IMPROVE YOUR LIFEHow To Improve Your Personal Life With Self-Improvement

Is your personal life in an uproar, how is your self esteem? Everyone always has room for improvement; yet, some of us need more than others do.

There are ways to improve yourself once you ask yourself “what do I need to do to improve.” Maybe sitting down and writing a list of things that you don’t like about yourself could help. Make sure you prioritize them making the most important one on top and the less important on the bottom. Everyday work on this list checking off each one as you feel it is getting better. Remember don’t stop improving them just because you’ve put a check beside it. It takes time to make changes but you can do it.

Are you working full or part time, if not volunteer if need be? Get busy and don’t just lie around the house doing nothing. Keeping busy and helping others always helps. By helping others, you learn that someone else in the world has it worse than you do. A job always helps especially if you are stressed out about paying a bill and there is no money to pay. Every dollar you make is one dollar more than you had yesterday.

Volunteer to work at the library a couple of hours a day or maybe just one day a week. The nearest hospital is probably in need of a volunteer if nothing just to talk to the ones that are alone and no one comes to see them. Helping others always makes you feel better especially if you can see they enjoyed or benefited from it.

Take a little time out of each day for yourself. You can’t be any good to other people if you don’t take care of yourself. Draw a bathtub of bubbles and relax, go for a walk alone or maybe go to the library and read, bring a book home to read and relax. A little something for yourself each day really helps to relax you and it can make you feel better.

How about doing a little exercising; if you’re not already doing it try it and see how it helps relieve stress. After a while, you’ll notice how you will look forward to exercising alone or with a friend. If you walk with a friend don’t talk about your problems, keep the pace up and talk about the weather or maybe something you’re going to do for your tomorrow. Eventually you’ll notice how much better you feel getting out and taking care of yourself.
Do you watch much TV? Sometimes the news can make a person depressed but then again it can be educational and give you something to discuss with friends or family. Watch the weather and when you’re walking talk, about what is supposed to happen tomorrow; will it rain or snow. The news makes a good conversation when talking to other people.

Go out and visit someone once a week maybe. Get out of the house and be with a friend other than cleaning house when you’re at home. If you don’t have, many friends go make some new ones. Meeting friends is something you can do when you’re volunteering your time; when at the library talk to the librarian when you are checking out that book. New friends can be anywhere if you’re willing to talk. Don’t be afraid if you don’t make a new one every time you talk to someone; just is, yourself and someone else will be there to be the friend you need or want in your life.

Remember life is short, if you need a little improvement here and there, that’s ok. No one is perfect and you can only change the quality of life you have.

You know, in psychology there is a rule, especially within the NLP circles that I work in and the NLP literature that I read, it is quite a famous rule; 7 plus or minus 2 ? this is the notion that the conscious mind can only keep track of between 5 and 9 discrete pieces of information at one time. Your unconscious can literally keep track of billions and billions of things at the same time aparently (clever thing that it is!), while your conscious mind is more one step at a time and it has a fairly narrow focus. Whatever the truth of this, it is a useful way to experience your own thinking.

Here are a couple of things that you can do to test the extent of your conscious mind: Without writing them down, blurt out now, straight away without thought;

- As many brands of cars as you can.

- As many film titles as you can.

- As many pop groups as you can.

I often ask people these questions on our NLP trainings. Many people run out of steam when they get to ten, usuallly because of the 7+-2 rule. The bottom line is, when the conscious mind is presented with more than 9 pieces of information, it gets overloaded. So before you send me a very clever email telling me off for pointing out the limits of the conscious mind, would you like to know how you can use this to your advantage? Of course you would.

When you bear the 7+-2 rule in mind, you can start to organise things so that you work with your conscious mind, playing to its strengths. For instance, if you have a to-do list.

Many people that I have encountered have a daily to-do list with 20 or more items on it. This is a recipe for total overwhelm (at which point they often resort to looking for the easiest or funnest thing on the list to do.) The following ideas can help you get a handle on your to-do list really fast, especially if that list has things that are important for your goals and achievements and sense of well-being.

Firstly, scan through the list, looking for items that can be grouped together into categories.

For example, here is a load of the stuff on my list for this week:

Write latest ezine article.

Bank cheques.

Finish writing chapter for new book

Prepare for client therapy sessions.

Finish project on public speaking.

Finish marketing material for new courses.

FInish listening to current educational Audio set.

Read through solicitors material regarding other business project.

Write up script for new audio title.

Send out follow-up letters for last weeks clients.

Prepare for photo shoot for new Bio.

Write up blurb for my new Audio release.

Write new web-page copy.

Review new CD covers

Meet PR people

Do proposal for new book for Publishers.

Read e-book

New course blurb

Meet with prospective business artner for new project.

Clear inbox.

Have a life. Have fun……

The first thing on the list is ‘Write ezine’ ? for me, my ezine “Adam Up” is one of my products, so I write ‘Product’ beside it. Next is ‘Bank Cheques’ ? that’s part of our cashflow system, so I write ‘Systems’ beside it. Pretty soon, every item on my list is in a category:

Write Adam Up: Products

Bank cheques: Systems

Finish writing chapter for new book: Products

Prepare for client therapy sessions: People

Finish project on public speaking: Personal

Finish marketing material for new courses: Training

Finish listening to current educational Audio set: Personal

Read through solicitors material regarding other business project: Projects

Write up script for new audio title: Products.

Send out follow-up letters for last weeks clients: Systems.

Prepare for photo shoot for new Bio: Marketing.

Write up blurb for my new Audio release: Marketing.

Write new web-page copy: Marketing.

Review new CD covers: Systems

Meet PR people: People.

Do proposal for new book for Publishers: People.

Read e-book: Personal.

New course blurb: Marketing.

Meet with prospective business artner for new project: People.

Clear inbox: Personal.

Have a life. Have fun: Personal.

This is better! I have now gone from a list of 20 or so items (instant overwhelm) to a list of 6 categories which is well within even my 7+-2 limit.

- Products

- Systems

- Training

- Marketing

- People

- Personal

This is what we refer to as chunking in the NLP field, and is one of the most effective ways of dealing with any large or complex set of tasks (or set of anything else). You may say “Great, but I’ve got 200 things on my to-do list”. It doesn’t matter ? the same principles apply. If you go through your to-do list or your goals lists; just get it whittled down from 200 items to 20 categories, that is better, it is getting it more manageable ? go through the 20 categories and see where they group together. Group together goals for your own development; being a non-smoker, growing in confidence, creating wealth, reducing weight etc. Within NLP, the key is to have no more than 9 categories at each level ? this way your conscious mind can keep track of it.

It is a simple thing that we do often anyway, NLP just heightened my awareness of it. I now do it in an NLP way.

Secondly, start to manage your to-do list by the high-level categories: You can use this in all sorts of areas to make things more manageable, for example:

- To-do lists.

- Goals you are working toward.

- The filing system on your computer.

- Your filing cabinet.

- Any project you’re doing.

One of the things this allows you to do is notice very quickly if there’s a specific area where you have not been taking much action lately ? very useful for helping focus on what needs attention.

When you want to improve your personal life, your health is an important issue, since you have to be healthy to have a good life. There are a lot of good doctors that can make you feel better about your self as well as make you feel healthy. It is very important to go see your local doctor once a year for your yearly exams. This will help your doctor keep an eye on your general health like your blood pressure, cholesterol, aces and pains. If your happy inside and out side you will feel, better and you will be able to change your personal life all together.

About doctor visits:
No one can make you go see a doctor that is your right. However, you need to know that if you are not healthy your life forces will pull you down. I don think anyone likes to go see the doctor, old or young but its something we have to do in order to live a healthy life. Going to see a doctor you feel comfortable around is a start. Some people don’t feel comfortable with doctors and that’s why they won’t go see a doctor and others may just be scared of going and finding out the unknown. This is a serious mistake. Doctors have discovered that if Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, or other conditions are noted earlier, there are cures. Yet, many people allow their diseases to elevate until it is too late, you have no cure. If you don’t go you will never know and it could be something that can be taken care of, but if you wait, you could be facing deadly cancerous diseases. Why not go since it could save your life. You will be able to enjoy the rest or your life as a happier and healthy person inside and out.

How can I find a good doctor?
There are many ways to find a good doctor. Not every doctor is good. You want to look for caring doctors. If a doctor cares about his or her patients, it is likely you will have the right care you deserve. If you feel uncomfortable at a doctors visit, you will need to evaluate you and the doctor. If the doctor is presenting characteristics that make you feel uncomfortable, perhaps you want to consider his expertise. Is the doctor providing you excellent care? If so, perhaps you may learn how to deal with your discomforts.

Some of the ways you can find a doctors is make a appointment with a few that you think you may like and go talk to them get the feeling of them see if its feels right you may not feel comfortable so you won’t want to go on a regular basis. Maybe you can talk to friends and family and try it that way you will never know if you do not try.

Just remember many doctors are good people. They can’t help you if you don’t go to them and tell them what is wrong with you. You have to be honesty with them in order for the doctor to help you. If you feel better inside you will feel better outside, so in that case you have improved your personal life.

About Healthcare and coverage:
Perhaps you do not have healthcare coverage, which hinders you from seeking medical care and continuing care. If this is true, we encourage you to consider Medicaid, Medicare, HMO, or other policies.
You have many options available to you online as well. You will find healthcare coverage for all age groups, as well as for those with special needs, such as budgets.

Let’s face it, dealing with the obstacles of day to day living can drive us a little crazy. Without proper organization, this could make rolling out of the bed a problem of its own. We sometimes find it difficult focusing on one thing at a time, find that in the end nothing is done. From the office, to household, children, and finances, without proper organization could turn disastrous. You want to learn how to manage your time, actions and overall arrangements. Successful people know how to get ahead; they plan, set priorities, and always follow through. There are many services to help you to organize and control your life, but here are some suggestions to get you started.

Stop procrastination
Although there are good and bad procrastinators, depending on what you do for a living most commonly, you are working on nothing, something less important, or something more important. Stop putting off small things, for more important things. Still, not always good. Try writing down the tasks you could be working on and when something is completed; scratch it off your list. The description of procrastination is avoiding in doing a task and not accomplishing it. Improve your personal life by completing what it is your set out to do. If finances are something that you are putting off to get organized, pull out those receipts and take control of your finances. If your goal is to lose weight and this has created anxiety in your life, discover a nutritional plan that works for you and start today. The best solution is to start exercise. Start out slow and work your way into a complete three day a week program. You will be amazed at what exercising can do for you muscles, mind, body, and so on.

Allow more free time to do want you want
Increase productivity and find free time for you may seem almost impossible, but only when we are disorganized. The key to finding more free time is to organize what needs to be done. A simple list consisting of catching up on your workload, working out, time with family and friends, and pursuing your own leisure activity can all be done by making a plan. It seems a little odd to have to put your family on a priority list, but it sure beats not spending time with family at all because your doing everything spontaneously and unprepared. Improve your personal life by staying organized and allow room for fun.

Give yourself a peace of mind
Very few people understand the cause of happiness. Many of us focus on friends, cars, and money as the true reason for happiness and devote all of our time and energy acquiring these things. The real source of peace of mind is in inner peace. Remember that if we have a peaceful mind, we will be happy. Having all the money in the world would not make us completely peaceful if we decide to let in all the negative influences and disturbances in our circle. Improve your personal life by creating a healthy surrounding for yourself and family. You can take steps to gain peace of mind. The first step is meditating at least once everyday. Allow your mind to focus on nothing. Once you are in the mood, allow your thoughts to graze the pastures. In addition, there is nothing wrong with taking time out to dream about a life that you would like to live.

Sometimes if we take the step to dream, we will find the stamina to take action to achieve our dreams. Keep the dreams realistic.

Get ahead of your fears and conquer your goals, personal growth is just a plan away!

This month has been like a history lesson for me as I outlined the trail of the past “great ones” in the field of self-improvement. From Russell Herman Conwell’s book “Acres of Diamonds” a generation of self-help gurus sprang up including Og Mandino, Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie, W. Clement Stone and Earl Nightingale. These were the founding fathers of self-help. It was Earl Nightingale who said, “It’s in your moments of decision that your destiny is created.” Nightingale pioneered the use of electronic media to broadcast self-help material which is partly responsible for the immense success and growth of the multi-million dollar self-help industry that exists today! Who could know? Even Nightingale could not see what hindsight shows us so clearly today that his destiny was indeed created from his moments of decision.

I don’t like to use words like destiny too lightly. In this quote Nightingale would have us believe that our destiny is governed totally by our decisions. Other similar quotes have treated the subject of destiny with the same disregard to an eternal principle which says, “?time and unforeseen occurrences befall us all.” (The Bible, Ecclesiastes 9:11) Though I hold the ideas of Earl Nightingale as precious, I would be amiss if I let this one go without some discussion. The plain truth is, in life we are not in total control of our destiny. Other things play a role aside from our decisions. The great proverb says, time and chance happen to us also.

Time is the first menaces mentioned. We may have all the desire in the world to accomplish a certain thing; however time may be against us. For example, we may find ourselves all-of-a-sudden imprisoned in a body that is disease ridden. I have a very close friend, a Bishop from my church who was one of the greatest orators and proponents of good will and positive thinking you could ever meet. Two years ago he was stricken with a brain seizure and lost the feeling in the right side of his body and also took his speech away. It was one of the saddest days in our church’s history. But the point I stop to make is this; my Bishop friend might have all the desire in the world to teach and be a great orator and help to educate members of the church, but time in this case prevents him from doing what he decided to do. Perhaps in time, with a lot of physical therapy he may acquire his speech again, but for now it is not possible!

The second menace spoken of is unforeseen occurrence (chance). Though the story about my Bishop would work here too, let me drive home the point with a different illustration. I spent the last six years training adults in the welfare-to-work system. Most of my students were women who had children. Most of their relationships happened at a young age, and many of the male partners left their women to bring up their children alone. So here were many women who were stuck. They were now 25 to 30 years old, and they had two children on average and no father at home and more importantly, no support financially. They were expected to go to work and get off of the welfare roles. But let’s remember that they had dreams once. Perhaps dreams to become a dancer, or a teacher, or a medical professional, but they could not finish school. They were stuck. They were imprisoned by “unforeseen occurrences”.

In Earl Nightingale’s time, no one heard of DNA . Today we know that DNA can determine a lot about us. It may reveal for instance that we are prone to have certain medical or physical or emotional weaknesses. Our destiny is affected by this.

However Nightingale would have been correct if he had said that to a large degree our destinies are controlled by what we decide. It is proper I think to put the greater weight of responsibility on our shoulders which is what Nightingale was trying to emphasize. Humans tend to do the opposite and they try to blame their misfortune on some other outside reasons for failure. They look externally when they should probably be looking internally for reasons they fail. Having a balanced point-of-view about this is important. We could get crushed under the weight of believing that we are solely responsible for our living in poverty or marrying the wrong person or even being born into a dysfunctional family. I know how that can feel.

What Nightingale meant was that our moment to moment decisions play a role in shaping our future and knowing this is empowering for it is only when we know this that we can truly begin to change. If we were to believe that our DNA has decided all things for us, than why did God give us a mind and self-will? He obviously wants us to use it to better our lives. We can be set free to some degree of DNA programming just as we can be set free from the cycle of a dysfunctional family, or living in poverty. These are external powers that may seem unyielding, but you and I can change those circumstances with help. Always remember that you have the power within to change. That is the beauty of Nightingale’s message.