Open Talk Mom

One precious commodity that everyone has a problem using wisely is time. One thing is for sure – we all have the same 24 hours in a day – no more, no less. However, there are things you can do to make the most of your day so that you can accomplish a lot yet still manage to have some free time to do things that you enjoy.

Make a plan and write it down. Make it a habit to write a daily list of things to do and things you need. Life gets so busy sometimes especially if you have kids. It is going to be helpful to have those lists handy. You can easily save an extra trip to the store if you have a list of things to buy. You can also figure out how you can run all your errands so that you do not have to drive back and forth. Try to shop in the evenings when stores are less busy. There is no need to waste an hour standing in line when you can do something more productive with that time. Don’t care to stand in line? Try shopping online.

Plan your meals. You can use a blank monthly or weekly calendar to list down your meals for the upcoming week. Once you have the meals figured out, it will be easier to come up with a shopping list based on the meals. Keep your planned meals posted on the refrigerator door so you know what needs to be prepared. Even if it is tempting to sway off the planned meals, do your best to stick to it – you can save lots of money this way and keep with in your budget.

Shop in bulk. If space for groceries is not an issue, plan to shop in bulk. This will allow you to save time because you do not have to keep on going to the grocery store. You also save money because buying in bulk costs less in the long run.

Do a little housework when you can and don’t let work pile up. If you do a bit of housework each day, then you do not have to spend an entire weekend cleaning or catching up on housework. Laundry is one thing that easily piles up. Do a load or two each day and when you can, put the clean clothes away as soon as possible. Picking up around the house and making sure things have their own place will lessen the stress when it’s time to clean up. Do these and you are able to enjoy more family time.

Stay organized. Spend some time organizing your house. This will take time but will be well worth it. Give everything it’s own place and make sure that it makes sense. For example, have hooks near your front door for keys, umbrellas and hats. This way you can hang them as soon as you come in. Hold a family meeting to let everyone know where things belong.

Applying the tips mentioned above will definitely help moms save time and enjoy their family a little bit more.

You may not notice it but attitude is everything especially when it comes to your quality of life. You tend to bring into your life the things that you focus on the most. I am sure you know of at least one person who has a terrible attitude. This could be someone who is extremely negative, not fun to be around and would always complain about how her life is horrible and everything seems to go wrong. These kinds of people drain our positive energy.

Negative attitudes are contagious. They not only make you feel terrible but those around you will feel the strain as well. No one wants to hang out with a negative person.

The good thing is that positive attitudes are contagious too. The difference is that people do like to hang out with positive people because it makes everyone feel good about themselves. If you want to be the kind of person that everyone wants to be with, here are 5 easy steps to help you achieve that:

1) Figure out what you love and do it. This includes activities you enjoy doing, hobbies, things you like to do in your free time and most importantly your job or career. If you start questioning yourself about how much joy and fulfillment you get from your job and realize that you no longer are happy then perhaps it’s time to consider a new career or options you can take to move to a new career. When you do things that make you happy, you feel better about yourself, have a positive outlook at life and you begin to project a positive attitude.

2) No matter what, expect the best. Although it seems easier to see the negative in every situation, turn around and look for the positive in everything. Make it a habit to expect the best out of every circumstance. Recite an affirmation, “Everything will work out great. Everything will fall into place. Today will be a happy day!” The more often you recite affirmations, the easier it will be for you to believe that positive things do happen.

3) Boost your self-esteem. Think positive thought and speak positive words to yourself everyday. I’m sure you have at one point of time talked down on yourself. Negative self-talk makes you feel hopeless, pessimistic and frustrated. Acknowledge your good qualities and stop focusing on the negative ones. You may not be perfect but you are a work in progress and on you’re way to greatness!

4) Compliment others. Take a moment to encourage others. Try to compliment the people you meet each day – both strangers and the usual people you see. Emphasize on the positive in others and you will be more likeable. If you have more people like you, then, you will like yourself more.

5) Be strong. Think about your strengths instead on focusing on your weaknesses. Thinking about your “failures” will only make you feel negative and pessimistic. Continue to affirm your strengths and talents everyday. This will help empower yourself and you will soon feel in control of every situation around you. Being in control promotes a positive attitude.

If you’re ready to boost your self esteem and live a happier life, I recommend picking up a copy of the Journey To Joy toolkit It’s your place for instant downloadable help, day or night.