reach this goal that you can easily implement:

  • I made the decision to do the challenge – I did this blog challenge last August and felt the time was right to do it again this year.  Once I made the decision…
  • I made the commitment – for me, this meant that there was no option but to write daily, whether it was a really meaningful post or a quote.  When I felt like giving it up, or skipping a day, I kept that personal commitment in mind which helped me to…
  • Take action – writing daily felt exhilarating in the beginning, then like a chore in the middle, and finally energizing at the end.   Not wanting to let myself  down was enough to keep me posting.

I am not telling you that writing daily was easy but I can honestly say that, now that the goal is reached, I feel more accomplished and aware that I can keep on and achieve any goal that I want.  Having to answer to yourself – and knowing that you held true – is an empowering feeling.  So go ahead and make your own challenge – I dare you!

Let me know how you on your challenge (or if I can help you get them!)

 

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