Month: February 2021

Posted in: Uncategorized

Five Boosts For Life Satisfaction

Written by Steven Ray Marks Leave a Comment on Five Boosts For Life Satisfaction
Photo by Anete Lusina from Pexels

Five Easy Ways to Make Your Life Better for 2/23/21

Today’s boosts are about being satisfied.

The easiest way to improve your life is to be happier about the life you already have.

Daily Happiness: 13 Simple Ways to Find it In Your Life

(Henrik Edberg | Positivity Blog | 1,050 words)

There’s a lot of happiness to be found in regular days. Suggestions include:

  • Appreciate your partner, friend, family member, or yourself.
  • Take 5 minutes to help someone out.
  • Smile more.
  • Say yes to something new.
  • Take a 2-minute laugh break

Related: 10 Incredibly Easy Ways to Be Happier

5 Questions to Deepen Your Joy

(Ingrid Fetell Lee | Aesthetics of Joy | 2,200 words)
  • How did adults demonstrate joy when you were a child?
  • Who are you when you’re most joyful?
  • When did you struggle, then change and find more joy?
  • What will your joy be like when you’re 80?
  • How would you change your life to make joy a priority?

Related: 7 Ways to Make 2021 a Year of Growth and Joy

How to Be Happier About Your Money

(Nicole Andrews | Happier Mindset | 1,850 words)

Struggling to make ends meet can make you miserable. But wealth doesn’t necessarily make you happy. You need to use money the right ways:

  • Don’t prioritize money over time.
  • Give yourself a safety net.
  • Learn to budget.
  • Buy experiences instead of things.
  • Spend on others.

You’re Never Going to Feel Good Enough

(Holly Riordan | Thought Catalog | 500 words)

Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone feels inferior to others’ social media highlight reels. Nobody’s life fits the pattern they planned. Nobody’s perfect. Nobody’s 100% satisfied with themself.

Everyone has room to improve. It’s great to strive for improvement. Don’t think this means you’re not good enough.

How to Be Lucky

(Christian Busch | Psych | 2,850 words)

“Luck” is more mindset than chance.

Lucky people aren’t favored by fate. They’re better at noticing opportunities, understanding how they’re opportunities, then acting on them.

To become luckier:

  • Prepare for the unexpected.
  • Challenge how you do things to see if there’s a better way.
  • Start journaling, declutter your life, and carve out “me time.”
  • Use “serendipity hooks” – questions or comments that may lead to something.
  • Reframe mistakes and setbacks as opportunities.

Bonus Boost

It’s not entirely on topic, but this will make you feel good about the world. Watch this amazing POV footage from the Perseverance rover landing on Mars.

Excel: Beginner to Rockstar

I’m launching a new business.

Before switching to Self-Improvement and Weight Loss, I spent 20 years in Accounting and Finance for start-ups, rising to the level of CFO. Now I’m putting my expertise to use teaching Excel.

Could winning at Excel win your next job?

Or save you hundreds of hours as an entrepreneur?

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to increase your Excel skills 100% or more in four weeks. You’ll be able to get twice as much done in half the time, amaze your boss and potential employers, and enjoy unparalleled job security.

Rockstar Excel Presents

Excel: Beginner to Rockstar Course

Starting March 18, 2021

Are you an entrepreneur who struggles to finish everything?

Are you an employee whose career is stuck in neutral?

Are you looking to become more efficient and organized?

Would you like to get more done in less time?

Mastering Excel could be the solution!

Imagine taking minutes to complete what used to take you hours. Picture what you could do with five extra hours a week. What if you never had to worry about layoffs, because your skills made you too valuable for your company to lose?

I want to rock Excel
and get my free Expense Tracker

Be sure to follow @YourselfHelping on Twitter.

Enjoy Five Boosts By Self Helping Yourself? Be sure to Subscribe and check out the Self Helping Yourself site.

Enjoy Five Boosts? Please consider buying me a coffee.

As well as writing the posts for Self Helping Yourself, and Rockstar Excel.

If you can’t donate, you can always help by subscribing, recommending Five Boosts, Self Helping Yourself, or any articles to your friends, or by rating/reviewing The Weight Loss Habit on Amazon. (If you’ve read it.)

Posted in: Uncategorized

Five Boosts To Get Back on Track

Written by Steven Ray Marks Leave a Comment on Five Boosts To Get Back on Track
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

Five Easy Ways to Make Your Life Better for 2/16/21

Today’s boosts are about getting back on track.

There was no Five Boosts last week. Monday night, my van was totaled by a hit-and-run driver. (I’m fine) I spent the rest of the week getting a rental car, cleaning out the wreckage, and working on a replacement, while launching my Excel business, and caring for the foster dogs that took over my life. Plus I got sick for a bit. (Not COVID, and I’m better now).

The good news is we’ve placed two of the dogs, and the one remaining is much less of a time burden.

Enough about me. On to the Boosts.

Reward Good Behavior Instead of Criticizing Bad Behavior

(Self-Helping Yourself | Steven Ray Marks | 1000 words)

If you want someone to improve or change, reward and encourage the desired behavior. Don’t punish or criticize bad behavior. Punishment just makes someone unhappy and gets them to dislike you. This is true for animals, employees, family, and yourself.

If you punish yourself for flaws or mistakes, it builds depression, anxiety, and self-hatred. To improve, instead celebrate your achievements and growth.

How to Motivate Yourself When Things Are Not Going Exactly The Way You Want

(Charles Vallena | The Inspiring Journal | 1000 words)

When things don’t go right, it’s easy to lose motivation. Which makes things go worse.

To keep your motivation:

  • Pause to gain more insight.
  • Process and analyze your emotions and thoughts.
  • Take a break.
  • Focus on what you can do.
  • Find motivation from your accomplishments.

Give Yourself Credit: The Essential Habit Behind Self-Esteem

(Steven Handel | The Emotion Machine | 675 words)

People obsess over their flaws, but ignore their accomplishments. 

To fight this, give yourself points for achievements – even minor ones.

Be an easy grader, giving yourself credit for minor things like brushing your teeth or gratitude.

Related: Optimism and Pessimism are Self-Fulfilling

Creative Burnout: When the Creativity Tap Runs Dry

(Anne-Laure Le Cunff | Ness Labs | 1800 words)

Creatives sometimes burnout. Recognize the signs, and how to overcome it.

Get support. Take a break. Do some self-reflection. Look at your past work for inspiration. Do the smallest piece of creative work to build momentum. And be kind to yourself.

Even better, avoid burnout by building the right habits, taking breaks, and skipping anxiety-inducing information sources.

Related: Disembarking From the Failboat

5 Critical Mistakes to Avoid When Goal-Setting

(Anouare Abdou | The Ladders | 850 words)

You will likely fail to achieve your goals if you make these mistakes:

  • No timeline.
  • No accountability.
  • Not being well-rounded.
  • Being too conceptual.
  • Trying to do too much.

Self Helping Yourself Tweet of the Week

Excel: Beginner to Rockstar

As I mentioned in the intro, I’m launching a new business.

Before switching to Self-Improvement and Weight Loss, I spent 20 years in Accounting and Finance for start-ups, rising to the level of CFO. Now I’m putting my expertise to use teaching Excel.

Could winning at Excel win your next job?

Or save you hundreds of hours as an entrepreneur?

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to increase your Excel skills 100% or more in four weeks. You’ll be able to get twice as much done in half the time, amaze your boss and potential employers, and enjoy unparalleled job security.

Rockstar Excel Presents

Excel: Beginner to Rockstar Course

Starting March 18, 2021

Are you an entrepreneur who struggles to finish everything?

Are you an employee whose career is stuck in neutral?

Are you looking to become more efficient and organized?

Would you like to get more done in less time?

Mastering Excel could be the solution!

Imagine taking minutes to complete what used to take you hours. Picture what you could do with five extra hours a week. What if you never had to worry about layoffs, because your skills made you too valuable for your company to lose?

I want to rock Excel
and get my free Expense Tracker

Be sure to follow @YourselfHelping on Twitter.

Enjoy Five Boosts By Self Helping Yourself? Be sure to Subscribe and check out the Self Helping Yourself site.

Enjoy Five Boosts? Please consider buying me a coffee.

I work hard reviewing hundreds of articles a week to find five that contain the best advice on easy ways to improve your life.

As well as writing the posts for Self Helping Yourself, and Rockstar Excel.

If you can’t donate, you can always help by subscribing, recommending Five Boosts, Self Helping Yourself, or any articles to your friends, or by rating/reviewing The Weight Loss Habit on Amazon. (If you’ve read it.)

Posted in: Uncategorized

Five Boosts for Overcoming Overwhelm

Written by Steven Ray Marks Leave a Comment on Five Boosts for Overcoming Overwhelm
Photo by Atul Choudhary from Pexels

Five Easy Ways to Make Your Life Better for 2/2/21

Today’s boosts are about dealing with times when life seems overwhelming.

Whether it’s work or family responsibilities, stress from the global situation, or your personal emotions and mental health, sometimes we all feel like we’re drinking from the firehose and it’s too much to handle.

Hopefully the advice from these articles can give you some easy ways to cope.

Five Questions to Eliminate Overwhelm

(Sue Hawkes | Thrive Global | 250 words)

When feeling overwhelmed, ask:

  1. How can/will I succeed?
  2. Make a prioritized list.
  3. Are these real deadlines?
  4. What can I let go?
  5. What can I delegate or simplify?

Related: 10 Things to Do When You Feel Overwhelmed

How to Overcome Victim Thinking

(Henrik Edberg | Positivity Blog | 800 words)

Seeing yourself as a victim gives you attention and validation, makes you feel right, and keeps you from having to take responsibility.

But leads to a life of overwhelm and misery.

For a happier life you control, replace a victim mentality with:

  • Gratitude
  • Taking action
  • Learning
  • Giving value
  • Forgiveness

How Hard Should I Push Myself

(Dan Shipper | Superorganizers | 1675 words)

To handle stress with less overwhelm:

  • Increase control and predictability
  • Find outlets for frustration
  • Increase social support

I found this in the Gradual Daily newsletter.

14 Ways to Make Chores More Joyful

(Ingrid Fetell Lee | Aesthetics of Joy | 3400 words)

Life is less overwhelming when chores are fun.

  • Dance while doing chores
  • Listen to podcasts/audiobooks, or watch TV
  • Incorporate a reward
  • Be ok with ok.

Even adding googly eyes to cleaning tools makes a difference.

I found this in Nir Eyal’s Nir and Far newsletter.

3 Ways to Practice Emotional Agility When Everything Is Up In the Air

(Vanessa Loder | Mind Body Green | 1100 words)

Uncertainty adds to overwhelm, especially in trying times.

To build emotional agility:

  • Accept emotions without making them your identity.
  • Have self-compassion.
  • Be curious about your emotions

Related: Disembarking From the Failboat

Self Helping Yourself Tweet of the Week

Excel: Beginner to Rockstar

As I mentioned in the intro, I’m launching a new business.

Before switching to Self-Improvement and Weight Loss, I spent 20 years in Accounting and Finance for start-ups, rising to the level of CFO. Now I’m putting my expertise to use teaching Excel.

Could winning at Excel win your next job?

Or save you hundreds of hours as an entrepreneur?

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to increase your Excel skills 100% or more in four weeks. You’ll be able to get twice as much done in half the time, amaze your boss and potential employers, and enjoy unparalleled job security.

Rockstar Excel Presents

Excel: Beginner to Rockstar Course

Starting March 18, 2021

Are you an entrepreneur who struggles to finish everything?

Are you an employee whose career is stuck in neutral?

Are you looking to become more efficient and organized?

Would you like to get more done in less time?

Mastering Excel could be the solution!

Imagine taking minutes to complete what used to take you hours. Picture what you could do with five extra hours a week. What if you never had to worry about layoffs, because your skills made you too valuable for your company to lose?

I want to rock Excel
and get my free Expense Tracker

Be sure to follow @YourselfHelping on Twitter.

Enjoy Five Boosts By Self Helping Yourself? Be sure to Subscribe and check out the Self Helping Yourself site.

Enjoy Five Boosts? Please consider buying me a coffee.

I work hard reviewing hundreds of articles a week to find five that contain the best advice on easy ways to improve your life.

As well as writing the posts for Self Helping Yourself, and Rockstar Excel.

If you can’t donate, you can always help by subscribing, recommending Five Boosts, Self Helping Yourself, or any articles to your friends, or by rating/reviewing The Weight Loss Habit on Amazon. (If you’ve read it.)

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