Well, it's not going to blow your pants down if I remind you that what you do with a lot of those hours will be outside your immediate power. For instance, you've almost got to spend approximately 2,920 of those hours sleeping. True, you could sleep less than 8 hours a day, but that will likely be counter-productive to you. The most recent research indicates the vast majority of Americans need more than eight hours of sleep per day and yet most of us get less. Which, of course, makes us a nation of people who are sleep deprived and sleep deprived people suffer from fuzzy logic, poor critical thinking skills, make bad decisions, and are more at risk for all types of bad luck and health problems.
Whatever you do, most of us shouldn't try to become more productive by getting less sleep. That tactic will backfire on us. Unless you have a clear idea in your mind that you are one of those rare, rare individuals who is wired differently to require less sleep and even thrive on less. Did you know that domestic house cats sleep an average of 16 hours per day and lions in the wild sleep an average of 20! Be honest, and think about this. Search your memory for the animal in your estimation that is always happiest. That just seems to have an inner reserve of contentment that just oozes out of it. That literally purrs with pleased satisfaction (whenever awake). I think the happiest mammals on earth are domestic house cats. You should see my girlfriend Heather's cats (maybe I can talk her into giving me a picture to post for you!) Jack and Tai. They are so darn content--it's irritating. But then again, I'm thinking it may be lions. But what do I know about lions, I've never met one. Note to self: sign up for safari soon.
Tick, tock. OK, I don't want to give you the thought that I'm wasting your time, which is growing more valuable to you by the minute, right? But I love sleep, don't you? So sleep more. Just remember to get your 8 hours and remember above all that whether you are the lion or the gazelle, if you want to survive when the sun comes up, you better be running!
So, moving on… after chopping off the time we need to spend sleeping, we're down to 5,840 hours to work with in the coming year. Assuming you're playing with a full deck upstairs and you're not yet rich or retired, you want to make some money in the next year, right? That means you've got to spend a significant amount of time earning enough just for the needs of yourself and your family. Not to mention 'getting ahead'; which if you're reading this article, I'll imagine is a huge priority for you.
To do this, let's say you still work the proverbial 40 hours per week. You know, that old grind your 9 to 5 if you've got one. Actually let's take it off of you. I don't want to get this too personal, as that can sometimes hurt folks. Let's say instead of "you", we'll call a generic person who could be reading this "Johnny Wealth Builder" (kind of like John Doe… feels better when it's anonymous, eh?). Also, "Johnny Wealth Builder" has got to get ready for work, get to work and get home from work. Some of you have a long commute, some are lucky enough to work at home, but I'm going to decide how much "Johnny Wealth Builder" spends on this arbitrarily, randomly, and some may even get out the Webster's and smack me with "capriciously", but, hey, it's my show!
Let's say our friend Johnny needs an average of 10 hours per week to get ready, and get to and from work. Yes, that is a random number. But this isn't science class, folks! Since you may be miffed, here's a bone for our 'proverbial case study'. Let's give "Johnny Wealth Builder" a two week yearly vacation and a regular job, which means "Johnny Wealth Builder" is going to use up 2,500 of his hours (50 hours per week times 50 weeks per year) on work-related activities and vacation (which everyone needs and deserves from time to time!).
We are now down to 3,340 hours we've got left in the coming year that "Johnny Wealth Builder" can choose where to spend or invest that time to better his life. Tick, tock. Ah, but we aren't at the end of our subtractions yet. No, sir. But rather than beat the dead horse and continue to pound the nail and belabor the point, let's make one more big deduction for what I'll call "Necessities of Life." This might include getting your car repaired, playing with your kids, giving time and encouragement to your spouse and friends, spending time with family, dealing with the mail, shopping for groceries, shaving, taking some "down time" to let yourself recharge, and so on.
]]>Make it specific. A popular resolution is to lose weight. Does it get more vague? This doesn't really give you something specific to aim for; try to pinpoint exactly what it is you want to do. If you start with lose weight, a more focused goal could be to lose 25 pounds by your birthday in July. Or to fit back into your pre-pregnancy jeans by the time your baby is a year old. Lose weight can also translate into a goal to eat healthier or exercise more, two other resolutions that may also need narrowing down. The point is, having a specific aim to reach by a certain time is more likely to be attained than a general wish.
Make it realistic. Lofty goals are fine but moving to the moon might be a little out of reach. Unachievable plans are soon left by the wayside as the New Year's Eve high wears off and real life sets in. To stay with our lose weight example, make a goal to lose weight healthily, one to two pounds a week. This is not only doable, it's much healthier for your body than crash dieting to lose five or more pounds a week. Giving yourself realistic expectations increases the likelihood that you'll complete your goals.
Make a plan. Without a plan, great ideas never get finished. Set aside some time to figure out what it is you need to do to accomplish your goals. Maybe you need to go for a walk every afternoon or join a gym. Or maybe you need to cut back to one soda a day and one dessert a week. Whatever your plan of action is, having one–and sticking to it–will be a great help on your journey.
Make it fun. Who wants to keep a resolution that drains the life out of you? No one we know. So do something to add fun to your goal. Dancing burns a lot of calories just as well as running on a treadmill and yet is much more fun. Nowadays there are multiple video game systems that offer fitness programs you can complete without ever leaving your home. Along with keeping things fun, allow yourself room for error. Rigid plans aren't any fun either. So go ahead, have that piece of chocolate cake at your friend's birthday party. Just don't go overboard and don't do it every day.
These guidelines are here to help you keep your resolutions but the real work is up to you. Nail down a concrete, achievable goal for yourself and figure out how to get there. But don't forget to have a little fun on the way. Good luck and happy new year!
]]>Unlocking our own creativity is a fabulous journey of discovery, as it may be in a completely different area to where you thought it would be. If you aspire to paint, you may find that instead of being able to put oil to canvas you could excel in the very self satisfying area of interior design. This gives full reign to any creativity and is an enjoyable hobby, as well as a lucrative side line. If you like words and writing and fancy that you could be a decent writer, why not enrol on one of the courses that are available online, or register with one of the sites where you can do freelance writing and get paid for it. Okay, you won't make a fortune, but the experience will be invaluable and your writing skills will improve no end.
Lots of us as children aspire to be our favorite pop stars and sing along into a hairbrush dreaming of fame and stardom, sadly, for everyone who succeeds there are thousands who fail. The same goes for acting, an incredibly hard career to get into and make a success of. If you enjoy this kind of artistic creativity, joining a local theatre group or choir will give you a chance to enjoy your acting or singing, without the worries of where your next paid job will come from.
Making things with your hands is an extremely satisfying way to express your creativity, and there are so many ways to do it that there will be one that you find you are good at. Imagine the feeling of pride you will have when visitors admire your new drapes, or newly upholstered chairs and you can tell them in all honesty that you did them yourselves? Knitting, crocheting, quilt making, wood work, cake decorating, specialist cooking skills there are so many things that you can turn your hand too. Have a look in your local newspaper or online to see what classes are being held in your area and for what subjects. There may be something really obscure which you like the sound of and find yourself excelling at. A friend of mine fancied cake decorating but ended up making candles and was excellent at it, so be open minded.
Don't let yourself be held back by your lack of confidence in your abilities, we all have a creative streak it is simply a case of finding the outlet for it. Let your artistic juices flow freely and before you know it you will be surprising yourself with your newfound creativity.
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