by Kathy Gates
Every day is a gift, but some sure don’t seem like it, do they?
Try these 7 tips to help you get the most out of even the
wettest, hottest, traffic-clogged, broken appliance, overdue bill, out-of-milk,
loud, cranky boss days.
1. Try Type-A Style. It’s not always so much what you do, as
"how" you do what you do. Look for the easier way. Look for things that can help
you. Yes, you still have to do the laundry, and cook meals, but you don’t have
to make it all consuming. Keep it simple. Look for ways to cut out some steps,
like one shampoo instead of 6, and one grocery day instead of everyday.
2. Attitude Counts. Yes, you still have to do the laundry, and
cook meals (hey, didn’t we just cover that?) but if you acknowledge yourself for
doing a good job and remind yourself of the higher purpose that this job is part
of, instead of dwelling on the fact that you "haveto" do it, you’ll feel better
about the job itself.
3. Be A Friend. To yourself, that is. Just for one day,
consciously treat yourself like you would treat a good friend. Would you talk to
a friend the way you talk to yourself? Take care of yourself. Get enough sleep,
eat in moderation, love yourself, and be kind to yourself. You’re important -
treat yourself that way.
4. Keep the Past in the Past. Playing over and over good things
in the past makes sense. It helps to motivate you. But if it hurt you, what’s
the point of playing it and hurting over and over? Actively replace the
negative, draining thoughts with positive, motivating thoughts instead. Practice
it, and it will become second nature.
5. Build Your Own Dock. Life is fluid, some good days, some not
so good. Don’t get so bogged down in the bad that you miss the good. Prepare
yourself to take advantage of the good things that come your way. Could you
accept a better job or Mr/Mrs. Right into your life right now? If you’re not
ahead of the game, you’ll always be playing catch up. Build your own dock, so
that ship you’re waiting for has a place to dock.
6. What You See. If you think the world is a bad place, that’s
what you will see. Every day you create your life, minute by minute, thought by
thought, action by action. If you eat candy all day, you’ll be sick. If you put
bad thoughts into your mind all day you’ll be sick. Feed your mind good "food".
Listen to happy songs, watch happy TV, choose positive friends. You decide how
much your smile, who you hug, where you go, and what you do. Choose well.
7. Accept Yourself, Warts and All. A happy life is being able to
accept that you aren’t perfect, and taking responsibility for how it affects
your own life as well as those around you. "This is my problem, and this is how
I’m handling it." Others will be encouraged by you, and you’ll be better able to
accept that they aren’t perfect either.
Kathy Gates is a Professional Life Coach in Scottsdale AZ. I help people deal
with the stress of every day living
in a more organized and efficient manner. Get more information at my website
Real Life Coach, http://www.reallifecoach.com/
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