Brenda Rosaaen C.E.C. ~Personal Development Coach~

Personal Development - Gratitude

*Watching the sunrise while drinking a hot cup of coffee

*The sound of a baby’s laughter

*The smell of leather

*Crisp mountain air

*The peace and tranquility of being out in nature

*The smell of coffee brewing

*The incredible colors of an evening sunset…..

These are just a few things that I love.

This is a great little exercise to do when you are feeling in a funk, maybe out of focus and just have a minor case of the blahs.

A lot of people talk about having a gratitude journal. Where you list at the end of the day all the things you were thankful for that happened that day. It’s a great way to keep things in perspective and really appreciate all that is in your life.

This list is different.

You don’t have to wait till the end of the day. You can stop what you are doing right now. It doesn’t take but just a few minutes,(seconds actually) and think about things that you LOVE. There are probably hundreds of things you can list that you LIKE. Don’t list those items. Your list should give you a feeling, that when you read the words, it’s as if you are there and your senses are activated.

Take a deep breath, relax. What are the first things that come to mind when you think of things you love? That instantly puts a smile on your face and gives you a feeling of peace?

Notice how your mood begins to change when you take a minute or two, to focus on each one?

This is a great way to take a mini-mental vacation when you need to re-focus and re-group. Why not write them down, post your list someplace you see on a regular basis as a daily reminder when you start to feel frazzled or in a slump.

Make it a great day!

~Brenda

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Whew, that was close!

You’ve probably noticed the whole Resolution Theme I have going on here… For me personally, I decided my goal for 2009 is to shake off my cement shoes and make it a year of decisiveness and action!

We all have things that we procrastinate on. One of those things for me is books.

I have books throughout the house, in my office, by my bed in case I want to read at night, near my treadmill (I like to read and walk), in both my vehicles (most of my reading gets done in the car while I am waiting for my kids), and in my purse (while waiting for my husband, usually J ).

So to stay true to my Resolution, I gathered up all the unread books and ended up with 29 in my pile!!

Would you believe nine of them have been “started”, some nearly 2 years ago! I decided to get back on track by reading a little each day. I used to do that, but somewhere along the way, don’t know when or why but other priorities came along. Life has a way of doing that to us.

I made a decision that I would Absolutely Not open another book till I finished what I’d started. So far I’ve managed to stay on track.

Then it happened… Barnes and Noble…

Many of you know I live in a very rural part of the country, so my book shopping usually consists of Amazon. Which works out just fine, but for me books are like potato chips- you can’t have just one!

Anyway, I decided to go out of town for a few days and yesterday I stopped at Barnes and Noble, just to look.

Yeah, Right.

I ended up with 4 more books - Shame on Me! When I reached my destination and was getting out of my car I opened up the bag, getting ready to choose which book to start on first…. Then I remembered! Whew, that was close! I closed up the bag, put it in the back seat and left it in the car.

Yea Me! I managed to stay on track, but it was close. J

~Brenda

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Self Improvement - Keeping Your Resolutions

It's two weeks into the New Year. How are you doing on those resolutions that you made? Remember the ones that you had so much fire and passion about?   The ones that you vowed, that this would be The Year?

If you are one of the few that are still hanging in there, Congratulations!!  If you are one of the many that have gotten off track a bit, but managed to get back going again, Congratulations!! Why am I congratulating both groups of people?  Because you are still doing it!

It doesn't matter how many times you stop, what's important is that you keep trying. Yes, it can be more frustrating and takes longer to reach your ultimate goal, but you will make it. The key is that you don't stop.

It's so easy to beat yourself up if you've let your goals slide. You may tell yourself, you're a failure, can never stick to anything, just don't have what it takes, and numerous other false statements that pop up.

Pretty soon you may change those words, and attempt to convince yourself that, you are happy the way you are, that change is for someone else, people may not accept you if you change too much, you weren't meant for success, life is just fine the way it is.... More FALSE STATEMENTS!

You go back to your comfortable life. Is it really that comfortable?  Before you know it, an entire year has passed and you start thinking about New Year's Resolutions - Again.  Are they the same ones you set last year? How does that feel?

Generally we fall off track because something is holding us back. More often than not, it is NOT the obvious issue that we would like to think. We use excuses like, No willpower, No time, No money, etc. If you are stuck in the trap of excuses maybe you need an accountability partner, a good friend to keep you on track, or a Coach.

Lastly, if you are among the majority of people that got off track and haven't yet attempted to get going again. Just do it! Who says you have to start January 1st. Why not start January 14th?

Have a great day!

~Brenda

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