Most people I know here in the U.S. are focused on the coming holidays. Everywhere you turn the music, the decorations, and the celebrations are overlapping with festivities. It’s very easy to get swept up in cramming the calendar with every possible event and trying to do it all. It’s also tempting to compare one’s experience with the past, or the other people we see on Facebook. Or how about those Christmas movies where every relationship drama is resolved in less than two hours so that everyone is happy and in love by the end of the movie? That’s why it is SMART to remember that our expectations can either provide us with a wonderful experience—OR—they can make us miserable. Like so many things, if we stay conscious and aware we can choose to embrace the best and let go of the rest. [Read more…]
How Habits Can Change Your Life For The Better
Most of us will admit to having a habit or two. Some may even admit to having quite a few. It is the rare individual that will admit that more than 40% of their daily actions are habitual—but that’s true according to Charles Duhigg in his book “The Power of Habit—Why We Do What We Do In Life & Business.” Like it or not, as humans we are creatures of habit. However, whether those habits are good or bad—and whether those habits are completely unconscious or purposely planned is largely within our control. In fact, learning what habits are and how they are created is an important step in creating a SMART life. [Read more…]