Terri Tuesday Tip of the Week - April 24th

Never despise small beginnings, and don't belittle your own accomplishments. Remember them and use them as inspiration as you go on to the next thing. When you venture outside your comfort zone, wherever the starting point may be, it's kind of a big deal. – Chris Guillebeau

Thus out of small beginnings greater things have been produced by His hand that made all things of nothing, and gives being to all things that are; and, as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many... -  William Bradford, Bradford: Of Plymouth Plantation

The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today. H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Today is the publication of the 200^th Terri’s Tuesday Tip of the Week, which amazes me!  As I was thinking about how this all started, I went back to July 2013.  At that time, I was attending a church in Austin, Texas and wanted to create a group for female business professionals to discuss topics that would affect their lives.  Our first meeting was a small group of ladies in October 2013.  As the months passed, I continued to hear that ladies wanted to attend, but they were busy business professionals and could not make the meetings.  I analyzed the situation and started thinking about this thing called a “blog”.  I decided I could provide weekly “tidbits” of information to help encourage people in progressing towards their dreams and that is how Terri’s Tuesday Tip of the Week was birthed.  Through this blog, a dream of one day writing a book has been birthed in me. 

From small beginnings come great things. – Proverb

Over the next couple weeks, blog posts will discuss different things I have learned over the last four years. 

CHALLENGE: Think back to a small beginning that catapulted you towards something you never dreamed of.  Be encouraged by what you have accomplished since that small beginning and continue to push towards your dreams!

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - April 17th

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. - Winston Churchill

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. – Dale Carnegie

Remember that guy that gave up?  Neither does no one else. – Unknown

If You're Going Through Hell, Keep Going - Winston Churchill

It’s always too early to quit. – Norman Vincent Peale

Today marks 530 years (1492) since Christopher Columbus was granted support for his voyage to search for a western route to the Indies.  However, did you know that Columbus went before the Spanish monarch, Isabella I, on May 1, 1489 to propose his plan?  It took three years after he asked for the financial support before it was granted to him to start working on accomplishing his dream.  This time was probably very difficult, challenging and possibly depressing for Columbus.  Negative thoughts probably went through his mind and he questioned if his dream would ever come true.  However, he continued to push forward and changed the world.   

There will be times when life gets hard and it seems like accomplishing dreams and goals will never happen.  However, it is important to remember a quote by Winston Churchill that Columbus probably would have been able to relate to: 

Never give up on something that you can’t go a day without thinking about.

Resources

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5QZEjwkjd8&t=1392s

https://www.forbes.com/sites/geoffloftus/2012/05/09/if-youre-going-through-hell-keep-going-winston-churchill/#3c37bd26d549

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/churchill-becomes-prime-minister

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGncFH5vLEc

https://www.onthisday.com/people/christopher-columbus

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - April 10th

The objective of cleaning is not just to clean, but to feel happiness living within that environment. - Marie Kondo

The most effective way to do it, is to do it. - Amelia Earhart

Can anything be sadder than work left unfinished? Yes; work never begun. - Christina Rossetti

Over the last week, I hope you created the list of areas to clean, activities to-do and items to be purchased.  As I have enjoyed my clean apartment, I created a list of areas to consider cleaning and a spring cleaning tips acronym.  Happy Cleaning!    

What did I clean out?

1.       Home/Apartment

·       Here are a couple websites that provide areas to be cleaned in a home: http://www.imperfecthomemaking.com/p/thorough-spring-cleaning-checklist.html, http://idreamofclean.net/the-ultimate-spring-cleaning-checklist/

2.       Files – Organize papers and trash/shred unnecessary documents.

3.       Email subscriptions – Determine if subscriptions are still needed and if not cancel the subscription.

4.       Technology – Review apps on phone and computer to determine if there are any that need to be deleted.

5.       Volunteering – There is a season for everything and spring is a great time to review current volunteering to determine if they are still the appropriate opportunities.     

6.       Finances – Call companies to negotiate lower rates or cancel any subscriptions that a fee is charged for and that are no longer needed. 

Tips for spring cleaning:

·       Center – Focus on the task at hand and do not allow distractions.  There are two ways to use time for spring cleaning.  First, a full day can be scheduled to clean.  Second, set a time limit every day that will be “cleaning time”, which could be 20 or 30 minutes.  A lot can be accomplished in small amounts of time. 

·       Learn - While cleaning, it is a great time to learn and grow.  Turn on an interesting podcast or an audio book.  On the other side of the matter, silence allows time to think and process.  Determine what is best for you.

·       Evaluate – Review the areas to be cleaned and list of tasks/activities to complete.  Determine if anything else needs to be added to the list and then clean. 

·       Assess – Create piles of items that are no longer needed.  Determine if the items should be thrown away or given away.  For those items to be given away, itemize and take to local charity.

·       Next Steps: 

1.       Schedule time to purchase items that are needed. 

2.       Create a plan to keep home clean.

3.       Set a date for the next in-depth cleaning.  

If you want to improve your life immediately, clean out a closet.  Often it’s what we hold onto that holds us back. – cherylrichardson.com

Challenge: Create a plan to keep your home clean. 

Resources

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/eight-surprising-things-ultra-productive-people-do-every-bradberry/

https://www.marthastewart.com/267295/spring-cleaning-checklist

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - April 3rd

What I know for sure is that when you declutter – whether it’s on your home, your head, or your heart – it is astounding what will flow into that space that will enrich you, your life, and your family. ― Peter Walsh, Lose the Clutter, Lose the Weight: The Six-Week Total-Life Slim Down

Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. – William Morris

Spring cleaning…we all know that it is a popular occurrence for people when spring arrives, but why?   Different websites give different reasons such as the Jewish custom to clean homes before Passover or the Chinese that clean out their homes in anticipation of the new year.  However, the best answer may simply be that during the winter months fewer hours of sunlight trigger a release of melatonin in our brains, which causes sleepiness in humans.  Once the days start getting longer in the spring, more sunlight means less melatonin production and more productivity! 

Clutter decreases productivity and now is a great time to start cleaning out to help create more time for accomplishing dreams.  As someone that doubted this after I heard one of my motivational mentors talk about it, I challenged myself the last week of March to organize areas of my life to prepare for a fun, exciting and hopefully crazy summer!

My apartment is less than 900 square feet, but I did find many things to clean out.  For example, I had a pile of “stuff” that needed to be taken to the Salvation Army, so I accomplished that.  I had purchased a few items that I could not decide if I wanted to keep or return.  During this time, I returned the items I chose not to keep and placed the items I kept in their proper place.  A “pile” in your home can be a continual nuisance and this is a great time to get rid of it. 

Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort. Paul J. Meyer

Challenge:  Create a list of areas that need to be cleaned, list of tasks/activities that need to be accomplished and start a list of items to be purchased/returned in April.

Resources

https://www.quotezine.com/spring-quotes-12-inspiring-sayings-about-starting-fresh-this-season/

https://www.countryliving.com/home-maintenance/a38381/how-spring-cleaning-became-a-tradition/

https://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/household-hints-tips/cleaning-organizing/spring-clean-in-spring2.htm

http://stylecaster.com/spring-cleaning-tips-benefits/

http://stylecaster.com/beauty/how-to-be-more-productive

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/246805

https://www.creditdonkey.com/spring-cleaning.html

https://www.cleaninginstitute.org/2018_spring_cleaning_survey/

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - March 27th

A dream becomes a goal when action is taken toward its achievement. - Bo Bennett

Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness. - Napoleon Hill

Arise! Awake! and stop not until the goal is reached. - Swami Vivekananda

First quarter of 2018 is almost complete…how are your advancing on your goals?  The end of each quarter is always a wonderful time to review how we are doing to determine if we need to make any changes to our plan to accomplish our goals or if we need to continue progressing with the same intensity as we have been in the first quarter over the next three quarters of the year to accomplish our goals. 

As I have been conducting my quarterly review, I started questioning if I should continue with my “stretch goal” of reading 50 books this year or change it.  Contemplating this, I considered that I have read 20 books so far and am in the middle of a couple more books.  Now I will say that I did consider changing this goal because I am “fearful” of not accomplishing it.  However, I decided that at this point I am going to continue to push forward.  As I recently told a friend I was talking to, I cannot set goals based on what I “hope” happens in my life.  I have to continue pushing forward on my current goals and do quarterly reviews to determine if my life circumstances changed to help determine if my goals need to change.   

The danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark. - Michelangelo Buonarrati

Here is a simply process that I came up with to complete a quarterly goal review:

1.       Review benchmark data and determine progress of goals.    

2.       With those goals that are not progressing, do the goals need to remain because they help fulfill a personal purpose statement or should the goals be removed from the list for the year?

3.       If the goals are staying on the list, what new habit(s) need to be incorporated to accomplish the goals? 

A great way to help accomplish large goals may be to set smaller goals.  Would it be beneficial to break large goals down into smaller goals such as a daily or weekly goal?

4.       Incorporate new habits into life.

5.       Celebrate the progress on the goals that have been accomplished! 

The important thing is to strive towards a goal which is not immediately visible.  That goal is not the concern of the mind, but of the spirit. - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Goals are dreams with deadlines. - Diana Scharf Hunt

Challenge:  Complete your quarterly goal review for the first quarter of 2018.

Resources

https://labs.openviewpartners.com/the-goal-of-conducting-quarterly-reviews/#.Wrj9d0xFzV-

https://www.forbes.com/sites/samanthasmith/2013/12/30/a-guide-to-evaluate-your-priorities-set-goals/#5d5ffb914c35

http://selahreflections.com/personal-quarterly-reviews/

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - March 20th

If you don’t give up on something you truly believe in, you will find a way. ― Roy T. Bennett

Don't give up too soon. If you persevere you will succeed. ― Lailah Gifty Akita

Don't give up your greatness because of someone's cynicism or narrowness of mind. ― Debasish Mridha  

Don't give up on yourself. Leave that for the other people. ― Anthony T.Hincks

You have to dig deep for success. Often that means you have to keep digging beyond failures. Don't give up. ― Akiroq Brost

Recently, I was reading an article about how various successful people were told at one time in their life that they would never make it.  Here are a few interesting points that I read:

·       Thomas Edison was told by teachers that he was “Too stupid to learn anything”.

·       Oprah was fired from a television reporting job because she was “Unfit for tv”.

·       Fred Astaire performed in his first screen test and the MGM screen director wrote down, “Can’t act. Can’t sing. Slightly bald. Can dance a little.”

·       Sidney Poitier was told by a casting director after his first audition “Why don’t you stop wasting people’s time and go out and become a dishwasher or something?”

·       Lucille Ball was told she would never be an actress and that she should try a different profession. 

·       Theodor Seuss Giesel, which is the author of “The Cat in the Hat” and “Green Eggs and Ham”, was first rejected by 27 different publishers for his first book titled “To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street”.

Challenge:  Remember the dreams you have.  Focus on them.  Keep pushing forward AND BE CAREFUL WHO YOU LISTEN TO!

Resources

http://www.budbilanich.com/50-famous-people-who-failed-at-their-first-attempt-at-career-success/

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - March 13th

Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction. - Germany Kent

A positive attitude can really make dreams come true - it did for me. - David Bailey

Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results. - Willie Nelson

Don't be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart. ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

When negative thoughts come and finding the strength and passion to push forward is difficult, I have found it helpful to have ways to create a positive mindset.  Here are some of my suggestions:

1.       Help Other People – When I moved to Virginia, I knew no one.  Through my church, I found a great opportunity to volunteer at a local senior center once a month.  I have been volunteering for over a year painting fingernails and have learned that even when I am distraught about life volunteering changes my perspective. 

2.       Laugh – Through my volunteering, I have a “special friend”.  He is a nice 80-year old man that likes to talk to me.  He even gave me a Valentine’s Day card and I have coined him my “80-year old boyfriend”.  My friends laugh at me when I say this.  Valentine’s Day is not usually an easy time for me; however, this year I could not complain because I did receive a Valentine’s Day card!    

3.       Friends –  During the hard times, it is great to call or text friends.  Usually, I do not tell them I am down or discouraged.  Simply interacting with positive people changes my perspective.  

4.       Positive Music – Listening to positive upbeat music can change a person’s perspective.  According to a study in the Journal of Positive Psychology in 2013, two weeks of consistent positive music can help a person feel happier. 

5.       Remembrances – It is so important to remember the progress of how far we have come and events that have helped move us closer to our dreams.  This is often hard for me because I want my dreams immediately and I often forget what has already happened moving me closer to my dreams.  I learned that I have to hang up pictures or reminders from events that occurred and regularly look at them to encourage myself.  Also, I have a list of important dates reminding me of events/activities that occurred moving me closer to my dreams.  When I review these items, I am reminded that I am progressing toward my goals, the trials I am going through are developing my character and everything happens in perfect timing!

Find a place inside where there's joy, and the joy will burn out the pain. - Joseph Campbell

Challenge: Find two ways to create a positive mindset for yourself.  Preparing in advance ways to change a mindset will help you immediately change your perspective instead of waiting until a negative mindset comes and then trying to figure out how to change it.

Resources

Choose Music to Boost Happiness: https://www.everydayhealth.com/depression/choose-music-to-boost-happiness-3267.aspx

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - March 6th

Be who you want to be, not what people want to see. – Unknown

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. — Eleanor Roosevelt

Be yourself.  The world worships an original. - Ingrid Bergman

Never let anyone tell you who you are, hold your head up high, look them in the eyes and TELL them who you are. - Sonya Parker

Last week, I wrote about the story of Monty Roberts receiving an “F” on a high school assignment and was given the opportunity to rewrite the paper for a better grade.  Monty told his teacher he could keep his F and Monty was going to keep his dream. 

This story greatly resonated with me as I have recently had people tell me that the dreams I am praying for are impossible.  Over the last month, I had an acquaintance ask me a question and then lecture me for five minutes about how I needed to walk away from a situation because it would never happen.  Another time I listened to a webinar and when I contacted the speaker to receive her husband’s perspective on a story she told, an employee of the company responded with her opinion of the question I asked and never tried to obtain the husband’s perspective.  

During the frustrating times when are dreams are not progressing at the pace we would like and people are telling us our dreams are impossible, these are the times to stay upbeat and have a positive mindset.  In the first example I gave above, the person I was talking with kept saying “What if” and my response was “Everything happens in perfect timing.”  Her response to me was “That is a positive person’s mindset”.

When people say your dreams are impossible and tell you why something is not going to happen, be gracious during the conversation, walk away when the conversation is over, take time to calm down and analyze what was said.  After these types of conversations, it is important to remember your purpose so that you can determine if what the person said is congruent with your life’s purpose or not.  If it is not, disregard what they said and move on.  If what they said is something you needed to hear, take time to analyze and incorporate changes into your life.

Remember that you have to work as hard as you can to accomplish your dreams and then leave the rest up to God. 

90% of life is about remaining calm. - Dr. Chris Feudtner

Challenge: Develop a process of how you will deal with negative and unsupportive people. 

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - February 27th

Be a witness, not a judge. Focus on yourself, not on others. Listen to your heart, not to the crowd. - Nishan Panwar

Sometimes you've just got to listen to yourself and be okay with nobody else understanding. - Unknown quotes

Sometimes we don’t need advice.  We just need somebody to listen. – iliketoquote.com

Think big and don’t listen to people who tell you it can’t be done.  Life’s too short to think small.  – Time Ferriss

We are almost two months into 2018 and I hope you are as strong, passionate and determined about accomplishing your dreams as Monty Roberts was about accomplishing his dream.  If you have never heard of Monty Roberts, let me tell you about him. 

Monty was born in Salinas, California to Marvin Roberts, who was a horse trainer and authored the book Horse and Horseman Training in 1957.  Monty won his first rodeo trophy at age four.  While attending college at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, he won 2 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association National Championships.  Today, Monty Roberts owns a 154-acre ranch in Solvang, California that is home to thoroughbred racehorses and where he teaches his Join-Up method for training horses.  His horse training methods were the inspiration for the Robert Redford movie “The Horse Whisper”. 

However, none of this would have occurred if he listened to his high school teacher.  Monty was given the assignment to write what he wanted to do when he grew up.  He dreamed big and said he wanted to own a ranch and raise thoroughbred racehorses.  The teacher gave him an “F” and told him that his dream was unrealistic for someone who was currently living in the back of a pickup truck.  The teacher told Monty he would never make his dream into reality and gave him the opportunity to rewrite his paper to receive a higher grade.  Monty Roberts said:

You keep your F; I’m keeping my dream.

Challenge: Have you ever had anyone tell you that your dreams were impossible and that it was never going to happen?  What did you do about it?

Resources

https://www.48days.com/you-keep-your-f-im-keeping-my-dream/

http://www.terri.com/dont-let-anyone-talk-you-out-of-your-dreams/

https://www.montyroberts.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Roberts

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - February 20th

Too many people are worried about having results NOW...the Mona Lisa was not created in a day. Perfection takes time. – Unknown

Patience is power. Patience is not an absence of action; rather it is "timing"; it waits on the right time to act, for the right principles and in the right way. ― Fulton J. Sheen

In 2008, I was given a book called Lincoln’s Sword at a convention where I served as the caucus secretary.  Lincoln is one of my favorite president’s, so I would have thought I would have read the book immediately; however, I did not.  Since receiving the book, I have moved 3 times and never gave it away.  It just sat in a plastic container in a closet. 

One of my goals in 2018 is to read the 11 books that are sitting in a pile in my apartment.  Lincoln’s Sword was one of them!  FINALLY, I read the book and it was the most interesting book.  I learned so much about the various speeches President Lincoln gave, his humor and his perspective on writing his views versus speaking his views.    

Most of what makes a book 'good' is that we are reading it at the right moment for us. ― Alain de Botton

After completing the book, I realized that if I had read this book when I received it I would not have learned nearly as much as I did by reading it in January 2018.  When I received the book, I enjoyed public speaking, but did not have the strong passion I do now for it.  Additionally, I had not started my blog and did not need to understand the differences between writing my perspective and stating (speaking) my perspective.

Furthermore, I had an epiphany through processing this whole situation that has been hard for me to grasp.  This experience taught me that sometimes we need patience to wait for the perfect timing for events to happen. 

Timing in life is everything. – Leonard Maltin

Everything you need will come to you at the perfect time. powerofpositivity.com

Challenge: What aspects of your life do you need to have patience in?  What actions/activities can you do while you are waiting for other things to happen?