Dealing with Uncertainty

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This evening I spoke with someone who is in the midst of making some big life decisions. They may be relocating, they may be making a big career change, their financial situation is likely to change dramatically, they have plenty of people depending on them, and all in all, they're facing a great deal of uncertainty. As someone who doesn't always handle uncertainty with a great deal of grace herself, the thought of being put in such a position is enough to make me clam up, shut down, crawl into bed and wish to never emerge. But there is one trick I recently picked up that really helps when you are facing an ambiguous future; spend some time focusing on the things that ARE certain.

For someone who breaks a sweat at even life's most mundane of decision points (7th Generation paper towels or 365 house brand?) it's easy to spiral into a repetitive, unproductive loop of "what ifs" when it comes time to make choices that really matter. Before you know it, your envisioning hundreds of alternate future selves. You can't begin to make a decision with so many unknowns. You begin to focus all of your energy on the factors you are unsure of - I don't know where I'll live, I don't know what the people will be like, I don't know how long I'll be happy with my decision... You may even point your laser of uncertainty on the past - questioning choices that have long been put to rest, doubting the moves you've made, blaming yourself for not handling situations the way you would in retrospect...

Stop. Focus on what you are sure of. Do you have a degree in molecular biology? That's fantastic! No one can ever take that away from you. Does your love of the opera give you reason to go on living? How lucky you are to have found such a longstanding passion! Do you have a family you would give anything to stay close to? 5 years of professional experience? A closet full of clothes that fit? A voracious appetite for reading with more than 600 titles under your belt? A devoted lover? Are you fluent in French or conversational in Cantonese?

It doesn't matter what it is you are sure of so much as that you are willing and able to recognize those constants. When you give yourself permission to take stock of the things that are certain, you'll find a much more stable base from which you can face the exciting future ahead. When you make this paradigm shift, you may find a sense of renewed confidence, discover an important decision making factor you previously discounted, or maybe just find enough of a break from the internal dialogue of anarchy that you finally catch your breath. In any case, you will be much better suited to make a rational decision - and remain sane - when you take the time to consider the steadfast certainties in your life in addition to the thrilling uncertainties to come.

Budgets: Part II

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In Budgets: Part I we examined why budgets are so important and how they can act as a map, guiding us towards our chosen financial destination. We wrapped up part one with an expense brainstorming exercise to help us gain a clear picture of where our income is going, right now. If you haven't read part one yet, I encourage you to do so (just click here) and to complete the expense brainstorming session for yourself. Today we're going to build off of that list to create and hone a budget specific to each of our individual needs and priorities. Plus, I'm going to share some awesome digital budget resources you won't want to miss!

So you've already identified what you spend now, and where each precious dollar you possess finds a new home - be it a more permanent resting place in your IRA or in the narrow confines of the Forever 21 cash register. So now what? How does this help me, you may wonder, if my current spending habits are what I'm trying to change? We are going to use the expense template you’ve created as the basis for a more ideal monthly budget. The first step is to break down the items in your expense list into one of the following categories:

• Regular Expenses – These are the expenses that you have to pay on a regular basis, like your phone bill and rent, and are consistent in size from one payment to payment to the next (i.e. an arm and a leg this month, a similarly sized arm and leg next month…). Debt payments, should you have them, also belong in this category.

• Priority Expenses – These expenses are the couple items (try for no more than 2) you choose from your remaining list that are really important to you and you couldn’t imagine skimping on. For some of us, this might be Fido’s food fund or the best fresh produce your grocery has to offer. Others may be willing to stick to the culinary staples at home as long as they can spend the weekend out on the town.

• Shrinking Expenses – These expenses include everything that’s left over and is where you’re going to start shaving off the dollars.

Once you’ve identified which category each of your expenses falls into, you can begin to create a budget that reflects your current situation and your personal preferences (while identifying the quickest, easiest places to start making changes). There’s no better way to play with the actual numbers that correspond to each of these expense items than with a computerized budget. By using one of the templates I’ve linked to below, most of which are free excel documents you can download in mere seconds, you can quickly compare your fiscal bottom line should you get your hair cut at Irina the Swedish Scissor-hands’ Salon versus a no appointment necessary stop at Supercuts.

ChristianPF has 10 free excel budgets to download. I especially like the first one, but scan through them all to see what looks most appealing.

Suite 101 also has some resources and tips for using budget templates which you can tailor to your personal needs.

And when in doubt, go straight to the source! Microsoft Office has a personal budget to offer you too.

Go ahead and play with the numbers. Be open to experimenting with different scenarios - see how much you could save if you cut out those trips to the manicurist or if you ditched your gym membership for a morning jog outside, figure out what the impact would be in a year's time if you curbed your grocery budget by $7.50, and calculate out what dropping that soda habit could mean for your nest egg. The idea is to not feel tied down to any finalized budget just yet, but to get a feel for the impact that shrinking expenses can have. Be sure to stop by next time for Budgeting: Part III where we'll discuss solidifying your budget and sticking to it!

Budgets: Part I

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I've written a bit about determining your long and mid-term financial goals (if you haven't read it yet, you can read it here) and I hope you’ve had a chance to reflect on and determine what your own goals are. If you have, you might be thinking - but how do I get there from here? The answer will differ for all of us, and not just because we are each starting at a different financial location and aiming for a unique destination. While most of us probably have a plan for achieving our financial goals along the lines of “spend less save more”, that model can have a distinct look for each of us depending on our situation and our priorities.

There are likely a million and one ways to spend less on the things we need, to discover the joys of cost-free entertainment and experiences, to increase the return on our investments, and to develop a sense of empowerment and a healthy attitude towards money. Those are all topics I’m anxious to write about and explore further, but they will all be ineffective for those without the solid foundation that is a well-formed budget.

A budget is your guide to reaching financial goals; mapping out your weekly, monthly, and annual benchmarks that will keep you on track with your long-term plans. The prospect of sitting down to create a budget may be daunting to some, but the great thing is that once you have crafted your budget you can relax knowing that you have a well defined path to financial success. If you start feeling discouraged about your finances and think, “I can’t do this – I’m in over my head”, you can look to your budget as a reminder that you CAN do it. You have written proof that your goals ARE attainable.

I’ll be diving into the specifics of creating and honing a budget in future posts. Now is the time to brainstorm a list of all the expenses you have in your life, right now. Be objective and honest. You’ll want your budget to be detailed enough that everything you’re currently spending money on is taken into account – even those things that you are looking to cut out of your spending habits like costly trips to the manicurist or daily stops at the 7-Eleven. Understanding where your money is going now is key to developing a budget that will work for you and your priorities. One easy way to do this is to look over a month or two of history on your credit and debit card statements. If you pay for most things with plastic, this will give you a really clear picture of how much you spend on what. If you’re still not sure where your paychecks are going, make a log of everything you purchase over the next couple of weeks.

Below is a list of common budget items that can help you get started or fill in gaps with expenses you may have missed – print it off and jot down next to each item what you currently spend on each. Don't forget to stop by tomorrow when we'll explore how to translate what you learn from this exercise into a budget that is tailored to you. I'll also be sharing some wonderful web-resources that make developing a digital budget a breeze!

Rent or Mortgage Payment

Renters/Home Insurance

Utilities – Electric, Gas, Trash, Water

Cable/Internet Service

Phone Service

Car Payment

Gas

Car Insurance

Car Maintenance

Public Transportation Pass

Debt Payments

Groceries

Prescriptions and Medical Expenses

Personal Care - Salon Visits, Massages, etc.

Eating Out and Drinking

Entertainment – Movies, Dancing, Concerts, Shows, etc.

Classes/Tuition

Gym and Club Memberships

Clothing

Organizational Dues

Donations

Pet-Related Expenses

Travel

Gifts

Setting the Course

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Before we commit to any significant, intentional, long-term changes in life, it's important to take some time to map out the new course we're pursuing. I don't mean a set-in-stone turn-by-turn plan a'la Columbus (we all know how that turned out), think of this more as a fancy new GPS where you're typing in your destination and settings - detours, changes in ETA, traffic, and stops for refreshment will be accommodated for, there's no need to worry about them just yet.

If, like me, you're ready to take control of your financial future and jump into some new spending and saving habits, determining your destination means coming up with some long and mid-term goals for what you want to achieve. In my case, I'm determining exactly how much money I will save in the next 6 months, where that money will be deposited, and what big ticket material investments I also want to make in that time (i.e. a new pair of prescription glasses, snow tires for my car, etc.). What are your financial goals? What is your time line, and what do you want your financial status to be at the end of that period?

Right now, I'm focusing specifically on a six month period because that gives me ample time to both develop and solidify new habits and to start reaping significant benefits from them. Once you determine what your financial destination is, write it down. You'll want to be specific about how much money you will have in each of your accounts (savings, checking, retirement, etc.), how much of your debt you will have paid off, and what investments you will have made.

Now is also a good time to write out why taking control of your financial future is important to you. Why have you chosen your particular destination? Are you building your own nest egg? Are you saving up for a particular investment like down payment or a wedding? Is your focus becoming debt free? Or do you need financial stability for a change in lifestyle, such as starting your own business or going back to school? Without a reason to reach your destination, your unlikely to make it anywhere fast - writing out the reason you're starting on this new path can serve as fuel to get you moving and a helpful reminder to keep you on track.

What's New?

Whoa! Pardon the sudden disappearance - I went on a bit of a hiatus from the computer. Emails went without response, my reader account went unread, podcasts went without downloading... it was a nice little break from the digital screen, but I started to miss it. Here's what I did in my time away...

Paid off my last remaining bit of debt (that's right folks, I'm debt free! woohoo!)
Relaxed and indulged in some laziness (and Real Housewives of NYC)
Started reading Eckhart Tolle (very interesting, soul inspiring stuff)
Saw HIM (and killer opener Dommin) at the House of Blues
Made grilled portabello tacos (there's a recipe post to come...)
Got a new Droid phone; I've officially joined the 21st Century
Saw John B at Phoenix Landing
Discovered this cool blog after ogling photos of the blogger's gorgeous farmhouse
Listened to the new She and Him album in its entirety (and you can too! it's free at NPR)

I've been feeling this shift within myself lately, a change of focus, I suppose, without really knowing what the next direction is. Since having paid off the last of my debt I have a new-found interest in saving up and really prioritizing where my paychecks go. I've always considered myself a fairly thrifty person, but even my own spending patterns can be erratic and impulsive (and I don't think I'm alone here). I also have a hard time accepting the idea that you can spend less and still get the same level of quality for what you invest in (yes, Virginia, you do get what you pay for). However, I also know that having a good nest egg and developing habits that leave us feeling empowered by money (not filled with a sense that it controls us, that we cannot be secure without having just a little bit more, or that it defines who we are) are critical to having control over our own financial future and a freedom that can't be taken away.

So I'm embarking on a new path - one where living fabulously and fulfillingly coexist with living on a budget and not fretting away hard earned dinero. It might mean a new look and feel for this site - I hope you're excited! I sure am.

For those of us with a case of the Mondays...

Five super fast and easy ways to feel better - right now.

1. Take a 10 minute movement break - walk a brisk lap around your office building/block/apartment complex, do some neck rolls and shoulder shrugs, bend over and touch your toes (or your knees or shins, don't go beyond what feels like a nice warming stretch), then do an easy arm stretch or two on each side.

2. Drink a tall glass of water, but not too fast - for extra credit, squeeze in some fresh alkalizing (read: PH correcting) lemon juice.

3. Quickly write down 5 things you're grateful for... go!

4. Holding on to that feeling of gratitude, close your eyes and take 5 deep, slow breaths.

5. Now, take a minute to re-focus on your day. What have you accomplished so far? What 3 other items from your list of to-dos are your top priorities for completing today? Write them down. What were you working on before your feel-good break? It's time to finish that task and jump right into item #1 on your new priority list.

There you have it folks. No, it does not work if you just read the steps, so go ahead and give it a try! You'll be refreshed, relaxed, and refocused in no time.

Fresh Idea

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I read a statistic today that I had heard before but had since put to the back of my mind - 95% of our thoughts are repetitive. Wow. That certainly helps explain why making progress can sometimes seem so difficult. And it's no wonder why negative thoughts can be so debilitating - they could quickly become a skipping record, playing over and over in our heads.

I started to wonder what the cause of this high rate of repetitive thought is. Perhaps it's just the human wiring, the way our synapses fire reaffirming our thought process. Or maybe it has more to do with our 21st century culture, with the inundation of information which is often very repetitive in nature (who hasn't heard the robotic Tiger Woods apology by now?).

But regardless of the cause, who wants 95% of their musings to be unoriginal? We may not be able to actually change the percentage of our thoughts which are repetitive or not (that's for the neuroscientists to analyze), but I know I spend a lot of time pondering, discussing, and wearing out the same tired topics and I will bet I'm not the only one. So what are you doing to inspire fresh ideas, new experiences, untrodden paths, and original thoughts in your life?

Just a question to take into the new week...

Jamie Oliver's TED Video

Everyone's favorite Swiss blogger, swissmiss, posted this video the other day and it's so good it warrants re-posting. Jamie Oliver not only knows his way around a kitchen, he's also been doing some incredible work promoting health and nutrition both here in the states and all over the world. The video below is of Jamie's recent TED presentation where he explains his wish "to create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again, and empower people everywhere to fight obesity". You can find more videos about "ideas worth spreading" (TED's motto) and what this unique nonprofit does here. You can also check out Jamie's website here.

Health Tip: Slow Down

Health tip for the day: Slow Down. That's right, slowing down may seem like a nice way to relax, but it may also be one of the best things you can do for your body and mind.

When we slow down, physically, our breath becomes slow and deep - filling our lungs more fully, bringing more oxygen to our brain and muscles. Our muscles relax and our body's positioning becomes less rigid and tense. In a very primitive way, we are telling our biological selves it is alright to be at ease. Our stress levels drop.

When we slow down, we no longer make choices hastily, or out of impulse. We weigh our options, and we are more likely to make smart, not risky, decisions.

When we slow down, we drive slower. We use less gas. Our air becomes cleaner, and the whole world can breathe (slower) easier.

When we slow down, we eat slower too. We chew more, which aids in digestion and helps us to make use of all the nutritional benefits of our food. As we give our bodies time to sense when our nutritional needs have been met, we are less likely to overeat.

When we slow down, our movements are controlled and deliberate. We do not strain our muscles, tendons, bones or otherwise. Our pace helps keep our body's natural alignment.

When we slow down, we allow our physical and mental capacities to take a break. Our bodies can begin to restore from the stresses of our day. We return to our natural rhythms, and are more in tune with our body's needs. Sleep comes easier, deeper, and longer.

When we slow down, we find the time to develop stronger relationships. We can dedicate more attention to those we are with, and we are more likely to share our authentic self with them.

When we slow down, we are given the chance to rediscover who our authentic self is. When we slow down, we give ourselves the time to live authentically too. We feel more fulfilled, and our happiness grows.

Go ahead. Slow down. It's good for your health.

In a Funk

Photo found here.

I had the best intentions of finishing a post this evening about easy ways to integrate healthy habits into your life for optimal post-holiday health... and somewhere along the way I wound up in a no-good-very-bad mood instead. I don't know what set-off my pathetic evening slump, but it involved moping on the sofa, eating handfuls of high-fructose-laden store brand sugar cookies of the most evil variety, watching reruns of The Office I have seen at least twice before. Embarrassing? Incredibly. While I enjoy writing about health, am generally optimistic, and hate the thought of wasting a perfectly good evening to be an unhappy hermit (I was going to make soup!), none of us are immune to a sudden pang of frustration, self-pity, or hormones that leave us in a wilted heap for the remainder of the day.

So here's my question to you: How do you snap yourself out of a funk?

Do you have a good long sleep, or do you stay up all night watching scary movies? Do you hit the gym, or maybe take a day off instead? Read a trashy magazine, or dive into a literary classic? Ask for a hug, or need some time alone? Spend some time outdoors, or relish in the hours inside? Need to feel comfortable and relaxed, or seek to feel excitement and adrenaline?

Whatever helps you dislodge yourself from the melodramatic depths of despair, jump to it as soon as you can to prevent a bad day from snowballing into a bad week. As for me, tomorrow promises to be a busy day, and nothing helps me get out of a bad mood better than getting things done. With each task I cross off a to-do list, I sense my self-purpose and motivation multiply. But until you're ready to take some steps towards feeling positive again, don't stress about those bad days that come around every once and a while. It happens to us all.

2010

Photo via Pistol Pete

Welcome to 2010! With any luck you are through nursing the post-celebratory hangover and have already written the date incorrectly once or twice. If you didn't have time to reflect on the past year before the ball dropped, not to worry. This weekend is just as good a time to do a quick recap of what made the last year great (or what made you happy to bid it adieu) and dream up what you like to do more of in the months to come.

Here is what I have decided I need more of in 2010...

Writing
Smoothies
Walks
Patience
Spontaneity
Homemade Meals
Scrabble
Swimming
Dark Chocolate :)

And what I need less of...

Checking Email
Television
Comparisons
Clutter
Misunderstandings

Winter What-to-dos

Photo via Learning How To Cook

I'm not generally one to get excited for Winter, what with it meaning months of cold feet, soggy mittens, bad hair, icy commutes, and sniffles. However, its presence is undeniable, and since the month of December is already more than half-way through it seems appropriate to celebrate the chilliest season while it's here. Need a little inspiration for getting into the snowy spirit? Give some, or all, of these tips a try.

• Bake a tray of gingerbread people cookies and decorate them to look like people you know or famous folks. Then host a festive party and display said cookies for your guests - use them instead instead of place cards or turn it into a game and see who can guess the cookie's likeness... then enjoy!

• Suit up and enjoy the snow like you did when you were a kid. Grab a friend and make a snow man, build an igloo, make snow angels, have a snowball fight... you get the idea. Once your fingers are frozen and you've got snow in your boots (or perhaps down your pants), change into something comfy and make a heaping mug of hot cocoa.

• Pop some corn and settle in for an evening of holiday films. Mix up some old favorites with something you haven't seen yet. On my list: A Charlie Brow Christmas, The Holiday, The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Shop Around the Corner, Love Actually, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Elf, and of course, A Christmas Story!

• When you make it home from a long cold day, pop your pjs and some fluffy socks in the dryer for a few minutes before hoping into them. You'll be warmed-up and relaxed in no time.

• Catch your favorite winter sports on TV, or better yet live! There's the X-Games, competitive ice skating, ski racing, snow mobile racing... Once you're feeling up to the challenge head to your local mountain, rink, track or trail and get in on the action yourself.

Photo via Fun Ski Vacation

• Of course, you don't need to be an adrenaline junkie to enjoy winter sports. Both snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are great ways to take in the changing scenery, no prior experience required. You can make either sport as leisurely or vigorous as you like, so bring your camera to capture the sights or plenty of water to rehydrate while you burn off that fruit cake.

• If you're of the crafty persuasion, get busy hand-making thank you cards. Draw, paint, stamp, glue, weave, bedazzle, however you like; with all the thank yous there are to send out this time of year, you'll be glad to have a stack of personal cards to help deliver a heart-felt "thanks".
  

• It may seem like your culinary choices are limited during this rather dormant growing season, but there are many options for seasonal produce yet. Citrus fruits, and more specifically Clementines, are my favorite whole-foods winter treat. Food and Wine, Real Simple, and Chow all have some great ideas for delicious meals made with Winter produce too.
  

Role of Environment

Image via Web Wombat

How important is environment to you? Are you someone that can live anywhere and continue to be your happy, secure, adjusted self? Does spending nights on a friend's sofa for days at a time not phase you a bit? Are you not itching, just a little, to be back home at the end of a vacation?

If you enthusiastically answered yes - that's fantastic. I am not one of those people.

Environment is very important to me, and I get the feeling that it's very important to a lot of people that I know. I consider my home (and I use this term to reference all different types of places, as it can be a very personal definition) to be my place of peace and refuge. It's not that a home should be used as a means for disconnecting yourself from the world, but having a home space that allows you to relax fully and provides you with the resources you need to feel secure both enables and encourages us to enter the world each day with a fresh perspective and plenty of positive energy. Think about it: if your home doesn't allow for great sleep, encourage healthy choices, or promote your mental well-being, how will you have any patience or desire to truly explore the world around you?

This week I'm thinking a lot about the role of environment in my own life, and how I can create the home environment I need to make the most of my time outside of it.

Check out this Clean Sweep Assessment for some great ideas about how to get started - the assessment helps you assess various aspects of your life for achieving optimal energy and developing a strong personal foundation. The section on Physical Environment is an especially great tool.

More or Less

Sometimes more just feels right. We yearn for more hours in a day. We want more time with the ones we love. We need more money in our pockets. We crave more sweetness on our tongues. We desire more shoes to fill our closets. We ache for more sleep in the morning. Sometimes it feels as if life would be so much better if there was simply "more".

But there's a counterpart to more that we often forget about when we proclaim that more will solve our conundrums, and that counterpart is less.

It may seem counter intuitive that less can fill the same needs as more. After all, any kindergartner well versed in opposites can tell you that more is to up as less is to down. But sometimes less provides us with the real solution when more is still but a dream.

We won't gain more hours in a day any time soon, but less commitments can provide us with the hours we yearn for. Less time spent planning for picture perfect memories (for example an ideal vacation), or working to save up for said memory producing events, can give us the time to recognize and appreciate the simple moments we have with those we love. Less money in our pockets may not be ideal, but it enables us to internalize that money and the various things we buy does not define who we are. Less sweetness, just like less saltiness or spiciness or tartness, will refine our palates and develop a finer and wider sense of culinary delights. Less clothing in our closets can remove the stress of deciding what to wear each day and help us to see that is it not just how we adorn ourselves that makes us beautiful. Less sleep... well okay less sleep is really no fun no matter which way you dice it.

There are times for more and times for less in all of our lives. Sometimes we turn to more because we need to feel filled from the moment we awake to the moment we drift to sleep. Lately I've been feeling the need for less, and it's filling me up in a way more rarely does.

Nap Time

Photo via ChattahBox

Are you a napper? It seems like when it comes to naps, most people are either devotees or avoidees. Some, like my mother (and the many cultures who enjoy a siesta), embrace the refreshing benefits of an afternoon doze on the sofa. Others, like myself, scoff at the thought of sleeping during the day just to wake up foggy-headed and pillow-marked. But lately I have started to think an afternoon nap may not be so bad. After all, many studies have shown naps to increase energy, productivity, and creativity as well as stave off late evening drowsiness and decrease stress levels.

A well-placed power nap (about 20 minutes or less in length, ideally taken about 8 hours after rising) won't disrupt your usual sleep pattern, but it can provide you with more benefits than sleeping an additional 20 minutes in the morning (snooze-button hogs take note). Short naps are best for most people because they provide the biological benefits of sleep without letting our bodies get into the deep phases of sleep that are harder to awake from and cause grogginess. The upcoming weekend is a great time to give power napping a try. Go ahead and find a quiet, comfortable place where you can recline fully and make sure you set an alarm to prevent you from napping for more than 20 minutes. You may even want to block out a little additional time for your nap to allow yourself to fully relax by listening to music, reading, or practicing some deep breathing - as all of these activities are helpful for winding down before your snooze or waking up afterward.

New Features!

I'm excited to announce that new features are coming to Apartment 303 in the near future! What kind of features, you ask? Original video and photo content are on the way, along with lots more tips and inspiration for living brilliantly. Look for new recipes, how-tos, and personal development exercises to come. In the mean time, here's a super quick video I made to get familiar with the editing process. Please excuse the drab coloring - natural lighting is in the cards for next time ;)

Apartment 303 from Paige Doster on Vimeo.

Priorities, Part 3

Photo via Chris Bell Online

Over the past few days I've written about why prioritizing is an important tool in today's information age and how to take stock of where your personal resources are going. Today I am going to provide some guidance on aligning your priorities with your personal resource allocation. If you are not clear on what I mean by personal resources, check out Priorities, Parts 1 & 2.

Now that you've taken a clear look at where your time, energy, and funds are going and made note of what your priorities seem to be, it's time to sort out what you want your priorities to be and take action.

Carve out a good half hour to sit down and make a list of your priorities, what you want your priorities to be. What is important enough to warrant your precious time, your limited energy, and your hard-earned dollars? Don't censor yourself - jot down everything that comes to mind.

If you're having trouble getting started, imagine yourself the way you've always wanted to be. What do you see? Who do you spend your time with? How are your days spent? Where do you go? What does your living space, wardrobe, and community look like? I find this exercise really helpful for getting my creative juices flowing.

Once you've got a solid list of priorities, read through it a few times and see what really jumps out. Go ahead and start circling, starring, and crossing out as you wish. When you whittle it down a bit, it's time to take a second look at the personal resource log you made. How can you reallocate your resources to make the priorities you chose to focus on a reality? What activities are sucking up your time and energy now and preventing you from living the life you have imagined? Be bold, and if possible, cut them out of your life entirely. Now you can put your newly found resources to much better use - Towards the priorities you've deemed truly worthy of your time, energy, and funds. Towards the priorities that comprise your ideal life.

You might not have the time, energy, or funds to do everything you want, all the time. But by being honest about where your personal resources are going and prioritizing your desires for the future, you can be sure to make the most of your personal resources, and take a big step towards the life you've imagined.

Priorities, Part 2

Photo via Mental Health

Yesterday I wrote about priorities and why prioritizing is such an important tool in today's world of endless opportunities. So how can you make prioritizing work for you? And where do you begin?

For starters, taking time to set our priorities can help us take stock of where our time, energy, and funds - I refer to these as our personal resources - are going, and recognize where they could be better utilized. When we take the time to consciously prioritize our desires and commitments, we are giving ourselves the power to redirect where our life is headed. That's powerful stuff!

An easy way to take stock of what your current priorities are is to make a personal resources log. You can do this by creating a journal, chart, or spreadsheet where you log everything you do over the course of a week. Your log doesn't need to be too detailed, but it should include each activity, how much time you spent on it, whether it was energizing or energy zapping (this will vary for each of us), and the cash result (either inflow or outflow). Here's a couple examples:

Watched TV, 1.5 hours, energy zapping, $0 (you could prorate your cable bill here if you wanted)
Worked, 9 hours, energy zapping, $500 inflow
Dinner with a friend, 1 hour, energizing, ($40)
Played soccer, 2 hours, energizing, ($10) on a new team shirt
Showered, .5 hours, energizing, $0

Photo via Ask Miss A

The purpose of this log is to give you a snapshot of what your personal resource allocation looks like right now. Feel free to alter these categories or add more categories as you wish - maybe noting how you felt after each activity or who else was involved.

Once you have a week's worth of information in your log, it's time to tally up where your time, energy, and funds went. Take a look at which activities took up the most time. Recognize where the most money was spent, and earned. Note which activities zapped your energy and which revved you up. Finally, after looking at only your personal resource allocation, what do your priorities appear to be? Try to answer this question as analytically as you can, without letting your personal bias answer for you. You might realize that watching television or working overtime has become more of a priority than you'd like to admit, and that's important to be honest with ourselves about. Or perhaps you realize that where your personal resources are going is just where you want them, and that's important to see as well.

So what do you do now that you have an accurate picture of your personal resource allocation (and what your actions are telling you about your priorities)? It's time to reassess if your actions match you desires. Stop by next time to find out how.

Priorities, Part 1

Photo via BarryDean

Wouldn't it be nice to be a black belt in Kung Foo, prized sailboat racer, #1 parent, and homemade cookie entrepreneur? Or perhaps you aspire to be a top New York attorney, back-country skier, Habitat for Humanity volunteer of the year, and moonlight as a radio DJ?

We're fortunate to live in an age of endless possibilities. With the world at our fingertips, the internet age has brought with it so much information that many of us feel completely overwhelmed by the sheer volume of advice, knowledge, propaganda, ideas, instruction, advertisement... (in short, info) that a single Google search can bring. And yet, the more we are exposed to, the more we tend to want as well.

Here's an example I think most of us can relate to: You're running errands with a friend who needs to pick something up at Target. You don't want anything from the store, but you go in to be a pal anyways. By the time you hit Aisle 3, you've got a cart full of must have merchandise you didn't have the least bit of desire for before you entered the automatic doors to consumer heaven.

Photo via KrazyCouponLady

I think the same concept can be applied to the buffet of information the internet provides. You see, many of us might see bits and pieces of other people's lives online and suddenly realize we want our lives to be like that too! We want to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro just like that cool-looking earthy guy did on his blog. We want to bake fresh bread for our family every day with that great e-book recipe. We want to take up base jumping like in those sweet YouTube videos. We want to take adult education classes like Oprah told us to on her podcast. We want to do all this and more.

I'm not suggesting that the internet has done anything wrong - but there's no denying that it has exposed us to so many more opportunities than our ancestors would have ever realized. The catch is, we don't have any more time in a day than they did to take advantage of these opportunities. We don't have considerably more money to fund them either. So where does this leave us?

It leaves us in a position to practice some serious prioritizing - prioritizing where our time, money, and effort will go. Prioritizing may seem to some like a limiting exercise. After all, if you're setting priorities it ultimately means some things you want to do just won't make the cut. In reality, prioritizing is a powerful tool for making the most of your resources and overcoming opportunity overload.

Tune in next time when I'll be exploring some tips for setting empowering priorities that fit your desires.

Soul Food

Photo via Vegetarian Women

What are you doing to nourish your spirit this week? What steps have you taken to honor yourself? What have you been feeding your divine energy?

Ok, you do not have to book a 76 day spiritual retreat to an Indian ashram in order to connect with your inner essence and experience a sense of contentment (although Tina of Think Simple Now did and it sounds amazing - check out her reflections here). But even making little contributions to your spirit's piggy bank can yield major returns when it comes to your world view and the way you interact with those around you.

So what kind of soul food are we talking about here? I think of soul food as anything that brings new energy and life to all that is best within us. Maybe it's an activity that gives you renewed sense of purpose and joy. Maybe it's a mantra you use to help you tackle tough challenges. Maybe it's a person that encourages you to follow your own path in life. Whatever your soul food - it's important to make time to enjoy it... and there's no time like the present!

Photo via Self Hypnosis

Still not sure what your own soul food is? Give a few of these suggestions a try and see what resonates with you. Once you find the kind of soul food that makes your heart swell with fulfillment and helps put your mind at peace, make a point to consume it regularly.

• Close your eyes and listen to music that carries you to a whole nother level
  
• Write in a gratitude journal, or simply list out things you're grateful for
• Take a yoga, or tai chi class
• Cook a nutritious meal for someone you love
  
• Try meditation, either by taking a class or using one of these methods
• Call an old friend you've been meaning to catch up with
• Invest in a long, restful night of sleep - your body will thank you
• Read a book that stirs something inside you
  
• Open up to your significant other about your dreams
• Volunteer doing something you love
  
• Eat a piece of the finest chocolate you can find
• Connect with your pets - or borrow a friend's if you need to!
• Paint, draw, write, or sing out how you feel
• Get a massage