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Sleep. BrainHacks. Ten Steps for Boosting Your Creativity. The 21 Day Challenge Everyone Should Take. I'm on day 14 of a 21-day challenge that I semi-invented and so far I have to admit the results have been nothing short of amazing. Now, when I say that I semi-invented it, that is purely because I took the idea from the excellent book 'Psycho Cybernetics' and put it in a format that everyone can follow, myself included. I'm not exaggerating when I say this challenge can literally help with any aspect of your life that you would like to improve. Before I go into more detail on how you can follow along, I need to talk a little about our 'self image' and why it is very important. Understanding the Self Image In the mid 20th Century, Maxwell Maltz who was a plastic surgeon, wrote a book called Psycho Cybernetics that has now sold millions of copies and been updated for modern times.

It was this book that led me to write the post 'How to Improve at Anything' and it is probably the greatest book I have ever read. The 21 Day Challenge Let's look at the 4 parts of this challenge… The 4 Parts 1. 2.

Memory

60 Small Ways to Improve Your Life in the Next 100 Days. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to make drastic changes in order to notice an improvement in the quality of your life. At the same time, you don’t need to wait a long time in order to see the measurable results that come from taking positive action. All you have to do is take small steps, and take them consistently, for a period of 100 days. Below you’ll find 60 small ways to improve all areas of your life in the next 100 days. Home 1. Create a “100 Days to Conquer Clutter Calendar” by penciling in one group of items you plan to declutter every day, for the next 100 days. Day 1: Declutter MagazinesDay 2: Declutter DVD’sDay 3: Declutter booksDay 4: Declutter kitchen appliances 2. If you take it out, put it back.If you open it, close it.If you throw it down, pick it up.If you take it off, hang it up. 3.

Happiness 4. 5. Eating your lunch outside.Calling your best friend to chat.Taking the time to sit down and read a novel by your favorite author for a few minutes. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Finding Your Bliss: A Quick Strategy. A major source of discontent in many people’s lives not knowing what they truly want. Yes, that mansion, beautiful spouse and two kids sound great, but that’s not what I’m talking about. This has been said before, so I’ll let the philosophers speak for me: Everything–a horse, a vine–is created for some duty… For what task, then, were you yourself created?

A man’s true delight is to do the things he was made for. Marcus AureliasTweet Every man has a purpose, something special that he can do better than anyone else. Your work is to discover this, then give yourself to it. What do you want out of this whole “life” thing? This is one of the hardest questions for people to answer and yet it’s probably the most important question to know the answer to! Here’s a great exercise that I’ve found really helpful in determining your bliss: 1) Think of the what you want right at this moment. 2) Fast-forward to when you have all of that.

Now what? If this experiment worked for you… Good luck! 101 Conversation Starters People Love. Below are 101 types of conversation starters to use on your first date, at a party, in business, with guys or girls, or on family and friends. The 101 great conversation openers are simple and effective. Do not be fooled.

The most important point to remember when using any conversation starter is they aim to start the conversation. “Ice-breakers” break the ice; they don’t heat up the planet and make mother nature flourish. (Tweet this.) Conversation openers are not intended to make people laugh or get people to like you. Guys, you can make a woman think you’re a primal beast to be locked in her room later in the conversation. What Makes a Great Conversation Starter? Watch this video for an amazing exercise you can do with me to create over 30 conversation starters that work for you The best conversation starters are situation-specific. ‘Ice-breakers’ break the ice; they don’t heat up the planet and make mother nature flourish. Here’s an exercise to help you develop excellent openers. Phew! Top 10 Things That Determine Happiness. Photo: meddygarnet Happiness is, by nature, a subjective quality with a definition like a moving target.

There is scant evidence — qualitative or quantitative — to lend convincing support to those life variables most critical in determining individual happiness, which is likely why past researchers committed to the scientific method rarely tried to tackle the subject. This is changing. Take, for example, the World Database of Happiness in Rotterdam, self-described as a, “continuous register of scientific research on subjective appreciation of life.” Also, take the positive psychologists, a movement whose “members” perform scientific research into the nature of happiness and who published Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification, an 800-page behemoth that outlines all the characteristics, behaviors and conditions that lead to happiness. No.10 – Having a short memory Are you one to hold grudges? No.9 – Exacting fairness No.8 – Having lots of friendships No.2 – Good genes.

Measuring Measures - Measuring Measures - 7 Tips for Successful Self-Learning. Being in debt is a terrifying experience. Unfortunately, this problem is difficult to fix, fixing it can be hard.The piece that follows does offer some pointers on what to do regarding bankruptcy if your burden becomes to much to bear. Be certain you understand all you can about bankruptcy by using online resources. Department of Justice and American Bankruptcy Attorneys provide free advice. Don’t pay for an attorney consultation with a lawyer who practices bankruptcy law; ask a lot of questions. Consider if Chapter 13 bankruptcy for your filing. In order for this to be considered, your car loan must be one with high interest, have a higher interest loan for it as well as a consistent work history. Make sure you file a bankruptcy claim. It is acceptable to find yourself overwhelmed and turn to bankruptcy to get out of trouble.

Breaking habits of perception-a skill that changes everything « Metta Refuge. Here is another great teaching from Thanissaro Bhikkhu. While looking for some buddhadharma about dealing with guilt about the past, I came across this paragraph, from the end of his article, “Habits of Perception.” It was so helpful, I stopped my search to read the whole article, which I share below. May it be an aid to developing the skillful perceptions that lead to freedom! A frequent image in meditation instructions is that all you have to do is turn on a light and the darkness goes away. No matter how many eons the darkness has reigned, all you have to do is turn on the light once and that’s the end of the darkness. Thanissaro Bhikkhu What have you got here in the present moment? Some of the baggage you’re bringing into the present moment consists of issues you’ve picked up in the course of the day: things this person said, that person did, things you yourself said or did.

But the issues also go deeper than that. As the Buddha said, the problem all comes down to ignorance. 20 Quotes For Getting Through Tough Times. 8 Things Everybody Ought to Know About Concentrating. “Music helps me concentrate,” Mike said to me glancing briefly over his shoulder. Mike was in his room writing a paper for his U.S. History class. On his desk next to his computer sat crunched Red Bulls, empty Gatorade bottles, some extra pocket change and scattered pieces of paper. In the pocket of his sweat pants rested a blaring iPod with a chord that dangled near the floor, almost touching against his Adidas sandals.

On his computer sat even more stray objects than his surrounding environment. There must have been twenty browser tabs open. Mike made a shift about every thirty seconds between all of the above. Do you know a person like this? The Science Behind Concentration In the above account, Mike’s obviously stuck in a routine that many of us may have found ourselves in, yet in the moment we feel it’s almost an impossible routine to get out of. When we constantly multitask to get things done, we’re not multitasking, we’re rapidly shifting our attention. Phase 1: Blood Rush Alert. 50 questions for personal growth. What It Takes to Form a Good Habit. I think "accountability buddy" really misses the point. There is satisfaction and joy in accomplishing the task, but that's where accountability buddy is a misnomer. All habits of any sort will trip, falter, fail, etc. It's all about getting back in the game. People who falter in quitting smoking, depression, learning a new skill, taking up exercise or learning a new habit need a buddy who they enjoy doing it with and will help them get back in the game.

We are humans and we love to connect and share experiences with - even introverts have a means by which they connect and share. The "buddy" aspect can and should be extended to group or community. Obviously, if you want to take up knitting and you end up in a sip-and-bitch instead of a sip-and-stitch, you might find that the buddies will actually bring you down. By far, the most important aspect of developing any habit is the actual doing of the habit. [From years of experience as fitness center owner/operator]