As we go about our lives, we tend to focus in on a few things. The world pushes the message of being laser-focused on goals, in order to get them accomplished. We are also encouraged to block out all distractions, sometimes to the point of neglecting other key responsibilities. I am learning is that flexibility is required and flexibility requires faith. Flexibility requires faith. One reason that we aren’t always flexible, is because we are fearful. We fear not getting it done, if it’s not done now. We fear not having enough time, or not being able to do the things we want to do. Being inflexible is often rooted…

We all have off days. Those days that we’re down, off, or just not at our best. It is unreasonable to expect everyday to be perfect. Life isn’t perfect; we aren’t perfect. When those off days inevitably come, let’s focus our energy on being as positive as possible so that an off day doesn’t turn into an off week, month, or year. When you find yourself having an off day, try these 5 things. 1. Acknowledge it. When you feel off, acknowledge it. Don’t suppress it. Acknowledge that you aren’t feeling your best. Don’t label your day as a bad day, which is negative. Approach it with a more positive…

I am continually learning the importance of focus. One way to define focus is the ability to do what needs to be done- in the midst of distractions. We tend to picture how things will go, plan how we will go about our day; but what happens when unforeseen variables enter the picture? They tend to stop us. If we are going to progress and sustain the progress that God blesses us with, we must learn how to work through distractions. In order to work through distractions, you must spot them. It will be practically impossible to work through distractions if you are unable to identify them. This is where…

Conflict is a part of life. Though many people run from it, there’s no way to avoid it. Instead of dreading it and avoiding it, we must learn healthy ways to deal with it. Effective conflict resolution is key. How do you typically respond to conflict? Consider these 5 tips. 1. Take a moment. One behavior that contributes to the strife is immediate reaction. When in conflict, it is sometimes best to take a moment. Take a moment to gather yourself, calm down, and process the entire situation- not just your perspective. The common suggestion, count to ten, can be vey helpful. It allows you the time to get yourself…

Coming off the Thanksgiving holiday, I can truly say that I was blessed with balance. The normal pace of life tends to be rushed. I constantly feel like I’m on the clock, working to stay on top of things. This break allowed me to not be so tied to the clock, providing me the space to do what mattered to me. We tend to burn out and push ourselves to exhaustion, which is not healthy. I encourage you to begin to seek balance in your day-to-day life. Though our days seem to be maxed out, there are countless ways to change it up. For me, I’m becoming very aware that…

I know the hustle-hustle, laser-focused mentality is running rampant nowadays; but I’m a proponent of having balanced days. Balanced days where the various aspects of our life are tended to, as opposed to neglecting some while laser-focusing on one or others. I do understand that there will be times when we are pressed to work or meet a deadline. I’m not referring to those situations, I’m encouraging us to focus on living balanced days as the norm. The blessing of balanced days is that we’re able to work on and enjoy the various aspects of our life. Not only will we reap the benefits of focusing on the various aspects…

What habits do you have in place? A lack of habits leads to a waste of time. If we are to maximize our time and use it in the best way possible, we must begin to see the importance of habits. I admit that the younger me did not like habits. I used to feel that they made life boring, but oh how my attitude has changed. I’ve grown to understand their importance in my life. Habits save time. Habits save time because they limit the number of things you have to think about in a day. Every day will present us with many decisions to make. Some situations we…

Do you know why many people do not progress in life? It’s not due to ability or intellect, but rather due to their inability to stay focused. Focus is essential to achieve anything worthwhile in this life. If we are going to stay focused, we must begin to better identify our distractors. Many of our distractions are emotional in nature. In order to progress in life, you must learn how to keep calm & stay focused. I encourage you to take some time to ponder this question: What distracts me? The first step in identifying what’s hindering your progress is to identify your distractions. I believe we all have particular…