Choices..some more life-isms

Going along with this time-management kick I have been on, I would like to talk about choices. We all make thousands of choices in a day, from what socks to put on in the morning, to what to do after dinner.  These choices we make can range in level from easy to extremely hard.  We have only so much patience for the choices we make, and many choices...especially for women...can be difficult, time consuming, and lead to unwanted stress.  I am usually plagued by making choices.  I have always struggled in this area...but recently I have been working on choice making and I found out some helpful hints...here are 3 that have made my life easier!

1.  Get rid of most of your "little" choices you have to make throughout the day.  I read that most presidents eliminate all the "small" choices that show up throughout the day so they can use their brain power on the more important choices.  They do not choose what they want for breakfast or lunch, they do not even choose their clothes in the morning (they just have the same suits for everyday).  By doing this, they are more focused and able to have a better result when making bigger decisions.  I have been trying to find places in my life where I can eliminate choice making...and it is a time and stress saver, too. Remember...time is precious ;)

2. Just make it.  This is my biggest weakness as a woman.  Often times I know my decision and know the exact choice I want to make, however, I do not want anyone else to be upset with the choice I make. I worry about others' feelings and the way others will look at me.  But sister, I am her to tell you... after researching this, most people are relieved when you make a choice. Besides, if they are really upset, they can say so...if they don't- that's their prerogative. Making the choice actually makes you seem confident and saves time! ....just make sure you say it nicely..."Let's go to sushi...unless anyone objects"...

3. When making big choices...go with your gut. Often times when we make big choices, we look to others.  This is smart...but only if you are looking to others who have your best interest...and more importantly are on the same page as you.  Your Grandma might have your best interest...but run a new business by her...and she might say something completely opposite of what you were wanting.  We have all been guilty of making a choice based on what others have said...then we have greatly regretted it.  Ask for advice...but then ask the reasons why someone gives you that advice....then make your own choice...following your instinct.  Remember...most give advice based on what they would do...or worse based on if it makes them jealous or not...Save time and energy by making your own choice!

Hope this helps...

What successful people do before breakfast...

Okay, so I am staying at home with my baby and I absolutely love spending time with her...but lets face it... hours and hours of little social interaction and not much to do can be hard.  I thrive on being productive and accomplishing things I set out to do.  These days..my to do list is small. However, I can't take on to big a project because I do want my time to go to my little Hana cakes.  Long story short...I have been feeding my mind by reading... a lot.  I have read 3 books in the last few days.  They are all books about success and making your life as amazing as you can.  One of the books I just finished is "What Successful People do before Breakfast".  A lot of people look at successful people and think....they got dealt a lucky hand...they got all the breaks.  However, if you dive into the lives of a lot of successful people they have one thing in common.  They maximize their time.  They have priorities.  They know how to manage their business, family, and even place an importance on taking care of themselves.  This book gave a powerful insight into how successful people utilize their time.  Especially time in the morning.  They do not waste the time in the morning on surfing the web or facebook, sitting and staring at the tv.  They use these hours for productivity.  The morning, for most people, is a time where our brains are the most ready to tackle new challenges (once we get out of bed of course)...and a time where we are most creative.  And I am not saying their isn't a time for social media and tv...there is...but why not wait for those activities for a time when your brain is tired and moving slow...for most of us this is in the late afternoon/evening...Successful people are utilizing there mornings to exercise, make business plans, have breakfast dates with their kids, and write novels.  They are maximizing there hours...and time is money... The biggest thing I learned was to make a plan for the morning hours...if you have extra, or could squeeze a few in...and then figure out what area of your life needs a makeover.  Do you feel like you are not spending enough time with your kids? Maybe you could squeeze in thirty minutes of play time. Or do you have amazing business ideas, but are too tired to get them down on paper in the evening?  Maybe you have been neglecting your health and an early morning run, yoga and healthy breakfast will help you reach a physical goal, or maybe you need to spend time spiritually, praying and meditating on God's word...now that is a successful start to your day.  I am very interested in time management and ideas that make people successful...share the way you spend your morning if you have great ideas!!!

A little life-ism from me...

My stomach~ I hold everything in my stomach...and I don't just mean my "Hana pounds"..I mean as far as emotions/stresses/anxieties.  During various periods in my life I have had severe stomach troubles.  I have attributed it to stress, allergies, a host of different foods, acid...you name it I have I thought I had it.  Over the last year I have really been doing great.  Even though I was pregnant, I felt pretty good.  However, a few weeks ago I started getting plagued with an ailing stomach.  I had to go into work and was also juggling Hana and I thought that the stress of all of that was causing my troubled stomach.  I figured that once things settled down, I would be back to normal, and all my stomach problems would go away.  They didn't...weeks later I was still suffering.  I am the kind of person who really likes to get to the bottom of things.  I will obsess about it until I find the best solution.  After being "over" this issue...I decided to do a gut check(not literally, my stomach was too sore) and figure out the real source of my problem.  While I completely believe in medicine and doctors, I also believe that we have power in our bodies to figure out the source of our pain and sickness.  I started thinking about the various times in my life that I have had days/weeks/months of stomach problems.  I refused to think it was just a little stress...as I know I am not that weak of a person....and I have always thrived under pressure, deadlines, and challenges.  Some of my greatest moments were those when I have put a lot of pressure and stresses on my body and mind. I tend to thrive when I have a lot going on and when I am feeling challenged.  So naturally it bothered me to think that I couldn't handle the stress.  That is when I came to a realization.  I wrote down all the times I could remember having this stomach problem.  I analyzed the way I felt and what I was doing at the time.  These times weren't times when I had a host of challenging midterms surrounded by a conference track meet.  They weren't times when I'd had interviews or had to speak in front of an audience(things I dislike).  It wasn't when I was pregnant or tired or pushing my body too hard. 

After meditating and analyzing and praying, I finally found the solution, the times when I have had stomach problems were times when I felt out of control.   The times when I was putting pressure no myself and when I had tests and track meets were times I felt completely in control. I knew I had prepared and trusted my body was ready. Now it doesn't seem as though I would be out of control the last few weeks when I was juggling school and Hana, in fact you would think it would be the opposite..I was setting the schedule, I was with baby, I was in charge.  But I let myself take a back seat in a car I was supposed to be driving.  Isn't it amazing that us women do this.  I know so many women to seem to give up control of their lives and then suffer the consequences.  This is exactly what I have done in many situations. 

And here's how it happened. Knowing that I was going to be having a long-term sub and be out on maternity leave, I mentally gave control of my classroom to my sub. Even though I would be doing the setting up and getting everything started, I didn't feel in control of my classroom.  I wasn't making decisions like I ususally would and I felt pressured to do what I thought the sub would like.  I wasn't making my own choices, and I suffered. Also, I was worried about being away from Hana.  And while I am not that controling of a mom/wife I just felt like I was out of control with the whole situation.   I began last week fixing this, and going above and beyond taking control of my life and my time.  It has completely relieved my symptoms.  

So...why am I telling you this.  Well I think that there is a powerful moral here.  Life flies by, and the world doesn't stop spinning.  By letting things go and fester in our bodies and minds, we waste valuable time...and time is precious.  Take a beat and get to the source of your problem.  Eliminate it and move forward.  

wardrobe malfunction

Updating my look.  So I have been on this quest lately to update my look. I mean lets face it...I'm not 21 anymore, I have a child and a career.  While this doesn't mean I need to strap on my mom pants and grab some granny panties, it does mean that I want to add in some more modern updated pieces to my wardrobe. Since I live in the middle of the ocean, unfortunately there are not very many place to shop...so now that I am officially on maternity leave, I have taken to the computer to find  my replacements.  I also got rid of half of my closet last week.  What an amazing feeling that was! I can actually see what I have! Please share any ideas/tips on updating a wardrobe!