Tips to Stay on Track Part-1

Set goals

This is one of the most important steps to stay on track with anything you are doing. Making a to-do list for each day will help you remember what you are supposed to do. Don’t worry, I am not referring to a schedule or a time table. A to-do list may comprise of reminders for the deadline of an assignment, or for a test, or a skype call with your parents/friends, or for grocery shopping.

A planner, a diary or even a simple note book can be used to jot down your to-do list. I have my to-do list on my phone, but I also found it useful when I kept it in a place where I could see. And so I use sticky notes to write down each day’s list and then post it on my window, cupboard or any place you look at every day.

Making your goals reasonable is very important as if it is too much there is a higher chance that you would give up on the task. Thus when you are trying to plan out your goals for a week or month, make sure you split it into smaller tasks. For example, it is better if you do not set apart one day to just do all your call appointments, or to work on your assignment. A variety in activity for each day will keep you from getting bored.

Love Like Jesus

The pursuit to become like Jesus is something that every Christian is encouraged to do.  My current devotion is on loving like Jesus. When I first started it I thought ‘I’m perfect in this area but I’ll just meditate on this as a reminder’. Turns out I’m not perfect in this area.  Loving like Jesus is just a piece of cake for some but for others it’s not so easy. Here are a few things to practice in this process.

1. Put others first

This doesn’t mean that you have to forget about yourself and only think about others and what you could do for them. This is more of not being selfish when it comes to helping others. At times we are so comfortable in our place that even though we clearly see that someone is in need we refuse to acknowledge that we saw it. Whenever Jesus saw that someone needs help he stopped and helped them no matter what he was doing and where he was going. This speaks love.

2. Love the unlovable

There is an old saying that “hurt people hurt people.” Wounded people wound others and in the process become the unlovable. It’s is very hard to love those people who have hurt you even if it is someone you care about. Just the thought of what they did could boil your blood. Well if we have to be like Jesus we have to love these people.  The key here is to focus on the person rather than the things they do. There is  some good in everyone, It’s just that some things people do are unacceptable. It is easy to love a good person but hard to love someone who doesn’t really deserve it. Like someone who is always rude, someone who never give a thought for you. Jesus loved the people who were rude to him and has asked us to love such people.

Love and be loved.

 

What to Do When You Are Mad at Your Parents

I get upset with my parents quite often. It could be because of something they said, did or didn’t do. It’s easier to let go when it has happened just a few times, but as years go by the number keeps going up and it hits a threshold. Once it hits  the threshold, things might get out of hand because you’re out of control and they are mad that you talking or behaving like this. Here are a few tips you could use to tell you parents that you are mad at them.

• Calm yourself down

It’s not a wise idea to talk to your parents when you are angry at them. What could happen is that, you might end up saying something you don’t mean to or raise your voice at them. These are both things I’ve done, and this just makes the situation worse. So the best thing to do is to keep away while you are angry. Washing your face, going out for a walk, listening to some music are all things that help. What I do is that, I take a piece of paper and try to write what goes through my head (remember to shred the paper as it is not something you want your parents to come across). This is an amazing way to calm yourself down and to articulate your ideas.

• Plan your conversation to your parents

While calming yourself down, try and think of what made you angry and why it made you angry. Go over it again and again. This will help you to stay focused while talking to your parent and to not say anything that you don’t really mean.

• Talk to your parent

Yes, this is the hardest part. I don’t know if parents realize when they have hurt their children. So when you walk up to them this might be the last thing on their mind. The key here is to let them know you want to tell them something that is burdening you. This is a great start because parents do want to know what is burdening their child. Once that is established go ahead and tell them. If they try to cut you off in between let them do so and wait for them to finish. Even if you get upset again try your best not to express it. As that would not make the situation better. The trick here is to not raise your voice at your parent as that is “disrespectful”. If I could keep clam while talking to my parents when I’m angry, then I bet anyone can. This is easy as you might have to wait for some time till the anger and the hurt subsides so that you don’t hurt them in the process.

• Resolve your problem

While talking, find ways to resolve the issue. The key here is to suggest ways in which both you and your parents can improve. This way you can keep the situation as calm as it should be.  

• Get everything out

These times are rare so take the most of it and get your issue out. I believe that if a relationship has to go strong and good, then people should voice their feelings in a clam manner. Thus addressing your feelings to your parent is also important.

I’ve not lived so many years, but these are things I’ve observed from trial and error. It’s not always easy to talk to your parent about such things, especially about how they’ve made you angry, because you have no clue in how they will react. Well it’s always worth a shot.

Why is Breakfast Important?

There is at least a time gap of 10 hours between your dinner the previous day and your present day breakfast. This time is called a ‘fasting period’. By morning mostly all the food is digested leaving your body with no source of energy. Some studies show that eating your breakfast will regulate your weight, give a positive mood, prevent binge eating and so much more. Here are a few reasons why breakfast is important.

1.Boosts your Energy

Your stomach is empty by the time you wake up leaving you with no source of energy for the rest of the day. The start of the day is when you need your short term memory to work the best because you have to plan for yhe rest of the day. And if you have no energy in your body, your overall functioning will reduce, which includes aspects like your muscle movement,memory. Thus it is important that you have your breakfast

2. Gives you energy

As you have no more food left in your stomach by morning, it is important that you eat as it decides your energy for the day. It is not necessary that you eat a big meal but it is good to have something which will give you something to rely on. If you have your breakfast you will find it easier to do your tasks.

3. Maintains your Weight

If you don’t eat a meal in the morning, you will find yourself snacking throughout the day especially when you get short breaks during work or class. This will result in eating more than your body actually needs.

Recent research shows that breakfast does not directly influence your weight, but it will influence the amount of food you eat in a day. It is said that having a nutritious breakfast will decrease your calorie intake of the day. It is important that you only eat what your body needs. Since your body needs some fuel in the morning, breakfast becomes a necessity.

 

If you find it hard to wake up early enough in the morning you can prepare some take-with-you breakfast. Otherwise try your best to eat something when you get up in the morning just to get the energy you need to start your day.

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Use the comment section below to tell me what you think about this blog post, to share your thoughts on this topic, and to tell me if you’d like for me to do a blog post on any particular topic. Have a great week!

Why Wake Up Early?

Getting up in the morning might be a very hard task for some of us. One way to help you get up early could be not to name yourself as a night person, or to rule out the possibility of being a morning person. Even though having a routine might not sound all that important, there are some great benefits that will help us for the day. Here are a few reasons why waking up early is a necessity.

• Gives you Some ‘You Time’

When you wake up late most of the people in your house might be up and moving about. Which might not be a proper environment for you to clear your mind or to have some time alone. A ‘you time’ might not seem interesting, but I guarantee that once you start taking time for yourself to think, your day will be much more productive. You can use this time to evaluate your previous day and to see if you were able to finish your tasks. This time could also be used to review your daily tasks.

• Gives you Time for Breakfast

When we wake up late, one thing we mostly skip is breakfast. Even though a lot of us know why breakfast is important and why it is a necessity we skip it to save time. But preparing for your day with a full stomach sounds much more practical than an empty stomach. Since you have not eaten anything for more than at least 6 hours you have practically no food in your stomach to give you energy. Thus it is very important to have your breakfast every morning and getting up early will allow you time to eat breakfast.

• Gives you Time to Move Your Body

For me exercising in the morning is a big task.  I’d rather chose to spend my mornings at a slow pace than exercise. But I’ve noticed that exercising makes my day much better. While exercising make sure to move all/most of your muscles because it will make it easier to use it the rest of the day by waking you up. This will also help your metabolism which is also very important. While there are days when I workout in the morning I would prefer to do stretches. It does the job for me. If you can motivate yourself to do some sort of exercise in the morning I guarantee that your day will be at great ease.

These three things will surely give you the motivation and energy to tackle your day. Thus waking up early enough to do these will do wonders. These are also not the only things that will motivate you, but these are what I’ve found helpful

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You can use the comment section below to tell me what you think about this blog post, to share your thoughts on this topic, and to tell me if you’d like for me to do a blog post on any particular topic. Have a great week!

Why have an Organized Wardrobe?

Having an organized wardrobe might not seem all that important and might be a little hard to keep it organized. Especially being a girl, my wardrobe is not always organized. But here are a few reasons why an organized wardrobe is necessary.

1.Save time

This is one of the #1 reasons why we should keep our wardrobe organized. We only have 24 hrs in a day and 100 things to do before bed. Which makes us want to save as much time as possible. If we keep our wardrobe organized we end up saving time as we know what is kept where. I do fail at keeping it organized but I try my best because I know that I don’t want to spend time on finding the matching pair.

2. Less stress

This might not seem so evident but if you think back this is so true. I get stressed out when trying to fetch clothes out of my messy wardrobe. Before we go towards the wardrobe we would have picked out a few possible options for what to wear that day. And it is when you open your wardrobe that you finalize on what to wear. If you don’t find the right jeans or skirt or top or shoes that matches you end up trying to find it. Not being able to find it fast will actually stress us, which in turn can ruin our day.

3. A feeling of accomplishment

Keeping a wardrobe organized is not an easy thing. It is something in which I struggle. Thus I try to spend some time during the week just to make sure that my wardrobe is not a mess. The one thing that encourages me to have an organized wardrobe is that, it is not so common. This might sound selfish, but find your own reason which will force you to keep your wardrobe organized. Thus having an organized wardrobe boots my self-esteem.

4. Helps clear your mind

When you enter into a room which looks clean and organized there is a sense of clarity that we feel in our head. I feel that the same goes with our wardrobe. When you look at something that is clear cut or which makes sense it will actually give us clarity in thought. Which will also help in keeping our day clear or any unnecessary stress or irritation.

This is something which is very applicable for girls/ women in general. I’m no expert but these are just a few things that I have observed over the past years which I felt like sharing.

 
You can use the comment section below to tell me what you think about this blog post, to share your thoughts on this topic, and to tell me if you’d like for me to do a blog post on any particular topic. Have a great week!

Why do People Show Off?

Being social beings, we value the acceptance and love of those around us. Some people need a more clear acceptance and attention from others. Thus if a person feels that they need to do extra for a person to like them, then they start showing off. These people are not bad, they are just different. Instead of sidelining them we should try to understand certain reasons why they show off. Thus, here are a few common reasons why people show off.

1. Seeking attention

We all love to get someone’s attention. Thus when we feel like someone did not notice us, we tend to do something that will prove our presence. They are in desperate need for your attention and will do anything from saying something to doing something.

2. Want approval

Some are not confident in themselves. They always need someone to nod a ‘yes’, pat a ‘well done’, etc. These kinds of people tend to overdo or exaggerate themselves in a way that people will give their opinion or approval. Then they will try and weigh people’s opinions to conclude on how good or bad they are.

3. Show that they are worth something

Some people feel like they are underestimated or not noticed no matter what they do. So they tend to make sure their best talents, possession, etc., are known and acknowledged. People normally turn their heads when they see a perfected talent or the latest gadget/item. This is basically why people who feel deprived of attention or acknowledgement show off the best they have.

4. Care what others think of them

These are those kinds of people who see themselves through the opinion of others. So if one person makes a negative criticism of them then they label themselves as bad and if they get a positive note then they are good to go. One of the negative aspects of this is that people are all different and they will have their own opinion. So what is good for one person might be bad for another and vice versa. So if we put too much value on what other people say we would either end up confused or we would believe what is not necessarily true in your case.

 

As you now know 4 reasons why people show off, next time you see a person doing so try and help fill their need in a healthy way.

How to Handle Criticism

I am not a person who would love to do something just to be criticized. None of us do. It might seem as though we have put all our effort to do a particular thing and  that would be when one person would criticize us on what we did. Criticism is not something that gives us a boost inside. It actually brings our energy level down. As this energy level comes down anger and hatred all starts to build inside of us. Thus we also tend to lash out at the person or say a line which we think would make us look good. Well these two ways are not two of the best ways to deal with criticism. Here are few tips to keep in mind while being criticized.

1. Stay calm

When we receive a criticism there is usually the feeling of anger and resentment that comes with it. And what could happen most of the time is that, out of the spur of the moment we tend to lash back and say something that would make us feel happy then, but later on would hurt us and that person. The problem is not with the content of the criticism but with the tone that it was delivered. Thus if a person delivers criticism,  take a few deep breaths. This will help you calm down and make sure what you understood is what they meant to so, if it is then go ahead and reply to them.

The best way to reply for a criticism is to thank them for their input and to tell them that you’ll think on it.

2. Don’t take it personally

Criticism usually comes in the most unexpected way and thus it will seem as though it is all about us. But in reality no criticism talks about a person rather address the some aspect of the person like their clothing, short-temper etc.

Thus when you hear a criticism take some time to analyse which aspect was it addressing. For example if we are criticized for our cooking we tend to say that the criticizer has some grudge against us. The truth is that the criticizer could have a grudge against us, but would not comment on our cooking unless he/she has a solid ground to talk on. Thus when you hear a criticism take time to evaluate and find out the real issue.

3. Take your time to reply

Whether it is at work/class or at home, we always tend to get defensive when we hear a criticism. As criticism doesn’t give us a sense of joy, it is common for us to want to lash out at people. Even though this lashing out will give us a sense of victory at the moment later on we won’t feel that same happiness. Thus when you hear a criticism try to not answer back at that moment. If you feel angry or let down, you can try to put on a genuine smile and thank the person for his/her input. Later on when you have calmed down you can tell the person how you really felt about the criticism, if he hurt you, or if you felt as though he/she was rude to you, etc,.

4. Value criticism

Mostly all of us love to be praised. It gives us a sense of self-worth and boosts our confidence. Being praised is good as long as it is sincere and not flattery. However we should teach ourselves to value criticism because it gives us an opportunity to polish ourselves a bit more. Remember that every criticism does have some truth in it. And if we value others’ criticism it will make it easier for us to find the truth in it. Thus try to have a positive attitude towards criticism.

These are just a few tips I practice about dealing with criticism. If you have any way that u deal with criticism feel free to comment below. I would love to hear from you.

Tips to Remember While Making a Schedule

Making a schedule is something we have all done. We have a perception about how long we can stay productive without having a break, how long our break should be, etc. One things that is common in most of our cases is that we tend to give up on our schedule once we find it’s hard to keep up with it. If I make a schedule for myself, this is how it would like-

9:00- 10:00 study

10:00- 10:30 laundry

10:30- 12 study

 

And what usually happens is that, I give up in between and start doing as I please and end up wasting a lot of time. The key to making an easy schedule is ‘not to overestimate’ ourselves. What mostly happens while making is a schedule is that we overestimate ourselves and pack up the day with a lot of deadlines with less or no breaks at all. This will stress us out and we will be unable to follow the schedule or finish work. So, here are a few tips to keep in mind while we make a schedule.

 

1. Plan the day before

Have you ever felt a little frustrated or nervous when you had to do something on short notice? This cannot be avoided all the time. There will be things you’d have to do on short notice like present a paper, meet your boss, etc. One positive aspect about planning your day before it starts is that while you are asleep, your brain prepares yourself for that task i.e.,you are unconsciously preparing yourselves for the following day. This way you can be more effective in your task and will help you to give your best at it.

 

2. Take regular breaks

I’m scared to take breaks because of not being able to get back on track. But recently I’ve been forcing myself to take breaks. Even though it might take you quite some time to get back on track, taking a break is important as it help clear your mind and will rejuvenate you. While taking breaks try to not spend the whole time on electronics. Find something else, like listening to music, drinking some water, a short walk, etc. Do anything that will take your mind off from your books. This will also help you to be extra productive.

 

3. Be prepared for distractions

You can never avoid distractions. Either it would be a phone call, or someone at the door or any of that sort. The key is to leave an hour at the end of the day, so that you can finish off any work that is undone. When distraction comes don’t let it consume an hour of your day, rather spend minimal time on it, unless it is urgent. If urgent attend to it and try to finish your work before you go to bed.

If you weren’t able to finish a task before you go to sleep, try to do it the next day itself than delaying it any further.

Comment below and let me your thoughts. Also if there are any tips you have please feel free to share.

Why have a Schedule.

Even when i have nothing much to do, at the end of the day i am tired. I wouldn’t have done anything that needs any sort of my active participation, but still i would be tired at the end of the day. Keeping yourselves going and at the same time rested is quite tricky. One way to do it is to have a schedule. Here are some benefits of having a schedule.

1. Stay productive

When you are looking at the list of things you have to accomplish that day or the week or month. You will automatically be forced to do your work. Because everyone hates last minute rush. Also when you have a rough plan of what you need to accomplish, you wouldn’t spend time thinking of what to do next. This saves time.

2. Have extra time

If you have a schedule, i guarantee you that your free time will truly be one. Also if you are realistic about the time you need to complete a task, and thus set your schedule, it will be easier for you to keep up with the schedule. Being able to stick to the schedule will keep you from cutting short your free time. It will also enable you to truly enjoy your free time rather than worry about how you will catch up with the work.

3. Remember deadlines

Listing down your deadlines as soon as you come across it, will help you to be on time. This way you know what needs to be done and by when. Which will save you from stress and trouble. Highlighting your deadlines will help as it will draw your attention and thus keep you reminded of it.