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Simple Living
Designing a Life You Love
October 19, 2015
It always seems impossible until it's done. --Mandela
Life presents us with so many options. We truly live in a time like no other where almost everyone has a real chance of living a life of their choosing. But with so many options we can easily lose sight of what it is that we truly want from our life. We're bombarded so much information about what an ideal life should look like, especially through social media. If we're not careful we could end up living a life not of our choosing or design, but one subtlety forced on us. There's nothing wrong with exposing yourself to possibilities and new ideas, however, any decision we make concerning our life should be done intentionally. Is it possible to live a life of your choosing and design? Yes, it takes time and experience, but there is no truer or better way to live.
Make time for the things that feed your soul.
- Getting to know yourself is the greatest gift and expression of self-love there is. When we are in tune with who we are we make decisions that are in our best interest. We do and say things that are a true reflection of who we are.
Seek experiences.
- Live for the moments that when reflected upon will make you smile and express inner joy. Those moments don't have to be by design or something big, they are usually unplanned and happen when we live presently in our life.
Always question your intentions.
- It's easy to get caught-up in a trend or doing something for show or for social media. That is no way to live. Be honest with yourself and pursue life to please you first, not others.
Create routines that you enjoy.
- Set up rituals and habits that will propel you closer to the life you want. Find what works for you and what you truly want to do. And go do that.
Treat your body well.
- Eat well, sleep well, and move often. Your body is a sacred temple and should be treated as such. We only get one so let's treat it with love.
Bloom.
- I love the quote "A flower doesn't think of competing with the flower next to it, it just blooms." Life is not a competition and the moment you start thinking of it as such you've lost. Life is a beautiful and unique journey and there's a place for each of us in it. Find yours and make it beautiful.
With Love,
Marie
Featured
Simple Living
12 Mini-Habits for Better Living
September 21, 2015
I am a creature of habit. You may already have guessed so given the frequency of the topic here on the blog. I truly believe that having a set of habits or routines, however you prefer to think of them, is very liberating. Same goes for using a planner. Not everyone shares that sentiment, however. Just a few weeks a ago I suggested my best friend get a planner to help her stay a bit more organized and from the look on her face you'd thought I asked her to give me her last slice of pizza (I know, a horrifying proposition). So it is with her in mind that I decided to write a post on creating mini-habits that don't seem so constricting and help design a more meaningful living. I like to think of mini-habits as the little things that not only get the ball rolling, many of which you may already be doing, but things that also set a tone. You can use mini-habits for your overall life or just a segment of your life. Maybe you're a writer, set a small word count per day. Have a fitness goal, try one push-up a day or one new yoga move. If can be whatever you like that would make your life better.
- Start your day with a prayer before you get out of bed.
- Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
- Use the 'Do Not Disturb' on your phone.
- Read two pages in a book.
- Mono-task.
- Pause and look over your food before you eat it.
- Listen to music.
- Sincerely compliment yourself. And someone else.
- Walk for at least 30mins throughout the day.
- Call/text at least one family or friend.
- Read one motivating scripture or quote.
- End your night by thinking/writing/saying one thing you're grateful for.
I hope this list has inspired you to develop your own mini-habits to live a life of more meaning and of course, more value. And as always, feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments.
With Love,
Marie
Faith
Featured
7 Traits of a Goal-Getter
August 17, 2015
- Have Faith
- Faith is having trust in your actions without guarantee of a desired outcome. Life doesn't give us the option of knowing where are actions will lead, and that's why we need to trust that we are taking the best course. You'll never know for sure, but never allow that to stop you from pursuing your biggest dreams.
- Create Systems
- I love systems! I automate almost everything in my life. EVERYTHING! It's the best way to be productive when you have a lot happening on a daily basis. Creating a functional system can take time, but it's well worth the investments because it will yield a return far greater than you can expect. Creating a system is about setting routines/habits that make your life easier. A morning routine is something we're all familiar with, well expand that idea to other areas of your personal and professional life. Along with having routines for the morning, evening, and night, I also have systems in place to respond to emails, text messages, meetings, blogging, journaling, and a basket of other task. Have your priorities in order, schedule the time and get to work.
- Manage Your Time
- Time management is the root of productivity. How you manage your time will be directly proportional to the work you get done. It's not easy, but it has to get done. My preferred method is to write everything in my planner and select ONE thing for the day that's THE most important. Focus on that one thing, maybe take a half-hour break to do other things (have a timer!), but give your effort to that one thing without fail. At the end of the day if you only get that one thing done you'll feel accomplished.
- Set Boundaries
- No one lives in a vacuum, we have relationships to maintain, family, clients, bosses, life. Setting boundaries also aligns with having a system and managing your time. Beyond scheduling time for the varying areas of your life, you'll need to establish boundaries with those individuals. That will mean different things for different people, but the general idea is to be clear about expectations. Letting close family and friends in on what your schedule looks like, being upfront with clients about expectations and deadlines, and most importantly never forget who and what are most important in your life. Prioritize those.
- Practice Discipline
- I shared a recent post about discipline and can't stress this enough. You can create a "perfect" system, set boundaries, and create a "perfect" schedule, but all that will be meaningless if you don't follow-through. That's what discipline is, the follow-through with what you set out to do.
- Get Up Early
- Another recent post, start your day right, on your terms. There's nothing like a slow start to the day to set a tone and pace of patience and peace. This will follow you throughout the day and give you the positive vibes to keep pushing.
- Trust Your Intuition
- There's only one you and you know what's best for you. Trust that. I love my family and friends, but there are some things that they can't me with and I have to have faith and trust that my promises will be fulfill. Get in tone with who you are. Start by taking 5 mins a week to just be, nothing more. No distraction, no screen, close your eyes and visualize the person you were created to be. Go be her.
There's no easy way to your dream life, but if you put in the time and work harder everyday you'll become the woman you were meant to be. What are some things you're doing to be a goal-getter?
With love,
Devotions
Featured
I lost. I lost a battle against doubt, worry, fear, and distraction. If I'm being honest, I lost two months ago when I threw in the white towel. But it took some major shifts this past week for me to consciously admit that to myself. My poor habits and constant procrastination have resulted in a major failure. I had a plan, God blessed it, I created action steps, checkpoints, buffer zones, you name it I had it in my plan. However, I lacked a critical make or break element that can't be planned for, only practiced, and that was discipline. I had the will and the way, but lacked the stamina, the courage, and the perseverance to act through completion.
The Perfectly Flawless Plan
July 13, 2015
That realization is but the first step. Yes, I lost this round, this season, this battle, but the war is not over, the next round has begun, and a new season is afoot. I may have lost, but I am not a loser. I have fallen, but the only thing that matters is that I get right back up. And the only way I can do that is through God's grace. Although I strayed from His plan, He is still at my side calling me back, letting me know that it's going to be okay, that I am down, but not out. As David reminds me, God's way is perfect, His word is flawless, He shields all who take refuge in Him. I feel like Hezekiah's son, Manasseh, who went away from God's plan, but in his distress sought the Lord and humbled himself. When he prayed with sincerity God listened and brought him back in alignment to His will.
God is our perfectly flawless plan. I see what's really going on when I'm in His presence. My success will depend on my reliance on Him and not on myself. When I'm with Him I am reminded of what matters, not my plans, but His. As I begin this new season of my life I will need to invest all of my efforts into cultivating a life filled with God and discipline. This won't be easy, but having faced such a brutal lost I am acutely aware of what's at stake. As Paul writes "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Discipline is an act of faith.
I am up and ready for whatever is next. As long as I stick with Him and master myself I am capable of anything. And so are you! As J.Oswald Sanders' reminds us:
"The future is with the disciplined, and that quality has been placed first in our list, for without it the other gifts, however great, will never reach their potential. Only the disciplined person will raise to his highest powers, he is able to lead because he has conquered himself."
With Love,
Marie
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