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Archive for January, 2011

Three Steps To Living Your Priorities

January 24th, 2011 by Becky Johnson

While it's effortless to be busy and crank out the tasks on your to-do list, it's a bit more difficult to choose to do the critical things -- to live your life by priorities that you set for yourself.


But living a life of smart priorities is one of the best techniques to turn out to be much more efficient, to make the most of your time and reach your objectives with much less effort. As opposed to running around like a chicken with no head, you'll be able to walk calmly in the proper direction, do much less but be much more powerful in what you do. Some thing you ought to remember, however: priorities aren't what you say they are-they're what you really do. So take a moment to reflect on how you spend your time, what your priorities have been lately, until now. And reflect on regardless of whether those are the priorities you would like to live. If not, let's look at tips on how to change the situation-as merely as possible.

Three Big Mistakes


Most people make one of three mistakes when it comes to setting priorities:


1. They do not believe about it. Folks frequently do their work and live their lives without consciously setting priorities. They're showing their priorities via their actions, but they're not consciously set. As a result, they end up living lives and performing work they do not truly want. They fall into a life they don't want rather than designing the life they want.


2. They make it too complex. Some people do set priorities, but they do so with complex systems of numbers and letters. "A1" is given to top priorities, then "A2" to the next level, down to "B1" and "C2" and so forth. The truth is, it is possible to only truly have a couple of real priorities at a time. Should you feel you've got numerous priorities, you are not being realistic -- you'll end up putting a couple of those "priorities" on the backburner -- which indicates they weren't priorities in the very first location.


3. They don't live their priorities. It's one thing to set priorities, it is an additional to live them. What you truly do, how you live your life, reveals your actual priorities. Your priorities are what you live, not what you put on paper. Usually individuals say their priorities are one thing, but their lives show those "priorities" are given extremely little actual time.


How to Set and Live Priorities


To live a life of conscious priorities, avoid the above mistakes with Three straightforward solutions:


1. Consciously set priorities. Take time nowadays, or sometime this week, to sit down and figure out what you would like your priorities to be -- at work and in life. What's most important to you? What goals are most crucial? What do you want your life to look like? Who is most crucial? Reflect on these, then write down your top priorities.


2. Maintain them basic and focused. When setting your priorities, pick just 2-3 to really focus on. In the event you have a longer list, put the others on a "someday" list to focus on later. You can't live a lot more than 2-3 priorities anyway, and in case you keep things easy, it'll enable you to truly focus on these priorities.


3. Live your priorities. Keeping things simple and focused makes it so much less complicated to truly live your priorities. Take time each morning to remind your self of your priorities, and to put them into your schedule. Block off time each day for your top goals or priorities, so your life will in fact reflect the priorities you set.



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How Much Water to Drink A Day

January 7th, 2011 by Becky Johnson

The Importance of Good Hydration

Humans lose water throughout the day via breathing, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. As little as a two percent reduction in hydration begins to impair every physiological function. In order for the body to function optimally, this water needs to be replaced by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water.

Why is water important?  Water plays a crucial role in every physiological function in the body. It helps flush toxins out of vital organs and carries nutrients from food to cells for energy. Water also regulates hormones, body temperature, and the digestive process (preventing constipation). Joints, skin, and internal organs depend on water to function properly.

Proper Hydration .  When someone is properly hydrated, their urine should be clear and relatively odor-free. Dark yellow or cloudy urine is often a sign of dehydration. Another sign of dehydration is thirst. If a person drinks water only when thirsty, he or she may not be drinking enough. Additional signs of dehydration include: dry mouth, headaches, muscle cramps, fatigue, inability to concentrate, dizziness and nausea.

How Much to Drink .  How much water a person needs to drink per day depends on several factors, including exercise, the environment, injury or illness, and pregnancy or breast feeding. In addition, food contributes roughly 20 percent to overall hydration needs. Although specific recommendations vary among organizations, it is generally accepted that if an adult consumes two liters -- or a little more than eight cups -- of water daily in addition to a normal diet, this satisfies hydration needs.

Instances where more water may need to be consumed include before, during, and after exercise, exercising in hot weather, if you are ill or injured, or during pregnancy or breast feeding. Sports drinks that contain sodium and potassium (electrolytes) are generally only necessary when exercising vigorously for an hour or longer.  Beware of the high caloric count in sports drinks. Even drinks that claim to have 10 calories per serving often have two to three servings per bottle.

While caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea and soda do count towards hydration, water is still the best choice because it is stimulant and calorie free.

Ways to Increase Daily Water Intake

  • Carry a large water bottle and drink from it throughout the day.
  • Drink a full glass of water with each meal or snack.
  • Drink a full glass of water whenever taking medication.
  • Drink water before, during and after exercise.
  • Add a slice of lemon, lime or a handful of raspberries to water to add a little flavor.
  • When drinking alcohol, alternate every alcoholic beverage with a glass of sparkling water.
  • When drinking juice, fill half of the glass with juice and top it off with water.

 Cleaner, healthier water and a cleaner healthier planet, we can all drink to that. All you need to get started.