The Life Uncommon

Around the Web: Best of the Week

Nacie Carson — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:40:19 +0000

This week I stumbled upon some awesome content I wanted to share with my fellow Uncommoners. So…in case you missed it, here are some of the gems out there in cyberspace – did you see anything fabulous you wanted to share?

Personal Development

Lost in a Sea of Information – by Irene Conlan
Are These 3 Odd but Common Obstacles Standing in the Way of Your Success? – by Henrik Edberg
The Patient, Frustrated Craftsperson – by Evan Hadkins

Business Development

Optimizing a Single Post On Your Blog for SEO – by Darren Rowse
A Lesson in Brand from McDonalds – by Bob Younce
Why Integrity Still Matters – by Tanveer Naseer

If you like this post, why not share it with others?

Making Time to Relax and Recharge

Nacie Carson — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:53:51 +0000

An Uncommon Life is full, busy, and exciting. Living and working toward your dreams on a daily basis is amazing, but sometimes it can also be a little hectic.

To keep achieving and reaching your goals, you need to make time to relax and recharge your spirit – it is one of surest ways to keep your energy high, your mind creative, and your ability to go out and get what you want strong.

Balance is a huge part of my vision for an uncommon life – I want a lifestyle that is full of meaningful, challenging, and interesting work as well as ample time for reflection, taking care of my body, and enjoying a few creature comforts. I have found that my periods of greatest productivity occur when I am caring for myself just as seriously as I am caring for my business.

Yet time to relax and recharge is something you have to fight for – it won’t magically materialize.

Even in the uncommon life, balance needs to be a conscious thing. Today I’ve compiled some tips to help you bring more balance, rest, relaxation, and ultimately more productivity into your uncommon life.

Relaxation Quick Tips

Incorporate one or two of these immediately into your day to instantly get a relaxation fix

Spend 20 minutes before you fall asleep reading a book for pleasure, not business
Take the last ten minutes of your lunch break to sit quietly and alone outside in the sunshine
Instead of driving, try walking to your errands (mailbox, corner store, bank) and play soothing music on your iPod or walk silently
Get up 10 minutes earlier so you can sit and calmly enjoy your cup of coffee instead of drinking it on the go
Ask your partner to give you a five minute shoulder massage
Stop what you’re doing right now, and spend 60 seconds focusing on your breath – exhaling all the way out and gently breathing air back in

Relaxation Strategies

Start making time for these activities in your daily or weekly regimen – while they may seem like they are wasting precious time, they are actually preparing you to make the most of your work time and be more productive.

Make time for exercise – just 30 minutes 3 times a week can release stress, improve blood circulation, and stimulate positive brain chemicals.
Treat yourself to a professional massage – available in all price ranges, a professional massage can break up physical tension, soothe the mind, and also stimulate well being and relaxation

Get 5% OFF Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Preferred now until March 20th! Use Promo Code: mi6qbq39z -> To read Nacie’s Review, click here!

Start meditating or conscious reflection – spending 15 minutes a few times a week in silence focusing on your breath and reflecting on your goals, accomplishments, and what you are grateful for will make you more centered
Watch one movie a week just for fun – curl up on the couch, snuggle with your sweetie, and just enjoy some movie magic in your PJs. “Vegging out on the couch” is a great way to kick back – as long as its in moderation!
Get out into nature as often as possible – making some time to get some sunshine, listen to birds singing, and witness the beauties of the natural world help keep us grounded and connected to our core. We are, after all, still part of this world even if we sometimes feel separate from it. Taking just 10 minutes a day outside can help improve concentration and well being – it will also help get that much needed vitamin D!

How do you relax and recharge? What is your optimal balance?

Here’s to your Uncommon Life,

*Don’t forget to sign up for the new and improved – and free! – TLU newsletter by clicking here or enrolling below:

If you like this post, why not share it with others?

How to Prepare for Daylight Savings Time

Nacie Carson — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:46:09 +0000

It’s that time of year again…

Sunday, March 14 at 2am in the United States, the clocks will be moved forward one hour to start the glorious period of daylight savings time. This special time of year always gets me so jazzed for spring, but also throws me off my game for a few days after the time switch. After all, we are losing an entire hour, and you know how I feel about making the most of my time…

Daylight savings time always feels like it is disrupting my inertia; like I am running and a good pace and then suddenly mis-step and have to spend several strides correcting my balance. And no one likes their state of flow interrupted!

To prevent you from experiencing a similar inconvenient feeling, I have put together a short, fool-proof guide to enjoying the best parts of daylight savings switch (brighter days, coming of spring, general well being) while eliminating the unsavory ones (grumpiness, sleep loss, general disorientation).

Start Adjusting Your Sleep Schedule

One of the best ways to prepare for daylight savings time is to start adjusting your sleep time little by little over the rest of this week. If you can just go to bed a little earlier (just 10-15 minutes!) each night you can help reduce that jet-lag feeling substantially.

I typically go to bed around midnight. The week before we move the clocks ahead, I try to get into bed around 11:30pm so that when the clocks shift forward, I find myself in the habit of getting into bed around 12:30am instead of 1am. It’s only a half hour, but can make all the difference for keeping my schedule intact.

Shift Back Your Daily Routine

Just as I go to bed a little earlier, I try to wake up and do my daily tasks a hair earlier as well. That means waking up, hitting the gym, having breakfast, and starting the day are all pushed back by a half hour. Again, it might seem like a small difference, but when the time comes to actually move the clocks back it is a lot smoother a transition.

Something to be particularly careful of is your caffeine consumption during the week before daylight savings time. If you are a late in the day/late night caffeine person, it can really throw things off when you lose an hour. Remember, products that contain caffeine include coffee, chocolate, soda, tea, candy, and energy drinks.

Get a Sunlight Fix

Part of resetting our circadian rhythm and adjusting to “spring/summer” mentality is monitoring our exposure to sunlight. Sunlight triggers the production of certain chemicals in the brain that make us alert, awake, and energetic – similarly, the lack of sunlight triggers melatonin production which makes us sleepy and relaxed.

You can start to adjust your sunlight amount and reset your sleep patterns by exposing yourself to sunlight in the morning. This can mean anything from sitting next to a window first thing when you get up or taking a little stroll outside after breakfast. Being exposed to bright light in the morning can reset your body’s cycle so you will naturally go to bed earlier and enjoy more restful sleep.

Keep a Fixed Schedule

A final way to prepare for daylight savings time is to try and keep a fixed schedule – at least for this week. Routines are always great protectors against lifestyle turbulence; the more practiced your routine is, the harder it is to shake. Setting up and sticking to a routine over the next few days (consistent wake up time, consistent bed time, consistent amount of sunlight and exercise), can help you just go on autopilot through the first 24-48 hours of the time switch.

The good news is that this time next week, for better or worse, you will be through the worst of the shift and on your way to embracing spring with all its promise. Now that is a comforting thought!

Here’s to your Uncommon Life,

If you like this post, why not share it with others?

Productive State of Mind

Nacie Carson — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:24:23 +0000

Good morning, friends and Uncommoners!

Today I want to direct your attention to my guest post at Tanveer Naseer’s great business and motivational site. If you want to jump straight to the article, click here.

Here is a little taste of what is waiting for those die-hard Uncommoners who aren’t ready to click off this page…

….

There are two elements that come together to shape our lives: state of action and state of mind. Our state of action (or sometimes inaction) can be defined by the physical things we are engaging in, such as looking, eating, writing, thinking, or laughing. Our state of mind (or sometimes mindlessness) is best explained as the intention behind our action, such as focusing on a goal.

When these two elements are in tandem, the result is the completely unique and amazing feeling of being “in the groove,” something we have all experienced at least once or twice. However, when these elements are out of sync or opposing, the result is frustration, anxiety, and contradiction.

Productivity is no different.

Optimal productivity, I discovered, is the direct result of our state of action coordinating and complementing our state of mind. Sub-optimal or inconsistent productivity comes when our actions do not mesh with our mindset…to keep reading, click here!

*Don’t forget to sign up for the new and improved – and free! – TLU newsletter by clicking here or enrolling below:

If you like this post, why not share it with others?

10 Pitfalls of Working From Home and How to Avoid Them

Nacie Carson — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:44:50 +0000

I love working from home, so much so it bears repeating: I love working from home.

I am not a traditional workforce kinda girl (managers, business hours, cubicles, HR memos…), so in my mind leaving the 9-5 world for a schedule and lifestyle of my own making was like winning the happiness lottery.

Now, almost 2 years later, I am still completely in love with my home office, my 2 minute commute downstairs, and the flexibility I have everyday to not only do what I want but do when it when I want to do it.

However, while I could literally write entire sonnets to working at home, there are several pitfalls that can sabotage the fabulous elements and prevent you from getting your business done. I know because I have done each of the things on the following list at least once…

*Don’t forget to sign up for the new and improved – and free! – TLU newsletter by clicking here

Refusing to make a schedule – When I first started working from home, I avoided schedules like the plague. “I work from home now, I don’t need to schedule, that’s the whole point!” Wrong. Scheduling in work blocks is vital to actually making you work. Sure, you can schedule them whenever you want to – that is the beauty of working at home – but just be sure they are planned and you stick with the plan.

Overdosing on freedom – For the first three weeks I worked from home, I did no work at all. I watched movies, I hung out with friends, I twiddled my thumbs…I was like a kid binging on chocolate chip cookies when grandma isn’t looking. Unfortunately, I experience the equivalent of a sugar rush followed by a stomach ache: I got sick of having fun and realized I was stretched to pay my rent the next month. Freedom is a joy of working from home, but it needs to be exercised with caution.

Keeping the TV on - I used to work – and honestly still sometimes do – with the TV on. When my desk was in the living room, it resulted in zero productivity. Now, with my office a room away from the TV I can still hear it in the background as I do my business, resulting in almost no productivity. Either watch TV or don’t, but don’t try both at the same time.

Not optimizing work location - The first year I was working at home I worked in the living room. While this was mostly due to space concerns, it still stunk. Now I have my own office and I can’t tell you want a difference it makes. If you have to share a room with another function, be sure to put yourself in a corner and block yourself off as much as possible with bookshelves or chairs.

Ignoring the outside world - When you work from home it is really easy to accidentally isolate yourself. Try to get out a few times a week to just sit in a cafe or meander around a supermarket – human interaction, even basic human interaction, is good for you!

Snacking – With your refrigerator so close all day every day, snacking is bound to happen. Two easy solutions: place your desk as far away from the kitchen as possible, or don’t buy tempting treats. I had to stop keeping Sun Chips in the house because the siren call was just too strong.

Denouncing accountability – Many work at home folks notice that they are so excited to not have a manager or boss they forget to fill that role themselves. You need to stay accountable for working a reasonable amount each week, bringing in enough money, and taking care of your business needs. Saying goodbye to accountability is all well and good until tax season rolls around…

Forgetting to sleep - When you are working at home, your sense of night and day can become a little turned around. Always remember to sleep – there is no boss to impress and the only person you are damaging is yourself (who has to get up and work the next day!).

Allowing clutter to build up – My office is always on clutter lock down because I accumulate it so easily. The only person who sees this room is me, after all, and as far as I’m concerned if I can make it to my desk that is all that matters, so I have to actively work to keep clutter at bay. Clutter disrupts creativity and productivity, so avoid it at all costs! (read more about clutter here)

Not defending your free time – Working from home is a wonderful experience, and as much as you need to vigilant you actually work, you also need to be conscious of giving yourself some uninterrupted free time away from the computer. Having your office at home means you can work 24/7, but it doesn’t mean you should. Free time for fun, spending time with family, and relaxing is key to keeping you fresh and productive. So go out and enjoy a nice long walk or trip to the mall – Nacie’s orders!

Here’s to your Uncommon Life,

If you like this post, why not share it with others?

Tell me not, in mournful numbers…

Nacie Carson — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:38:23 +0000

Happy Wednesday, friends and Uncommoners. Today I wanted to share with you something that has always been a source of power, inspiration, and motivation to me: A Psalm of Life by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

I was first introduced to this poem about fifteen years ago, and ever since it has stuck in my mind and continually served as a reminder for one of the basic missions of my life: keep moving forward. No matter what happens, we need to act so that tomorrow finds us further along the road to our dreams that today.

So for this rainy hump day, I present you with pure motivation material – what music/songs/quotes/poems keep you motivated and achieving?

A Psalm of Life

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream ! —
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real ! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal ;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way ;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle !
Be a hero in the strife !

Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant !
Let the dead Past bury its dead !
Act,— act in the living Present !
Heart within, and God o’erhead !

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time ;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate ;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

*Don’t forget to sign up for the new and improved – and free! – TLU newsletter by clicking here or enrolling below:

Here’s to your Uncommon Life,

If you like this post, why not share it with others?

How to Let Go of Things You Want That Don’t Serve You

Nacie Carson — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:09:33 +0000

An interesting thing happened to me the other day: I got what I want…only to discover that I didn’t really want it anymore.

The Sad Story of The Jacket

Last summer, I found a leather jacket online that I loved, but unfortunately, it was a tad out of my price range. For months it sat online, tempting me to blow my budget and just buy it anyways, but I resisted. Around December, the website that was selling it took it down and didn’t even place it in the sale section. I figured the jacket was gone, lost to the ages, and all thought of it went out of my mind.

Yet at the beginning of February, while surfing around the same website, what did I spy lingering in the clearance section? The very same jacket. With its price substantially slashed, I squealed with glee as I pointed, clicked and waited for the long-desired product to reach me.

The day finally came when the UPS lady knocked on my door with the anticipated packaged. I ripped the box open, pulled away the tissue paper, and beheld something I had wanted for almost 7 months.

There was a great feeling of accomplishment and a sense of rightness in the universe, as I ran my hands over the supple brown leather. I smugly smiled to myself and thought, “Wow, this is a great example of the Law of Attraction in action, I have attracted this to me…” I reverently lifted the jacket out of the box, unzipped the front, and slipped it on…

…Only to find out it didn’t fit right.

It zipped up totally fine, the arm length was good, but (like so many tops) the jacket was too tight around the shoulders and upper back. My immediate thought was that I would just exchange the jacket for the next size up. But then I realized that the size I had on was the largest size the jacket came in.

“Maybe I could lose a few,” I desperately thought, as I observed my reflection in the mirror. “Maybe it will stretch out over time,” I hoped.

But the more I reviewed what I saw, the more I realized that there was no way this jacket would ever fit properly (unless I could shrink my skeleton).

How could this have happened? After all, I wanted this, I attracted it to me, the universe seemed to align to get it to me beyond all obstacles, why isn’t this working out flawlessly?

After You Get What You Want

So much of our lives are focused on getting what we want, whether it is a specific job, a specific partner, or even just a leather jacket. But what happens after we get what we want? Then what? And more importantly, what do we do when what we have wanted ends up not serving our purposes or just isn’t right?

The shock after getting what you want and finding its not right for you can be profound. You can feel foolish, guilty, angry, confused, and shaken about your ability to choose what is right for you.

But after the initial feelings wear off, one question remains: knowing something you wanted isn’t working/right for you, what do you do with it?

There are several options: You can try to make it work, you can ignore it, or you can let it go with gratitude.

These are the thoughts that I went through when I realized that the jacket just wasn’t ever going to work. I could try to make it work in my outfits and hope no one noticed that it didn’t fit right, I could throw the jacket in the back of my closet and ignore it, or I could return it.

Letting Go of Things that Don’t Serve You

Options 1 and 2 were tempting for the simple fact that I wasn’t ready to admit that something I had wanted wasn’t right for me. I figured the universe has given me exactly what I wanted, how can I spit in the face of that by getting rid of it?

While wearing it might not be a feasible option, at least I could keep it in the back of my closet as a kind of Law of Attraction relic, something tangible I could turn to for continue proof that it does work. And who knows, maybe someday I could fit into it…right?

How many times have you had feelings like this about something in your own life? You get that job, you marry that partner, you buy that fancy car…only to discover after the fact that for whatever reason, it doesn’t serve you in a productive and valuable way. It just doesn’t fit.

Yet I am willing to bet that instead of letting go of that wanted-thing, you held onto it for a number of reasons, thinking you could make it work, adjust to it and be happy with it, or ignore it and just move on with your life (and this additional baggage).

Letting go of things you wanted but don’t serve you is a hard thing to do. It feels like admitting failure or defeat, it feels shameful and ungrateful. Yet at the end of the day, the only real way to honor something you wanted that doesn’t serve you is to let it go with gratitude.

Be grateful that you were able to get what you wanted, but also be grateful for the fact that you learned that the wanted item did not fit. And by letting things go that do not fit you, you free them up to be taken by people for whom they would be a perfect fulfillment of their dreams.

After wearing the jacket around my home for several minutes, I came to terms with the fact that the only thing I could do – the only right thing I could do – would be to return the jacket. I carefully packed it back in its box, sealed it up, and with a smile returned it to the company with the hope that – while it didn’t serve me – it would be the perfect fit for someone else. And no matter what, that chapter of wanting was concluded, and there was something freeing about that. The sad story of the jacket is actually now in my mind a positive story about how to gratefully let go.

What are your thoughts about letting go of things that don’t serve you?
*Don’t forget to sign up for the new and improved – and free! – TLU newsletter by clicking here or enrolling below:

Here’s to your Uncommon Life,

If you like this post, why not share it with others?

4 Ways to Turn Failure Into Success

Nacie Carson — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:30:11 +0000

Failures happen to us all.

Sometimes they’re our fault, sometimes the universe just seems to work against our well laid plans.

After Wednesday’s post on How to Change Your Life, I spent some time thinking about the applications for the Accepting Responsibility + Proactive Action formula and its various applications. One comment, made by the incomparable Evan Hadkins really got the old hamster wheel churning. Evan noted:

I think I’d add a third element or expand the first one. See how what we are doing creates our current life. This adds specificity and grounds the responsibility. If you see what I mean.

Basically, part of changing your life is being able to look at what you are currently doing, assess if it is working, and then adjust accordingly to get to a different place.

I believe one of the most powerful ways someone can proactively work to change their life is in the way they handle failure. Failure can be devastating financially, emotionally, and even physically depending on the situation. It is generally accepted as a shameful thing, something that will hang over your head the rest of your life and prove to everyone you’re not as good/smart/successful/happy/cool as they thought you were.

Yet in my life, I have found that my failures have often times given me a fast-lane pass to success, and usually success beyond what I had originally intended to accomplish.

Failure, in my mind, means not reaching your goal…yet.

If you have experienced any type of failure in your life – maybe a romantic relationship ended, maybe you let yourself get out of shape, maybe your business venture never got off the ground, or maybe you just can’t kick that habit – then you have also experienced a moment when you had it in your power to turn it all around.

Someone once told me that we are not defined by our successes, but by the way we embrace our failures. Don’t let your unsuccessful attempt to achieve something stop you from getting what you want. Failures are actually golden opportunities to succeed…you just have to know how to handle them.

In my experience, there are four major methods you can use to turn failure into success. Have you experienced any other ways that work?

The Persistence Method

This method of turning failure into success could also easily be called the “Traveling Salesman Method” or the “Patrick Swazye Convincing Whoopi Goldberg to Help Him In Ghost Method,” but since both these titles are too long, the term persistence works more succinctly. The basic principle behind this method is if at first you don’t succeed, try try again until you do. If someone gives you “no” for an answer, go back the next day and ask again. If you didn’t lose weight on the diet this week, get back on program and work at it again next week. If your business didn’t meet your numbers this month, then hit the ground harder next month and try again.

The Persistence Method for turning failure into success works when you believe that what you are doing/asking for/thinking is right and that eventually it will get the result you want. If you know you have a good idea, don’t stop until someone pays attention. If you know you can lose weight on this or that program, don’t stop trying until you do. Tenacity and not taking no for an answer (even if you actually get no for an answer over and over) can sometimes be the best way to push through that wall of failure and reach success on the other side. It will also boost your confidence to know that you got what you wanted by not giving up and not compromising.

The Alternate Venue Method

Sometimes its not the idea that is failing, it is where you are implementing it. The Alternate Venue Method for turning failure into success works by keeping the same principles and just adjusting where you are putting them to work to achieve your goal. If your business is not doing well at one mall, maybe it should relocate to another part of town where there are more of your target audience, or maybe it should go totally digital and be an online shop. If your weight loss efforts are failing, maybe you should switch diet programs or move onto an exercise-based program instead.

The Alternate Venue Method works best when you feel that your principles are sound, but the “location” in which they are implemented may be sub-par. This is where Evan’s wonderful point of being aware of what you are doing now comes into play as a key skill. You need to be aware of the pros and cons for your “location,” and if you deem them to be unhelpful or hurtful to your goal proactively moving said location and trying again.

The Frankenstein Method

The Frankenstein Method is characterized by examining the whole attempt, cutting out parts that are not helping, and pasting in new strategies instead. Maybe the location your business is at isn’t the best, but maybe you could also change the layout of your store and adjust the colors in your logo to appeal to customers more. Maybe you should switch weight loss programs, but also implement a separate exercise program as well.

Like the Frankenstein monster, this method requires you to be willing to pull your goal strategy apart, see what’s working and what isn’t, and then put it back together…maybe with parts from another strategy patched in here and there. This method is more time consuming than the first two as it is a return to the drawing board. This method for turning failure into success should be implemented when you know somethings need re-evaluating but there are salvageable elements of the idea.

The Raze It Method

The final method to turn failure into success is the Raze It Method. This is a return to the starting point with the idea to come out and try again with an entirely new approach. Sometimes the ways we anticipate succeeding in our goals seem like great methods at the time, however after failing we can see the holes in the strategy and the need to correct course.

Many people see the Raze It Method as the essential elements of failure: you tried, it didn’t work, so you will start over with nothing to show for the first attempt. However, this is so not true – what you have to show for the first attempt is wisdom, experience, and an idea of what not to do. How many times did they say Thomas Edison found to not make a light bulb? The number doesn’t matter, just the idea: when you fail and have to start over, you have just found a way not to get what you want so if you’re smart (which I know you are!) you won’t do again.

There is something liberating in the Raze It Method – starting fresh, starting over, starting anew. The only way it is failure in my book is if you look at the goal you were trying to achieve and say, “you know, it is too hard, I’ll never be able to get it so I won’t try again.” That is failure.

There are thousands of ways you can not get what you want in life. Luckily, almost all of those ways provides a hidden path to get straight to what you do want.

Remember, the only thing that determines whether or not you fail is you.

*Don’t forget to sign up for the new and improved – and free! – TLU newsletter by clicking here or enrolling below:

Here’s to your Uncommon Life,

If you like this post, why not share it with others?

How to Come Up with Fresh Ideas

Nacie Carson — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:19:41 +0000

As I sat down to blog yesterday, I found myself facing an age-old enemy: writer’s block.

I must have started four or five different posts before I eventually settled on How to Change Your Life. But what really struck me as I was trying to get myself started yesterday was how many of the same old ideas I was pulling from for post inspiration. In fact, I even started writing a post that I had actually already written several months ago.

Obviously, I am in some need of fresh ideas.

Fresh ideas, novel ideas, new ideas – whatever you want to call them – are important fuel for all Uncommoners. If you keep doing the same thing, thinking the same way, having the same ideas, what will you get? More of the same.

Yet all of us get stuck in idea-ruts sometimes. Like having the lyrics to just one song stuck in your head non-stop, the same old strategies, perceptions, and ideas for how to move forward pop-up time and time again without change.

Novelty is the stuff inspiration and innovation is made of. And while we can all get into idea-ruts, we can easily get out of them by following a few tips.

Since we have already started to look to spring (see 7 Spring Cleaning Tips for Uncommoners to get up to speed), we should start to look to ways to clean out our thought processes and ideas and get new types of inspiration. Here are a few tips that I have found to be always helpful in jogging the creative genius. What would you suggest?

Follow your procrastination – if you need new ideas, follow your desire to procrastinate and see where it takes you. Maybe it will surf you onto a website that introduces you to a new topic, maybe it will bring you to a TV show that inspires some train of thought. Or maybe it will allow you time to sit and do nothing (and let the little gray cells do their thinking work). Note: This strategy should be used with caution…it can easily turn into a excuse for inaction if used too often!
Take a media break – movies, music, literature, and art can all inspire us in ways we don’t expect. A great film, a trip to the museum, or time spent perusing your favorite book or listening to your favorite album can let your mind wander and provoke questions or trains of thought out of your usual idea-rut. Taking time to explore “culture” is always a great way to generate new ideas.
Shake it up - getting some exercise is a great way to both do something good for your body and your mind. Countless studies have shown a correlation between physical activity and positive/feel-good brain function. It also provides energy, an important element in generating fresh ideas. If you are feeling stumped on something, hit the gym or the walking trail for an hour and see how you are feeling afterward. Physical refreshment often leads to mental refreshment.
Go natural – spending time in nature is one of my favorite ways to provoke new thought. Wandering around in the woods, walking through a field, or sitting by the ocean is always inspiring to me. I feel more connected to the world and the universe, and there is something so inspiring about a big blue sky.
Head to the library – this idea is inspired by @RaeConover who tweeted to me today, “I love libraries! The only downfall is I could spend hours here just browsing and not working, lol!” Browsing around a library is an amazing way to get some inspiration and expose your mind to new subjects, points of view, or stories. Libraries are free and plentiful throughout most areas in the world, so if you are feeling uninspired and in need of new ideas, head on over to your local library for some intellectual exploration!

Fresh ideas are the spice of life and one of the keys to an Uncommon Life – how do you “pepper in” some inspiration?
*Don’t forget to sign up for the new and improved – and free! – TLU newsletter by clicking here or enrolling below:

Here’s to your Uncommon Life,

If you like this post, why not share it with others?

How to Change Your Life

Nacie Carson — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:05:28 +0000

While at a client site the other day, one of the employees and I got into a conversation. They wanted to change their job, they were unhappy with their situation, and they felt unsure as to what they really wanted to be doing with themselves.

“I want to change my life, but I just don’t know how.”

I have heard people say almost this identical phrase hundreds of times over the past few years. The desire for living a different life, being a different person, doing different work is there, but how to bridge the gap between where they are today and where they want to be tomorrow seems like a complete mystery.

There are millions of things that you can do every day to change your life. This site – and many other – share countless of things you can do to make changes. For each person, what will change their life will be a different thing or a different combination of things.

There is only one universal element that everyone needs to know and understand to truly change their life: the power is yours to do so.

Accepting Responsibility

The power to change your life is a two part order: the first is to accept responsibility for that power. To change your life, you need to understand that you hold the ultimate responsibility for whether you are happy, sad, angry, or depressed.

Sure, there are lots of things that can happen to you in life that can test your mettle and effect your circumstances. You could have health problems, you could live through a natural disaster, you could experience tragic loss, your business could fail through no fault of your own. Some people suffer abuse, are born with disabilities, or are the victims of a heinous crime.

And while you can’t control what has happened to you, you can control how you move forward from it. There are thousands – no, hundreds of thousands – of stories of people who experience the most heinous situations life throws at them and still manage to be happy, contributing, and successful in spite of it. Are they the lucky ones? Are they somehow different from you or me? No – they simply have accepted responsibility for being happy/successful/fulfilled.

Taking responsibility for your happiness means that no matter what happens, you understand that at the end of the day no matter what the world does to you, the ultimate deciding factor for what your life looks like is in your hands.

Be Proactive

The second part of the universal element for changing your life is to be proactive. Being proactive means that you wake up everyday with the conscious intention to improve your situation. This means you research what will be effective, you study how to do it, and then you actively implement it.

You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control what actions you take after to get to a better place.

Maybe you have a serious health condition – what can you do to start improving it? What therapies are out there to relieve your symptoms, heal your body, or prevent further sickness?

Maybe you experience a tragic loss – what can you do to start healing? In what ways can you make peace with the universe and honor the memory of what was lost? What can you do to start looking ahead?

Maybe you were laid off through no fault of your own – what can you do to get back out into the workforce? How can you turn this into an experience that will work in your favor when it comes time to be hired again?

To change you life, you must be willing to go out and get what you want or search until you find what you want. Change will not come to you, at least not the type of change you want. If you are a passive player in your own life, you will get what you get. However, if you are a proactive player, you can determine exactly what you get.

It is that simple, and that hard.

Putting it together

So the formula for how anyone can change their life is this:

accept responsibility for your happiness/success + be proactive to make change happen = a changed life

Of course, there are specific strategies and steps you can take to be proactive and be comfortable with that responsibility. But when it comes to the question of “How can I change my life?” this formula is the only universal answer.

At the end of the day it comes down to fact that the power lies totally in your hands. You can either let the world around you define you, or you can actively and consciously go out and define yourself in spite of the world. I have found that when people start to do the latter, they start to experience that sensation that their life is changing for the better.

Are you ready to change your life?

Here’s to your Uncommon Life,

*Don’t forget to sign up for the new and improved – and free! – TLU newsletter by clicking here or enrolling below:

If you like this post, why not share it with others?