Tag: barrie davenport

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Five Boosts To Achieve Great Things

Written by Steven Ray Marks Leave a Comment on Five Boosts To Achieve Great Things
Photo by Eunice De Guzman on Unsplash

Five Easy Ways to Make Your Life Better for 3/2/21

Today’s boosts are about getting out of your own way so you can achieve the things you want.

A quick announcement: I’ll be a guest on this Friday’s episode of the podcast Anxiety Simplified, discussing weight loss and anxiety, and my book The Weight Loss Habit.

If you’ve ever wanted to hear my voice or see my face, that’s your chance.

What’s Easy for Some is Difficult for Others

(Steven Ray Marks | Self-Helping Yourself | 1125 words)

You may struggle to learn something others find easy. That’s nothing to be ashamed of.

When seeking help, be clear about your struggles. Those skilled enough to give help often speak from their perspective of assuming it’s easy, and talk past you.

And when giving assistance, recognize people struggle because it’s harder for them than for you. Your advice should be helpful from that perspective.

How to Take Action: 12 Habits that Turn Dreams into Reality

(Henrik Edberg | Positivity Blog | 1775 words)

Different motivational strategies work for different people:

  • Do the most important thing at the start of the day.
  • Or start off small to build momentum.
  • Keep a reminder of priorities and goals.
  • Have accountability partners.
  • Cycle focused work and relaxing rest.

Steal These Advertising Secrets to Manipulate Yourself

(Nir Eyal | 1500 words)

People hate being told what to do and tend to push back. That includes when you tell yourself what to do. Instead:

  • Offer yourself the right rewards.
  • Give yourself choices to feel more in control.
  • Create narratives to support your goals

Related: Take Control Over Your Life With These Two Phrases

Are You Task-Oriented or Goal-Oriented? How to Improve Both

(Barrie Davenport | Live Bold and Bloom | 1150 words)

Some people focus on the task at hand; others focus on the end goal.

It’s important to keep both your goals and your tasks clear.

How to Do the Thing You’re Avoiding

(Leo Babauta | Zen Habits | 675 words)

If you’re avoiding something you know you need to do:

  • Set an alarm to do it at a certain time.
  • Psyche yourself up.
  • Do it with someone else.
  • Get small victories

Related: 10 Things to Do When You Feel Overwhelmed

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.)

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Five Boosts 11/24/20 – Change Minds and Get Beter

Written by Steven Ray Marks Leave a Comment on Five Boosts 11/24/20 – Change Minds and Get Beter
Anger and hate - Fist punching through glass

Five Easy Ways to Make Your Life Better for 11/24/20

Anger and Hate Hurt You More Than The Target of Your Rage – But You Don’t Have to Feel Them

(Steven Ray Marks | Self Helping Yourself | 1075 words)

Anger and hatred consume your thoughts, mindset, and soul, while doing nothing to improve the world or change those you’re angry at/hate.

To feel anger and hatred less, and take ownership over your own happiness:

  • Minimize exposure to triggers
  • Build the mindset that anger is a choice
  • Stop complaining to break the anger habit

How to Get Better

(Mark Manson | 1425 Words)

Therapy helps because talking over problems separates negative thoughts and feelings from your sense of self, changing unhappiness from the subject to the object.

The same is true of journaling and meditation, which is why they’re effective as well.

Be Specific

(Josh Spector | For The Interested | 725 words)

Specificity forces you to be clear, focused, and unique. Your life will be better if you’re more specific about:

  • Goals
  • Audience
  • Communication
  • Requests
  • Success

Change Someone’s Mind: 6 Secrets From Research

(Eric Barker | Bakadesuyo | 3375 words)

To change someone’s mind, you need to get them to change their own mind. Be a respectful partner, not an adversary.

Ask why they believe their beliefs with genuine curiosity, not to find “gotchas” or attack. Ask how certain they are, and to make comparisons on a scale of 1 to 10. What evidence would change their mind?

And be open to learning from them and changing your own mind.

I found this article in Josh Spector’s For The Interested newsletter. (Josh Spector also wrote the “Be Specific” article above.)

Related: How to Win Allies and How to Stop Making Enemies

The Mistake Smart People Make: Being in Motion vs. Taking Action

(James Clear | 925 words)

Motion is planning and research. Action is doing and creating things.

Sometimes you need to plan and research. But you’ll never accomplish anything without action.

Often people get stuck on motion, thinking it’s productive when really they’re procrastinating.

Set a schedule or hard deadline to take action.

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 the five that contain the best actionable advice on easy ways to improve your life.

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

If you can’t donate, you can always help out 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 11/17/20 – Good Habits For Productive Days

Written by Steven Ray Marks Leave a Comment on Five Boosts 11/17/20 – Good Habits For Productive Days

Five Easy Ways to Make Your Life Better for 11/17/20

7 Easy Strategies for Overcoming Seasonal Affective Disorder

(Steven Ray Marks | Self Helping Yourself | 825 words)

Like a lot of people, I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Often advice for coping with SAD is exceptionally difficult to do for anyone suffering from it.

You aren’t going to exercise and do yoga when you can barely get out of bed.

Here are some easy suggestions, such as:

  • Assign a name to your SAD
  • Use a light-therapy box
  • Avoid windows at dusk

How to Network When You’re Painfully Shy

(Anouare Abdou | The Ladders | 1175 words)

Networking is important for a lot of careers, but a lot of people struggle with it. To get better:

  • Make a “win list” to boost your confidence
  • Prepare conversation starters and responses
  • Turn it into a game
  • Practice by talking to yourself
  • Be a good listener

I’d add: Don’t go into networking with the mindset “What can these people do for me?” Instead, focus on forming genuine connections, and “What can I do for them?”

14 Things My Highly Productive Friends Have Given Up

(Tim Denning | The Ascent on Medium | 1450 words)

Being more productive doesn’t always mean being a superachiever with infinite energy.

Sometimes it means eliminating things. Such as:

  • Automatically agreeing to give others your time
  • Overworking
  • Listening to ‘preachers of chaos’
  • Having too many goals
  • Being an a–hole

13 Evening Routine Habits to Perfectly End Your Day

(Connie Stemmle | Developing Good Habits | 2875 words)

A good evening routine sets the stage for a productive morning.

Suggestions include:

  • Establish a ‘shut down’ ritual
  • Plan for the next day
  • Spend time with your family
  • Practice something you enjoy
  • Reflect

How to Make Good Habits Stick

(Barrie Davenport | Live Bold and Bloom | 2275 words)

The way to make lasting change is through habits. But how do you build and maintain habits?

  • Start ridiculously small
  • Begin with one habit at a time
  • Have clear intentions
  • Celebrate small Wins
  • Change your mindset

#Self-PromotionThese ideas are similar to the philosophy toward weight loss laid out in my book The Weight Loss Habit. If you enjoy this article, you might want to check out the book.

Bonus Boost

Understanding Serving Size

(Steven Ray Marks | Self Helping Yourself | 550 words)

It can be difficult to know how much you’re eating if the amount doesn’t match up to what the manufacturer lists as a serving size.

Sometimes the labels are intentionally confusing, but even when they aren’t, it can be hard to judge.

Here I walk you through a simple method to figure this out.

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 the five that contain the best actionable advice on easy ways to improve your life.

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

If you can’t donate, you can always help out 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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Persuasion, Overwhelm, And Hard Conversations – Five Boosts 11/10/20

Written by Steven Ray Marks Leave a Comment on Persuasion, Overwhelm, And Hard Conversations – Five Boosts 11/10/20

Five Easy Ways to Make Your Life Better for 11/10/20

10 Things to Do When You Feel Overwhelmed

(Steven Ray Marks | Self Helping Yourself | 1850 words)

Life can seem overwhelming when you feel like you have more things to do than you’re capable of handling.

I give some strategies for dealing with these situations, based on my experience in fast-paced tech startups, such as:

  • Prioritize and pick one thing
  • Eliminate less important tasks
  • Complete something easy to build momentum
  • Put together a plan
  • Ask if your overwhelm is self-imposed

6 Phrases that Easily Redirect a Tough Conversation

(Steve Adcock | The Ladders | 575 words)

If a conversation goes off the rails and things get heated, calm things down by saying:

  • “I understand what you are saying, but let’s refocus for a minute”
  • “There are plenty of different perspectives here, but remember what we’re talking about.”
  • “I’m not sure I understand enough about that position. Can we talk about [original topic] instead?”
  • “I would rather not discuss politics right now, sorry.”
  • “I remember you saying something about your promotion earlier. How did you get that?”
  • “And speaking of that, did you hear about [mutually interesting topic]?”

3 Simple Ways to Improve Your Mood Right Now

(Henrik Edberg | Positivity Blog | 550 words)

Sometimes you’re just in a bad mood. Some strategies to feel better are:

  • Appreciate what you have
  • Act like you want to feel
  • Give someone a genuine compliment

15 Psychology Tips to Be More Persuasive

(Tanuj Sarva | IYNK | 1875 words)

Some simple strategies to be more convincing.

It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with these techniques both to use them yourself, and to be aware of when others use them on you.

Some highlights:

  • Explain the reason for your request
  • Compliment the person
  • Talk faster
  • Mirror their speech and action
  • Do them a favor to create an obligation

5 Kinds of People That Make Others Happy and How to Be One of Them

(Leon Collier | Contentment Questing | 1650 words)

Making others happy is one of the best ways to make yourself happy.

Some people are naturals at this, but you can also make a conscious effort. Suggestions include:

  • Send thoughtful emails
  • Plan something nice for your love
  • Listen well

Bonus Boost

Improving Skills to Overcome Impostor Syndrome

(Steven Ray Marks | Rockstar Excel | 575 words)

The story of a time I was thrust into a situation where my only options were to fail or to figure out how to do things better.

And how that experience eventually led to me creating my new site, Rockstar Excel.

Self Helping Yourself Tweet of the Week

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Money, Change, and Relationships – Five Boosts 11/3/20

Written by Steven Ray Marks 13 Comments on Money, Change, and Relationships – Five Boosts 11/3/20

Five Easy Ways to Make Your Life Better for 11/3/20

6 Strategies to Never Lose a Job and Have Rapid Career Growth

(Steven Ray Marks | Self Helping Yourself | 1925 words)

You can quickly get promotions, and avoid ever getting laid off, with these tactics:

  • Fill a vital function, and do a good job of it
  • Bring in or save more money than you cost the company
  • Be a rockstar at something
  • Be the one who understands how things work
  • Be someone people are happy to work with
  • Be a beast who does a massive amount of work

None of these are gimmicks. Ultimately, they come down to adding value to the company. But most of these are strategies that anyone can do with a concerted effort.

7 Cognitive Biases That Make Us Suck at Time-Management

(Becky Kane | Ambition & Balance by Doist | 4175 words)

Humans are irrational in many ways, but being aware of these can help us overcome them.

This is a long article, but well worth reading, as it suggests solutions to some of the most common mistakes we make in how we spend our time:

  • We focus on urgent but unimportant tasks, instead of the tasks that would yield greater rewards.
  • We can’t stop thinking about all the things we need to get done.
  • We underestimate how long it will take to do things.
  • The sunk cost fallacy
  • We overvalue the present and undervalue the future.
  • We get bogged down in complexities instead of taking action.
  • We pursue things that we think will improve our lives, but don’t make us happier.

How to Create a Budget

(The Millennial Money Woman | 4550 words)

A simple, step-by-step process for:

  • Understanding where your money is going
  • Getting your spending under control
  • Creating a plan for your future finances

6 Times When It’s Okay to Call it Quits and Start Over

(January Nelson | Thought Catalog | 500 words)

Your life path isn’t set in stone, and it’s okay to change directions. Some signs you should consider doing so are:

  • You realize you’ve been making yourself miserable
  • You realize this isn’t want you wanted
  • The only reason you haven’t changed directions is that you feel like you aren’t allowed to
  • You spend every day in tears

As someone who walked away from a successful and lucrative Accounting/Finance career because it made me unhappy, this article really resonated with me.

23 of the Best Relationship Goals to Nurture Intimacy

(Barrie Davenport | Live Bold & Bloom | 6000 words)

It’s important to maintain intimacy in a long term relationship.

These are some excellent tips for making sure that a close, loving, intimate relationship lasts for a lifetime, including:

  • Prioritize each other
  • Communicate with kindness
  • Plan for fun together
  • Perform regular acts of thoughtfulness
  • Have daily connection time

Bonus Boost

25 “Healthy” Foods that are Making You Fat

(Steven Ray Marks | Self Helping Yourself | 2325 words)

There are a lot of foods that are generally thought of as healthy, but contain far more calories than people realize.

It’s easy for people to think they’re doing everything right when it comes to healthy eating, but fail to lose weight because they’re eating way too much of these.

These foods may not be bad for you. But they need to be eaten in moderation, like every other food.

Examples include:

  • Fruit juice
  • Nuts
  • Restaurant salads
  • Avocados
  • Whole grain rice

Self Helping Yourself Tweet of the Week

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Memory, Happiness, And Confidence – Five Boosts 9/20/20

Written by Steven Ray Marks Leave a Comment on Memory, Happiness, And Confidence – Five Boosts 9/20/20
Coins

Five Easy Ways to Make Your Life Better for 9/20/20

2 Most Powerful Ways to Remember Everything You Learn

(Thomas Oppong | Entrepreneur’s Handbook | 900 words)

We forget 90% of what we learn. This is a normal, healthy function of the brain, filtering out useless information to save room for the important stuff. When there’s information you do want to remember, these techniques are helpful:

  1. Spacing – Relearning the information over time. That signals to your brain that it is something important to be retained.
  2. The 50/50 Rule – Spend half your time learning, and half your time sharing or explaining what you’ve learned.

Related: Accepting Your Memory is Unreliable Will Make You Happier

17 Incredibly Easy Ways to Save Money While Shopping

(Steven Ray Marks | Self Helping Yourself | 1925 words)

A series of tips that can help you save hundreds of dollars a month without any effort, time-commitment, or sacrifice. Some highlights:

  • How to make razor cartridges last for months.
  • Don’t have brand loyalty.
  • Check the per-unit cost when shopping.
  • Use Instacart to compare grocery prices, even if you aren’t ordering from Instacart.
  • How to (legally) get eBooks and audiobooks for free.

7 Simple Habits to Overcome Nervousness

(Henrik Edberg | Positivity Blog | Subscribe | 1175 words)

If you allow nervousness to overcome you, you’ll perform poorly at whatever it is you’re nervous about. Instead:

  1. Prepare, if possible.
  2. Ask yourself what’s the worst that could realistically happen.
  3. Visualize in a positive way.
  4. Slow down and breathe with your belly.
  5. Pretend the person you’re meeting is already a friend.
  6. Remember people don’t think about you that much.
  7. Tell yourself you’re excited.

20 Little Things that Secretly Make You Unhappy

(Tanuj Sarva | Iynk | 1,725 words)

A list of mistakes you might be making that are sabotaging your happiness. Once you identify any that apply to you, some simple awareness can go a long way toward breaking the habit. These include:

  • Believing everyone should play by your rules.
  • Waiting for your dreams to come true to be happy.
  • Not making time for the right things.
  • Holding grudges.
  • Being a perfectionist.
  • Caring too much about what others think.
  • Playing the victim card.
  • Thinking you don’t deserve happiness.

3 Five Minute Confidence Boosters

(Anouare Abdou | The Ladders | 750 words)

To pump up your own confidence:

  1. Collect evidence of your skills and abilities.
  2. Visualize your future self, after you’ve achieved greater success.
  3. Use bridge thoughts to connect where you are now to where you want to be.

Bonus Boost

Why I Don’t Believe in Cheat Days

(Steven Ray Marks | Self Helping Yourself | 750 words)

A “cheat day” in a diet disrupts the habit-building process, and reinforces the notion that eating right is a burden while eating like a drunk grizzly bear is a celebration.

Needing a cheat day is a sign that your entire weight loss strategy is flawed.

Instead, you should build the lifelong habit of making good decisions about what you eat. And sometimes good decisions can include eating unhealthy things, as long as you do it in moderation.

Self Helping Yourself Tweet of the Week

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Good Enough Grounding And Productivity – Five Boosts 9/6/20

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Photo by Morning Brew on Unsplash

Five Easy Ways to Make Your Life Better for 9/6/20

From Productivity Wishfulness to Mindful Productivity

(Anne-Laure Le Cunff | Ness Labs | Subscribe | 1100 words)

Many productivity systems that promise to make you superhuman are just fantasy.

Some telltale signs are that they make unrealistic demands, promise unrealistic results, or are advocated by a guru-like personality.

Studying these can become a form of procrastination itself. Instead, focus on building a system that works for you individually, based on your own individual needs and tendencies.

Develop this system by identifying bottlenecks, making time for self-reflection, managing your information-diet, and learning by doing.

Related: Don’t challenge yourself!

I found this in Khe Hy’s Rad Reads newsletter.

13 Incredibly Easy Ways to Improve Your Finances

(Steven Ray Marks | Self Helping Yourself | 2300 words)

Ways to improve your finances that take no ongoing willpower, effort, and minimal time-commitment. Some highlights:

  • Invest your money in index funds without paying attention to the stock market.
  • Don’t use a savings account
  • Max out your company sponsored 401k match
  • Get a rewards credit card, and pay it off every month
  • Don’t use debit cards
  • Set up automatic bill pay
  • Refinance your mortgage and student loans right now

Good Enough is Just Fine

(Lawrence Yeo | More to That | 1150 words)

There’s no such thing as perfection.

But perfectionists can hamper their efforts by endlessly chasing this quality that doesn’t exist. And thus they never release their work.

Instead of struggling for the unattainable 100% standard, aim for a “Good Enough” standard of 95%.

Related: Perfectionism Paralysis Can Be Beaten By Half-Assing It

Replacing Negative Thoughts With Positive Thoughts

(Barrie Davenport | Live Bold & Bloom | 2500 Words)

Remind yourself to regularly examine your thoughts. And when they are negative, try to replace them with positive thoughts.

For example, replace “I am helpless” with “I am powerful and in control of my own destiny.”

Replace “Nothing good ever happens to me” with “I am surrounded by an abundance of opportunities.”

Replace “I am so angry at that person” with “I respect and love myself enough to let go of anger and live in peace.”

7 Grounding Exercises For When You Feel Overwhelmed

(Steven Handel | The Emotion Machine | 1650 words)

When you find yourself feeling stressed or overwhelmed, try grounding yourself in the present moment with these techniques:

  • Five Senses: What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel? What do you smell? What do you taste?
  • 10 Slow, Deep Breaths
  • Mindful Stretching: Yoga, Tai Chi, or just stretching while paying attention to your body.
  • Nature Bathing: Go outside and take a walk. Ideally in a forest or park, but if that’s not convenient, just getting outside is helpful. Or if you can’t get outside, watch a video of nature.
  • Spend Time With a Pet or Stuffed Animal
  • Feel-Good Smells
  • Sound Meditation: Take 30 seconds to listen to the world

Bonus Boost

Who’s to Blame For Your Weight

(Steven Ray Marks | Self Helping Yourself | 700 words)

Focusing on blame when it comes to weight is unhelpful. Blaming yourself is demotivating and unfair, because you may have been cursed with a lousy metabolism.

But saying you’re not to blame is also demotivating – that’s just making excuses.

Instead, focus on taking ownership. Your weight may not be your fault. But only you can take the necessary actions to improve it.

Self Helping Yourself Tweet of the Week

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Hedonism, Civility, And Useless Days: Five Boosts 8/9/20

Written by Steven Ray Marks Leave a Comment on Hedonism, Civility, And Useless Days: Five Boosts 8/9/20

Five Easy Ways to Make Your Life Better for 8/9/20

15 Things to Do When You Have No Idea What to Do

(Barrie Davenport | Live Bold and Bloom | 1900 words | Subscribe )

What to do when you just can’t seem to kick your brain into gear. Suggestions include:

  • Do mindless tasks
  • Try meditation
  • Help someone else
  • Take the logical first step
  • Do nothing and take the day off

Related: Disembarking From the Failboat

In Defense of Hedonism

(Kyle Shnitzer | The Ladders | 350 words)

Hedonism gets a bad rap.

But a big part of happiness is the ability to take time to just enjoy yourself, without being distracted by worries over long-term goals.

Obviously focusing on long-term goals and enjoying yourself are also important. But you should have a balance.

10 Incredibly Easy Ways to Improve Your Health

(Steven Ray Marks | Self Helping Yourself | 2050 words)

Ten ways to lose weight and be healthier that take no effort or willpower, and minimal to no time. Including:

  • Switch to diet soda.
  • Use smaller plates.
  • Look up how many calories are in your favorite dishes at restaurants.
  • Buy your own exercise equipment instead of going to the gym.
  • Use chopsticks when eating chips.

Turning Violent Disagreements Into Civil Discourse

(Michael Hyatt | Michael Hyatt & Co. | 575 words)

We live in polarized times, where screaming and hate have replaced civil discourse.

Here are some excellent suggestions on how to better communicate with people that disagree with you:

  • Begin where you agree.
  • Keep an open mind.
  • Get your facts straight.
  • Be willing to state your view but with humility.

I especially like that this article gives no indications of the author’s own political views. That’s how it should be, since this advice applies to people of all beliefs.

If you like this piece, I suggest you check out the organization Braver Angels, which is dedicated to political tolerance and depolarization.

Related: How to Win Allies

7 Small Habits That Will Steal Your Happiness

(Henrik Edberg | Positivity Blog | 1625 words | Subscribe)

To be happier, stop doing these things:

  1. Immersing yourself in negative voices.
  2. Waiting for just the right time.
  3. Letting criticism get under your skin.
  4. Focusing on envy, powerlessness, and the wrong people.
  5. Not allowing yourself peace and rest.
  6. Never trying anything new.
  7. Taking things too seriously.

Self Helping Yourself Tweet of the Week

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Memory, Perfectionism, and Gratitude – Five Boosts 7/19/20

Written by Steven Ray Marks Leave a Comment on Memory, Perfectionism, and Gratitude – Five Boosts 7/19/20
Splotchy Brain

Five Easy Ways to Make Your Life Better for 7/19/20

Accepting Your Memory is Unreliable Will Make You Happier
(Self Helping Yourself | Steven Ray Marks)
Humans have unreliable memories. Since you’re a human, that means you shouldn’t have confidence in your own memories. But realizing this can make you much happier, by increasing your willingness to compromise, forgive, and grow as a person.

Take Back Five Minutes of Your Day With the 5-Minute Challenge
(joshspector.com | Josh Spector | Subscribe)
Pick one thing to do for five minutes a day. Set a timer, and don’t allow any distractions, and don’t stop early. You’ll be amazed how much you get done in those five minutes, and how many ideas you come up with for whatever it is you’re doing.

I’m a huge fan of Josh Spector, and I highly recommend his For The Interested newsletter.

How to Overcome Perfectionism: 6 Powerful Habits
(Positivity Blog | Henrik Edberg | Subscribe)
Perfectionism holds you back, by preventing you from ever completing things. To stop it:
1. Go for “good enough.”
2. Realize you hurt yourself and those around you by buying into myths of perfection.
3. Accept you’re human, like everyone else.
4. Compare yourself to yourself.
5. Do what you think is the right thing.
6. Shape an environment of human standards.

Related: Perfectionism Paralysis Can Be Beaten By Half-Assing It

The Surprising Benefits of Unconditional Positive Regard
(Nir and Far | Nir Eyal | Subscribe)
Unconditional Positive Regard is when you offer someone support, empathy, and compassion, and refrain from judgment, even when they’ve done something wrong. It still acknowledges any sort of bad behavior, but makes clear that we care about the person even if we don’t approve of the behavior. You might say something like “You must feel awful,” or “We all make mistakes.”

Adopting this attitude toward those you’re trying to train, those you care about, and yourself will result in more happiness and better performance.

67 Mood Enhancing Gratitude Affirmations
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Practicing gratitude, especially through a gratitude journal, is one of the easiest ways to increase your happiness. But many people who are unhappy or depressed struggle finding things to be grateful for. Here are 67 suggestions to help you.

Self Helping Yourself Tweet of the Week

Being kind and polite to people, whether or not they “deserve it,” will only make you happier and your life better.

It will make the world a little bit better as well.

Be sure to follow @YourselfHelping on Twitter.

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