Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - May 9, 2023

 Choose your attitude every day until eventually it chooses you right back. - Jon Acuff

A soundtrack without action is just a fortune cookie. – John Acuff, Soundtracks

As a review from the last blog post, the author discussed the three questions one should ask when a potential negative soundtrack runs through the mind.

When these negative soundtracks emerge in our minds, the likelihood is stress or sleep deprivation. So, our first action should be to stop, breathe and walk away if possible. By changing surroundings, a fresh perspective allows for the creation of a new soundtrack.

Next, the reader needs to develop a new, positive, and encouraging soundtrack to replace the negative soundtrack. This new soundtrack will need to be repeated over and over again until it becomes as automatic as the negative soundtrack was.

Lastly, it is beneficial to attach a symbol to the new soundtrack according to Acuff. When those stressful times arise and one has to remember the positive soundtracks, the symbol will remind the reader to continually repeat the new soundtrack in one’s mind.

According to Acuff in the electronic version of Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking (4:36:35), the symbol should be:

1.      Simple

2.      Personal

3.      Visible

ACTION: What broken soundtracks do you need to retire and create new ones for? Create new soundtracks and select a symbol to help remember these new soundtracks.

Resource

·        https://quotefancy.com/jon-acuff-quotes

·        Acuff, J. (2021).  Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking. Prince Frederick. 

·        https://www.fullingmgmt.com/blog/soundtrack-symbols-make-your-soundtrack-stick

·        https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-check-the-story-youre-telling-yourself/id1138081298?i=1000602915356

·        https://andystanley.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Andy-Stanley-Leadership-Podcast-February-2023-Application-Guide.pdf

·        https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/atg-120-beyond-perfect-the-hidden-enemy-of-your-goals-part-1/id1547078080?i=1000608141418

·        https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/atg-121-beyond-perfect-soundtracks-i-use-to-beat-perfectionism/id1547078080?i=1000609236308

 

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - May 2, 2023

If you have a strong mind and plant in it a firm resolve, you can change your destiny. – Paramahansa Yogananda

The mind is everything.  What you think you become. - Buddha

Last week, the author talked about a crazy week she had and asked the reader how they would manage a situation they could not control.

In the author’s situation, the first couple of hours were difficult for her. She was upset and continually tried to call the electricity company to figure out when the power would be turned back on. Even with her persistence, nothing happened. The author tried to control the situation and could do nothing. Finally, she stopped, took a breath, and went for a drive.   

For a while, the author blamed herself for the electricity going out. That may sound crazy, but the author spiraled to crazy thoughts because she was tired, frustrated and trying to control. When those crazy thoughts were festering in her mind, the author remembered a quote in Jon Acuff’s book Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking.

One of the greatest mistakes you can make in life is assuming all your thoughts are true.

This was a great reminder of the author. At that moment, she remembered the three questions that Acuff discussed on Andy Stanley’s podcast to determine if the soundtrack in one’s mind was “broken.”  The questions listed below were discussed in the February 2023 podcast: 

A. Is it true? One of the greatest mistakes you make is assuming that all your thoughts are true.

B. Is it helpful? There are some things in life that are true but not helpful.

C. Is it kind? If you said it to a friend, would they still want to be your friend.

ACTION: Think back to the last time you were having a horrible, no-good day and think about the thoughts you thought about yourself. Were they uplifting or degrading? What did you do?

Resource

·        Acuff, J. (2021).  Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking. Prince Frederick. 

·        https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-check-the-story-youre-telling-yourself/id1138081298?i=1000602915356

·        https://andystanley.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Andy-Stanley-Leadership-Podcast-February-2023-Application-Guide.pdf

·        https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/atg-120-beyond-perfect-the-hidden-enemy-of-your-goals-part-1/id1547078080?i=1000608141418

·        https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/atg-121-beyond-perfect-soundtracks-i-use-to-beat-perfectionism/id1547078080?i=1000609236308

 

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - April 18, 2023

 Do not be concerned too much with what will happen. Everything which happens will be good and useful for you. – Epictetus

Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful. - Joshua J. Marine

Spring is in full bloom. Summer is just around the corner. As the author has stated, her life has been extremely busy with additional duties at work. When she took on these additional duties, it was uncertain when the end would come, and she did not realize the additional issues that would arise, and she would have to manage.

A month or so ago, the author was dealing with many issues. She was stressed and trying to control and accomplish everything in her life. The author was doing well with completion of tasks and on a Thursday night the author was talking to a friend and the tornado warnings went off. Calling the dog, the conversation with her friend ended in the closet and everything returned to “normal.”  Going to sleep, the author voiced a word of gratitude that she had not lost her electricity because did not have time for it. The next morning, the author awoke, completed her morning routine, and started working. Around 9:15am, the electricity went out on a beautiful sunny morning. The stress level for the author went sky high. She did not have time to have a disturbance. Doing everything she could with the electric company, she decided to go to a local coffee shop to work. For this particular day, her coworker was working and was able to cover some responsibilities. Frustration was high most of the day until someone asked her if she could do anything about the situation. Sitting in the coffee shop, she just laughed and shook her head. Shortly afterwards, she drove home, and the electricity came back on about 6pm.

What was the author to do? At first, she stressed and after about 6 hours she realized there was nothing she could do and changed her attitude.

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. ― Viktor E. Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning

 

ACTION: How would you have handled a situation like this? What thoughts would have gone through your mind?

Resource

·        https://wisdomquotes.com/hard-times-quotes/

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - April 11, 2023

 Small changes can make huge destination differences. – Sean Covey

Small changes can produce big results – but the areas of highest leverage are often the least obvious. — Peter Senge

Last week, the author gave steps for a first quarter goal review. Additionally, she challenged readers to think about small actions to implement to have a major impact at the end of 2023.

The author did not give any guidance, restrictions, or ideas on this. Hopefully, everyone thought of some ideas, but the author wanted to give a small action she has implemented that has already had an impact and the author foresees that she will have to continue to work on.

Some may know that the author can talk very softly and very fast. In a job interview a number of years ago, she was told to just slow down. Since January, the author has taken on more responsibilities at work and has had to interact with someone that has intimidated her for years. At first, the author was scared and talked fast. However, as the interactions with this individual have continued, the communication the author has with this person has improved. And the simple action that the author implemented was to slow down. For someone that is goal-driven and always trying to move to the next step and make progress, slowing down is not easy. The author has to continually check the speed of her dialogue to make sure she does not revert back to her old ways. In the long run, the author knows that this small change will have a major impact.  

ACTION:   Review the small changes you decided to implement in your life going forward in 2023.  Make any changes to help make 2023 the best year yet.

Resource

·        This One Word Will Keep You Focused - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-one-word-will-keep-you-focused/id274538089?i=1000607103119

·        Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week: Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - August 27th

·        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.  

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - April 4, 2023

Spring cleaning is a chance to hit the reset on your life. – Unknown

Edit your life frequently and ruthlessly.  It’s your masterpiece after all. – Nathan W. Morris

The first quarter of 2023 is complete!  What a crazy couple of months.  As usual for the author, not what the author planned, but it has been busy and good.

It is that wonderful time to examine the first quarter of 2023 and analyze the progress the reader has accomplished on their goals.  Here are some actions to take to determine progress so far this year:

1.      Review goals to see accomplishments for the first quarter of 2023.   

2.      Are the currently established 2023 goals still the appropriate direction for the reader?  Life happens and goals may need to be modified/revised/deleted based on the circumstances.

3.      With what has happened so far this year, are there new goals that should be established for the year?  Nine months is a lot of time to accomplish a new goal.

A little progress each day adds up to big results. - Unknown

As the author thought about today’s blog, she thought back to one of her favorite blog posts, which was posted on August 27, 2019.  The author wrote about how small changes can have a major impact on our lives. 

For example, what would happen if a plane traveling from Los Angeles (LAX) to New York had a slight change in heading by just 3.5 degrees while sitting on the runway?  Instead of landing in New York, the plane would land in Washington, D.C.  The change in heading does not seem that big at LAX; however, that small change has a drastic impact when flying across the country (Clear, 17).

ACTION:  Complete a quarterly review of 2023 goals and determine progress.  Think of 3 small changes that will have major impacts on your life by the end of the year. 

Resource

·        This One Word Will Keep You Focused - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-one-word-will-keep-you-focused/id274538089?i=1000607103119

·        Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week: Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - August 27th

·        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.  

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - March 28, 2023

 The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. - Hans Hofmann

Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be a dreaded list of chores. It can be a rewarding experience that helps provide some structure and organization in your life. - Peter Walsh

Spring cleaning is in full gear. As the author said last week, her goal was to complete two tasks on her to-do list in the evenings she was at home, and she accomplished a lot. Also, the item she ordered last weekend arrived and she assembled it. In addition, the author created a list of items she needs to purchase and has started shopping and budgeting to purchase them.

Now to tattling on the author. A number of months ago, the author wrote about FOMO (the Fear Of Missing Out).  Since the author purchased her house, she is always looking for the most recent decorating tips, decluttering ideas and latest paint colors to keep her home up-to-date.  While it is great to stay knowledgeable about these topics, it is not good for the author to continually open new web pages and then never read the articles.  She has FOMO of missing something important.

How does the author plan to resolve this problem? In an article she read, the idea was to have a “catch-all day” allowing for completion of outstanding tasks (homesandgardens.com). This is a great idea as long as at the end of the day everything has been completed and all the webpages have been closed. 😊

A couple more ideas for spring cleaning:

1. Minimalism is all the craze. What does it mean to the reader and how can it be implemented into the reader’s life? 

2. Declutter the paper.

3. Our country is blessed, and we have so much stuff. But what is most important to the reader? Take time to pare down to what is memorable and remember that we cannot take it with us when we pass from this earth.

4. All of the articles the author wants to read are great, but what is most important is that the author enjoys living in her home and the same for the reader. 

ACTION:  Analyze all the belongs in your home and get rid of those that do not matter.  Live in a space that is clean, clutter-free, and enjoyable.

Resource

·        https://www.homesandgardens.com/life-design/what-is-a-catch-all-day?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=homesandgardens&fbclid=IwAR03Q3D_uzsDasor7qWOhKNYAG1hRwYRinGZFn7cddJ8qMv6dugnO0vDd-U

 

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - March 21, 2023

The first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t. - Joshua Becker

Out of calmness comes clarity. - Trevor Carss

Happy first day of Spring! We are moving closer to beautiful warm days of summer with sand under our toes (depending on vacation plans!).

Last week, the author talked about not falling into the trap of Parkinson’s Law and paying now so that the reader can play later.  The author spent this past weekend paying now so she can play later when vacation comes in less than 90 days! 

Knowing she had a lot of spring cleaning to do, the author created a basic list of things to do.  The plan was to accomplish car maintenance Saturday at 7:30am so she would be able to spend the majority of the day accomplishing her to-do list.  Great plan, but it fell apart when it took longer than she planned for car maintenance.  Furthermore, the author found something she wanted to purchase so she decided to make a “quick” pit stop on the way home.  Four stops later the author finally arrived home around noon.  Three less hours in the day did not help the plan. 

The author regrouped and decided to order online the item she was not able to find in stores.   Additionally, she accomplished fixing a doorknob problem (which she is very proud of herself for), rearranged some furniture, completed some spring cleaning in her bedroom and came up with a plan to accomplish two tasks on her to-do list each night this week when she does not have an activity.  Some of the best planning goes haywire and we have to be flexible, regroup and push forward in life.

Also, the author learned that she had broad tasks on her to-do list and needed to be more specific.  The to-do list will appear longer, but it will be easier to have tasks for each room and estimate time to accomplish the tasks.       

In today’s minimalism and technology environments, there are many articles to give ideas to the reader about decorating and how to create a plan to declutter and spring clean.  The best plan is the one that the reader will stick with and complete.

ACTION:  Review your to-do list and determine what areas you will work on this week to pay now so that you can play later.

Resource

·        https://www.homesandgardens.com/life-design/what-is-a-catch-all-day?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=homesandgardens&fbclid=IwAR03Q3D_uzsDasor7qWOhKNYAG1hRwYRinGZFn7cddJ8qMv6dugnO0vDd-U

  

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - March 14, 2023

People who use time wisely spend it on activities that advance their overall purpose in life. – John Maxwell

Working smarter is learning to prioritize, plan and focus our energies with meaningful intent. - Michael Thomas Sunnarborg

Yesterday, marked 100 days until summer, which means we are in a double-digit countdown!  Texans know this means we are getting closer to hot summer days.  For others, it represents the number of days until vacation.  The author’s much needed vacation starts 94 days from today. 

When summer hits, most people do not want to stay home.  They want to be out having fun enjoying exciting activities. Is the reader ready for summer and the long, cold days of winter to disappear?  Has the reader completed all of the outstanding tasks that need to be completed around the house? 

As we start to prepare for summer days, it is good to understand Parkinson’s Law and how not to fall prey to it.  Parkinson’s Law states that work expands to occupy the time given to complete the work (www.economist.com, www.verywellmind.com). How does this affect the reader? Knowing that there are 99 days until summer, procrastination will set in and the reader is more likely to wait until closer to summer to accomplish tasks instead of focusing on completing the tasks now.   

Does the reader fall into this trap? The author hates to admit it, but she does. For the author, she needs a purpose to focus on to complete a task before the due date such as her pending vacation.  How can one outsmart Parkin’s Law?

Here are some tips:

1.      Create a to-do list.

2.      Estimate amount of time to complete each task.

3.      Set a deadline for each task that is reasonable and attainable. 

4.      When completing tasks, set an alarm and do not allow any distractions to take the reader away from the goal.   

5.      If the task is not fully completed after the allotted time, create a revised task allowing for a checkmark of completion on the original task.  This will provide motivation to continue working on tasks. 

The author is choosing to PAY NOW, PLAY LATER.

ACTION: Create your to-do list to accomplish before summer arrives so you can pay now and play later.

Resource

·        https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-parkinsons-law-6674423#citation-1

·        https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1158604/

·        https://www.economist.com/news/1955/11/19/parkinsons-law

·        https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20191107-the-law-that-explains-why-you-cant-get-anything-done

 

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - March 7, 2023

 The most difficult thing is the decision to act; the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process, is its own reward. – Amelia Earhart

Adventure is worthwhile in itself. – Amelia Earhart

Recently, the author read a book that talked about ten different women and the impact they had in the world.  All of the stories were wonderful, but the one that surprised the author was that of Amelia Earhart.  Most people have heard the stories of Amelia being the first women to fly across the Atlantic Ocean and she disappeared during an around the world flight.  However, did the reader know that Earhart’s first flight across the Atlantic in 1928 was as a passenger and not as the pilot?  Wilmer Stultz and Louis Gordon piloted the Fokker tri-motor aircraft and Earhart was the passenger (nasa.gov).

When the author first read this, she was surprised because she had never heard that she was a passenger and did not pilot the plane herself.  However, that shows the strength of Amelia Earhart.  She was sought out in 1928 to make this flight as a passenger and not as the pilot.  Because of this flight, she became an international powerhouse and many new doors opened for her.  Before she was lost in flight, she was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1932 and was on around the world flight in 1937 when she disappeared. 

As March is Women’s History Month and March 8^th is International Women’s Day, take time to research some of the amazing women that have overcome amazing obstacles to accomplish their dreams.  In less than 5 years, Earhart went from being a passenger to flying solo.  Hard work and determination helped her accomplish her dreams. 

ACTION: What can you accomplish in 2023 with hard work and determination?

Resource

·        https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_1112.html

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - February 28, 2023

 A man’s true wealth is the good he does in this world. - Muhammad

We rise by lifting others. – Robert Ingersoll

The author is a goal-oriented individual focused towards accomplishing her dreams.  Even though the author is driven, she also knows that there is more to life than just accomplishing her dreams.  As we finish out the month of “love”, it is a great reminder to remember to not just focus on ourselves this year, but also take time to show love by volunteering and donating to nonprofits that are of importance to the reader.

Based on various sources, there are around 1.5 million nonprofits in the United States ranging from helping children learn to read, supporting the military, churches, building homes, etc.  If the reader has a passion for something, there is most likely a nonprofit to get involved in. 

For the author, she has taken on more responsibilities at work for a couple months and still wants to volunteer to help others, have fun in life and have adventures.  The author decided that she will find the organizations that she is passionate about and support monetarily and with her time.  It will not be a weekly thing, but she can take time out of her busy schedule to spend a Saturday helping others.

No one has ever become poor by giving. – Anne Frank

ACTION: How will you volunteer to helps others in 2023? 

Resource

·        https://www.statista.com/topics/1390/nonprofit-organizations-in-the-us/#topicOverview     

·        https://financesonline.com/nonprofit-statistics/#:~:text=Number%20of%20Nonprofits%20by%20Geography%20and%20Cause%201,all%20nonprofits%20in%20the%20US.%20...%20More%20items

·        https://www.maxwellleadership.com/minute-with-maxwell/add-value-2023/?utm_medium=email&_hsmi=244898717&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_hu26Z4OQ_TccyDBkS-rGpKRIiBTlSPPjSumZe1zJMtOj0IBk9PYTrJzwe217-x5FuFOve_242ydu9-BQKksCn47tUew&utm_content=244898717&utm_source=hs_email

·