Quick fixes for life

This is a guest post.

My life needs fixing?

It is a misconception that lifting ones mood from unhappy to happy requires drastic lifestyle changes. Taking on everything so aggressively at once can be extremely refreshing to begin with, but common causes of failure to achieve goals come from setting unrealistic objectives and losing heart when the initial momentum fades.

An aggressive focus on the future while good in the long run does not provide a surge of satisfaction that comes from engaging life in the present. When life seems stagnant and I need a pick me up; I find the beginnings of greater inspiration come from making a few quick fixes now.

What is a quick fix?

Some might ask ‘What do you mean by quick fix?’ I mean bringing yourself up from a low phase in life by taking some action; a reminder that your potential may be greater than you currently feel it is.

When a bath overflows you would not mop up the water then turn off the tap when finished, the task will be easier if we start with the quick fix of first turning off the tap. Problem solving principles tell us that we can solve more problems under pressure by starting with the smallest tasks and eliminating them from our priorities; start small and take a step up.

These steps are small but noticeable, and simple but practical.

The quick fix is not a 5 year career forecast or ‘Personal Development Plan’, it is you lifting yourself from life’s little (or big) dips by taking small steps in grasping control of your own being and thus getting motivated for bigger tasks.

Why is a quick fix so effective?

“Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs”

– Henry Ford

You are taking immediate and noticeable ownership of your life, gratification comes from the satisfaction of knowing something is complete or the excitement of knowing bigger things may lie ahead. All change requires drive and this momentum needs a starting point no matter how unrelated it may first seem. Sparking a positive attitude will give you the confidence you need, and then the rest will come gradually.

Finding a quick fix in life

What follows are a few of my own personal experiences that lift my mood and help bring out the best in me. A reminder again; these actions are simple and they work to get you inspired.

Tidy your personal space

Notice a lot of clutter while working at the computer at home or at work? Take half an hour to tidy up all clutter and fully clean your space, and it feels like working in a whole new space altogether.

This fix also applies to your car your kitchen or any other space you spend time in.

Plan for the day ahead the night before

You have a day off tomorrow? Don’t always play it by ear, scribble down a few things that need sorted tomorrow and keep it as a checklist for controlling your free time. Remember to phone your boss early about that meeting before the meeting, don’t play by ear and forget about it until he’s busy having that other meeting about the meeting.

Make preparations and be ahead of yourself

A good use of free time is to take small steps towards another task in advance, when you’re cooking a big meal in the evening; buy the ingredients and wash your dishes as early as possible. This way you’re facing the task head on by taking the first steps towards completion.

Discuss your goals

Talk over your personal goals with anyone who is willing to listen, let it be a refresher course in the person you want to be. Fortunately for me I work with a very supportive group of colleagues and this gratification comes easy to me. This starts by being open and honest about yourself and if you’re lucky your friends will do the same and this becomes an opportunity to learn more about them.

Research new goals

Make a fresh start on a new hobby or interest. Engaging yourself in something that never interested you before will allow you reflect on your growth as a person. Do something interesting and as random as you like. Join a club, society or even an internet forum for help on getting you started.

Discover a new experience (or re-discover an old one)

Have a good outlook on the unfamiliar and share this enthusiasm with others. Try a new type of restaurant, visit somewhere new for a day out. Enjoy ‘McDonalds’ for lunch? Have fish and chips for a change. Shop in a supermarket? Try the small high street businesses instead.

Reward good work

When something challenging passes by; reward yourself upon its completion, Take time to validate your achievements and start reflecting on life going right. Is a hard week’s work over? Have drinks with friends. Do anything to reflect on a job well done.

Start appreciating (and showing it)

Stop living in your own shell and start appreciating the good work of your friends and your family, your superiors and subordinates. See into the souls of others and get yourself inspired to reflect their behaviours back to them.

Your turn

Now it’s time for you to do something. Feeling like life is passing you by? Take control again fix something that’s bothering you.

Is it something at work? Arrange 15 minutes to talk to your boss about your job, highlight some problems they might not have detected.

Ok done? … Great, now do something again.

Is it your social life? Get the gang together and venture towards something new, start thinking differently about your friends and friendships.

Now share with me your own problems and quick fixes to life. What were they and what did they lead to?

Written by Daniel Burns

Daniel is a 22 year old management hopeful from Northern Ireland. Learns many lessons from great friends and colleagues; but keeps in mind that life is a personal journey. Lead your own way and take great friends with you.

Photo by Dave-F

By Guest writer | Misc | May 25th, 2011

Generation Y: redefine yourself!

Those born in the 1980’s and 1990’s are considered part of “Generation Y,” including myself. We have been defined by the media and society as “kidults,” as lazy, as individuals wanting success without any effort, as compassionless, as too sheltered from the real world, and many other negative attributes. When an older individual looks at Generation Y and sees us Tweeting and Facebooking, they can’t help but think of us as less than those of the past.

However, we are not the laziest generation ever that will not amount to as much as those in the past. That is why I’m calling others of my generation to redefine yourself!

How can we do it?

Through the arts.

Writing, music, film, stage, painting, photography, and other forms of art enable individuals to capture the events that impact them and the emotions that are evoked from within. And by doing so, they capture the same impact and emotions of those around their age—whether they’re aware of it or not—helping to define them.

When you look to the past, there have been numerous artists that have been able to capture the events, ideas, thoughts, and emotions of their generations. These artists include:

- Emma Lazarus
- F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Ernest Hemingway
- Langston Hughes
- Arthur Miller
- Dorothea Lange
- Truman Capote
- Thornton Wilder
- Marlon Brando
- Jack Kerouac
- James Baldwin
- James Dean
- Dennis Hopper
- Simon and Garfunkel
- Bob Dylan
- Sam Cooke
- Janis Joplin
- Bruce Springsteen
- Maya Angelou
- Sandra Cisneros

These artists are American, but every country and region have their own artists they can look to, to view a glimpse of what it was like for the artist’s generation.

Even though the media and society have already written Generation Y off, our legacy has yet to be carved out. We can’t yet point to specific young artists and say that they and their creations represent Generation Y and will stand the test of time, giving future generations a time capsule-like look at the past, with complete certainty. So many songs have yet to be sung. So many novels have yet to be written. So many pictures have to be taken. So many paintbrushes have yet to meet a canvas. So many young artists have yet to take the plunge to define their selves and their generation.

It is time for you to challenge yourself, define yourself, and redefine Generation Y!

If you’re a writer, don’t try to write the next vampire novel. If you want to leave a legacy, don’t think you can do it by being a “Jersey Shore” reality star. Don’t worry about making millions. Display that we have passion, compassion, perseverance, dreams, and goals. Do something with more depth and more purpose. You just may be a part the culture’s canon and be added to the history books of the future.

As you may have noticed, I’ve haven’t been posting much lately, but that is because I’m attempting to write a book to help with the redefinition of us. Please join me in this fellow Gen-Yers! I know you artists are out there. Just push yourself a little harder and see what you can create!

Photo by davedehetre

By Andrew Galasetti | Misc | May 19th, 2011

Being Happy & Healthy in Spring 2011

This is a guest post.

It’s that time of year when the transition from winter to spring becomes imminent and we find ourselves itching to ditch the heavy, bulky layers of clothing, escape the confines of the suddenly all-to-small-house, and stretch our legs during a late night walk while the sun sets. But often, we come so caught up in the warmer weather, the extended hours in a day, and an over-ambition to do so much to make up for the more sedentary winter months that we miss the beauty of spring and we over-exert and wear ourselves down before we know what’s happened.

This year, I challenge you to start prepping now to build yourself up mentally and physically to be prepared! Here are some easy tips to get you started:

Start Exercising

One reason people often feel unprepared for spring and summer is the sluggish/out-of-shape attitude that we take on following months of a more sedentary lifestyle. You don’t have to do anything drastic, maybe start taking quick walks after work. Pop in an exercise video 2-3 times a week. You’ll be amazed at the mood boost you’ll get from this, as well as the energy boost, both of which will help tide you over until spring is really here and start building up your energy level for longer days with more activity.

Eat Spring Appropriate Foods

One should really only eat so much soup in a year! Regardless of whether or not you’re still seeing snow out your window or there actually are sprigs of grass peaking through the earth, start changing up your meals now. Try to cut back on the carb-heavy, higher-fat foods that so often accompany winter months and winter moods. Start lightening up the dinner plan with more fresh fruits and vegetables. Make Wednesday night Salad Night. Consider doing a cleanse and really gearing up your body to feel refreshed and renewed.

Finish Goals & Set New Ones

Whatever tasks you had planned for the winter months, wrap them up! Then, start making goals for what you want to happen ahead of you in the spring and summer months. This will not only carry you through any winter blues, it will give you a sense of satisfaction for work completed and inspire you to plan and prepare for new tasks, new achievements. It will also give you a time frame so that spring doesn’t hit and make you suddenly feel overwhelmed with the necessity to go everywhere and do everything.

Find a Volunteer Outlet

Helping someone else out is actually also one of the easiest ways to help yourself out. Not only do you get to inspire another person or help them to overcome obstacles or needs, the rewards, the confidence and the happiness that such an activity produces in you is immeasurable. If time is limited in your life, you don’t need to find something with a regular time commitment, or even something that requires a huge chunk of your time on any one day. Go volunteer at the nursing home to play games for a few hours on a Saturday. Check to see if there is a house being built for a family in need that you could pitch in and help with. Spring is the perfect opportunity to delve into new places to get involved and to make a difference in your community. You’ll see, the rewards to you will probably far outweigh what you’ll possibly give to someone else.

Be prepared, be pro-active, and gear up to be happier and healthier this spring. There’s nothing like the signs of new life all around and the invigoration that accompanies that to set a trend for an extremely positive new year.

Written by Tara Alley

Tara is a freelance writer who enjoys writing about ways to live healthier, more fulfilled lives. She also writes frequently about eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyles and is currently working alongside Coffee Home Direct, helping them research fair-trade green coffee. You can follow her on Twitter @hopesiempre.

Photo by dominiqs

By Guest writer | Body & Soul | February 16th, 2011

Lyved turns 3

Three years ago on January 1, 2008 Lyved.com was launched and became a great success because of all of you. Thank you so much for your continued support, this site wouldn’t be much without it!

Hoping for the best for everyone in 2011!

-Andrew

Photo by jessica.diamond

By Andrew Galasetti | Misc | January 1st, 2011

7 Fresh Approaches to New Year’s Resolutions

2010 came and went. Now it’s time to reevaluate where you’re headed and what you want to achieve.

This year though, it’s time to try something different to help you achieve your goals. Here are seven fresh approaches to New Year’s resolutions. You certainly don’t have to do all the approaches, instead choose to follow those that best fit you and what you’re pursuing.

1. Take the month of January to conceive of goals

Perhaps one of the biggest reason people can’t stick with the goals they create is because they think of them too quickly. They come up with them when they’re still in holiday mode or while they’re half-drunk on New Year’s Eve.

Instead of tossing together your goals in the last week of December, take some time, maybe all of January or longer to perform some soul-searching to figure out the aspirations that come from farther down.

2. Conceive of goals, not dreams

Another mistake individuals seem to make is that they turn their resolutions into dreams instead of goals. Dreams are what people want to achieve but there isn’t much of a plan or foundation behind them so they’re more easily given up on. Goals have a base to rest on and a plan of steps to walk on.

3. Roll over goals from the past

Each of us has a goal or probably many goals that we didn’t achieve in the last year. We can either let them go, or roll them over to the new year. So instead of coming up with new goals continue with last year’s and conceive of new plans of execution. Your goals may be great, but your execution may be the weak that is keeping from achievement.

4. Help others with their goals when you can

Help someone else pursue their goals whenever you’re able to do so. Who knows what you’ll get out of it and what goals of yours you’ll be inspired to achieve.

Do you think it’s selfish to want to help someone and benefit from it at the same time? Well it’s human nature to think about what you’ll get out of helping others and it’s the paradox of being selfless: you’ll benefit from it too.

5. Start tiny and build momentum

Simple enough and therefore, overlooked. Go for the smaller goals first and build momentum to tackle your bigger ones.

6. Train your mind

One surefire way to never give up on a goal is to train your mind to never let a day escape you without thinking about the goal and the current step you need to finish to achieve it. Training your mind to focus is going to take just as much persistence as accomplishing the goal. But once your mind reaches a certain point, nothing, not even the biggest obstacles, will stop you from believing that you can and need to achieve the goal.

*Just a side note: While training your mind (and after it’s trained) to never let go of a goal and the steps towards it, don’t forget to live in the moment. Enjoy a beautiful day, your family, and the simple things.

7. Don’t even worry about New Year’s resolutions

Don’t get caught up in the hype of creating resolutions. Stay focused on your life’s goals. You might not need any new goals or any edits to your plan of action, but rather what you do need is continued perseverance and conviction to stand by your goals.

What are some of your goals? Have you used any of the approaches above yourself? Post in the comments below or head to our Facebook fan page here: http://www.facebook.com/lyved, click “Like” and join in the discussion.