Our accomplishments are varied and as diverse as we are. No one accomplishment is better than any other. We’re at very different stages of our lives and we’ve all worked hard to get to where we are. And I’m proud of everyone of them as well!

So where are you at in your life? Do you find yourself saying “I can’t do it”, when it should actually be “I don’t want to do it”? Do you look down your nose at people who should be doing more because they have “so much potential”? Before you get too critical of  others and what they are or aren’t doing remember it could be by choice.

When it comes to yourself, quiet your inner critic. If you want to do something go for it. Don’t talk yourself out of it before you even start. I worked hard on silencing mine during the creation of Listbean. Negative thoughts kept going round and round in my head and I’m glad now that I didn’t listen since Listbean is being really well received.

You may be pleasantly surprised if you rid these four little words from your vocabulary.

What amazing things do you want to do that are currently being squashed by these negative thoughts?

See also:

From a Planner to a Doer

Dream Big And Put It Out There

‘Just Do It’: The ONLY Way To Overcome Procrastination and Be Happier For It

Photo courtesy of: Sara *Eloise*

I Can’t Do It is a post from: Serene Journey

Listbean? What the heck is that?

Listbean is a site that is completely free and packed with value adding pre-populated checklists.

Now, before you roll your eyes and say “oh great another checklist site” let me share with you how Listbean is different and how it will be *the* checklist source online.

Benefits of Listbean:

• Checklists are great but it’s sometimes tough to know where to start. Well, we’ve done the hard part of pulling the lists together. You can use the lists as is or as inspiration to create your own personalized checklists.
• It’s annoying to have to rewrite checklists you use frequently. With Listbean you don’t have to do that. When you create an account,  you can customize any of the lists you see on the site, save them and come back time and time again. Awesome.
• Be more efficient, effective and deliberate in everything you do. With checklists addressing a lot of what you need right at your finger tips you can just get on with what needs to get done. A little work up front can save you several minutes several times a month or year.
• Don’t find what you’re looking for? Create your own. There are two ways to create your lists from scratch and have them appear on Listbean. 1) Submit a suggestion via the Feedback form using the Feedback tab at the top left of each page. 2) Add it yourself. Once you’ve customized a list on Listbean you are given the option to add your own list from scratch to save in your lists. Easy right?
• Listbean has a very simple design. It was custom designed to be simple, sleek and easy to use. Give it a try and if you have any suggestions or feedback please submit it using the feedback form via the feedback tab at the top left of each page.

That’s it really, it’s pretty simple and straight forward. I invite you all to check it out and I hope it becomes a valuable resource for you.

Decluttering – How To Get Started

There was one question I received last week that fits in perfectly with the launch of Listbean today. Julie asked:

“Any advice on decluttering? I really want to declutter and then I look at the all the stuff and become overwhelmed and frozen.”

First of all let me reassure you Julie that you are not alone! I’ve been there, I still get there from time to time. Here are some things that help to thaw me out and just get started.

1. Begin with the end in mind. Before you jump right in have a clear picture in your mind as to what you want the space to look like, what you will use it for and how it will make you feel. By doing this you’re already making a mental picture of what belongs in a room, closet, desk etc … and it makes starting a little bit easier.

2. Start small. My advice wouldn’t be to tackle the whole house at once, not even an entire room at once. I would suggest starting in one corner, a desk, or a shelf. Get it to a state that you are truly happy with and only then should you move onto another area. It’s been my experience that doing a little bit over a large area leaves me feeling dissatisfied and extremely overwhelmed. I don’t feel as though I’ve made much progress as there’s nothing finished, nothing to stare longingly at and think “aaaah that’s better”. So start small but the key is to start!

3. What goes out should stay out. Typically you create three piles when you embark on any decluttering mission.

• To keep
• To donate
• To toss

When you’ve decided on what to toss or what to donate put the items in a box or a bag and immediately move them out of your house. Store them in the garage, trunk of your car or anywhere else so you won’t be tempted to rummage through the boxes and save items. Once you’ve decided they are no longer welcome in your home, keep them out!

This is how we have approached decluttering at our place. There are a number of different strategies I’m sure so if you’ve found something else that works for you please share it in the comments to help Julie out. For some ideas on what can be purged room by room check out the declutter room by room checklist on Listbean. (Remember to sign in to customize it or add other ideas as they come to mind.)

I hope this helps, Julie.

If you like Listbean please share it on your favorite social networking sites, or email the link to a couple of your list loving friends so we can all be awesome.

Listbean Revealed and Decluttering – How To Get Started is a post from: Serene Journey

I’m very excited to be able to introduce you to Serene Journey’s very first sponsor! The folks over at Simplify 101 are lovely and really know their stuff. You can check them out by following any of the links in this post and you will see them all month long over on the right as part of our featured resources.

Here’s more information about what they have to offer:

There’s a new way to get organized! It’s online. It’s effective. And it’s fun! It’s simplify 101’s online organizing workshops. Rich with content and student interaction, these workshops give you everything you need to get your next organizing project done! If you’re a visual learner you’ll love the online photo gallery and written lesson materials. If you learn best by listening, the audio lessons are just for you—listen online or download the files to your MP3 player. If you learn best by doing—you’ll thrive in these action-oriented workshops. With clear-cut lesson content and bite-sized actions steps, every workshop gives you the chance to implement what you learn by organizing an area in your home. Plus, the private workshop forum and direct access to your instructor ensures you have the information, ideas, accountability, and motivation you need to get organized—and love your results when you’re done!

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If you have a product or service you would like to share with over 1800 people who are motivated and looking to create a fulfilling, relaxed, organized, positive, and more enjoyable life for themselves and their families, email me at sherri.serenejourney@gmail.com or visit our advertising page to find out more information on becoming a sponsor of Serene Journey.

A New Way To Get Organized is a post from: Serene Journey

There were 28 of you who shared your awesome thing and the winner of the signed copy of Neil’s book The Book of Awesome is:

Sheila who shared:

It is awesome to be able to watch my daughter do or say the funniest thing right when I am feeling down and need a lift.

Congratulations Sheila!

If you aren’t Sheila but would still like to grab a copy of The Book of Awesome you can do so at Amazon simply by following the link (it’s still on sale for 11.69).

Also, if you haven’t been to Neil’s blog yet I highly recommend you check it out.

Thanks again everyone for entering!

The Book of Awesome – Winner Announced is a post from: Serene Journey

When I think of those words I usually think of a toddler, pre-teen or even a teenager who hasn’t got their way. These are pretty typical responses for people who haven’t got the emotional maturity of adults.

But wait, you’re how old?

Yes, tantrums, pouting and emotional blackmail are not just for babies anymore. If you have ever been on the receiving end of an adult tantrum or pout fest then you know what I’m talking about. If it’s your child, parent, or sibling who often behaves in these ways there are some things you can do to cope and not get sucked into their drama.

1. Don’t take it personally. Easier said than done I know. Remember that you can’t control how others act, react or deal with issues. You can only control how you react or respond to what they are doing or how they are treating you. Distance yourself from what’s going on take a breather and then respond in a manner that allows you to stay true to yourself.

2. Don’t be a door mat. People only do what they can get away with. If you allow someone to treat you poorly or disrespect you or loved ones they will continue to do it. As tough as it is you need to confront the person and let them know you will not tolerate their behavior any more. This is best done when you’ve had time to calm down, organize your thoughts and are able to speak calmly, not when you’re in the thick of it.

3. Don’t be afraid to walk away. If you are being treated poorly or disrespected don’t be afraid to walk away. It may be really difficult especially if you don’t want to rock the boat but by walking away you are sending a very clear message that you will not tolerate their behavior. It may be awkward at first but given enough time they’ll get the picture.

4. Don’t be part of the problem. If a three year old was having a tantrum because you said no to him having a cookie and then you give it to him just to quiet him, you end up rewarding him for the tantrum. Same principle applies to the adult tantrum. If you comply with their “demands” or bend over backwards to get them to stop pouting you are rewarding their behavior. It’s easy to say but much harder to do. No one likes to be ignored by someone they love and most of us would do anything to get them to talk to us again. But by doing that “anything” you are telling the other person that it’s okay to manipulate me to get what you want.

If you’ve been putting up with someone’s adult tantrums for a while then it’s pretty obvious that you love them dearly. I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t tolerate it from a co-worker or casual acquaintance. In any event you need to stand up for yourself if you are to put an end to this behavior.

A note to those of you having adult tantrums, be they on the road in your car, at the airport or in line at customer service, the tantrums are really unbecoming.

See also:

Get Rich, Stay Rich – Emotional Bank Accounts

How To Be The Person You Want To Be

Being A Rebel: Is It Killing Your Happiness?

Photo courtesy of: jumer

The Adult Tantrum is a post from: Serene Journey

The thing with planning is that it doesn’t really get you anywhere. Don’t get me wrong it’s important to plan, within reason. But when planning is all you ever do you get now where.

Why do we like to plan so much? From what I see planners love to dream, they follow their thoughts to the finish line where the outcome is exactly what they wanted. It’s fun to live in this space because when you are exempt from reality you can become really successful. Problem: pretend success doesn’t pay the bills.

I had the intention of becoming more of a doer in 2010. It was one of the habits I set out to form at the beginning of the year. Although I’m getting better, I still get sucked back into planning mode quite often (cos it’s fun!). There is a technique I came across recently which I think is brilliant and has helped me tremendously in forming the “doing habit”. It’s simple and consists of only three steps.

• Learn
• Build
• Measure

I learned of this idea from Eric Ries of Startup lessons learned. This site is certainly business focused, but it occurred to me after, these same three steps can be applied to anything really.

You start with an idea, implement it as quick as you can, analyse the results and repeat.

You can jump in at what ever stage you happen to be in and get going. The key here is small changes implemented quickly and the results quantified. Everything you do should be to further your knowledge about what you want to do, be it starting a company, a hobby, tackling spring cleaning or developing a product.

The idea here is to move through the cycle quickly so that you can move onto the next thing or stage so that you can get something else done and so on and so on. You’re essentially building processes and seeing what worked, what didn’t what could be refined and tweaked so that next time you’re better at it, quicker and more efficient. This whole process keeps you moving forward one small, deliberate step at a time.

Here are some projects that I’m currently applying this method to. Thanks to the wonders of this feedback loop I’ve been making some lovely progress.

• Monthly newsletter at Serene Journey to keep you in the loop about what goes on behind the scenes here.
• A new online venture is finally coming out of the planning and development phase and heading into the implementation phase.
• My garden and yard is starting to look fantastic.
• After nearly 2 years our bedroom is painted and our flooring is in.
• My online course for working with people to help create a life that rocks (no matter what your age! ) is finally getting out of my head and starting taking shape. – Very excited about this one.

It’s tough when you have so many things on the go all at once but by keeping the steps small and getting through the cycle as quickly as I can all the projects are advancing.

To be honest it’s a bit scary. For a planner to actually be doing is tough, at least for me. I’m constantly second guessing myself and I’m full of self doubt but as I continue it’s actually becoming easier.

If you’ve been in a similar position what techniques have you used to develop the doing habit?

See also:

Experiment With Life (& a thanks to Mianne)

How I Keep Things Moving Merrily Along

What If You Could Do Anything?

Dream Big And Put It Out There

Photo courtesy of: lintmachine

From a Planner to a Doer is a post from: Serene Journey

It’s not how big your home is or many cars you can fit in your garage.

Happiness does not lie in keeping up with the Joneses or even surpassing them.

Happiness is not a measure of the number shoes or designer clothes that inhabit your closet and it’s not even a trouble-free, worry-free, or stress-free life.

Happiness isn’t something off in the distance that once you get this done or once that is in order it will suddenly wash over you and then you’ll be happy.

Happiness is wanting what you already have and it’s within you right now. Happiness is a choice.

True happiness can be found in living true to yourself, doing your best and having no regrets.

Happiness and true joy are largely found in the little things, the simple pleasures in life.

Look at how far you’ve come to get to where you are today. Look ahead to tomorrow and see how far you have yet to go. Advance in a positive direction with contentment and joy in your mind and heart and you will find your happiness.

Where do you think true happiness lies?

See also:

Your Past Is Not Who You Are

Secrets of the Perpetually Unhappy

Go Ahead Make Your Day: 50 Ways To Make Today Shine

Photo courtesy of: ePi.Longo

True Happiness – It’s More Than a Fake Smile is a post from: Serene Journey

And it’s not only external things that cause us to have such low self-esteems and feel bad about ourselves either. Maybe you think all the negative-self talk is your way of being real with yourself. Little things like: I’ll never get it done, I don’t deserve that, why would they want to help me?, oh I could never wear that, and I’m not smart enough. Instead of focusing on and telling yourself what you can’t do try focusing on what you can do.

Focusing on what you can do and what you’re good at is empowering. Here are a few ideas you can try to build yourself up and fall in love with yourself all over again.

Focus on your strengths. We all have strengths and luckily they are not all the same. Do things you are naturally good at and enjoy and you will build self confidence, efficiency and pride. Look for opportunities that allow you to improve on or indulge in what it is you’re good at.

Be proud of your accomplishments. No matter how big or seemingly small your accomplishments are you should be very proud of each and every one of them. Whether it’s completing high school, university, starting your own company, having kids and raising a family, completing a project that’s hanging around for far too long, be proud. Celebrate the small and large accomplishments and everything in between.

Get excited about who you are. Celebrate your uniqueness. Maybe you’re a very caring individual, efficient, or adept to solving problems. Embrace it. Be proud that you’re not like everyone else in your social circle. People love you for being you.

Share your talent. If you’ve got it flaunt it. This saying isn’t limited to it’s usual context of certain physical attributes. If you’ve got a talent share it with the world. If you can write – write, if you can dance – dance, if you can organize …well you get the picture. Believe it or not there are people out there who could benefit greatly from you sharing your talents. Imagine if you could play an instrument or sing and you stepped into a seniors living complex or a sick kids ward at a hospital and started playing or singing. Imagine how you might lift their spirits and create enjoyment if even for a little while. Ever notice how giving to others makes you feel so incredible about yourself?

Forgive yourself. Guilt is a weird thing. We all have it to some degree or other yet it’s something that does nothing positive for us. All guilt does is hold us in the past reliving something we wish we could change. Not going to happen I’m afraid. Forgiveness is a choice. Forgive yourself. Whatever it is you wish you did differently, chalk it up to a lack of knowledge, experience, or maturity. The past is the past (I know you’ve heard this before but the more you hear it the more you may start to believe it ). Forgive yourself, apologize and move on.

Do something just for you. Take time for yourself and just relax. Rest both your mind and your body. Rejuvenate by sitting quietly listen to soft soothing music or watch the wonders of nature from your own backyard, balcony or window. Treat yourself to a massage or spa day. Whatever it is that makes you feel special and relaxed … do it.

Love yourself. Take pride in all your unique glory. Maybe you’re quirky and have a very different talent. Embrace it. Flaunt it and share it with the world!

I want to wish you all a fantastic Easter weekend and I will be back here on Tuesday.

Also a huge thank you to everyone who has bought my first e-book. I’m humbled by your support and very grateful. I sincerely hope you are enjoying it.

Photo courtesy of: Geeker

How to Fall in Love With Yourself Again is a post from: Serene Journey

I am very excited to finally share with you my first e-book, Your Life. Live it. Love it. It’s inspired by a collection of my best posts on living and loving your life with a focus on you, your relationships and enjoying the little things in life.

This e-book is organized into three sections designed to logically move you through improving yourself, the way you relate with those closest to you and finally to inspire you to enjoy the little things in life. All of us could use a little help in one, if not all, of these areas, I’m sure you’d agree.

The e-book is 19.95 and you can buy your copy here:  Your Life | Live it. Love it.

This book can be used as a reference anytime you feel you are struggling, having a bad day or are in need of a little motivation. You can also choose to focus intently on any one of these sections using the ideas and tips within to inspire you to keep going and live your best life yet!

This book contains hundreds of tips and ideas for bettering yourself, building, strengthening or tweaking relationships good, bad or otherwise all so you can enjoy the life you live more.

From the table of contents:

Let’s Get Started

Focus on you

• Grab the Reins and Enjoy Your Life
• How to Be the Person You Want to Be
• How to Become a Catalyst for Change
• Your Past is Not Who You Are
• Do You React or Respond?
• Tips on Dealing with Anger
• How to manage your stress

Focus on your relationships

• It’s all in how you Say It
• Is Keeping Score Making You Unhappy?
• Stand Your Ground but Only on the Important Stuff
• Form Meaningful Relationships
• How to Reconcile With Family or Friends
• When Reconciliation Just Isn’t in the Cards
• 10 Ways to Add a Spark to Your Relationship Today

Enjoy the little things

• Tips to Enjoy Life
• The Grass is Always Greener Right under Your Feet
• Do Something Nice to Restore Faith in Humanity
• Gratitude Journal: 30 Days to Happiness
• 10 Ways to Feel Better in 60 Seconds or Less
• Secrets of the Perpetually Unhappy
• Create Experiences: Gifts That Last a Lifetime

I’m sure you will enjoy this book so much that I’m offering a full 100% money back guarantee. If you are not completely satisfied just send me an email and I will refund your money in full.

Be sure to check out the page I’ve created specifically for Your Life | Live it. Love it. Not only will you get more information about the book but you’ll get to see what other people are saying about it too.

As always I’m interested in what you have to say and look forward to hearing your feedback. Thank you all for your support over the past year and a bit I am grateful for each and every one of you.

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My fellow bloggers: If you’d like to sell Your Life | Live it. Love it. on your site, please head over to the affiliate resources page to get all the information you’ll need to become an affiliate. Thank you in advance for your help in getting my work out there

Your Life. Live it. Love it. is a post from: Serene Journey

Okay it’s Friday, I’m excited and I think it’s actually going to be nice outside today. It really doesn’t get much better than that.

Earlier in the week I promised you a sneak peek at my e book that officially comes out on Monday. I can’t wait to share it with you guys, I really think you’re going to love it.

The book is called Your Life | Live it. Love it. and it’s designed to inspire you to live the best life you possibly can.

You’ll get tips and ideas on:

• how to empower yourself and move beyond feeling as though you’re just along for the ride;
• how to live your life purposfully, deliberately and with meaning;
• how to be the person you want to be, and indeed know you can be;
• how to improve relationships with friends and family;
• how to embrace the little things in life and;
• a whole lot more.

I’ll give you more information about the book on Monday, when it officially goes live, so please stay tuned for that.

In the mean time, get out there today and do something fun! Make a plan right now to have an amazing weekend.

See you Monday!

Sneak Peek of Your Life Live it Love it. is a post from: Serene Journey