Tag Archive for: habits

Three Obstacles to Reading and How to Overcome Them

Obstacle Number One: I Can't Read Very Fast

Solution: Be Realistic

I personally cannot read extremely fast, but I have noticed that after years of reading consistently my reading speed has increased exponentially. One thing that helped me to even begin a reading habit was starting with books that interested me. If you are reading a book just for reading's sake you will not establish a lifelong reading habit. Start with books that you actually enjoy. Another action step is to start with books that are less than 100 pages. Do not start with your great grandpa's "Chronicles of World History." You can normally finish a book of 100 pages in just a few days of reading for 20-30 minutes. The thrill of closing a book having completed reading it makes you eager to start another one.



Obstacle Number Two: I Can't Find a Quiet Place to Read.

Solution: Be Intentional and Communicate.

Some of you reading this have multiple children and a small home. I very much know this obstacle. One way to overcome this is to schedule reading time into your day. Make this a time when you are naturally alert and awake. Thirty minutes of focused reading time will yield much more profit than three hours of distracted reading. I find that mornings are the best time for me. Be sure to communicate with your family, spouse, roommates etc. when you are going to hide away to do some reading. This will keep you from getting frustrated when they come in the room to ask you a question or to discuss the new Star Wars movie. You may be thinking, "I can't ask them to leave me alone for thirty minutes. That's selfish." Believe me, men, our wives do not want ignorant, boring husbands. Just imagine actually having something to talk to our wives about other than politics and the latest ESPN stats. Our wives won't mind us taking some time for intellectual stimulation. Ladies, take advantage of the times of the day when the kids are doing homework or taking a nap. Another strategy is to make your kids read with you. Some mornings my wife and I make our boys read a book (or look at the pictures) on their own while we have our reading times. Ask your husband and tell your kids to do the dishes while you slip away to enjoy a few minutes of quiet reading.

Obstacle Number Three: I Don't Have Time.

Solution: Remember that Quality Time is More Important than Quantity Time.

Really? You don't have time to read. "I don't have time" is one of the greatest cop-out phrases of our day when it relates to commitments. The real issue is that we have made too many commitments to the wrong things. The biggest time-waster for all of us is the television. I promise you. Turn off the TV, and you will find that you have a lot of time that you could use to read a book. Start with cutting out just one thirty-minute show and focus on a book. You will find your appetite for good reading to begin crowding out the appetite for mindless television shows. Oh. One more thing. Be sure to turn off your cell phone while you read too. May your reading become easier and your appetite for good books grow stronger as you begin this great lifelong habit.


What time of day do you set aside to read?

What time of the day are you most alert?

Are you an early bird or a night owl?

Read more at [http://www.mikecwatt.com]

 

10-Minute Mindfulness: 71 Habits for Living in the Present Moment

Hate the negativity that often surrounds you? Feel stressed or anxious? Overwhelmed by our hectic, fast-paced modern society?

Pivotal books - 10-minute mindfulness

These issues are often the direct result of as vicious cycle known as "unconscious living." You can be unconscious about your lifestyle choices, habits, and thoughts. You can be unconscious about your true values, life priorities, and deeper longings. And you're unconscious from living in the present moment because you're preoccupied by past regrets and worries for the future. The solution is to incorporate mindfulness through your entire day -- so you can enjoy inner peace and happiness. And the simplest way to do this is to build a series of mindfulness habits.

In 10-Minute Mindfulness, Wall Street Journal bestselling authors S.J. Scott and Barrie Davenport show how to anchor yourself in the present moment, even if it's for just a few minutes at a time. This book is for anyone who recognize the need to improve their focus, productivity, happiness, and peace of mind. Not only can you choose from a selection of 71 mindfulness habits, you will also discover the practical tools to turn these actions into automatic behavior. In 10-Minute Mindfulness you can "choose your own adventure" and pick the mindfulness habits that will have the biggest positive impact on your life.

 

Buy the book:  Amazon or The Book Depository

 

 




Daily Routine Makeover – Morning Edition: Morning Tactics and Strategies To Get More Energized, Productive and Healthy All Day

Do you often feel unmotivated?

Wake up with a feeling of anxiety that you should do many things but you lack of direction where to begin so you end up doing nothing?

Do you feel that you do self-sabotage after you wake up by doing nothing productive and waste your day?

If you respect only three tips of this book, I guarantee that your first wake up hours can become the best and most motivating part of your day!

 




Daily Routine Makeover Morning Edition teaches you every method how to be productive and energetic when your day starts. 

This is an actionable book without any fake it 'til you make it, brush your teeth or wake up at 5 am advice. 

It is a comprehensive psychology, biology and motivational manual that lets you know why are you an early bird or night owl, gives you the best practices how to bring out the most of them without overwhelming you with too many new habits. 

Daily Routine Makeover – Morning Edition has lots of real-life stories and examples, proven techniques of high-performers, and physiological explanations backed up by countless research studies, all of which will help you change your a mindset about the power of the first hours after waking up (be it 5 am or 11 am) with concrete and simple techniques. 

The 5 am magic doesn't apply to all of us and it'’s borderline terrible advice for most. 

During my endless months of nocturnal working, I developed special practices that don't require an early day start to boost your productivity and energy level to the sky. 

By consequently following these 3 simple steps I could leave my night-shift job, finish University and start to be a full-time writer. 

How will you become a productivity machine?

•Learn the 3 simple exercise I did to boost my spirits and productivity.

Get familiar with 10 practices recommended by world leaders, high achievers, and top class artists. 

Understand why does your body function the way it does on a biological level.

Learn to diminish the harm your body gets by nighttime, shift work or even jet lag.

And further ways to bring out the most of your day.

•The right way to use caffeine as a wake-up booster.

How to eat nutritious food and lose weight.

Simple steps to detect when you are the most productive during the day.

Advice from a world class dietitian how to combine food to keep you energized all day - starting in the morning. 

Find out which of the 3+15 after wake-up habits could make the difference in your life.

The Book Depository   or    Amazon

How Spiritual Principles and Brain Science Can Put an End to Bad Habits and Addictions Forever

 
Little changes can make a big, big difference!  In The Little Book of Big Change, psychologist Amy Johnson shows you how to rewire your brain and overcome your bad habits—once and for all.
No matter what your bad habit is, you have the power to change it. Drawing on a powerful combination of neuroscience and spirituality, this book will show you that you are not your habits. Rather, your habits and addictions are the result of simple brain wiring that is easily reversed. By learning to stop bad habits at the source, you will take charge of your habits and addictions for good.
Anything done repeatedly has the potential to form neural circuitry in the brain. In this light, habits and addictions are impersonal brain wiring problems that result from taking your habitual thinking as truth, and acting on that thinking in the form of doing your habit—over and over. This book offers a number of small changes you can make in your everyday life that will help you stop your bad habit in its tracks.
If you want to understand the science behind your habit, make the decision to end it, and commit to real, lasting change, this book will help you to finally take charge of your life—once and for all.

About the Author

Amy Johnson, PhD, is a life coach, public speaker, and author of two previous books. She works with clients worldwide, helping people see their habits in a way that ends them forever. To find out more, please visit www.dramyjohnson.com.
You can buy the book from Amazon ,  The Book Depository ,  Fishpond.com.au
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Personal Alchemy: Three Steps To Positive Transformation

Lately, I've become intrigued by the idea or process of "alchemy." Funk & Wagnall tells me alchemy is a transformation, "a change in nature, form or quality." So how to take charge of your own personal alchemy? For me, it's about changes and transformations of mind, body and spirit. Therefore, in this article I've outlined three of my favorite ways to approach personal alchemy on the path to wholeness and health.

Step One: Dissect A Past Transformation:
It's easy to feel overwhelmed when thinking about the process of making a personal overhaul. Therefore, it's important to break this idea down to its least common denominator. To begin, recall if you can a positive transformation you've made in your life. It could be as simple as beginning and staying with an exercise program. In your mind locate and focus on one specific personal transformation.

Next, break down your transformation into its components: mind, body and spirit. I tend to look at everything in this tri-fold sense. I believe it is important to see the way a particular event contributes to the growth of each component. Right now, take a moment to observe the ways each of these components have contributed to your transformation:

Mind: Was your mind committed to making this positive change?

Body: What daily actions did it take to make this personal transformation effective and permanent?

Spirit: Was there a spiritual component at hand guiding you toward your positive goal?

Related article   Change by Choice

Step Two: Begin The Uncovering Process:
Now that you've dissected a previous transformation, the uncovering process is simple. This process asks you to take some time with your journal and uncover a new personal transformation you would like to experience. With pen in hand, take time to make notes to yourself. Start small. What transformations would you like to make this year? Do some dreaming.

When you've finished, scan your list for one worthwhile goal that is achievable. If you are unable to commit to one on your list, try these ideas to complete your uncovering:

According to Louise Hay in her book "You Can Heal Your Life" these components will help you live a holistic, healthy life. Perhaps one may inspire you toward a worthwhile goal.

Nurture The Body: Practice sound nutrition. Aim to make the best choices for your body and choose food and beverages that make you feel well. When appropriate supplement with herbs, vitamins and homeopathy.

Practice a sound exercise program. Find a form of exercise that is appealing to you and is one that you will do. Choose from: aerobic exercise, resistance training, tai chi, yoga or Pilates. When appropriate use body work such as massage or reiki.

Nurture The Mind: Add to your daily practice, visualization, guided imagery, affirmations or dream work. Spiritual meditation is also a great way to quiet the mind and allow time to tune in to the divine.

Nurture The Spirit: Find time to practice prayer work, meditation, forgiveness and unconditional love.

Related Article:  The Potential of change

Step Three: Find Answers In The Silence: Then Take Your Goals One By One
We can't possibly do everything. For as someone once told me "you have only, all the time there is." With this in mind, I am brought back to my earliest ideas about personal alchemy. This involves one of the most difficult, yet necessary practices: finding time for silence. Finding time is the challenge I most often face when looking at my own personal growth and aiming to find ways to simplify and speed up the process.

Silence. Why does it work? From a physics or scientific standpoint, the electrons within the molecules of the body actually speed up when the body slows down. It seems difficult to understand at first, but the key is its reciprocal process. When the body slows down, the energy surrounding the body and passing through the body speeds up, literally directing the body: instructing it.

Grace, balance and growth are often natural extensions of this process. When you take some time to be still and offer your goal up to the universe, you can then become aware of the divine direction. To do this, try to first become aware of your surroundings. Then aim to find time each day to move toward your worthwhile goal. Keep it close to your heart. Know that there are many distractions in life, but if you take time to rest and stop for one moment, it could be the moment you will receive your greatest inspiration.

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Author unknown.
When in doubt, there's always help!  For a creative boost and further direction in your discovery process, please explore these sources: 
The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity By Julia Cameron.   
Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential by Caroline Myss.