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  <title>Motivation</title>
  <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/" />
  <modified>2009-11-06T17:15:23Z</modified>
  <tagline>Motivation tips to help you stay motivated and improve your world.</tagline>
  <id>tag:www.improvingyourworld.com,2009:/motivation/6</id>
  <generator url="http://www.movabletype.org/" version="3.2">Movable Type</generator>
  <copyright>Copyright (c) 2009, K</copyright>
  <entry>
    <title>Being a more motivated person</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/being_a_more_motivated_person_005138.html" />
    <modified>2009-11-06T17:15:23Z</modified>
    <issued>2009-11-06T11:01:30-06:00</issued>
    <id>tag:www.improvingyourworld.com,2009:/motivation/6.5138</id>
    <created>2009-11-06T17:01:30Z</created>
    <summary type="text/plain"> It seems like the most successful people are always motivated to do whatever it is on their plate at the time. However, motivation can be elusive for some people who can&apos;t seem to rise above life&apos;s ruts. The truth...</summary>
    <author>
      <name>K</name>
      
      <email>don@greatresults.com</email>
    </author>
    <dc:subject>Motivation</dc:subject>
    <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/">
      <![CDATA[<p><img alt="elegant30389198.jpg" src="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/elegant30389198.jpg" width="83" height="125" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>It seems like the most successful people are always motivated to do whatever it is on their plate at the time.  However, motivation can be elusive for some people who can't seem to rise above life's ruts.  The truth is everyone can be motivated.  Here are a few tips for being a more motivated person.<br />
<strong><br />
Set Goals<br />
</strong></p>]]>
      <![CDATA[<p><br />
Many people fall into the easy ruts that life present:  Go to work, eat dinner, watch television, go to sleep, wake up and do it all again.  Setting goals and working toward them can help people escape these ruts.  Setting and keeping goals requires a few steps.  </p>

<p>First, set a specific goal.  For example, "Be more motivated" is not a specific goal.  Instead, a person should consider setting a goal like "Run thirty minutes right after work and before dinner."  This sets a specific goal with a specific time.  Now, the person will know that when they get home from work they need to run thirty minutes before eating.  At first it will be hard to transition into the new routine, but after a while the thirty minute run will become the best part of the day.  This same method can work with wanting to add anything new to a person's every day routine.</p>

<p><strong>Do what you like</strong></p>

<p>It can be really difficult to stay motivated to do something that is not enjoyable.  A person looking to be more motivated should consider doing things they enjoy.   Most of the successful motivated people that are around have found something they are passionate about.  This makes it easy for them to work hard on it for so long.   Someone who wants to be a motivated business owner but also likes sports should find a business associated with athletics.</p>

<p>Granted, everyone has to do things that they do not like to do, but when a person has a choice, they will likely be more motivated to do things they enjoy.  </p>

<p><strong>Think Positive</strong></p>

<p>Many people have fallen into the habit of looking at everything with a negative perspective.  A pessimistic attitude can be effective when used appropriately, but when it is the dominate attitude, it can cause a person to become depressed and unmotivated.  Thinking positive allows people to solve problems instead of create problems.  Most successful people had to overcome numerous problems in their pursuit of success.  Because problems arise every day, having a positive attitude allows a person to overcome those problems instead of constantly be burdened by them.<br />
<strong><br />
Visualize</strong></p>

<p>Visualization is a technique used to help reach a goal.  The concept is that by seeing the goal everyday will create the motivation to work hard that day to reach the goal.  For example, someone who wants to reach a certain position at the work may write the job title on a piece of paper and display it in their house where they can see it daily.  Then each day as the person goes to work, they will have their goal in mind.  Often the reason people are not motivated is because they forgot what they were motivated about to begin with.  </p>

<p>Being a more motivated person requires effort and determination.  Everyone can be more motivated by implementing a few simple ideas.  A person can be a more motivated person if they set quality goals, try to do things they enjoy, think positively, and visualize their successes.  </p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <title>Becoming a better parent</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/becoming_a_better_parent_005137.html" />
    <modified>2009-11-05T17:30:23Z</modified>
    <issued>2009-11-05T11:29:14-06:00</issued>
    <id>tag:www.improvingyourworld.com,2009:/motivation/6.5137</id>
    <created>2009-11-05T17:29:14Z</created>
    <summary type="text/plain"> Becoming a better parent can be a difficult thing to do. Most people are set in their ways when it come to parenting. Usually their parenting styles reflect the styles that their parents used on them-however sometimes they do...</summary>
    <author>
      <name>K</name>
      
      <email>don@greatresults.com</email>
    </author>
    <dc:subject>Becoming</dc:subject>
    <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/">
      <![CDATA[<p><img alt="birth37468837.jpg" src="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/birth37468837.jpg" width="83" height="125" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>Becoming a better parent can be a difficult thing to do. Most people are set in their ways when it come to parenting. Usually their parenting styles reflect the styles that their parents used on them-however sometimes they do the opposite! But becoming a better parent is a great way for someone to become a better person for both their children and themselves. This article discusses how a person can be motivated to become a better parent.<br />
<strong><br />
Find an example<br />
</strong></p>]]>
      <![CDATA[<p>A great motivation for someone looking to become a better parent is for them to find a great example of a good parent to look up to. Many people have a lot of good examples of good parents that they can look to for advice and motivation to help them become a better parent. Some people may look up to their parents or grandparents, an aunt or uncle, or a good friend or neighbor.</p>

<p>But a good example of parenting does not have to necessarily be a person that someone knows well. There are many examples of good parents in books and a person may even be able to find a good example of a parent on television (or at least a few good parenting qualities that they can look up to.)<br />
<strong><br />
Motivating quotes<br />
</strong><br />
Many people find that using motivating parenting quotes can help them stay motivated to become a better parent. Quotes that talk about how parenting is worth it, or motivating quotes that talk about how a parent can really help a child be successful in life can help parents strive to be better at parenting even when it is hard.</p>

<p>There are a variety of places where a person can find motivating quotes about parenting. Many books have been published that contain great motivational parenting quotes. A person can get these books from their local library, purchase them from a bookstore, borrow them from their family or friends, or purchase them online. There are also some terrific motivational parenting quotes online. A person can easily do a search for motivational parent quotes and find hundreds of great quotes to help them become a better parent.</p>

<p><strong>What to do</strong></p>

<p>To be motivated to become a better parent, a person should first notice ways in which they can become a better parent. Maybe they do not like the way they yell at their children, or they want to be better at listening to their child, or spend more time with their kids. Noticing these things is the first step to help a person become motivated to become a better parent. After a person is aware of the ways they want to become a better parent they can then make a plan and set goals to help them become better.</p>

<p><strong>Set goals</strong></p>

<p>Setting goals is a very important part of motivation. When a person sets both short term and long term goals they are better able to stay motivated throughout the process of making them self better. And reaching short term goals that lead up to the long term goal(s) makes the long term goal(s) seem more manageable. </p>

<p>The goals that a person sets to help them become a better parent will vary since each person needs to work on different and specific qualities of parenting. But, for example, if a person would like to be a better listener when they are communication with their children, they can set a goal to turn off the television, radio, mp3 player, computer, or any other distractions, when their child is talking to them.</p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <title>Becoming a better friend</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/becoming_a_better_friend_005136.html" />
    <modified>2009-11-04T17:30:24Z</modified>
    <issued>2009-11-04T11:26:02-06:00</issued>
    <id>tag:www.improvingyourworld.com,2009:/motivation/6.5136</id>
    <created>2009-11-04T17:26:02Z</created>
    <summary type="text/plain"> When a person recognizes that they would like to become a better friend it is the first step to help get them motivated to actually become a better friend. Of course, there is a lot more work involved in...</summary>
    <author>
      <name>K</name>
      
      <email>don@greatresults.com</email>
    </author>
    <dc:subject>Becoming</dc:subject>
    <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/">
      <![CDATA[<p><img alt="teengirls30462595.jpg" src="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/teengirls30462595.jpg" width="175" height="117" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>When a person recognizes that they would like to become a better friend it is the first step to help get them motivated to actually become a better friend. Of course, there is a lot more work involved in becoming a better friend than just being motivated to do so. This article discusses how a person can become a better friend.</p>

<p><strong>Why become a better friend</strong><br />
</p>]]>
      <![CDATA[<p><br />
There are many reasons why a person would want to become a better friend. Probably one of the biggest reasons is that becoming a better friend helps a person get and keep some great friends. And becoming a better friend is also one of the many ways that a person can become a better person. Some people may decide to become a better friend because they have had a personal experience with losing a good friend because they were not a good friend themselves.<br />
<strong><br />
How to do it</strong></p>

<p>After a person decides that they want to become a better friend the next step to help motivate them would be to set some goals. It is a good idea for a person to set some short term goals as well as some long term goals. The short term goals should be set to help the person reach their long term goals. And short term goals can help a person not get too frustrated since they will be able to reach the short term goals in a shorter amount of time compared to the long term goals.</p>

<p>Some examples of short term goals to help a person become a better friend would be to contact their friend(s) at least once a week through email, phone, or a face to face visit. A couple other short term goals could be to remember special events in the friend's life, or to be a better listener. The main long term goal should be to become a better friend, but having other long term goals such as get together once a year for a mini vacation or being more understanding can be good too.</p>

<p>A person can decide on their goals by seeing what they need to work on in their friend relationships. Perhaps they can ask their friends for a few tips or ask someone what they can work on to become a better friend.<br />
<strong><br />
Keeping track</strong></p>

<p>It can be hard for a person to keep track of their goals that they have set to help them become a better friend. For one thing, being a good friend to one person may not mean that they are a good friend to someone else since different people need different things. And a person can always become better at being a friend no matter if they have reached their goals or not.</p>

<p>It can be difficult for a person to know if they have really reached goals such as being a better listener or becoming more understanding. But there are some goals, such as getting together with a friend each year, or contacting a friend each week that a person can easily keep track of since they either did it or they did not. </p>

<p>Keeping track of goals is an important set in the motivation process. Reaching short term goals can help a person stay motivated to reach their long term goal of becoming a better friend.</p>

<p></p>

<p><br />
</p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <title>Becoming a better athlete</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/becoming_a_better_athlete_005135.html" />
    <modified>2009-11-03T17:30:23Z</modified>
    <issued>2009-11-03T11:16:23-06:00</issued>
    <id>tag:www.improvingyourworld.com,2009:/motivation/6.5135</id>
    <created>2009-11-03T17:16:23Z</created>
    <summary type="text/plain"> Being a good athlete requires many different characteristics. One of the main characteristics is motivation. However, staying motivated as an athlete can be difficult. Athletes must train for countless hours, overcome injury, work through developmental periods, and still have...</summary>
    <author>
      <name>K</name>
      
      <email>don@greatresults.com</email>
    </author>
    <dc:subject>Becoming</dc:subject>
    <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/">
      <![CDATA[<p><img alt="tennis60513752.jpg" src="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/tennis60513752.jpg" width="83" height="125" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>Being a good athlete requires many different characteristics.  One of the main characteristics is motivation.  However, staying motivated as an athlete can be difficult.  Athletes must train for countless hours, overcome injury, work through developmental periods, and still have fun playing the game.  Here are a few tips for staying motivated to become a better athlete.</p>

<p><strong>Training</strong></p>]]>
      <![CDATA[<p><br />
An essential element to being a successful athlete is staying motivated through the countless hours of training.  Athletes of all ages must practice.  Younger players may practice a few hours a week, while older athletes may do a couple of workout sessions each day.  Doing the same things everyday may get to be monotonous over time.  </p>

<p>One way to stay motivated during longs stretches of training with little competition is to set small training goals.  Working to achieves small training goals will make every training session meaningful.  It will also provide small successes to give athletes a sense of accomplishments while they are training for future competitions.  </p>

<p><strong>Overcoming Injury</strong></p>

<p>Most athletes suffer injuries at some point in their athletic career.  Whether the injury is minor or severe, the athlete will require motivation to get back to full strength.  One tip for staying motivated while recovering from injury is to be patient.  Most athletes are used to being able to go full speed all the time.  However, with an injury, even when it doesn't hurt anymore, it is important to be patient while fully rehabilitating the injury.  If an athlete does too much too soon after an injury, they risk re injuring.  Patience will help athletes remember that they will recover if they take it slow.  It will also make recovery that much more enjoyable.</p>

<p><strong>Working Through Developmental Periods</strong></p>

<p>Athletes often must elevate their game as the level of competition increases.  For example, a little league baseball player must elevate their game to be competitive in the Babe Ruth league.  In order to be competitive at the next level, a player must develop their strength, agility, and skill.  This can take time, and will usually mean either a period of making mistakes or a period of sitting the bench.  One way to work through developmental periods is to figure out the level the athlete needs/wants to achieve.  Then the player must identify what exactly needs to be improved and how.  Finally, the athlete must set small goals to achieve each thing that needs to be improved.  As the athlete begins achieving each individual goal, they will be elevating their game to the next level.</p>

<p><strong>Have Fun</strong></p>

<p>Athletics are meant to be fun.  Many athletes forget that playing a sport is fun by getting too competitive or being too hard on themselves for a poor performance.  Playing the same game every day for months straight can seem like a drag after a while.  Athletes need to remember that they are indeed playing a game.  While competitiveness adds motivation, being too hard on oneself can also crush existing motivation and cause a player to give up.  Remember to have fun is a good way to enjoy playing the game while maintaining a competitive edge.</p>

<p>Staying motivated to become a better athlete is very important.  Athletes should remember to set small goals, be patient during injury, work hard through developmental periods, and always have fun.  This will ensure the athlete stays motivated and competitive in their sport.     </p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <title>Be a Hurdler: The Art of Obstacle Removal</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/be_a_hurdler_the_art_of_obstacle_removal_005134.html" />
    <modified>2009-11-02T17:15:35Z</modified>
    <issued>2009-11-02T11:14:31-06:00</issued>
    <id>tag:www.improvingyourworld.com,2009:/motivation/6.5134</id>
    <created>2009-11-02T17:14:31Z</created>
    <summary type="text/plain"> We each face obstacles everyday that hedge our way to becoming a better version of ourselves. You may feel the power you have to overcome these obstacles is limited, but you&apos;re wrong. Obstacles are merely opportunities in disguise to...</summary>
    <author>
      <name>K</name>
      
      <email>don@greatresults.com</email>
    </author>
    <dc:subject>Success</dc:subject>
    <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/">
      <![CDATA[<p><img alt="running33273850.jpg" src="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/running33273850.jpg" width="79" height="125" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>We each face obstacles everyday that hedge our way to becoming a better version of ourselves. You may feel the power you have to overcome these obstacles is limited, but you're wrong. Obstacles are merely opportunities in disguise to help prove to ourselves that our power to do is limitless. Overcoming obstacles time after time and not getting hung up on little things will motivate you everyday to become a better you than you were the day before. Give yourself the power to overcome even the biggest obstacles with these suggestions.</p>

<p><strong>Inner-Guru</strong></p>]]>
      <![CDATA[<p><br />
In each of us lives a guru that has all the answers to each problem we are facing. The problem is that each of us also has a negative voice that more often than not drowns out our guru with doubt, fear, and the consistent yelling that we aren't good enough to overcome whatever it is that we are facing. The negative voice we will call the goober. Our goober doesn't believe we can succeed while our guru knows we can and has the plan with which to do so. When you give your guru a chance to speak, you'll be amazed at the obstacle removal power you have. Get motivated to become a better you by allowing your guru to have the floor every day. When you are faced with an obstacle turn to your guru and ask how to overcome it. Your guru knows.<br />
<strong><br />
Extraordinary Genius</strong></p>

<p>Also living in each of us is a place called the extraordinary genius. Your extraordinary genius is the activities where you excel and are passionate about life while doing. When you are living in your extraordinary genius there are no such things as obstacles. Most people, however fill up their lives with activities that rank a lot lower than the activities where their extraordinary genius lie. When you fill your life with activities you can barely tolerate doing, your life is barely tolerable. You have no motivation to become better when you have no passion about what you do. Get motivated to become a better you by living in your extraordinary genius and doing what you are passionate about more often than you do what you aren't passionate about. Your career, your relationships, your home life, and your extra-curricular activities should all be centered on the extraordinary genius of your life if you want to be motivated to be a better you.</p>

<p><strong>Guarantee Results</strong></p>

<p>One of the most powerful things you can do to help you remove obstacles is to guarantee your results. What can you do to make sure you are going to get over the obstacle? For example, if your job is to build furniture and someone has asked you to build a custom piece for them, but you can't quite figure out how to put it together, call your client and tell them a date and time you will be delivering their furniture. This makes it so you have motivation to find a way to get it done. If you are delivering it in two weeks, your creative juices will get going and you'll complete the project in time for delivery. You can especially guarantee you finish in time if you give them a discount if you deliver late. Find a way to guarantee your results and you'll be motivated to be a better you.</p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <title>Basic principles of motivation and how they dictate goal achievement</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/basic_principles_of_motivation_and_how_they_dictate_goal_achievement_005133.html" />
    <modified>2009-11-01T17:15:32Z</modified>
    <issued>2009-11-01T11:12:20-06:00</issued>
    <id>tag:www.improvingyourworld.com,2009:/motivation/6.5133</id>
    <created>2009-11-01T17:12:20Z</created>
    <summary type="text/plain"> Do you find yourself making goals and never quite finding the motivation to achieve them? Or maybe you frequently set goals and almost always achieve them, but don&apos;t really know why. There are many factors that dictate whether or...</summary>
    <author>
      <name>K</name>
      
      <email>don@greatresults.com</email>
    </author>
    <dc:subject>Motivation</dc:subject>
    <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/">
      <![CDATA[<p><img alt="woman30387627.jpg" src="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/woman30387627.jpg" width="83" height="125" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>Do you find yourself making goals and never quite finding the motivation to achieve them?  Or maybe you frequently set goals and almost always achieve them, but don't really know why.  There are many factors that dictate whether or not you will achieve your goal.  Many people are pre-conditioned to be less successful at being motivated to achieve a goal.  This means that, for whatever reason, some people will be less likely to achieve their goals than others.  Wouldn't you like to know what is standing in your way of becoming a better you?  By better understanding the basic principles of motivation, you can change those factors that dictate goal achievement and improve your ability to accomplish the goals that you set.</p>

<p>Basic principles of motivation include factors that are both controlled by the individual and determined by other uncontrollable factors.  The key is to take the motivational factors that you can control and align them with your motivational goals; this is definitely easier said than done, but definitely possible.  You may not be able to change other factors but, you can change your attitude regarding how you view these obstacles.  Here are some examples of principles of motivation, whether or not you can change them, and how they are instrumental in dictating goal achievement.<br />
</p>]]>
      <![CDATA[<p><br />
<strong>Environmental factors</strong></p>

<p>The "environment" in which an individual operates, refers to the people, settings and general attitudes that exist around the individual.  Environments consist of purely external factors. While we cannot change the way that other individuals operate within our environment, we may have the option to remove ourselves from unhealthy environments.  A healthy environment is one in which our physical and emotional needs are being met.  Having a healthy environment is a huge factor in achieving goals because it can be extremely difficult to become self-motivated when your environment is destructive and the individuals who surround you are unsupportive.  It takes a very strong individual to find motivation and sustain the drive to succeed despite the fact that external factors are working against them.</p>

<p><strong>Incentives</strong></p>

<p>Incentives consist of the reasons or rewards for which we are motivated.  Incentives are incredibly personal.  What could incentivize one individual may not provide any motivational factor for another.  Understanding what motivates you is essential to goal setting.   Creating incentives that you know you will be motivated by means the difference between accomplishing a goal and falling short.  </p>

<p><strong>Be organized, have a plan</strong></p>

<p>In general, the better organized the process for achieving a goal is, the better the outcome will be.  If you have checkpoints set up along the way, it is easier to stay on track.  For example, if you goal is to learn how to be a better cook, create a schedule for yourself where you learn one new recipe a week.  Then challenge yourself to cook a meal, incorporating the things that you learned, for a dinner party.  Without a plan, it can be very easy to dismiss a goal.  Having friends and family help you stay on track can also be powerful motivation; after all, no one likes to let others down.</p>

<p><strong>Mind your emotions</strong></p>

<p>Doing something new can be scary.  Fear can definitely stifle motivation.  It is ok to be anxious about changing your behavior in order to do something.  Realize that a certain degree of anxiety is normal, even to be expected.  If you perceive the fear that you will have to conquer in order to accomplish your goals as insurmountable, the likelihood of goal achievement is dramatically reduced.   Naturally, things like approval and encouragement can help to counter the effects of anxiety and allow a person to find the motivation to accomplish goals that they may not have believed were possible.</p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <title>Do you have low self-esteem</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/do_you_have_low_selfesteem_005131.html" />
    <modified>2009-10-29T17:15:32Z</modified>
    <issued>2009-10-29T11:00:37-06:00</issued>
    <id>tag:www.improvingyourworld.com,2009:/motivation/6.5131</id>
    <created>2009-10-29T17:00:37Z</created>
    <summary type="text/plain"> Before you can overcome any problems that are associated from low self-esteem, you need to determine if you have low self-esteem. You might be shocked to realize that low self-esteem is not a rare problem, it is rather quite...</summary>
    <author>
      <name>K</name>
      
      <email>don@greatresults.com</email>
    </author>
    <dc:subject>Self-Improvement</dc:subject>
    <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/">
      <![CDATA[<p><img alt="teens41861269.jpg" src="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/teens41861269.jpg" width="83" height="125" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>Before you can overcome any problems that are associated from low self-esteem, you need to determine if you have low self-esteem. You might be shocked to realize that low self-esteem is not a rare problem, it is rather quite common, and people have to deal with it every day. In order to tell if you have low self-esteem you will need to know what symptoms to look for. </p>

<p>The first symptom that you need to look at for is the inability to make decisions. People with low self-esteem usually have a hard time making any kind of decision, whether it is for himself or herself or for somebody else. The reason for this is that they are afraid of making the wrong decisions. It can also be because they are afraid of not being able to make people happy because they are not good enough to make the decision. <br />
</p>]]>
      <![CDATA[<p><br />
Another symptom that you need to be on the lookout for is shame. People who suffer from low self-esteem often suffer from an abnormally high amount of shame because they feel bad about themselves. Most of the time this shame the person is feeling is caused by the fact that the person doesn't look a certain way. People with low self-esteem feel that they do not look good enough for other people so they are ashamed of their looks and try to hide it. In other cases the feeling of being ashamed is because of how a person with low self-esteem is acting, they think that the way they are acting is wrong because they are not acting like themselves; they are acting how others want them to act. This is often not realized by the person who has low self-esteem until later on because they are too busy trying to please other people, they are afraid they are going to do something wrong.</p>

<p>Something else that people with low self-esteem suffer from is the need or desire to be perfect. People who have low self-esteem are never pleased with what they do and will constantly apologize or do things over until they are satisfied, no matter how satisfied you are with what they have done. The reason that they try so hard to be perfect is that they think others will be happy with the perfection. It then gets to the point that they think other people will like them more if they are perfect and if they make a mistake, nobody is going to want to be their friends anymore. </p>

<p>In addition to trying to be, perfect people who have low self-esteem cannot handle any type of criticism, even if it is constructive criticism. If people begin to criticize them or reject what they have to say people with low self-esteem often get severely depressed or they retreat inside themselves. By retreating inside themselves, they do not have to worry about being rejected. Not being able to accept constructive criticism makes it hard for people with low self-esteem to get things done because if they make one small mistake and you try showing them a different way to do it they will shut down. They will also worry or think that the worst is about to happen.</p>

<p>The reason that people with low self-esteem worry or think they worst is about to happen is that they are trying to protect themselves. They will constantly worry about what could happen so that they can prepare themselves for the worst, they also can never see anything positive, no matter what is going on.</p>

<p>If you think you have low self-esteem, you know somebody, who does the best thing that you can do for him, or her is to try to help him or her boost his or her self-esteem by being a positive role model. In some cases, it might help to talk to a professional to help deal with the trauma that caused the problem in the first place.<br />
</p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <title>Creating a positive work environment</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/creating_a_positive_work_environment_005130.html" />
    <modified>2009-10-28T17:30:26Z</modified>
    <issued>2009-10-28T11:18:10-06:00</issued>
    <id>tag:www.improvingyourworld.com,2009:/motivation/6.5130</id>
    <created>2009-10-28T17:18:10Z</created>
    <summary type="text/plain"> If you notice that, some or all of your employees dread coming into work and are constantly unhappy during the workday you need to look at your work environment, chances are the work environment that you have is not...</summary>
    <author>
      <name>K</name>
      
      <email>don@greatresults.com</email>
    </author>
    <dc:subject>Environment</dc:subject>
    <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/">
      <![CDATA[<p><img alt="laptop37004465.jpg" src="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/laptop37004465.jpg" width="175" height="141" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>If you notice that, some or all of your employees dread coming into work and are constantly unhappy during the workday you need to look at your work environment, chances are the work environment that you have is not a positive work environment. By creating a positive work environment, you will be able to make your employees happy and happy employees tend to be loyal employees.</p>

<p>Here are some tips that you can follow to help create a positive work environment for you and your employees.<br />
</p>]]>
      <![CDATA[<p><br />
<strong>Tip one:</strong></p>

<p>Make sure that your employees know that you appreciate them. It is easy to take advantage of your employees, so what you need to do is take the time to tell them that you appreciate all the hard work that they do for you. You also need to take the time to show them how much you appreciate everything that they do for you and your business. If you have certain employees that go beyond their duties, you need to recognize them separately from the other employees. One-way to this is to set up a special program for employees who go beyond their duties.</p>

<p><strong>Tip two:</strong></p>

<p>You need to make sure that the workplace for your business is one that will provide your employees with a purpose for being there. You need to make sure that your work environment is motivating your employees to do their best and to feel their best. The best way to do that is to always make your employees feel wanted and needed, by providing them with things to do that play to their strengths. You want to make your employees feel like what they are doing for your company is invaluable; you want them to feel like they are making a difference in your work environment.</p>

<p><strong>Tip three:</strong></p>

<p>You will want to try to help your employees to discover what their strengths or talents are. One of the best ways to determine this is to talk to your employees about how they feel about the work they are doing. When talking to your employees you need to make sure that you really listen to what they have to say because you can find out what they want to do more of, but you can also find out who might make good supervisors or leaders. If you have employees that are bored, you will want to see if you can come up with some tasks for them to do that will challenge them. In some cases, the only thing that you can do for some employees is to help them find a different job. What you are trying to do is to make your employees happier by giving them work that challenges them and requires them to use their strengths, sometimes employees do grow out of a position so you need to be aware of that to keep them happy.</p>

<p><strong>Tip four:</strong></p>

<p>Something else that you can do to help make your work environment a positive one is to simply improve your work environment. In some cases, improving the work environment is going to require you to spend money, how much money you need to spend is going to depend on what you plan on doing. For example, a relatively inexpensive way to make a positive change would be to allow music to be played over the loud speakers during the workday. Another great example is allowing people to pick the chairs that they will be sitting in so that they can be sure that they are comfortable while working. </p>

<p>When creating a positive environment even the little changes can have a huge impact. The happier your employees are the more productive your business is going to be.</p>

<p></p>

<p><br />
</p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <title>Creating a positive home environment</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/creating_a_positive_home_environment_005129.html" />
    <modified>2009-10-27T17:30:35Z</modified>
    <issued>2009-10-27T11:25:41-06:00</issued>
    <id>tag:www.improvingyourworld.com,2009:/motivation/6.5129</id>
    <created>2009-10-27T17:25:41Z</created>
    <summary type="text/plain"> Our homes are the first place that we go to seek comfort and security so we want to make sure that our homes are a positive environment. Your home should be a place of warmth and comfort for friends...</summary>
    <author>
      <name>K</name>
      
      <email>don@greatresults.com</email>
    </author>
    <dc:subject>Environment</dc:subject>
    <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/">
      <![CDATA[<p><img alt="friends38066932.jpg" src="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/friends38066932.jpg" width="175" height="125" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>Our homes are the first place that we go to seek comfort and security so we want to make sure that our homes are a positive environment. Your home should be a place of warmth and comfort for friends and family so people have a place to go to seek comfort. By creating a calm and welcoming environment in your home for friends and family members you will be showing others that you love and care about them and that you always want to help them when needed. The problem that many of us have is that we do not know what steps we should take so that we can create a positive home environment.</p>

<p>Here are some tips that you can follow to create a positive environment in your home.<br />
</p>]]>
      <![CDATA[<p><br />
<strong>Tip one:</strong></p>

<p>Make sure that you are creating a clean and orderly environment. This is important because creating this kind of environment is a motivating factor. The reason that it is an important motivating factor is because by creating an orderly environment you will be reducing the amount of fights between household members. The reason for this is that things will be easy to find and people will be able to easily find places of their own to retreat to. Creating a clean and orderly environment will also make your house more inviting for friends and family members.<br />
<strong><br />
Tip two:</strong></p>

<p>How you choose to talk to your house is something else that you need to think about when creating a positive home environment. If you are rude and demanding when you talk to people in your house, people are not going to feel very comfortable in your house. If you choose to talk nicely to others, by being respectful and encouraging people rather than putting them down, it will be a much more positive environment. Not only do the words you use have an impact on the positive home environment, but also so does the tone of voice that you use. If you use a tone of voice that is condescending, your family and friends will not enjoy listening to what you have to say, where if you use a respectful tone they will be much more receptive to what you have to say. By using a nice tone of voice with them, you also increase the chances of them using the same type of tone with you. </p>

<p><strong>Tip three:</strong></p>

<p>You need to pay attention to what you are allowing inside your house. This means you need to watch careful what books, movies, television shows, and music people in your family are involved with. This does not mean that you have to forbid them from listening or watching certain things, but you can ask them to listen or watch it elsewhere so that the whole family is not exposed to it. Many times older children do not have the same tastes as their parents, but as a parent you do not want the younger children exposed to certain influences, so you need to set some boundaries. By setting boundaries you are creating a positive environment because you are not trying to forbid your older children from listening to it, you are just limiting who is exposed to it. This will show your older children that you respect their opinions.  </p>

<p>The thing to remember when creating a positive home environment is that you need to think positively about each other. You need to spend time together as a family so that you can have positive experiences with each other. When spending time together as a family ensure that you encourage each other rather than criticize.                                                                             </p>

<p></p>

<p></p>

<p><br />
</p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <title>Best tips for improving yourself</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/best_tips_for_improving_yourself_005128.html" />
    <modified>2009-10-26T17:15:29Z</modified>
    <issued>2009-10-26T11:03:15-06:00</issued>
    <id>tag:www.improvingyourworld.com,2009:/motivation/6.5128</id>
    <created>2009-10-26T17:03:15Z</created>
    <summary type="text/plain"> If you are unhappy with how you life is going or how you feel about yourself one of the best things that you can do is take the time necessary to improve yourself. Self-improvement will go a long way...</summary>
    <author>
      <name>K</name>
      
      <email>don@greatresults.com</email>
    </author>
    <dc:subject>Self-Improvement</dc:subject>
    <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/">
      <![CDATA[<p><img alt="motherdaughters41828985.jpg" src="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/motherdaughters41828985.jpg" width="175" height="117" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>If you are unhappy with how you life is going or how you feel about yourself one of the best things that you can do is take the time necessary to improve yourself. Self-improvement will go a long way towards making you feel good about yourself, but they can also make you happier with your life. Being happy with yourself and your life is one-step closer towards living a happy and healthy life.</p>

<p>If you are interested in improving your life here are some tips that you can follow to begin improving it.<br />
</p>]]>
      <![CDATA[<p><br />
<strong>Tip one:</strong></p>

<p>Make sure you start your day off right. To begin your day you are going to need to get up and eat a full breakfast. Eating breakfast is important because it is going to give you the energy that you need to get through your day and accomplish everything that you are trying to do. Another great motivating factor in the morning is exercising because it gets your heart pumping and your blood moving. The more energized you are in the morning the better your chances for getting things done throughout the day.<br />
<strong><br />
Tip two: </strong></p>

<p>Whether you use a planner or a calendar, you will want to have a schedule of what you need to be done each day. The night before the best thing that you can do is to sit down and write down everything that you need to do in a day, as you complete each task make sure that you check it off. Knowing that you are getting things done is a great way to help you feel better about yourself because you will feel a sense of accomplishment.</p>

<p><strong>Tip three:</strong></p>

<p>No matter what you are doing throughout the day, you need to stop and take a break to have some fun. This doesn't mean that you need to stop working in the middle of the day, but you are going to need to make sure that you take the time to do something fun after you get off work. Stopping and having fun is a great way to make you feel better about yourself because you are doing things you enjoy, which will also lower your stress level. <br />
<strong><br />
Tip four:</strong></p>

<p>Something else that you can do to help improve your life is to accept the things that you cannot change. Many times when things go wrong we do everything that we can to fix what went wrong so that our lives are better. What you need to do is to learn when you are supposed to let go because you cannot change something that has happened. If you do not learn to let go of certain things you can easily find yourself being stressed over the things that you can't change or even getting depressed. By knowing you can't change things you will find that you can cope with what has happened much faster than before, which will reduce the stress you face in life.</p>

<p><strong>Tip five:</strong></p>

<p>If you find yourself doing the same things everyday, you need to try to break those patterns so that you are doing new things. By adding some excitement into your life or just making some minor changes to your day you can find that, you are much happier with your life. Also by making changes in your daily life, you will be broadening your experiences, which means you can find new things to do in the future. Don't be afraid to try new things because it can make you happier, you never know when you will find something that you enjoy if you don't take the chance to try things you have never tried before.</p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <title>What motivates you?</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/what_motivates_you_005127.html" />
    <modified>2009-10-25T17:15:34Z</modified>
    <issued>2009-10-25T11:02:10-06:00</issued>
    <id>tag:www.improvingyourworld.com,2009:/motivation/6.5127</id>
    <created>2009-10-25T17:02:10Z</created>
    <summary type="text/plain"> We are all motivated by different things. Some people are easily motivated while others don&apos;t seem to be motivated by anything at all. If you struggle with finding motivation or are frustrated when others don&apos;t seem to be as...</summary>
    <author>
      <name>K</name>
      
      <email>don@greatresults.com</email>
    </author>
    <dc:subject>Motivation</dc:subject>
    <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/">
      <![CDATA[<p><img alt="man30363439.jpg" src="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/home/man30363439.jpg" width="83" height="125" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /></p>

<p>We are all motivated by different things.  Some people are easily motivated while others don't seem to be motivated by anything at all.  If you struggle with finding motivation or are frustrated when others don't seem to be as motivated as you are, it may be helpful to learn more about what motivates you.  There are two basic motivation concepts; intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation.</p>

<p>Intrinsic motivation involves perceiving rewards as part of the task itself.  For example, someone who is intrinsically motivated will complete a task because they like to do it or because they like feeling that sense of accomplishment.  Those who are intrinsically motivated generally do well in school and enjoy going on to achieve higher levels of education.  People who are intrinsically motivated enjoy the sense of control that they have over their emotions.  These types of people feel like their fate is directly ties to their effort.  Therefore, those who are intrinsically motivated, or self motivated, feel like they are able to achieve whatever they set their mind to and feel a sense of relief from this.  Intrinsically motivated individuals are not generally firm believers in the concept of luck. </p>

<p> Many times individuals may set goals and a part of them simply hopes that these goals will be met, this is not so with self-motivated people.  Intrinsically motivated individuals believe that their own actions are going to be the deciding factors in their fate.  Self motivated individuals also tend to be labeled as perfectionists.  This is because someone who is intrinsically motivated generally accomplishes a task because they want to learn something along the process or challenge themselves in some way.  Intrinsic motivators like to master a topic rather than simply go through the motions of getting something done.<br />
</p>]]>
      <![CDATA[<p><br />
On the other end of the spectrum are those individuals who are extrinsically motivated, or motivated by factors that are outside of themselves.  For those who are extrinsically motivated, money is the most compelling motivator.  In children, where the concept of money has not yet been developed, the threat of punishment or a reward are the extrinsic motivators.  Motivators are generally more social individuals who need the attention of others to motivate them to get anything done.  Performers are often extrinsically motivated by the crowds that cheer them on and tend to boost their performance level based on the amount of support they receive from the crowd.  This is especially true for sports players.  Speaking of sports players, trophies and titles are very strong extrinsic motivators.  Competition is very appealing for extrinsically motivated individuals as there are fans cheering, a coach's constant encouragement, and the standing goal to beat the opponent.  </p>

<p>While there is nothing wrong with being extrinsically motivated, and many of us have at least a little bit of a need for extrinsic motivation, there are benefits to enjoying intrinsic rewards.  Over the course of one's life, psychologically those who have a hard time finding intrinsic motivation may face more serious struggles when it comes to earning a living and coping with the failure that may come with not being able to get yourself to do what is necessary.  In the situation where an extrinsically motivated individual marries an intrinsically motivated individual, there can be conflicts that arise and other labels given to the extrinsically motivated individual.  </p>

<p>Extrinsically motivated individuals often over justify themselves when they fail to accomplish a task.  Additionally, it can become more and more difficult for an extrinsically motivated person to find external motivators as he or she ages.  While encouragement and the thrill of obtaining a reward are both in abundance in one's youth, it can be easy to fall into a line of work and lifestyle that may not be as abundantly accommodating in adulthood.</p>

<p> </p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <title>Stress free Christmas tips</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/stress_free_christmas_tips_004771.html" />
    <modified>2009-10-24T17:00:57Z</modified>
    <issued>2009-10-24T11:00:00-06:00</issued>
    <id>tag:www.improvingyourworld.com,2009:/motivation/6.4771</id>
    <created>2009-10-24T17:00:00Z</created>
    <summary type="text/plain"> Christmas is supposed to be fun and enjoyable, but many people run themselves ragged, and stress themselves out with over scheduling, shopping, taking on too much, and trying to create the perfect holiday season. The following is a useful,...</summary>
    <author>
      <name>K</name>
      
      <email>don@greatresults.com</email>
    </author>
    <dc:subject>Extended Entry</dc:subject>
    <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/">
      <![CDATA[<p><img alt="gifts30340138.jpg" src="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/images/gifts30340138.jpg" width="83" height="125" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /><br />
Christmas is supposed to be fun and enjoyable, but many people run themselves ragged, and stress themselves out with over scheduling, shopping, taking on too much, and trying to create the perfect holiday season. The following is a useful, and easy to apply laundry list of tips for having a stress free Christmas. If followed your holiday season will be far improved, and you will see why so many people find joy (rather than Aspirin for a headache) during the holidays and Christmas. Let's face it, little changes can make a BIG difference when it comes to beating stress, so don't think you have to give up the things that make Christmas special, you just have to make them easier, and do your best to place fewer demands on yourself and your time. </p>]]>
      <![CDATA[<ol><li>	<strong>Send out your Christmas cards, but cut down on the volume of how many you send.</strong> Many people find that at Christmas time they pull out their address books, and anyone they have an address for, and many they don't go on their list of card recipients. This is a silly practice, it wastes time and money, so instead of sending cards to people you really do not like, or to people out of a feeling of obligation, change your mindset and only send cards to those you won't see, that live far away, and those that you have meaningful relationships with that you want to include in your greetings. Every person in your neighborhood does not need to receive your Christmas card, especially not the people you do not get along with.</li>

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" align="right" width="250"><tr><td>
<div style="margin: 10px; padding: 10px; background-color: #efeefa;border: thick silver solid">
<strong>Stress Free Christmas Resources:</strong>

<p><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" style="width:225px; height:185px;" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/4X2S5S1JJjI"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4X2S5S1JJjI" /></object></p>

<p><a href="http://organizedchristmas.com/">Organized Christmas</a><br />
This is a useful site that helps people get organized for Christmas so that their Christmas can be as stress free as possible. It has links for everything imaginable such as how to budget for Christmas, when to shop, and more.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/counselling_personal_development/87083">Stress Free Christmas</a><br />
This is a great directory for having a stress free Christmas, but in addition to the links to places that will make your Christmas less stressful it has articles, discussions on the topic and links to further information.</p>

<p><a href="http://childparenting.about.com/cs/holidays/a/holidayplan.htm">Parents' Guide to Stress Free Christmas</a><br />
This link takes you to a parent's guide to a stress free Christmas, it addresses the reasons Christmas is stressful for people with children, and how to eliminate a lot of that stress and enjoy the holiday.</p>

<p><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" style="width:225px; height:185px;" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/i47zewnIh_4&feature=related"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/i47zewnIh_4&feature=related" /></object></p>

<p><a href="http://www.eparenting.co.uk/xmas/tipsforastressfreechristmas.shtml">Tips for a Stress Free Christmas</a><br />
This is a list of great tips for a stress free Christmas. It is an easy to read format and offers insight into the things around the holidays that usually lead to stress, and thus how to combat them.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/72175/tips_for_a_stress_free_christmas.html?cat=74">Nitty Gritty Stresses Of Christmas</a><br />
This is a great article that gets into the nitty and gritty of the stress you face at Christmas and offers some down to earth and applicable tips for fighting it. It also offers additional topics, fighting stress, Christmas shopping, and more.</p>

<p><a href="http://irregularpayments.com/2007/11/30/getting-ready-for-some-stress-free-christmas-spending/">Getting Ready for Stress-Free Christmas Spending</a><br />
This is a link that takes you to an article that associates the stress of Christmas with spending money you may or may not have, and offers stress free Christmas spending tips that keep you out of debt.</p>

<p><a href="http://truthtalklive.wordpress.com/2007/11/19/im-dreaming-of-a-stress-free-christmas/">Dreaming of a Stress-Free Christmas</a><br />
This is a link that takes you to blog posts about stress free Christmas. It addresses people who dream about a stress free Christmas but can't make it happen, and changes you can make to get there.</p>

<p><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" style="width:225px; height:185px;" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/SM_9os7F6hc"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SM_9os7F6hc" /></object></p>

<p><a href="http://www.curriculumconnection.net/newsletters/2003%20newsletters/stress%20free.htm">Stress Free Christmas</a><br />
This link takes you to a simple format, easy to read and understand Christian take on a stress free Christmas. It offers applicable tips as well as examples of real life experiences that helped eliminate Christmas stresses.</p>

<p><a href="http://blog.worldvillage.com/home/how_to_have_a_stressfree_christmas.html">Women and Christmas</a><br />
This is a great site for women, and this link will take you to an article and blog to help women have a stress free Christmas and not run themselves ragged this holiday season, but enjoy it instead.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_2067847_have-stress-free-christmas.html">Have A Stress Free Christmas</a><br />
This is an e-how article on how to meet all of the demands of the holiday season, including school, work, home, and family to have an enjoyable and stress free Christmas experience.</p>

</ul>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</table>

<p><li>	<strong>Lower your expectations, at least those you place on yourself.</strong> Believe it or not, if you only have six kinds of pies at your Christmas dinner instead of ten, there will be very few complaints. Instead of running yourself ragged with an unrealistic expectation of perfection, recognize your humanity and learn to be okay with a nice, or average, or good Christmas instead of a perfect one. What is the perfect Christmas anyway?</li></p>

<p><li>	<strong>Plan your shopping trips well. </strong>The fact is that stores are crowded, lines are long, and often parking lots are full, so you do not want to leave in high spirits with the idea of roaming the stores until you find the perfect gift only to come home in a slump. Chances are if you do not plan well you will leave frustrated and in need of another trip because your list is not complete. So, know before-hand what you intend to get for everyone. A good way to do this is to browse online before going to the store, or to look through the flyers and mailers that are sent out. Once you get to the store, collect the items, and make your way to the checkout.</li></p>

<p><li>	<strong>If you have the money to do it, hit the shops early before the real Christmas shopping rush begins.</strong> Often times it is not the gift purchasing that is stressful, it is the waiting in long lines, fighting with people over the last item, or hunting through shelves and racks for the right size, color, etc. It's surprising how much shopping you can get done and how much more fun Christmas shopping can be when you know what you want to get for people, and get out early to do so.</li></p>

<p><li>	<strong>Make lists before you hit stores of any kind, even grocery stores.</strong> If you plan a menu, even a simple one, you can ensure that you have everything you need from one shopping trip, and those quick runs to the store that take hours because of crowded parking lots and long lines can be eliminated. Also, it helps you cut back on the waste because you know what you need and how much. Plan for a little extra, and also make sure you plan some snacks in addition to your main meal ideas.</li></p>

<p><li>	<strong>Take time to enjoy the season and the things specific to Christmas.</strong> If you absolutely love Christmas music, then play it. If you enjoy looking at Christmas lights and decorations, make a plan to drive around and do that. You have to take time to do the things you enjoy most about the season, otherwise the joys of Christmas will be lost on you. So ask yourself what makes Christmas special for you, and make it a priority this year.</li></p>

<p><li>	<strong>A very useful way to cut the stress of Christmas is to spend a dollar and buy an inexpensive, small notebook for your holiday planning. </strong>As gift ideas, meal ideas, people you want to send Christmas cards to, recipes, grocery needs, etc. come to you, you can pull it out and record it. That way you do not forget things, and you can check things off as you do them, which is very rewarding and known way to bust stress.</li></p>

<p><li>	<strong>Strategize your holiday plans.</strong> It may sound corny, but take a few minutes to sit down with your spouse and decide what activities, traditions, and things make you happy during the holidays, and make a plan to accomplish those things. Once you know what it is you enjoy, and do not enjoy about the Christmas holiday, you can prioritize activities. For example, if you find that you both really look forward to sledding, you can plan to go. If you find you both hate parties, then turn some of the invitations down.</li></p>

<p><li>	<strong>A great way to keep the holiday insanity under control and bust stress is to get a nice calendar</strong> to schedule holiday commitments and events on, and keep it where the whole family can see. This way you do not over-schedule, double book, or leave no time for the family.</li></p>

<p><li>	<strong> Avoid situations that cause you stress personally.</strong> For some, fighting the holiday crowds at the mall is half the fun of Christmas shopping, for others, doing their shopping online can make a huge difference in the stress they feel at Christmas. If the mess and stress of preparing a feast for Christmas stresses you out, then do not be embarrassed to have one catered, or to order out, or at the very least buy as much of it already prepared at the store as you can. While home-made is nice, and everyone appreciates it, they won't appreciate it enough to have you all stressed out and moody because of it. Sometimes buying a pumpkin pie and rolls instead of making them yourself is worth the slight sacrifice in taste. Besides, it is possible to buy from a gourmet bakery or high end caterer and get all the thrills of home cooking with none of the mess.</li></p>

<p><li>	<strong>Just start early.</strong> Most people get stressed because they have too much to do and too little time, especially when their calendars start to fill up with parties and get-togethers. So, address your Christmas card envelopes in July, just do not write them out or send them then. Bake your cookies in October, and freeze them. There are ways to do it all without the stress, you just have to budget your time wisely.</li></p>

<p><li>	<strong>Don't think gifts equal perfection.</strong> Some people get stressed because they bought one child an expensive bike and another a toy doll, and they worry the cost difference is unfair. As long as both kids love their gifts, and want them, it does not matter. You do not have to try and make everything perfectly equal, just try to get things perfect for each person. The fact is simple, items for some people are going to cost more than items for others. A gift for a teen for example is likely going to cost way more than gift for a toddler simply because their needs and interests are different.</li></p>

<p><li>	<strong>Probably the biggest stress free Christmas tip you can get is to don't overspend.</strong> Spending money you don't have is a sure-fire way to make Christmas and most of the next year stressful. Going into debt for Christmas does not make it more fun, it makes your life harder.</li></p>

<p><li>	<strong>Be prepared medically.</strong> The biggest stress some people face at Christmas is the stress of needing a doctor, or a prescription filled, and not having a pharmacy open, or a doctor's office open. So, refill your prescriptions to ensure you are covered during times when the pharmacy will be closed. Stock your medicine cabinet for the just in case, and talk to your doctor about any health concerns in advance.</li></p>

<p><li>	<strong>Have batteries. </strong>This is a stress buster few people realize or think of, but it can go a long way toward making your Christmas less stressful. A child who gets a new toy, and is excited to play with it, but has to wait until stores reopen the following day so you can get batteries to power it is not going to make life very easy on you. So, charge your rechargeable batteries so you have batteries for cameras, electronics, and new toys and gifts.</li></ol></p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <title>Where&apos;s Your Spirit of Adventure?</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/wheres_your_spirit_of_adventure_004544.html" />
    <modified>2009-10-23T17:00:44Z</modified>
    <issued>2009-10-23T11:00:00-06:00</issued>
    <id>tag:www.improvingyourworld.com,2009:/motivation/6.4544</id>
    <created>2009-10-23T17:00:00Z</created>
    <summary type="text/plain"> Do you want to be more adventurous but don&apos;t know how? Would you like to try new things, but back out at the last moment? Trying new things and being adventurous are a matter of will. If you want...</summary>
    <author>
      <name>K</name>
      
      <email>don@greatresults.com</email>
    </author>
    <dc:subject>Motivation</dc:subject>
    <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/">
      <![CDATA[<p><img alt="weightloss_18.jpg" src="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/images/weightloss_18.jpg" width="133" height="89" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /><br />
Do you want to be more adventurous but don't know how? Would you like to try new things, but back out at the last moment? Trying new things and being adventurous are a matter of will. If you want to try new things, you've taken the first step, gaining a desire. The next step is gaining the motivation to actually do what you want to do. To get motivated to try new things and be adventurous, follow the steps below.</p>]]>
      <![CDATA[<p><strong>Step #1: Research success stories.</strong></p>

<p>So you really want to try something new, sky diving for example, but you haven't built enough guts to actually try, the first thing you want to do is find others who have done it and had a great experience. Researching sky diving and seeing the fun that people have had doing it can relieve your fears and help you get motivated to do it for yourself. Success stories are used nationwide by companies trying to sell you something. Have you ever asked yourself why? It is because when you see someone else succeed, you have the motivating thought: "I can do that too!" Use the same technique on yourself. If you really want to do something but still have a lingering fear, start researching and you'll get motivated by seeing other's who were in your same position who got motivated.</p>

<p><strong>Step #2: Set a goal and build your expectations.</strong></p>

<p>You can build motivation by building expectations. When you have what you want to do in mind, set a goal for yourself to actually do it by a set date. You can build your motivation as you move toward that date. Setting a specific date to do something does two things. It gives you time to research what you want to do (see step 1), and it gets you excited as the date approaches. Build your expectations toward what you want to do. Your anticipation will build and as it does so, you'll experience a surge of motivation that will overcome your doubts. Another motivating factor is to realize that fear is just excitement in disguise. The more you set goals to do new things, the more motivated you will be to be adventurous. You can achieve the end goal of being unafraid to do new things and have adventure if you take the baby steps first by setting goals to get you there. Motivation comes to do more as you succeed at what you have put your mind to.</p>

<p><strong>Step #3: Squash negative thoughts.</strong></p>

<p>Most of the time when we lose motivation to try something new is because we've talked ourselves out of it. Recognize negative self-talk and squash it before it sets in. While you are squashing negative self-talk, start recognizing all negative thoughts you hold. The most de-motivating factor in anyone's life is negative thoughts because our thoughts are what control our actions and emotions. The more negative your thoughts, the less likely you are to be upbeat and excited. The opposite holds true as well. If you are thinking, "This is too hard," squash the thought and think instead, "I can do this if that guy can." The more positive thoughts you can think to replace your negative ones, the better your experience will be with getting motivated and the easier it will be to try new things. Positive thinking gets you what you really want, so start using it in every aspect of your life. You'll get motivated to do new things as easily as walking.</p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <title>This is My Good Side</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/this_is_my_good_side_004543.html" />
    <modified>2009-10-22T17:00:28Z</modified>
    <issued>2009-10-22T11:00:00-06:00</issued>
    <id>tag:www.improvingyourworld.com,2009:/motivation/6.4543</id>
    <created>2009-10-22T17:00:00Z</created>
    <summary type="text/plain"> Starting a new relationship can be a difficult and painful process, especially if you are still carting around baggage from your last relationship. Fear and anxiety often undermine courage and confidence when it comes to meeting someone special. When...</summary>
    <author>
      <name>K</name>
      
      <email>don@greatresults.com</email>
    </author>
    <dc:subject>People</dc:subject>
    <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/">
      <![CDATA[<p><img alt="sideview32994967.jpg" src="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/images/sideview32994967.jpg" width="83" height="125" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /><br />
Starting a new relationship can be a difficult and painful process, especially if you are still carting around baggage from your last relationship. Fear and anxiety often undermine courage and confidence when it comes to meeting someone special. When you lack confidence, you lack luster and don't attract the people you would want to start a relationship with. Pain from your last relationship may linger making it hard to even think about starting a new one. All this can lead to a total lack of motivation to start a new relationship, or even the thought that there is no way you can get a date. People don't like you, people aren't attracted to you, so why should you even try? Being motivated to get a date or to start a new relationship isn't about how other people see you; it's about how you see you. If you think you can't, then you can't. To turn your attitude around and gain the motivation and confidence you need to start a new relationship, try concentrating on the following:</p>]]>
      <![CDATA[<p><strong>Concentrate on you - Get yourself up and going </strong></p>

<p>You are the only thing holding you back. Get motivated to get out there and date by loving yourself again. There are two areas of you that you can concentrate on that will get you up and motivated again.</p>

<ol><li><strong>	Health and Wellness - </strong>When you are healthy, you feel better about yourself. When you feel better about yourself, you feel more confident, which allows you to be motivated to go out and meet people. Boost your confidence and give yourself more motivation by eating right and exercising. Even if you are overweight or out of shape, a little exercise can go a long way to getting you feeling better about yourself and giving you the motivation to meet new people. People who eat right and exercise literally have a healthier glow about them that attracts other people. You don't have to do anything but look better and you'll have more motivation and confidence to go out and start a new relationship.</li>

<p><li>	<strong>Mental and Emotional -</strong> If you are having a hard time liking yourself, you won't be motivated to go out and let others like you. Take some time to get to know yourself. Accept and love what you cannot or are not willing to change. Find things about yourself to absolutely love. Concentrate on those things. Find the things about yourself that you absolutely hate. Don't bury them, but accept them as a part of who you are. The more accepting you are of yourself, the more motivation you will have to go out and meet others. If you aren't a whole person, you won't have a successful relationship in the long run no matter how many people you date. Success breeds motivation, so allow yourself a chance at success by loving and accepting yourself first.</li></ol></p>

<p><strong>Concentrate on successes - Rejection is a myth</strong></p>

<p>Too many people allow themselves to lose their motivation to date because they have been rejected so many times. Don't be one of them. Concentrate on the success you've had in dating. Successes can include talking to one new person everyday, going on a date once a month, etc. Don't set the bar for success so high that you lose your motivation to keep going. Your ultimate success would be to find Mr. or Miss Right, but allow yourself successes along the way to build motivation off of so you are still around when he or she comes along.</p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <title>Squash Your Spending Itch</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/squash_your_spending_itch_004542.html" />
    <modified>2009-10-21T17:00:41Z</modified>
    <issued>2009-10-21T11:00:00-06:00</issued>
    <id>tag:www.improvingyourworld.com,2009:/motivation/6.4542</id>
    <created>2009-10-21T17:00:00Z</created>
    <summary type="text/plain"> With all the advertising we are exposed to on a daily basis, it is no wonder why people think saving is difficult. We live in a society that allows us to spend a lot more than we make, so...</summary>
    <author>
      <name>K</name>
      
      <email>don@greatresults.com</email>
    </author>
    <dc:subject>Motivation</dc:subject>
    <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/">
      <![CDATA[<p><img alt="shopping30390311.jpg" src="http://www.improvingyourworld.com/motivation/images/shopping30390311.jpg" width="175" height="116" align="left" style="border:3px solid #e7e7e7;margin-right:10px" /><br />
With all the advertising we are exposed to on a daily basis, it is no wonder why people think saving is difficult. We live in a society that allows us to spend a lot more than we make, so basically we can get whatever our hearts desire. The problems start when you have to declare bankruptcy, have a crisis that costs way more than you have or can borrow, or when you grow a conscious. So, before any of those things happen (except maybe growing the conscious), how do you get motivated to save money? Here are some tips that, when taken all together, can really get your motivation ball rolling.</p>]]>
      <![CDATA[<p><strong>Set Realistic Goals</strong></p>

<p>Getting motivated to save money starts with a goal. How much do you want to save? What date do you want to have it saved by? If not a specific end amount, how much do you want to save each month? The possibilities for setting monetary goals are endless, but make sure your goal is one that motivates you to actually do the work of saving your hard earned money. The other important thing when it comes to staying motivated is to make sure your money goal is realistic. If you bite of more than you can chew, you're setting yourself up for failure.</p>

<p><strong>Have Fun</strong></p>

<p>When it comes to staying motivated to save, attitude is everything. If your attitude is that you are depriving yourself by saving, you won't save for long. Instead, think of saving as an empowerment. Really, getting motivated to save is easy if you really think of money with this attitude. Saving gives you an opportunity to be creative. If you really want something, fast food for the family for example, you'll be able to use your creativity to find ways to get what you want without spending the money. Home-made fast food is every bit as good as the original.</p>

<p><strong>Reward Yourself, but Within Reason</strong></p>

<p>To add to your fun along the journey of saving success and keep the motivation of saving strong, reward yourself as you hit your milestone markers. If at the end of the year you've saved more than you've planned, take the surplus and do something fun, or put it in a recreation fund. Once your recreation fund reaches a level that will be rewarding, don't feel guilty in spending it. You are still reaching your saving goals and having fun along the way. If you don't reward yourself, you'll find that you have an attitude of deprivation rather than empowerment. This only leads to a loss of motivation so reward yourself, but not the detriment of your savings.</p>

<p><strong>Start Small</strong></p>

<p>If you are one who is living hand to mouth each month and still see all your money being eaten away by bills, you can still be motivated to set and keep saving goals. Start small. A dollar a week going into savings is more than there was a week ago. This small success will motivate you to find ways to save on what you already spend and put the money you've saved into savings. Stay motivated by keeping your goals small enough to reach, but at a point where they stretch you too. Saving is a long road, so keep all your small successes at the forefront of your mind and you'll find it makes a big difference in the long run with how your success ball rolls.</p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>

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