Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Self Improvement - Personal Change Part 2

There will always be barriers when we are trying to change our lives.  It is easy to find problems and cite ideas but actually making changes to our lives can be a bit trickier.  Learning how to focus or what to focus on is a major part of the challenge.  Mastering what you can change in your life will take practice and dedication.  You may have to try several approaches before you get it right.  Here are a few simple ideas to help you get started.
  1. Clear all of your distractions and make a list of things you would like to do...aim high.  Maybe you want to go back to school and get a degree in Nursing-put it on the list.  Maybe you want to learn to play the piano-put it on the list.  Maybe you want to learn to speak a different language-put it on the list.  I think you get what I am trying to say.  The idea of creating this list is not a rediculous idea, but rather to give yourself an idea of all the things you want to do.  Dream a little and then live a lot!
  2. Have a focus...and see your goal.  If you just pick one thing on the list and aim to do it, you will have a better chance of success.  Many of us jump in and try to do everything on the list all at once.  It is better to zone in on one goal at a time.  Remember the shortest distance is a straight line.  So look at each item on the list as a single straight line and aim for it--a much simplier approach.
  3. Believing in that focus and your list is half the battle.  If you believe you can do something, then you  will.  Looking for the solutions will remove the belief that you can't do it and keep you on target.
  4. Don't spend time thinking about it...just do it.  Most of us have tendencies to analyze everything.  We arre guilty of coming up with obstacles and reasons for not being able to do something.  We want to make sure it is the right decision.  The problem is we spend way too much time thinking about it.  What is the obstacle--it is the time that we spend thinking and analyzing.  So, stop analyzing and just do it--let's change our lives.
  5. Do it slowly, one step at a time.  I am sure you have heard of the phrase "baby steps".  This means that you do one little thing to get to the next thing.  If you want to learn to play the piano you don't start by playing a Concerto.  You start by learning the basics, the keys, the scale, etc.  As you get better at each step you progress.  Remember what they say, "Rome wasn't built in a day".
  6. Change how you look at things.  If you close your eyes, change will seem impossible.  Opening them to the possibilities will bring you to a realization that there are different ways to achieve your goals.  Be thankful for what you have.  Adding a little bit of gratitude can make these changes more simple and put you in a frame of mind that is open and calm.
  7. Start asking the right questions and ask them in the right places.  If you wan to learn about something it is important to know what you want to learn.  To do this you must ask the questions that are relevant to the topic.  The same is true in change.  Asking yourself what is relevant can be very enlightening.  People that have prospered are often ones that failed many times before.  As part of the process they have reviewed their actions and learned from their mistakes.
  8. Take time for yourself..just for you.  Taking time for yourself is a big step in making chnages.  It offers you a time to reflect, time to enjoy life and a moment to reallize what you want in life and what changes you need to make.  So take a minute or two everyday to change your perspective on life and enjoy it.
  9. Find your strengths.  Finding out what our strengths are is something many of us have done, yet we continue to do things we are not good at in the hope of getting better.  Take the pressure off and stop stretching yourself!

  10. Read motivational quotes.  Reading motivational quotes on a regular basis can change your whole life for the better.  If you read motivational quotes in the morning before starting work and at night before going to bed, then after a few days your thoughts and beliefs towards your life will change.

There are several other ways to change your life.  Keep your eyes wide open and you will discover them.  Look for those precious gems and the changes will no longer be a mystery.  If you want to change your life, there is only one person that can make that happen--you.

Today's Recipe - Pork Chops with Blackberry Mustard Sauce



4 boneless Pork Chops
4 teaspoons dried thyme
4 teaspoons sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 cup seedless Blackberry Preserves
7 tablespoons Spicy Brown Mustard
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  In a small bowl, combine crushed thyme, sage, salt and pepper.  Rub evenly over Chops.

Melt butter and olive oil in a nonstick skillet.  Cook pork chops for 6 to 7 minutes on each side, turning once.  Remove from skillet and keep warm in preheated oven.

In the skillet, combine blackberry preserves, spicy brown mustard, honey, vinegar and dry mustard.  Bring to a boil, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently and scraping up any bits from the bottom of the skillet/  Cook until sauce is reduced to desired consistency (sauce will thicken as it cools).  Spoon sauce in a pool onto a serving plate, and top with pork chops.  Garnish with fresh blackberries.

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