Goals and Aspirations

Clutter defined and derailed!

Clutter is quite a "no-no" in personal development circles.

What is clutter?  According to Wikipedia:

Clutter may refer to excessive physical disorder: a confusing or disorderly state or collection; or the creation thereof.  Excessive, unnecessary or uncontrolled clutter can be a symptom of compulsive hoarding.  A type of light pollution.

In the everyday sense, clutter includes:

• rubbish not put in the bin
• items eg clothing, papers, books, utensils not stored properly
• accumulated unused objects
• broken and unmaintained items remain broken and unmaintained for long periods of time
• commitments/activities in our life that serve no purpose
• activities including ironing, bill paying, phone calls, dishes, house work are completed later rather than sooner -- in other words, when they absolutely have to be done. 

Our environment and our personal life can contain much unnecessary clutter which takes up valuable space and energy.

Some people have no trouble in keeping clutter to a minimum.  They get rid of unwanted items, everything is put in its place, rubbish is put in the bin under the table not left on the table, broken things are either fixed and mended or thrown out, only those commitments and activities that have a real purpose are continued, house work is kept up-to-date, mail is opened as it comes in, bills are paid on time, phone calls are made sooner rather than later... environment and life have some sense of order.

In contrast, others build up clutter very easily... items are never put away where they belong, lids are never put on containers, broken and unmaintained things stay that way, papers are never filed away, things needing to be done are continually put off till another day... and so on and so on.

Dealing with clutter in a household can be a nightmare if some members are organised and don't contribute to clutter whereas others are messy and contribute to the household clutter; where some members give or throw away unwanted and unused items and other members cannot throw anything away, in other words they hoard (I grew up in that kind of household).

How do you begin to derail clutter?... how do you begin to get rid of the clutter in your life and in your environment??  Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

• make a decision, right now, to do something about the clutter!  Take control of clutter rather than have clutter control you!
• make the commitment, right now, to begin to take action about your clutter
• remember that clutter will take time to be completely derailed, completely gone
• don't think you have to do absolutely everything at once
• any action towards clearing clutter is better than no action

Clutter occurs where you live, at your workplace/workspace, in your car, in your activities of daily life, where you play or spend your leisure time... wherever you are or go, there is potential for clutter.

Clutter is easy to derail... to get rid of, or at least bring to a manageable level... once you decide to start doing something about it!

Once the clutter is removed from your life and your environment... it is amazing how good it feels!  You feel happier, more energetic, less scattered, thinking is clearer and you have more time because you are no longer wasting time looking for things that were hidden in amongst the clutter!

We all have clutter... and we all deal with clutter in very different ways!

Over the next few posts, I will suggest ways that you can deal with clutter in specific areas of your life.

How do you deal with clutter?  Is it a problem in your life?  Or in your household?  Click on the comment link below and share your experiences... it's always great hearing from you!

Best wishes
Jeanne

have you received your copy of "#1 Ingredient to Fast Track Your Success!"
you can download a copy when you subscribe to the website Aspirations Plus at
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/information-support-subscription.html

                                                   

Burnout in caregivers: 10 suggestions to prevent it happening

Burnout is emotional and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged stress.

Burnout happens as a result of extreme overload over an extended period of time.

Burnout is not something that only happens to high-powered, overworked business executives.  Caregivers also can experience burnout.  And they do!

A caregiver maybe someone who is primary carer for a terminally ill loved one, or primary carer for a family member with Alzheimer's Disease, or a severely disabled child, or perhaps a chronically ill family member.

Usually the caregiver is juggling many roles within the family, for example, other family members to look after, running the house including cooking, and perhaps working as well. 

The person requiring care often has many medical and treatment needs and appointments, may require special food, which all needs to be done by the caregiver.  Taking on the role of caregiver involves many extra responsibilities.

It can be extremely emotionally and physically taxing providing care for someone you love.

For the person who is experiencing profound stress over a prolonged period of time, here are 10 suggestions to keep in mind which may prevent burnout from happening:

• make sure you eat properly.  All too often caregivers neglect themselves because they are too busy being caregiver.  It's important to make sure you get proper food and drinks.  You will become rundown if you neglect yourself over a long period of time and when you become rundown you are more susceptible to getting sick and staying sick for a lot longer than you usually would
• you are not indispensable.  Although the burden of care may fall on you it is important to remember, and to remind others around you, that if you get sick you will no longer be able to carry out the roles and responsibilities you are doing now
• recognise your limitations -- everybody has a limit of what they can and cannot do.  For a short period of time it is OK to stretch yourself but you cannot do this indefinitely
• ask for help -- even though it may seem no one can help you, many people are often willing to do something if they only know what.  It could be anything from asking someone to do your shopping, pick up something, bring something, water the garden, babysit, cook a meal, or take over for a little while
• on the other hand, sometimes people don't offer help because the caregiver has given a clear indication that he or she doesn't want or need help.  Sometimes caregivers can be too independent!  When someone offers help... say "yes please"! 
• make sure you get regular time out -- for example, meet up with friends for coffee or lunch, see a movie, go for a walk around the block.  Go somewhere or do something that will give you physical and emotional breathing space
• offload to someone -- it is important for everyone to have someone they can talk to, someone they can offload to.  Offloading can go a long way in preventing burnout from happening
• almost every community in the world has a voluntary telephone counselling service where people can call and talk to someone on the other end of the phone.  This service is usually free and anonymous.  Such places are often listed in the front page of the telephone directory
• if you have no one to talk to, and you cannot use a telephone counselling service, write out your thoughts and feelings.  The important thing is to get your thoughts and feelings out in whatever way you can
• you may benefit from talking with a doctor, counsellor or social worker who may be able to get outside services to provide assistance to you.  There are many agencies and places within the community you can access for all kinds of assistance e.g. financial, practical support such as voluntary transport which can reduce some of pressure for you

Burnout can happen when you are overloaded.  But there are many things that can be done to prevent the stress and responsibilities turning into burnout.

But remember, you don't have to do it alone!

If you would like any more information... please do not hesitate to contact me -- you can e-mail me or leave a comment by clicking on the comment link below.  I'd love to hear from you.

Best wishes
Jeanne

Have you received your complimentary copy of: "#1 Ingredient To Fast Track Your Success!"
If not, you can do so by subscribing to Aspirations Plus at:
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/information-support-subscription.html

Dreams And Fantasies: do you remember yours??

Hi everyone...

Each person, at some stage in their life, has had a dream or fantasy... a young boy may dream about becoming a fireman when he grows up, a dream may have been to become an astronaut, or perhaps write a best-selling novel, become a doctor, live somewhere faraway, travel the world, or even play in a symphony orchestra, have a date with Brad Pitt, sail around the world in a yacht...

Each person, at some stage in their life, has daydreamed about something!

Dreams and fantasies are healthy and very normal!

Healthy because they provide us with:

• something positive, meaningful and constructive to think about
• a place in our mind to escape to when we want or need to e.g. when we are stressed or bored
• stimulation for our imagination
• a reason to do certain things e.g. learn special skills, get a good paying job
• incentive to achieve our dream of fantasy
• good feelings when we think about our dreams or fantasy
• something to keep us sane!

Normal because each person has an imagination (believe it or not)... our imagination is a central part of our being.

But all too often, we are discouraged from using our imagination:

• we may be told off or punished for daydreaming -- I got told that so often at school
• we may be told our dreams and fantasies will never happen -- others in our network, for example family, teachers, work colleagues, friends may laugh at our dreams or tell us they will be impossible to achieve (I got so much opposition from people when they knew I was going to Mongolia for real, not just in my mind!)
• we may have so many commitments and responsibilities in our life that we no longer have the time or energy to think about and revisit our dreams and fantasies
• we may feel our dreams and fantasies are unimportant

Does this sound familiar for you?  It certainly was for me many years ago.

The only dream and fantasy I  kept alive for me, and my sanity, was going to Outer Mongolia.  Outer Mongolia was my escape from the hassles and pressures of my daily life...

My dream and fantasy was uncovered, dusted off, and also made into a reality

Many people lose sight of their dreams and fantasies... for very legitimate and understandable reasons. 

Do remember what your dreams and fantasies are/were?

I'm wondering, however, if it is time for you to revisit your dreams and fantasies... to uncover them... dust them off... and see if they give you the same wonderful and warm feeling that they once did?

And who knows... your dream or fantasy may become a reality... like my dream and fantasy of going to Outer Mongolia certainly did!

I'd love to know what your dreams and fantasies are... click on the comment link below and let me know!  It would be great to hear them.
Or you can join the discussion at facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10264741301

Best wishes
Jeanne

have you received your complimentary copy of: "#1 Ingredient To Fast Track Your Success!"... you can get your copy by subscribing to Aspirations Plus website at:
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/information-support-subscription.html

Burnout: 10 typical signs it may be happening

Hi everyone...

A few days ago I wrote an article: "Stress or Burnout: What's the Difference??"

In essence, burnout is emotional and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged stress and can occur when you feel very overwhelmed and unable to meet constant demands.

But how can you recognise burnout?  Here are 10 typical and common signs that it may be happening:

• a person with burnout often experiences overwhelming feelings of hopelessness, powerlessness, isolation, feelings of being trapped, and often strong feelings of despair
• a person with burnout is much more irritable and edgy than usual.  He or she can be very "snappy" and cynical... much more than usual
• a person with burnout often experiences major disruption to sleep... insomnia is quite common but some people with burnout sleep for much longer and have great difficulty in waking up
• a person with burnout often feels detached and disconnected from what he or she is doing... whether that is with work, relationships, or even with him or herself
• a person with burnout typically experiences absolute total and utter exhaustion
• a person with burnout may experience increased drinking (alcohol), drug taking (e.g. sleeping pills, painkillers, aspirin or disprin), smoking, sexual activity, or increased shopping (for unnecessary and often expensive items)... all in an effort to escape what they are experiencing and to escape from the negative feelings they have
• a person with burnout often experiences major changes in eating habits... some may experience a complete loss of appetite, regularly skipping meals, picky eating... whereas others may increase their food intake and eat more comfort food and therefore put on more weight
• it is not uncommon that relationships fall apart for a person with burnout... relationships with family, friends, work colleagues, partner and children often tend to become strained and difficult
• the person with burnout frequently becomes unmotivated and appears to be very uncaring
• a person with burnout has an overriding feeling that he or she cannot take any more!

Please note: everybody experiences some or all of these signs fairly regularly but that doesn't mean it is burnout.  The big difference is that these signs of burnout are experienced over a long period of time -- many weeks or months. 

Sounds heavy... well it is for the person experiencing burnout and also for those close to the person.

But the good news is... lots can be done to prevent burnout from happening in the first place... but if it has happened... lots can be done to alleviate it!

Have you, or anyone you know, experienced burnout?  Click on the comment link below and share your thoughts and experiences... I'd love to hear from you!

If you would prefer... you can always contact me by e-mail... I would be more than happy to talk with you... I'm here to help any way I can.

Best wishes
Jeanne

have you received your complimentary copy of: "#1 Ingredient To Fast Track Your Success!"... you can get your copy by subscribing to Aspirations Plus website at:
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/information-support-subscription.html

It Took My Breath Away!

Hi everyone...

This morning I received a link to a video... I have just watched it and I'm recommending you do the same... it is truly beautiful.

The video is of a very special ballet... (I have a confession, I am so not into ballet!)  But this was very different to anything I had ever seen... it was exquisitely beautiful and captured my attention right from the beginning.

So many hours, months, and probably years, of dedicated, committed hard work resulted in this breathtaking routine... the husband and wife team make it look so easy and effortless!

The link is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5lN96dgt_Y

Enjoy!

I'd love to hear your comments... click on the comment link below and leave your thoughts.

Best wishes
Jeanne

have you received your complimentary copy of "#1 Ingredient To Fast Track Your Success!"... if not, you can do so by subscribing to Aspirations Plus website... the link is:
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/information-support-subscription.html

Stress or Burnout: What's The Difference??

Hi everyone...

Stress and burnout are often seen as the same thing.  But they are not the same. 

Stress happens  to everyone every single day!  Each person experiences and copes with stress very differently.  What is stressful to you may not be to me... and vice versa!  And how you react to stress and cope with it will be very different to the way I do.

Burnout is a topic close to my heart! ... I experienced burnout 24 years ago... and then, more recently, towards the end of 2007 I found myself heading there again. 

Most people see burnout as only happening to high-powered, overworked business executives.  But the reality is, burnout can happen to almost anyone -- it is not reserved to a select group of people in a select area of work!

Burnout can occur in caregivers (for example, a someone  who's sole caregiver for a chronically or seriously ill person over a long period of time e.g. with Alzheimer's disease), executives, stay at home mums or dads with several young children, health care workers (e.g. doctors, psychologists, nurses, vets)... to name a few.

In other words... it can happen to anyone doing too many taxing things over a long period of time.

So... what is burnout?  And what is the difference between burnout and stress?

Well... according to Wikipedia, "burnout is a psychological term for the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest."

And according to Wikipedia, "stress is the condition that results when person-environment transactions lead the individual to perceive a discrepancy, whether real or not, between the demands of the situation and the resources of the person's biological, psychological or social systems."

There is a huge difference between burnout and stress. Stress is a normal part of daily living... every single person experiences some degree of stress in their lives each day.  Burnout, on the other hand, may be the result of unrelenting stress, but it isn't the same as too much stress.

Stress is an overload of pressure that demands too much of you both physically and psychologically.  People experiencing stress can usually see that they will feel better when they can get everything under control.

Burnout, on the other hand, is prolonged stress and pressure.  It is emotional and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.  It results in feeling empty, totally exhausted, very overwhelmed, and devoid of motivation.

Burnout reduces your productivity and saps your energy... it may leave you feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, powerless, often cynical and resentful.  People experiencing burnout very seldom see there is any likelihood of feeling better.  They begin to lose interest and motivation that led them to take on the roles and responsibilities in the first place e.g. being caregiver.

The unhappiness burnout causes can eventually threaten your job, your relationships and your health.

Another major difference between stress and burnout is: usually you are aware you are under a lot of stress, but you usually don't notice burnout when it happens.  The symptoms of burnout including total exhaustion, feelings of detachment, hopelessness, often take months to appear.

It is not uncommon for someone else to point out you may be experiencing burnout... many people with burnout don't see it in themselves.  More often than not, work colleagues, family members, partners, friends, or doctors will see the signs of burnout long before the person sees it in him or herself.

If the signs are recognised in time... burnout can be prevented or alleviated.

Please note: I'm not saying for one moment that everyone will experience burnout... far from it!

But burnout does exist... it is real and its effects can be devastating if not recognised and dealt with effectively.

Have you ever experienced burnout? If you would like to know more... or you would like some help... please do not hesitate to contact me.  Click on the comment link below and let me know your thoughts and experiences with stress and burnout. Or you can always e-mail me.  I'd love to hear from you.

Best wishes
Jeanne

PS... have you received your complimentary copy of "#1 Ingredient To Fast Track Your Success!"
You can get it when you subscribe to Aspirations Plus at
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/information-support-subscription.html

Declutter... 5 tell-tale signs you need to do it!

Hi everyone...

If you are anything like me, you tend to have things piling up around you... in your office, your closet, your desktop, your working space, your house, your anywhere and everywhere!

And I know many of us, for whatever reason, have very legitimate reasons for having things pile up.  We run out of time, too busy, can't physically do it... excuses, excuses excuses!  I have used them all!

For many years I read about the importance of getting rid of clutter.  In all the personal development material I had absorbed over the years, in all the conferences and seminars I had been to, all pointed to the need to declutter your life.

It took me a long, long  time to really understand and appreciate the true value of declutter....of getting rid of unnecessary things in my life.

In all the personal development material, and law of attraction material, the premise is: you need to get rid of the old (things that don't work, the unnecessary, the negative, the junk) before you can begin to let in the new.

These are the tell-tale signs in my life that it is time I need to declutter.

• I'm feeling overwhelmed with everything -- things begin to pile up.
  Everyday tasks, even new tasks, which ordinarily would be done with relative ease, become problematic and more difficult.  I know I need to declutter...when I can't do things as easily as what I usually do.  I don't learn things as quickly (depending on what that is of course).  And I get this almighty feeling of being incredibly overwhelmed. 
• I'm feeling more tired... actually better described as more drained than usual.  Years ago, I read in a few different places, that clutter in your life actually takes away a lot of valuable energy in your life.  It took me a long time to work that one out!  And yes... they are right!  Unnecessary clutter is draining.
• Each time I look at my environment (desktop, room, office, closet, house, car) I feel stifled.  When the clutter has built up... it weighs me down.  I feel like I'm carrying excess weight around (and who wants to do that!).  And strangely enough, I don't breathe as good as I do when my environment is decluttered.  And when I don't breathe as fully as I can, I don't work, or more importantly play, at my peak.
• When I no longer can easily find what I'm looking for (as opposed to having forgotten what I'm looking for!!).  And I hate that!  When I know I have something... but because of all the clutter... I just can't find it!  I spend untold wasted energy and time looking for something that, if the clutter wasn't there, would be easily found.
• My mood is down.  When I have a pile of unwanted things hanging around, things I no longer use, things that really should be thrown out or given away, things that just need to go in the right place, I feel really quite down.  I begin to feel somewhat helpless (which is not a good feeling), I tend to be more negative in my thinking and talking (which is definitely not good) and I tend to be more lethargic (definitely a no-no!)

When any of these things begin happening... alarm bells ring and I know it is time to declutter -- right now!  Not tomorrow... but right now!

I don't have to do everything at once... but I know I have to get myself into gear to declutter.

It's a choice I have to make ... clutter or declutter...  I choose to declutter!

I'll give you some ideas how to go about it in another post.

Can you relate to this?  Click on the comment link below and let me know your experiences and thoughts on declutter... and share with us any tips you have we can use!  I'd love to hear from you.

Best wishes
Jeanne

Supra-Sexual Co-Creation! Watch the video and learn!

Hi everyone

I had no idea what supra-sexual co-creation was all about!  Do you?

Of course, my imagination was kind of running wild... and when I followed it through, to find out exactly what it was, there was a huge ahhhh!

Barbara Marx Hubbard, a leading potential pioneer, is the expert on supra-sexual co-creation.  She asks: " What if nature's impulse to procreate our species is moving to a new level of co-creation that holds the key to transforming the world?"

In this one minute video, you see and hear Barbara Marx Hubbard, explain what it's all about.  It certainly does make you stop and think.

http://oneminuteshift.com/videos/barbara_marx_hubbard/supra-sexual_cocreation

Let me know what you think... I'd be interested to hear your comments.  Click on the comment link below and put your comments.  I'd love to hear from you!

Best wishes
Jeanne

Have you received your complimentary copy of: "#1 Ingredient To Fast Track Your Success!".
You can get it when you subscribe to Aspirations Plus website at:
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/information-support-subscription.html

Happy... or not happy!

Hi everyone...

A lot of what I do in my work  (which carries on into my non work life as well)  is to listen to people... listen to the words they use, listen to the way they say their words, listen to the words that they don't use... I also pick up a lot from their body language and their energy field.

And what I am hearing and seeing and feeling from people is that many of them are not happy -- even if they don't actually say the words "I'm not happy"... you can tell from what they say, how they say it and how their body language is, that they are not happy.

Now a lot of people have many legitimate reasons not to be happy... they may be experiencing a major tragedy or crisis in their life, they may be very unwell, they may have just got the sack... or a truckload of other reasons why they are not happy.

And for many people... I hate to say... not being happy has become a habit.  Sounds cruel, blunt, very uncaring and unsharing of me!  But I stand by that and I can give you many examples of what I mean!  Of course I am not going to name them!  And I bet... you also know people who fit that category!

According to Michael Neill, who wrote "Feel Happy Now", no one is under any obligation to feel happy and if you don't feel happy it doesn't make you a bad person. 

Neill goes on to say "but what I do want you to know is that it's possible for you to feel happy -- and that choice is yours to make at any moment."

I couldn't agree more!  Even in the midst of tragedy... there is usually something that can spark a fleeting moment of feeling happy.  Something someone says, something someone does, something in the natural environment e.g. a sunset... can bring a smile to your face and a warmth to your heart... and for a split second you can feel happy.  But many people get caught in the sadness of the tragedy and refuse to let any happy feeling in...

But if you choose to stay in the moment, to stay present in the now, you open yourself to accept all that the experience brings to you... and strange as it may seem, there can be beautiful times no matter what you are experiencing.  And I'm talking from personal experience having gone through quite a few tragedies in my life!

Neill outlines the benefits of making the choice to be happy:

• It feels good.  And according to Neill, the body has a natural predisposition toward pleasure (good feelings) rather than pain (bad feelings).
• It makes you healthier -- being happy releases certain chemicals that help your physiological systems function a lot better.
• It makes you younger -- again due to the production of chemicals when you are happy.
• It makes you smarter -- when you have a problem and you are distracted from the problem by something beautiful for example a sunset, or someone's well timed sense of humour, often when you return to solve the problem the answer is there.
• It makes you more successful -- happiness leads to success a lot more often than success leads to happiness.

Now I'm not saying, and nor is Neill, that you can be happy all the time... in fact if you were, I would say there is something seriously wrong with you!

What I am saying, however, is that it is possible to let happy feelings into your life no matter what you are experiencing.  It is your choice! 

You can choose to close your heart and mind to happiness... or let it in.  I know what I prefer to do... how about you?

Let me know what you think... click on the link below and leave your comments.  I'd love to hear from you!

Best wishes
Jeanne

PS have you received your complimentary copy of "#1 Ingredient To Fast Track Your Success!"
If not, subscribe to my website (not just to the blog) and the link is:
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/information-support-subscription.html

The Wonder Of You... one minute video

Hi everyone...

I received an e-mail this morning informing me of a series of videos called "One Minute Shifts" that feature unique and inspiring messages from all kinds of personal development Masters.  These messages, delivered through one minute videos, are intended to shift people's minds and open ourselves to new wisdom.

The first video I received was from Deepak Chopra... entitled "The Wonder Of You". 

In this one minute video, Deepak "explores the mystery of the body in its growth from a single cell to a symphony of activities guided by an inner intelligence that mirrors the wisdom of the universe." 

I was glued to the one minute video... and all throughout I kept feeling "OHHHH WOW". 

It certainly did the trick for me in terms of providing inspiration... and that's why I'm enclosing a link for you.

You can find the one minute video at:
http://oneminuteshift.com/videos/wonder_of_you

Have a look... it is truly beautiful.

Let me know what you think... click on the comment link below and leave a comment about your thoughts and reactions.  I'd love to hear from you!

Best wishes
Jeanne

PS... have you received your complimentary copy of : "#1 Ingredient To Fast Track Your Success!"
If not, you can do so by subscribing to Aspirations Plus website
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/information-support-subscription.html