Prioritize to Achieve Your Goals!

Now that you’ve reflected on life using the Wheel of Life and made a list of SMART PATH goals, it’s time to set priorities. As impressive as it would be to tackle every problem in your life simultaneously, it’s unrealistic. Not only would it be a whole lot of work, your focus would be everywhere at once!

What do you value most?

Are any of these values at the top of your list?

  • Time with family
  • Forging ahead with your career
  • Serving your community
  • Love
  • Adventure
  • Creating a cozy home
  • Being healthy
  • Creating a life that works

Everyone’s values are unique, and I can’t tell you what you should value most—it’s up to you! But asking yourself the question and finding out what you value most in life is important. It gives you a clearer focus and knowing what your value means you can structure your life to match it.

How do your values show up in your Wheel of Life? Are you allocating your time and energy in a way that matches your values? What is essential to you?

(more…)

Set SMART PATH Goals to Live Your Best Life!

Let’s talk about SMART PATH Goals!

If you took the time to review your life last week, you’ll likely have at least one area of your life that you’d like to make some changes. So let’s set some goals. Common New Year’s resolutions include:

  • Exercise more
  • Save money
  • Eat healthy
  • Get organized (Call us if you’re having trouble with this one!)
  • Get more sleep
  • Quit social media
  • Reduce waste
  • Spend more time with family and friends
  • Reduce stress
  • Keep a journal

What are your resolutions this year? Write them down and refer to them often; you’ll be more likely to achieve them.

Tackling too much

Now you have a list of goals. How do you make them all happen? I used to make BIG New Year’s resolutions. When I wanted to start running every day, on January 1st I laced up my shoes and hit the pavement. January 2nd I did it again, because that’s what I resolved to do!

By February, my resolution (and my running shoes) were gathering dust. What went wrong? If you want to start running every day, you should just run every day…right?

If you’re shaking your head and saying, “You’ll burn out!” you’re correct.

I didn’t make progress until I paid attention to the process rather than the end goal. Instead of making major changes immediately, I broke the process of creating goals down into the SMART PATH system. You’ve likely heard of SMART goals and adding the PATH to achieving them has made them so much easier to complete.

(more…)

2 Simple Tips to Start Living Your Best Life

Are you ready to start living your best life? Look at where you are first!

The holidays are upon us! And with that comes the new year, and with the new year comes — you guessed it — resolutions! While goal-setting is an important part of life all year round, the approach of the new year reminds us to reflect on our life, and where we want to be.

What goals do you have for yourself? What’s the best way to accomplish those goals? It’s simple (if not easy):

  • assess your life as it is,
  • focus on the path toward the goal instead of the goal itself, and…
  • don’t try to do everything at once!

December is the perfect time to assess your life and your priorities. Use the Wheel to Life to review what you are thankful for. Honestly look at what you would like to be different in the future.

Tip 1: Use The Wheel of Life

The Wheel of Life is a great tool for keeping your life in perspective. It encompasses the eight main areas of life: career, relationships, family, friends, recreation, health, finance, and spirituality.

Of course, these areas of life all interconnect and affect each other, but taking a look at each area in turn can help you identify where things are going really well, and areas of concern that you may need to address in the future.

(more…)

Let Go of Negativity with Gratitude

Thanksgiving was just a few days ago, and I encourage you to maintain that spirit of gratitude! The end of the year is approaching, and it’s a great time to review your 2022 to see what made it great, and what you can do without.

Grab a pen and some paper (or start an email to yourself!) and let’s make a Grateful List for 2022.

Who are you grateful for?

Are there certain friends or family members you’re particularly grateful for this year? Spend a few minutes writing down why you’re grateful for them. Were they extra supportive during a hard time? Did they help you with something? Are they just really fun to hang out with? Putting it into words can solidify their impact in your memory, and make you appreciate them that much more. Let them know how you feel, too! Expressing gratitude for people we care about makes everyone feel warm and fuzzy.

What are you grateful for?

(more…)

4 Tips to Keep Holiday Decorations Under Control

I have seen many, many storage spaces stuffed full of holiday decorations that are only used once a year. That’s not to say you shouldn’t have decorations—decorating is one of the best parts of the holidays! But there are ways to decorate that don’t take up your whole garage when you’re done.

Use organizers

The boxes that tree ornaments come in are usually flimsy and difficult to repack neatly. Recycle them and use a tote to keep all your ornaments in one safe place. Ornament keeper storage totes are a good way to keep fragile ornaments safe when they’re in storage, and consolidate space. This one offers three removable tiers of ornament storage

Tree storage bags are great for artificial trees. Specifically designed to hold each part of your tree tightly, they reduce storage space and keep your tree free of dust and damage, so you can use it year after year.

Repack carefully

One of the best ways to reduce holiday purchases is to take care of the items you already have. Storing things properly ensures you don’t have to re-purchase broken decorations, and can use them for years.

When it’s time to take down the decorations, pack your items with care. By “with care” I mean in such a way that they won’t break, and also with an eye on ways to save space. Packing all the wrapping paper in one place ensures you don’t have to go hunt for it next year.

(more…)

Making Memorable Holiday Traditions

The holidays are a time for friends and family to get together and celebrate with annual traditions. How do you get the most out of your family traditions? I have a few tips here to help make holiday traditions more fun and more meaningful.

Family traditions are FUN

The more somber traditions we take part in this time of year are certainly important. But it’s also important to have some fun with your family!

Family traditions are a great way to enjoy the holidays and bring your family closer together, and they’re as unique as you are. Some families celebrate The Christmas Pickle, hiding a pickle-shaped ornament in the Christmas tree. The child who finds the Christmas Pickle first gets an extra present. Some families break the turkey’s wishbone after dinner for good luck. You can use traditions that already exist like these, or come up with your own.

Sometimes traditions evolve over time by themselves. Different families celebrating the same holiday will always do something a little different. If your family celebrates Hannukah, do you include gifts or not? Even the time you eat a holiday meal can be a tradition that develops over time.

(more…)