Ways to keep 2024 Resolutions

It is easy to make resolutions, however it may be challenging to keep these resolutions for the year. Here are eight ways to keep 2024 resolutions.

1. Define Specific Goals

Clearly articulate what you want to achieve. Make your resolutions specific and measurable. If you want to lose weight, be specific how much is the weight loss you are targeting at and by when. This could be to lose 75kg to 65kg by June 2024.

2. Break Down Goals                                                                        

Make your goals more tangible by using measurable terms. For instance, instead of   saying "exercise more," specify "exercise for 30 minutes, five times a week."

 3. Establish a Timeline

     Get a table planner and set a realistic schedule for achieving each step. This helps you to stay organised and focused to keep track of your progress.

4. Develop Action Plans

   Outline specific actions for each task. Having a detailed plan makes it easier to take consistent, targeted actions on how you will manage each task. This provides a roadmap to follow.

5. Establish Accountability

    Share your goals with someone who can provide support and hold you accountable. This could be a friend, family member, or a mentor.

6. Celebrate Milestones

  Establish a system for rewarding yourself when reaching milestones. With positive reinforcement, this will boost motivation.

7. Adaptability

    Be flexible and open to adjusting your goals if circumstances change. Life may present unexpected challenges, and being adaptable is key to long-term success.

8. Reflect and Learn

    Set aside time to regularly reflect on your journey.  Find quiet moments to journal your process. Learn from both successes and setbacks. Assess what is working; what needs adjustment; and what you have learned from the journey.

 

When there is a will, there is a way. Stay positive in achieving your resolutions.

Skills Of A Good Content Writer

Being a content writer, you are the voice of the articles which you write. Your work gets published and general real value. Here are five essential skillsets a good content writer needs to have.

1.The Ability to Meet Deadlines

Your clients have deadlines which they have to meet. By delivering high-quality content and submitting on time will show that you are not only professional but also reliable. Good time management is essential to help you realistically determine how many jobs you can accept for the month deliver it on time.

2. Adaptability

Identify the tone and style to fit to the purpose of the piece or the organisation you are writing for. A healthcare article would require medical research and a serious tone. On the other hand, interviews with people can be light-hearted and infused with human stories.

The more styles you can learn and the more quickly you can adapt, the more valuable you will be as a content writer.

3. Communicate

Understand the brief the client gives for the writing project. Listen to what the client hopes to achieve with the published article. If you have a question about the writing assignment, check with the client.

4. Organizational Skills

Be on top of the writing jobs that you have taken. Keep a calendar and know your deadlines. By submitted in a writing project late sends a bad signal to your clients and this usually does not give editors much time to proof read your articles. Prioritise your jobs in order to submit them on time.

5. Multiple Edits

First drafts are rarely perfect. Editing skills require a good eye for details, patience and discipline. You will have check the grammar, spelling, and punctuation and look out for redundant points and overused words.

 

How To Show Empathy

Empathy is the ability to share and understand the feeling of another person. I enjoy the company of good friends, especially those who know how to show empathy and bother to ask how one is doing. I am extremely put off by those who are attention seeking and put down others.

Here are four ways to show empathy :

1. Ask How You Can Help
Empathy is more than just understanding why a person feels a certain way. Empathy is also being able to help someone in whatever way you can.

In a situation when you may be considering how to develop empathy, you can try to put yourself in that person’s shoes or literally ask the persona what you can do to be of assistance.

2. Active Listening
Many people listen to respond in a conversation. They are not fully engaged with the person whom they are having a conversation with. They are either distracted by other matters or lost in their own thoughts.

Active listening requires asking questions and understanding more about a person’s insights and feelings in their circumstance. We can only notice what they are saying, their body language and facial expressions.

3. Be Open 
When we are able to be open and vulnerable, we are able to show our human side. Empathy is a two-way relationship. It is important to show empathy to the other person and it is equally important that they show empathy to you too.

When you are able to share personal experiences, this may allow others to relate to their current struggles. We build trust too with people when we show our vulnerable side. People are more open and we give them the confidence to speak freely.

4. A Different Perspective 
When you are able to see someone as a human being, you are able to see them beyond their appearance, job or actions. We recognise that they have a past that might include struggles and past hurts. When they make mistakes, we remind ourselves, we too make mistakes.

Most of the time we forget that the person we are speaking too is also facing his or her own challenges. When we remind ourselves to be kind to others, adopt a softer connect, we build a closer connection.

4 Ways to Slow Down

In a world filled with much noise and distractions, it can be stressful. At times we spend so much time and energy trying to keep up with daily issues that we hardly have time to sit down to relax. If you find yourself filling anxious or overwhelmed, here are 4 tips to slow down.

1.Take a walk

I enjoy starting the day taking a walk in the park. During this period, I will allocate time in the morning to exercise and be with nature. It is a relaxing feeling, just seeing people do tachi and teenagers playing football. Immersing oneself with the greenery is certainly very therapeutic.

2.Put away your phone

The phone has been my constant source of companion to stay in touch with my friends and staying in touch with news. However when I am in a rush to meet my datelines, I will put my phone away for the day to get things done. The least you could do is to put on silence mode so that there are fewer rings and beeps sounds vying for your attention.

3.Be with people you love

A great way to practice slowing down is to spend time with the people whom you love and being present when you are with them. This helps to remind me what matters most in life. They are my pillars of support. It is easier to step away from some of the busyness when we are focused on spending time with those we love.

4.Listen when talking to someone


When you are having a conversation with someone, try to give your conversation your undivided attention. Instead of responding, try to practice listening to understand. By finding moments of connection and truly listening to the person you are talking to, will enable you to slow down and be more present in your life.

Gratitude

This COVID period has certainly been a daunting period. Projects are either postponed or cancelled. Payments for completed projects are delayed. It is challenging time trying to get in new projects and at times it can be stressful.

One Day At A Time

For me, I just take things one day at a time. Daily I set goals to achieve for the day. This could be pitching to 20 companies each day or touching base with clients and friends. It could also be completing an existing work and adding value to the work that I do.

Being Thankful

There are challenging moments, worrying when is the next writing job, finances and our health. I learn to focus on gratitude. Just being thankful each day for the gift of life and sight, our daily meals, a place to stay and being with our loved ones is something I am truly grateful for. In my quiet moments, I pray and this has given me a sense of peace. Through prayers I find the strength to live each day to the fullest.

The Gift of Friendship

My friends have been my pillar of support in my journey. I cherish each friendship, some dating from school days. I am very blessed to know people through different stages of my life. It is amazing how we are still in touch. Each friend plays an instrumental role especially the closer ones who are there for me through the ups and downs of my life. They cherish me just the way I am.

Be Authentic

People are attracted to authenticity. We want to be around and associated with authentic people as they make us feel safe, respected and comfortable. Here are three techniques that can help you be your most authentic self. 

Be Present

It is easy to be distracted when you are having a conversation with someone. Your mind could be judging the person, thinking of a perfect response to impress someone or recalling the to do list for the day. Do not be surprised when some of us can intuitively sense another person’s focus and presence. Engage others by being more present in your conversations and relationships. Be an active listener, and give people your full attention.

Increase Your Self-Awareness

As we meet new people in various gatherings, engage in work meetings, and spend time with friends, take time to reflect on how that person you met made you feel. Who do you feel most comfortable with? Why are you irritated with that person? Take time to be still and reflect if someone can make you feel that way, how then do you make others feel?

Find Genuine Connections

We all have something in common as we are all humans. Seek to truly understand the people you meet. Be sensitive, ask thoughtful questions, and listen intently. By developing a sincere  understanding of ourselves and the people whom we are with, we are more likely to feel genuine and authentic ourselves.

5 Ways to Stay Resilient

It is said that some of us are have the ability to overcome setbacks with relative ease. This is a trait known as resilience which one can develop over time. People with resilience are more willing to take risks and have a greater sense of control over their lives.

Here are five ways to make yourself more resilient:

1.     Have a Sense of Purpose

Resilient people search for meaning. By developing a “personal why” this helps them have a clear sense of purpose. This allows them to view setback from a macro perspective. To develop resilience, we need to pay attention to our life experiences, listen to our emotions and be willing to celebrate our milestones and learn from our setbacks.

2.     Nurture Relationships 

Resilient people are able maintain strong and supportive relationships, both personal and professional. They usually have one or two people in their lives they can turn to.This pillar of support is instrumental to them through times of crisis.

3.     Master Your Emotions 

Resilient people are optimist. They usually have a positive outlook. They constantly remind themselves the challenges they face in life are temporary. They focus on what they can learn from the experiences.

4.    Take Action

Resilient people do not let themselves get paralyzed by negativity. They face their fears and have an adaptive attitude. Instead they work on solving the problems and think of ways to improve their situation.

5.     Keep Giving

Resilient people find a way to care for others even in the most challenging times. They find ways to support their friends for example publicising their business for them or inspiring the people around them. Sometimes being selfless is the best way to discover your own strength.