Live better everyday
A New Start, Every Month
This is the time of year where many of my friends are contemplating the trajectory of their lives, reviewing what worked and what didn’t in the past year, making goals or resolutions for the future, and sharing ways to make those goals stick. I love introspection and personal growth, and while it’s not always easy to be honest with myself about what needs to change (understatement much?), it’s such satisfying work when done.
Keeping the Love Alive
February – one of my favorite months of the year. For me, it’s a time of personal celebration because it’s the month that my wife Kathy and I got engaged—a reason to celebrate in itself. More than that, I think February is an opportunity to clean up our relationships: evaluate where we are, assess and reassess the challenges that exist in our relationships, celebrate the successes we are enjoying and set goals for the future. This way, we continue to intentionally find success with the ones we love.
Money In Your Closet
Unless you’re one to have a piggybank or safe stashed in your closet, you might be thinking “What?” You are not alone; many people don’t realize that there is money in their closet, both money to be made and money to be found. Here are some strategies you can use to better manage your money in the closet:
Don’t Be An ATM To Your Kids
The concept behind an ATM machine is pretty simple. All you have to do is swipe your debit card, press a couple of buttons, and you get money from your bank account. Now, take a look at how your kids (or grandkids) get their money. Do they work for their money or do they go straight to the “Mom & Dad ATM” machine to make a withdrawal? Are you being an ATM to your kids or grandkids?
Make Work Easier! Eliminate “Decision Clutter”
Our incredibly busy schedules often create a lot of quick and dirty reactions that can lead to absolute gridlock in an operation if left unchecked. I’m talking about the decisions you make when you are stressed, working on three things at once, and simply don’t have the time to look into it any further than the surface….these are often highlighted by the “justs”:
Operation Memory Jar
I don’t know about you but it seems to me that self-proclaimed experts from around the world churn out rehashed advice on the same old saturated topics each and every New Year’s. More often than not these spin doctors attempt to provide us with strategies on how to lose weight, eat healthier, love and laugh more, and a host of other predictable topics. The truth is that most New Year’s resolutions are conjured up because we as individuals realize that we are lacking in one area of life or another.
A Remembrance Day Story
I read this Remembrance Day story several years ago and each November I read it again to remind myself of the great sacrifices the men and women in our armed forces have made so that we can live in freedom. When I was young my foster father (Mr. Watson) would often talk to me about his experiences in the Second World War. I was a young boy with a great imagination and he was a tremendous story-teller; and so as he would describe scenes from his time serving in the war my mind would generate vivid images of what it must have been like to be there – with him – during that time and in those battles.
