Many of us are familiar with the S.M.A.R.T of goal setting. Goal setting involves establishing specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-targeted goals. But are you familiar with the three W’s of goal achievement? And are you familiar with their connection to hope? [Read more...]
The 3 W’s to Goal Achievement
February 20, 2013 By 24 Comments
The Key to Success: Baby Steps
September 27, 2012 By 24 Comments
What I learned from a nine-year-old.
Teaching Howard was my very first post. Since that time I have made several changes and really want to share Howard’s story with you again. Howard taught me about the importance of baby steps and how minor accomplishments can propel us all to great places if we persevere. [Read more...]
5 tips to improve your life
August 18, 2012 By 14 Comments
The one person who most blocks you from a full, happy, and successful life is you. Yes, you yourself! [Read more...]
10 Ways to Improve Your Day
June 28, 2012 By 39 Comments
- Smile at everyone you meet.
- Write down at least two things that you are grateful for today.
- Do something physical. (Get rid of the excuses. My friend who works out regularly will be running three miles, while my aunt who has had a stroke, will be sitting in a chair doing her foot exercises. One is not more difficult than the other. They both will be pushing themselves appropriately. What can you do?)
- Drink plenty of water.
- Do something nice for someone else. (This does not have to be time-consuming. Sometimes it does not take a whole lot of effort to improve someone else’s day.)
- Plan something that you will look forward to doing. (An evening walk, a dinner out, a vacation.)
- Set and accomplish a goal. (Yes, accomplishing this list definitely counts.)
- When you become upset or frustrated, remember that whatever it is that is bothering you, may not matter next year, next month, or even tomorrow.
- Pray
- Take at least fifteen minutes to do something that you find relaxing. (Observing nature, talking a walk, meditating, taking a warm bath, listening to music….)
Let go of bitterness today and let life in.
Your attitude is more important than the facts
June 24, 2012 By 20 Comments
A
ny fact facing us, however difficult, even seemingly hopeless, is not so important as our attitude toward that fact. How you think about a fact may defeat you before you ever do anything about it. You may permit a fact to overwhelm you mentally before you start to deal with it actually. On the other hand, a confident and optimistic thought pattern can modify or overcome the fact altogether. -Norman Vincent Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking
A bitter why me attitude will have you going in the wrong direction. It is much healthier to focus your energy on what you can do.
Don’t Sit on the Sidelines and Let Life Happen to You
May 5, 2012 By 30 Comments
Written by Kristin Barton Cuthriell, M.Ed., MSW, LCSW
There is a certain amount of power and control that comes with the acceptance of personal responsibility. No longer does life just happen to you. You become part of life, and with that, you become part of solutions. In a sense, you are cutting the puppet strings and making things happen. You lay to rest, all traces of a victim mentality; the mentality that did nothing, but keep you stuck and hold you down. Waiting for others to make life better for you, is really not living at all. You are strong and have more personal power than you will probably ever know.
If you have gotten into a pattern of thinking that you are stuck and that everything is beyond your control, it is now time to challenge those beliefs and begin to replace them with a new way of thinking. It is time to become solution focused. It is time to let life in.
Below is an except from M. Scott Peck‘s classic book, The Road Less Traveled, regarding personal responsibility.
“We cannot solve life’s problems except by solving them. This statement may seem idiotically tautological or self-evident, yet it is seemingly beyond the comprehension of much of the human race. This is because we must accept responsibility for a problem before we can solve it. We cannot solve a problem by saying “It’s not my problem.” We cannot solve a problem by hoping that someone else will solve it for us. I can solve a problem only when I say “This is my problem and it’s up to me to solve.”
Peck goes on to say…
”But many, so many, seek to avoid the pain of their problems by saying to themselves: This problem was caused me by other people, or by social circumstances beyond my control, and therefore it is up to other people or society to solve this problem for me. It is not really my personal problem.”
Are you able to distinguish between what you have control to change and what is beyond your control? What are your thoughts?
Scott, Peck, M.D., Simon and Schuster, New York: 1978
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Goal Setting Tips and Daily Motivation
April 14, 2012 By 28 Comments
Written by Kristin Barton Cuthriell, M.Ed, MSW, LCSW
People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing, that’s why we recommend it daily. –Zig Zigler
What can you do to daily motivate yourself? [Read more...]
