tmd's Blog

It is hardly a secret that the key to successfully accomplishing one goal after another is staying motivated. There are, of course, tasks which you may not like at all, yet you find motivation to complete even them because you recognize how each particular task serves a greater goal.

How exactly do some of us manage to stay motivated most of the time? Here are just a few ideas you can try:

1) Find the Good Reasons

Anything you do, no matter how simple, has a number of good reasons behind it. Not all the tasks have the good reasons to do them seen at first sight, but if you take just a few moments to analyse them, you will easily spot something good. We also have many tasks which don’t need any reasoning at all - we’ve been doing them for so long that they feel natural.

But if you’re ever stuck with some task you hate and there seems to be no motivation to complete it whatsoever, here’s what you need to do: find your good reasons. They may not be obvious, but stay at it until you see some, as this will bring your motivation back and will help you finish the task.

Some ideas for what a good reason can be:

1. a material reward - quite often, you will get paid for doing something you normally don’t like doing at all

2. personal gain - you will learn something new or will perhaps improve yourself in a certain way

3. a feeling of accomplishment - at least you’ll be able to walk away feeling great about finding the motivation and courage to complete such a tedious task

4. step closer to your bigger goal - even the biggest accomplishments in history have started small and relied on simple and far less pleasant tasks than you might be working on. Every task you complete brings you closer to the ultimate goal, and acknowledging this always feels good.

2) Make it fun

When it comes to motivation, attitude is everything. Different people may have completely opposite feelings towards the same task: some will hate it, others will love it. Why do you think this happens? It’s simple: some of us find ways to make any task interesting and fun to do!

Take sports for example. Visiting your local gym daily for a half-an-hour workout sounds rather boring to many of us. Yet many others love the idea! They like exercising not only because they recognize the good reasons behind it, but simply because it’s fun! At certain time of their daily schedule, they find going to gym to be the best thing to do, simply because nothing else will fit their time and lifestyle so perfectly.

Depending on how you look at it, you can have fun doing just about anything! Just look for ways of having fun, and you’ll find them!

A simple approach is to start working on any task from asking yourself a few questions:

1. How can I enjoy this task?

2. What can I do to make this task fun for myself and possibly for others?

3. How can I make this work the best part of my day?

The answers will pop up momentarily, as long as you learn to have the definite expectation of any task being potentially enjoyable.

Some of you will probably think of a thing or two which are valid exceptions from this statement, like something you always hate doing, no matter how hard you try making it fun. I don’t want to argue - you’re probably right, and that’s why I don’t claim everything to be fun. However, most tasks have a great potential of being enjoyable, and so looking for ways to have fun while working is definitely a good habit to acquire.

3) Take different approach

When something doesn’t feel right, it’s always a good time to take a moment and look at the whole task looking for a different approach.

You may be doing everything correctly and most efficiently, but such an approach isn’t necessarily the most motivating one. Quite often you can find a number of obvious tweaks to your current approach which will both change your experience and open up new possibilities.

That’s why saying “one way or another” is so common: if you really want to accomplish your goal, there is always a away. And most likely, there’s more than one way. If a certain approach doesn’t work for you, find another one, and keep trying until you find the one which will both keep you motivated and get you the desired results.

Some people think that trying a different approach means giving up. They take pride in being really stubborn and refusing to try any other options on their way towards the goal. My opinion on this is that the power of focus is great, but you should be focusing on your goal, and not limiting your options by focusing on just one way to accomplish it it.

4) Recognize your progress

Everything you may be working on can be easily split into smaller parts and stages. For most goals, it is quite natural to split the process of accomplishing them into smaller tasks and milestones. There are a few reasons behind doing this, and one of them is tracking your progress.

We track our progress automatically with most activities. But to stay motivated, you need to recognize your progress, not merely track it.

Here’s how tracking and recognizing your progress is different: tracking is merely taking a note of having reached a certain stage in your process. Recognizing is taking time to look at a bigger picture and realize where exactly you are, and how much more you have left to do.

For example, if you’re going to read a book, always start by going through the contents table. Getting familiar with chapter titles and memorizing their total number will make it easier for you to recognize your progress as you read. Confirming how many pages your book has before starting it is also a good idea.

You see, reading any book you will be automatically looking at page numbers and chapter titles, but without knowing the total number of pages this information will have little meaning.

Somehow, it is in a human nature to always want things to happen at once. Even though we split complex tasks into simpler actions, we don’t quite feel the satisfaction until all is done and the task is fully complete. For many scenarios though, the task is so vast that such an approach will drain all the motivation out of you long before you have a chance to reach your goal. That’s why it is important to always take small steps and recognize the positive different and progress made.

5) Reward Yourself

This is a trick everyone likes: rewarding yourself is always pleasant. I’m happy to confirm that this is also one of the easiest and at the same time most powerful ways to stay motivated!

Feeling down about doing something? Dread the idea of working on some task? Hate the whole idea of working? You’re not alone in that, I’m telling you!

Right from the beginning, agree on some deliverables which will justify yourself getting rewarded. As soon as you get one of the agreed results, take time to reward yourself in some way.

For some tasks, just taking a break and relaxing for a few minutes will do. For others, you may want to get a fresh cup of coffee and even treat yourself to a dessert. For even bigger and more demanding tasks, you may want to reward yourself by doing something even more enjoyable, like going to a cinema or taking a trip to some place nice, or even buying yourself something.

Your progress may not seem to others like anything worth celebrating - but take time and do it anyway! It is your task and your reward, so any ways to stay motivated are good. The more you reward yourself for the honestly made progress, the more motivated you will feel about reaching new milestones, thus finally accomplishing your goal.

Mix and match

Now that you have these five ways of staying motivated, it is a good moment to give you the key to them all: mix and match! Pick one of the advices and apply it to your situation. If it doesn’t work, or if you simply want to get even more motivation, try another advice right way. Mix different approaches and match them to your task for best results.

Just think about it: finding good reasons to work on your task is bound to help you feel a bit better. Identifying ways to make it fun will help you enjoy the task even more. Finally, if you then plan a few points for easier tracking of your progress and on top of that agree on rewarding yourself as you go - this will make you feel most motivated about anything you have to work through.

The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers.

Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826)

"He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything." -Arabian Proverb]

1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that's great when you're up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Thought for the day: Cha, Cha, Cha…. Then do it!

2. Cut Fat
Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!’

3. Quit Smoking
The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we've seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or 'tough guy' stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette…. the next one.

4. Reduce Stress
Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.

5. Protect Yourself from Pollution
If you can't live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent. Thought for the day: 'Smoke gets in your eyes'…and your mouth, and your nose and your lungs as do pollutants….hum the tune daily.

6. Wear Your Seat Belt
Statistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.

7. Floss Your Teeth
Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don't? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body's boss.

8. Avoid Excessive Drinking
While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day (two for men) can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. Thought for the day: A jug of wine should last a long time.

9. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook
There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can't be unhappy when you're smiling or singing.

10. Choose Your Parents Well
The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn't mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you. Thought for the day: Follow these basic tips for healthy living and you can better control your own destiny.

http://www.health-fitness-tips.com/features/10-essential-health-tips.htm

Unless you're already independently wealthy, you should no doubt be concerned with the financing of your future retirement years. Prudence suggests that you should be investing in a 401(k) plan if your employer offers it, or you should be putting money away in an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). You certainly should not be trusting only Social Security to fund your latter years. Given the choice, 401(k)s do seem to have a number of advantages over traditional IRAs.

Although both programs have government-mandated limits on the amounts of pre-tax dollars that can be placed in them per year, the maximum for the 401(k) is considerably higher. For 2006 you can put up to $15,000 into your 401(k) tax-deferred. (This, however, does not take into account any employer-imposed contribution limits. For instance, if your yearly salary is $50,000 and your employer limits your 401(k) contribution to 10 percent of that salary, then your maximum allowable contribution would be $5,000.) This amount is adjusted periodically for inflation; for 2007 and 2008 you can invest a maximum of $15,500 each year. For 2006 and 2007, IRA contribution limits are $4,000; it jumps to $5,000 for 2008.

Many employers make matching contributions to their employee's 401(k) accounts, typically as much as 50 cents on the dollar for up to 6 percent of the employee's salary. Some are even more generous. That amounts to free money being deposited and compounding in your retirement fund. It doesn't get much better than free cash.

Another advantage is that you can generally borrow money from your 401(k) without penalty (as long as you pay it back, of course). You can't borrow from an IRA.

Under certain circumstances, you can withdraw money from your 401(k) before you reach age 59½; for instance, if you need it to pay medical bills. To qualify, the expenses would have to be tax-deductible; in other words, they must exceed 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income. You can also make early withdrawals of 401(k) funds if you become disabled.

Additionally, some mutual funds that normally charge a load (or, sales fee) may forego the charge when you invest through a 401(k) plan.

Many people incorrectly think that there are major differences between the deductibility of a 401(k) plan and an IRA. With a 401(k) plan, the money is automatically taken out of your paycheck and put your retirement plan, thereby reducing the taxable income that's reported on your W-2. With an IRA, you declare the amount of the contribution on your Form 1040 and the corresponding amount is subtracted from your taxable income. There's no real difference.

However, traditional IRAs have some advantages, as well. Currently, you probably have a far wider variety of investment choices with IRAs than with a 401(k). Many 401(k) plans allow for very limited choices.

Also, with IRAs you can open and close positions in different investments quite readily. With a 401(k) plan, your ability to switch your investments may be limited; for example, some plans may only let you make changes once every three months or so.

Make sure that your retirement plan meets your needs and provides a good opportunity for you to reach your goals. If you haven't undertaken a retirement plan as of yet, the clock is ticking. Every day that you're not working toward your future nest egg will make it that much more difficult to build a solid financial future for your golden years. Take advantage of the opportunities that are available to you.

http://www.finweb.com/financial-planning/401k-vs-ira-which-is-better.html

Anyone can start a new topic. I encourage everyone to try it. :)

All you have to do is hit “start a new topic” under any topic and it will start a new discussion for everyone to post in. If you have questions please let us know as we want this to be easy for everyone!

Also, if you would like new topics to discuss please let me know and I can add them. Topics are the major links we click on for example I just added the “7 habits of highly effective people” so we can begin to discuss it.

Hello Ladies! TMD Women's Group Meetings are held every other Tuesday at Barnes & Noble - Natomas, which is located off I-80 and Truxel. The following are the remaining 2008 meeting dates:

11/25/08
12/09/08
12/23/08

If you have any questions or would like additional information, please feel free to email teamsmakedreams@gmail.com. We look forward to connecting with you at the meetings!

so Add a picture so people can see more of your personality

The purchase of a home is a major financial commitment. While it is a decision that should always be made with care, the weak real estate market means you should exercise even more caution. Don't let the excitement of looking for your dream home prevent you from following these tips:

•Set an upper limit for your home's purchase price and don't exceed it. Before you start looking, carefully analyze your expenses and decide how much you can afford to pay for a home. An often-cited guideline indicates that your mortgage payment, insurance, and property taxes should not exceed 28% of your gross income. While lenders recently allowed up to 40% of gross income to be spent on housing costs, you will likely find more lenders are going back to traditional guidelines. However, make sure that you are comfortable with the mortgage payment. Don't raise the limit as you look at houses, thinking you can reduce your living expenses to cover the difference. It's very difficult to change your spending habits.

•Consider how your down payment will impact your home's financing. A lower down payment makes it easier to purchase a home, but also increases the size of your mortgage. While in the recent past you could get by with no down payment, more and more lenders are now requiring a sizable down payment. Expect to put down at least 10% to 20% of the purchase price. With a down payment of 20% or more, you don't have to obtain private mortgage insurance, which typically runs from .25% to 1.25% of your total mortgage amount.

•Familiarize yourself with housing prices in the area. No one likes to purchase a major asset like a home and then find it decreasing in value. However, it is difficult to predict market bottoms, and you may not be able to delay a home purchase until there is clear evidence that the market has bottomed. To protect yourself, get a comparative market analysis to see how much homes have sold for in the recent past. Base your offer to purchase a home on that analysis, even if your offer is substantially below the seller's asking price.

•Choose a home you'll be comfortable living in for several years. When home prices are rising rapidly, you can purchase a home, live in it for a couple of years, and then sell it at a profit. With modestly increasing or declining prices, it's difficult to sell at a profit after a couple of years, due to sales commissions and other costs associated with buying and selling a home. Thus, you should purchase a home you'll want to live in for at least five or 10 years. If you know you'll need to move in less than five years, consider renting.

•Sell your current home before buying another home. It is taking longer to sell homes now. If you can't afford mortgage payments on two homes, make sure you sell your current home before purchasing another.

•Consider resale value while you are purchasing. While you may like unusual features, consider how likely other buyers are to want those features. Be cautious of purchasing a home with a much higher selling price than other homes in the area. Homeowners typically want to be surrounded by homes of similar size and value.

•Get a professional inspection. While the home may look like it is in great shape to you, an inspector will check things like the heating and air conditioning systems, plumbing and electrical, roofs, foundation, drainage, garage, and basement.

•Review your options before selecting a mortgage. Now is not the time to look at exotic mortgage options. Consider basic mortgages. Fixed-rate mortgages are typically a good option for homeowners who plan to stay in their home for many years. Adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) are popular with homeowners with rising incomes, those planning to move in a short time, and those who want the short-term cash flow benefits of lower interest rates. If you're not sure which is better, consider a convertible mortgage. These mortgages allow you to switch from an ARM to a fixed rate, from a fixed rate to an ARM, or from the original fixed rate to a lower rate if rates decline.

http://www.financialtopics.com/35085VIEBC.html

what do you think?

1. Have extraordinary purpose
They set their goals high and are always reaching for the top.

2. Are willing to take risks
They have the confidence to step out of their comfort zone to try new ideas or strategies.

3. Participate fully in life
They take part in their organizations, in their families and in their communities.

4. Are energetic
They’re willing to jump in and take things on — and have the mental energy necessary to get it done.

5. Are humble
They’re not afraid to admit they don’t know it all. They’re eager to keep growing.

6. Are committed to life-long learning
They know their stuff and are always in the process of learning more.

7. Possess an attitude of success
They act as if it were impossible for them to fail, as if their success is a done deal.

8. Are persistent — with options
They never give up until they succeed, but they’re willing to try a variety of options to get what they want rather than to keep hitting their head against the same brick wall.

9. Strive for health in all aspects of their lives
They work hard to take care of themselves physically, emotionally, spiritually, intellectually and socially.

10. Rise above adversity
They rise above the small stuff to achieve greatness in their lives.

Above all, be true to yourself, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.--Hardy D. Jackson

The Seven Habits

The chapters are dedicated to each of the habits, which are represented by the following imperatives:

1.Be Proactive. Here, Covey emphasizes the original sense of the term "proactive" as coined by Victor Frankl. You can either be proactive or reactive when it comes to how you respond to certain things. When you are reactive, you blame other people and circumstances for obstacles or problems. Being proactive means taking responsibility for every aspect of your life. Initiative and taking action will then follow. Covey also argues that man is different from other animals in that he has self-consciousness. He has the ability to detach himself and observe his own self; think about his thoughts. He goes on to say how this attribute enables him: It gives him the power not to be affected by his circumstances. Covey talks about stimulus and response. Between stimulus and response, we have the power of free will to choose our response.

2.Begin with the End In Mind. Won' t This chapter is about setting long-term goals based on "true north" principles. Covey recommends formulating a "Personal Mission Statement" to document one's perception of one's own vision in life. He sees visualization as an important tool to develop this. He also deals with organizational vision statements, which he claims to be more effective if developed and supported by all members of an organization rather than prescribed.

3.Put First Things First. Here, Covey describes a framework for prioritizing work that is aimed at short-term goals, at the expense of tasks that appear not to be urgent, but are in fact very important. Delegation is presented as an important part of time management. Successful delegation, according to Covey, focuses on results and benchmarks that are to be agreed upon in advance, rather than prescribed as detailed work plans.

4.Think Win/Win describes an attitude whereby mutually beneficial solutions are sought that satisfy the needs of oneself, or, in the case of a conflict, both parties involved.

5.Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood. Covey warns that giving out advice before having empathetically understood a person and their situation will likely result in rejection of that advice. Thoroughly reading out your own autobiography will decrease the chance of establishing a working communication.

6.Synergize describes a way of working in teams. Apply effective problem solving. Apply collaborative decision making. Value differences. Build on divergent strengths. Leverage creative collaboration. Embrace and leverage innovation. It is put forth that when synergy is pursued as a habit, the result of the teamwork will exceed the sum of what each of the members could have achieved on their own. “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Mathematically this can be written as 1+1=3.

7.Sharpen the saw focuses on balanced self-satisfaction: Regain what Covey calls "production capability" by engaging in carefully selected recreational activities.

I think financial intelligence is something that most people don’t want to talk about because it may mean admitting to yourself that you have a financial problem. I think people would rather sit in the dark sometimes than admit they are having financial problems. I believe the first step to becoming financially healthy is to sit down with your bills and honestly look at what you can afford and what you can cut back on. By doing this I think people could save at least a 100$ a month. The extra money that was originally being wasting could go to a charity of their chose. Just my thoughts 

I think being true to yourself is a lot harder than most people want to admit. All too often I think we forget how important we are because we put other people in front of us. Being true to yourself means standing up for what you believe and not letting other people persuade your thoughts. Don’t get me wrong, this in no way means being closed minded, but I do believe you should hold strong to what you’re true feelings are. My advice to myself today is to put me first and to recognize my true feelings and to not let other people tell me what I am feeling. That’s how I am staying true to myself today. 

With courage you will dare to take risks, have the strength to be compassionate, and the wisdom to be humble. Courage is the foundation of integrity. --Keshavan Nair

Wow that is powerful. Today my motivation is just to make it through the day so i can go home a relax! :) Oh and attend our confrence tonight! *yay*

I agree and with a support team this is 100% achievable because on days where my belief is low someone else will have their belief to give me until i can find mine again. With a team of 5 anything is possible :)

I love this quote Liza. :)

Please tell us about yourself :)

Yes!!!! and all are welcome :)

" Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough."
Og Mandino

What’s your motivation in life?

This forum is to discuss the trials of life, how we can better ourselves and become more aware of our financial options, and how each one of us deals with life situations. Our group is made up of mature and independent women. Some of us have our MBA’s, some of us currently work in a professional setting, and some of us are stay at home mom’s... But, we all have one thing in common: All of us want to be financially free.

Please feel free to start any topic you would like. This forum is to provide support to all women. Our woman’s group believes in feedback and growing so any suggestions you have please let us know. Enjoy and have fun. 

Hello my name is Erin and a group of 5 women who are friends of mine have started a woman's group. we will discuss the trials of life, how we can better ourselves and become more aware of our financial options, and how each one of us deals with life situations. Please feel free to start any type of discussion you would like. :) Enjoy yourself and let others help and support you! :)