Tag: Addicted 2 Success

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Five Boosts for When You Struggle – 1/26/21

Written by Steven Ray Marks Leave a Comment on Five Boosts for When You Struggle – 1/26/21
Photo by Kat Jayne from Pexels

Five Easy Ways to Make Your Life Better for 1/26/21

Today’s Boosts are about when you struggle.

A personal note: Things have been tough for me lately.

We recently rescued a special needs dog with two puppies from a neglectful situation.

Photo by author

Caring for and cleaning up after three large, untrained, unhousebroken dogs, who need to be separated from the cat we’re already fostering, is extremely labor-intensive and time-consuming.

I’m already in crunchtime launching my new business, plus some other things haven’t been going right for me. The added exhaustion and sleep-deprivation make everything harder.

I always say it’s okay to admit you’re having difficulties, and you shouldn’t feel bad about feeling bad.

If you’re also struggling, here are some articles that may be helpful.

10 Tips to Look After Your Mental Health During a Crisis

(Rachel Stray | 1200 words)

When you go through a mental health crisis, keep it from spiraling out of control:

  • Create a daily routine.
  • Limit news consumption.
  • Keep a sleep pattern.
  • Keep your mind active.
  • Connect with others.

How to Bounce Back From Failure

(Michael Hyatt | 450 words)

Resilience is a choice. Inevitably things go wrong in life. To overcome adversity:

  1. Keep a written record of wins.
  2. Stay focused on objectives.
  3. Take care of your health.

Overcoming Learned Helplessness

(Anne-Laure Le Cunff | Ness Labs | 775 words)

When bad things repeatedly happen, you may start expecting them. Feeling helpless prevents you from succeeding, even if you otherwise could.

Get out of this trap by remembering:

  • Problems may have external causes and not be your own failures.
  • Problems may be temporary and solvable.
  • Problems may be specific to certain situations, and not apply to others.

Related: Optimism and Pessimism are Self-Fulfilling

How to Overcome Self-Doubt and Move Toward Your Goals

(Azubike Eze | Spirit Times | 1700 words)

Tactics to beat self-doubts, such as:

  • Ask what’s the worst that can happen.
  • Don’t wait to feel confident.
  • Look for opportunities to say yes.
  • Attribute success to your own merit.
  • Give yourself permission to be imperfect.

Here’s When Self-Improvement Becomes Ineffective

(Jasmine Rice | Addicted 2 Success | 950 words)

Sometimes self-improvement books, seminars, blogs, etc. become a toxic addiction instead of helping your life.

If you constantly chase self-improvement because you think you’re not good enough, instead of actually doing things that genuinely make life better, or actually living life, take a step back and be happy with who you are now.

Related: Don’t Challenge Yourself

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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Five Boosts 12/15/20 – Loving Failure And Ignorance

Written by Steven Ray Marks Leave a Comment on Five Boosts 12/15/20 – Loving Failure And Ignorance
Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Before getting to the boosts, I have a favor to ask.

I’m always trying to make Five Boosts more useful.

You can assist by completing this two-minute survey.

I’d truly appreciate it.

And don’t forget to subscribe to get Five Boosts in your inbox every week, as well as your free copy of 24 Ways to Improve Your Life.

Five Easy Ways to Make Your Life Better for 12/15/20

Interview With the Millennial Money Woman

(Steven Ray Marks & Fiona | Self Helping Yourself | 1875 words)

The Millennial Money Woman (also known as Fiona) is a top personal finance blogger.

She gives easy, actionable advice on getting your money in order:

  • Start saving and investing early
  • Avoid common mistakes
  • Cut spending
  • Leverage opportunities the internet gives

Related: 13 Incredibly Easy Ways to Improve Your Finances

10 Ways to Love Your Partner in a Meaningful Way

(Kimberly Brown | Purpose Fairy | 975 words)

Love is something you actively do. A bit of mindful effort keeps your relationship strong, which makes both you and your partner much happier.

Suggestions include:

  • Talk to each other daily
  • Build them up
  • Flirt
  • Be more give than taking
  • Love yourself

How to Cope With Feelings of Isolation During the Holidays

(Abby Moore | Mind Body Green | 675 words)

The holidays are especially difficult for those with pandemic-related mental health challenges.

I know it’s hard for me – I haven’t seen my mother and sister in nearly a year.

To feel a bit better, make a plan of joyful ways to spend the holiday.

Adapt traditions for quarantine, or create new ones.

Spend time outdoors, or volunteer. Charity is a great way to boost your mood.

Video chat with family. It’s not the real thing, but it’s better than nothing.

Selective Ignorance: Cultivating Intentional Knowledge in a Chaotic World

(Anne-Laure Le Cunff | Ness Labs | 1350 words)

The unlimited knowledge is at our fingertips is both a blessing and a curse.

What knowledge we consume and how we consume it can make us miserable or be a distraction.

Cultivate selective ignorance by limiting information sources that don’t provide value or enjoyment.

How to Overcome Failure and Use it as Motivation

(DJ Jeffries | Addicted 2 Success | 925 words)

Everybody fails sometimes. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.

Failure is an opportunity to learn and come out of it stronger.

To do this:

  • Understand what went wrong.
  • Look to friends for advice.
  • Listen to constructive feedback.
  • Keep moving forward.
  • Don’t be afraid of failure.

I always say: “If you failed but learned how to do better next time, you haven’t really failed.”

Related: Disembarking From the Failboat

Self Helping Yourself Tweet of the Week

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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Sleep, Focus, And Time – Five Boosts 8/30/20

Written by Steven Ray Marks Leave a Comment on Sleep, Focus, And Time – Five Boosts 8/30/20
Photo by Kate Stone Matheson on Unsplash

Five Easy Ways to Make Your Life Better for 8/30/20

The Power of Bright-Line Rules

(Rakaelle Price | Medium | 1,050 words)

A bright-line rule is a commitment you make with no wiggle-room.

While gradual improvement might seem easier, in many cases giving yourself a strict rule actually helps you out.

For example, you may decide to spend less time on social media. But that’s vague. How much is “less time?” It creates a lot of decisions, with the potential for rationalization and guilt.

But if you set a rule saying “No social media after 6:00,” you know the right thing to do.

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

15 Incredibly Easy Ways to Improve Your Sleep

(Steven Ray Marks | Self Helping Yourself | 1,650 words)
  1. Don’t cut back on sleep to get more done
  2. Wear orange glasses before bed
  3. Get blackout curtains
  4. Wear an eye mask
  5. Spend between $800 and $1,500 on a mattress
  6. Buy the right pillow
  7. Take your own pillow on trips
  8. Don’t take long naps
  9. Take short naps
  10. Don’t use a snooze alarm – ever
  11. Sleep in the right position
  12. Avoid caffeine in the afternoon/evening
  13. Make your bed when you first get up
  14. Don’t weekend-jetlag yourself
  15. Learn your individual chronotype

8 Really Bad Habits (We All Do) That Drain Our Focus)

(Nicolas Cole | The Ladders | 1,450 words)

You’ll be a lot more focused and productive if you stop doing these things:

  1. Constantly checking your phone
  2. Not really listening
  3. Multitasking
  4. Working with the TV on
  5. Working in unproductive environments
  6. Working with unproductive people
  7. Lack of preparation
  8. Using notifications

Why Time Management Won’t Solve Your Time Problem (And Nine Things That Will)

(Becky Kane | Ambition & Balance by Doist | 2,200 words)

Ways to feel less busy:

  1. Identify the values you’re sacrificing to busyness
  2. Accept that you can’t do everything
  3. Do one thing at a time
  4. Invest in aimless acts of creativity
  5. Read a book
  6. Spend time with friends
  7. Give your time away
  8. Spend 15 minutes outdoors
  9. Make space for stillness and solitude

How to Deal With Disappointment: 12 Helpful Steps

(Henrik Edberg | Positivity Blog | 1,950 words | Subscribe)

Sometimes disappointments happen in life. To move forward afterward:

  1. Accept how you feel
  2. Remember you’re not a disappointment
  3. Learn from it
  4. Remember disappointment happens when you leave your comfort zone
  5. Refocus on what you’ve got
  6. Talk it over with someone close
  7. Adjust your expectations
  8. Take a break
  9. Get outside your own head
  10. Find energy and motivation with help from others
  11. Find a small step to start moving forward
  12. Improve your self-esteem

Bonus Boost

Everything You’ve Heard About Dieting is Wrong

(Steven Ray Marks | Self Helping Yourself | 1,050 words)

Diets don’t work because they’re too hard, and you can’t maintain them for life. At best, you’ll temporarily lose weight, but gain it back as soon as you stop the diet.

The right way to lose weight is to use the right strategies to build habits that are easy enough to keep for life.

The most important habit is to think before you eat, make, or buy food, make a rational decision about what and how much to eat, and then celebrate and take pride in your good decisions.

Self Helping Yourself Tweet of the Week

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.

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Toxic People And A Second Brain – Five Boosts 8/23/20

Written by Steven Ray Marks Leave a Comment on Toxic People And A Second Brain – Five Boosts 8/23/20
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels

Five Easy Ways to Make Your Life Better for 8/23/20

Build Your Second Brain

(Dean Yeong | deanyeong.com | 225 words | Subscribe)

Keep a file on your favorite note-taking app called “Quick Capture,” so you can jot down any thoughts as they come to you, and don’t have to worry about remembering them.

Then schedule time at the end of the day or week to review these so you can act on them, add them to your to-do list, or do whatever’s appropriate.

I like this because it’s so much simpler than most personal information management systems I’ve seen. My general belief is that self-help advice needs to make improvement easier, not harder.

11 Incredibly Easy Things to Stop Doing to Be Happier

(Steven Ray Marks | Self Helping Yourself | 2025 words)

Common ways people sabotage their own happiness that would be easy to stop, including:

  • Arguing on the internet
  • Doomscrolling and catastrophism
  • Expecting people to be mind-readers
  • Wishing things were better and dreaming up solutions to problems they have no control over
  • Spending time around toxic people
  • Taking it personally when someone’s a jerk

How to Deal With Difficult People

(John Hernandez | Addicted2Success | 900 words)

Sometimes there are difficult people in life that you can’t avoid. The best way to handle these are:

  1. Listen, then wait.
  2. Reinforce your relationship.
  3. Understand the person.
  4. Make progress.

As someone who’s generally able to get along with difficult people, I’d add that you shouldn’t argue with them. If they say something awful or stupid, just inwardly roll your eyes and move on. Challenging them will only make it worse.

Note: I recommend reading the last two articles in order. They connect well together, with both discussing ways to handle toxic people.

10 Unusual Problem Solving Methods

(Nelville Medhora | KopywritingKourse.com | Infographic | Subscribe)

If you’re stuck on a problem, here are some offbeat ways to reframe it that might help you find a solution. Suggestions include:

  • Write out many solutions, then rank them by effectiveness and difficulty
  • Thank the problem
  • Think of a hilarious solution

Quiet Your Inner Critic – 5 Powerful Strategies

(Shane Walker | The Self Improvement Blog | 1000 words)

Ways to fight the negative voices in your head that prevent growth.

  1. Use counter-affirmations
  2. Write down your critical thoughts
  3. Challenge your inner critic
  4. Quiet your inner critic by disassociation
  5. Know your value

Self Helping Yourself Tweet of the Week

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.

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Be Happier and Don’t Make Enemies – Five Boosts 6-21-20

Written by Steven Ray Marks Leave a Comment on Be Happier and Don’t Make Enemies – Five Boosts 6-21-20
Don't Make Enemies

Five easy ways to make your life better for June 21, 2020

How to Stop the Spread of Social Media Garbage
(Self Helping Yourself | Steven Ray Marks)
We all lament the spread of fake news, misinformation, and social media hate. But we tend to think of it as other people’s fault. In reality, it’s all of our faults, and it’s up to each of us as individuals to take responsibility for our own behavior and stop it. Here are tips on how to do so.

How to Stop Making Enemies
(Self Helping Yourself | Steven Ray Marks)
When trying to improve the world, people have a tendency to get overzealous and alienate others, doing their cause more harm than good. Here are tips on avoiding this pitfall. This is the follow-up to last week’s How to Win Allies.

How to Plan Your Day for Peak Performance
(Addicted 2 Success | Lorraine Kipling)
Suggestions on scheduling and when are the best times to do certain types of tasks. While I feel like this article is useful, one caution I’d give is to not feel like you have to slavishly adhere to these rules to the second. Different people will have different chronotypes. See the book When by Dan Pink for more information on this subject.

How to Turn off Political Ads on Facebook
(TechCrunch | Taylor Hatmaker)
Nobody likes seeing political ads. You already know who you’re going to vote for, and whether the ad is for someone on your side or the opposite side, it will just stress you out. Now there’s an option to not see them at all. I’d prefer if there was a way to hide political posts as well, but this is better than nothing.

15 Easy Ways to Be Happier
(SuccessConsciousness | Remez Sasson)
Here are 15 easy habits to build, ways to reframe your thinking, and changes in attitude that can dramatically increase your happiness, with very little effort.

Self Helping Yourself Tweet of the Week

Wishing things were different only brings regret/anger/sadness. If you want things to be different, you need to start by accepting the world as it is, not as you wish it were. And *then* take action to change it.

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