Setting Priorities

How To Nourish The Sandwich That Is You
The "Sandwich Generation" is a term that has now made it into the dictionary. It fits an increasing number of Boomer women whose reality includes being squeezed between the demands of growing children and the needs of aging parents.
A study by AARP and the National Alliance for Care-giving identified over 44 million Americans who are caring for ill adult family members, 60% of them women. According to the National Center on Health Statistics, about 80% of women in their 40's have children for whom they are still somewhat responsible. Given these numbers, many of you may well be asking yourself, how can I balance caring for my parents, my children and myself? Here are some tips to help you sustain and nourish yourself.
How To Nourish The Sandwich That Is You
Go to: Self-Improvement for Aries,
Self-Acceptance,
Self-Improvement for Taurus,
Deciding What's Important,
Self-Improvement for Cancer,
Improving Your Mood and Attitude,
Family Relationships,
Self-Improvement for Virgo,
Coping with Your Inner Critic,
Handling Life's Practical Chores,
Self-Improvement for Capricorn,
Setting Priorities,
Growing Older, Concerns about Aging,
Self-Improvement for Pisces,
Self-Care,
New Age Blogs,
The Health Blog,
Family Matters,
Being a Caregiver,
Alternative Health,
Sleep and Stress Management,
Stress Management,
Heath Maintenance through Sensible Living,
Mysticism,
Conscious Living,
Words of Wisdom,
Managing Life Effectively,
Taking Care of Yourself

Get Your Never-Ending Motivation Here
You have to ask yourself a very serious question. "What do I want out of life?" If you could do or have anything, what would it be? Is this something that you've dreamed about for a long time?
Attaining this "ultimate goal", and enjoying it, getting or doing that one thing that you've always wanted, is your answer. This is "The Big Picture". This will give you never-ending motivation to achieve the major things you want in life. This is the answer to those people's question, and to yours.
Get Your Never-Ending Motivation Here
Go to: Self-Improvement for Aries,
Motivation,
Getting What You Want,
Getting Unstuck,
Self-Improvement for Scorpio,
Coping with Burnout,
Self-Improvement for Capricorn,
Setting Priorities,
Getting Organized,
Showing Determination

How To Have A Hassle-Free Holiday Season
Do you know that some people actually relish the hustle and bustle, the crowded parking lots, and the singing Santas that comes with the holiday season? But even if you're not one of them, you can have a hassle-free holiday. Try these simple steps to put you in the mood for a happy, healthy, easier holiday season.
How To Have A Hassle-Free Holiday Season
Go to: Self-Improvement for Aries,
Setting Goals,
Self-Improvement for Gemini,
Keeping Lists,
Self-Improvement for Cancer,
Improving Your Mood and Attitude,
Self-Improvement for Virgo,
Handling Life's Practical Chores,
Self-Improvement for Sagittarius,
Holidays,
Self-Improvement for Capricorn,
Setting Priorities,
Getting Organized,
Words of Wisdom,
Managing Life Effectively

Can You Make a Perfect Transition Decision?
Recommended Book from Amazon

Changing for Good
By
James O. Prochaska, et. al.
Some folks believe there are no bad decisions ... If you turn left instead of right, you think you've made a mistake -- til you realize this detour is actually a shortcut to the destination of your dreams.
But if you're standing at a fork in the road, here are some guidelines that others have found helpful.
Can You Make a Perfect Transition Decision?
Go to: Self-Improvement for Aries,
Improve Life,
Being Authentic,
Self-Acceptance,
Self-Improvement for Taurus,
Personal Values,
Deciding What's Important,
Self-Improvement for Virgo,
Doing Work You Love,
New Age Lifestyle Choices,
Self-Improvement for Scorpio,
Making Changes,
Achieving Enlightenment,
Rebuilding,
Coping with Burnout,
Self-Improvement for Sagittarius,
Doing Something New and Different,
Changing Your Mind and Perspectives,
Learning from Experience,
Self-Improvement for Capricorn,
Setting Priorities,
Facing Midlife Crisis Questions,
Self-Improvement for Aquarius,
Living Life Your Way,
Custom-Designing Your Life,
Creating and Living Your Ideal Life,
Self-Improvement for Pisces,
Listening to Your Inner Voices,
Understanding Yourself,
New Age Blogs,
The Words of Wisdom Blog,
Mysticism,
Conscious Living,
Creating Your Own Reality,
Real Life Stories,
Words of Wisdom,
Advice for Living,
Managing Life Effectively,
Taking Care of Yourself,
Creating Inner Peace

Meaning and Purpose at Midlife
Spiritual leaders as well as research psychologists agree: a sense of meaning adds to quality of life at any age. In my business, I find midlife clients often ask these questions and search for answers. There is no simple turnkey operation to find a life purpose -- but here are some guidelines to get started.
Meaning and Purpose at Midlife
Go to: Self-Improvement for Taurus,
Personal Values,
Deciding What's Important,
Self-Improvement for Virgo,
Doing Work You Love,
Self-Improvement for Scorpio,
Achieving Enlightenment,
Rebuilding,
Self-Improvement for Sagittarius,
Living Your Life Purpose,
Changing Your Mind and Perspectives,
Self-Improvement for Capricorn,
Finding Your Mission in Life,
Setting Priorities,
Growing Older, Concerns about Aging,
Facing Midlife Crisis Questions,
Self-Improvement for Aquarius,
Custom-Designing Your Life,
Real Life Stories,
Considering Life's Bigger Questions,
Words of Wisdom,
Thinking Aloud -- Thinking Allowed,
Creating Inner Peace

What To Pay When You Can't Pay Everything
With ever increasing consumer debt more of us are finding ourselves robbing Peter to pay Paul each month. We go through our bills and find that the money just won't stretch far enough to cover all of the bills and expenses. It's hard to decide who you should pay when you have one bill that is stamped with "Final Notice" and you are behind on several of your other bills.
What To Pay When You Can't Pay Everything
Go to: Self-Improvement for Aries,
Making Decisions,
Self-Improvement for Taurus,
Money Management,
Deciding What's Important,
Self-Improvement for Virgo,
Handling Life's Practical Chores,
Self-Improvement for Scorpio,
Coping with Crisis,
Dealing with Adversity,
Self-Improvement for Sagittarius,
Meeting Life's Lessons,
Self-Improvement for Capricorn,
Setting Priorities,
Words of Wisdom,
Managing Life Effectively,
Taking Care of Yourself

Budget the Luxuries First!
Too many couples argue about money. ("But what else is important enough to argue over?" I hear you say!) Well, I've been in more than a few of those arguments myself over the years, and I'm not particularly proud of the fact. Especially as I'm an avid science-fiction buff, and my childhood hero-author Robert A. Heinlein penned a four word solution to this issue well before I got out of grade school: Budget the luxuries first!!
Budget the Luxuries First!
Go to: Self-Improvement for Taurus,
Money Management,
Deciding What's Important,
Self-Improvement for Virgo,
Handling Life's Practical Chores,
Self-Improvement for Capricorn,
Setting Priorities,
Words of Wisdom,
Advice for Living

Procrastination Busters
1. Take time to plan -- at the end of each day, plan for the next.
Write a to-do list that not only includes the things that need to be done (deadline-oriented items) but also long-term projects that propel your strategic plan.
Procrastination Busters
Go to: Self-Improvement for Virgo,
Handling Life's Practical Chores,
Conquering Procrastination,
Self-Improvement for Capricorn,
Setting Priorities,
Getting Organized

I'll Do It Later
Let's talk about the P word. Procrastination. If this is you, this pervasive, habit effects every aspect of your life. As a procrastinator you typically under perform, limiting success and the life you want to live. It dampens your ability to take action, creates missed opportunities, and is the single pattern of behavior I see in most entrepreneurs that if corrected would free up log jams of energy and potential. If you're a procrastinator you know in your bones that this is true, yet, it seems like an impossible habit to break.
I'll Do It Later
Go to: Self-Improvement for Virgo,
Conquering Procrastination,
Self-Improvement for Capricorn,
Setting Priorities,
New Age Blogs,
The Self Improvement Blog,
The Reading Room,
Articles by Helaine Iris,
Words of Wisdom,
Managing Life Effectively

A Zen Approach to Healthy Eating
Recommended Book from Amazon

The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why
By
Jonny Bowden
Especially around the first of every year, people talk about "eating healthier." It often comes tied to talk about losing weight, working out, getting fit ... the kinds of things that go on New Year's Resolution lists every year -- and last a few weeks before being dumped again in favor of one's old habits -- which presumably were unhealthy and needed to change.
But old habits die hard ... and usually the desire to change isn't nearly as strong and stubborn as the routines and preferences it's up against.
The fact is, if you want something badly enough, you'll do it. And if you're reading this essay, somewhere, somehow, something in side you wants a healthier diet. You'd just like it to be easy -- so you stand a fighting chance at making it happen without the pain, misery, sense of deprivation and inconvenience which teams up with the power of your old habits and forms an unbeatable alliance.
A Zen Approach to Healthy Eating
Go to: Self-Improvement for Aries,
Setting Goals,
Taking Action,
Self-Acceptance,
Self-Improvement for Taurus,
Personal Values,
Deciding What's Important,
Self-Improvement for Virgo,
New Age Lifestyle Choices,
Healthy Mind, Healthy Body,
Self-Improvement for Scorpio,
Making Changes,
Self-Improvement for Sagittarius,
Doing Something New and Different,
Changing Your Mind and Perspectives,
Self-Improvement for Capricorn,
Self-Control,
Achieving Success,
Setting Priorities,
New Age Blogs,
The Health Blog,
Alternative Health,
Diet and Weight Control,
Words of Wisdom,
Keeping Your New Years Resolutions

Turn Overwhelm Around With These 10 Tips
Overwhelm is one of the biggest challenges that entrepreneurs experience on a daily basis. The definition of overwhelm, according to The Brainy Dictionary is, "To cover over completely, as by a great wave; to overflow and bury beneath; to engulf; hence, figuratively, to immerse and bear down; to overpower; to crush; to bury; to oppress, etc., overpoweringly." Whew...sound familiar? I've been there, too, so I understand -it's not a fun place to be.
Turn Overwhelm Around With These 10 Tips
Go to: Self-Improvement for Cancer,
Improving Your Mood and Attitude,
Self-Improvement for Capricorn,
Setting Priorities,
Self-Improvement for Pisces,
Self-Care,
Alternative Health,
Sleep and Stress Management,
Stress Management,
The Reading Room,
Articles by Helaine Iris

Self Care on the Fly
Or 7 Strategies to Resolve
Work/Life Imbalance - NOW
Stress is high, your energy is low. Sound familiar? This is the common experience of most small business owners I know. Owning a business can be like running a marathon. You know you're in it for the long haul, there's not much time to catch your breath, yet you push on. You can easily see how this scenario can lead quickly to an out of balance life.
Self Care on the FlyOr 7 Strategies to Resolve Work/Life Imbalance -- NOW
Go to: Self-Improvement for Taurus,
Deciding What's Important,
Self-Improvement for Cancer,
Improving Your Mood and Attitude,
Self-Improvement for Virgo,
Handling Life's Practical Chores,
Healthy Mind, Healthy Body,
Self-Improvement for Capricorn,
Setting Priorities,
Self-Improvement for Aquarius,
Creating and Living Your Ideal Life,
Self-Improvement for Pisces,
Self-Care,
New Age Blogs,
The Self Improvement Blog,
Alternative Health,
Sleep and Stress Management,
Stress Management,
The Reading Room,
Articles by Helaine Iris

A New Approach to New Year's Resolutions
The New Year is traditionally a time to reflect on where we are in our lives and to think about improvements that we'd like to make. It seems obvious that the first step in choosing appropriate New Year's Resolutions should be to define specific goals for what we want to achieve in the coming year. I'm a huge fan of goal setting, but I'm no longer convinced it's the best way to approach this whole resolution thing.
A New Approach to New Year's Resolutions
Go to: Self-Improvement for Aries,
Setting Goals,
Self-Improvement for Capricorn,
Setting Priorities,
Self-Improvement for Aquarius,
Gaining Your Hopes and Dreams,
Feng Shui,
Words of Wisdom,
Keeping Your New Years Resolutions

What's On Your Personal Priority List?
What are the three top priorities in your life? The absolute three most important things that you consider the essential business of your life? Ok ... what are the TEN top priorities in your life? Which question do you have the most trouble with? Coming up with ten ... or narrowing things down to only three? Both lists are important, because of course the top three -- will certainly be included on your top ten. But from time to time the top three will change. In fact, from time to time BOTH lists will change. Items get dropped. Items get added. Opportunities -- or crises -- arise ... and things in your world shift to accommodate these.
Dreams change their focus. Goals are achieved -- or abandoned, and become "former goals." Relationships strengthen ... and dissolve. Births and deaths occur. Life is a kaleidoscope -- always intricate and multi-faceted, always in motion, some moments breathtakingly lovely ... others not so much. Yet through it all a set of underlying values guides us ... and helps us make choices. Small choices ... huge decisions. Routine maintenance ... and life-altering alternatives.
What's On Your Personal Priority List?
Go to: Self-Improvement for Aries,
Setting Goals,
Self-Assertion,
Showing Initiative,
Taking Action,
Making Decisions,
Getting What You Want,
Getting Unstuck,
Self-Improvement for Taurus,
Deciding What's Important,
Self-Improvement for Virgo,
Handling Life's Practical Chores,
Self-Improvement for Sagittarius,
Changing Your Mind and Perspectives,
Self-Improvement for Capricorn,
Achieving Success,
Setting Priorities,
New Age Blogs,
The Self Improvement Blog,
Mysticism,
Conscious Living,
Real Life Stories,
Considering Life's Bigger Questions

Always Do the Hardest Thing First
When you procrastinate, you lose. You lose time, energy, self-esteem, goodwill, trust, and timely solutions. Because my mom held firm, I learned that it was best to go ahead and get it over with. Of course you do that a few times and the relief you get will be its own motivation. Instead of that "little" nagging feeling that saps your energy more than you know, you're free to fly!
Always Do the Hardest Thing First
Go to: Self-Improvement for Capricorn,
Setting Priorities,
The Reading Room,
Articles by Susan Dunn

What Are You Planning to Achieve
by The End of The Year?
Fast forward yourself to the end of December and as the year closes, how are you feeling about your achievements during this past year? Really get in touch with your feelings, live them, breathe them and don't let them pass by.
Are you feeling any disappointment, regret or frustration for the things you haven't done or achieved? Do you find yourself thinking, "This past year has flown by and what have I done", "There is so much more that I wanted to do" or "Why haven't I done the things that I'd said I'd do".
What Are You Planning to Achieve
by The End of The Year?
Go to: Self-Improvement for Aries,
Setting Goals,
Self-Improvement for Capricorn,
Setting Priorities,
Words of Wisdom,
Keeping Your New Years Resolutions

Battle With Burn-Out
Letting yourself reach the point where you are burnt out, worn down and used up is a threat to your dreams, goals and your life's happiness. The physical manifestation of burnout, or an overload of stress, is your body's natural response to the pressures you are placed under and that place it under during the course of your day. Worse yet when you place yourself in a stressful situation in your mind through worry and fret, your body reacts as if physically placed in that situation. Your body's natural defenses go into action.
Battle With Burn-Out
Go to: Self-Improvement for Scorpio,
Coping with Burnout,
Self-Improvement for Capricorn,
Setting Priorities,
Self-Improvement for Pisces,
Self-Care,
Alternative Health,
Sleep and Stress Management,
Stress Management,
Depression

Discovering What You Want For Your Life
I often recommend that life planning be based upon an individual's personal vision and purpose. If you are going to handcraft a life of choice, you'll need to know what you want so that you can make the choices that take you there. The trouble is that many (most?) of you cannot name what it is you want.
If you don't make choices for your life, others will. Often, choices are made by circumstances, weak foundation, past, parents. Choosing what you want in life and out of life is a new skill for many people. It may take some practice. At some point you realize that you are able to, and must, make choices for your life.
Discovering What You Want For Your Life
Go to: Self-Improvement for Aries,
Setting Goals,
Taking Action,
Getting What You Want,
Self-Improvement for Taurus,
Personal Values,
Self-Improvement for Gemini,
Keeping Lists,
Self-Improvement for Scorpio,
Making Changes,
Self-Improvement for Capricorn,
Setting Priorities,
Self-Improvement for Aquarius,
Gaining Your Hopes and Dreams,
Custom-Designing Your Life,
Creating and Living Your Ideal Life,
Self-Improvement for Pisces,
Understanding Yourself