Yearly Archives: 2011

One of the hardest things in the world can be to receive negative criticism on something we have done. No one wants to feel like they have done something wrong and hearing someone talk about our faults and mistakes can make us very frustrated and discouraged.

However, criticism doesn’t have to be so bad when you approach it with the right attitude. In fact, when you think of it in the following way, it can actually benefit you positively and help you improve.

What can you do if your home is looking tired and drab, but you can’t afford to give it a full makeover?

Sprucing up your home can be expensive, especially if you are buying all new furniture and décor. However, it doesn’t have to be.

When you can get beautiful items for cheap, and use your own creativity and hard work, it is possible to create a beautiful home that looks like a million dollars but doesn’t cost it!

Do you get frustrated because you want to live a healthier lifestyle but your job keeps you sitting at a desk all day?

Sedentary work can cause us to gain weight and suffer from eye strain, back pain, and lack of energy. However, it is a lot easier than you think to add physical activity to your workday, even if you are chained to a desk.

Adding in small bursts of exercise to your daily routine will not only help you keep fit, slim and healthy, it will also give you more energy to take on the day and boost your mood.

Imagine yourself relaxing into a hot aromatherapy bath at a luxurious spa center at a resort. Surrounded by flickering candles and peaceful music, you can allow the healing power of the essential oils calm your mind and forget all of your worries. It is a truly wonderful experience.

However, going to a luxury spa can be very expensive, so what if you can’t afford to treat yourself to this indulgence

You might be watching a film about an artist, and your friend will say, “I used to love making pottery when I was in school. I wish I could do it again.”

Or perhaps you will be walking along the beach and you will pass someone on roller blades and your partner will say, “I love rollerblading! I used to do it all the time when I was younger.”

Or maybe you will treat yourself to an ice cream once in a blue moon, and think about how much you love ice cream but you can’t remember the last time you had it.

When we are younger, we don’t have a problem doing the things we love. They seem to come naturally, and the focus of our day is centered on play and fun.

Is your motto, “why do today what I can put off until tomorrow?”

Procrastination is an easy habit to slip into, as it is incredibly tempting to avoid doing something that is not urgent. When a project is due, the house needs cleaning, or a form needs filling out, we often decide that we will get away with doing it another day.

However, procrastination can really come back to bite us when the deadline looms near and we realize that we have left way too much work for ourselves. Every college student who has gotten in trouble for snoring in class after pulling an all-nighter finishing a term paper will tell you that procrastination seems like a good idea at the time but isn’t a healthy or productive way to manage your life.

It’s not how much money you earn that will make you rich; rather it is your spending habits. How aware are you of what you spend on a daily basis? Do you ever think you have a certain amount of money in your account and then realize that you have a lot less? Noticing how much you spend can be the first step to learning how to manage your money better.

Here are three useful tips for becoming more aware of what you are spending:

The weekend is finally here and you are exhausted from a busy week. You are looking forward to sleeping late and lounging around the house, enjoying your day off. However, the sink-full of dirty dishes is staring you in the face, the shower is in desperate need of a scrub, and the dust creatures under the couch are starting to growl at you. Oh well, looks like another Sunday will be spent cleaning the house again!

How many times have you been eating while watching TV and thought that you had another few bites left but then realize you have devoured the whole thing? Not watching television while eating will actually help you lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle.

Since your mind is so entranced by the television, cramming the food into your mouth becomes automatic and it is hard to notice when you have eaten too much.

Your garage seemed innocent enough when you first moved in to your home, but now it has grown into a cluttered jungle of junk which haunts your dreams.

It begins as a covered space to park your car, but your garage soon becomes a dumping ground for any odd objects and a place to store the odd few tools and things that didn’t fit in the house.