Taking Time to Get More Life Into Your Day

Most Twenty-first Century-ites admit they feel time is speeding up. No-one knows why but most people say there just is not enough time in the day to satisfy all of that we need to do. Is there a conspiracy against time? If the same units of time apply to everyone on the planet, then how is it that some people get 'more' time? Have you time to read on - and discover how easy it is to really create more time in your life? This article presents you with tips for slowing down time and getting more life into your day. It suggests seven steps for allowing you to once again 'smell the roses' and enjoy every moment.

Scientists tell us time is a measurement of the linear passage of our existence. With it we can measure the past, present and future. In other words, as long as you are alive you are subject to the laws of time, making your life "time-bound". It does not matter whether you are living in a high rise corporate tower or in a humble trailer park, but the usage of time (in some way or other) applies to you personally on a daily basis.

Gone are the days that you could walk to the corner shop to buy a loaf of bread and some milk and along the way encounter several neighbors who would all ask you the same questions, and you took the time to answer their courteous salutations. Nowadays, we have become accustomed to seeing people rushing around to make it from A to B on time. Firstly, we need to understand a fundamental flaw of the New Millennium clock which has made time so out of whack. It is the reason why we don't seem to have enough of it, and here is how we got there.

With the advent of the computerized world came the need to produce more in less time. Therefore, we have become conditioned to think that if yesterday we could produce ten of something... today we should be able to make at least fifteen, and tomorrow hopefully twenty! This competitive streak for commercial survival has had a lot to do with speeding up time. We have become more results oriented, therefore forever striving to increase output whilst neglecting the process. We have forgotten that it is the journey, and not the destination, which creates our past, present and future.

It is time to shift yet another paradigm... So, here is the recipe for slowing down time:

1. Feeling your self. Upon waking up in the morning slowly sit on the edge of the bed and take just thirty seconds to sense your own presence. Make slow and deliberate movements. A part of you may reject all this and tell you that it is not necessary. If you are thinking this way then it could mean the devil in you is fighting against shifting the paradigm. Resist the temptation of feeling silly. Touch your arms your, your legs, your chest. Run your hands along your face and head. Feel present - know that you are here and Now.

2. In the bathroom. When showering or spending time in the bathroom try noticing everything about yourself - every small detail. Look in the mirror and smile. Appreciate what you see. Be grateful for what you have. When brushing your teeth concentrate on the moment and resist the temptation to think about the next task you should be doing outside the bathroom. Always try to bring your self to the NOW. When showering look at each part of your body as you soap yourself and learn to appreciate your own anatomy. After all it is the only vehicle you have for getting around. Your bathroom can now be a time capsule for slowing down the effects of life and ageing. Each moment that passes we are getting older.

3. Breathing in time. Make every day Ground Hog Day! Take deep and deliberate breaths. Deep breathing sends more oxygen to the brain and causes us to slow down as we focus on the process of breathing. Breathe deeply, hold for twelve seconds and then gently let out the air very slowly. Breathe in and out through your nose.

4. Replay the movie. At the end of each day, whether quietly sitting on your lounge chair or lying in bed, think back to the day's events and try remembering how things happened. What would you do differently if you could relive the day? Play back today as if you were watching a movie - without emotion or attachment. This will enable your brain to assess its usage of time and also any emotion associated with events. Therefore, when you wake up you are acknowledging your physical self and at the end of the day you are evaluating your mental processes. This helps to put time into a more practical perspective which will serve you better, tomorrow.

5. Think before reacting. It is so easy to react quickly when something annoys us. This also helps speed up time because our ego wants to make up for our shortcomings others keep pointing out. Before you say or do anything take a moment to just think! Take 'time out' to allow the situation to fizz up and frizzle out. If you think someone is making unreasonable demands of you, let them know how it is making you feel. Quietly speak your truth. Slow down your speech and speak with power, and from the heart. This also slows down the effects of time.

6. Have a hobby or interest. Having a hobby or interest that allows you to observe progress slowly and with care will slow down time for you. Although a sporty interest, riding a jet ski at great speeds up and down the river will not do it for you. Making or creating something which demands your care and attention will significantly slow down time for you. I started by purchasing a children's coloring in book and some color pencils and simply... coloring in, and concentrating on what I was doing. It is fun, you should try it.

7. Here is your Present. Your present is NOW. It is a gift of time. If you dwell in the past you may have a lot to forgive and get over. If you live in the future you could be suffering from insecurity and experiencing the fallout of fear. "What will happen to me if... ?" Keeping your thoughts in the Now, in other words, noticing all that you think and do in the Present will slow down time for you. What has happened cannot be changed and what is yet to happen is not real. Keep your mind in the Now at all times and you will get a clearer sense for time, allowing it to serve you rather than you becoming enslaved to it.

Time truly does not exist outside the human mind. Shifting the paradigms of our conditioning can be challenging but slowing down the intangible nature of time is possible strictly though improving the way we think. If you want to change the world around you then start by changing the way you think!

Try this for thirteen days and have a good time.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8339013

Get Organized and Change Your Life!

Most of us live "quiet lives of desperation" when it comes to not being organized. But, when you think about it, if you're not organized, there are so many things--people included--that may go by the wayside and that can certainly alter a person's lifestyle and negatively affect those around you.

If you have a cluttered desk, you will probably have a cluttered mind. If you have a kitchen that is disorganized, odds are the food you make may not taste that great or it may not be done on time.

There are so many other areas where organization is needed such as laundry, clothes, making lists, making and keeping a list of "things to do" or keeping a schedule for work and play events.

Keep in mind, there are certain steps you can take that will lead you to a more organized life such as taking care of things when they happen such as taking care of incoming mail when you receive it; instead of putting it down on your living room table and forgetting about it. Another example is if you see something that is not where it should be like a book, magazine, clothes and other, put it where it belongs. This takes care of clutter right when it happens.

Create time to take care of tasks that don't need to be done right away such as phone calls, emails or paying bills. For example, create a time slot in the morning or evening to take care of these concerns. Creating a certain time slot will ensure that these tasks will be done.

Then, go to each room in your house, condo or apartment and get rid of any items you no longer need. Set aside 15-30 minutes for each room and then do another room the same day or take care of the next room the following day or next week. Don't pressure yourself to do your entire home in a month or even in a year. Just do what you can and before you know it, you will have a much more organized home.

Create a menu for your family for a week or two and then stay with that menu. To do this effectively, make up a list of food you will need to fulfill the menu and add to the list as the days go buy. Then, do your grocery shopping just once a week and buy everything you will need; and that should also include snacks.

Then, buy a daily planner and in that planner write down daily tasks, appointments and things that need to be done. A planner can be helpful, keep you on track and will keep your life organized and less stressful.

To conclude, getting organized can indeed change your life and the best part is that it is not hard to do. So, get rid of clutter, buy a daily planner, take care of certain tasks in a timely manner and you will enjoy an organized and happy life!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ann_Star

Change Your Mindset - Change Your Life

Do you ever find yourself wishing you were further ahead than where you are right now? Do you have unfulfilled aspirations and goals? I have found that just wishing and hoping things will change is not enough... you must make a commitment to make things change.

CHANGE is not always welcomed with open arms because it requires effort. Many of us grow tired and weary because life has a way of heaping more on us than we can bear at times. But still, if our dreams don't die on the vine, we still have the chance to make them happen. It can happen when we change our "minds" regarding "growth". Contemplating "change" for some, may also be a little scarry. While we might not be totally happy with our current circumstances, at least they are what is familiar to us. As human beings, we tend to want to stick with the "known", what's comfortable. But that is not always the best place for us to be. So I offer you a challenge.

Stretch your mind today. Decide in your mind that you will move from this present place and move forward to your desired place. Speak what you want out loud. Write down on paper what you want. Read it out loud. Let yourself hear you speak your aspirations. 

Once your mind grabs it and accepts it, it will not go backward. You will move forward. Make a commitment to yourself to grow away from yesterday. Today is new and fresh and filled with possibilities. Do one thing different today than you have ever done before. Make sure that it is in keeping with where you are trying to go in your life. For example, if you don't like to read, make a commitment to find a subject that you are interested in and dedicate yourself to reading one paragraph or article a day about that subject for 30 consecutive days. It won't be easy at first but it will get better as each day passes. Reward yourself at the end of each day that you stick with the commitment. You decide the reward, after all you do know for the most part what motivates you. Keep in mind that... Tomorrow is just out of sight but it is within reach. And if by God's grace we reach tomorrow, with "growing" as part of our decision today, we will be further along than we are now, when tomorrow comes. Commit to growth. It is the best way out of a stagnant place!

Today is a great day to began your journey toward change. Meet the challenge. 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marci_Bryant

Only 8% of People Achieve New Year's Resolutions: You Can Be One Of The Few

January 1st. It's that time of year again. You want to lose weight, get into shape, fit back into the jeans sitting in the bottom of your drawer, or maybe just eat healthier. Or perhaps you want to spend more time with your friends and family, or spend less money.

Half of all Americans make New Year's Resolutions. But, according to statistical research at the University of Scranton, only 8% of resolution-makers achieve their goals. That's about 156 million failed resolutions. Ouch! Why do resolutions overwhelmingly fail? After all, we have the loftiest of goals, the highest intentions. "This year, I am going to stick to it." But, no matter how committed, the very nature of resolutions set us up for failure. In fact, I stopped making resolutions years ago because I felt so badly about failing year after year. Not one time was I able to uphold a resolution that surely was going to make my life better.

Here's the thing: Every resolution can succeed... with a plan.

Just like we learn to write reports, proposals, business letters and research papers there's a formula to creating resolutions that stick. Just like we become adept at technology, sports or playing an instrument, there is learning involved in making resolutions that succeed. For instance, you don't pick up a violin and instantly know how to play. It takes baby steps, building on each mastered skill until you play your first piece all the way through. It's the same with resolutions.

As you start to think about what you want in 2014, here are seven tips to help you make them work:

1. Focus on ONE resolution, rather than several. Make it something that matters to you. Be ready to commit.
2. Set SPECIFIC goals. "Managing stress" is not a specific goal. "I will meditate for 5 minutes every morning when I wake up" is a specific and realistic goal.
3. Make a PLAN with baby steps. Break down your resolution down as far as you can, to the simplest task possible. Just like you make an outline for a large project, make an outline that includes steps and dates.
4. Make your plan PUBLIC. That is, tell friends and family. Write it down. Your more likely to commit to a plan once you've put it out into the universe.
5. Have an accountability BUDDY. Someone close to you to whom you share your goal and report back to weekly. Best to have a dedicated day and time. Even 10 minutes will do.
6. Celebrate each SUCCESS between milestones. Have rewards in your plan along the way.
7. Focus on the PRESENT. What are you committing to today. Each morning, "Today I choose to continue banning sugar from my diet."

Slowly and steadily you will see progress, and you will set into motion a new skill set that can be applied to all goals, not just the ones you define at New Year's.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melissa_Rapoport

7 Principles of Living a Passionate Life

How do you live a passionate life? Today, we will learn the 7 principles that begin to arise naturally when you begin to align with your passions. For most of us, it's our limiting or false beliefs that keep us from living these principles fully and that's why we recommend The Work of Byron Katie. These 7 Principles are like a measuring stick. When you notice that you are easily living them then it's a sign that you are living your passions. The 7 Principles of Living a Passionate Life are:

1. Commitment
2. Clarity
3. Attention
4. Staying Open
5. Integrity
6. Persistence
7. Follow Your Heart

Principle #1: Commitment - As you get more aligned with your passions, you don't have to try to be committed. This is because you are doing what's most important to you and choosing in favour of your passions.

Principle #2: Clarity - Many of the exercises you've done already are designed to help you gain greater clarity about the things you choose to have in your life. Why? "When you are clear, what you choose to show up in your life will, and only to the extent that you are clear."

Principle #3 Attention - The Power of Attention is one of the three keys to creating anything you choose to have in your life: Intention - Attention - No Tension
"What you put your attention on grows stronger in your life"

Principle #4 Staying open - This principle is such an important part of living a passionate life. This is the "no tension" part of Intention - Attention - No Tension

Principle #5 Integrity - builds trust and trust, in turn, allows things to happen quickly. Integrity means being as true to yourself as you are to others and as true to others as you are to yourself.

Principle #6 Persistence - As you follow the path of passion, challenges arise that you didn't predict or foresee. That's why Nature's Guidance System is so important. When you are challenged, this is the time to reaffirm your passions and take The Passion Test again.

Principle #7 Follow Your Heart Passion - arises from the heart, not the mind. The seventh principle says, "When in doubt, follow your heart." When you are connected with your feelings, rather than your thoughts you'll make choices that are aligned with your passions. Beware that there is a difference between following your heart and being impulsive. Following your passions is a balance between following your mind and your heart. What we are saying here is than when you find a decision is difficult to make, follow your heart. Go with the things that draw you forward. Sometimes the mind helps us to justify our decisions but when it comes to making decisions to follow your passions, follow your heart.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tina_Kadish

Why Can't You Achieve Your Goals?

A lot of people know and understand that goals are needed in order to be successful. They set their goals with the intention of achieving them sometime in the future. Can you already see the vagueness here? The performance of goals that are defined need to be specific with dates and concrete steps towards the intended goal in order to believe that it will happen. We will deal with the common problems of motivation that people have when they set goals and why they don't achieve them within this article.

Goals are created to enhance people's lives. If they are too general in nature then the results will reflect the same perception. A general goal will result in a general result. That is not what people want. I know it and you know it. The more specific that a goal is stated the more specific the results will be. For example making a statement to the effect that I want to be in shape is not the same as I want to lose 20 lbs. in the next 2 months. Specific activities statements start the mind working on what needs to be done in order to accomplish that goal.

You need to be accountable to someone about your goals. If no one knows about your goals then no one will care. Without telling anyone about your intentions on what you want to accomplish no one would be the wiser on whether or not you have achieved your goal. You need to be proud that you achieved your goal. You need to tell the world what you did and how you did it. This is another common factor why people do not achieve their goals. They don't tell anyone about it.

Finding and correcting the problems with goal setting can be an exhilarating experience for a person. Having experienced success in achieving your goals through a support group or a program that supports you needs to be cherished. Understanding the proper way to write your goals and the steps needed to achieve them can change your life the moment you write it down.

Meaningful goals are sometimes difficult to achieve. They were not meant to be easy but they were created to stretch your imagination and to be disciplined in your work efforts. There will be obstacles that will test your resourcefulness but they will show up in your life for a purpose. They are there to test your resolve to see if you really want to achieve that goal. How bad do you want it will be the key phrase that you need to understand.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Hampton

A Winning Disposition

What is it about some people that has them always standing in the winning circle? Is it really that they are so much more talented than others or is it something else? Certainly talent is a contributing factor but maybe equally important is their mind set and their outlook. They simply see themselves as winners. When we look at superstars slamming down on the basketball backboards or punishing their opponents with repeated blows with their boxing gloves or whatever sports they are involved with, we notice a confidence that is every bit as intimidating as their great physical abilities. They display a focus so intense that it seems it cannot be diminished.

They are determined to win and that exactly what they typically do.

Unfortunately, for every one of those with the winning mentality, there appear to be thousands who see themselves in just the opposite way. They feel perhaps that they are less talented, less prepared and sometimes less deserving. It is hard to deny that an attitude such as that can have a profound effect on results. Many times it is just that spark of confidence that pushes one to be far better than he would otherwise be.

So, how does one develop or incorporate that attitude and is it even possible for that to happen? Certainly optimism is essential. One has to keep telling themselves over and over that they are capable to doing significant things and eventually over time they can come to actually believe that is true. People are capable of amazing things, far more than they realize. All too often, we are our own worst enemies as we continually sabotage ourselves with our negative attitudes and feelings of inadequacy.

While it is true that everyone has bad days and times when they are not feeling at their very best it is also true that those times can be very temporary. Positive thinking can help to get us back on the track so much faster than being mired in feelings of our inability to succeed. Sometimes the secret is to just keep trying. Not being afraid to fail and then when we do come up short being willing to try again and again until success is achieved is the winning recipe. It is a proven truth that doing things over and over improves our abilities to do them. Not giving up is crucial, as is keeping our attitude positive.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nancy_Kelsey_Smith