Tag: holidays

Why is it that many of us make the same resolutions every New Year’s but seldom keep them?

Could it be because we’re setting unrealistic goals for ourselves that we can’t possibly achieve?

This type of goal setting only serves to discourage us from striving for future goals.

Instead of planning for success, we’re setting ourselves up for failure.

When making a resolution or setting a goal, you should follow the S.M.A.R.T. system for maximum success:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Realistic
• Timely

Here are some common BAD New Year’s resolutions along with tips about how to turn them around into GOOD resolutions that can bring you astounding results:

Losing weight. How many of us make the resolution to “get in shape” or to simply “lose weight?”

This isn’t a specific goal, nor does it contain any sort of measurable timeline in which to perform the task.

A better solution would be to say, “I want to lose _____ pounds by _____ (date). I will do this by following these steps: (change of diet, exercise plan, etc.).”

A specific goal establishes what you want to accomplish, by what time, identifies requirements and constraints, and lists benefits of reaching that goal.

Spending more time with family. Another common New Year’s resolution is to spend more time with family and friends.

Again, you need to have a plan to do this. Simply stating that you will spend more time with your family won’t make it happen.

This may not even be a very attainable goal if you live far away from your family or can’t give up time at the office.

Look at your schedule, evaluate your priorities, and make the necessary changes to free up the time you’ll need to spend the extra hours with your family.

Establish exactly how many extra hours you need to make this happen.

What will have to be rearranged?

These are decisions you need to make to accomplish your goal.

Quitting smoking. The average smoker tries to quit at least 4 times before he actually kicks the habit.

Why?

Because it’s easy to get discouraged when you try one method and it doesn’t work.

You need to have numerous back-up plans because one product or method doesn’t work for everyone.

Make sure the goals you set are realistic. Don’t expect to stop smoking in a week or maybe even a month.

You’ll only become disheartened if you fail.

Set reasonable goals such as, “By ___ (date) I will only smoke ____ cigarettes a day.” Slowly become less dependent on them until you reach your goal.

Getting out of debt. This is a resolution that requires much planning and usually involves a change of lifestyle.

If you’re living in a cycle of debt, you need to plan a strategy to cut your spending dramatically, as well as pay off the debt you already have.

Set specific goals such as “I will have ____ (amount) paid off by _____ (date). I will do this by cutting ____ (amount) from my spending each week.”

Without a reasonable timeline in place, you’ll slip back into your old habits.

If your total amount of debt is large, break the debt down into smaller, more attainable goals.

Pay off one credit card at a time and take pride when you get that final statement with a zero balance.

Also consider talking to a financial advisor who can help you set a reasonable plan for you to follow.

Resolutions take work, there’s no denying it!

Simply saying that you resolve to do something is not sufficient without having a plan in place to do it.

Now that you know the problem, you can stop making the same resolutions year after year!

Using the S.M.A.R.T. system as a guide, you can actually attain your goals in the coming year and become a better person for it.

How do you come up with your new year’s resolution?

How can you prepare for a good resolution to make?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Also, as your gift for taking this to heart – and this is profoundly important… to us ALL – go to UnitingPlanetEarth.com/ignition/ and do the Uniting Planet Earth 7-Day Quick-Start Ignition Program… and Allow it to Transform Your Life.

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There are many ways to make Christmas merry and memorable!

Unfortunately, sometimes it’s difficult nowadays to feel the joy through the cluttered maze that has become of Christmas.

Through the years, Christmas has strayed too far from its original purpose and become a highly commercialized event.

When it comes to the holiday season, more people are concerned with buying the “perfect” gift for others and anticipating what they will receive, rather than focusing on the true spirit of the holiday.

It’s time to get back to the basics when it comes to the season of gift giving, love, sharing, and caring.

This year, you can make your Christmas a joyous and stress-free holiday by following these 3 easy tips:

Give of Yourself. If you enjoy providing gifts to others, that’s a nice gesture. However, you should avoid dwelling on it too much.

No matter what you can or cannot afford, there’s always one gift that you can give to others: the gift of your time.

Christmas is only as commercialized as you allow it to be. Although it costs nothing, your time is the most precious gift of all.

There are many ways that you can give of yourself to others this holiday season:

Be a friend who listens

Spend time with a loved one

Help someone with their household chores

Babysit for a mother or father who really needs a break

Let others know that you are available anytime they may need your help

Use Your Talents.

No matter how nice that watch appears to look in the jewelry case, the homemade pen holder or the homemade blanket that you create for your friend, neighbor, coworker, or family member will be much more appreciated than anything you can buy in a store.

Ultimately, handmade gifts are priceless, whereas the store bought gift will lose value over time.

Sure, store bought gifts are nice, but people will value your handmade gifts more due to one reason: you put your time, efforts, and love into creating those gifts.

When the receiver thinks about your hard work and dedication in creating the gift, it will become more and more cherished.

Here are some ideas of homemade gifts you can make:

Fresh-baked cookies, pies or jams

Hand sewn quilts or crocheted scarves

Framed photo collage

Personalized scrapbooks

Custom made jewelry

Cherish Your Time Together. In the end, we can’t take back time. Our time is lost in so many ways on a daily basis – especially around the holidays.

It’s time to place our priorities on our family and friends rather than on the shopping and holiday preparations.

Why fight the crowds on Black Friday when you could be enjoying your kids’ day off from school together?

Wouldn’t you rather create some warm, happy memories?

If you and your spouse don’t enjoy spending your day standing in long lines at crowded stores, then change it!

Spending the night baking alone when your elderly mother is in town is such a waste.

Plan your baking so you can enjoy each other’s company while things are in the oven.

If you want to make your holiday truly merry, remember to spend the time that you have with your loved ones enjoying each other.

Make joyous memories instead of a frenzy of worrying, shopping, cooking, buying gifts and over-stressing.

If you follow the steps listed here, you’re sure to have a merry, memorable Christmas this year and every year!

What do you do to make your holidays extra special?

How does the holiday season bring your extra happiness?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Also, as your gift for taking this to heart – and this is profoundly important… to us ALL – go to UnitingPlanetEarth.com/ignition/ and do the Uniting Planet Earth 7-Day Quick-Start Ignition Program… and Allow it to Transform Your Life.

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Overcoming the temptations of overeating, overspending, and under-appreciating during this holiday season can be challenging.

When it comes to the holidays, all of these issues tempt us more than usual.

However, you’ll be pleased to discover that there are ways of coping with these stressful situations during the holidays.

Here are some ways to help you avoid the temptations so you can start the New Year happy and stress-free:

Overeating

When the holidays roll in, decorative and highly tempting food platters roll out to greet us with tantalizing turkeys, decked out hams, sides, and every dessert imaginable!

You know as well as I do that it’s really hard to pass on the food when it comes to Thanksgiving and Christmas.

In many cases, even New Year’s Eve continues the scrumptious dinners and pastries.

Unless you want to be sporting a new bloat come the New Year, it’s important that you learn to resist the urge to indulge in too many of these foods.

To avoid overeating, try these tips:

Avoid the urge to stockpile the food on your plate. Start with small helpings and eat your meal slowly.

Have plenty to drink with your meal. In between bites, sip on a glass of ice cold water, low fat milk, or healthy juice.

This can help fill you up quickly so you won’t be tempted by second and third helpings.

Eat a healthy snack prior to going to a family gathering or holiday party.

Munching on fruits, vegetables or yogurt will help fill you up so you won’t be starving at the party.

Overspending

It’s so easy to spend more than you anticipate or can afford during the holidays.

It’s important to budget your money appropriately so when the New Year comes along, you’re not burdened with debt.

Remember that you do not have to spend a lot on Christmas gifts!

You can buy inexpensive gifts or create wonderful and precious homemade presents.

No one wants you to go into debt buying gifts for them!

Keep this in mind as you shop so you can limit your spending this holiday season.

These tips will also help you to avoid overspending:

 Use cash only. Leave your credit cards at home and only spend what you have in your wallet.

It’s a wonderful feeling not to have large credit card bills in January!

Chip in on a gift with another family member. If you know the perfect gift for dad is out of your budget, ask a sibling to split the cost with you.

Make a list and stick to it. Only go into the stores where you know you’ll find your gift items and keep the focus on your list.

If you don’t have a need to go to the electronics or clothing section of the store, then stay away.

Set a strict budget. Setting a dollar amount for each item can also keep you focused and away from the more expensive gifts.

Under-Appreciation

Once the holiday season begins, it’s quite common to put wish lists together and forget about all the things we already have!

Remember to be grateful this holiday season.

There are many things that we can be grateful for – our job, home, friends, family members, and more!

Remember to be appreciative at all times and you’re more likely to enjoy the holiday season.

Christmas isn’t about what you can get or what you didn’t get. It’s a time for sharing and making warm memories together.

The attitude that you end this year with is the attitude that you’ll start the New Year with.

A grateful attitude will bring more things in the New Year for you to be grateful for!

If past holidays brought too much temptation to overeat, overspend, and even to be a little greedy, you can make changes to your holiday season this year to avoid these temptations.

The strategies listed in this article can bring you a happier and guilt-free holiday season.

What temptations do you always give in to during the holidays?

How can you work on overcoming them?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Also, as your gift for taking this to heart – and this is profoundly important… to us ALL – go to UnitingPlanetEarth.com/ignition/ and do the Uniting Planet Earth 7-Day Quick-Start Ignition Program… and Allow it to Transform Your Life.

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Have you been wondering how you can be SMART when making your New Year’s resolution?

Despite the fact that more New Year’s resolutions are broken each year than any other goal, we still look forward to opening that brand new calendar and imagining the possibilities that lie ahead for the New Year.

If you plan on meeting the challenge of making a New Year’s resolution, you may as well ensure that you make SMART choices, right?

SMART is an acronym for several different stages of the goal setting process.

If you’re planning to make a New Year’s resolution, it’s important to become familiar with what each letter stands for so that you can develop achievable resolutions.

The following represents SMART goals, broken down into an easy to understand manner:

The first step to creating a SMART New Year’s resolution is to be Specific.

You can’t just say “I want to lose weight” – that’s a very general statement with no real meaning.

Try saying “I want to lose ten pounds.” That’s more specific.

Whatever your specific goal is, write it down and post it where you will be reminded everyday.

The next step is to make sure that the goal is Measurable.

When we set goals, it’s important that we’re able to measure levels of our achievement.

By measuring, we can keep track of our progress and feel more motivated to move toward our final goal.

Make a chart or keep a journal to track your successes and achievements. Seeing a visual guide will help motivate you, especially during tough days.

Set goals that you know you can achieve, or that are Attainable for you.

If you set a goal of losing one hundred pounds, for example, this is not attainable for a short-term goal, and you’ll soon lose confidence.

However, one pound a week is certainly an attainable goal.

If you have a very large goal, such as getting out of debt or losing a large amount of weight, break that large goal into much smaller goals or steps.

Achieving a small goal every week will keep you determined to work harder and smarter.

The next aspect to the SMART New Year’s resolution system is that your goal must also be Realistic.

For example, setting a goal to win the Lottery is not particularly realistic.

It’s possible, but not probable. Also, it’s not something you have any control over.

For maximum success and continued motivation, choose goals that are something you can realistically expect to accomplish, even if you need to divide the final goal into smaller attainable steps.

The last aspect of the SMART system is Timely.

When setting a New Year’s resolution, you’re much more likely to succeed if there’s a time frame associated with the resolution.

You may give yourself a month, six months, or the whole year – the choice is yours.

The most important thing is that you take the time to set an end date.

Once you set a final deadline, work backwards and determine the deadlines of your smaller goals.

Pacing yourself throughout the year is more beneficial and less stressful than saving all the work for the last month before your final deadline.

Making New Year’s resolutions is very easy but those resolutions made without a clear plan in mind are prone to failure.

It takes a little work to ensure that the resolutions you set are SMART.

However, the SMART method can also ensure your success with an achievable plan! And that makes all the difference.

How can using SMART allow you to make smart goals this coming year?

How can these goals affect your life?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Also, as your gift for taking this to heart – and this is profoundly important… to us ALL – go to UnitingPlanetEarth.com/ignition/ and do the Uniting Planet Earth 7-Day Quick-Start Ignition Program… and Allow it to Transform Your Life.

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The holidays are supposed to be a wonderful time for you and your family, though sometimes the stresses leading up the holidays make it seem like quite the opposite.

Remember that even in poor economic times there are ways to enjoy yourself and survive the holiday crunch.

Spending Money

Chances are you’ll be spending at least some money during the holiday season.

With careful planning, you can make a small budget go quite a long way.

Consider the following holiday money saving tips:

Save Throughout the Year. Most people let the holidays creep up on them. All of a sudden they realize it’s two weeks before Thanksgiving and they need to begin preparing.

You can’t pull money out of nowhere and you should resist the urge to put all of your purchases on credit.

If you’ve done this in the past, you know first hand that you’ll still be paying off last year’s gifts for years to come!

Automatically withdraw a small amount of money from each paycheck that goes toward your Christmas savings.

Those small amounts add up to something big at the end of the year.

Shop Early. When you shop early you can avoid the stress of the crowds and the urgency of having to make decisions quickly.

Start by making a list of gift ideas for everyone. This way, as you see the items throughout the year, you can pick them up.

You may even find that they’re cheaper during off-peak times than during the holiday rush.

Handmade Gifts. If money is extra tight this year, consider giving your loved ones handmade gifts.

Handmade gifts are given straight from the heart.

They’ll provide memories that last a lifetime and are important reminders that the holiday season is not just about spending money.

Shop for Deals. While it can end up taking a great deal of extra time, make sure you do your homework when it comes to shopping for deals.

Prices can vary greatly from vendor to vendor. Luckily, the internet can be your best friend when it comes to shopping for deals.

It allows you to comparison shop quickly and easily from the comfort of your own home.

While you’re shopping online, always remember to stay safe.

If you haven’t heard of the website you’re purchasing from, make sure that you’re shopping on a secure server and do additional research into the company to seek out reviews and opinions.

Planning Your Budget

Whether or not you’ve saved throughout the year, it’s always a good idea to put yourself on a strict budget.

Give yourself a total dollar amount and then decide how much you’ll spend on each person.

If you need money for entertaining, decorating, food, or other things, budget for that as well.

Remember to check in with yourself from time to time to make sure that you remain on budget.

While it may be extra work, it’ll save you the stress of dealing with big credit card bills in the new year.

Dealing With Stress

If the stress of the holidays has gotten you down, you’re certainly not alone.

It’s not fun to have to deal with the financial aspect, but it’ll help to keep the reward in mind.

If you’ve spent your money well, and your family gets through the holidays in a peaceful manner, then you’ve done your job.

You’ll be adding to the memories that will last a lifetime. Remember that you can’t place a price tag on memories.

When you keep that positive goal in mind, it’ll be worth the stresses you have to endure.

How excited are you about the upcoming holidays?

What do you do to help lessen the stress from the holiday rush?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Also, as your gift for taking this to heart – and this is profoundly important… to us ALL – go to UnitingPlanetEarth.com/ignition/ and do the Uniting Planet Earth 7-Day Quick-Start Ignition Program… and Allow it to Transform Your Life.

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!

The holidays are a special time for all, and you should take the time to indulge yourself.

However, at the same time you should keep your health in mind because it’s easy to be tempted into going overboard.

It all starts with Halloween and all the extra treats that are lingering in your candy bowl.

Then we’re lead into Thanksgiving, where the average person will ingest over 3 times the number of calories that they should be eating, or even more.

Then the winter holidays come along. Family togetherness usually equals lots of snacking and appetizers and big meals.

Also, don’t forget all the baked treats! Can you eat all of these things? The answer is yes, but in moderation.

Follow these tips to help you stay in control of your fork:

Go in with a Plan. Before you put yourself into temptation, tell yourself how much you’re allowed to eat.

In the weeks following Halloween, save yourself 10 pieces of candy to eat. Give the rest away to coworkers and neighbors.

For Thanksgiving and other family holidays, allow yourself to indulge on one item such as the appetizers or the dessert – not both.

Don’t Be Too Strict. While you may be tempted to be tough on yourself during other times of the year, the holidays are a time you should allow for some relaxation from the strict behavior.

Don’t try to get through entire evenings without enjoying any of the food. The starvation diet only works for so long until you fail and over-consume.

Work on your moderation skills instead.

Don’t Punish Yourself. Everyone makes mistakes. If you do slip up and overeat one day, in the long run it won’t make much of a difference.

Just tell yourself that you’ll try harder next time. Don’t be tempted to just give up and continue the poor eating decisions.

It’s when you have many bad days in a row that you can ruin a good diet plan.

Watch the Alcohol Intake. It’s true; alcohol usually flows freely at holiday events. You can indulge yourself here as well.

While you may be able to get away with having a few drinks spread out over the evening, remember that the calories add up.

Consider alternating between alcoholic drinks and pure, refreshing water.

Wear Tight Fitting Clothes. If you have some issues controlling your holiday behaviors, consider wearing some tight fitting clothes.

Don’t make yourself too uncomfortable, but at the same time you’ll want to feel the reminder if you begin to eat too much.

Plan Healthy Meals. If you’re hosting any of the holiday events, consider going with some healthier alternatives to some popular meals.

Healthy doesn’t always mean bland or unappealing. Get creative and try some new recipes.

Remember to Take Breaks. During a long evening with family and friends, sometimes you’ll lose track of your eating habits.

Make it a point to take breaks where you know there isn’t a plate or a drink in your hand. Concentrate on the conversations you’re having instead.

Eat Before You Go. If you’re off to a holiday event at someone else’s house, eat something healthy before you leave.

This is especially important if you know you’ll be tempted by all the unhealthy treats that’ll be available.

If you aren’t particularly hungry when you show up, you won’t feel such an urge to begin eating.

Just remember to have a good time! If you’re bummed about not getting to eat everything that you want, concentrate on all the other aspects of the holidays.

There are many other fun activities to engage in that don’t involve eating!

How do you feel during holidays?

How can you make your holidays more healthy and fun?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Also, as your gift for taking this to heart – and this is profoundly important… to us ALL – go to UnitingPlanetEarth.com/ignition/ and do the Uniting Planet Earth 7-Day Quick-Start Ignition Program… and Allow it to Transform Your Life.

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You can still spread the holiday cheer without spending a great deal of money in the process.

The holiday season is about giving, but it doesn’t have to be about spending.

There are plenty of ways to still show love and spread memories around!

Start Saving Early

You may think it’s a little crazy to start preparing for the holidays several months in advance, but it could end up saving you a great deal of money.

Think about the people you’ll need gifts for, and then make a list. This way, as you shop around throughout the year, you can keep an eye out for the items on your list.

You might find something on a super sale that you may have ended up paying the full price for otherwise.

Entertaining

When it comes to entertaining guests over the holidays, keep in mind that you’ll likely have to spend some money.

But you can spend smart.

Shop for holiday specials, and if you’re entertaining many guests, you can consider warehouse shopping for some of the items needed.

You can also consider going potluck style. Many people enjoy potluck dinners because there are usually plenty of varieties of food.

Guests will also enjoy chatting about who brought what to the event. It’s a great way to save money and time on preparing many dishes.

Decorating

Decorating is something that you can build on from year to year.

Remember to re-use the decorations from last year. If you need new ones, or enjoy adding to your decorations each year, don’t forget about handmade items.

You should get your children involved with the decorations.

Have them string up popcorn on a string for a Christmas tree or get them to draw and color ornaments.

You can even bake decorations out of dough and enjoy a painting session with the kids.

Gifts

When it comes to gifts, remember that something homemade is often regarded as more valuable than something store bought because of the sentimental value.

Plus, the supplies needed for a homemade gift are often a great deal cheaper than other gift ideas.

Make sure you keep an eye on special holiday deals when it comes to gifts.

Often times you’ll find a deal throughout the shopping season, and not just on big sale days such as Black Friday.

Websites such as Amazon.com will have constant hourly deals going on that may allow you to save additional money on items you were going to purchase anyway.

Remember that no matter what holiday you’re celebrating, you can always go “Secret Santa” style when it comes to gifts.

During a Secret Santa get together, each person will draw someone’s name out of a hat.

This way, when it comes time to exchange gifts, you only need to buy one gift and you’ll also be receiving a gift from someone else in the group.

Activities With The Kids

Kids love the holidays. No matter how much you actually spend, it’s the activities and the togetherness that they’ll remember fondly when they’re older.

It may be fun to start a family tradition that the whole family can look forward to doing for years to come.

This can also be something that doesn’t involve too much money.

Maybe it’s baking cookies together, or sharing photos from the past year, or even decorating the tree together.

You can also get the kids excited about the approaching holidays by reading to them at bedtime.

Tell holiday-themed stories from books or memory. You can also enjoy a holiday-themed show or movie together during a lazy weekend.

How are you spending the coming holidays?

What traditions do you have with your family during this season?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Also, as your gift for taking this to heart – and this is profoundly important… to us ALL – go to UnitingPlanetEarth.com/ignition/ and do the Uniting Planet Earth 7-Day Quick-Start Ignition Program… and Allow it to Transform Your Life.

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!