6 Ways to Stay Motivated at Work

I read somewhere that "Staying motivated at work is easier than you think when you know what to do." Yeah, right. Getting out of bed just to go to work is hard enough. Sometimes you love your job and you can not wait to get back to work just to finish it off. And most of the times your dreaming of a holiday where you can forget about work. But until that one day I get paid to go holiday; Here are some tips to keep you motivated.

1. Decide What You Must Achieve Today.
It is easy to get caught up with non-urgent matters that you can either ignore completely or do at a later date. All that clutter leaves you confused about what to do so you end up procrastinating.You need to ask yourself:What is of the utmost importance that I must complete today?Define that specific goal and focus solely on that until you have achieved it. Clarity is power. It allows you to operate in a peak state of concentration and will help to ensure you are at your best. You will be amazed at how much you will get done and how successful you will feel when you FOCUS.

2. Surround Yourself with Love
Surround yourself with personal items that remind you of positive things in your life. Pictures of family, friends, or pets will do the trick. When you're feeling down or stressed, take a glance at your pictures.
Get a wall or desk calendar that you find amusing. Word-a-days, comic strips, and sudoku calendars are just some of the ones you may be interested in.

3. Take a Lunch Break

When you take a lunch break, take a lunch break. What that means is, get out of the office, go outside, get some fresh air, enjoy your food, and rest. You are going to have to go back to work sooner than later, so why don’t you enjoy yourself while taking a breather.

4. Keep Career in Perspective
It is always wise to remind yourself the reason why you decided your career path. This will ignite all the passion and aspirations that you had for your job thus motivating you to continue to do your best. We forget about these goals so its best you write them on a piece of paper and leave it in your drawer for those self reflective emergencies.

5. Thinking Positive in the Workplace
Negativity is a powerful force, which can easily demotivate and depress you to the point where you only  work for the salary with no other reasons. There is nothing worse than that. Avoid negative feelings and people at work. These distractions are there to bring you down and take you nowhere in your life. Try to hang out with the happy people in you office. They are highly contagious and fun people to share ideas.  But please, don't leech off all the good vibes from one person. Find your own joy and share it with others. You should focus on all positives that can be find, however small it may be.

6. Reward Yourself

You are not getting a bonus soon so get a massage after work, do your nails, go to gym or get your friends together to grab a cold beer. What ever makes you feel better to de-stress the load. A reward is needed after a hectic day. 

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Simplify your life

I love short straight to the point facts and points because I like to maximum my time. Get the information I need, remember them (because their short) then try to live a life of abundance. That's my aim and I will continue to share that philosophy with you.

How to Simplify Your Life (or Anything) in 4 Easy Steps

by Scott Ellis on March 16, 2010

The process is simply (in order): Eliminate > Automate > Delegate > Execute

Step 1: Eliminate
Start getting rid of things (physical & virtual) like unnecessary bills, things you aren’t using, people you didn’t really enjoy spending time with, etc… In my case I even sold my house and moved into an apartment in the Uptown Dallas area where I was spending most of my time thereby eliminating a LOT of driving. Other things you can eliminate include email you are never going to get around to reading, subscriptions to magazines and sites you didn’t have time for… you get the idea. The main thing is to get ruthless about getting rid of anything that isn’t really necessary. This step is all about “deletion.” If you catch your self saying “I might need this when…” but haven’t used it in the last few 3 – 6 months… it’s gone! Note, it can be hard to get started throwing stuff out but once you do it can also become addictive!

Now, if something really can’t be eliminated you then…

Step 2: AutomateAutomate anything you can that’s left. From paying bills to email auto-responders, auto-tweeting a blog post to filtering email, a lot of things can be set to just “happen”. You don’t have to physically “do it” every time. Using alerts are a good example of automation since the technology “watches” for something and only let’s you know if something is found based on specific criteria and action is required. For example, you get an email when there is a traffic spike on your website or your site goes down. The guideline here is that if it’s repeatable it can be automated.

Then again, there is no reason you have to respond to the alert. If it really can’t be automated and requires human intervention you can…


Step 3: Delegate It

Are you sure you can’t eliminate or automate it? If not, hand off what you can to someone else who can do it cheaper, better, faster or can do it when you can’t (like when you are sleeping or at work). In the physical world that might be cooking, cleaning or lawn-care. In the world of tech it might be things like video transcription, driving traffic to your site (which can be some what automated as well), customer support, research, etc… The point is you don’t have to do everything and with all of the crap most of us having going on you probably can’t. Take your sanity back and let someone else do the tedious stuff.
Finally, if you can’t or don’t want to hand it off to someone else you…

Step 4: Execute
That’s right, whatever is left after the first 3 steps is what you do. Ideally what remains are only the things that require your special knowledge, skills or presence (like a speaking engagement); or, that you personally just happen to really enjoy doing. This list should be pretty slim but it should also represent the few things you do that deliver the most impact to whatever it is you are streamlining and the things you most enjoy doing.

Follow the four steps in as many facets of your life as you can, work, home, business(es), blogging, whatever, and get as granular about it as you can. Even if your execution isn’t 100% perfect you’ll likely find that when you simplify your life it becomes a richer one.

 At Girlondaloose I try to use my time for the more important things in my life; family, friends and exploring the world and challenging myself.

 I’d love to hear your stories of simplification and what it meant to you. Leave me a comment and let me know how it’s going.

Fall 2010 Fashion Trends

Ah! The pleasure of wearing clothes.
With Spring behind us (Northern Hemisphere) it's time to look forwards to the coming freezing weather, and the fashion it will bring. Yes, Autumn / Fall 2010 fashion trends are on the horizon. With the new season comes a lot of new looks and, for those that aren't new, new takes on established fashion trends.I will share with some of my favorite trends this season.

Sophisticated '70s
I like the feminine chic look. I love being a "Lady" when it come to clothes. By day it's all about high waists, wide legs, soft blouses and '70s accessories. By night, all that shimmers is gold. Flowing, draping dresses in high-shine fabrics or metallic hues are perfect for evening '70s glamour. Be bold and don't hold back, this look is about balancing softness with boldness. 









Military fashion
Yes, military remains a trend for Autumn / Fall 2010. Following on from Spring 2010 the women's military trend, like the men's, takes its cues from 20th Century military uniforms. From army green to shearling lined boots. Military jackets are an item piece that gives you the authority to command attention. Love the shoulder puffs and the straight buttons.

Leather
My dear love would love to see me in leather something.  There seems to be a lot of leather somethings out there in the market. You name it, it'll be an option for your wardrobe in the colder months. Leather shorts, leather dresses, leather leggings, leather underwear (yes, there is) leather hats and more. I will let you know when I get my leather something.

Knee high socks
Given that thigh high boots are on trend (see below) and that they can't be worn every day (unless you've amassed a big collection) there has to be an alternative with similar appeal. Hence for Autumn / Fall 2010 you'll find yourself rummaging through your sock draw and donning a pair of knee high socks. Or over the knee socks. Or thigh high socks. From the sporty to the sparkly, to layerings of socks over tights; a great pair of socks can add that extra, and much needed, eye catching detail to an outfit. I love the knitted details on mine. Gives the viewer something extra to think about. ; )



Thigh high boots
Over-the-knee boots are the must-have footwear for Autumn / Fall 2010. Once considered only for the daring, those wearing this shoe trend will find the tops of their boots creeping up even higher with thigh-high boots also in the mainstream. From elegant suedes to futuristic wound-and-bound leathers, the options are many and various. My thigh high boots will be my best friend this Winter.

Socks under heels
I don't know about this trend. It only reminds me of many 80's movies. It could be as bad as flip flops and socks. But yes, it's been a while since the humble ankle sock has really be worn (fashionably) under a pair of heels. For Fall 2010, fashionable they are. Whether it's a high heeled sandal or a lace-up boot, or even a man-style flat shoe such as an oxford or brogue, a pair of socks can add colour and texture to your outfit. I will let you know if I attempt fate.

Fur boots & mukluks
Forget about mukluks. If you live in the ice death valleys of the arctic. I understand but I don't want to see them unless their super cute. Mukluks are like survival shoes. that you can go hideously wrong. But don't let that deter you. The options for fur, faux-fur and fur-lined boots in Fall 2010 go well beyond yeti-like furry feet and into a number of slicker and sexier looks. Think bed-haired bohemians in fur pelted shoes through to classic ski-bunny boots. Think sex goddess of the snow. Pick-me, pick-me I'm up for that.

Stop waking up tired

We live hard active lives. Too much to do during the day that keeps our minds and body moving. Exercise and eating right during the day will keep us in form and if we are luck, a great 20 minute nap will do. But until that fine day where we can do it all. Let us benefit the most out of our resting time; Sleeping. 

4 Simple ways from getting the rest you need.
1. Sleep in 90 minutes increments - The human sleep cycle is approximately 90 minutes long. To feel as refreshed as possible, you need to sleep through complete cycles. Waking up in the middle of a cycle will leave your body wanting more. This is why sleeping 6.5 hours is worse than sleeping 6 hours. I know that often people recommend that you should sleep 8 hours a night, but 7.5 hours will make you less tired. And you just saved a half hour each day. Isn't it great?

2. Don't eat right before falling asleep - Going to bed on a full stomach is a bad idea. It can make it much more difficult for you to fall asleep and also diminish the quality of your sleep.

3. Go to bed at regular times - Your body gets used to a routine of sleeping and waking times. This means that if you're used to go to bed at 12 and wake up at 7, the day when you go to sleep at 2 AM your body will still think the best time to get up is 7. You've just cut your sleeping time by 2 hours, and you'll feel tired throughout the day.

4. Drink water before you go to sleep - I am not talking about eight glasses. The last thing you need is waking up 2 or 3 times the night to run to the water closet. You need water to hydrate your body before you sleep. While your cells are rebooting and rejuvenating they will have enough energy and fluids to making you feel great in the morning. Trust me, your skin and face will look better in the morning.

There are many more factors to stop being tired. But these 4 things are a great place to start your efforts to never feel tired and have a high level of energy throughout the day.

10 Reasons you are not Rich

10 Reasons You Aren't Rich

By Jeffrey Strain

The reason why you aren't a millionaire (or on your way to becoming one) is really quite simple. You probably assume it's because you aren't earning enough money, but the truth is that for most people, whether or not you become a millionaire has very little to do with the amount of money you make. It's the way that you treat money in your daily life.Here are 10 possible reasons you aren't a millionaire:

1. You Care What Your Neighbors Think: If you're competing against them and their material possessions, you're wasting your hard-earned money on toys to impress them instead of building your wealth.

2. You Aren't Patient: Until the era of credit cards, it was difficult to spend more than you had. That is not the case today. If you have credit card debt because you couldn't wait until you had enough money to purchase something in cash, you are making others wealthy while keeping yourself in debt.

3. You Have Bad Habits: Whether it's smoking, drinking, gambling or some other bad habit, the habit is using up a lot of money that could go toward building wealth. Most people don't realize that the cost of their bad habits extends far beyond the immediate cost. Take smoking, for example: It costs a lot more than the pack of cigarettes purchased. It also negatively affects your wealth in the form of higher insurance rates and decreased value of your home.

4. You Have No Goals: It's difficult to build wealth if you haven't taken the time to know what you want. If you haven't set wealth goals, you aren't likely to attain them. You need to do more than state, "I want to be a millionaire." You need to take the time to set saving and investing goals on a yearly basis and come up with a plan for how to achieve those goals.

5. You Haven't Prepared: Bad things happen to the best of people from time to time, and if you haven't prepared for such a thing to happen to you through insurance, any wealth that you might have built can be gone in an instant.

6. You Try to Make a Quick Buck: For the vast majority of us, wealth doesn't come instantly. You may believe that people winning the lottery are a dime a dozen, but the truth is you're far more likely to get struck by lightning than win the lottery. This desire to get rich quickly likely extends into the way you invest, with similar results.

7. You Rely on Others to Take Care of Your Money: You believe that others have more knowledge about money matters, and you rely exclusively on their judgment when deciding where you should invest your money. Unfortunately, most people want to make money themselves, and this is their primary objective when they tell you how to invest your money. Listen to other people's advice to get new ideas, but in the end you should know enough to make your own investing decisions.

8. You Invest in Things You Don't Understand: Your hear that Bob has made a lot of money doing it, and you want to get in on the gravy train. If Bob really did make money, he did so because he understood how the investment worked. Throwing in your money because someone else has made money without fully understanding how the investment works will keep you from being wealthy.

9. You're Financially Afraid: You are so scared of risk that you keep all your money in a savings account that is actually losing money when inflation is put into the equation, yet you refuse to move it to a place where higher rates of return are possible because you're afraid that you will lose money.

10. You Ignore Your Finances: You take the attitude that if you make enough, the finances will take care of themselves. If you currently have debt, it will somehow resolve itself in the future. Unfortunately, it takes planning to become wealthy. It doesn't magically happen to the vast majority of people.

In reality, it is probably not just one of the above bad habits that has kept you from becoming a millionaire, but a combination of a few of them. Take a hard look at the list, and do some reflecting. If you want to be a millionaire, it's well within your power, but you'll have to face the issues that are currently keeping you from creating that wealth before you will have a chance to call yourself one.

Eat Pray Love Movie Review

Blog: www.lipglossandleopardprint.blogspot.com

I enjoyed the film. It was really good and I will probably go and buy it on DVD! But it wasn't at all as thought provoking or inspiring as the book! It is funny though.. People in the cinema were constantly laughing out loud and it 's definitely one of them feel good films! However, I felt that some of the characters were under developed compared to the book and there were certain things they changed in the film which they should have just kept the way it was in the book. The film also missed out a lot of things from the book that could have made it better to understand for those who didn't read the book first. Also, Some things were notexplained properly! I think by now you can tell that I liked the book better but don't get me wrong I liked the film too.. Just not as much!

P.s. I would like to add, Eat Pray Love is not a book/film for everyone.. If you like stuff from the religion,spirituality and self-development section then you'll love it.. Otherwise I think that you simply won't get it or enjoy it as much!

Thank you so much for your review. I hope everyone goes out there and enjoys the film.

Conquer yourself

Don't leave things to chance or dreams for a better tomorrow. You have right now, this moment to choose to live the life you ever wanted. Don't give me stories or excuses. I am not your mother or your father. You don't own me anything. Get up, stand up straight and say your name with pride. Look yourself in the mirror. Are you proud? Are you bold? Are you fearless? Welcome to your life. It has already begun... and you are running behind. 

- Girlondayloose

This blogsite was created to awaken your true potential and live your greatest dreams. I gave myself permission to live my own life. I hope I inspire you to do the same and live your life abundantly. 
"Woman thou art loosed" Luke 13:12

In this life

Be kinder than necessary,
for everyone you meet is 

fighting some kind of battle.

Live simply, 

Love generously, 

Care deeply,

Speak kindly.......

Leave the rest to God.  Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. 

It's about learning to dance in the rain.   

Choose this day to not simply be alive but to LIVE."

Be the light in someone's darkness.

Black African Hair: Things you should know

I have spent my life being pulled around by my hair. If I let it be and grow out naturally only disaster will prevail. I have had to plait it, iron it, straighten it, bond it, weave it, braid it and endure long hours and large amounts of money just keeping it sane. It has become such a problem that I often find myself thinking about what should I do with my hair every time I go on holiday, or a wedding or when I leave the house?? You are probably wondering what I am talking about.

I am a black African woman, born and bred and my real natural hair is as wild and untamed as the genetic gene that designed them. It's black, tight and curly and impossible to comb in normal conditions. It's my constant struggle to keep it under control. It's not fair, cause Caucasian men and woman have soft, finger running hair that flows ever so gently in the wind. Mine, neither moves nor is it finger running and even when it is all done and looking good my man knows; Don't ever touch a black woman's hair... Ever!

Tip 1: I just spent two and a half hours in the hair salon. I don't you being all romantic and creative with my hair.

Why is there so much drama about  black African hair? 

Tip 2: If you have ethnic hair you know what I'm talking about. If you don't, welcome, because I am about to tell you, everything

1. What is black hair?

Black hair, obviously, Black African hair (we'll call it ethnic hair for the purposes of our discussion here) also tends to be porous, which means that moisture easily passes through the cuticle layer of the hair. You see, since ethnic hair tends to be coarse, the cuticle layer of the hair shaft tends to be raised, which means that even though it can readily absorb moisture it also loses moisture easily. Because of this, ethnic hair needs more assistance to stay healthy.There exists a billion dollar industry that produces ethnic hair care products specifically for people with ethnic hair. Typically, ethnic hair is not naturally soft and moist. Instead, it is dry and brittle.Where as European hair can benefit from an occasional oil treatment, it can quickly become oversaturated by oils and be left lank and flat. On the other hand, Ethnic hair needs these oils to protect the hair. The oils provide a sealing barrier to hold in the hair's moisture, and keep it soft and manageable. 

Tip 3: So my dear readers don't ask your colleague why their hair is oily. Its just conditioned...but if it is drenching in oil like a bad Rick James video. It's time to intervene. This is not the 80's.

2. Why I straighten my hair? 
The View: Why don't black women wear their natural hair?

Tip 4: It is by choice.

I would love to have my hair in it natural condition, living freely on my head and being one with the universe but its not going to happen. Ethic women can wear their natural hair in all kinds of ways that keep their hair healthy, natural and manageable. I have very fussy hair so I have to use a chemical relaxer to straighten my hair in order for it to be manageable. Chemical relaxers are strong formulas that break the disulfide bonds of the hair allowing it to lie straight. Common relaxers contain strong alkalis that can swell the hair up to twice its normal size, and with hydroxide relaxers the bonds that are broken are permanently broken. Soft curl perms are processes designed to make the natural curl of the hair larger. Both relaxers and soft curl perms are very hard on the hair. Heat styling is another process that is especially hard on Ethnic hair. The curling irons, flat-irons and straightening combs commonly used can use heat as high as 400 degrees. Even dryers used for straightening use sufficient heat to leech much of the needed moisture from the hair. I wish there was a way I wouldn't have too but its what I do.

3. How did your hair get so long?

Tip 5: Don't ask your colleague this question. You know why it is so much longer than you saw it last week. "Your hair looks great!" is all you need to say. 

Men and women around the world wear extensions in their hair. Extensions make your hair longer, thicker and more desirable to your liking. But, not all extensions are the same. There is gluing, clamping and braid-ins and plug-ins. (there are probably more). I have a weave in. Weave in is not adding more hair to my existing hair. It is a method where you first plait all my hair into one long circular structure then you sew in the extensions. The extensions cover all of my own hair (giving it a break from chemicals) and the extensions act as my flowing, manageable hair for the existing period of time. Giving me a break from my constant bad hair days.

4. Why do you change your hairstyle so often?
Same reason that you visit the salon; to dye your hair blond, or cut it or style it. We want to be unique stand out of the crowd and wear the crowns of our heads proudly.

Hair style is the final tip-off whether or not a woman really knows herself. ~Hubert de Givenchy, Vogue, July 1985

African women do it with more... extravagance. We can do anything with our hair naturally, chemically weaved, braided and hot ironed. A couple of hours here and lots of money spent later, I could have the choice to have my hair as free as Erykah Badu's hair or as bountiful as Kim Kardashian's hair. Anything is possible. We are all proud of who we are and want to look good when ever we put our best foot forward.


Now you know a little bit more about about ethnic hair and I can't wait to hear about your hair woes or aaah!

Tip 6: Hair is in the mood. Flaunt it!

 My real hair color is kind of a dark blonde. Now I just have mood hair. 

- Julia Roberts 

What is your mood? 

Inner Peace

Stress, hate, love, no love, want love, want money, want more. It never ends. The constant questioning and the constant searching for that "something" inside of us has heavily being sitting in our hearts since we where children. It is like the missing pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that we are forever searching, ever wondering where and what it could be. Questions...but never any immediate answers. Sometimes we have to switch off the voices in our heads that doubt, that hate, that fear, that question all things and fights all possibilities for change. If you life is full of stress, problems, and pain, your mind has been running the show for far too long.
By stopping the mind, you master it and essentially master your life! Even when the mind is 50% mastered, you'll see you have more clarity, freedom and inner peace in your life. You'll discover that every experience is trying to teach you something. That the ultimate lesson is how to be supremely happy, joyful, loving and free!  

Often the lesson that we first need to learn, is to find inner peace. How to stay calm and clear and be present with "right now". Where we stop fighting life and start learning our lessons! The greatest lesson that we are INCREDIBLE  human beings that contain the greatest source of love, joy, and peace.

I am no master of meditation but I find it necessary to take the time to reflect on me. To be quiet inside myself so that I can have the patience and time to listen to my inner self. The part of me that knows better. It know that all my questions are not important and what is important is stop the battle of who I want to be and who I really am. That is my true ultimate quest and it seems to continue to reflect itself back at me; Girlondaloose, moving countries, making movies, questions-answers ect ect. You may be on a differnent journey of your own. Learning and developing something new inside yourself but what I am certain of is that; we all looking for Love, Peace and Happiness.  

Watch video

Dalai Lama: Inner Peace

SEVEN SIMPLE STEPS TO INNER PEACE

1. Be still
Take the opportunity to be still or at least do something positive. The problem is the mind feels insecure unless it has something to occupy it. However, when we really can attain a clear mind we discover it creates a genuine sense of happiness and inner peace.


2. Control your thoughts
It is our thoughts that determine our state of mind. If we constantly cherish negative and destructive thoughts, inner peace will always remain a far cry. At all costs, we need to avoid pursuing trains of negative thoughts. This requires practise. – We cannot attain mastery of our thoughts over night. But, at the same time we always have to remember that we are able to decide which thoughts to follow and which to reject. Never feel you are a helpless victim to your thoughts.

“If you have inner peace,nobody can force you to be a slave to the outer reality.”- Sri Chinmoy

3. Simplify your life 
Modern life, places great demands on our time. We can feel that we never have enough time to fulfill all our tasks. However, we should seek to minimise these outer demands. Take time to simplify your life; there are many things that we can do without, quite often we add unnecessary responsibilities to our schedule. Do the most significant tasks, one at a time, and enjoy doing them. To experience inner peace, it is essential to avoid cluttering our life with unnecessary activities and worries.

4. Spend time to cultivate inner peace Every day we spend more than 8 hours a day to earn money, can we not find time to spend 15 minutes to cultivate inner peace? No matter how much money we earn, it cannot bring us inner peace, but, if we spend 15 minutes on meditation and relaxation techniques inner peace can become a possibility. Meditation does not just mean sitting still for 30 minutes; in meditation we seek to experience a state of consciousness which is flooded with inner peace. To experience this inner peace we cannot allow any thought to enter into our mind. True inner peace occurs when we can transcend the world of thoughts.

“You cannot buy peace; you must know how to manufacture it within, in the stillness of your daily practises in meditation.”- Paramahansa Yogananda

5. Be immune to Flattery and CriticismIf we depend on the opinions and praise of other people, we can never have inner peace. Criticism and flattery are two sides of the same coin. They are both the judgements of others. However, we should not allow ourselves to be affected by either. When we do, we feed the ego. We should learn to have confidence in ourselves. This does not mean we will love ourselves in an egotistical way, it means we value our real self and have belief in the good qualities that are part of everyone.

6. Be Active selflessly
Inner peace does not mean that we have to live a life of a hermit. Inner peace, can be felt amidst dynamic activity. But, this action should be done with selfless motives. When we serve others we forget our sense of self, and it is when we forget our limited self that we can have inner peace.

7. Avoid Criticising Others
If we want inner peace, we should feel that our inner peace depends on the well being of others. If we are indifferent to the feelings of others, then it is impossible to have inner peace for ourselves. What we give out comes back. If you offer a peaceful attitude to others this is what we will see return.

Shared by: Seven Simple Step to Inner Peace

http://www.srichinmoybio.co.uk