Bring flowers for your mom when it’s not her birthday. If you’re a wiz at working on cars and you hear your friend’s car sputtering, offer to change the spark plugs. A small gesture of love can a long way in making those who are special to you feel good! When you have a conflict with a loved one, be willing to work it out. Giving up and slamming the door behind you is not the path to happiness! Sometimes it can be as simple as accepting an idea or opinion that is different from our own. The person will probably recognize that that wasn’t easy for you to do and will appreciate you all the more for it.
Don’t bite off more than you can chew, though. Otherwise, you might quit. Small, incremental steps and consistency is how you accomplish big goals in life. Choose short-term goals that are clearly connected to the bigger picture of what you ultimately want in life and who you want to become. [1] X Expert Source Michael SternLife Coach Expert Interview. 1 July 2020. Set aside regular time to review and reflect on your progress, which will help you maintain focus and motivation. [2] X Expert Source Michael SternLife Coach Expert Interview. 1 July 2020.
Towards the end of the day, take a look at what still needs to be done. Transfer tasks from the small list to the next day, and continue focusing on the MITs. This method ensures that the bulk of your time isn’t consumed by tasks less important than the bigger priorities in your life. Like anything new, it will take time to perfect, but stay with it. Eventually, you will be an expert at managing time versus it managing you!
Think about doing a plank, kettlebell swing, or pushup challenge. The choice is yours based on what part of the body you wish to train the most. Keep in mind, however, that a 30-day fitness challenge is not meant to replace your normal routine. In theory, you’re supposed to still maintain what you’re doing regularly. You will probably be a little sore at first but, by the end, you should be moving right along with both routines, not to mention in much better shape. Here’s an example of how to incorporate the SMART principles using kettlebells: Specific - I’m going to do a 30-day fitness challenge incorporating kettlebell swings. Measurable - I will do 500 swings 20 times within 30 days in order to reach 10,000 swings total. Achievable - I will reach my goal by breaking them down into 5 rounds each with sets of 10, 15, 25 and 50 repetitions. Relevant - I wish to build the core part of my body, and this is one of the best ways to do it. Time-bound - My goal is to reach 10,000 swings within 30 days. [5] X Research source Consider training for either a 5K or for a smaller event. This has become a huge sport with almost too many benefits to list here. Signing up for one will help you stay in shape, get your competitive juices flowing, hone your discipline, and you’ll meet lots of people. If you haven’t run in one before or you’re a little out of shape, consider participating in a shorter run, or only do the walk portion of the event. You should be able to find a 5K event where you live. If not, find out where a race is being held, train every day or every other day for 30 days, and go there.
Think about volunteering with kids. There are lots of areas you can delve into here. You can participate in a youth group, be a mentor, help out in juvenile detention, or work with one of the big scouting organizations. This could be an ideal direction to go in if you’re planning on becoming a youth worker or a teacher. [7] X Research source Offer your time at a local animal shelter. If you want instant gratification, do this. There is nothing like a scrawny puppy with big eyes looking up at you as your putting food in his bowl to make you feel good. You could also work in fund-raising – an area that’s highly needed in animal rescue work, train to be a vet’s assistant, or work in the field picking up stray cats and dogs. Just like the rewards, the choices are endless.
You can also make homemade beer. If you can boil water, you can brew beer – even premium, at the fraction of the cost of commercial beer. Home brewing beer has come a long way since it was first legalized in 1979. (A one-person household can make 100 gallons a year and a family household can make 200 gallons. ) Over the years, the techniques have been refined and the variety and quality of supplies and brewing ingredients that are available practically ensure great results. These days home brewing has reached a state of high science. But, you don’t have to practice at that high a level to make a tasty beer. [8] X Research source Brewing is an inexact and forgiving science, which allows for experimentation. To learn, just look online or in your local book store. Each will describe a different procedure for fermenting and brewing and will include recipes unlike the rest. Interestingly, most of them produce terrific results. Finding the ingredients and equipment for home brewing is not the big challenge it used to be. Chances are good even that there’s a beer-making store where you live. If not, you can get everything you need by mail.
Keep in mind you need to be fairly detailed oriented and have a detective-type mind to be able to do a thorough and accurate genealogy report. Begin recording what you already know about your family. Start with yourself and enter as much information as possible. Preserve important stories and family information by developing a family tree generation by generation. Record marriage and death dates, names, birth dates, and other facts that you know.
Most people have lots of opinions. Take into consideration what others say, but you don’t always have to believe what they say about you. Often, it’s just projections based on their own fears! Many are fine going unnoticed in the world, not straying from the opinions of others, and not ruffling any feathers. On the inside, though, these are the ones hoping for positive change. Be the lone duck from the crowd, and stay true to yourself. As long as you’re not hurting anyone or yourself, then it’s fine. [11] X Research source The most important thing is you tried. It takes confidence to put yourself out there, so pat yourself on the back for it! There are many people on the planet. Eventually, you will find your tribe.
Thailand is popular and for good reason. Cheap dining and accommodations, inexpensive trains and buses, beautiful mountains and beaches, and a happening metropolis in Bangkok all contribute to the perfect destination place for the budget traveler. Vietnam is another great place to make your money to go far, and it’s a beautiful country with so much to offer. Accommodation is inexpensive while still being comfortable and clean, the food is some of the best and cheapest in the world, and traveling by bus means you will save a fortune. As a backpacker destination, Laos has been gaining in popularity in recent years but the costs are still within reason. This stunning part of the world is known for its laid-back lifestyle and its gorgeous scenery. [13] X Research source
Believe it or not, there are a lot of companies, individuals and non-profits looking for all kinds of help in developing countries. You could volunteer in an administrative capacity at a Tibetan school in India, on a coffee farm in Honduras, or on a horse ranch in Mexico. The choice really is yours. There are several big websites that regularly post ads for people, companies and NGOs that are looking for volunteers. Though they don’t pay, most cover room and board. You just have to get there and have some money for living expenses each month. You can also teach English online or at an actual school abroad. If you teach online, you can either freelance or work through a company. If it’s through a company, they may require you to have an “English as a Foreign Language” (EFL) certificate, which is only a short, inexpensive course. There are also hundreds of schools on the Internet canvassing for teachers on a regular basis – entry level or experienced; many require an EFL certificate but some do not. Most provide room, board and a decent salary. The biggest criteria for teaching EFL are patience, creativity, organizational skills and English fluency.
