Tips for Life – Lifeskills
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Transforming & Celebrating Your Journey?
Twelve Practical, Daily Lifeskill Dimensions
Bonus Lifeskill: Leadership toward Legacy Coaching
These tips for life offer a variety of information and materials to help you bring balance and enjoyment in 12 lifeskill areas impacting your every day routines. Whether at home, work, or play, healthy lifeskills determine the degree of success we experience at living life. You accessing these resources confirms you have accepted disclaimer (see see summary below) and take total responsibility for the use of any tips and other resources offered.
Just click on each lifeskill area or those of most interest to you. Start utilizing these practical free resources and materials. May these resources help you seek, reach, and achieve all you desire in your personal and professional life.
| Relationships/ Core Values | In 2004, a significant study was done on the state of marriage in our nation. You can access this report, Marriage on the Public Policy Agenda: What do Policy Makers Need to Know from Research? by clicking title; then scroll down to access the pdf. |
| Marriage is making a comeback! Key indicators (eg. divorce, unwed childbirth, teen pregnancy) have stopped moving in the negative for the first time in decades. Read this editorial: A renaissance for marriage, www.washgtontimes.com/functions/print.php?StoryID=20041227-090140-3137r. | |
| Email attachment caution–be careful about opening any attachments or downloading any files, even from friends. Report suspicious activity to the FTC. For any spam that is phishing for information, forward it to spam@uce.gov. Visit www.ftc.gov/spam (1-877-382-4357)and Consumer Sentinel to learn other ways to avoid email scams and deal with deceptive spam. | |
| A Short Course in Human Relations, National Wellness Institute | |
| When is comes to living your core values in all relationships, to PERSEVERE is often the road less traveled. We tend to give up too easily when our comfort zone is threatened. All relationships that last need work and lots of time. So, here is an acronym for this neglected word: Persist Encourage Resolve Sacrifice Edify Vindicate Enthuse Restore Enlighten | |
| Time Management | The average executive today spends approximately 150 hours just looking for lost papers. |
| Successful Time Management happens when you. . . Have a strategic plan and take action. Take on SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-phased). Set a schedule to avoid being over-committed. Set priorities that separate urgent from important. Build in flexibility and quality time to leave room for surprises. Arrange and maintain a user friendly workspace, document files, and phone use. Avoid procrastination. Learn to say “No”, politely of course. Seek, reach, and achieve excellence, not perfection. Take specific time for yourself/family—R&R, personal development | |
| Career/Money Management | Your First Job—Whether you are washing dishes or sales clerk at Walmart, commit 100+% to your first job in order to build key qualities for your next one. There’s a wise biblical proverb that says, “Don’t despise small beginnings.” “FirstJobs.org recently interviewed America’s most successful CEOs, and it is striking how many mentioned the skills they learned on their first jobs as critical to their professional success. Without a first job, there can’t be a second or third.” (JobSlayers, Wall Street Journal, 8/29/2005) |
| Top 10 Steps for Choosing a Career (Shale Paul, Executive Coach, Coachville Resource Center, 1996): • Begin with your values • Identify your skills and talents • Identify your preferences • Experiment • Become broadly literate • In your first job, opt for experience, money second • Aim for a job in which you can become 110% committed • Build your lifestyle around your income, not your expectations • Invest five percent of your time, energy, and money into furthering your career • Be willing to change and adapt | |
| Use a Career Decision Balance Sheet to determine the pro/con of choices once you’ve researched your options. (eg. Option 1: Gains and Losses for myself/family; Approval and Disapproval of myself or others) source:www.careerkeys.com | |
| Before you buy in to the latest get rich quick deal, size up your investment options and potential return on investment (ROI). Seek a trusted financial advisor that isn’t just selling you an annuity insurance policy! Utilize some basic ROI calculators, such as http://fc.standardandpoors.com/evergreen/time. Build a family financial safety net to avoid the downhill run toward bankruptcy and breakup; don’t rely on a lottery win or an inheritance. (The Two-Income Trap: Why Middle Class Mothers and Fathers are Going Broke by Elizabeth Warren. Basic Publishers. 2003) | |
| Six Types of Millionaires; Which One Are You?—Satisfied Savers, Status Chasers, Altruistic Achievers, Secret Succeeders, Disengaged Inheritors and Deal Masters. “Most of the personalities share some positive characteristics: They work hard, live below their means and know how to make their money work for them. On the other hand, some of them are so worried about losing money that it’s a source of daily concern.” (Laura Bruce, Bankrate; The Phoenix Cos. survey) | |
| FINANCIAL WELLNESS COURSE 21st Century Workforce Trends—Check it out (US Dept of Labor, http://stats.bls.gov/opub/working/page1a.htm | |
| Recordkeeping | Office Organizing tips by Barbara Hemphill, Professional Organizer, www.thepapertiger.com (go through her tutorial to gain practical tips) — • “Clutter is postponed decisions.” • You have three related actions in recordkeeping that directly impacts how you use your time—”Make a decision about that piece of paper the first time you look at it.” Her advice: file, act, or throw away. • “The difference between organizing your paper and shuffling it is making decisions.” • “80% of what we keep, we never use, especially if we can’t find it.” • “Often our papers represent strong emotions, fears, hopes, dreams, and good intentions, or hours of hard work.” • “40% of papers in most people’s inbox can be safely tossed . . .If you don’t need it, don’t keep it. . .[for outdated information] Often it’s better to keep track of who has the information rather than keeping it yourself.” • Questions to ask yourself: “Does this piece of paper require any action?; “Would it be difficult for you to get this piece of paper again?; Are there any tax or legal implications?; Can you identify a specific use for this paper?; What is the worst possible scenario if you toss this?” |
| Where ever your office is, the right equipment is essential for successful recordkeeping–eg. desk, computer/printer/software, quality filing cabinets, supply storage, phone, paper shredder, ergonomic chair, appropriate lighting, air circulation, family pictures and art décor. | |
| Housekeeping | Housecleaning Basics— • Make it a family affair, not just wife and mother. Just because Mom is the head female, it doesn’t mean she’s totally responsible for cleaning up your mess and the family abode. Pitch in and do your part. You will have a lot more peace and harmony in the home. Turn on the music, sing/dance as you work! Be creative! |
| • Set up a routine schedule for daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly duties. Use your family calendar. | |
| • Be flexible with who does what and when while staying committed to the routines. Keep children actively involved in learning how to take care of their home (age appropriate task of course). | |
| • Choose cleaning products that support not only a clearer house but a healthier body. Be aware that many of the household products, such as disinfectants and deodorizers, out there are not necessarily good for your lungs, skin, and immune system. Not all germs are bad. | |
| • De-clutter your closets to cupboards; get rid of unnecessary items that collect dust and just don’t fit your home any longer. Envision three boxes in front of you—keep, give away, throw away…and start pitching! • Consider using a air purifier, an electrostatic dust sheet or dust mitt to pick up the dust. • Change out and wash your bed sheets, etc. routinely (particularly when someone in the family has a cold or flu) | |
| • De-clutter your closets to cupboards; get rid of unnecessary items that collect dust and just don’t fit your home any longer. Envision three boxes in front of you—keep, give away, throw away…and start pitching! • Consider using a air purifier, an electrostatic dust sheet or dust mitt to pick up the dust. • Change out and wash your bed sheets, etc. routinely (particularly when someone in the family has a cold or flu) | |
| Home/ Vehicle/ Possessions | The Basics of Home, Yard, Vehicle, Possession Care • Get the whole family involved.If you have children with signs of mechanical ability, begin early to teach them how to maintenance and repair your possessions. Enjoy each other’s company as you work together. |
| • Home care—Place on your family calendar maintenance dates for all appropriate possessions (eg. appliances, a/c, lights, fans, windows, lawnmowers, edgers, exterior walls & lights, roof) | |
| • Yard care—mow, edge, weed, water, trim, fence mending • Vehicle care—routine maintenance (eg. washing/waxing, oil and transmission change, filters, windshield wipers, tire rotation, brake check, exhaust, annual inspection sticker) | |
| Family Healthcare/Wellness | The Basics—Focus: Prevention/Wellness/Longevity • Hygeine—start to routinely wash your hands when you walk into your house before doing anything else. Do the same when out in the community, particularly when dining at a restaurant or friend’s house. People may scoff at you for this routine, but it will considerably reduce the risk from someone’s left over virus or infection. But don’t get paranoid about it. Viruses and bacteria are a basic part of our bodies ecosystem, and many are important for immune function. Just establish a simple routine that you are comfortable with. |
| • Exercise | |
| • Nutrition/Dietary Eating Pattern— Food Pyramid-Univ Michigan Integrative Medicine 5 Basics of Wellness & Nutrition What’s In Your Pantry Pantry Labels & Layout | |
| • Stress Management— Wellness Inventory Program Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory – Check out Wellness Resource Links for helps. | |
| Meals | Don’t Miss Them! Make them Fun for all! |
| Everyone should learn to cook and enjoy sharing good food and good company! Good for your soul and health. Choosing Meals for the Slow & Fast Lane of Life Check out Home & Harvest, Recipes for Healthy Living | |
| Childcare | Charting Parenthood, A Statistical Report of Fathers and Mothers in America, by Child Trends, 2002. This report asks, “How much do we know about the experience of parenting in America today, about the decisions and actions of fathers and mothers, even about the planning (or lack thereof) that precedes conception and childbearing? Where previous efforts have focused largely on the experiences of women and mothers, Charting Parenthood greatly expands our understanding in these areas by bringing men systematically into the picture and offering the best available data that include both men and women, fathers and mothers, for more than 40 indicators of parenting, fertility, and family formation. |
| 21st century parenting choices—Who takes care of the children? Does Mom or Dad stay/work at home or commute? Consider these questions first: • What is primary focus on balancing your family needs and values? • What ages are your children? • Can you really afford to quit? • Does your family budget, your life dreams and goals point in the same direction? • What are your family’s health needs? • Do your additional costs of working outside the home make it still worth it? (eg. child care, home maintenance and cleaning, job clothing needs, transportation, activity choices, tax rate adjustments, purchasing desires). • After comparing the net income from working outside the home to the savings you target while staying at home, which one works for you? If the savings don’t add up to your satisfaction, are you still willing to live with less while staying at home? No regrets? • Consider a home business in the mix tailored to your stay at home priorities. What kind of business fits you and your family? • If you stay at home, how would you stay active intellectually, emotionally, physically?. Consider your homemaking skills, volunteer and community work part of a full résumé until you decide to return to the workplace outside your home. • Can you build that bridge and cross over with confidence? (source: Home by Choice by Dr. Brenda Hunter; Working Women, Workable Lives by Karen Scalf Linamen) | |
| Recreation/Entertainment | Partnership Increases Voices, Spaces and Quality of Play National Recreation & Park Association partners the YMCA of the USA and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education working to advance the Partnership for Play Every Day, a new cross-sector collaboration aimed at increasing the spaces and quality of play for our country’s children and youth. The project engages the public, private and nonprofit sectors in ensuring all American children engage in at least 60 minutes of play every day . . . More . . . Making A Shift: Rails to Trails Conservancy—As the rail-trail movement expands, the rise in gas prices and the incentive to stay healthy are good reasons to get out on the trail. Is Laughter The Best Medicine? Why, For Some, Laughter Is The Best Medicine April 7, 2006, CBS News by R. Morgan Griffin Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD © 2006, WebMD Inc. All rights reserved. Feeling run down? Try laughing more. Some researchers think laughter just might be the best medicine, helping you feel better and putting that spring back in your step. “I believe that if people can get more laughter in their lives, they are a lot better off,” says Steve Wilson, M.A., CSP, a psychologist and laugh therapist. “They might be healthier, too.” But do we really need a prescription? |
| Reflection | Create your own family legacy memories through audio/video stories, legacy boxes containing all the treasured notes, letters, prom flowers, your child’s first drawings, and more. See life skills resources links for helps. |
| Celebration | Celebrate and create poetry together. The American Library Association offers one of many ideas. Try this with your teen: Emotion Poem = Teens can create a poem based on an emotion and their five senses! Have a list of different emotions available to give teens ideas. Overjoyed, disgusted, hatred, love, pity, sorrow, confusion, jubilant, uncertainty, daring, bold, confident, etc…After teens have decided on an emotion, have them describe what that emotion would look like, feel like, taste like, smell like, and sound like.For example: Jubilant = Jubilant looks like the girl in gym class, who never gets picked, when she wins the race. It feels like the butterflies in your stomach when you are on a roller coaster. Jubilant tastes like homemade ice cream on my grandmother’s hot homemade apple pie. Jubilant smells like the morning after a long summer rain. Jubilant sounds like a bunch of small children laughing in a movie theater. |
| Bonus: Leadership toward Legacy | Check out John Maxwell’s classic book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Follow Them and People Will Follow You : The Law of the Lid = Leadership ability determines a person’s level of effectiveness. The Law of Influence = The true measure of leadership is influence—nothing more, nothing less. The Law of Process = Leadership develops daily, not in a day. The Law of Navigation = Anyone can sgteer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course. The Law of E. F. Hutton = When the real leader speaks, people listen. The Law of Solid Ground = Trust is the foundation of leadership. The Law of Respect = People naturally follow leaders stronger than themselves. The Law of Intuition = Leaders evaluate everything with a leadership bias The Law of Magnetism = Who you re is who you attract. The Law of Connection = Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand. The Law of the Inner Circle = A leader’s potential is determined by those closest to him. The Law of Empowerment = Only secure leaders give power to others. The Law of Reproduction = It takes a leader to raise up a leader. The Law of Buy-in = People buy into the leader, then the vision. The Law of Victory = Leaders find a way for the team to win. The Law of the Big Mo = Momentum is a leader’s best friend. The Law of Priorities = Leaders understand that activity is not necessarily accomplishment. The Law of Sacrifice = A leader must give up to go up. The Law of Timing = When to lead is as important as what to do and where to go. The Law of Explosive Growth = To add growth, lead followers—to multiply, lead leaders. The Law of Legacy = A leader’s lasting value is measured by succession. |
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