Top 10 Sanity-Saving Holiday Hacks

It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it's also the most stressful—between traveling, buying gifts for everyone, and handling loads of decorations and clutter, you've got quite a bit of work to do this holiday season. Here's how to make sure it goes off without a hitch.

10. Limit Your Other Commitments

The biggest deterrent to what you get done is time. As you're getting out of work for the holiday week, make sure you've tackled everything you need to, so you aren't stuck working over the holiday. Get ready for guests ahead of time, and prioritize what you actually need to do (you don't need to go to every party and get a gift for every acquaintance. Check out our tips for saving time over the holidays and you'll find the whole week is a lot less stressful. Photo by goodrob13.

9. Avoid Stress When You Travel

If you're traveling over the holiday to be with family, you're going to be facing double the travel stress of a normal weekend. Check out our start to finish guide to stress-free travel for tips on packing, getting out of work, and getting to your destination pain-free (and check out our top 10 tips for heading home on a holiday weekend, while you're at it). Image remixed from Chris Brindley.

8. Get Great Deals on Gifts, With or Without Black Friday

Missed Black Friday? No problem—it isn't always the best time to find deals anyway. We've written a lot on how to survive Black Friday, but you can find deals on your gifts any day of the week, especially if you shop online. Check out our five favorite deal sites for a little help, and be sure to get that expedited shipping so it gets to you on time.

7. Give Better Gifts

If you're struggling to find good gift ideas this year, we've got some resources to help you out. First, do a little research on your giftee and find something without being cliché. If that isn't helping, check out our official Lifehacker gift guides for all sorts of ideas, from apps and web services to gadgets, organizational gifts, and even custom-built computers.

6. Give a Used Gift With FInesse

Maybe you don't have a lot of cash to spend on gifts, or maybe you have something you aren't using that you know one of your friends would like. As long as you're up front about it—and as long as it makes sense for the gift—you can give a used gift, or regift an item someone gave you. The key is being honest. That said, if you want to do it without getting caught, we have some tips on doing that too—just be prepared on the off chance your recipient finds out!

5. Get the Most From Your Gift Cards

Whether you're giving or receiving gift cards this year, there are some tricks to getting the most for your money (and getting rid of gift cards you don't want). Check out our list of everything you need to know about gift cards to see more—just be sure you give them away quickly before they start losing their value. Photo by Arvind Grover.

4. Wrap Your Gifts Like a Pro

Chances are you know how to wrap a gift, but what about when it's something in a less-than-traditional shape? We've shared a number of ways to make up for that, from the more festive methods to a simple "Ravioli" method that will work with nearly anything. Of course, you could always just put them in a cereal or oatmeal box first, then wrap as usual. Photo by Robin Phinizy.

3. Get the Better of Your Unruly Tree

So you've picked out the perfect tree for your living room, and maybe even put together a clever watering system to keep it green. But once the holidays are over, ti's time to pack it up—which almost seems harder than cutting it down was. Here's how to pack your tree without spending a dime, and when you're finished, you can get that extra sap off your hands with some toothpaste.

2. Dig Up the Post-Holiday Clutter

Holiday preparation may be stressful, but at least you have the holidays to look forward too—the post-holiday cleanup is a much sadder tale. Luckily, with a bit of patience this year, you can make next year's holiday prep much less stressful. Here's how to pack up your decorations neatly and declutter your house now that you have a ton of new stuff lying around. If you have any broken ornaments, you can recycle them into new ones, and you should also check out how to keep that holiday music in iTunes without it annoying you the rest of the year. Photo by SAJE/Shutterstock.

1. Turn Your Unwanted Gifts into Cash

Chances are, not every gift you got was a winner. That doesn't mean you need to let it collect dust in your closet, though. Instead, return it or sell it for something better. Most stores are pretty lenient about taking things back after the holidays, but just in case, check out our guide to returning anything without a receipt so you're prepared for the Boxing Day battle.

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10 Essential Ways to Hack Your Life (Instead of Letting Life Hack You)

1. Stop waiting for things to change – change yourself NOW! 

Most often that means changing your attitude! Too many times people have preconditions to happiness, only to find even if they reach that goal, there are even more pre-conditions to happiness. Aside for a temporary “high” when we attain our goal, we very quickly go back to a general baseline mood unless we change our thinking habits. If you tend to be a pessimist, you will continue to be no matter what happens on the outside, unless you change from the inside. Real attitude change is an inside job!  

2. Build on your regrets, rather than let them keep you stuck in the past.  

All too often, we use the past as a hitching post rather than a guide post. What’s done is done, and you can’t change it now. Use lessons from the past to improve your life NOW!  See even failure as feedback, not as a referendum of your self worth. Regrets can propel you forward, make you wiser and help you develop empathy for others. Regrets give us many useful lessons to build upon if you do not let them weigh you down. Forgive yourself for now knowing everything when you were six! We are all works in progress. Use your regrets as stepping stones towards a better future, rather than rocks in your emotional backpack.

3. Learn something every day.

 The end of school does not mean the end of learning. We are learning all the time, even if we are not aware of it. Life gives the best lessons of all, and it constantly teaches us lessons no one ever could. If you open up to the wonder of growing and learning, even if the lessons are something you never wanted to learn, you will keep moving in a forward direction.

4. Stop lying to yourself! 

People who are the most honest to others are often the biggest liars to themselves. They feed themselves all sorts of fiction that they are not good enough, not smart enough, not attractive enough, to the extent that they feel at times like “failures”. The critical inner voice is hard to quell, especially if you learned early on those messages that were judgmental and critical.  People who lie to themselves treat fact like fiction.  Change your self talk from statements like “I should be further along in my life than now” to “I am disappointed at where I am in my life, and I have learned many lessons to build on to make different decisions now.”  

5. Forgive…for goodness sake!

Forgiveness does not mean condoning behavior – it means you give up the bitterness you harbor that eats at you and robs you out of happiness in life.  People who wrong us are not inherently evil, but rather more likely unhealthy and maybe very very, very unhealthy. Switching from seeing from being “bad” to being “unhealthy” can free you of the resentment and bitterness. Whether it is your parents, coworkers, friends, or as a result of a love relationship gone sour, forgiveness will help you open up your heart to try again.  Of course, the most important person to forgive is yourself, and keep in mind you are a work in progress.

6. Think straight to feel great! 

Irrational thinking lays the foundation for a lot of unhappiness and helplessness. Irrational thinking can be so automatic, that it is hard to catch, as our thoughts become solidified into “truths.” Our perceptions shape our reality, and that is what determines our attitude. As you become more aware of irrational patterns of thinking and change them into more rational thoughts, you will be empowered to change your attitude to change your life. “I can’t stand this” is irrational – nothing makes you melt into the ground! A more rational perspective is, “I am having a hard time with this”. The less you immobilize yourself with judgmental thoughts, the more you will feel empowered and optimistic.

7. Try to change what is in your control, not what is out of your control.  

Who is the only person we can change? Ourselves!  Who do we often try to change? Others!  Even trying to change someone else’s mind, however well meaning, can lead to frustration as people do not change just because you want them too – they need to want to! If you find yourself trying to change others, you will tend to be aggressive rather than assertive.  Bossiness and insensitivity will limit your ability to be accepting of others, flaws and all.  Of course, accepting people does not give them a “carte blanche” to say or do anything they want – it is up to us to set limits on how much we let them into our inner world. People who tend to be negative and focus on changing others rather than themselves are more likely to be dissatisfied with their lives.

8. Make peace with the fact that life is not fair.

We all know that life is not fair, but all too often we still expect it to be!  Expecting that life and people in it should be fair is the source of countless pain. Life gets quite tedious with that type of entitled mentality. Life is really more like Swiss Cheese with all its holes. It is not smooth and predictable like cream cheese or American.  It is actually the holes in our lives that offer us challenges that make us stronger and develop depth of character.  If we embrace the holes in our lives and grow through them, we become healthier in mind and spirit. Try as hard as you can to make life fair, and accept the rest and work around it.

9. Let yourself smile from within.

   People who are grateful for what they have instead of comparing themselves to others, feeling bitter about what they do not have, tend to feel less hacked by life. Pre-conditions to gratefulness is like pre-conditions to happiness – gratefulness will never happen unless we learn to be grateful for things in our life now.  Life can be tough and it is easier to find faults with it, but it will be an easier journey if we stop to smell the roses, slow down, and enjoy beauty in your world today.   Immerse yourself in nature, breath in the fresh air, slow down and savor each bite of food, and stop to lovingly gaze on those close to you.  Don’t take them for granted.  Are you too busy for that?  Let yourself be a human being instead of a human doing. 

10. Don’t wait to change your life – do it today!  Start right now!

You want your life to change?  Don’t wait!  Tomorrow is forever put off, and today is the day to start.  You can empower yourself by using “victor” language instead of “victim” language.  Replace “I should” with “I will”  and “I hate to” with “I don’t like”. The more flexible your self talk, the more you feel empowered and will be proactive.  Proactivity is one of the 7 habits of highly effective people according to Stephen Covey. Those who are proactive are more likely to be masters of their destiny, as opposed to those who are reactive, who allow others to control their moods. Make an action list of things you want to accomplish, and start today!  You do not have to do things all at once, and breaking large goals such as losing weight, can be broken down into little sub-goals.  The important thing is to begin today!
Each day that you choose to remind yourself of these ten skills to hack life rather than let life hack you, you will increase your sense of self-mastery and enjoy life more.

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3 Diet Hacks to Help You Lose 10 Pounds in 21 Days

Weight loss doesn’t have to be a slow process that takes months on end of bland foods and long, boring workouts. You can safely lose a significant amount of weight in less than a month. This article shows you how. Following the tips in this article will help you lose 10 (or more) pounds in just 21 days. I’m not going to recommend a “miracle” nutritional supplement, expensive workout equipment, or hokey gimmick either. Just 3 things that work, quickly. The weight loss tips in this article are supported by scientific research and don’t require you to buy anything, starve yourself, or do anything that’s dangerous or downright silly. All you have to do is make a few changes to the way you exercise and eat.

1. Stop Doing Hours of Slow, Boring Cardio

Forget about spending hours every day on the treadmill to burn calories. Doing this doesn’t work. Walking at a moderate (brisk) pace will only burn about 295 calories an hour. Do this every day for a week and you won’t lose a pound. The better way to exercise for weight and fat loss is to do interval style resistance training workouts .
Also referred to as circuit training, this style of workout burns twice as many calories. Studies also show that doing some type of resistance training (calisthenics, kettlebells, weights, etc.) is also superior to cardio for burning off fat, especially abdominal fat which hurts your health and hides your 6 pack.
When you workout this way your body will continue to burn calories from your stored body fat for up to 36 hours post-workout. This means you’ll continue to lose weight after your workout is done. These workouts will help you build muscle too which will have you looking better when the weight you want to lose is off.
Circuit style workouts are easy to perform. You can do them barbells, dumbbells, and machines at your gym. One of the best way is to do bodyweight workouts. This is because they can be done anywhere, are really effective, and don’t require any equipment.
When you train this way the key is to choose exercises that train several muscle groups (squats, push ups, pull ups, shoulder presses, etc.). This will make the workout more challenging and burn more calories. Select 4-5 exercises so ensure all of your major muscle groups are being trained. This can include: squats (legs), push ups (chest/shoulders/arms), pull ups (back/biceps), and military press (shoulders).
You’ll perform each exercise one after the other with no rest between sets. Only rest after you’ve performed the last exercise of the circuit. Rest as little as possible between circuits. Do 8-10 reps per set and repeat 3-5 times every workout.
Below is a sample bodyweight exercise circuit training workout for fat loss.

1. Squats
2. Push Ups
3. Burpees
4. Pull Ups

Here’s a circuit workout that can be done with a dumbbell or kettlebell.

1. Two Handed Swings
2. Standing Shoulder Press
3. Squats
4. 1 Arm Rows

If you are just getting started or back into a workout routine give yourself a chance to get used to the intensity of these workouts. Rest as long as you have to between circuits and do as many reps as you can with 10 per exercise being your goal. Stick to it and you’ll be doing these workouts like a pro.

2. Cut the Carbs

This is probably the most important tip to follow. It alone can help you lose 10 or more pounds in 21 days. Eating a low carbohydrate diet turns on the fat loss switch in your body and by getting it to use your stored body fat as energy. You’ll also lose excess water weight too. Best of all you don’t have to obsess over calories or reading labels.
When I write cut the carbs I don’t mean that you have to avoid them entirely. You simply need to limit certain types. Once you lose the weight you can even eat them albeit in limited quantities.
The foods you need to really limit for the next 21 days include processed carbohydrates (bread, cookies, pasta, rice) and simple sugars (candy, fruit juice, and soda). You can pretty much each all of the vegetables you like. Fruits in small amounts are okay too. All in all, your daily carbohydrate quota should not exceed 75 grams. Don’t worry about counting carbohydrates excessively or reading the label for every food you eat. Instead follow this simple tip, if it’s white or comes in a bag or box don’t eat it and you’re most likely eating the right amount. If you do want to count carbohydrates, use one of the many websites or apps that does the counting for you. I recommend reading this Lifehack article for more great tips to eliminate grains from your diet.
In addition to limiting certain types of carbohydrates, the next thing you need to make sure of is that you eat plenty of protein and healthy fats. High protein foods you should eat at every meal include eggs, fish, pork, and red meat. You do not have to count grams of protein either. Just make sure the protein you eat is about the size of the palm of your hand at every meal and you’ll be on track to get enough every day. Last but not least, eat plenty of fat at every meal. You’ll stay full longer between meals. Fat also makes your food taste better too. Limit corn and other vegetable oils and instead make sure you get your fat from avocados, coconut, and olive oil. Almonds and macadamia nuts are also good sources of healthy fats.

3. Ditch Diet Soda and Drink Lemon Water Instead

I know, diet sodas don’t have calories and taste good. The way their bubbles make your mouth tingle feels great too. Unfortunately, they can kill your weight loss progress. Studies show that drinking diet soda can actually make you eat more and gain weight. Scientists believe this is because the artificial sweeteners in these drinks send signals to your brain that make you want to eat, even if you’re not hungry.
Instead of drinking diet soda I suggest you drink cold lemon water. Doing so has many benefits. You’ll feel full longer between meals and because of the lemon juice in the water you’re body will digest food slower and can even help keep your energy levels stable. One study shows drinking cold water can help you burn more calories too.
Drinking your water before you eat may also help you eat less at every meal.

Conclusion

Make these 3 tips part of your life for 21 days and you’ll easily lose 10 pounds. More important, they will become habits that you follow for the days, weeks, and months to follow. Then you’ll really reap their benefits that go beyond weight loss to healthier, stronger, more energetic you!
Sources: (1) Fowler SP, Williams K, Resendez RG, Hunt KJ, Hazuda HP, Stern MP. Fueling the obesity epidemic? Artificially sweetened beverage use and long-term weight gain. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008 Aug;16(8):1894-900. (2) Ostman E, Granfeldt Y, Persson L, Björck I. Vinegar supplementation lowers glucose and insulin responses and increases satiety after a bread meal in healthy

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Stop Forcing the Momentum and What Off-Days Have to Do with It?

 

Your current pace isn’t showing any signs of slowing; it seems you’re always busy and constantly on the go. You’re working as fast as you can, but there’s no time left for you, for reflection and renewal. There’s got to be a better way to live and work.
You desperately want to find time for you, and for improving your work, your skills, for observation, for growth, but there’s now white space left on your calendar. It doesn’t take long, before you start to feel tired and inefficient because of your current situation. Yet, you don’t want to stop – in order not to break the momentum.
But is this “forced” momentum really worth it and is it actually doing you more harm than good?
The illusion of productivity
Many people consider productivity to be working as much as possible, but that isn’t the case.
Part of the definition of productivity is also slowing down and taking a breather. However, if you are skipping the breaks then this nasty habit is going to get to you at some point: You’ll be exhausted and stress yourself out for nothing.
Another part of slowing and taking a break is for reflecting on your work processes: What have you achieved? What methods worked and which could be improved on further?
The fact is that you need to do this kind of analysis on a frequent basis. Otherwise, you can keep working and working, until you realize that you have wasted your time doing too much unnecessary work. Moreover, that this could’ve been prevented by stopping for a moment and looking around.
Forcing yourself to keep up the momentum
So what is the real reason why you keep working like this, even though you know you should stop at times?
First, the fear keeps your wheels rolling. It’s not letting you stop, because if you do you’ll fall behind on everything – or at least that’s what fear thinks. You’re also afraid that your momentum will stop, but you should be asking where is my momentum taking me.
Second, your attitude also matters. In your words, “the more I do, the better I am as a person” may work on some level, but for how long?
If your daily life is just hard work without any reprieve, do you think that you can keep this indefinitely? Or do you think that what you are doing now is just a short-term strategy? If it’s the latter, how can you work better to reduce the stress and improve your effectiveness?
The STOP sign
So, how do you improve your situation?
Allow yourself to stop!
Yes, allow yourself to take a break on a frequent basis for renewal, analysis, education, and planning.
This is actually a major shift in your mindset and it plays a big role in what happens next. The shift is also helping you to change your negative attitude towards taking time off. If you’d normally label yourself as a procrastinator or a lazy person if you take time off, giving yourself permission to do so can help you to quiet those negative thoughts.
It’s the same thing as if you’d be trying to lose weight: If you allow yourself to eat something unhealthy every now and then, instead of beating yourself up about it, you might actually reach your goal even faster.
From forced to relaxed momentum – how to
1. Allow yourself to stop. This is the most crucial mindset shift you can make: allow yourself to stop at times.
2. Understand the benefits. For instance, you’d have more time to plan, analyze the past, and even prevent future mistakes from happening. The off days are also great for “sharpening the saw” – educating yourself. No matter how good you are now in what you do, you can always do better and improve. Finally, slowing down is a great way to take your mind off work for a while. This way you can have more energy for your future projects and tasks you have coming up.
3. Find the perfect time for the day off. Decide to have at least one day off dedicated on a weekly basis for analysis, planning, education, and renewal. In my case, this day is on Sunday. When I reach my off day, I know that I have also reached the end of the workweek and that I can slow down a bit. This off day gives me a needed break between the current and the coming workweek.
You can work only so much. At some point, you have to find time for planning, analyzing, and renewal. In addition, although you might find it difficult in the beginning, you’ll find it comes easier. You’ll begin to see the big picture and have more motivation to tackle your work with enthusiasm and energy. It gives you a more relaxed type of momentum.
Over to you: Do you take time off on a frequent basis?
Featured photo credit: Businessman sitting on a chair via Shutterstock

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10 Hacks To Have The Best Black Friday Ever

The biggest shopping day of the year is just around the corner, and while many people have visions of turkey and stuffing dancing in their heads, you can be getting ready for some truly great deals. With only a few days to go until the big day, check out the Black Friday hacks below to make sure that you’re armed and ready to go. All of these hacks cover ways that you can keep more money in your pocket and avoid the exhaustion and stress that often accompanies shopping with crowds full of people. Enjoy!

1. Do Your Research

It’s impossible to be in 5 places at once, so you’ll need to prioritize. Do you want to get a great deal on a TV or were you hoping to score a power tool on sale for that upcoming bathroom renovation? Either way, you should read through all of the catalogs for the major stores that carry the product that you want. This will help you to be in the right place at the right time.

2. Get Some Team Spirit

I said you couldn’t be in 5 places at once, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t get together with friends and family members to split up and go to different stores. You can send your spouse to purchase a new dining room table while you head over to get the bike your kid has been asking for.  That way you can get everything on your list all at great prices.

3. Go To Bed Early

There’s no glory in shopping while bleary eyed and exhausted. Instead of staying up late and waking up early to get in line, try going to bed at a reasonable hour. This would work especially well if your family has your Thanksgiving meal in the late afternoon. That way you can go to bed as early as 8 or 9p.m.

4. Be Efficient

It might sound overboard, but when you have hundreds of people shopping at the same store as you, you have to shop efficiently. This includes going to the store ahead of time and finding out what aisle your product is in. That way, you won’t have to worry about spending needless time searching when you could be headed home to enjoy your new gadget.

5. Use Social Media

Many shoppers and stores will be using social media to share coupon codes and deals. Make sure you are subscribed to your favorite stores so you are aware of any coupons that can be scanned in using your phone.

6. Shop Local

It’s tempting to shop at places that are big box stores with glossy ads. However, if you know there’s a local home improvement store or an electronic store, call them the day before Black Friday and ask if their deal is going to be any better than the ones advertised at bigger stores. That way, you can support local businesses and get great deals at the same time.

7. Pack Snacks

I know I sound like a mom saying this, but packing snacks is the best hack I can give you. Seriously, you could be waiting to check out for over an hour at some of the bigger department stores, so keep your energy up by bringing a handful of peanuts or popcorn to enjoy.

8. Be A Night Owl Instead of an Early Bird

The early bird may get the worm, but if you love staying up late, that could actually be to your advantage. Many stores will start their deals at midnight, so you can easily shop from midnight until 2AM and then sleep in the next day.

9. Read The Fine Print

Many stores will advertise a price, but it might only be valid for a certain period of time or certain part of the day. To avoid disappointment, read the fine print. Also, bring your ads with you so that you can prove a certain price. This is also beneficial because many stores offer a price guarantee. If you can bring in a competitor’s ad, you can often get what you want for even less.

10. Stick to the List

Sales can be addicting like something shiny to a goldfish. We can go in planning to only buy one thing and then get caught up in the excitement of great deals and buy more than we can afford. To ensure that you don’t overspend, have a friend or family member keep you accountable. Even better, only bring the exact amount of cash that you will need to buy a particular product.
With this list of hacks, you should be well on your way to actually enjoying your Black Friday shopping excursions without the exhaustion or the regret experienced by many customers. Good luck and have fun!
Featured photo credit:  Photo of pretty happy woman via Shutterstock

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Top 10 Gandhi Inspirational Quotes that Give You Power to Change the World

Are you inspired by Mahatma Gandhi? Gandhi quotes inspired millions of Indians to act in non-violent protest against British oppression. His own wisdom and philosophy can always inspire us. Here are the Gandhi’s Top 10 inspirational quotes that give you power to change the world.
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1

First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win

2

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.

 

3

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.

 

4

A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.

 

5

A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.

 

6

A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.

 

7

A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.

 

8

Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well.

 

9

An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it.

 

10

An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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How To Beat The Holiday Bah Humbug

To beat the holiday bah humbug you need to surround yourself with the things you love about the holidays. Once you’ve done that I’ll show you how to use them to make things better.

Make a list of your happy holiday memories

Write as many down as you can think of. Consider family gatherings, gifts exchanged, cookies enjoyed, stockings opened and holiday entertainment you love. Keep the list handy in your phone or a notebook in your purse or wallet.
When you begin to feel the holiday bah humbug or the stress of preparing for the holiday bring out your list and choose one memory. Fill your mind with that memory and envision yourself in it. See the people, the sights, the smells, and sounds of that memory. Now make the memory even bigger and brighter. Most likely you will feel yourself getting lighter and happier as you begin to relive that wonderful time.
Success, you’ve chased the bah humbug away. Repeat this step any time holiday stress begins to take over, choosing any memory you like.

Create a holiday playlist of your favorite holiday songs

Music has a powerful way of changing our mood. Use this playlist to accompany your holiday preparations. Hearing your favorite songs will get you singing along and help keep the bah humbug away. Don’t forget to explore some new holiday music as well. Pandora is a great place to create a radio station of your favorites and hear some new songs as well, as Pandora offers song suggestions based on your preferences.

Pull out your favorite holiday movies/specials

There are so many good ones to choose from. Add some holiday show time to your schedule. We have family movie night once a week and as the holidays approach, we fill this slot with our holiday favorites.
Since you’ve seen these shows so many times, consider watching them while filling out your holiday cards or perform other holiday preparations. (I love to put on the Grinch Who Stole Christmas movie while we decorate the tree)
Don’t forget to treat yourself to some downtime during the holiday season as well. Schedule a massage, take a few baths, get your favorite seasonal beverage (eggnog or Candy Cane Lane tea anyone?).
Featured photo credit: Pretty blond girl wearing a christmas hat via Shutterstock

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30s Tip: Have You Made Any Mistakes?

Yes. You’ve made mistakes. Life didn’t come with instructions.

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30s Tip: What Are the Nutrients of Avocado?

For dry skin, eat more avocados. They are rich in Vitamin E and Monounsaturated Fats which keep your skin in good condition.

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3 Simple Steps to Overcome Fear

Why do you get scared? Why are you afraid to pursue goals, dreams, ambitions, or personal challenges?
Fear can get in the way of some pretty remarkable achievements. It can keep you from getting married because you’re afraid of commitment, it can keep you from starting your own business because you’re afraid you won’t be able to support yourself or your family. Fear can even keep you from losing weight – what if the effort you put into it doesn’t produce the results you expect?
Fear can keep you from knocking off things on your Limitless list and living a life full of amazing experiences.

Why are you scared?

It’s important to recognize fear for what it really is. It’s simply the association of an event with a negative outcome. So for example if you have always thought about bungee jumping but have yet to do it, it is most likely due to the fixation on some sort of negative expectation of the event. Maybe possibly getting hurt for example.
If you have always wanted to start your own business you may be overly focused on not being able to make enough money to support yourself, or the hard work that it actually takes.
The same can be true if you have been struggling with your health and wellness. Often the fear of getting started, the hard work it takes, or the fear of not being able to keep the weight off can get in the way.

Turning your back on fear

Trying to avoid fear or to convince yourself to have “no fear” is a mistake. Fear is not going anywhere anytime soon. It will always be there. But don’t spend too much time dwelling on it. Quickly recognize it, exchange pleasantries, and move on.
Plan: Here is a quote I try to live by “Counting on luck is counting on random chance; your odds are better when you plan and work.”
How fantastic is that? The best plan of attack when dealing with fear is to plan for it. What is the next big challenge you’ve been thinking about undertaking? Ask yourself why you are afraid and plan for it. When I left my job a few months ago to pursue coaching full-time my personal finances were a big concern.
Instead of concentrating on how much money you need to earn look instead at where you can cut what you’re currently spending.

• Any memberships you don’t use?
• Cut cable?
• Sell some old stuff?
• Get rid of the car?
• Lower your insurance premiums?
• Buying coffee everyday? Busted :)
• Buy generic products instead of name brands
• Brown bag a healthy lunch as opposed to going out all the time

Maybe your big challenge has nothing to do with money as a root fear. Start thinking about what is causing that fear in you. Address it and plan for it. Need some help figuring out a plan? Post in comments in I’ll help you out.
Focus on the positive outcomes: I touched on it earlier but it is important to repeat it. The negative expectations associated with any event are the heart of what keeps you from accomplishing that which you want most. Although it’s important to recognize those possible negative outcomes so that you can plan, once that step has been taken, it’s important to place your focus on the possible positive outcomes that you want to experience.
By concentrating on the good, you are much more likely to stay encouraged and motivated. A great way you can stay focused on the positive is to keep track. Keep an achievement journal each month. If weight loss is your goal, track your progress each week my taking body measurements, hopping on the scale, or getting a body fat test done.
Another great way to focus on the positive is to keep track of your behaviors. Are you acting in a manner that is getting you closer to your goals? Buying healthy groceries and avoiding the junk? Prepping healthy meals the night before so they are ready to roll the next day? Waking up a bit earlier to get in a 30-minute run?
Results are not always measurable right away but the behaviors that lead to those results are.
Review the log at the end of the month and see how you did? Where did you struggle and what might you be able to do this upcoming month to improve upon those things?
Practice, Practice, Practice: Most of us are not naturally remarkable at things right away. If you are one of those people… I hate you. Learning new skills takes practice. Like shooting a basketball, playing the guitar, or weight training – They are each difficult in their own way and it takes time to learn how to do them properly.
So practice being courageous by taking on smaller fears. Make a list of all the things that scare the heebie-jeebies out of you. Review the list and pick the one of them that freaks you out the least. Now go for it! Build upon that success and take on something that scares you a little bit more.
What you’re doing here is training your courage muscle. Just like weight training to build lean muscle or going on a run to prepare for a marathon, you’re training yourself to get stronger. How neat is that?

Now act

We’re all scared of something. Some of those fears are big, some are small, and some may even seem silly. Regardless they are real and probably not going anywhere anytime soon. So ask, what is something you can do right now that will get you one step closer to tackling your fear?
Take that step. Time is ticking…
Featured photo credit:  Mysterious woman pulls the blinds apart via Shutterstock

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