Personal Kaizen: How to Achieve Your Goals the Easy Way

Have you ever struggled to make lasting change in your life only to fall back into the same old routine?

It can make you feel hopelessly stuck.

What if there was a way to make those changes stick – and it was so easy it was almost effortless? This surprising concept comes from the Japanese philosophy Kaizen. Kaizen means tiny little baby steps towards your goals.

Whenever we make changes in our life our subconscious notices and gets freaked out. It’s afraid that we’ll get hurt doing something new or upsetting. The result for us is that we feel fear. This fear may be very obvious to us or it may be at a level we don’t even notice.

But even if this fear is at the subconscious level it will thwart our new plans for change. To us it simply looks like we screwed up again.

But what actually happens is we revert to our “default mode” which is basically all of the habits we’ve developed over the years. Often these habits are the opposite of what we need in order to see positive change. So our subconscious is happy – everything stays the same again.

Personal Kaizen to the Rescue

Little did we know our subconscious was just “helping us stay safe”. This is a powerful force to overcome – but we can do it because now we have a sneaky tool called Kaizen.

Since we do control our conscious mind – we can make ourselves take small, micro-actions without tripping the built in fear alarm of the subconscious. The reason this works is because small changes don’t alert our subconscious to take action to preserve the status quo.

How small are these micro-actions? I’ll give you an example to get you started.

Let’s say you want to lose weight. You know that you want to keep a food diary but you always seem to forget (default mode). What’s the one thing you can think of doing that is so small your subconscious won’t feel threatened?

Everyday you will record breakfast only. Do just this one thing until it is simply your habit. Breakfast is always recorded in your little notebook. It’s just your way. It’s also a great meal to record first – since it’s so important to eat breakfast if you want to lose weight.

Create a New Comfort Zone

Once our subconscious gets comfortable with these micro-actions the fear alarm is less likely to be activated. And these small actions eventually turn our default mode into a powerful force of good habits that move us faster and faster towards our ideal life.

So in the future as we make bigger changes and our fear alarm is tripped, our default mode will be working in our favor – not against us.

These small micro-actions of improvement grow over time like compound interest in our lives. We make tiny deposits of “change” and then eventually we see big rewards (success).

The great thing about this is that we can do this in all areas of our life that we want to change – with very little effort each day. Start now to think of tiny little actions to improve relationships, health, career and self confidence.

Small Change is Best

But remember – these changes must be extremely small. The smaller the better! This is supposed to be fun – not work. Our new motto is “if there is pain – there is no gain”. Never stress yourself again over change. It’s a process and you’re on your way now.

With Kaizen micro-actions we can “trick” our brain into doing what we know is best for us – exactly what we want. And best of all – it doesn’t require us to do much all at once – so it’s simple to get started. Try the Personal Kaizen method for a fun and easy way to success.

Natural Beauty Solutions the Easy Way

Here are some inexpensive and natural beauty helpers that you probably have around the house.

1) It’s cheaper and healthier to make your own shiny hair rinse using natural items you already have in your kitchen.

The following common beverages are useful for more than just drinking. For beautiful shiny hair prepare about 1 – 2 cups and pour over your hair:

Blondes: Chamomile tea

Brunettes: Coffee or Black tea

Redheads: Cranberry juice

Leave on your hair for 10 minutes and then quickly rinse out.

2) Talcum powder or cornstarch: makes a dry shampoo. Shake on and brush out gently.

2) Witch hazel or lemon juice: a fantastic toner for your skin. Apply with a cotton ball.

3) Tea bags: Steep the bags and then chill them in the fridge. Put over your eyes to get rid of puffiness.

4) Baking soda: Use with your toothpaste to add extra whitening.

5) 3% Hydrogen Peroxide: This is useful if you have acne. Apply with a cotton ball. You can also swish some in your mouth to whiten your teeth (never swallow hydrogen peroxide!). Then brush as normal.

Natural beauty solutions are as close as your cupboards – and they are effective and healthy too.

How to Turn Your Dreams into Reality

If you are trying to increase productivity in your life – chances are you are also trying to turn your dreams into reality.

What separates people that are living the life they have always wanted from those who remain dreamers only?

In a word: ACTION!

You must take action in your life if you want to achieve your dreams. You must do something!

What should you do first? What bothers you the most about your life? How will you change this one thing? What would be the very first action you would need to take?

You must do this thing first.

This will set the momentum. As you see success in this one small thing you will build your confidence.

With more confidence in yourself you will be able to take action faster and more efficiently.

Success = Confidence

Confidence = Success

You want to get on this path as soon as possible so start out with a small action that you know you can do quickly.

You will feel great about yourself and be eager to pick the next action. Keep doing this and you will see amazing changes in your life.

Be a doer, take action – dreams are great – but all dreams require productive action to bring them into reality.

Emergency Preparedness Tips: Water

The very first thing you need to do when getting started on an emergency preparedness plan for you and your family is to get your drinking water supplies squared away.

It’s possible to live without food for weeks but you can only live without water for a few days before you begin to die.

If you have water you can stay healthy while you make your plan for survival. Other tips in this series will cover many areas of preparedness you need to consider.

But for now – go out and purchase enough cases of water bottles for your family for 2 weeks of drinking water. Get four water bottles for each person per day for 14 days. That’s 56 bottles per person. Most of these cases have 24 bottles in them. So a little more than 2 cases per person.

If you have 4 people in your family buy 10 cases. Get them on sale to save money. My local Walmart has water cases for less than $3.00 each.

As you can see, this is all easy to do and very inexpensive. Label each water case with the date you purchased it.

After about 6 months start rotating in a new case of water each month and using the old case. This keeps everything fresh and ready. Remember to put the date of purchase on the new water.

Keep all of your water supplies in a secure, cool and dark location.

Water for hygiene will come next, but right now get the life saving drinking water safely stored away.

Also, always keep your preparedness plans confidential. You don’t want 50 thirsty and desperate people at your door in a crisis looking for your family’s precious life saving water.

Taking this critical step in protecting your family is a major accomplishment and a great start to your family emergency preparedness plan.

7 Tips to Be Happier With Less Money

“You can’t always get what you want…but if you try sometimes – you just might find –  you get what you need…”

Who would have thought Mick Jagger was a brilliant financial advisor? Turns out though, he has it right.

Check out these great tips for getting what you need on a shoestring:

1) Learn conscious spending. Stop mindless spending. Start ranking all your discretionary spending on a “joy factor”. Only spend on high ranking items for greater satisfaction.

2) Enjoy a side benefit of less spending money: you’ll learn about the simple joys of life that give big pleasure. Think about what small things bring you delight. Fill your day with these.

3) Visit the beach or park in your town and enjoy as much nature as you can consume. All for free.

4) Learn the art and joys of creating and packing a perfect picnic. Invest in a good thermos or two for coffee and hot entrees.

5) Take a photography day trip. (Bring that picnic meal you made in tip #4) Everyone takes their digital cameras and takes as many great shots as possible. Take extra memory cards. Print them out and frame them for inexpensive yet invaluable art work for your home.

6) The most important investment of all is relationships. Staying home watching movies, day trips around town, cooking together and playing games all give you a chance to reconnect with your family.

7) Start a weekly or monthly potluck tradition with extended family and friends. Have theme nights like Italian or Mexican and watch the fun happen. Be sure to appreciate everyone’s offering to the meal.

These tips are just a few ideas to get you in the right mindset. The timeless truth is that you’re already rich in the most important things and everything you need – you already have.

10 Rules for a Fabulous Wardrobe on a Budget

Follow these 10 rules to create the wardrobe of your dreams on a shoestring. With a little bit of creative thinking combined with the excitement of the hunt – you’ll be stepping out in style without hurting your budget.

1) Find out where all the upscale second hand shops are in your town. Check Google Maps to make finding them easy and fast.

2) Look for consignment stores. These shops have the best name brands. Often they are very selective in the designer clothing they accept.

3) Check out vintage shops. This is where you will find clothes from days gone by – that have come back in style. Also look for vintage jewelry and other accessories.

4) Take some time to look around eBay. Many people sell beautiful clothes, shoes, handbags and jewelry that they no longer need. Often they just need the money and are willing to accept low offers. You may snag a designer item for a really low price.

5) Keep your eye on your local Craigslist for super bargains in clothing and other accessories. Once again these can often be quite a deal.

6) Let your family, friends and neighbors know you are looking for quality clothing that they don’t want anymore. If offered something accept it graciously – even if it’s not what you want. Let them know it would be great for a friend of yours or you can alway donate it – but you’ve avoided alienating them. Their next offer might be perfect for you. The danger in this suggestion is that the person may ask for the item back and you won’t have it. So do this at your own risk!

7) Local garage sales are always fun and if you look for sales in upscale neighborhoods you may come away with a fantastic steal! I once found a beautiful designer coat at a garage sale for $2.00! Many people have stopped me in public to comment on it. You may have to go to a few sales before you hit the jackpot – so don’t give up too soon.

8) Watch your local paper for estate sales. These are often entire wardrobes up for sale. Plan to arrive early to get the best selection.

9) Find out when the churches and schools in your area hold their annual fundraising sales. Many of the families donate beautiful items with inexpensive prices. And you will be helping a good cause while getting a bargain yourself.

10) Thrift stores often have a mix of clothes and accessories. These are not usually high quality because the thrift stores themselves take the best items and sell them on eBay or Craigslist instead of in the local store. But you might get lucky – who knows?

You don’t have to break your budget to look fabulous and fashionable. Take the plunge into alternative shopping and find those rare gems that will round out your wardrobe in style and elegance at an affordable price.

How to Grow Delicious Strawberries in a Container Garden

I have had great success planting and growing strawberries in my container garden. You’ll find that it’s easy to plant and grow delicious sweet red strawberries on a patio, deck or balcony.

Strawberry shortcake, chocolate covered strawberries, strawberry jam, strawberry smoothies, strawberry pie, strawberry cake, strawberry muffins, the list could go on and on…

Is it any wonder that the strawberry is one of the most beloved berries of all?

And the best part is how easy it is for you to have your own pots of strawberries right outside your door – just waiting for you to enjoy them in the best way of all – fat, ripe, and sweet – freshly picked and eaten with only a quick rinse of water.

It’s easy to grow strawberries in containers but keep a few guidelines in mind:

- Buy strawberry plants from a garden center or an online garden merchant in the spring and plant them as soon as possible after receiving them.

- The method of planting strawberry plants is very important for a successful strawberry crop: The point where the root meets the first leaf stem is the “crown”. Plant so that the crown is exactly at the soil line. Don’t cover the crowns with soil. (If you do this right the hardest part is over!) If you are using a strawberry jar add a bit of soil to the bottom of the jar – insert strawberry plants (from the inside to the outside of pot) in the lowest holes. Add soil and keep going in this manner. Plant a few plants in the opening at the top.

- Keep strawberry plants watered, give them lots of sunshine, and use a good organic fertilizer regularly.

- Harvest your berries as they ripen. Store them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator and don’t wash them until just before using.

Once you have learned to plant strawberry plants you will enjoy experimenting with the many healthy and delicious ways to use your fresh, organic container-grown strawberries!

Grow Container Garden Salad Greens the Easy Way

My all-time favorite for the container garden is salad greens.  It’s so easy to grow various types of lettuce.

Here’s what I do:

First decide how many heads of lettuce you need in a week. Let’s say you want four heads of lettuce every week.  Make four holes in the soil of your properly prepared container.

Drop 2-3 seeds in each hole. (You actually only want one lettuce plant per hole but I use extra seeds just to be safe – thin with scissors if you end up with several sprouts.) Cover the seeds with soil and mist gently with a spray bottle of water.

Then every 10-14 days repeat this procedure with another container.

You’ll have a steady supply of fresh salad greens each week and it will be exactly the right amount. No more waste!

Bonus Tip: Lettuce is a cool-season plant so choose seeds that are heat resistant. Also, as the days get warmer move your containers to an area protected from the hot afternoon sun and always give your lettuce plants lots of water and fertilizer.

How to Boost Your Metabolism for Fast Weight Loss

Do you ever feel like no matter how little you eat, you just can’t lose weight? That could actually be the case. You may be the victim of a slow metabolism—your body sheds pounds less rapidly than other people’s. The good news is there are steps you can take to speed up your metabolism and lose weight faster.

What does it mean to have a slow metabolism? It has to do with how fast your body converts the food you eat into energy. To put it another way, it’s how fast you “use up” or “burn” calories. Everyone’s metabolism works at a different rate.

This rate is decided by many things, some of which are out of your control—your DNA and age, for instance. But there are many other contributors to your metabolism which you can control.

Through a few simple lifestyle changes you can revitalize your system, making weight loss easier and faster.

A Good Breakfast Speeds Weight Loss

The first thing to consider is how you eat. When you are very busy or stressed, you will be tempted to skip breakfast. Eat something anyway! When you skip breakfast, your body assumes that food is scarce. It will then try to preserve energy (fat) by slowing your metabolism.

By comparison, when you DO eat something, your body assumes food is plentiful and speeds up your metabolism, burning fat faster. To a lesser degree, this goes for lunch and dinner too—but breakfast is critical.

Next, be smart and decide ahead of time what meals you will eat. Plan to eat smaller meals many times per day. The traditional three-meal day is actually not good for your metabolism. It may seem counterintuitive but you can lose weight faster by eating more often.

In addition, you should avoid certain foods that will negatively affect your metabolism, and eat more of certain foods that will positively affect it. In particular, stay away from sugar, which is used by the body to store fat, and try to eat more spicy foods, fruits, vegetables and legumes.

Drink Lots of Water

Just as important is staying hydrated. Drink lots of water. Here’s a tip: Carry a water bottle with you and drink from it regularly. Water cleans out your body and helps your organs function more efficiently, which leads to a better metabolism. Tea can also be beneficial to your metabolism, especially green tea.

Lastly, you can improve your metabolism by building muscle. The more muscle you have on your body, the faster you can burn fat. Women are often concerned that muscle-building exercises will make them look less feminine. This is a myth. Moderate exercise two to three times per week will improve your metabolism and overall health tremendously without damaging your appearance. In fact, toning up your body will only make you look better!

You CAN lose weight and have the body you want, but you must commit to doing whatever it takes. Don’t let a sluggish metabolism get in your way. Follow the simple advice above to boost your metabolism. Begin allowing yourself to live the life you’ve always wanted.

How to Cope With Stress for a Happier Life

It’s important to learn how to cope with the stress in your life. Researchers have linked it to dozens of medical conditions. Learning to handle stress in a positive  way can change your life for the better. Instead of being overwhelmed and unhappy – you can be centered and content.

When it comes to stress, you’re far from powerless—there are a number of positive habits and behaviors you can use to effectively manage your mental state and bring your stress under control.
The first thing to remember is that your mental state is your responsibility.

The simple truth is you can’t control how your boss acts. You can’t control what your partner says. You can’t control the driver who cuts you off in traffic. But you can control yourself.

Others will do what they do, but how you respond to them—whether you take it in stride or freak out—is your decision alone.

Take a moment to consider how you have been responding to the stressors in your life. Almost everyone has some habit they turn to when life gets rough—what’s yours?

Do you reach for a cigarette or alcoholic beverage? Do you take your stress out on others? Do you overeat? Though they might provide short term relief, these behaviors are ultimately self-destructive. They hold you back from what you really want—a peaceful, balanced and abundantly healthy mind and body.

Learning to Relax

So what can you do? Next time you notice yourself feeling like the sky is about to fall, quickly and effectively bring your thoughts into positive alignment with one of the following simple techniques:

* Deep breathing. When you become stressed, take a moment and pay close attention to your breathing. Shallow breathing leads to greater stress and more negative physical responses. So breathe deeply instead. Let your stomach expand and contract as you breathe in and out.

This is called diaphragmatic breathing. Count the seconds as you breathe in—one, two, three, four. Hold for another four seconds. Then exhale slowly, for eight whole seconds. Keep doing this until you relax.

* Mental imagery. If you observe your thoughts during stressful situations, you may be surprised by how negative they are. These thoughts create a kind of feedback loop that only reinforces your negative emotions and causes you to feel even more stressed. One way to break this pattern of negative thinking is with positive mental imagery.

Visualize the calmest, happiest and most comfortable setting you can imagine, and mentally place yourself right into the middle of it. It might be a warm sunny beach with a calm breeze, or a peaceful afternoon in your coziest chair. Whatever it is, picture it as vividly as you can.

Make it real. Involve all your senses—what do you see, smell, taste, hear, feel? Smile inside, and become involved in the scene as it unfolds.

* Muscle relaxation. It might sound counterintuitive, but to relax, sometimes you have to tense up! But only for a moment—tense and relax different parts of your body beginning and the top of your head and continuing down. Include your eyes, neck, jaw, shoulders, legs, feet and any other part of your body that feels tight. Tense up, then let go, and feel the tension flow out of you as you relax.

* Biofeedback. With biofeedback, you learn to control your mood through careful attention to your mental and physical state. The training is simple and inexpensive and can even be done at home using easy-to-use feedback equipment. If you want to, you can also schedule an appointment with a trained biofeedback practitioner who will walk you through techniques used to reduce and eliminate the negative effects of stress on the body.

The great thing about these techniques is that with practice they become almost effortless and so easy that you can use them in anywhere. When things get crazy and your life is most stressful, you might not be able to find a comfortable, quiet place to unwind, but you can still use these relaxation techniques to manage your emotions and reclaim control of your mental state.

Making this kind of real positive change is never easy, but it can save your life. Your health depends directly on how you manage your stress. So take a deep breath, and start helping yourself let it go.

5 Ways to Be More Productive

Be more productive by following these 5 steps everyday. You will find that by taking these small actions on a consistent basis your life will change in big ways.

1) Manage your energy by drinking more water, take a short walk in nature everyday, breathe deeply and get at least 8 hours of sleep each night.

2) Focus on one thing at a time. Multi-tasking is a recipe for burnout. Focused energy is like a powerful laser beam – the job gets done and it gets done well.

3) Declutter your mind by making lists of things to do using an organized system. Declutter your environment by regularly getting rid of anything you are not using anymore. Keep everything orderly in mind and matter.

4) Set firm limits for your time online. How much time will you allow each day for email, news websites, social websites and other time stealing monsters? This is a big issue for productivity and you must confront it.

5) Decide each day what 5 things you will accomplish that day. Limit yourself to just 5 main things each day and make sure that at least one of those is something that will move you closer to your ideal life. At the end of a year you will have done 365 things to reach your desires!

Related articles about productivity:

• Productivity Boosters (smallbusinessbranding.com)
• Home Office Design Ideas and Tips That Every Web Worker Needs To Know (makeuseof.com)
• Help! My Life is Running Me (workitmom.com)
• Lifehacking: How to be more productive. (slate.com)
• Productivity Tricks from the Stars [Workflow] (lifehacker.com)