The Art of Mastering Life Transitions: A Guide to Effortless Adaptation

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Life is a rollercoaster of experiences—some planned and others completely unexpected. Major life events such as relocating, welcoming a child, or stepping into a new role at work can bring a mix of excitement and anxiety.

The key to effectively handling these shifts lies in your approach. This guide, courtesy of Keep The Fire Lit, explores valuable tactics for adapting seamlessly to significant life alterations. Let’s equip you with the tools you need to face life’s major shifts head-on!

Mastering the Art of Calm

Learning relaxation techniques is of the first lines of defense against stress. Whether it’s practicing mindfulness, engaging in meditation, or participating in yoga sessions, the right methods can substantially lower your stress levels. Deep breathing exercises are also a quick way to regain composure during chaotic moments.

Creating a tranquil environment, perhaps with soothing music or scented candles, can amplify the effects of your relaxation practices. The goal is to build a toolkit of strategies to maintain equilibrium as you navigate changes.

New Motherhood and Style

Becoming a mother is a beautiful yet challenging experience that also calls for some wardrobe adjustments. Search for clothing items that are popular for their comfort and versatility, such as stylish leggings, cozy pajamas, and functional nursing bras. Balancing comfort with fashion can help you feel your best during this transformative period.

Cultivating a Positive Outlook

Navigating major life changes becomes more manageable when you focus on the silver lining. Start by shifting your mindset towards the endless possibilities and personal growth that come with change.

Consider maintaining a gratitude journal to jot down daily reminders of things that make you happy or achievements that make you proud. Doing so can boost your morale and shift your focus from the hurdles to the opportunities that lie ahead. Surrounding yourself with positive affirmations can set a constructive tone for your day as well.

Establishing Feasible Objectives

Goal-setting is crucial when you’re going through significant changes. Break down your overarching goals into smaller, more achievable milestone to make this process less overwhelming. This practice will create a roadmap for success to guide you through each step of the change.

Whether it’s a small treat or a day off, acknowledging your progress is key. Remember to reward yourself for each milestone achieved; these celebrations act as motivational boosts.

A Fresh Start Through Relocation

If a major life change involves moving, consider this an opportunity for a fresh beginning. From choosing the ideal location to seeking inspiration for home decor online, a new environment can signify a new chapter in your life. Decorate your new space in a way that makes it feel uniquely yours, turning the unknown into a sanctuary of comfort and familiarity.

The Flexibility Factor

Remaining open to new experiences and viewpoints will make adapting to change much easier. Try to view change not as a disturbance but as an opportunity for new adventures and learning. In uncertain times, flexibility is your biggest ally, allowing you to pivot and adapt to new circumstances.

Being resilient and versatile can help you meet challenges head-on and turn them into learning experiences. Adaptability is a prized skill in a world where change is the only constant.

The Power of a Support Network

Nobody should navigate life’s major changes alone. Relying on a solid support system of friends and family can make the journey less daunting. If you’re struggling to cope, speaking to a mental health professional can provide valuable coping mechanisms and solutions.

Final Thoughts

Tackling major life changes is no small feat, but with the right set of tools, you can turn challenges into stepping stones for personal growth. Whether it’s mastering relaxation techniques, adopting a positive mindset, or setting attainable goals, these tips will make the journey more manageable.

For those contemplating relocation, a well-curated new space can add excitement to the adventure ahead. And for new mothers, style and comfort don’t have to be mutually exclusive. These strategies will equip you to flourish in life’s ever-changing landscape.

 

Self-Care Is All About Living Well

Photo by Polina Tankilevitch: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-woman-stretching-outdoors-7746152/

Many people are surprised to learn how much better they feel when they simply focus on themselves for a change. Unfortunately, we often get caught up in the idea that self-care is a selfish act. Fortunately, nothing could be further from the truth, and the way that we take care of ourselves has a direct impact on how well we can care for those that rely on us the most.

Today, Keep The Fire Lit shares a few bits of tried-and-true advice on how to treat yourself well when you’re living with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Renewed Energy

 Because one of the main symptoms of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is fatigue, one of the best places to start your self-care efforts is to do things that revitalize and energize you. A few tips offered by Harvard Health include:

  • Quit smoking
  • Watch your sleep schedule
  • Limit alcohol consumption
  • Drink more water

 Self-Care for Mental Wellness

Self-care offers more than just physical benefits. When you prioritize the state of your mental well-being, you’ll be in a better mental and emotional state to best care for yourself. The main sources of stress for adults are typically money and the job we have that makes the money. It’s a vicious cycle that requires your time and attention. Something you can do here is to change jobs if stress at the office gives you anxiety, insomnia, or simply makes it harder for you to focus on yourself.

Even if you love your job, you may need to look for ways to reorganize your spending and saving habits so that you aren’t constantly worried about paying your mortgage. One thing many people overlook is utilizing the equity in their home to pay off debt (or even to start a business). Refinancing allows you to do this, which can either help you lower your mortgage payment or cash in on your equity (or both).

Calming Your Nerves

In addition to changing your job or your financial habits, you can also practice emotional self-care by using herbs and other natural remedies. Lavender, lemon balm, and chamomile are all herbs that you can easily brew into a mind-calming tea. Prayer, meditation, and journaling can also help you reset your emotional self so that you can best turn your attention to the things within you that need healing.


Physical Self-Care

Physical self-care runs the gamut of activities, from exercise to massages to keeping up with our healthcare appointments. For exercise, start with cardio activities, which can help improve your weight and your heart health. This could be something as simple as climbing stairs or jump roping. The Manual recommends starting with a light to moderate workout.

On the days when you simply don’t have the energy to work out, spend some time in the sun. Sunlight triggers your body’s natural vitamin D production. In addition to helping reduce the chances of getting certain types of cancer, vitamin D strengthens your immune system and can help lower your blood pressure.

Deepen Personal Connections

Spending quality time with friends and family has been shown to have numerous benefits for our mental and emotional well-being, making it an essential part of self-care. Sharing a meal together, like cooking a favorite family recipe or trying out a new dish, fosters a sense of connection and intimacy that can strengthen relationships and alleviate stress. Taking the time to prioritize these relationships can lead to a happier, healthier you.

Change Jobs

 While that might be easier said than done, the fact remains that if your current job isn’t giving you the satisfaction you need, you’re the only one who can change that situation. Luckily, there are plenty of job boards out there, not to mention resume tips and templates. That being said, your cover letter is often the first thing prospective employers see, so it’s worth taking some time to learn what a cover letter is in order to give yourself an advantage over the competition.

Find Your Balance Through Self-Care

Ultimately, self-care really is all about living well. And when you have any type of pre-existing health condition, taking care of yourself, both mentally and physically, can help you best manage your overall wellness battle. But as much as you have to take care of your body, don’t forget your mental and even financial wellness as well. Changing jobs, drinking tea to destress, and even looking for ways to save money, such as refinancing your home, can all help, but it’s up to you to take the first steps toward self-care control.

Keep The Fire Lit is here to help you stay motivated and live your best life. Let us know if you have any questions!

 

Find Clarity and Joy During Midlife Crisis

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Find Clarity and Joy During Midlife Crisis with These Inspirations

As we enter our 40s and 50s, many of us begin to experience midlife crises. It’s a time when we start to reflect on our lives and question whether we are on the right path. We wonder if we have accomplished enough or if we have missed out on opportunities. But a midlife crisis doesn’t have to be a negative experience. Instead, it can be an opportunity to find inspiration and positivity. In this article from Keep The Fire Lit, we’ll look at some practical tips for finding meaning and joy during this transformative time.

Consider Switching Careers

It may be time to think about starting in a new line of work, especially if you’re feeling overwhelmed or uninspired at your current job. If you decide to make the leap, you’ll want to be organized at every step, including keeping track of all the documents that are involved, like your resignation letter and resume. This is best done by digitizing your documents and saving them as PDFs. PDFs allow you to maintain formatting across devices, as well as easy sharing and storing of files. When looking for online tools that let you convert, compress, and edit PDFs, this may help.

Set Boundaries For Work-Life Balance

One of the reasons people experience a midlife crisis is because they feel they have sacrificed too much for work. But it doesn’t have to be that way. By setting boundaries between work and personal life, you can start to create a healthier work-life balance. This could mean leaving work at the office, not checking emails after hours, or taking more vacation time. By putting your personal life first, you’ll start to feel more fulfilled and content.

Exercise Gratitude Daily

It’s easy to get caught up in negative thoughts during a midlife crisis. But one way to combat this is by practicing gratitude. Take time each day to reflect on what you are thankful for. This could be as simple as listing five things you appreciate or keeping a gratitude journal. By focusing on the positive, you’ll start to feel more inspired and optimistic.

Unplug From Technology

Technology can be a source of stress and anxiety during a midlife crisis. We are bombarded with messages about how we should be living our lives and what we should be doing. Bustle notes that taking time away from technology can give you space to breathe and think. Make it a point to disconnect from your phone and computer for at least an hour every day. You may be surprised at how much this simple act can help you find perspective and clarity.

Find Ways to Fit in Physical Activity

Exercise is not only good for your physical health, but it can also be beneficial for your mental health. Finding ways to fit in physical activity can help you feel more energized and positive. This could mean taking the stairs instead of the elevator, going for a walk on your lunch break, or joining a fitness class. By prioritizing your health and wellness, you’ll start to feel more in control and confident.

Get Into Gardening

Gardening is a great way to stay active. Not only will you start a new hobby, you’ll get in some outside time while watching your plants grow. Getting into gardening can boost your mental health, too. Before getting started, click here to consult online resources that offer in-depth product reviews, expert gardening advice, and plant identification.

Give Back To The Community By Volunteering

Giving back can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Volunteering can help you connect to your community and make a positive impact. It can also give you a sense of purpose and meaning. Look for volunteer opportunities in your area that align with your interests and skills. By helping others, you’ll start to feel more fulfilled and inspired.

Explore New Places and Cultures

Traveling is a great way to gain a new perspective and get out of your comfort zone. By exploring new places and cultures, you’ll start to see the world in a different way. Universal Immigration Services points out that traveling can also be a chance to reconnect with yourself and reflect on your life. Whether you take a solo trip or go with loved ones, traveling can be a transformative experience.

Take Steps to Improve Your Health

Finally, taking steps to improve your health can be an important part of finding positivity during a midlife crisis. This could mean quitting smoking, eating a healthier diet, or getting more sleep. By prioritizing your physical and mental health, you’ll start to feel more empowered and confident.

While a midlife crisis can be a challenging experience, it can also be an opportunity for growth and transformation. By taking the time to reflect on your values, practicing self-care, picking up a hobby like gardening, and seeking support from loved ones or a therapist, you can begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Remember that this is a journey, and it’s okay to take it one step at a time. As you navigate this challenging time, keep in mind that you are capable of finding joy and purpose in your life, no matter what stage you’re in. So take a deep breath, trust the process, and keep moving forward. The best is yet to come.

 

 

 

Tips on How to Get Back Into School Life If You’re an Adult

Going back to school as an adult may seem like an impossible task, especially if you have a full life as it is. But if you are planning on returning to school again, here are some helpful tips on how to make it look easy.

Try to get as organized as possible

One of the first things you’ll want to do when getting reacquainted with school again, whether online or in person, is to familiarize yourself with your coursework and try to get as organized as possible regarding your course milestones. Reading through your course framework as well as jotting down important information such as your tutor’s details and who to contact when you have a query should help you save time should you encounter hurdles along the way.

Getting your home schedule in sync with your work schedule

If you have other obligations to see to, such as family commitments or even another job to work around, then it might be helpful to get all your schedules in sync with each other so that you don’t run into difficulties down the line. Technology can help with this if you want to make sure everyone is aware of what’s on the agenda daily with apps such as Cozi or Flayk.

Track your goals

Keeping track of your goals is all the more worthwhile if you can achieve them in the timeframe you set out to achieve them. Therefore, it is vital to keep track of your goals on a daily and weekly basis. For example, you may want to diarize important assignment dates as well as set weekly goals for yourself so that you stay on track with your syllabus.

Establishing what your ultimate goal is

Speaking of goal setting, perhaps your goal is to achieve your education so that you can open up your own business one day. If so, it would be helpful to look into the various business structures that are available to ensure you select the right one from the start. For example, an LLC might just work out the best for you if you want a business type with plenty of benefits, including tax benefits such as not having to pay corporate federal income tax; more flexibility when it comes to the management structure of your business should your business scale up one day; limited liability, etc. Furthermore, a formation service can assist you with all the ins and outs of registering your business and are even on top of the different regulations that apply in each state if you decide to move one day.

Branch out

Suppose you already have extensive experience in a certain field, then why not take a professional development course rather than going the longer route of acquiring a new or more advanced degree in your field? For example, if you are in the medical field and are already quite familiar with medical codes, then you can choose from among online medical coding courses to help extend your knowledge even further. You can even take an assessment at the end of the course to verify your skill level in this area to ensure that you know how to assign the correct medical codes and what they mean in terms of medical procedures and service claims.

So, if you plan on studying further, don’t let the passage of time prevent you from achieving your dreams. Also, you can help to reduce your length of study by using professional development courses to help save you time in the end.

For motivational tips on various topics, visit the Keep The Fire Lit website for more information.

 

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4 Ways to Start Feeling Confident and Ready to Take on the World

Feeling self-confident is key to success in any area of life. When you feel good about yourself, you’re more likely to take on new challenges and achieve your goals. Sadly, 85% of people worldwide struggle with low self-esteem. If you’re one of those people, don’t worry! You can do plenty of things to start feeling more confident. Here are four of them.

1. Try Power Posing

Photo by Karl Solano from Pexels

You don’t need superpowers to reap the benefits of the power pose. The power pose, or superhero stance, is a simple body language trick that can make you feel more confident and ready to take on the world. All you need to do is stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart, hands on your hips, and chin up. As little as two minutes in a power pose can increase confidence and reduce stress.

When you stand in a power pose, it signals your brain to release testosterone or the power hormone. Testosterone makes you feel more self-confident and dominant. It also reduces the stress hormone cortisol. So, not only do you feel better, but you also look better.

Start practising power posing right now, and see how it can change the way you feel about yourself and the world around you.

2. Set Goals

If you feel overwhelmed, try starting small. Set a goal that’s attainable and manageable. For example, making your bed can be a great first step. It’s a simple goal, but it can make you feel good about yourself when you accomplish it. Research has shown that completing small goals, such as making your bed, leads to a greater sense of self-efficacy and improved moods.

 

3. Consider a Career Change

Finally, if you’re feeling stuck and unfulfilled in your current career, it may be time for a fresh start. A career change can be daunting, but it’s also an exciting opportunity to explore new possibilities. If you’re ready to take the plunge, start by exploring different career paths.

Alternatively, start a business or side hustle that aligns with your passions and goals. This can be a great way to gain some confidence and feel empowered in your career. If you choose to start a business, do your research, and create a solid business plan. The business plan acts as your roadmap and helps you stay on track.

A winning business plan needs to include the following:

  • A clear description of your business and its products or services
  • Your business goals and objectives
  • A detailed outline of your company structure
  • A marketing plan defining your target market and how you plan to reach it
  • Financial projections and funding requirements

This helps you navigate the early stages of starting a company and increase your chances of success. If you’re feeling lost and uncertain about your career, you can always seek out professional guidance.

4. Stay Confident When Things Get Tough

Confidence is a state of mind, and it can be cultivated. Follow these tips, and start feeling more confident today. If you’re looking for more ways to build confidence, check out these blog posts on Motivation for Success.

Disclaimer: Nothing in this article should be taken as providing financial or legal advice. If you intend building a business, take professional advice relevant to the jurisdiction you are in.

Identify The Things That Get In The Way Of Your Life

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https://www.motivation4success.net/Have you ever felt like things are not going right in your life and everything is working against you? This happens to a lot of people who are in pursuit of a better life. So much gets into the way of our careers, relationships, dreams, and social life among other things and we just cannot seem to find peace and happiness. The best thing to do when you find yourself in such a situation would be to work on identifying things that are getting in the way of your life. How will this help? You may ask.

The truth is that life does not just get to a standstill for no apparent reason. If you look all around you, the answers will always be there. Knowing what is standing in your way is the most important step to clearing the path and taking ownership of your life. As you identify the obstacles, you get an idea where exactly you need to start fixing up. However, it may not be as easy as it sounds if you are not committed to taking all the necessary steps. You will need to ask yourself a few questions and answer them earnestly.

The most important thing to remember is that no one owes you a perfect relationship or perfect life. Therefore, whatever your discoveries may be, you will have to be the one to work on finding a solution and take the lead in the journey towards the life you want. Below are the questions you need to ask yourself and what you will need to do to identify the things that get in the way of your life;

  • Are you sabotaging yourself?

This is the first question you need to ask yourself. Do not leave the devil in you relaxed and in peace to find him elsewhere. This is one thing most people try to avoid and the truth they do not want to face. But, unless you are ready to look deep inside you and search for your weaknesses or what you are not doing right, you are most likely to struggle with the same issues until you are ready to face the truth and change. How are you conducting yourself? What are your habits and are they aligned with your goals and purpose? Do you know who you are and where you are going? Are you doing what is necessary for you to be where you think you should be? Are you being too hard on yourself? Is fear or lack of confidence stopping you from moving forward? Are you an overspender? If you have asked yourself these questions, done quality self-introspection, and have found no fault, you can then continue to look elsewhere.

  • Are Your Strategies Working?

https://www.motivation4success.net/Sometimes the only thing that stands in your way can be your chosen way of doing things. It is possible that when you sat down to do your planning it looked like you had the best strategy but the implementation stage is proving otherwise. Find the weaknesses in your strategies and make some changes. Look for help if the activity is proving too difficult for you and you are running out of ideas.

  • Is It Goal Setting?

Setting goals is not as simple as just having an idea and writing it out. It is a skill. Understand what goal setting really is and ensure that you set achievable goals that are accompanied by winning strategies. Also, try and align your goals and your beliefs. It is okay to dream big and start where you are and with what you have. They say Rome was not built in one day and the journey of a thousand miles begins with a step. Pushing yourself too hard can make you doubt yourself and the feasibility of your dreams and goals.

  • Are You Misunderstood?

Sometimes we struggle to build relationships with others, find certain jobs, or be accepted in various social spaces simply because people misunderstand us. Sometimes there is little to nothing that we can do to change what people think of us. However, we can try and find ways to portray ourselves or act in a way that allows us to play our part. For example, where people think you are of a certain class that disqualifies them from interacting or involving you in activities, you can take it upon yourself to participate in the activities without being asked or simply show interest through inquiring about those particular activities.

  • Is Someone Else Sabotaging You?

It is possible to ‘earn’ yourself some enemies through good works or past mistakes. However, you need to be careful before you make and act on such assumptions to avoid ruining your relationships with people. If you know that a certain person is sabotaging you, find a mature way of handling it, or avoid crossing paths with him or her. We always have various options that some people cannot reach. The worst thing that you can do when you know that someone is trying to oppose you is making the person your enemy and spending time and energy on fixing them or revenging. It will only add weight to your burdens.

  • Now Journal What You Have Learnt

What have you learnt from this exercise? Anything? Did you just read the text? Did it mean anything to you? What thoughts went through your head as you read each section? Did any of it apply to you? What could you do about it? If you can do something, when will you start? How will you start? Do you need any help with this? If so, who could provide it?

Motivation Action Plan: How To Get Motivated

https://www.motivation4success.net/Fed Up Of Resolutions That Don’t Work?

Click here to see the saving idea of plus one penny a day.
It’s almost New Year’s Day, the traditional time for creating resolutions you want to achieve for the incoming year. Have you made New Year Resolutions before? Did you keep them? How long did they last? What goals did you set? If you didn’t achieve them, did you consider what happened and how you could change that?

OK Enough Questions

You probably wouldn’t be reading this if you always kept all the resolutions you made! So if there are things you want to do (goals to achieve) work you want to do, and targets you want to reach, how do you do it and still keep going, day after day, after week?

How The Sun Does It

In the northern hemisphere at December 29th, the sun has just completed the longest night of the year (and of course, the shortest day). It’s the opposite way around in the southern hemisphere. They have just had their longest day (shortest night). In the northern hemisphere, the days are now very gradually getting longer. When I say gradually, I MEAN gradually. Looking at a local table of sunrise and sunsets (ask Google), the 23rd of December had a day that was 5 seconds longer than the previous (shortest) day. Just 5 seconds. Did you notice that? Me neither. By 29th of December, the day was a whole 2 minutes and 30 seconds or so longer than the shortest day. I didn’t notice that amount of extra time either. Yet, by early February, the evenings will have lengthened by about an hour and the mornings will be lighter earlier as well. Those few seconds each day add up gradually, but inevitably, to a huge 9 hour difference in the amount of daylight EVERY day, 6 months later, by the time of the summer solstice. The actual amount of extra daylight varies by how far north or south of the equator you are, of course. But who would think that a few unnoticeable seconds every day could make such an enormous difference inside 6 months?

Tiny Steps Every Day

It takes just a tiny step every day to reach the biggest goal eventually.
Save Plus One Penny A Day

Saving $600+ For Next Christmas

I read a great idea today about saving for next Christmas, that follows exactly the sun’s gradual change from winter solstice to summer. Get a jar, add a cent on 1st January. On 2nd of January, add 2 cents, on 3rd January add 3 cents. Keep adding one more cent a day, each day to your jar. By the end of 3 months, you will be adding about 90 cents a day to the jar and will already have reached $22 in savings. Once you reach 99 cents, then add a dollar a day to your jar, plus the cents. These are tiny amounts at first but they add up over the year. Even by the start of December, you will be adding only about $3.30 a day to your jar, perhaps the cost of a cup of coffee in work. But by Christmas, you will have over $600 in that jar.

What Is A Goal

A goal is something you want to achieve in the future and that you are willing to work towards getting. While a dream is not a goal, often a dream is something that starts you off on the work that is needed to achieve it. At that point, where you start doing the necessary work, the dream becomes a goal.

Goals To Set For 2020

Your goals depend on what you want to achieve. Maybe you want to :

  • Lose Weight
  • Pass an exam
  • Declutter your mind or your home
  • Change jobs
  • Become Self Employed
  • Write A Novel
  • Improve your health
  • Get fit or fitter
  • Improve your IT skills
  • Improve your game of golf or soccer or other sport
  • Learn to dance
  • Learn to draw or paint or improve your artistic skills
  • Learn circus skills
  • Earn more money
  • Make the team in your chosen sport

There could be any number of goals you might want to achieve. There is an argument that you should choose one goal to concentrate on and if you want to pass an exam or make the team, that may take most of your energy for a time. There is also an argument that you could set smaller goals in a number of areas and enjoy reaching several goals. For instance, if you want to improve your drawing, you could draw a  single doodle each day (like in Inktober) and this would allow you time to achieve other goals as well.

https://www.motivation4success.net/SMART Goals

Any goal you choose to work towards should be set out as a smart goal – it should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timebound.

A specific goal says what you will do, specifically, so rather than “lose weight”, you pick an actual amount of weight to lose, say 10 pounds, or 20 pounds.

A measurable goal can be measured. So it might be to lose 2 inches from your waist measurement.

Achievable means that it can actually be achieved. No point in setting a goal to lose 20 pounds weight in a week, if you have only 20 pounds you need to lose anyway. There may be little point in setting a goal to run 1 mile if you suffer from injured knees, for instance.

Realistic means that you will make sure you have the time and ability to dedicate to your goal. If you are already working a 40 hour week and spending another 20 hours on your commute, plus more time looking after a house and children, then finding 10 hours a week for additional study may not be a realistic possibility.

Timebound means setting a time limit on when your desired goal will be achieved. This could be 6 months or a specific date, eg for an event you want to attend.

A SMART goal for losing weight might be, “To lose 20 pounds and 2 inches from my waist in 3 months.”

A SMART goal for improving your writing or drawing might be, “To write 1000 words / draw one doodle, each day for the next 30 days, using the spare hour I have after dinner each evening.

A SMART goal for improving your fitness might be, “To be able to lift X pounds weight 10 times in one session by (date)”, or “To enter and complete a 5k run by the end of (date)”

Outcome Goals

Outcome goals are end results, such as losing 30 pounds in weight, getting a novel published, getting your painting hung in a public gallery, making the team or setting up your own business. These are more difficult goals because you don’t always have control over whether you will achieve them. You may improve your fitness greatly but might still not be picked for the team. You may want to start your business but can’t get a loan from the bank.

Process Goals

Process goals are what you do to try and achieve your end result. So, if you want to lose weight, you may set yourself a diet allowance of 1500 calories a day or decide to cut out all soda and candy or set out a walking schedule of one hour a day. If you want to start your own business, you may set yourself goals of creating stock to sell, finding premises, setting up a mailing list.

You are more likely to be able to control achievement of process goals more easily.

Fun With Process Goals

During 2019, one person I know decided they would achieve 20 goals in several different areas (20 for 2020). They liked writing, drawing, losing weight and getting fit and wanted to improve themselves in all those areas. So they chose their process goals to help with that. One of these goals was to write 20 articles and publish them. She chose several different sites on which to publish, some of which pay money if people read and interact with the articles. She ended up creating a new website on which to publish certain of her articles. Another goal was to walk a set number of miles in the year. This goal had to be abandoned because of an old injury, so she chose another one that still contributed to her fitness goal. If you want to achieve several goals, then choosing process goals that contribute to one or more outcome goals is a fun and motivating way to achieve this, even if the outcome goal is a worthy one instead of fun. While she did not achieve her target 20 in all of her 20 categories, she felt she was more productive than she had been the previous year. As they say for those taking up the “couch to 5K” program, which can be downloaded as a podcast (at least in the UK, it can) “no matter how slowly you run, you are still lapping the couch potato”.

Motivation

To get and keep motivation, you need a clear method, setting out your action plan for achieving your goal. You will need one or more outcome goals (e.g. lose 20 pounds weight, make the team, complete a novel, pass an exam) and the process goals for getting there (choose a diet plan, cut out soda and candy, make a healthy lunch each day, attend training sessions, choose to take up the couch to 5k program, work out at the gym 3 times a week, write an outline, write character studies, write for 1 hour a day, etc). The process goals could be a step by step plan for achieving the outcome. For instance, if your outcome goal is to make more sales calls or to keep up to date with  your laundry, you may not be terribly excited by that, even though you know it is vital for your well-being or for your job. That means you may not always have the motivation to keep doing it after the first flush of enthusiasm has worn off. If you use process goals and keep a motivation chart, seeing the points mount up can provide good motivation to keep going. By the way, if you want to take up the “Couch To 5K challenge”, there is a great guide available on this.

Process goals for making sales calls could include:

  • look up the number to call and write it on a list;
  • write down the name of the person you are calling;
  • write a brief note on WHY you are calling
  • write a brief note on the benefits of what you are selling
  • write a reminder to ask for a purchase to be made.
  • dial the number

Write down each of these process goals on a motivation chart and make a check mark each time you complete one. Give yourself a bonus mark when you complete all the steps and make a sales call to someone.

Process goals for keeping your laundry up to date might be:

  • Put washable dirty clothes in laundry basket. Do not add dry clean only clothes;
  • When laundry basket is full, put a load in the washing machine (purists might mention here about sorting laundry into different piles, I just get it done);
  • Add the washing powder to the drawer;
  • Select the program;
  • once laundry is finished, hang it on the line or put it in the tumble dryer;
  • Once dry, remove laundry from tumble dryer or bring in from line;
  • Check laundry is dry, if not, return to dryer or hang on airer;
  • Fold laundry and put in airing cupboard.
  • Clean out lint and empty water from tumble dryer;

Write down each of these laundry process goals on a motivation chart and make a check mark each time you complete one. Give yourself a bonus mark when you complete all the steps to have a clean dry set of folded laundry.

For some goals, finding a buddy to workout with you can be very motivating, especially if it involves getting up early in the morning for a jog, perhaps. Buddies keep each other motivated and it’s always someone to talk to while you workout.

For Writers

There are various writing habit calendars available for writers. You can find a 2020 writers’ calendar here.

Time To Get Motivated

2020 is now. Set your goals or aims and work out your action plan to move towards your goals. Remember you have more control over process goals and you can create motivation charts or get motivation calendars to keep you on track.