Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - September 24th

Of all the 'attitudes' we can acquire, surely the attitude of gratitude is the most important and by far the most life-changing. - Zig Ziglar

If you spend five minutes complaining, you have just wasted five minutes. If you continue complaining, it won’t be long before they haul you out to a financial desert and there let you choke on the dust of your own regret. - Jim Rohn

Maturity is the ability to reap without apology and not complain when things don’t go well. – Jim Rohn

What are you grateful for today?  What are you grateful for about this past weekend?

As fall is approaching, schedules are getting back to normal and life is reestablishing a routine.  Now is a great time to reflect on the importance of gratitude.  Merriam-Webster states gratitude is: “the state of being grateful : thankfulness”.

When the author read this definition, the word “state” struck her.  Gratitude is not a one-time statement saying “I’m grateful for a parking spot” and the individual remains happy for years.  Gratitude is a mindset that helps an individual remain happy through the ups and downs of life.  Continual gratitude is important because it elevates a person’s mood and fills that individual with happiness. 

According to Oprah, gratitude is one of the most important aspects of her life and she believes it has made her successful.  In “What Oprah Knows for Sure About Gratitude”, she states how she had been an avid gratitude journaler for years, but stopped when she became “busy”.  After a period of not journaling, Oprah realized that she was building a massive empire, but was not happy.  Oprah wrote:

I know for sure that appreciating whatever shows up for you in life changes your personal vibration. You radiate and generate more goodness for yourself when you're aware of all you have and not focusing on your have-nots.

We all have trials and tribulations.  It can be frustrating to have those trials and tribulations when pushing toward goal achievement.  However even during those trying times, it is important to find the small things in life to be happy for because the small things are often the events that make up the “big things.” 

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. - Robert Brault

CHALLENGE:  Decide to daily find three things to be grateful for.

Resources

·       http://www.poweraffirmations.com/ezine-articles/jim-rohn/don-t-be-a-complainer.htm

·       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id-dgFxnhRU

·       https://www.inc.com/lolly-daskal/7-things-you-should-be-doing-if-you-want-to-be-successful.html

·       http://www.oprah.com/spirit/oprahs-gratitude-journal-oprah-on-gratitude

·       http://www.poweraffirmations.com/ezine-articles/jim-rohn/don-t-be-a-complainer.htm

·       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKu0kqw8o_s

·       https://www.investivate.com/jim-rohn-inspirational-quotes/

·       https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/40-inspiring-motivational-quotes-about-gratitude.html

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

The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. - Benjamin Franklin

The United States Constitution has proved itself the most marvelously elastic compilation of rules of government ever written. - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Two hundred and thirty-two (232) years ago today, the framers of the United States Constitution met for the last time to sign the document they had created.  More than fifty (50) men from twelve (12) of the original colonies spent one hundred (100) days debating and writing every aspect of the document.  The courageous thirty-nine (39) men that signed the document had the dream to create a republic for the United States. 

The Constitution is a unique document that has only four thousand four hundred (4,400) words.  The genius of the framers was the creation of a short document that laid out a system of government that has been used as a reference for many other countries to create their own system of government.   

As we celebrate Constitution Day today, it is a great reminder of the dream thirty-nine (39) signers had and the hard work they did to accomplish that dream!

CHALLENGE:  Take time to learn more about the United States Constitution, its signers and the reason Constitution Day was implemented in 2005.    

Resources

·       https://www.constitutionfacts.com/us-constitution-amendments/fascinating-facts/

·       https://constitutionday.com/

·       https://www.dummies.com/education/history/american-history/the-drafting-of-the-united-states-constitution/

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

You will never do big things when you are distracted by small things. –@craiggroeschel  

Starve your distractions. Feed your focus. – @craiggroeschel

How many times has a day finished and an individual questions what they actually accomplished?  In a day, what activities actually impact an individual’s goals and dreams?  What actions or activities are simply a check mark on the to-do list, but are minimal activities that do not have any impact on one’s goals and dreams? 

Craig Groeschel says that slack “is any activity that absorbs resources but creates little to no value”.  The dictionary states that slack is a “decrease or reduce in intensity, quantity, or speed”.  Many times, people will say that they are going to “slack off” on Friday afternoon or over the weekend.  They are reducing their intensity and quality of work.  Slack can be very detrimental if done consistently and slacking off during the day can cause an individual to have to work in the evenings when they would rather be spending time with their family or doing something else.  

Procrastination is like a credit card.  It’s a lot of fun until you get the bill. – lifehack.org

To remove slack, here are a few activities to consider:

1.           Develop a Not-To-Do-List to help focus on what is important to accomplish dreams and goals. 
2. Write down the To-Do List to know what needs to be accomplished to free up space in the brain.  
3. Create small tasks/goals from the to-do list.  It is easier to accomplish small tasks instead of one BIG task.  
4. Have scheduled quiet time for projects.  To focus on projects, sequester into a quiet place with no distractions.  Cal Newport’s book, Deep work: rules for focused success in a distracted world, provides great ideas about creating quiet exclusive times in a schedule to accomplish projects.  Newport also discusses scheduling short periods of time for breaks to review social media, make phone calls, etc.  

Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out. – John Wooten

Simplify or eliminate all policies, processes, or steps that take too much time, cost too much, and add too little value. - @craiggroeschel  

CHALLENGE:  Analyze your daily activities and remove slack from your life. 

Resources

·       Clear, J. (2018) Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results - Atomic Habits – An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones.  New York, NY: Penguin Random House. 

·       Newport, C. (2016). Deep work: rules for focused success in a distracted world. First edition. New York: Grand Central Publishing.

·       59: ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS: CUT THE SLACK, PART 1 - https://api-assets.life.church/uploads/message/1370/podcast_show_notes/eliminate-distractions-cut-the-slack-part-1.pdf?utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=75127211&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--AFhXPTgXC-ws3yVyYDf3XZHNiDIP7vKlD13mADmQ3lj5o25btl5KHY4mfTQu7Jw2PMai61EN3N3ORXuZ6-XDecEiH2Q&_hsmi=75127212

·       61: SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE AND LEADERSHIP: CUT THE SLACK, PART 2 - https://api-assets.life.church/uploads/message/1386/podcast_show_notes/simplify-your-life-and-leadership-cut-the-slack-part-2.pdf?utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=76461774&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9-cybFpifid1j91z-hMOPCHTnTvz75J5gN6wPiZ5ow6TbAj797A36rshacvu8F7R-W9wzh-I3e67Y4H3mQtNwupq3n1g&_hsmi=76461776

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

Good habits are worth being fanatical about. – John Irving

The easiest thing in our life is to change our habits, if we really want to change. ― Dr. Purushothaman Kollam

We are creatures of habit, and leveraging our habitual tendencies is one of the best ways to develop discipline. ― Ernest Cadorin, The Arrows of Zen

In a Joyce Meyer podcast, she tells the story of a friend who was always late to work because she wanted a spotless home when she left her house and would tidy up before getting ready for work.  As this friend was complaining about how she was always late, Joyce told her to change her routine…do the things you have to do first such as get dressed, do your hair, etc. and then tidy up.  Simple fact is that someone has to have clothes on before they leave; however, the bed does not have to be made. 

Do the things you have to do first, then spend the time you have left doing the things you want to do. – Joyce Meyer

If you major in minors you are still going to have to do the majors and not have any time left. – Joyce Meyer

By changing the routine of habits, the person was able to change her habit of being late.  Her happiness increased once she implemented a new routine/habit.

As the seasons are about to change and summer is ending, it is a great time to review the morning routine to determine what needs to be added, removed and continued.  This may mean going to bed earlier to work out in the mornings because evenings are unpredictable.  Or it could be creating time in your day for reading and self-improvement. 

With self-discipline most anything is possible. - Theodore Roosevelt

Healthy habits harbor happiness. ― Zero Dean, Lessons Learned from The Path Less Traveled Volume 1: Get motivated & overcome obstacles with courage, confidence & self-discipline

CHALLENGE:  Revise or create a morning routine.

Resources

·       http://jmmdownloads.org.edgesuite.net/DigitalDownloads/audio_cd/JoyceMeyer-Habits.mp3 - minute 33

·       Clear, J. (2018) Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results - Atomic Habits – An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones.  New York, NY: Penguin Random House. 

·       https://jamesclear.com/marginal-gains

·       https://jamesclear.com/the-1-percent-rule

·       https://joycemeyer.org/study/m1b1-video?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=3%20-%20M1B1%20Video-Reboot%20(6)&utm_content=

·       https://jamesclear.com/behavior-change-paradox

·       https://jamesclear.com/sun-tzu-habits

·       How Do You Stay Disciplined with Your Habits? -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sapt2IbaX68