Finding a Quiet Space When Life is Busy
Back in November, I went away for a weekend’s retreat, and it was one of the best things I did last year. I have a lot going on in my life, and clearing that space meant juggling some commitments around – but it was well worth it. I felt much happier and more relaxed than I had done in a long time, and I came back from the weekend determined to keep some of that “quiet space” in my regular life.
I expect that you’re similarly busy. You probably find it hard – logistically and emotionally – to find any time for yourself. When you do get a gap in your day, you end up filling it with chores or emails or tasks that have been on your to-do list for months. And when it comes to the evening, you probably don’t have the energy to do much more than turn the television on.
Even when you’re short of time, though, it’s possible to find yourself a quiet space – mentally, if not always physically! Here are a few ideas to get you started. Read the Rest of This Article »
Motivation Is All That Matters In Language Learning
When we talk about learning a foreign language, we often talk about different methods, if you should go to school or not and how much time is ideal to spend on the target language each day. Of course, those are interesting questions to ask, but I think they’re not as important as one thing: motivation.
We all look for ways to improve our language learning, but often forget that all important thing called motivation. We try to motivate ourselves for many things, but somehow we only look at methods when learning a foreign language.
Woody Allen once said:
“80% of success is showing up.”
Now, that is an interesting quote, but what do I want to tell with it? It’s really simple actually.
When you’re not motivated, you won’t show up to learn your target language (or anything else in fact). Unfortunately, it’s not possible to learn a language through osmosis, you need to work, you need to show up.
That’s why I think being motivated is the most important thing in language learning. It’s possible to learn many things in a short amount of time, but to truly learn a language to fluency you need years of input, study and practice.
Ask yourself: Why do I want to learn this language? Can I actually use it? Are there enough materials to learn it from? Am I sure I still want to be learning this language three years from now? If your answer to those questions is yes, you’re probably enough motivated to go on and learn that language you want to learn. Read the Rest of This Article »
6 Things You Need to Consider Before You Quit Your Job
If you’re unhappy with your current job, there’s no reason that you have to stay there the rest of your life. At the same time, you don’t want to make any rash decisions and just storm out of the office one day without a plan. There are a few things you should consider before you quit your job.
Here is a list of things to consider before you fire your boss:
1. Have a Plan. When you’re unhappy with your current situation, you may be tempted several times a day to just storm off and say “I quit”. However, you need to avoid letting yourself get to this point of burnout.
First you’ll want to do a thorough evaluation of your life and why you’re unhappy. Are you struggling because you hate this specific job and would like another one, or are you struggling because you don’t like the idea of working for someone else? The answer to this question will help you to determine your next steps.
Next you need to decide what you’re going to do if you’re no longer working at your job. You should shoot for doing something that you enjoy that also makes money in the process. Remember that you can always start your own business. The best way to fire your boss is to become your own boss!
Think about what you’ll do if everything doesn’t go according to plan. It’s always a good idea to have a back up plan too. It’s difficult to muster up the courage to leave the security of a job, but if you plan properly and have a back up, you should be in good shape. Read the Rest of This Article »
How To Develop Motivation in Your Everyday Life
Personal development, maximizing your potential, goals setting, motivating yourself for the better – these are some of the inter-related things that you need to work on as an individual. Here, we will set our sights on the many ways that you can develop motivation in life.
The Importance of Finding Out what Motivates You
First, let’s find out what the importance of motivation exactly is. Simply put, motivation is that driving force which allows you to achieve your goals and go after what you want in life. If you want to change your personality for the better, get a promotion at work, start a new habit, be a better person who is part of the community, become a better parent for your kid – all of these things would be easier accomplished if you are properly motivated.
As long as you have a strong personal motivation, you can achieve almost anything that you want from life. However, remember not to fall into the trap of looking for short-cuts to achieve your goals. It’s perfectly fine if you have to take a long and winding road to achieve your goal. It will be an even sweeter victory when you finally achieve your goal, knowing that you have had to go through several hurdles to attain it. Read the Rest of This Article »
Optimize Your Sleep For Better Health and More Free Time
Image courtesy of Photoshop Art @ Flickr
Getting too much sleep is hazardous to your health — it may lead to higher risk for obesity, diabetes, and premature death. We’ve been brainwashed to think we need 8 hours of sleep a night, but sleep requirements vary greatly by age, stress level, and health. In fact, research suggests 7 hours might be the ideal amount of sleep the average adult needs per night, and getting 8 or more hours can lead to increased mortality — even more so than too little sleep!
All this talk about how we are sleep deprived and how we need more sleep is enough to, well, put me to sleep. Many experts have pounded the table that “improving job performance may be as easy as getting a good night’s sleep” and that “getting a good night’s sleep is the single best way you never thought of to improve your abilities and human capital literally overnight.”
Hogwash! Not only can too much sleep be bad for your health, it can rob you of your other 8 hours. If you work 8 and sleep 9, that only leave 7 hours for you to pursue your goals and live your life. Every hour, minute, and second you sleep more than you need to is a complete waste of time and your life.
Too little or too much sleep can lead to low energy and mental sluggishness. Your goal is to get an optimum amount of sleep, which I define as the least amount of sleep possible while still feeling physically energized and mentally alert. So how do you know how much sleep you need? Test, test, test. Here’s what to do: Read the Rest of This Article »
12 Comments