Tag: Lifestyle

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Posted in Manifestation

What Is Passive Income? Explaining This Important Idea

Posted on by tracydee

Have you ever heard of the phrase passive income? What is passive income anyway? Maybe you have. Perhaps you even know what it is. Most think of it as a pipe dream, though — something most bloggers, entrepreneurs, and business owners strive to achieve. However, it’s not reserved just for the few who hit it big in this world.

Passive income is a type of income that does not require active work

Passive income is a term that is thrown around a lot in the personal finance community. It’s not just a buzzword, though — it can be a very real way to make money online.

Passive income is money that you earn without having to work for it. With passive income sources, you’re making money while you sleep or after your workday ends. The idea of passive income is that you build something up once and then it runs on autopilot. Your time, labor, and expertise are used once to install passive income streams that generate money over long periods of time.

You could work for 40 hours a week or 50 weeks out of the year, and still end up with zero passive income. Passive income is all about building up the money you make without having to actually work for it.

For example, this blog takes me a lot of effort to write. However, one day I could be making passive income from advertisements on popular posts or affiliate links strategically placed.

Like this affiliate link here for TubeBuddy if you’re building a YouTube channel:

https://www.tubebuddy.com/Tracydeetips

There are many benefits to passive income

There are many benefits to passive income. The most obvious benefit is the lack of labor involved in its generation. You don’t have to work at your job to make money from it; you simply invest your money into a passive income stream and let it do all the work for you!

Another benefit is that you can spend more time with family or doing whatever else makes you happy. In fact, one of the biggest reasons people choose to invest in passive income streams is so they can spend more time with their loved ones while still making money!

What is passive income and another benefit? Passive income is also great because it allows you to accumulate wealth over time without having to work at all! This is especially true if you’re using a long-term strategy (such as real estate investing) rather than short-term strategies (like trading stocks).

what is passive income
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Passive income is often created by making an investment

What is passive income and how do you create it? Passive income is often created by making an investment. When you make an investment, you’re hoping the value of that investment will increase over time. It could be an investment into a tangible thing or investment in your time at the start.

Let’s say you buy some stock in a company that you think will grow over time. If it does, then when you sell that stock, you can pay off your original investment and then some — creating passive income for yourself.

Or maybe you buy a rental property and rent it out to tenants every month. If the rent is more than what it costs to own and maintain the property, then that’s considered passive income.

But passive income can also be earned in other ways — by selling your own products or services online, for example. The more time and effort you put into building passive income streams, the more money you’ll make from them over time.

What is passive income and is it for me?

In the end, passive income is still a bit of a niche subject. It’s not something that most people are going to be familiar with in the beginning, and it can be easily misunderstood as well.

The best thing you can do is educate yourself on it, look for examples of it as you encounter them, and determine for yourself whether or not passive income is for you. You may find that it’s exactly what you’re looking for.

Personally, I’m trying to learn as much as possible about ways to make money in my sleep! Even if it requires a bit of investment with my time up front.

brown wooden blocks on white table
Posted in Goal

How to Stop Procrastination: 5 Easy Ways To Stop Procrastinating And Get More Done Right Away

Posted on by tracydee

How to stop procrastination. What an important question. Have you ever worked on something then suddenly lose your motivation and start procrastinating? If you have, I’m sure you’ve had a moment where you just want to give up. As long as we’re alive, procrastination is inevitable.

According to research by the University of Sheffield, around 80% of us will procrastinate at some point. And while some people are better at managing their time than others, it seems like we all struggle with procrastination at some point or another.

When we get home from school or work, many of us aren’t motivated enough to do anything productive. We watch TV or spend time on social media instead of making real progress toward our goals. This article will show you five steps that have helped me stop procrastinating and get more done on a daily basis.

How to stop procrastination: First, find out why you are procrastinating, and then go after that.

First, find out why you are procrastinating, and then go after that. If it’s because you’re tired or just don’t feel like doing what needs to be done, make sure that you get enough sleep and eat properly so that your body is well-rested and nourished.

If you find yourself putting off work because your mind is somewhere else, try focusing on the task at hand by visualizing how good it will feel when it’s finished or imagining what others will think of you when they see how well you did on your project.

If you have anxiety about completing something, ask yourself if this fear is rational or not. Do I really need to do this today? Or do I just want to get out of doing something? Is there another way around whatever is causing the anxiety? If so, try using it instead of avoiding the task altogether!

How to stop procrastination: Determine Your Most Productive Time of Day

You may think you’re a night owl or a morning person, but chances are your productivity isn’t affected by when you wake up — it’s affected by when you start working on important tasks.

Instead of being held to your biological clock, determine what time of day works best for you, and then make sure that’s when you get started on important tasks (or at least try).

This way, if you’re feeling tired at 11 pm, there’s no harm in pushing back an important task until tomorrow morning instead of trying to get it done tonight!

I recently saw a video where someone recommended that you prioritize yourself in the morning. Meaning, try to reach your personal goals before going to the work you need to pay the bills.

how to stop procrastination
Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com

How to stop procrastination: Create a To-Do List – Check!

The first step in getting more done is creating a to-do list. This might seem like an obvious tip, but so many people don’t do this because they think they don’t need one or they’ve heard bad things about them (e.g., “I’m just not good at making lists”). But the truth is that making lists is one of the easiest ways to get things done! They help us prioritize our tasks so we can focus on what’s most important, they help us feel more organized, and they make us feel less overwhelmed by giving us a sense of control over our day-to-day lives.

How to stop procrastination: Set Up Small Rewards for Reaching Goals

The easiest way to stop procrastinating is by setting small rewards for reaching your goals. You don’t have to wait until you reach your final goal before rewarding yourself (although that certainly helps). Instead, set up small rewards along the way that are achievable and easy enough that they won’t take up too much time or energy on your part.

For example, if you want to write an ebook and make some money from it, don’t set aside time on Wednesday night at 8 pm for writing your book. Instead, set aside 30 minutes after lunch each day for writing 500 words or so. Once you do this consistently for a week or two (without missing any days), then reward yourself with something that makes you happy.

How to stop procrastination: Make It Quick and Dirty at First

And last but not least, make it quick and check that box to give you a boost to keep going. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your task list, start with the easiest tasks first. That way, when you check them off your list, you’ll feel accomplished and motivated to tackle the rest of it.

Hey, sometimes I write something so easy on my list just so I can cross it off. And you know what? It works!

four brown gift boxes near a glass paneled door with wreath
Posted in Amazon

Affordable and Unique Gift Ideas for the Home Under $50

Posted on by tracydee

Finding affordable and unique gift ideas can be a challenge. One of our favorite ways to give gifts that are both useful and beautiful is the art of giving. Here is a list of some very useful and unique pieces for your home that are under $50.

Large Glass Terrarium House

This charming, modern terrarium is made from thick glass and comes complete with a swing-top lid that lets you open and close it with ease. It’s a perfect home for plants, herbs, or mosses, but it could also be used to store anything else you can imagine. The size is ideal for placing on your desk at the office or even in the kitchen to hold spoons and utensils. At under $50, this whimsical terrarium is a great gift idea!

What makes it unique? The swing-top lid is a fun alternative to the usual container lid. Plus, its square shape and black accents are very modern and appealing.

Crystal Table Lamp

This elegant crystal table lamp is available in pink, gold, and silver. It has three brightness levels and can charge up to three devices at once, so it’s perfect as a nightstand lamp.

Baobab Workshop Floating Wood Shelves Set of 2

I absolutely love floating shelves! I have a set in my bathroom. This is a great gift because it can easily be installed anywhere in the home. Because they are resistant to moisture absorption, it’s perfect for the bathroom. With positive reviews, one user even said these are probably the best floating shelves ever made.

Metal Guard Cage for Pendant or Lamp

This 4-pack allows you to get creative and use them with light fixtures. The classy and stylish design goes well in any room of your house. The metal is sturdy and has an anti-rust coat for added long-lasting use.

Ceramic Marble Artificial Succulent Planter

This lovely marble box comes with 11 different succulents. The great thing about this gift is that it requires no maintenance. Just put it out as a decorative piece and let people enjoy it!

Let me know in the comments if you try any of these affordable and unique gift ideas!

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Posted in Goal

The Hidden Power Of Your Mindset (And How It Affects Everything Else In Your Life)

Posted on by tracydee

Your mindset shapes your life

It’s time to discover the hidden power of your mindset. Your mindset shapes your life. That’s the message of countless self-help books and motivational speakers. It’s a simple idea, but one that can be incredibly difficult to put into practice. The reason? The power of our thoughts is so strong that we often don’t realize how much our mindset affects our lives—and, even more subtly, how greatly it can shape our future.

In a recent TED Talk, Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck said that she believes “the single most important factor in whether or not you will fulfill your potential is not what you have or who you are, but rather, your mindset.” Dweck’s research showed that people with a “growth mindset“—understanding that their abilities can grow through hard work—tend to achieve more than those with a “fixed mindset”—the belief that intelligence and abilities are innate and can’t be changed.

Though this seems like an intuitive idea, the implications are huge. Our beliefs about ourselves shape how we approach challenges—whether we think it’s possible to succeed at something or not—and ultimately determine the course of our lives. If we believe we have the power to change and grow, that belief gives us the courage to try new things, learn from our mistakes, and improve ourselves.

Your mindset can change over time

A lot of people think that your personality is set and fixed, that you’re born a certain way and you can’t change. But the truth is, our personalities and mindsets are always changing.

The best way to think about it is from a growth mindset perspective. If you have a growth mindset, you believe that your personality can grow and change over time. And if you have a fixed mindset, you believe that it’s set in stone.

Now, which mindset do you think leads to more success? It’s obvious. The growth mindset gives us more power over our lives because we can adapt to any situation. And I want to share with you exactly how this works in practice.

All of our habits and behaviors are just the result of practice. If we practice something enough times, it becomes part of who we are. For example, if we practice being happy enough times, then we’ll become happier people overall. Or if we practice taking action enough times, then we’ll become an action-oriented person who takes action all the time.

the hidden power of your mindset
Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

Your mindset will impact how you act on your goals

What you think about yourself will come true. It’s a relatively simple concept, but it’s more powerful than most people realize. How you behave will be unconsciously influenced by how you perceive yourself. This is the hidden power of your mindset.

Learning to truly believe in yourself is key to setting and achieving goals because it opens the door to seeing opportunities where others think there are none. If you don’t believe that you can achieve something, then you’ll never make it a reality. But if you realize that your potential is limitless, then the only thing left is making the choice to act on your goals. How can you accomplish anything if you don’t believe that it’s possible?

The great thing about building your self-confidence is that it will affect everything else in your life as well. You’ll be able to see opportunities for positive change where others don’t. You’ll also be able to see what areas of your life could use some improvement and take concrete steps toward change.

You may not always feel confident, but when you do, make sure to hold onto that feeling. When those negative thoughts creep in, force yourself to focus on the good things about yourself and the reasons why those things have made a positive impact on others and in your life so far.

You must be intentional about developing and maintaining a healthy mindset

Being intentional about developing and maintaining a healthy mindset is the first step in changing your perspective. It’s helpful to know where you are now so you can make improvements by shifting your thinking and creating new habits. Here are some ways to do this:

Examine your belief system: Take note of your thoughts, words, and actions. Do they align with what you believe? Are there any negative beliefs that need to be reframed? It’s common for us to have limiting beliefs of ourselves and others, which can hurt our productivity as well as our relationships with people we care about.

Analyze negative thoughts: The next time you find yourself thinking negatively, stop and analyze what’s going on. Is there something specific causing this? If so, try not to let it get to you too much because it will pass soon enough! This is the hidden power of your mindset.

Takeaway: A powerful, positive, and healthy mindset is one of the most important factors in achieving success in any area of life.

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Posted in Goal

7 Pieces of Helpful Advice for Setting Boundaries

Posted on by tracydee

Setting boundaries in work and life is difficult. Most of us don’t know how to say “no” or “enough.” We worry about disappointing other people, we worry that we won’t finish our work and get in trouble, or we don’t even know where to draw the lines between our personal and professional lives. And while I don’t have all the answers, I’ve learned if you want to achieve balance and success, you need to learn about setting boundaries.

Start with the small stuff

Start with the small stuff: If you’re new to the idea of setting boundaries, it’s probably not wise to start with something that’s a big deal to you. You need to build up your confidence and practice setting boundaries before you attempt to set them on things that are really important. So start with the small stuff. Allow yourself to be late for dinner with friends. Say no when someone asks if you can pick up the tab for lunch. Leave a party before it gets too late. Don’t answer your phone if you don’t want to talk to the person calling.

Set boundaries by making a request: One of the simplest ways to set a boundary is by making a request of someone else. This allows you to clarify what you do want while also clarifying what you don’t want. For example, let’s say that your sister has been calling every day trying to borrow money from you, but you don’t have any money right now and can’t afford to lend her any more than she’s already borrowed from you. Instead of saying, “I can’t lend you any more money,” try saying something like this: “I’m going through some difficult financial times right now. I’m having a hard time even paying my own bills, so I can’t lend you any right now.”

Take your time

“Take your time” is a phrase we hear all the time, but what does it really mean? When someone asks you to take your time, it’s often because they’re asking you to slow down and not rush into something. While that may make sense in the moment, it can easily become an excuse for putting things off indefinitely. You may be able to rush through something quickly and get it done, but then you’ll either have an unfinished product or a lasting dissatisfaction with how it turned out. That’s not taking your time—that’s leaving things unfinished or not doing them well.

What really taking your time means is using the appropriate amount of time for whatever you’re working on, whether that’s getting ready in the morning, cooking a meal, crafting a holiday present, or anything else. It means setting boundaries for yourself and sticking to them rather than letting others’ expectations about what you should do with your day (or how long it should take) dictate how you spend your time. Having boundaries means being clear with yourself about what you will and won’t do with your time—and if that includes saying “no” to things when they pull at that boundary, so be it.

person jumps on road. Metaphorical image for setting boundaries.
Photo by Luke Barky on Pexels.com

Set boundaries before you’re in crisis mode

When you’re at the end of your rope and have to set boundaries, it’s easy to say, “I’ll never do that again!” But what if next time is different from the situation? You need to be able to set boundaries in a way that will work for any future conflict. Set yourself up for success by thinking ahead and being consistent.

Think about how you want things to go before you’re in crisis mode. You want everyone to be heard, but you want everyone to feel respected. You want the person who is causing the problem to understand why the behavior is unacceptable. You want a plan for how the problem will get resolved and how to avoid this conflict in the future.

Before anything goes wrong, discuss it with everyone involved—everyone’s feelings matter when it comes to setting boundaries. If one person doesn’t agree with your boundary or doesn’t support you when someone else pushes against it, get another opinion from someone else so you can be confident in your decision.

Set expectations early and consistently. Before there’s an issue, discuss what behaviors are acceptable and what aren’t (within reason). And when those lines are crossed, remind them of the rules they agreed to follow!

Imagine what would happen if you did set a boundary

Imagine what would happen if you did set a boundary and someone respected it. And then another person respected it. And then another. Pretty soon, you’d be surrounded by people who respect your boundaries.

It’s good to remember that boundaries are about self-care. They’re based on what works for you, not what works for everyone else. What’s important is that you know yourself well enough to know what kind of behavior you can tolerate and what kind of behavior is unacceptable to you.

Setting boundaries is challenging if you aren’t used to doing it or have spent a lot of time around people who have ignored or violated your boundaries in the past.
But the more often you set boundaries, the more quickly they’ll come to you. It gets easier over time — and the more people around you who respect your boundaries, the healthier your relationships will be.

Man sitting holding his head thinking about setting boundaries.
Photo by Nathan Cowley on Pexels.com

Remind yourself why you’re doing it

Setting boundaries is essential for yourself and your relationships with others. It’s helpful when you’re overworked or underpaid and need to set some boundaries. Remind yourself why you are taking time off or changing jobs, and list things that need to be done before the transition is complete.

Prioritize yourself, just this once

Slow down. You are doing the best you can.

Prioritize yourself, just this once. If you’re like me, you’re constantly putting other people first. You make them breakfast, drive them around town, do their laundry, and take care of their daily needs. You may feel incredibly guilty when you can’t fulfill all of their requests.

That’s not healthy. Remind yourself that it’s okay to say no sometimes.

I know it’s hard to unplug from work, especially if you work from home (like I do). But you must set boundaries, so your work doesn’t bleed into your personal life 24/7. That’s how burnout happens, and it’s harder to recover from than you might think. When I don’t take breaks, I get headaches and start feeling anxious for no reason. That’s why it’s essential to set aside some time for self-care and recharge your batteries every now and then!

See each boundary as a practice run

A boundary is a limit we set, either in the moment or in advance, to protect ourselves from the unwanted impacts of another person’s behavior.

Boundaries are important to our self-care and wellness because they let others know what is and isn’t acceptable to us. They provide some space between us and another person’s actions. Boundaries can also help you achieve your goals by ensuring you have time to take care of yourself instead of being pulled away by other people’s needs.

See each boundary as a practice run. You set boundaries to learn more about yourself and your values — not because you’re trying to change someone else’s behavior. So, if someone doesn’t respect a boundary you’ve set, accept that outcome and move on. It can often be helpful to think of boundaries as practice runs for setting the next one with that person. For example: “This didn’t go well this time, but next time I’ll try doing it this way.”

Disclosure: This post was written with the assistance of AI tools.

Posted in Goal

How to Achieve Your Dreams Using The SMARTER Goal Method in 7 Steps

Posted on by tracydee

It’s time to learn about using the SMARTER goal method. Have you been struggling to reach your goals? Do you often feel like a hamster on a wheel? It might be time to sit down and write down what it is you actually want to achieve.

In fact, the simple act of just sitting down and writing it could help you get closer to making the goal a reality. According to psychology professor, Dr. Gail Matthews, if you write goals down on a daily basis, you are 42% more likely to achieve those goals. It’s a practice I put into place years ago that has helped me tremendously.

image of a hand holding a pen writing 2021 goals at the top of a notepad. They are planning to use the SMARTER goal method.
Photo by Marko Klaric on Pexels.com

Creating a SMARTER Goal

One strategy to write your goals down in an organized way is using the SMARTER goal method. Smart goals originated from George Duran in the 1980’s and were designed to help people in the workplace organize their goals.

So how exactly do you create a SMARTER goal? Where do you even start? I tell my students to focus on what they want to achieve in 3-6 months. That’s a tangible timeline that makes achieving something much more realistic and likely.

First, decide what it is you are trying to accomplish. Let’s take my 3-6 month goal for my online business. I want to continue building multiple income streams to help me on my debt-free journey. Now, if I stop there, I haven’t created a solid path to the finish line which is important.

Using the SMARTER goal method – So, let’s take a look at George Duran’s method

SMARTER Goals have these main components:

S – Specific

Be clear about your intentions and the outcome you wish to achieve. Think about little details.

M – Measurable

It is SOOOO important to have a way to measure whether or not you reach your goals. So, this part requires deciding how you will know if you are getting closer to your goal.

A – Achievable or Attainable

For this element, making sure your goal is possible is essential. Anything is possible, but not everything is possible in the timeframe you hope to achieve. For example, if I wanted to go and be an astronaut now, I would have a LOT of training and learning.

R – Realistic

On that same level, being realistic is necessary. Yes, go for your dreams, but make sure that the goal matches your personality and other important things in your life.

T – Timebound

When do you want to reach your goal? I have many goals, and I like to create short- and long-term goals with deadlines.

E – Evaluate

Ultimately, it is crucial to know whether you have reached your goal. Once the timeline approaches, ensure you have measured your progress and know if you will reach it. Then…

R – Reward and/or Revise

After evaluating your progress, this is the time to give yourself a reward for reaching your goal or revise it and make it more realistic.

sticky notes on board - part of using the smarter goal method
Photo by Polina Zimmerman on Pexels.com

Making my goal SMARTER

How can I take my goal of building my online business and becoming debt-free and make it SMARTER?

Here is my goal statement:

I will grow my personal brand and business by the end of 2023 to $10,000/month in income. I will achieve this by publishing 2-4 blog posts per month, 1-2 YouTube videos per month, and promoting my digital products on Tik Tok, Facebook, and Etsy. Furthermore, I will post my academic and goal setting consulting services in conjunction with at least one online time management course.

Now, it’s your turn! Start writing, believing, and achieving!

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Posted in Uncategorized

Helpful Resources for Learning a New Language Online

Posted on by tracydee

Are you interested in learning a new language?

We live in an ever more connected global society. This means learning a new language is a huge asset. Learning a new skill is a great way to keep our minds sharp and utilize our time effectively.

I learned Spanish in school and then had the fortune to speak it regularly while I was in college. However, my skills have faded over the last several years and I really need to freshen up. Currently, I live in Norway and I’m learning Norwegian while I’m here.

black and white book business close up. learning a new language
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Resources for Learning a New Language

Before I moved here, one resource a friend shared with me was Conversation Exchange. She has been using it for years to practice Italian while living in the United States. Her family is from Italy, and she dreams of living there someday.

Another resource I considered was Babbel. The really cool thing is that they have an app learning tool as well as live instruction. The prices for the app subscription are below. Ultimately, I did not want to pay this much, but they have amazing 5-star reviews. I’m really interested in the live instruction piece and might actually apply to be a freelance English teacher.

Another possible site to help you learn the language is italki. There are several ways to engage with this program. You can choose to have 1 on 1 lessons, participate in the free conversation community, prepare for exams, or help you grow your business skills.

If you’re interested in learning Spanish, then check out Spanish Synergy!

My Programs of Choice

I downloaded Duolingo to help me learn Norwegian faster at my own pace. The owl has become quite the TikTok sensation, so I decided to also keep practicing my Spanish.

Currently, I have the annual plan for Duolingo Plus. It works well for me because I don’t have to watch the ads. I can also fit learning in on the train or bus when I’m traveling. I am on an 80-day streak of learning right now! In that time, I’ve mastered about 40% of the Norwegian course.

Other ways to explore learning a language online are to seek out local language or literacy centers or to contact universities or schools for programs.

If you’re looking for more resources, why not check out your local library? Libraries are great places to find reading and audio materials to support your language learning journey. In fact, a homeschool group of students did their own research and shared this resource from Library Science with me that discusses all the ways Libraries can be used as Language Learning Centers. Check it out here!

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Posted in Goal

Do You Struggle With Revenge Bedtime Procrastination?

Posted on by tracydee

Revenge bedtime procrastination is a real thing. Lately, I’ve been putting off going to bed for as long as possible. I’m not always tired, but I know I should sleep because I function best with at least 8 hours. However, I read or watch Netflix and convince myself I need the downtime because my brain is always working overtime.

In the modern world, many people are impacted by the consequences of revenge bedtime procrastination. There are several reasons why people procrastinate at night. That is the time when they have time themselves, with the devices and their favorite snacks. Lots of TV shows, YouTube channels, etc. require our attention at that time – it won’t be easy to focus on school or work. It can be really hard to concentrate on what we need to do, especially due to these constant distractions.

For me, even when I try to go to sleep, my brain won’t shut off and I end up getting up to put something away or check an email that I planned to respond to the next day, but couldn’t get off my mind.

And then the next day, I take a nap. So, the whole cycle continues to repeat itself.

Now I don’t know if this is a combination of being in a dark climate at the moment since I moved to Norway in October. Or, if it’s all the traveling I am doing that’s messing up my rhythm. Or, probably a combination of both. Or, it’s just that there is so much I want to accomplish and not enough hours to get it all done.

I wish I could function on less sleep because there is so much I want to do every day. It would be awesome to be one of those people that only need 4 hours of sleep, but most successful people actually do value quality sleep. And sleep is healing and rejuvenating.

revenge bedtime procrastination
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

So what exactly is revenge bedtime procrastination?

I decided to look up what the definition is of this and came across several different responses.

The Sleep Foundation defines it as choosing to engage in leisure activities rather than sleep. One of the behaviors associated with this is not having a valid reason to stay up. The article goes on to discuss some of the psychological factors behind this phenomenon and the emerging research about it.

Another explanation of revenge sleep procrastination is staying up to get time for yourself after a busy day. Essentially, it’s getting revenge on the day and that is where the term comes from.

Personal reflection

So while I sometimes procrastinate going to bed, I’m not sure I am doing it for revenge. I think my issues stem from the constant movement and travel throwing off any semblance of a routine.

However, it is important for me to be mindful of how this procrastination at bedtime is actually harming my self-care goals.

What am I going to do?

I plan to start my evening wind-down time a bit earlier. Another thing I can do is limit my device or screen time before I go to bed.

In addition to some evening strategies, I would like to keep a journal by my bedside to document how I feel when I wake up each day. My word for 2022 is intentionality. As I reflect on the person I am and the person I’m becoming, every part of my life, including my sleep procrastination, must be intentional. And if it’s not matching my personal vision statement, then I alone have the power to change it.

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Posted in Goal

5 Things to Focus on in the New Year: Building Healthy Relationships

Posted on by tracydee

This is part 5 in a 5 part series of posts to start the new year (building healthy relationships). The first four parts were time management, self-love, learning a new skill, and expressing gratitude. And the 5th part (I’m not going to say final because I’m sure I will be doing a lot of reflection in the coming weeks on what I want this year to focus on) is building healthy relationships.

If you know me in real life, then you know that I am a collector of friends. I’ve moved around a lot in my adult life and as a social person, I like to make friends everywhere I go. But, the hardest part for me has always been losing touch with people I once spent a lot of time with. It took me the better part of a decade to realize that that’s normal. That’s life and it doesn’t mean that people in your past don’t care about you or you don’t care about them, but priorities have shifted.

I also learned that it’s okay to let people go when it’s not best for either of you. Whether it’s a friendship or relationship, it can be difficult to accept that it’s best to part ways. So the key is building healthy relationships.

Why is it important to build healthy relationships?

People who have close friends enjoy greater satisfaction in life. And that number varies between 3 to 5 close friends. Also, the CDC recognizes loneliness as a contributor to premature death and a higher risk of dementia.

building healthy relationships
Photo by Marina Shatskih on Pexels.com

So what can we do?

Well, it’s important to evaluate if the relationships in your life are currently healthy. Well-known public speaker, Tony Robbins has a great resource guide on how to have a healthy relationship.

Personally, here are some steps I am going to take moving forward in 2022:

  1. Continue to improve upon myself and work on the self-love that’s necessary to build healthy relationships with others. Building my confidence inside and out has been the work of 2021 and it will continue in this coming year.
  2. Show gratitude and appreciation for the very important people in my life who have always been there for me. I often write it down in my reflection journal, but I don’t always speak it directly to the person. And it really makes other people feel good to hear that you appreciate having them in your life.
  3. Be more mindful as I meet new people on how quickly I let them into my life. I have tended to befriend people right away, but I can be friendly without making them my best friend. This is part of building healthy relationships and taking your time to get to know someone.
  4. Let people go or limit interaction with negativity. Some negativity is normal, because we can’t always be happy and positive all the time. But, constant negativity is an energy I don’t want moving into 2022. And that means I need to work on my own attitude and notice if it slips in too much.
  5. Communicate and re-evaluate. I don’t want to feel stuck or like I can’t make a change. And live by this quote:

Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to a new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom. Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.

–Flavia Weedn

elderly people in a computer class
Posted in Goal

5 Things to Focus on in the New Year: Learning a New Skill

Posted on by tracydee

This is part 3 of a 5 part series (learning a new skill). Part 1 was time management and part 2 was self-love. If the last two years have taught us anything is that the future is digital. And it’s time for us to adapt. Our students and kids are already digital natives, oftentimes teaching us adults how to use apps and programs and devices. My suggestion might be to learn something digital, but you certainly don’t have to. What you can do, however, is utilize digital platforms to learn your new skill for free!

Learning a new skill? Is it ever too late?

No! It is never too late. And in fact, it’s good for our brains and cognitive functions to continue learning new skills. In a research study asking older adults to simultaneously learn new skills, the researchers found that their cognitive abilities improved to someone 30 years younger. I don’t know about you, but if continuous learning can help my brain stay active and young, then I’m in.

learning a new skill
Photo by ALLAN FRANCA CARMO on Pexels.com

So how can you start learning?

As I mentioned earlier, the future is digital. So, there are many websites you can go to in order to learn new skills. Here is a post I wrote about four sites I recommend. Simply going to YouTube and typing in what you want to know will yield thousands, if not millions, of results.

One new skill that I’m focusing on in 2022 is language acquisition. I’ve been living in Norway for 3 months and have been using Duolingo to learn Norwegian. I also used to be fairly advanced in Spanish and am practicing that as well so I don’t forget it.

Whatever skill that you have been thinking about doing (piano, language, art, coding, etc.), just start by researching how. And once you find a way, then you create your plan and you go for it!