Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - January 9, 2024

 Self-care is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation. – Audre Lorde

Caring for myself is not self-indulgent. Caring for myself is an act of survival. – Audre Lorde

The first week of 2024 is in the books. Hopefully, readers took time to use the blank slate provided by the new year to create goals to move toward their dreams.

As the author said last week, this week’s blog will discuss what the author’s focus for the year will be on. This year, the author is focusing on self-care. According to verywellhealth.com, self-care is “the practice of taking care of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of your life to promote health and wellness.”  The author is a person that does not focus on herself and wants to serve others. However, 2023 was a difficult year for the author focusing on work and she allowed many things to fall by the wayside. So, this year, the author is focusing on herself including:

·        Health

·        Volunteering

·        Socializing/Friendships

·        Networking

·        Fashion style/Brand

On Monday morning, the author listened to 3-Minute Reset, which is a podcast by Pat Lencioni and Chris Stefanick. They said that if one does not take care of themselves, he/she will not be able to help others. The author realized she has to care for herself to be here for the long haul and accomplish her dreams.

ACTION:  What self-care actions will you implement into your life in 2024?

Resource

·        https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-self-care-5212781

·        Take Care - 3-Minute Reset | Pat Lencioni & Chris Stefanick - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/take-care/id1717490448?i=1000640876371

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - January 2, 2024

 New year - a new chapter, new verse, or just the same old story? Ultimately we write it.  The choice is ours. – Alex Morritt

What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year. – Vern McLellan

Happy 2024! Today is the first potential workday of the new year for readers. As we start the new year, we have the opportunity to create the year we want. A couple years ago, the author used the below quote in a blog post and every year she remembers the quote and still believes it:

Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one. – Brad Paisley

In December 2023, the author challenged readers to start thinking about what they wanted to accomplish in 2024. The author created a spreadsheet that allowed her to start thinking about the volunteering, donations and travel she wants to accomplish in 2024. Additionally, over the last couple of weeks, she reviewed and developed her goals for 2024. Through this analysis, the author realized she is going to do many of the same things such as reading, volunteering, and visiting new places. What the author is planning on changing is reducing the tasks she does for her morning routine and also changing her workout regimen. As she previously said, if she wants to create a different life in 2024, she has to make changes that will allow her to attend more social activities.

Actions change things.  Wishful thinking is not a strategy for success.  Hope is not a strategy for success.  Work.  Work.  You prove to me that you mean it when you when you change your actions.  You prove to yourself that you mean it when you change your actions. – Larry Winget

Next week, the author will discuss what her focus for 2024 will be.

ACTION: If you have not created your 2024 goals yet, take time this week to create them.

Resources

·        https://www.bookey.app/quote-author/brad-paisley#:~:text=30%20Best%20Brad%20Paisley%20Quotes%20With%20Image%201,counts%20up%20to%20your%20life.%20...%20More%20items

·        Best Of 2023 | Larry Winget: “You are 100% Satisfied with Your Life, Otherwise It’d Be Different.” - No-BS speaker Larry Winget shares an uncomfortable truth that most people don’t want to hear — that you are 100% responsible for your life. YOU ARE READY AND ABLE TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL. But are you willing? - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/best-of-2023-larry-winget-you-are-100-satisfied-with/id1163094296?i=1000639990056

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - December 26, 2023

 Obstacles can't stop you. Problems can't stop you. Most of all, other people can't stop you. Only you can stop you. - Jeffrey Gitomer

You can conquer almost any fear if you will make up your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn't exist anywhere except in the mind. - Dale Carnegie

Has the reader told someone a dream or goal and was made fun of for it? Maybe the reader has told someone a goal they want to accomplish in 2024 and the acquaintance laughed or said it was impossible or that the reader was not competent to accomplish it.

Over the last couple of months, the author had a couple situations where she was told that she would not complete tasks.  When negative words were spoken to her, she immediately was offended. Then she decided that she was not going to let that stop her.  She took the tasks on and completed them.  They were not easy, but she decided she was not going to let people tell her what she could accomplish. 

After completing the tasks, the author was in another situation where she was told that she would never accomplish a dream.  At first, the author felt betrayed, but then she decided that she was not going to let one person stop her from dreaming.  The author is aware that there are many circumstances that could affect the dream and for now she is going to keep working towards it.   

Focused, hard work is the real key to success. Keep your eyes on the goal, and just keep taking the next step towards completing it. If you aren't sure which way to do something, do it both ways and see which works better. - John Carmack

ACTION: As 2024 is less than 7 days away, what thoughts or who do you need to remove from your life to move forward in your dreams?

Resource

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/achieving-goals-quotes#:~:text=%E2%80%9CFocused%2C%20hard%20work%20is%20the%20real%20key%20to,it%20both%20ways%20and%20see%20which%20works%20better.%E2%80%9D

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - December 19, 2023

 Focused, hard work is the real key to success. Keep your eyes on the goal, and just keep taking the next step towards completing it. If you aren't sure which way to do something, do it both ways and see which works better. - John Carmack

I don't care how much power, brilliance or energy you have, if you don't harness it and focus it on a specific target, and hold it there, you're never going to accomplish as much as your ability warrants. - Zig Ziglar

Communication was a serious focus for the author this year. With the additional responsibilities at her job, she was communicating with senior leaders and had to be clear and concise with her words. During the author’s performance review, she was told that her communication was excellent and consistent. The author was told that her communication in the weekly meeting with senior leaders was slow predictable, which was a very good thing.

The last area the author focused on in 2023 was energy. As she is writing this blog post, she is tired from a sleepless night. The author took time to evaluate the reason for her sleepless night and realized part of it was due to stress and concern of too many tasks to complete. Additionally, the author runs and lifts weights daily, but may not eat enough food to provide the energy she needs for all of the exercising she does. For the author, she learned that she cannot schedule something every night of the week as she does need an occasional night to stay in and she needs to reduce the number of miles she runs. The author yet again surpassed the number of miles she had as her goal. Being an overachiever and goal-oriented, the author likes to surpass her goals, but she has to learn in 2024 that she does not have to surpass goals if she wants other parts of her life to take occur.   

ACTION: What do you need to stop in 2024 to get what you want?

Resource

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/achieving-goals-quotes#:~:text=%E2%80%9CFocused%2C%20hard%20work%20is%20the%20real%20key%20to,it%20both%20ways%20and%20see%20which%20works%20better.%E2%80%9D

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - December 12, 2023

 One part at a time, one day at a time, we can accomplish any goal we set for ourselves. - Karen Casey

Obstacles can’t stop you. Problems can’t stop you. Most of all, other people can’t stop you. Only you can stop you. - Jeffrey Gitomer

Amazingly enough, we are 19 days from 2024.  Wow this has been a year!  As the author has mentioned, she has had an extremely busy year at work.  When she started planning for 2024, she reviewed her goals for 2023 to see how she did and plan for 2024.  To her own amazement, she has exceeded her goals, and she is very proud of herself.  These goals include attending events, traveling to new places, listening to podcasts and reading.

This year, the author focused on four areas in her life and will discuss what she learned about prioritizing and solitude this week. 

Prioritizing is how the author worked both jobs and met her goals.  She learned that at certain times you have to put work first and at other times one has to focus on personal priorities.  Over the years, there has been a phenomenon about work/life balance, which the author believed for a while.  However, she believes that prioritization in life is probably the more reasonable way.    

Solitude is difficult for the author as she works from home and is often lonely.  She has stepped out a lot in the second half of the year to meet new people, help others and has learned that one must balance their need for solitude for growth and evaluation.  Recently, the author realized that her solitude often comes through her morning runs, hiking in nature, etc.   

ACTION: What did you learn about yourself from your 2023 goals?  What will you change next year based on how you did with your 2023 goals?

https://www.ellevatenetwork.com/articles/8602-reaching-your-goals-quotes

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - December 5, 2023

 

Life is a daring adventure or it is nothing at all. - Helen Keller

Opportunities don't happen. You create them. - Chris Grosser

What does the reader’s life hold in 2024?  Over the last couple of weeks, the author has received emails from various motivational speakers talking about how they are planning for 2024.  Most of us would think, “Wait.  We have 25 days before we have to start thinking about that.”  However if we want a different 2024 from 2023, we have to create the new year we want.

For the author, she created a 2024 spreadsheet with columns for volunteering, donations, travel, events.  Through this process, the author learned a few things:

1.      This process made the author plan and think about what she wanted to do in 2024.  The author is a planner, but often makes decisions at the last minute for travel, etc.

2.      For donations and travel the author wants to make in 2024, she now has a dollar amount allowing her to save for those events/activities.   

3.      The author wants to travel in 2024 and this process has started the author thinking about where she wants to go.  At this point, she is looking at one big trip and small little trips, which will also cause her to save for what she wants.

4.      By preparing for 2024, the author had to review 2023 to see what she accomplished.  Looking back at the year, she has done more than she remembered and accomplished many of her goals. 

Read next week to learn more about what the author accomplished in 2023.

ACTION: How will you start planning for 2024 so that it is the year you want it to be?   

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

 Happiness doesn’t result from what we get, but from what we give. -Ben Carson

We make a living by what we get.  We make a life by what we give. – Winston S. Churchill

You will not be great-full because everything is good, but you will be great-full if you see good in everything. – Keith Craft

As the month of thanksgiving is coming to a close, the author wanted to give an update on how she did for her “gratitude moments” challenge.  Well the author had a hard time.  The author is extremely blessed to live in the United States, have a job, a sister, friends and many other things.  However, she became frustrated during November as she felt taken advantage of and not valued in different areas.   Below are some of the greatest times she had in November that helped her find gratitude and remove the negativity.    

Last Friday will most likely be the craziest shopping day of the year.  As one that does not have a family to buy gifts for, the author adopted a family for Christmas.  When the author first started shopping, she searched for Toys “R” Us online.  Little did she know that the store no longer exists and the author had to find the next place to shop!  While shopping, the author went to different stores and had a wonderful time purchasing baby girl clothes and toddler toys for a little boy.  As the little boy loves spiderman, the author found the most adorable tennis shoes outfitted in spiderman that light up. 

Another opportunity the author embarked on was distributing food to military personnel at the local military base.  As the organizer of the event said, it was a hurry up and wait exercise.  Once the food distribution started, immense joy was felt by the author as she was helping others.

Through both of these experiences, the author saw how it is impossible to be grateful and negative at the same time.  For the author, she determined that 2024 has to have more volunteering and helping other people in her life so that she can take the focus off herself and put that energy toward showing love to others.

Think of giving not as a duty but as a privilege. – John D. Rockefeller Jr.

ACTION: What ideas do you have to help others to have gratitude in your own life and overcome any negativity/sadness?   

Resources

•        https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude/

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

 Don’t walk in front of me… I may not follow

Don’t walk behind me… I may not lead

Walk beside me… just be my friend - Albert Camus

 

There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature. - Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

 

There are big ships and small ships. But the best ship of all is friendship. - Unknown

What is a friend?  According to Cambridge dictionary, a friend is “a person who you know well and who you like a lot, but who is usually not a member of your family”.  For the author, friends and friendships are very important to her and she is greatly blessed and grateful to have her friends.  Some of the author’s friends are located in Fort Worth and the surrounding areas and some are located across the country. 

In the past year, the author has been blessed to visit California to visit a friend and received phone calls from friends unexpectedly just when the author needed a friend.  These friends are all great encouragers.  For the author, she has built these friendships by being an encourager to them, which included sending cards and text messages.

The author is extremely grateful for her “old” friends and her new ones. 

ACTION:  What ideas do you have to develop stronger friendships?  As has been said before, it does not take big gestures, but simply acts of kindness.  

Resources

•        https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude/

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

 Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. – George Bernard Shaw

Become a student of change. It is the only thing that will remain constant. - Anthony D’Angelo

Sunday is the two-year anniversary of the author flying back to Texas to return home. As another year has passed, the author took time to see what has changed in her life over the last year.

The most important update is that the author still has the most adorable 10lb dog that she inherited from her father and shares joint custody with her sister. Everyone loves him. Chevy took a couple trips to Railhead (the local barbeque joint) for ribs and for Halloween he dressed up as a sheriff and attended an event at the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame.    

This last year included volunteering for the Fort Worth Livestock Show and Fort Worth A&M Club again. In mid-2023, the author asked a simply question of an acquaintance and the author found many new military volunteer opportunities.  With the author’s adventures spirit, she visited another fifty new places including many in Texas, which allowed her the opportunity to learn more about the great state she returned to. 

Over the summer, the author had brunch with a couple friends from DC that encouraged her to continue trying new things as it takes a couple years to get established and find new friends. As the author has started planning for 2024, she has already been asked to join and assist with new opportunities that will take her closer to her dreams.

As the author continues to get more involved, she is finding new opportunities and stepping outside her comfort zone to come into her own in Fort Worth, Texas. The author is doing what she is passionate about and how she wants to impact the world.

The things that make me different are the things that make me. - Winnie The Pooh

ACTION:  What changes do you need to incorporate to make progress on your goals and let you be you?

Resources

•        https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude/

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

 We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. -Cynthia Ozick

Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it. -Mark Twain

As we are creating “gratitude moments” in November, the author will be discussing various things that she is grateful for. 

The author’s grandmother instilled in her a passion for the United States military.  When the author sees a serviceman/servicewoman, she feels gratitude in her heart for the freedom’s she has.  In 2023, the author found five new opportunities to volunteer to help our military.  Not only is the author grateful, but she is also giving back to the men and women that she is grateful to.  When we serve another person, our gratitude outshines negative feelings as we are putting others above ourselves. 

On Saturday, we will honor the men and women that are still alive that have served our great country. 

ACTION:  How will you thank the military this Saturday for the amazing freedom and protection they have given you?

Resources

•        https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude/