Things That Can Ruin Your Life and How to Avoid Them

2022-04-06 ~ adminlife

No person ever sets out to ruin their lives. It’s impossible to find someone that will make a New Year’s resolution to ruin their life.

Children don’t daydream about how much they’d love to become alcoholics in the future. Students don’t attend classes on how to go bankrupt.

Couples don’t dress up, spend so much money on a wedding, and show up at the altar while planning to get a divorce a few years later.

The point is, nobody plans to fail. But failure happens whether we like it or not.

And our failures are the result of our choices. We often don’t willingly make choices that we know will cause us to fail.

So, how can we avoid making poor decisions that will end up ruining our lives? These ideas can help:

Stop entertaining the idea that your actions don’t have consequences. You may think you’re doing it for fun, but your actions have consequences.
- For example, if you fail to pay your bills, you may get chased down by a debt collector. If you tell a lie, you may upset others. If you smoke, you may eventually develop emphysema.
- Whatever happens, every action you take has a consequence. And you can’t change the consequences or pick and choose what will happen.

- Your actions either lead you to your goals or lead you away from your dreams. It’s the difference between winning and losing.

If you would like to listen to these types of articles, you can visit my podcasts at

These are short, usually under 5 minutes but they can enable you to listen to confidence and motivation advice and tips while driving or relaxing.

Live within your means. It is always better to plan and make smart financial decisions. Today, many people have no problem living beyond their means because they believe that it’s okay.

- Unfortunately, this will only lead to a difficult financial situation in the future. The social media lifestyle causes a lot of people to get carried away with the allure of a lifestyle they know they can’t afford.

- To avoid this trap, focus on what matters the most in your life. Many older people today are paying for things they accepted years ago. They still have mortgages, kids, and day-to-day costs that they have trouble covering.

- They scrimp on health care and end up sick for a long time.

Break any forms of addiction, including drugs, pornography, or shopping. Habits like these have a very negative impact on your life. The sad reality is, many people suffer some form of addiction today.

- Addictions lead to feelings of loneliness, and they don’t fill your life with good things. Some even cost your life. People find it challenging to break addictions because they feed them.

- It doesn’t take a single day to form a habit – it usually requires repetition to develop one. An alcoholic doesn’t become one by drinking one beer. The more he drinks, the stronger the addiction becomes.

- Eventually, he has no choice but to keep drinking. That’s the case with most addictions. Anything that is a drug or habit-forming has the potential to ruin your life.
- The solution? Stop feeding them.

Avoid assuming that you’re the only one going through your painful situation. Sometimes we gravitate towards others who share our problems, but it’s all too easy to think no one else exists out there who’s struggling like us.

- The truth is, you’re not alone. And thinking you’re alone is usually just an excuse you give yourself.

- Instead of making such assumptions, why not reach out? Talk to others and tell them what’s going through your mind. You might discover that they’re going through something similar. Once you’ve connected with those around you, you’ll be able to realize you’re not alone.

There are so many things that can ruin our lives. And sometimes, we only need to look at the path others ahead of us have set to realize what a mistake we make to live a certain way. And that’s okay, because this isn’t the end. We haven’t given up. We’re only getting started.

To work together to help you get moving in the right direction in your life, click on the blue button below to book a 15-minute, no obligation “Get to know you” call.

Going alone on creating a better life is difficult. Find out how working with a Life Coach can make the journey to success and a better life easier.

Book the call now.

To your success

Michael

P.S. you know that living a life that is in balance is important. When you can balance your work, family, health, relationships, fitness and money, you feel better and can achieve your goals. You have the support of your family and friends which makes life worth living.

Check out my programs at Confidence and Life Coaching by clicking on the logo below:

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Is a Neutral Mind Better Than a Positive Mind?

2022-02-23 ~ adminlife

Being positive and optimistic might not always be the best choice. First, it’s impossible to have a positive mindset 100% of the time. Second, there are times when it’s best to have a more neutral approach.

Learning to navigate the ups and downs in life is one of the challenges of life. It can be easier to live with calmness, composure, and level-headedness.

Just because you’re capable of strong emotional responses doesn’t mean it’s a good idea all the time. You’re capable of eating nothing but chocolate for a week, too.

The great basketball coach, John Wooden, once said that he hoped people wouldn’t be able to tell if his team had just won or lost a game by their demeanour.

The ancient Greek philosophy of Stoicism has become quite popular over the last few years. In a nutshell, a major component of Stoicism is the idea that people should be indifferent to their successes, failures, pleasure, and pain.

Consider these ideas to remain calm, composed, and present:

Practice meditation daily. Meditation is the perfect way to practice being calm, composed, and focused. When you meditate, your mind wants to wander. You feel physically and psychologically uncomfortable. Meditation isn’t for sissies.

If you would like to listen to these types of articles, you can visit my podcasts at

https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/confidenceandmotivation

These are short, usually under 5 minutes but they can enable you to listen to confidence and motivation advice and tips while driving or relaxing.

Watch TV shows and movies that elicit emotional responses and learn to view them objectively. Part of the reason TV and movies are so attractive is due to their ability to alter your emotions. That’s what these media are designed to do.
- This is another great way to practice being stoic. Watch, but constantly remind yourself that it’s only a movie. Try to keep your emotional responses subdued.
Observe your thoughts and emotions with curiosity. Once we feel an emotion, our tendency is to focus on it and take an emotional ride. Instead of magnifying your emotions, study them like a scientist would. Notice how your thoughts change when your emotions change.
Be practical. What’s really happening? Be logical and objective. For example, if your pool pump goes down, then you either need a new pump or the current one needs to be fixed. That’s it. All of your emotional gyrations have zero effect on the situation. They only make you less capable and miserable.
Realize that nothing is permanent. The stock market, weather, good times, or bad times – none of them last. It only makes sense to avoid big emotional swings.
- Enjoy and be grateful for positive experiences, knowing that life cannot always be just like this. When you encounter troubled times, keep in mind that these, too, will pass on and make way for good times again.
Understand how little control you have over the world. Aside from your decisions and direct actions, there’s not much you can do to change what’s going on around you. Other people are nearly impossible to control in any meaningful way. If it’s going to rain, it’s going to rain. Why get emotional if it doesn’t help?

Negative and positive experiences and emotions can both be disadvantageous. When people win, they tend to celebrate. Clinging too tightly to past wins can inhibit further growth and success. It’s hard to move forward when you’re stuck in the past.

Negative experiences can suck the life and motivation out of people. They can also inhibit progress. With a neutral mind, neither positive nor negative experiences have a great impact on you. Each day is another day to make progress and move forward.

Having a neutral mind isn’t about approaching life like a robot, completely devoid of emotion. It’s about tempering your emotional responses and learning to be emotionally okay with any outcome.

This is an effective way to continue to make progress in life. You’re not thrown off by either positive or negative experiences. You go with the flow, but you avoid a flood, and you’re able to keep going and moving toward your goals.

To work together to help you understand your mind and how you can also get into the flow state to make your journey to success quicker, click on the blue button below to book a 15-minute, no obligation “Get to know you” call.

Going alone on creating a better life is difficult. Find out how working with a Life Coach can make the journey to success and a better life easier.

Book the call now.

To your success

Michael

Check out my programs at Confidence and Life Coaching by clicking on the logo below:

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Learn to Achieve More, Even When You’re Unmotivated

2021-12-22 ~ adminlife

Motivation can be an issue for many of us. While motivation is great, there are many things in our lives that need to be done, regardless of whether motivation is there to propel us. Most of us need to go to work, brush our teeth, pay our bills, and more. It really doesn’t matter whether we’re motivated. These things still have to be done.

Unfortunately, the tasks listed above are usually done from a place of negative motivation. We do them because the consequence of not doing them is so uncomfortable. But it works.

However, negative motivation usually won’t work when there isn’t an immediate negative consequence. For example, it’s easy to put off exercising and to sit on the couch instead.

What’s important is to create a system that makes your challenging activities more appealing. It’s also important to make it easy to get started. Thinking too much makes it easy to talk yourself out of taking action.

Try this system to achieve more of what you want, regardless of your motivation:

Accept the fact that you might not “feel” like taking action. The best athletes in the world don’t always feel like training. The most successful business people in the world don’t always feel like going to the office.
Create a compelling future. Think about how much you’ll gain by taking action and moving toward your goals.

- Think far into the future and then bring it back to the next few months. Imagine how great it will feel when you’re really making significant progress.

Consider what will happen if you don’t take action. Most of us keep living the same day over and over. If you want your life to change, it will take some new actions.

- Imagine how you’ll feel if your life is exactly the same next year.

Make a list of the most important actions. What activities will create the greatest results? Frequently, these are the actions that are less than enjoyable. But if you can get yourself to do these things, nothing can stop you.
Create a schedule. What are you going to do each day to make your compelling future come true? When are you going to do the activities you identified in the previous step? During what part of the day are you the most productive? Make it easy to get started.
Reward yourself. When you successfully stick to your schedule, reward yourself. You could go get a massage at the end of the week or head out to your favourite restaurant. Choose something that appeals to you and makes you want to get busy.
“Punish” yourself. Create some additional motivation by setting up a punishment if you come up short. Maybe you’ll have to clean all the toilets in the house. Maybe you’ll go run a mile.
Re-evaluate at the end of the day. What did you do well? What could you have done better? Start over tomorrow with your analysis to guide you.

Motivation is great, but if we all waited to be inspired by motivation, little would ever get accomplished. Commitment will usually result in greater accomplishment than motivation. Learn to get started and be “self-motivating.” All anyone really needs is to get busy. Avoid waiting for inspiration. Get things done and your success can serve as inspiration.

You can book your 15-minute “Get to know you” call by clicking on the blue button belowand we can talk about how we can work together

To your success

Michael

Check out my programs at Confidence and Life Coaching by clicking on the logo below:

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Life-Altering Questions to Ask Yourself

2021-09-19 ~ adminlife

Questions are a valuable tool. By asking yourself questions, you can change your focus and the direction of your life. The proper question can open you up to new possibilities and ideas. Take the time to examine your life and ensure you’re on the best possible path.

Ask yourself these questions on a regular basis:

Have I seen enough to have an accurate view of the world? It’s surprising how many people have never crossed their state line. The northeastern part of the United States is very different from the South, Midwest, or other parts of the country. Europe is very different from Africa.

- You’re missing out on a lot if you don’t explore other places and cultures. What are the odds that you were born in the precise place that fits you the best?

Will my finances be able to support my retirement? It’s important to start asking this question immediately. Focusing on the short-term at the expense of the long-term is a common error. You only have so many tomorrows to prepare for the latter parts of your life.
Where will I end up in five years if I live this day repeatedly? You might not have a time machine at your disposal, but you can probably predict the future better than you think. Our daily activities determine our future. Ask yourself these questions and project your answers over the next five years. What’s the logical outcome?

- What did I eat today?
- What did I do to earn money today?
- What social activities did I engage in today?
- How much exercise did I get today?

If today were my last day to live, what would I do? You probably wouldn’t spend your day in front of the TV or spend your time worrying about silly things. Whatever answer you receive is a good indication of how you should be spending more of your time each day.
Am I pleased with my career choice or would I rather do something else? Having multiple careers is much more common than it used to be. If you’re in a career you don’t enjoy, you have other options. Spending 40 years in a career that doesn’t excite you is a hard way to go through life.
What are my goals? If you don’t have any goals, how do you know where you’ll end up? Without goals, we’re relegated to choosing the best options that randomly pass through our lives. It’s much more effective to decide what you want and make it happen. Leave luck out of the equation.
Which parts of my life are making me unhappy? Becoming happier isn’t just about adding all the right components. It’s also about getting rid of the stuff that makes you miserable. The low-rated parts of your life make you unhappy. It’s not the fact that you don’t have a Ferrari in your driveway. Take out the trash before adding to your life.
Am I living my life in a way that supports my health? Young bodies can take a surprising amount of wear and tear without showing any signs of abuse. That doesn’t last. Taking care of yourself today improves the odds of enjoying good health down the road. Eat and sleep well. See your doctor on a regular basis.
Am I enjoying my life as much as I could? Are you too busy with work to notice all the good things in your life? Are you too worried to enjoy time spent with your children? You can experience many simple enjoyments every day.

It’s easy to get caught up in your old routine and never take the time to look around. By the time you lift your head, you realize you’re not where you want to be. Questions are one way to evaluate your life and create change. Be aware of your life and make conscious choices.

Book a 15-minute “Get to know you” call by clicking on the blue button below

and we can talk about how we can work together to make the changes in your life that will make you more successful.

To your success

Michael

Check out my programs at Confidence and Life Coaching by clicking on the logo below:

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9 Signs That Your Life is on Track

2021-08-29 ~ adminlife

How can you know if you’re doing well? It’s not fair to yourself to compare your situation to that of your friends, family, or peers. There’s no set path for life, but there are clues that can let you know if you’re doing well.

It’s worth the time to assess your life once a year to ensure that things are moving forward. If they’re not, you’ll know that some changes are in order.

Look for these signs to ensure that you’re making progress with your life:

You have a clear vision for your life that appeals to you. If you’re over 18 and you haven’t decided on a direction for your life, you’re not on track. If you’re not working toward something, you’re slowly moving toward chaos. Choose something. You can always change your mind later.
- Consider the type of life you want to live. How do you want to live each day? Start making that happen.
- Have goals that you’re consistently making progress toward.
You are learning what you need to learn. What do you need to learn to live the life you want?
- For example, if you want to be a lawyer, you need to go to college and then attend law school. If you’re not in school and are working at The Burger Shack, your life isn’t on track.
- Many goals require knowledge. You might need to learn to speak Russian or how to play the piano. There’s so much you can learn on your own these days that there’s no reason not to be educating yourself as much as possible.
Your credit score is strong. If your credit score stinks, you’re not doing as well as you could be. You don’t need to be wealthy to have a good credit score. You primarily need to pay your bills on time and avoid using too much of your available credit.
You have a social life. No one is better off being alone 100% of the time. You need to interact with others. You may need a big social circle or a small one, but you need people in your life.
You have a place to sleep and food to eat. Keep in mind that much of the world’s population is without a bed, food, or water. If you have these things, you’re doing better than most.
You are able to take care of your health issues. Is your weight under control? Do you have access to the medical care that you require? Do you have the financial resources to pay for those services?
You have a sufficient income to pay for the necessities. Basically, can you pay your bills each month? Do you have food and clothes? Can you pay your heating bill? If you’re struggling to pay your bills each month, your life isn’t on track.
You’re doing better than you were last year. You might be struggling mightily, but if your life is improving, it’s a good sign that your life is on track.
You have the freedom to be yourself. If you feel compelled to be someone you’re not, you’re not on track. You might dream of riding a motorcycle across North America with a full sleeve of tattoos, but if you’re stuck in an office pretending you enjoy filing tax returns, you’re off track with your life.

Everyone’s life veers off the chosen path now and then. What’s important is to recognize it and take the appropriate steps to get things back on course. If you have goals, you’re making progress with those goals, you can pay your bills, and you’re happy and healthy, you’re doing great!

Otherwise, get busy making a few changes to move toward a life that fulfills you.

You can book your 15-minute “Get to know you” call by clicking on the blue button below

and we can talk about where you are in life and review your plans to keep you on track for success

To your success

Michael

Check out my programs at Confidence and Life Coaching by clicking on the logo below:

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