Tag Archives: Self-help

Investing In Peace

Posted on by
Reply

Dear Peace-Deprived,

Are you satisfied with the progress you’ve made so far this year? If not, you still have time to make some positive changes in 2011. There are three weeks left in the year. Lucky for you, it only takes 21 days to start/break a habit. What’s one positive change you would like to accomplish in 2012? What’s one thing you have no desire to bring into your New Year? What areas of your life are you struggling to find peace…  finances? your relationship with God? your marriage? your job? your health/weight? What do you do that stresses you out? Think about it. Go ahead… take a few minutes. Got it? Good. Now that you’ve identified your struggle, let’s do something about it. There’s a simple solution to your complex case: you have to start doing things that will produce harmony instead of hostility; serenity instead of stress. You have to start investing in peace.

An investment is simply a commitment of time, energy, or resources with the expectation of future gain. Simply put, it’s sowing a seed to reap a reward.  Your life is a giant investment portfolio of the decisions you make and the risks you take. The value of your portfolio (aka, your self-worth) is based upon how much weight you give to your experiences and accomplishments. Your daily actions and behaviors are an investment of your time/energy/resources that will reap either positive or negative results. If your portfolio is consistently experiencing poor performance, you have to get rid of what’s weighing you down and begin investing in things that will bring you peace. What stress/struggle do you want to be free from in 2012? Well, in order to make that happen, you’ve got to start tackling it today. You must become proactive instead of reactive (lead by your emotions). Let’s handle that, shall we? Here’s your investment plan:

1. State your objective. What is the primary goal you are trying to accomplish… a better handle on your finances? debt reduction? weight loss? lower blood pressure/cholesterol? Whatever your goal is, make sure it’s S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound). Let’s say you want to build up your cash reserves. A S.M.A.R.T. goal would look like this:

“I want to have an additional $3,000 in my emergency fund by 12/31/2012. I will accomplish this goal by saving $250/month into my savings account for the next 12 months. I will monitor my progress quarterly. Because I have created a budget based on my income and expenses, I can realistically expect to save $750 per quarter (which will total $3,000 for the year). Yes, I can do this!”

Write the vision and make it plain. Put your objective in writing and read it aloud to yourself. You are more likely to reach a goal if you simply write it down. And hearing yourself voice your desire causes you to take ownership of your objective. Investing in peace is all about knowing what you want for yourself. You can’t change anyone else and nobody can change you. You have to do this for your own peace of mind.

2. Identify the positive rewards of accomplishing your objective.  Investing in peace will reap some wonderful rewards: less stress, more joy, better sleep, healthier attitude towards yourself and others, etc. Make a list of all the perks that come as a result of reaching your objective. This is the positive return on your investment.

3. Identify the negative consequences of not reaching your goal. Write down the “poor performance” you might experience if you don’t start investing in peace. Depending on your goal, some examples may include: depression, stress, anxiety, increased debt, reduced savings, heart attack, stroke, poor self-image, hopelessness, strife, etc. This is the negative return on your investment. Compare this list to the list of your positive rewards. Which would you prefer? Keep both of these lists in mind when you get discouraged. Oftentimes, we don’t think twice about divulging in unhealthy behavior when we don’t acknowledge the risks associated with it.

4. Get a Peace Partner. This is someone you trust who can respectfully hold you accountable to reaching your goal (and who is not struggling in the same area you are). They will be there to keep you on track when you want to give up. And they will celebrate your  accomplishments in the process. Having someone to hold you accountable will significantly increase your ability to make your dreams come true.

5. Manage your risk. Reduce/eliminate your distractions. What people, places, and/or things often distract you from staying on course? If you’re trying to save money, you probably shouldn’t hang out with friends who spend money like it grows on trees. If you’re trying to reduce your debt, stop carrying your credit cards in your wallet. It’s amazing how much easier it will be to focus on your goal when your vision isn’t clouded with temptation.

6. Take a daily Peace Pill. What is ONE Thing you can do every day to help you reach your objective? This is your Peace Pill. Doing ONE Thing consistently everyday for the next 21 days will help you form a positive habit that will not only assist you in reaching your goal, but will also give you more peace in the process. It’s much easier to reach a goal if you break it down into baby steps. Smaller pills are far less difficult to swallow. So, focus on changing just one bad habit at a time for 3 weeks straight.

7. Monitor your progress. Break your goal down into shorter intervals and monitor your progress accordingly. Check in with your Peace Partner to let them know how you’re doing and discuss any challenges/frustrations you might have. And don’t beat yourself up if you fall off the wagon… just jump right back on and keep it moving!

FYI: It’s not good enough to simply know these steps. You must implement them in order for them to work. Commit to this process and above all else, invite God to lead the way. Stay prayerful. Seek His face throughout each of these 7 steps. The Holy Spirit will guide you and the Prince of Peace will keep you. Investing in peace is about doing the little things that will produce positive results for your peace of mind. It’s about taking good risks. Make a conscious decision to invest in your peace every day- no matter how big or small. Consistency is key. Acknowledge how counterproductive it is to waste your time, money, and energy on things that will ultimately steal your joy. Short-term pleasure often produces long-term pain. Enough of that already! You’ve been going in circles for too long… can we agree that it’s gotten you nowhere? Take ownership of where you are and how you got there. Here’s the good news: when you focus on doing the right thing, you leave little room for the wrong thing to take root. Even when you experience the volatility of life, you can experience positive performance. You’ll be more at peace with yourself and others, and your quality of life will grow exponentially. Sounds like an excellent return on investment, if you ask me!! Peace is priceless… get yours today! 🙂

Practically Yours,

~The Practical Chick

P.S. If you’re dealing with long-term issues that you can’t seem to resolve on your own, or if you feel your situation is hopeless, don’t give up! Seek the counsel of your Pastor, therapist, or other mental health professional. For additional resources, check out ShareCare at www.share.care.com, or the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)…. www.NAMI.org or (800) 950-NAMI. Support, education, information, referral and advocacy is available to you! It’s not too late. You can do it, and they can help!

ONE Thing Revolution

Posted on by
2

Dear Sick and Tired,

Twenty-one days.  That’s how long they say it takes to break a bad habit or start a new one (side note: who is “they”?) Anywho, I have quite a few bad habits to break and even more good habits to start. But breaking bad habits is no fun and creating a new one is certainly no cup of tea. So, I decided to focus on ONE thing to help me become a better person.  If I commit to doing just ONE thing every day for 21 days, I should be able to make some positive changes in my life.

I began my ONE Thing Revolution on September 1, 2011.  As of that date, there were 18 weeks left in this year.  This allotted me enough time to focus on 6 different aspects of my life to change (18 weeks divided by 3 weeks per habit = 6) so as to not enter another new year with the same old nonsense. Where would I begin? Well, that was easy: physical well-being. Yes, I am naturally slim, but I have taken horrible advantage of my physique. I love sweets (especially cake- but who doesn’t?), don’t drink enough water, don’t eat enough fruits and veggies, don’t get enough sleep, don’t get enough exercise, and the list goes on. Bottom line is that I haven’t been a very good steward of the body that God has entrusted to me. And that’s not cool.

Have you ever been sick and tired of being sick and tired? Well, that’s not good enough unless your sick and tired enough to change.  And that’s where I am.  I’m sick and tired of running on empty because I deprive myself of sleep. I’m sick and tired of being “fat girl slim” because I would rather drive past the gym instead of drive myself in the gym. I’m sick and tired of knowing that my insides are probably dry-rot because I don’t drink enough water. And Lord knows I’m sick and tired of not being a better steward of my temple (aka, my body- for those of you who don’t speak Christianese :-)).

What are you sick and tired of? What is the ONE Thing that you can change TODAY to give you more peace of mind, make you a better steward of your mind, body, soul, finances, or friendships? What ONE Thing can you focus on doing every day to become a better you?  Maybe you can stop eating junk food for 21 days. Maybe you can start reading the Bible every day. Perhaps your bad habit is a man or a woman. Or like me, maybe you just need to commit to drinking more water. Whatever it is, no matter how BIG or small, commit to focusing on just ONE Thing that you can do daily to become a better you. And make it a S.M.A.R.T. Thing: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound. When you begin with the end in mind, you’re more likely to do what it takes to finish your course.

I’ll be chronicling my progress over the next few months.  Stay tuned! I hope to inspire you to start your own ONE Thing Revolution. Don’t take the same OLD you into a NEW year. A new and improved you is just 21 days away. Make that change!

Practically Yours,

~The Practical Chick