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Mindset
The Importance Of Creative Visualization
The Importance Of Creative Visualization
Humans have developed to use our imaginations for all kinds of purposes. Whether it is for comfort, entertainment, safety, or protection, our own imagination performs many jobs in our day to day lives that we rarely, if ever, even think about.
Visualizing can be a powerful tool in our self-help and self-preservation toolkit. The process can be undertaken at any time of the day, in virtually any situation you can think of. All you really need is your brain, and since that’s already with you all the time, you’re all set!
Creative visualization is just one way our brain seeks to find the solution to a problem. If we creatively think about a situation, we can imagine the situation from all angles and see the various outcomes.
Creative visualization is also a technique anyone can learn, yet it promises to give you your heart’s desires and set you on a course for personal success. What is this powerful tool, and can it really deliver what it promises?
Creative visualization is a specific way of using your imagination. It’s a cognitive process that consists of forming vivid mental images. You consciously change the images, which in turn changes your emotions about the subjects of the images. As you practice visualizing the future you want, you create that future. I can be incredibly motivating when done well, and we all need more motivation, don’t we?
Clearly, we will choose one outcome over the rest that appeals to us the greatest, and we can then focus on attaining that outcome.
You know how famous people often claim to have “visualized” their success long before it ever happened for them in real life? It’s the power of creative visualization that they are harnessing.
And once you see yourself as already having “achieved” your goal (whatever it may be), then your intuition and sense of “inner knowing” will light the proper path.
The importance of creative visualization comes into play as we seek to attain that one appealing outcome. We are genetically built to use our imagination without even being conscious of doing it. When we intentionally focus our imagination on a single outcome, it becomes much easier for us to set up action steps to take to finally get to that outcome.
It doesn’t matter what the outcome is. You might be surprised to know that you can use creative visualization to attain any goal at all – there is no right or wrong.
- If you want weight loss, visualize yourself wearing clothes you love, and let yourself feel the confidence you have in your new body.
- If you want more money, visualize your ideal situation – your ideal location, home, companions, etc. What kind of work do you see yourself doing?
- If you want to travel, visualize yourself going to the airport, your luggage full of resort-wear. Imagine yourself on a warm and sunny beach, napping while you hear the waves of the ocean lapping up on the shore.
The next step, once the goal has been established, is to use your imagination to discover steps you can take to actually get to those places – the beach, the slimmer body, or making more money. A dream is only a dream if there is no action taken. Once you begin taking action, it’s a plan!
Creativity is so important in this process. Without creativity and imagination, you can’t envision what you want to have and what you want to be.
Use your imagination to fuel your future!
“Can Creative Visualization Help Me?”
No matter who you are, where you come from, or what your ultimate goals are, creative visualization can help you.
We all want to succeed in life, and success is going to mean something different to each individual person. When you consider it, every one of our ancestors was a success, because they continued to live and reproduce. That bodes well for our potential success, too!
Our individual success goals vary greatly, as they should! For one person, success may mean a big house, several expensive cars, and a few exotic vacations each year.
To someone else success means a cabin in the woods with a woodstove and enough cut wood to make it comfortably through the winter. Success is completely subjective, and there are no right or wrong answers.
Creative visualization is one very powerful way to see yourself through to whatever success means to you. By visualizing the desired outcome, you can also creatively brainstorm the action steps you’ll need to take to get to that outcome.
Momentum is key here – once you’ve begun practicing creative visualization, you’ll begin to see changes in your life that you may never have expected!
Creative visualization has also been used very successfully to change negative ingrained habits into positive habits!
Let’s say you’re prone to procrastination. It’s clear what you need to do. You know the deadline as well. Yet, no matter how much you know what needs to be done, you still don’t do it.
At the end, you are always rushing to get the tasks done in time for the deadline, creating horrible stress for yourself, and doing a less than stellar job.
Using creative visualization, you can attack this bad habit from several different angles. You can break down the “why” of the bad habit – maybe you don’t feel like you know enough to complete the task sufficiently, so you put it off – and then you can move into the action steps you need to take to replace that bad habit with a positive one.
The next step would be to creatively visualize how you’d feel if you didn’t have that habit anymore. How great would it feel to have every work assignment scheduled out and delivered on time?
Maybe you’d even get a raise! And how awesome would it be to not have that last-minute stress of being under the gun with your projects?
Creative visualization can help you help yourself and turn your bad habits into positive action!
As you can probably appreciate, mindset is incredibly important in your life, and if you want to know more about developing a strong mindset, check out the featured resource below for a free report; download, read it and take action 😊
Mindset Hacks To Increase Focus
Mindset Hacks To Increase Focus
Let’s face it; we all want to be more focused because that way we can get more things done, right?
Your time is valuable. Not being able to focus can have a negative effect on how successful we are at work and in our personal lives.
Focus is a skill that we develop by training and practice. Productivity requires intention and strategy to help make your time work for you!
So, let’s look at some ways you can dial in your focus so you can be more productive and hopefully more successful in whatever you are trying to achieve.
And this is especially important for those who have found themselves working from home and aren’t used to having all the homely distractions around them. If that is you, this is doubly important for you to grasp.
The first thing to look at is how you are spending (aka wasting) your time.
Identifying Time Killers
Before you can begin to learn how to concentrate better on the tasks that you need to accomplish each day, you first need to know where your time goes.
There are a number of time killers that destroy your focus without your knowledge.
The Biggest Time Killers
As yourself this question and answer it honestly:
Do you pick up your phone every time that you receive a notification?
If you answered “yes” to that question, then you’ve identified our first time killer. By picking up your phone repeatedly throughout the day, you are destroying your focus.
Whichever task you were working on was interrupted as your attention moved to your phone.
There are several other important time killers to identify.
Some of these may sound familiar:
- Facebook and YouTube
- Your email inbox
- Non-work related conversations
- The internet
In order to identify the time killers that are destroying your focus, you need to spend a day observing your activities. Write down everything that you do, keeping a running list on a piece of paper on your desk.
Yes, this can be a time killer in and of itself, but it will help you see where your time goes.
For example, you might notice that you spent 30 minutes on your personal Facebook account, or that you stop what you’re doing and pick up your phone every time that it goes off.
By tracking your time and activities, you’ll know what you need to eliminate in order to improve your concentration.
Distractions Destroy Your Focus
The problem with these distractions is that they destroy your focus. Constantly starting and stopping an activity is no way to succeed.
You’ll spend more time getting back into the proper mindset than you do working on the task.
On top of this, by frequently going back to this same task every time you get interrupted, you’re spending more time on it than necessary.
As a result, your list of projects will just end up getting longer.
Next, let’s look at a few powerful tips and strategies that will help you quickly improve your focus.
Tips To Improving Focus
Improving your focus isn’t as difficult as you may think.
By now you should have identified some of the things that are killing your concentration. It’s time to learn how to overcome them by hacking your mind.
Mind Hacks To Improve Productivity
You need to hack your mind in order to become more productive.
These tips will also help you deal with those time killers that eat away at your day and make tasks take twice as long to finish.
Once you have put these tips to work, you will be able to accomplish more in less time! Don’t be put off by the simplicity of some of them; try them and you will be pleasantly surprised.
Work When You’re At Your Most Productive
Not everyone is at their most productive in the morning. Some think more clearly at other times of the day.
By adjusting your schedule to coincide with your peak brain activity, you’re setting yourself up to get more done.
Many folks swear by getting up early and doing your most important tasks before anyone is around, but if you hate getting up early, you are hardly going to be motivated are you?
So do what fits your preferred schedule, rather than trying to force someone else’s onto yours.
Use The Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro technique is a time management tool that requires you to break your day into specific 20-minute periods, called Pomodoros.
During those 20-minute periods, you focus solely on the task at hand, ignoring all distractions. Every three Pomodoros, you get to take a five-minute break.
This is a well-known technique and has been shown to work, so give it a go.
Unplug Yourself From The Internet
The internet is a major time distraction. Put your computer on airplane mode so that you can’t go online.
This will force you to focus on your tasks without the temptation of Facebook, YouTube, and all of the other websites that call for your attention.
Don’t underestimate the draw of social media; it will draw you in if you let it, so ensure you won’t be distracted by any notifications.
Ignore Your Phone
This is very closely linked to the tip above. Every time your smartphone goes off, it draws your attention to it, not what you’re working on.
Place your phone in a drawer, turn it off, put it on silent, or do whatever you need to do in order to eliminate this time killer.
This is one of the most important tips to get a hold of and can instantly increase your focus.
Stop Multitasking
Multitasking has negative effects on the brain. Studies have shown that it lowers your IQ. It also forces you to take longer to finish your tasks and makes you 40% less productive overall.
Instead, only do one thing at a time. Sounds counterintuitive but it works!
The multitasking myth has been around for many years, but the most successful people are laser focused on one task at a time, and if they are doing that, shouldn’t you?
Form Better Habits
It takes at least 21 days in order for a new activity to become a habit. Begin these new habits now, and before the month is out, you’ll be more productive than ever.
As you can appreciate, a lot of this is dependent on the way you think and if you want to know more about developing a good mindset for success, please click on the featured resource below for a free Strong Mindset report; download, read it and take action 😊
Working From Home: The New Normal?
Working From Home: The New Normal?
As you are probably aware, the current health situation has resulted in many more people working from home for the last 16 months or so. But is this going to become the new normal for people?
Working from home can be a real benefit to some people, but there quite a few people who don’t like working from home because they feel less productive.
There are many distractions to tempt us from our tasks, such as TV, social media, having a quick cuppa or a snack, or even a quick nap! In all honesty, it’s a miracle we get anything done, isn’t it?!?
Working from home requires a lot of self-discipline and isn’t for everyone. You can also find yourself working longer hours because there is no commute to and from a workplace and before you know it, it is 6pm already and your spouse is calling you down for dinner!
So, can you be more efficient when you work from home? Well, I believe the answer is ‘Yes’ but it does require effort and a shift in thinking and the way you may approach your to-do list for the day.
Let’s take a look at how you can become an efficient homeworker by applying a few simple hacks to make the most of your work hours to get stuff done!
Are You More Efficient Working At Home?
Working at home gives people the flexibility to be at home, while still being able to collect a paycheck. But, does working at home automatically make you get more done?
Many people dream of being able to stumble out of bed and begin their workday. They argue that since they don’t have the commute, they can start right away and essentially work during the time others would be using to commute. The argument is that it’s less stressful not to have that commute hanging over them.
Being able to spend more time with your family is another benefit people associate with working from home. You can be home when your kids come home from school. You’ll be able to go their afterschool activities such as sports games.
People who work at home learn that it has unintended challenges associated with it. For instance, while it’s nice to be around your family, are they letting you get your work done?
Are you spending too much time with your family that is taking away from your responsibilities to your job?
You need to work with your family to set up boundaries. This means you should dedicate a space like an office that you use to work. When you are in the office, your family needs to understand that interruptions are off limits, unless it’s an emergency.
You will also need to handle interruptions by neighbors that may visit. While many of your neighbors will be commuting to work, there are more people working from home today. This increases the chances that some of your neighbors are working from home as well.
It’s tempting when you see them outside, to see what they are up to, etc. It’s okay to do this once in a while, but don’t let it interrupt your job.
Job burnout can happen just as easily when working from home as it does when you commute to the office. In fact, companies may expect more of you when you work at home and your time is going to be more scrutinized.
You may end up working more hours even when you factor in the lack of commuting. Your boss may be inclined to call you up after work hours and ask you to handle some tasks. If she does this to all employees, then you may not be able to do much to change that.
However, if she is singling you out because you work at home and she believes this gives her permission to call upon you, this may be something you need to handle.
And while you’re thinking about efficiency while working from home, what about your house itself; can that be more efficient too?
How To Make Your Home More Efficient Too!
There is a lot of attention given to being greener. Aside from the political ramifications of the initiatives, making your house more efficient can help the environment but can also save you a decent amount of money.
Appliances are rated using the Energy Star rating system. The better the rating, the more you will save money. But, it’s a bit more complicated than this. You need to factor in the type of fuel your house uses.
The better the system, the more you will save with these appliances. So, even high rated appliances won’t do as well with an inefficient system.
Another factor to consider is how long it will take to break even on your investment. If it takes 20 years to start seeing some benefits to your new system, and you are planning on moving in 15 years, you won’t see any cost savings.
While it is true that efficient houses command a higher selling price, you may not get as much as you put into making your house efficient.
Of course, you may still choose to move forward with changes because you want to be ecologically conscientious. There is nothing wrong with that. But, if your motivation was to save costs as well, there are other factors to consider.
You should also speak with your local municipality to find out if there are any rebates or tax incentives when making your house more efficient.
This is becoming a popular trend. You do have to meet certain conditions, and again, you have to weigh what you are spending on the benefits you receive. Also, with systems like solar, electric companies may be required to buy back unused power from your system.
Energy companies are also offering deals and incentives. For instance, you may be able to get free installation of solar panels offered by solar energy companies. They make their cost back from the percentage of energy that you save, or they receive the amount the electric company buys back from you.
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to making your house more efficient. It takes careful planning, and you may want to do it in phases to keep the costs down.
You should consider speaking with your utility company as they often employ experts who are familiar with all the variables that you will have to deal with. Be aware that these consultants often work for the utility company so their motives may come into question. You should consider hiring your own expert to keep them on the level.
All this talk of efficiency requires a positive mindset and self discipline and if you want to know more about increasing discipline, then check out the featured resource below for a free report; download, read it and take action 😊
Change Your Outlook With The Proper Money Mindset
Change Your Outlook With The Proper Money Mindset
If you look at the profiles of wealthy people, you will find they have a different mindset than others. They know the value of money, and they know the fundamental factors of how to make their money grow. If you are not yet wealthy and feel you are struggling, take some tips from these wealthy people.
An age-old idiom of money is to use compound interest in your favor. Benjamin Franklin was a big proponent of this principle. He was quite wealthy for his time, so it is likely he knew what he was talking about.
But, it makes sense. If your money grows on its own, and the money that you earn ends up growing as well, it’s only a matter of time when this amounts to a decent sum of money. And if you keep adding to the balance, that money will also grow along with it.
The situation is a bit more complicated today with government taxing the growth of money. But, you can invest in an IRA or 401K and have that tax deferred until some future period. Speaking of taxes, make sure you work with a qualified accountant and a financial planner to ensure you are paying the least amount of taxes possible. Wealthy people do this.
Another principle wealthy people adhere to is creating multiple income streams. The more income streams you have working for you, the quicker you will become wealthy. When you have multiple income streams, pump up the ones that are working well and dump the ones that aren’t.
After you are financially well off, make sure you never touch the principal. Set up your principal so that it earns the most it can earn and live only within the means of the earnings on that money.
If possible, add to the principal with as much of the earnings as you can afford, so that the principal grows. Just never tap into it. If you find any shortfalls, consider taking on some temporary work. Once the principal is gone, it’s gone for good.
The final tip is to stay out of debt as much as possible. The debt will drain your savings and your portfolio. There can be smart uses of debt as long as the result of using that debt brings in more money than the debt itself. But, most debt should be avoided to keep your financial outlook stable.
Why Aren’t More Schools Teaching About Money?
It’s one of the most fundamental skills for people to have, i.e., learning about proper money management. If kids don’t learn it early on, how are they expected to take on a money mindset later in life? When they set out on their own, this is when it will be needed most.
Our society doesn’t do a good job on teaching kids about money. But, when they get to college, we wonder why they get into trouble with credit card debt. First, why are these credit card companies even offering college kids credit cards in the first place?
The truth is, they know kids will run up a huge balance and not be able to pay. Parents don’t want to see their kids start out with negative credit, so they end up paying for the kids.
There is a responsibility for parents to teach their kids about money. But, if some parents are not good at money management, how will they be able to teach that to their kids? If the parents are running up high debt, how will that set an example?
Kids also need to learn the proper techniques of portfolio management and how the stock market works as well as other financial vehicles available. This foundation could help the kids make better investing decisions at a time when it is needed.
Too many people are under the false belief that young people first starting out can take on more risk. Bear in mind, these same young people make much less money when they first start out. So, taking on those higher risks means it will take much longer for them to recover financially.
Another problem is both teachers and parents are not trained on how to teach about money. It’s a much more complicated subject than it appears on the surface.
While teachers could teach the basics of budgeting and why it’s important to stay out of debt, they don’t have the resources to teach them about proper investing or what to do when someone gets in financial hot water, i.e., large consumer debt, etc.
When kids get to college, they often don’t have a clue about money management. This could be a large reason why subjects like their countries’ national debt are low on the priority scale. If they are informed, they may not be as willing to accept the government spending in the manner that it does.
If these college kids get into politics themselves, their training could help them in reducing this debt and keep a fiscal order with policies.
Why Don’t More People Have A Budget?
A budget is a great way to get and keep people on track with their finances. It lets you see what money is coming in and what is going out. Obviously, you want the inflows to be greater than the outflows and the bigger the spread, the better.
One big reason people don’t budget is that they want instant gratification. We see something on television that is cool, some new electronic gadget, etc., and we want one. Kids see the newest toy and it is immediately on their radar.
Credit cards make it easy to buy and defer payment. So when the urge to buy is strong, people justify that they have time to pay it off later. However, do this enough and you’ll find your balances on the credit cards to be much greater than you can manage.
There are people who make budgets but then cheat on them. They end up using all kinds of excuses as to why they spent above what the budget allowed. This is a big reason why people fail with budgets. After they cheat once, it becomes easier to do so in the future.
The key to staying on track with a budget is to focus on why you have a budget in the first place. When you do that, you can say to yourself anytime you get the impulse to buy that it will ruin that future goal. Once people start to see their balances grow due to budgeting, it helps to reinforce and motivate people to stay on track.
If you create a budget and find that the outflows are greater than the inflows, you will need to cut back on expenses or increase your income somehow, or a combination of both. Increasing income has become a bit easier with the internet.
You could post your skills online and pick up some freelance work in this way. This is something the entire family could get involved with. Over time, if you stick to your budget you should see the benefits. These will more than make up for the effort required at the beginning of the process.
Many people find they prefer working in this sharing internet economy and choose to do it full time. As long as it brings in the necessary cash to stay within the parameters of your budget, you could choose to do this yourself. Just make sure you factor in everything that you are giving up working for someone else.
Whatever you want in life will require discipline to achieve and being good with money and becoming successful is a small part of this. And if you want to know more about harnessing the power of self-discipline, then check out the featured resource below for a free report; download, read it and take action 🙂
Use Your Blog For Your Own Personal Development
Use Your Blog For Your Own Personal Development
Many people think of blogging as a way to try to make money online, perhaps by writing posts and recommending products or services where they get paid a commission.
But blogging didn’t really start that way. It was a way to jot down your thoughts and feelings and to allow readers to follow your journey, especially if they were going through the same situations.
And you can still do this, as well as using your blog for business. It may even help your business as it will make you more human to your readers and potential customers.
And it can help you to grow too, on a more personal level, so what are you waiting for?
By the way, if you are serious and want to take your blogging to the next level, check out the Rapid Blogging Blueprint. This is a premium level training that takes you through each and every step of setting up your own highly profitable blog and profiting from it. You can check it out here.
OK, on with the article…
Banish Distractions When You Blog for Personal Growth
When you embark on a journey of personal growth, you have a mission to become a better person. It’s not an easy task and very few people make a stated effort to do it. It requires a lot of introspection and uncomfortable inner work.
Thinking through tough questions about how your life is unfolding and what personal responsibility you have in how it’s turning out requires you to do it in an uninterrupted space.
If you’re in the middle of a thought and about to have a major breakthrough, it’s a shame when something – some outward distraction – thwarts your progress and throws you off track.
Many people blog for their personal development and self help issues. It’s a platform that allows them to streamline their thoughts and work through any issues they may have.
They blog whenever they have a few minutes of free time – maybe from a coffee shop or on a mode of public transportation during a commute. But some of these places are filled with distractions that pull you away from your train of thought.
Even in the comfort of your own home, it’s sometimes difficult to write at a steady pace without having your spouse or children enter the picture, the pets needing you to let them outside, or the phone ringing.
If you’re serious about making changes in your life, you have to be just as committed to the quality of your introspection as you are the consistency of it. That means refusing to put up with interruptions and distractions as you wade thorough the current state of your life to analyze it for a better future.
Create a space that’s reserved for your blog purposes. It can be a quiet nook of your home, with a comfortable seat and perfect lighting. No technology other than your laptop or PC should be present.
Enable yourself the private time necessary to reach into your mind and see what’s troubling you or what you wish you could do differently. Then you can formulate a plan of action that lets you evolve into a better person.
Don’t accept any guilt over the fact that you need some personal space to create your blog and learn form it. Everyone should indulge in some self care, and this is a form of that which can help you become more fulfilled in life.
A Blog Keeps You from Bottling Up Your Emotions
In a world where just about everyone is suffering from some sort of stress, it’s difficult to find a venue to be able to express your emotions without worrying that you’re just going to burden others.
In our private lives, we often keep the turmoil hidden just below the surface, never sharing our troubles, but instead keeping them bottled up so that we can deal with them on our own when time allows – if that ever happens.
But now, you can use a blog as your pathway to emotional peace and end the frustration of keeping all of that stress inside your head and in your heart. You can let it all out in a digital format and also get the support of your global audience.
A blog allows you to do this with your anonymity intact if you prefer – or, you can use your real name. If you’re shy or uncomfortable talking about things that are troubling you, then you may want to keep your name hidden.
Journaling on a blog is the perfect way to let out pent up emotional trauma. It’s very healing and can combine the down times with the good, letting you see that life is a mixture of peaks and valleys, so you’re never despondent for long.
With a blog, you can be creative about how you convey your emotions. You can do it with text, but you can also embed a video into a blog entry if you prefer to speak your mind on screen or off.
Blogging can teach you a lot about yourself. It lets you talk about and work through thoughts and feelings without having to expose yourself to anyone else’s judgment. It’s your digital home, and you can pick and choose who stays in your community – or whether your blog posts even go public or not!
The words you formulate on your blog will have an impact on your life as you sort through the emotions you’re going through. This isn’t just a chronological history of your day – it’s a focus on how you’re dealing with whatever happened, good or bad.
You can slant your blog so that it’s all encompassing regarding your life – career, parenting, relationships, health, etc. Or, you can target one area of your life for the blog that you want to improve. You get to choose how you document your emotional outlet, which can be very freeing and put you at peace.
Blogging Allows You to Heal from Emotional Trauma
Emotional trauma can be very debilitating into the future. So it’s something you want to address before it festers out of control and haunts you at every turn. There are many different types of emotional trauma.
You may have experienced being bullied, natural disasters, medical events, grief, violence at the hands of strangers or loved ones or other forms of horrific abuse. Some people even endure multiple forms of trauma they have to deal with.
There are many forms of therapy and you may need to embark on a journey to find out which one best suits you personally. Therapy is never a one size fits all solution. Everyone responds uniquely to these methods.
Blogging is one strategy to help men and women deal with the events that have happened to them. It allows you to spend time working through your reactions to the moments you spent suffering and the time since then that has never been the same.
No matter how long ago the event transpired, a blog can assist you in journaling about it. You’ll formulate your thoughts based on the emotions you’re feeling at that moment and be able to take note of any healing methods you’ve tried in the past.
You can use the blog as a portal to vent and release anger and sadness whenever you have down moments, or to fortify your strength and prove to yourself that there are many good days sprinkled amid the bad ones.
One of the best things about using a blog to deal with emotional trauma is that it lets you create a community of other survivors. People who are online seeking solace about something similar can find your blog and interact with yourself and others who have experienced the same thing.
You’ll find that it’s not just the fact that they’re able to give you insight about recovery or provide comfort, but the blog helps restore your faith in humanity and feel a sense of camaraderie as you grow and provide support for others in your circle who have landed on your blog in search of help.
This can be a very soothing process for you as it takes the focus off of your own troubles and allows you to help heal others as you, yourself are healed. Your blog can be the beacon of hope and light that others need to get past traumatic events in life.
And remember, if you want a premium training on blogging the right way, check out the Rapid Blogging Blueprint which includes over the shoulder training on blogging the right way.
Or, if you just want some more basics to see whether blogging is right for you, check out the featured resource below for a free Blogging Fundamentals report; download, read it and take action 😊
