Blog

The Best Gift To Give – The Gift of Time, NOT Material Possessions!

Post author By LSNstaffwriter
Post date June 15, 2022
Categories In Life Tips

Giving the gift of your time is the most precious thing that you can give. Most people, when they think of what to give someone on a special day, they think of something that you can touch and feel. However, the most valuable gift you can ever give somebody is the gift of your time.

When you think about it, we only have a certain amount of time on this earth. Depending on where you are you at in your stage of life, you might think about it little or quite often.

If you are somebody who is younger this is likely something that doesn’t even cross your mind. On the other hand, if you are creeping into your later years, it might be at the forefront of everything you think about.

Life goes by fast and it can quickly get away from you. Most people think that they will have plenty of time to do what they want in life.

However, this may not be the case if you don’t use it wisely. Your time is valuable, so make sure you protect it and give enough of it it to those who you love.

gift of time — Throughout your life, time is your most valuable asset. Cherish it and make sure to soak up every second!

Why Time is So Valuable

Time is more valuable than any gift, diamond, or luxury item on the planet. There will always be more gifts, more diamonds, and more luxury items manufactured that can be purchased.

However, your time in life is limited. That is why you need to spend it wisely. We all have the same 24 hours in a day.

The way that each of us spend that time is drastically different. However, the one thing we all have in common is that once a day is gone, we can never get it back.

Time is a non-renewable resource that is often taken for granted. Because it doesn’t normally feel like we are running out of it, we take our time for granted.

Often times until a life-changing event impacts us, we spend our time worrying about things we never should. We stress about the next election, about grocery and gas prices, and about what our neighbor thinks of our fresh cut grass.

time is greater than money — Time is more valuable than any gift or luxury. Take the time to give the gift of time to others and they will be forever grateful!

These seemingly large issues that occur in the moment are quickly put into perspective when our time become scarce. As we enter into adulthood, our free time becomes more and more limited.

Jobs, children, marriage, and trying to maintain some sort of social life becomes so much to juggle. However, this is why time is so valuable.

We All Have A Limited Amount Of Time

When you can give the gift of time, you are giving a precious resource. Every moment that we have is a gift.

Since our time is a non-renewable resource, the gift of time is invaluable. When somebody sits down with you only to share their time be grateful. And when you are searching for the perfect gift to give somebody, give them dedicated, uninterrupted time.

The Challenge of Today

In today’s era where there are a multitude of distractions, having somebody’s undivided attention is rare. Cherish it!

Every day we make over 35,000 decisions. Each one of these decisions causes fatigue and takes up time in our lives. Additionally, we have more distractions in our lives than ever before.

Phones cause never ending distractions for us. Try putting them down and spending quality time with your partner!

The value of your time is so much higher because we have less of it. The gift of time is precious because it is so rare to get somebody’s full attention.

If somebody gives you their undivided attention, be sure to be grateful for it. They could have given you a physical gift for you to unwrap, but decided instead that the time spent together was worth giving to you.

Cherish this time and you will be forever grateful.

Make Memories Through the Gift of Time

One of the greatest life lessons to arise out of the 21st-century is generations valuing memories over things.

Through the gift of time, you can make memories that last a lifetime. On the other hand, if you give me a gift, it can break by tomorrow.

Memories stay with you, they bring you joy, and the shared experience brings you closer to each other. The gift of time creates memories. When you spend time with somebody else doing something you love, you make memories.

Sometimes the memories are good, and sometimes they are lessons learned. But at the end of the day, you will never look back and wish you had a fancier car or a bigger diamond ring. Time with friends and family is what you want.

gift of time for adventures — Sharing your time with another person is a great way to make life long memories!

At the end of your life, the only thing you will wish you had is more quality time spent with others. This is why you should spend your time making and sharing memories with those who you love. The time you spend with them means the most.

Throughout different stages in your life, people will come and go. However, the memories will last forever. Cemented in history through the gift of time, you can replay those memories forever.

Make the memories. Go on adventures and try new things. Spend time with those you love. Give the gift of time sitting and chatting with your parents, children, siblings, and friends and reap the benefits before it is too late.

Play the Long Game by Giving the Gift of Time

When it comes to your last days on earth, you are going to want to look back and know you spent them well? How do you want to spend your time? How do you want to give your time?

Giving your time to others is a gift. And receiving quality time from others is a gift that we would all love to have.

Give your time freely to those you love. Material gifts can be much appreciated and well loved. However, if you really want to give somebody something special, give them the gift of your time.

Live Simple Now is a lifestyle website dedicated to helping those looking to Live Their Best Life! Feel free to email us at livesimple@livesimplenow.com with comments, questions, article topics or submissions. We publish two articles each week, 52 weeks a year. Sign up today to follow via email, or follow along on Facebook.

How to Become Self-Reliant – A Guide to Personal Independence

Post author By LSNstaffwriter
Post date June 12, 2022
Categories In Life Tips

The journey to become self-reliant is difficult. Yet, personal independence and self-reliability are admirable traits that many people desire, especially in today’s world.

Wouldn’t it be great to feel empowered to do whatever you want? To be able to know that whatever situation you get yourself in, you can make it out the other side?

That is the power of becoming self-reliant!

self-reliant woman — Only YOU are responsible for becoming self-reliant. It is a personal journey for you to embark on.

Becoming self-reliant isn’t about pushing others out of your life or thinking you are better than others. It is about achieving personal independence, and knowing that you can do whatever you set your mind to!

Confidence, independence, and becoming self-reliant are key characteristics of a strong person. If you want to continue to grow stronger, check out these tips below!

Why Becoming Self-Reliant is Needed

At the start of our lives, everybody grows up relying on others. We cannot survive without the help of others in the first years of our lives. However, as we grow older, we become more and more self-reliant. This beautiful transition characterizes the transition from child to adult.

Unfortunately, not everybody makes it through this transition. Many people still feel the constant need to be helped by others and they never reach personal independence.

When we finally be become self-reliant, we are able to create a better life for ourself, others, and the community. Furthermore, we are able to lessen the burden on others.

Individuals who are completely reliant on others create stress and hardship for the community. Have you ever been a part of a group project where somebody didn’t pull their weight? They slacked off and the rest of the team suffered?

personal independence through tools — Knowing how to handle your tools is a key feature in becoming self-reliant. Pulling your weight is important!

This is exactly what happens in society when people are not self-reliant. The world thrives with people who are self-reliant!

Self-reliant people are able to provide for themselves, they are independent, and they raise the bar for others. Quite simply, they are imperative.

The question then becomes, how do you reach this state?

3 Steps to Become Self-Reliant

Reaching such a sought after state of personal independence is not going to be easy. However, it will definitely be worth it! There is no better feeling in the world than becoming self-reliant. Follow these steps and you will be closer!

1. Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

Change is hard. Self-reliance is hard. It is a long, arduous process that can only be forged through the crucible of life.

Life will throw you curve balls, but we are very good at taking these pitches and turning them into softballs. In life, we constantly are trying to make things easier on ourselves.

We choose the parking spot closest to the grocery store. We hire plumbers for basic house repair. Often times, we cannot even dedicate ourselves to preparing healthy food to eat.

woman cooking food — Being able to make your own food and come up with recipes is an easy way to push your limits!

This must stop! If you want to become self-reliant, then you need to “get comfortable being uncomfortable”. Think of life as a sports game. Players spend months and months training, practicing, and perfecting their craft only for a few minutes of playing time.

On the other hand, often times in life, we spend no time practicing and all the time playing!

Doesn’t this seem backwards? If the best professional athletes in the world spend most of their time practicing getting stronger, shouldn’t you?

However, how do you practice self-reliance? How do you ensure you are marching towards personal independence?

Practice! Practice making yourself uncomfortable. Do hard things. Face your fears. Run head on into adversity! This is how you become self-reliant!

Every time you fear something, you need to jump straight into it. Hate running? Go for a run. Love your warm showers? Try taking a cold shower once a week.

Find opportunities to train yourself to be in uncomfortable situations and you will notice your self-confidence and self-reliance growing.

Unfortunately, practice is not enough. You have to implement the strategies into your “real life”.

2. Do Things on Your Own

Once you have a practice routine in place where you are intentionally making yourself uncomfortable, it is time to turn this skill into something that matters.

A simple way to do this is to branch out and do things on your own. Start with something small such as going to a movie or dinner alone.

become self-reliant by doing things on your own — Being able to fix things around the house will allow you to do things on your own!

However, then you need to up the stakes. Navigate to a new location without a map. Try cooking a meal without a recipe for somebody special. Fix that broken cabinet that you were going to call someone to fix.

All of these things need to be done on your own. No help – just you! What you will quickly notice is the more you do things on your own, the more you will become self-reliant.

Furthermore, your personal independence will only grow when you do things independently. If you can constantly do things on your own, then you will become more self-reliant.

This is the only way! You must force yourself to not rely on others and to just figure it out. The path won’t always be clear, but if you keep moving forward, you will eventually be able to do it.

This is why you practice. You practice for moments like these where “real life” calls for you to be more self-reliant. When these times come, it is game time!

It is your time to shine.

3. Create Challenges for Yourself

Now that you have practice and performed, you need to keep sharpening the saw. Becoming self-reliant is a never ending journey that you can continue to push forward on.

Additionally, one of the best ways to do this is to create challenges for yourself. If you want to reach personal independence, then you need to keep practicing when things get rough.

fixing plumbing for personal independence — Knowing how to fix basic problems around the house will allow you to be more self-reliant.

Here are some great challenges to get you started:

All basic problems that arises in the house within the next 6 months, you have to fix yourself! No hiring contractors or a handyman. Think a clogged drain, installing lighting fixtures, or fixing a running toilet.
Another great challenge is to cook something new for 30 days – without looking at recipes. You have to come up with something new and create it yourself.
Change the oil in your car! This is a life-skill everybody should know, and few do.

If you can create challenges for yourself, you will be on the path to becoming more self-reliant. It is okay if YouTube becomes your best friend while you learn new skills.

Use those free educational resources when you are faced with an obstacle that you don’t know how to fix. Being self-reliant will take you farther in life than anything else.

Use these tips to invest in yourself today!

How Meal Prepping Once a Week Can Save You Money

Post author By LSNstaffwriter
Post date June 8, 2022
Categories In Healthy Living
1 Comment on How Meal Prepping Once a Week Can Save You Money

With grocery bills on the rise, the need to save money on food is at an all-time high. Higher grocery bills and eating out can quickly add up. On the other hand, there is a great trick to save you money! Meal prepping once a week can save you thousands of dollars per year!

Have you ever sat down to compare the price of buying lunch and dinner every day? The costs can quickly add up and drain you of your hard earned cash!

The average meal cost between $8-10 and can add up to over $2000 spent per year! On the other hand, you can purchase a whole week’s worth of food for only $5.50 per meal! By meal prepping, this massive savings will allow you to eat better, feel better, and save money along the way.

What is Meal Prepping?

Meal prepping is the art of setting aside time (usually Sunday), to prepare (prep) your meals for the week.

Cooking in bulk allows you to eat healthy, home-cooked meals every day. This money saving habit will help you put your hard earned dollars back in your pocket.

We all have busy lives, but the difference between those who save money and those that don’t simply comes down to discipline. If you exercise discipline by meal prepping your food for the week you will save money.

Buy healthy foods and make the food yourself. Do not buy lunch out every day and watch your savings grow.

Be amazed by how quickly you will reap the rewards – both financially and physically.

4 Keys to Meal Prepping for HUGE Savings

Saving money by meal prepping only works if you do the grocery shopping right. If you wonder aimlessly around the isles and come in without a plan, you will be sure to spend extra money.

However, if you can follow these steps, you can save plenty of money at the grocery and during your meal prep.

meal prep for energy — Prepping healthy food will have you feeling amazing and energetic! Additionally, you will save money.

1. Come Prepped to Meal Prep

The first step in making sure you are prepped to meal prep is to have the right equipment! Since you will no longer be buying your lunches at work, you need to come prepared.

Here are a few key items you will need!

Tupperware Containers (These ones from Amazon are amazing!)
Baking Sheet
Large Pan
Lunch Bag

This small upfront cost will end up saving you hundreds over time. Think of these purchases as an investment in you!

A healthier you. A happier you. The version of yourself with more money!

Once you have picked up these items, you will be set to start brining your lunches to work. These tools will aid you as your craft your meals and prepare you to meal prep with efficiency!

Use these time saving tools to put you on the fast track to saving money.

2. Eat the Same Foods

While most people want to switch up their meals every day, there are benefits to be gained from eating the same foods every meal. The first meal prepping tip to save money is to prepare yourself to eat the same foods.

Decide on 2-3 meals you want to eat for the week, and prep your food in batches. For clarity, lets run through an example. Say for 1 week you are going to meal prep 12 meals for the week. You decide on the following meals:

First Meal:

Chicken Breast
Sweet Potato
Brussel Sprouts
Carrots
Apple

Second Meal:

Ground Beef
Rice
Red Pepper
Onion
Side Salad

Third Meal:

Chickpea Salad
Goat cheese
Oranges
Olive Oil & Vinegar Dressing

You are going to make 4 servings of each of these, and box them up in food containers. When it comes time to eat them, you will simply heat them up in the microwave! By taking 1-2 hrs on Sunday to prep your meals, you will not have to buy your lunch for the week!

meal prep containers — Buying food in bulk can cut down on cost. However, make sure you pay attention to expiration dates to prevent the food from going bad.

3. Buy Bulk Foods

One of the most tried and true money saving tips for meal prepping is to buy in bulk. Buying in bulk allows you to stock up on foods you eat the most of. However, you need to be aware of expiration dates.

It is great to buy in bulk when you are meal prepping, but if your food goes bad, then you wasted money. Make sure you buy the food you know you are going to eat.

For example, in the scenario meals above, you can make a few bulk food choice options that will help you save money.

First, buy the big bag of potatoes instead of individually picking out potatoes. Often times you can get a deal if you opt for the larger bag.

These big bags of potatoes will often last you 2-3 weeks before going bad. Buy them if you want to save money!

Second, instead of buying the minute rice or 1lb bags, opt for the 5-10lb bags of rice instead. These bags will last you forever and are a better price per oz. When you store it, make sure you seal the bag for freshness or store it in the freezer.

Instead of buying 1lb packets of ground beef, go for the 3lb packages instead. Since you are cooking your food all at once, you will not have to worry about wasting this food.

Lastly, for your chickpea salad buy the 10 pack of canned chickpeas to save money. These will be much cheaper than going with a can here and a can there. Save yourself the headache by stocking up.

Maintain a strong will power and eat your prepped food. On the other hand, don’t be afraid to go out with your coworkers occasionally.

4. Keep a Strong Will

You did it! You have now officially prepped your meals for the week and it comes time for lunch. However, you head to the break room to grab your lunch, and all the sudden your co-worker asks you go to out to lunch… What do you do?

You have already made the noble decision to exercise discipline and prep your meals. And now you have a healthy, cost effective meal sitting in the fridge.

Do you take the easy road and go out with your co-worker? Or do you keep a strong will and eat your prepped meal?

This is a common scenario that plagues many meal preppers. Since you will be in the minority of people who bring your lunch, you will ofter encounter the difficult choice of saying no.

However, your future self will thank you! Your wallet and stomach will thank you.

On the other hand, you do not have to say “no” every single time. It is completely okay to go out with your co-workers to lunch occasionally. In fact, you should go to your workplace gatherings!

But do not make this an everyday occurrence. Once a month is okay, but once a week might be pushing it.

Find the balance that is right for you and your goals.

Meal Prepping for Health and Longevity

Not only does meal prepping save you money, but it gives you the opportunity to eat healthier. Once of the biggest reasons people are overweight is they eat too much and move too little.

It is easy to eat a lot if you are buying lunch every day. When you have to make the tough decision every day to choose healthy food at a restaurant, you are bound to slip up.

However, if you take a couple hours out of your Sunday to meal prep for the week, you will not have to make that choice. Choose foods that make you healthy. Choose foods that are good for you!

For example, enjoy fruits, vegetables, meats, tubers, and a whole host of other natural foods. These will fuel your body and raise your energy levels.

Make the choice – you wont regret it!

Why You NEED a Gratitude Journal – The Key to Happiness

Throughout our journey on earth, we are in a constant search for happiness. We try every trick in the book, when we already have what we need. However, we can all use a tool to help us along our journey. That tool is a gratitude journal.

A wise man once said, “You cannot be in two states of being at the same time.” You cannot be both happy and sad. You cannot be grateful and dissatisfied at the same time.

Using a gratitude journal, you can keep a constant reminder of the things in life that make you happy. By consistently focusing on what you are grateful for, you can begin to see the best in yourself and others.

Check out these tips for why you need a gratitude journal today!

The Art of Gratitude

Gratitude is defined as “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness (Oxford Languages)”. This state of being is globally recognized as one of the key predictors of happiness.

Gratitude creates a mental predisposition to see the good in yourself and others. When you begin to focus on the good in your life, you will quickly shift your state of mind. Control your mind and you will control your happiness!

A gratitude journal forces you to take the time to list the items you are thankful for. By writing out things that make you happy, you force your mindset to lean towards happiness.

This daily discipline creates a ripple effect across all areas of your life. If you want a happier relationship, start focusing on the things your partner does that make you happy. Want to enjoy your work more? Find the good in your everyday job.

This isn’t an excuse to put your head in the sand and ignore what is going on. However, by seeing the light rather than the darkness, you will be closer to achieving ultimate happiness.

Happiness is a funny thing in that it is every fleeting. We chase and chase things, people, situations that we think will make us happy.

When in reality, all we need is within our grasp. Find the good in everything, and it will find it within you.

How to Start a Gratitude Journal

Starting any new practice can be difficult. The new routine is easy to forget and it feels like “another” thing we are adding to our plates.

However, this practice will take you less than 5 minutes a day and will be the most rewarding routine you have ever completed. When you start a gratitude journal you being to pull out emotions and feelings you didn’t know existed.

By intentionally focusing on the good, you being to create momentum that is unstoppable. Positive feelings and emotions set of a chain of events within you that draws more and more positivity.

Imagine a weight is dropped into an out stretched blanket. When the weight hits the blanket and continues to fall, the blanket is attracted towards the weight with rapid force.

Just like the weight, gratitude attracts feelings of happiness, positivity, and fruitfulness.

leather gratitude journal — Get a cheap notebook or invest in a heavy duty leather notebook to begin your gratitude journal adventure.

Step 1: Purchase a Journal

The very first step is to actually purchase a gratitude journal. This can be anything from a $1.25 spiral notebook, to a a fancy leather bound journal. The specifics are up to you.

However, you need something to write on and something to write with. Pen and paper!

These simple tools will allow you to have a natural connect to your thoughts and force you to slow down. While a computer could work, it is too easy to get distracted and takes too little time to complete.

Part of this exercise is to force you to slow down, to reflect, and to look inside yourself. You will be amazed what you see when take some time to focus on your own thoughts.

Step 2: Create Your Routine

The second step in beginning your gratitude journal is to create your routine. You need to find a consistent time and place where you can be alone.

For most people, right when you wake up or before you go to bed are the best options. During these times you can be alone with your thoughts and actually reflect.

Use your mornings to create a routine. Furthermore, take advantage of the uninterrupted time to journal.

As a reminder to yourself, put your journal on top of your phone or alarm clock before you go to sleep at night. This will remind you to do the journal the moment you wake up.

When the alarm clock goes off, roll over and grab your pen and paper. Your routine has started.

Step 3: Use Your Gratitude Journal!

The final step of the process is to actually use your gratitude journal. Here is how it works – every day you grab your pen and notepad and you write 3 things you grateful for.

They can be absolutely anything, or you can make them targeted. If you are struggling in your relationship, try writing 3 things you are grateful for your partner does. If you want to focus on loving your children deeper, use the time to write for them.

However you want to spend the time, just make sure you write each day.

You will simply reflect, then write 3 things you are grateful for. It could also be helpful to date the journal just in case you ever want to look back on it. For example, your journal could look like this:

June 1^st, 2022

I am grateful for the warmth of the sun and the transition into summer
I am grateful for the job I have and the people I get to work with
I am grateful for the health of my family and friends

make your morning routine stick — Additionally, just like your phone & coffee, make your journal a habit.

That is it! Super simple and only takes a few minutes. However, you will notice how you begin looking for things to be grateful for. As you begin to list 3 items every day, you will find patterns in the areas you are grateful.

Look for things to be grateful for and you will find them!

It is Your Turn!

Starting your day out with gratitude is a surefire way to bring positive energy. Additionally, find the routine that works for you and get to writing!

The only way you become a more gracious person is to focus on what brings you joy and happiness. Find the areas of your life that yield you happiness and capture them in your gratitude journal.

It is your turn. Start today. Purchase a journal and get to writing! You won’t regret it.

7 Day Meal Plan – A Healthy Eating Guide

A Healthy 7 Day Meal Plan

Changing your diet to eat healthy foods does not have to be hard, although it does require structure. The best way to get started eating better is to have a meal plan that promotes healthy eating.

Have you ever wanted to eat healthy but didn’t know where to start? Have you tried a diet before but failed?

It is easy to feel defeated when you spend time trying a diet and it doesn’t work out. However, it doesn’t have to be this way.

If you want to live your life eating healthy, then what you need is a meal plan to get you started. Therefore, use this seven day meal plan guide to start you on your journey for healthy eating.

Healthy Eating Habits

People who are successful in eating healthy have a lot in common. In addition, they have similar habits that provide success for healthy eating.

The very first habit of successful healthy eating is to stick to a meal plan (use these money saving tips to save at the grocery!). Almost everybody who eats healthy is eating from a meal plan whether they realize it or not.

While there are several different ways to eat healthy, most meal plans are similar in structure. Although they may have different types of food in the plan, they all focus on consistency.

Furthermore, a meal plan is a basic guide and structure to how you eat in your life. Just like a good fitness routine, a meal plan provides the guard rails for how you should eat if you want to be healthy.

Follow the rules and you will begin to see the results. Although, if you want to see even faster results, be strict on the rules. On the other hand, when you stray away from the guidelines, you will begin to feel sluggish and out of sorts.

Eventually, when you stay on your meal plan for long enough, you will crave the healthy foods you are eating. At first it might be hard, but it gets easier with a little time.

Use your discipline and will power to stick to this meal plan for at least two months. After 60 days you will notice you will have picked up the habits of your own healthy meal plan.

So let’s jump into it!

7 Day Meal Plan Structure

A core tenant of a meal plan is to eat similar foods every day. While you don’t have to eat exactly the same, you should eat the same types of food.

Furthermore, the benefit of eating similar foods is that you can quickly adjust your intake based on your goals.

If you are trying to lose weight, then simply eat less of what you are already eating. On the other hand, if you are trying to gain muscle mass, eat more of what you are already eating.

healthy eating options — Eating a variety of foods allows you to consume the most nutrients and fuel yourself for the day!

Additionally, a healthy eating meal plan should consist of a variety of foods spread across different food groups. Although many diets prevent you from eating certain food groups, you need a healthy balance of carbs, proteins, and fats.

Furthermore, you should fill your diet with a nutrient dense foods that keep your body healthy and running efficiently. Focus on healthy fruits and vegetables to provide you the nutrients you need.

Create Your Macros for Your Meal Plan

As mentioned above, a diet consist of three macro nutrients – protein, fats, and carbs. Below are a few basic rules for how to figure out your macro nutrient breakdown.

Determine Your Caloric Intake

The starting place for determining your macro nutrient breakdown is to understand how many calories you’re taking in. An easy way to do this is to use a calorie tracking app such as MyFitnessPal.

Track everything you eat for a week and then take the average of the calories for each day. This will give you a baseline understanding of how many calories you’re consuming.

For the rest of the examples, we will use a 180lb male and 2500 calories per day as a baseline.

Determine Your Ratios

Once you have figured out your calories, now it is time to choose how many grams of each macro nutrient you will intake for your meal plan.

First, you need to understand how many calories each macro nutrients makes up. Protein and carbs both are 4 calories per 1g. Fats are 9 calories per 1g.

As a rule of thumb for an active individual, here is what you should intake:

Protein – use your bodyweight in lbs to determine how many grams of protein you should consume. For example, using our 180lb male, consume 180g of protein per day.
Fats – for every 1lb of bodyweight, consume 0.3-0.5g of fat per day. Sticking with the same example of a 180lb male, consume 54-90g of fat per day.
Carbs – Then fill in the rest of your calories with carbs. Let’s say we chose to eat 180g (720 calories) of protein and 72g (648 calories) of fat. That would leave us with 283g of carbs (1132 calories) if our goal is to consumer 2500 calories per day.

proteins fats and carbs — Eating a good balance between protein, fats, and carbs will have you feeling stronger and fit!

Pick Your Foods

Now that you know how much to eat, it is time to pick what to eat for your meal plan. The first step is to identify foods that are both healthy and also help meet your nutritional needs.

For example, for your protein intake, stick to lean meats, protein powder, greek yogurt, or tofu.

Secondly, for fats stick to olive oil, nuts, avocados, and seeds.

Lastly, for carbs consume a mix of potatoes, fruits, and grains to fuel your diet.

However, the key here is to find foods you enjoy eating for your meal plan and stick to them!

Additionally, supplement your core foods with leafy greens and assorted vegetables. These will help fill in nutritional needs however, not increase your caloric intake significantly.

A Sample Meal Plan

Now that you have your calories, macros, and foods identified, it is time to eat! Below you will find a sample meal plan to get you started. However, this is just a template. Each person will need to make adjustments to fit their needs and before doing anything, it is important to discuss your dietary plan with your Physician.

For example, if you are a smaller person, decrease the portion sizes to fit your macros. On the other hand, if you are working to gain weight, increase the portions.

Monday Meal Plan

Breakfast

2 eggs
2 slices turkey bacon
1 slice toast
Apple

Lunch

4oz Chicken Breast
Sweet Potato
Broccoli & Asparagus

Snack

Small Handful of Almonds

Dinner

6oz Ground Beef
White Rice
Cooked Spinach & Mushrooms

Late Night Snack

Greek Yogurt
Honey
Mixed Frozen Berries

healthy eating woman — Eating healthy will have you feeling better than you every could have imagined. Stick to the meal plan for 60 days and watch how you feel!

Tuesday Meal Plan

Breakfast

Breakfast Sandwich

2 eggs over easy
Sausage patty
1 slice American cheese
1 slice whole wheat bread

Lunch

6oz Pork Chop
Baked Potato
Cauliflower & Brussel Sprouts

Snack

Orange

Dinner

6oz Flank Steak
Quinoa with Carrots
Side Salad

Late Night Snack

Greek Yogurt
Spoonful of Fresh Jam
Spoonful of Peanut Butter

Wednesday Meal Plan

Breakfast

Protein Shake
Banana

Lunch

6oz Tofu
White Rice
Egg Plant & Black Beans

Snack

Carrots & Hummus

Dinner

6oz Wild Game Meat
Potatoes
Mushrooms
Onions

healthy eating wild game on the meal plan — If you have access to wild game, it is an excellent source of protein and B12!

Late Night Snack

Cottage Cheese
Avocado

Thursday Meal Plan

Breakfast

Oats
Almonds
Blueberries
Chia Seeds

Lunch

Shredded Chicken Tacos

6oz Chicken
Whole Wheat Taco Shell
Brown Rice
Pinto Beans
Salsa

Dinner

Breakfast for Dinner

2 Eggs
2 slices Bacon
Diced Potatoes

Late Night Snack

Protein Smoothie

Protein Powder
Raspberries
Peanut Butter
Greek Yogurt
Orange Juice

Friday Meal Plan

Breakfast

Egg Omlete

3 Eggs
Onion
Pepper
American Cheese
Kiwi on side

Lunch

Chicken Salad

6oz Chicken
Spinach
Kale
Carrots
Oil & Vinegar dressing

Dinner

Meat Loaf
Vegetable Medley

Late Night Snack

Banana & Almond Butter

Saturday Meal Plan

Breakfast

2 Hard Boiled Eggs
Homemade Power Balls

Lunch

6oz Turkey Breast
Spinach
Onion
Avocado
Radish

Dinner

Enjoy a cheat meal out with friends or family!

Late Night Snack

Hummus Plate

Carrots
Cucumber
Celery
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Sunday Meal Plan

Breakfast

Breakfast Bowl

Steel Cut Oats
Black Berries
Chia Seeds
Granola
Greek Yogurt

Lunch

Black Bean Salad

Black Beans
Corn
Salsa
Avocado
Red Onion

Dinner

Big Bowl of Chili
Cheese

Late Night Snack

Enjoy a late night snack of your choice!

For educational purposes only. Therefore, this is not dietary advice. Consult with your physician before making any dietary changes.

How Giving Yourself Alone Time Will Make You a Better Person

In a society where it is often seen as selfish if you take time away from your family, it can feel difficult to set aside alone time for yourself. Although we are expected to constantly give and provide for others, we somehow feel guilty when we want a little time to take care of ourselves.

However, in an effort to become a better person it is one of the most fulfilling things you can do in life. Although often times people believe they need more interaction with others in order to become better and stronger. On the contrary, having more alone time is often more effective in becoming a better you.

If you really think about it, the old philosophy is a losing strategy. You need to have energy, love, and strength to be a better spouse, parent, and friend. The only way you get these things is by first taking care of yourself.

Granting yourself permission of having some time alone will allow you to do these things. Take care of yourself and you will better equipped to help take care of others.

alone time at a lake — Taking time to be alone can be extremely helpful in growing yourself. Make the time for yourself, so you can show up at your best for others.

Time for Take Off!

Have you ever been on an airplane? During the preflight instructions there is a great lesson to be learned about the importance of taking care of yourself. Have you ever thought about this?

When the flight attendant goes through the emergency instructions, they talk about exits, flotation devices, and lastly oxygen. In the event of an emergency, oxygen mask will drop from the overhead compartment.

Per the instructions of the flight attendants, you are supposed to put on your own mask before helping others. When you have oxygen flowing and you are taken care of, then you can help others.

flight attendant oxygen mask — Taking the time to help yourself first is the only way you can take care of others.

The reason for this protocol is quite simple. If you can’t help yourself, you can’t help others. This is why focusing on yourself with alone time is so important.

Alone time is the valuable time when you can take care of your own wants and needs. It is your time to put on your oxygen mask to make sure you are taken care of.

Without it, you cannot become a better person. This precious time is life-giving and allows you to grow in a way that you cannot do when you’re solely focusing on others.

There are times in life that you need to be alone. While this might sound a little scary for some, you will be amazed by how much you will grow if you give yourself the proper amount of alone time.

How to Use Alone Time

While there are many ways you can use your time alone, there are a few things that are best done alone. Growing yourself is difficult. However, if you want to become a better person, you need to make it a priority.

Here are a few ways for you to use your alone time:

1. Self-Reflection

Do you ever stop and think if you are in the right place in life? Have you ever pondered if you were on the right path towards the destination you desire? Do you truly know yourself?

The hardest questions to answer often require the most amount of time spent alone thinking about the answers. Furthermore, they require you to create space and reflect on your life.

self-reflection through alone time — Giving yourself the time to reflect on life’s questions will allow you to better understand yourself.

While these can be difficult thought exercise, they are a part of the most rewarding processes ever. However, you cannot accomplish this without creating space.

Give yourself the alone time you need. Write down questions you have always been curious about, and just think.

Reflect on your values. Discover what you stand for. Uncover if you are putting in the work to get where you want to go in life.

Here are some great questions to ask yourself:

What are my values? Who do I want to be?
What do I want my last job to be? Why?
Am I happy? Why/why not?
Am I being the best spouse I can be? How could I love deeper?
What are 5 things I can do this month to help others?

There are hundreds of other questions you can ask yourself to become a better person. However, you need to give yourself alone time to think about these.

Create space and reflect. You’ll thank yourself later.

2. Personal Development

After you have given yourself time to reflect on life‘s questions, now is the time to create an action plan. You know who you are, what do you want out of life, and how to become a better person.

Now, it is time to put that knowledge to work. You can use alone time to personally develop yourself.

Personal development can mean a wide range of things for people. You can spend the time learning a hobby that you can make money, listen to podcast to expand your mind, or journal to create a stoic mindset.

woman pondering personal development — Use alone time to get better! Feed your mind with positive material and watch your world view grow.

How you spend the time is up to you.

Try to set aside at least one hour a day for alone time.

We all have busy lives. But what separates those who are happy from those who are not is the ability to live a balanced life.

Although you may not think it, you do have time in your day for alone time. You just have to make it a priority and utilize it.

You must find a way every day to work on you. One percent better every day and soon you will see how much better of a person that you become.

Here are a few great ways to find the time to get better.

Use your car rides to work to listen to a podcast.
Set time limits on your social media to ensure you have enough time for you.
Schedule your days to create efficient routines, including penciling in ‘my time’.
If you feel exhausted, take a nap. Getting sufficient rest is quality alone time that can make you a better and more productive person.

Use your time alone to develop new skills and learn new things. Or use that alone time to catch up on recreational reading or some much needed rest that will result in you being more productive when you need to be. When you allow yourself to have alone time, you will become a better person.

3. Physical Exercise

Many people have a goal to lose weight. However, often times you will give the excuse of not having time to work out.

This is where that alone time will make you a better person. Allowing yourself 1 hour a day to go work out, or to even take a walk, will not only make you healthier, but happier as well.

It is a win, win situation.

In a world where anxiety and depression are at an all-time high, one of the best remedies is physical exercise. Physical exertion creates a release of endorphins that boost your mood.

women in cycling club — Allowing yourself time for physical exercise will make a huge impact on your mood both at home and work.

Join a walking group or a fitness club. Alone time doesn’t mean you have to be completely alone when you work out.

On the contrary, it is time that you grant to yourself to do what you want and/or need to do for yourself. Having a walking buddy or being a member of a cycling club can help you become a better person both at work and at home.

Find The Alone Time – Become a Better Person

In conclusion, strive to find alone time in your day. Create space to be alone. Additionally, use this time to reflect. Develop yourself and use it for physical exercise.

Finally, alone time should not be taboo. Make it a priority. Furthermore, put on your oxygen mask first before helping others. When you make time for yourself, you can then become a better person!

How to Eat Healthy At Your Memorial Day Picnic

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service for our country. In order to remember the freedoms that they have given us, many people celebrate with a Memorial Day picnic. However, with all the delicious food on the table, it can be difficult to eat healthy during these times.

Fortunately, there are a few tips and tricks that can help you save on the calories and keep you working towards that summer body that you have always wanted.

Picnics do not need to be an excuse to wildly stray away from your eating healthy goals. You can keep making progress towards them by focusing on the basics, yet still enjoying the day.

However, before we get to the tips on how to eat healthy at your Memorial Day picnic, let’s take a brief look at the reason that you are celebrating.

A Brief History of Memorial Day

As a day of remembrance, Memorial Day is a time to reflect and remember. This day is dedicated to remembering the fallen soldiers who so graciously laid down their lives for us.

Additionally, in the United States we are fortunate enough to have the freedoms we do because of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Memorial Day is used to remember those who have fallen in the cause for freedom.

The start of Memorial Day began in the 19th century during the Civil War. As the bloodiest battle in US history, Americans began to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers.

Originally known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day is now a day where the graves of hundreds of thousands of soldiers are decorated with American flags. Furthermore, it is a day where we bring attention to prisoners of war and soldiers who are missing in action.

We commemorate this by remembering their service and celebrating our freedom. For most Americans this is most often done with Memorial Day activities that include remembrance services, parades, and picnics.

reason for celebrating Memorial Day — Although it is great to celebrate your freedom on this day, always remember what the true reason for the day is.

Eating Healthy at Your Memorial Day Picnic

So as we remember those who allowed us to celebrate our freedom this year, many of us will gather with family and friends for a backyard picnic. And that means that the buffet table will be filled with lots of delicious food items to choose from.

While it can be hard to eat healthy on Memorial Day, it is certainly possible. Summer is the time where we tend to shed the winter pounds, and we should not allow a celebration to completely derail us.

However, do not restrict yourself so deeply during these celebrations that you feel left out or uncomfortable. One day will never make or break your diet. Feel free to exercise the freedom you are given and eat as you would like, but still stay on track.

Check out these tips on how to save some calories at your Memorial Day celebration.

1. Skip the Hotdog or Hamburger Bun

You can almost guarantee that you will find a grill fired up when you attend a Memorial Day picnic. This is the time of year where hotdogs and hamburgers often take center stage.

However, these delicious burgers and dogs are often served on a calorically dense, high carbohydrate bun.

In fact, buns can have as many calories as the hotdog or hamburger themselves. While it is convenient to hold a burger or hotdog within a bun, opt to exclude the bun and you can quickly save on some calories.

lettuce bun to healthy eating — Using lettuce instead of a bun is a great way to reduce calories.

The addition of a bun adds unnecessary calories to your plate. Not to mention, there are times when you may decide to eat both a hot dog and a hamburger which will double the intake of buns.

Therefore, in an effort to save calories but still enjoy the barbecue, skip the bun at your Memorial Day picnic. This simple tip can help you eat healthy and stay aligned with your goals.

Instead, put your hotdog or hamburger on a plate and use the same toppings you normally would. Use a fork and knife to cut up the meat and enjoy the delicious food that your friend or family member grilled for you.

This easy swap will have you feeling great about yourself on your journey to continue to eat healthy.

2. Load Up on Fruits & Veggies

Because this holiday is the unofficial start of summer, another staple of Memorial Day celebrations are fruits and vegetables. You will often find veggie trays and sliced fruit ready to eat at Memorial Day picnics.

If you want to eat healthy, load up on these fruits and veggies instead of baked beans or potato chips.

Veggies provide a nice crunch and a healthy alternative to potato chips. Potato chips are super easy to eat and can quickly rack up the calories.

However, if you opt for veggies, you can still enjoy crunch but with a healthy twist. However, watch out for creamy dipping sauces that can also pack on the calories quickly.

fruit to eat healthy — Fruit is a great alternative to sweets and a healthy alternative.

Ranch dressing and sour cream-based dips are often high in calories and can end up adding more calories than the potato chips that you opted out for.

In addition to the veggies, fruits are a great sweet alternative and leave you feeling great by the end of the Memorial Day picnic. Fruits are packed full of vitamins and minerals and will help fuel you throughout the day.

Again, be aware of the fruit dips that look and taste delicious, but are high in calories and often times carbs.

Pay attention to what is on the table and make the right choice for you. Grab a handful of berries or a few slices of watermelon and enjoy the celebration!

3.Choose a Popsicle Over Ice Cream

As a Memorial Day picnic tradition, you will often see Fire Cracker Popsicles and ice cream being offered for dessert.

These staples are delicious treats to enjoy out in the hot summer sun. Not only do they both help cool you down, but they both taste amazing.

However, if you have the choice, opt for the popsicle. Popsicles only have around 35 cal compared to 300 calories in a scoop of ice cream.

Made of flavored ice, popsicles are a frozen confection that truly hit the spot in the summer. Furthermore, allow yourself to truly enjoy this moment and the taste of a childhood memory.

Popsicles are a great healthy alternative and allow you to still enjoy the day without the worry of adding extra calories. Therefore, this year at your Memorial Day picnic choose the healthier option and eat a popsicle instead of ice cream.

Memorial day remembrance — Take some time to thank those who have served or visit somebody who made the ultimate sacrifice.

More Than a Memorial Day Picnic

At the end of the day, we all should take a moment to realize what this holiday is truly about. While it is great to celebrate with a Memorial Day picnic and parade, it is truly a day of remembrance.

Additionally, there are thousands of people who have given their lives for us to celebrate freely. Take some time remember those who served our country and made the ultimate sacrifice.

Remember to live life to the fullest and embrace every moment, because others have given their lives so we can live ours freely.

How to Prevent Workplace Burnout – 3 Tips to Destress!

Post author By LSNstaffwriter
Post date May 22, 2022
Categories In Get Motivated

Most of our lives will be spent working. If you want to find ultimate happiness then you are going to need to figure out how to prevent workplace burnout. However, follow these helpful tips to destress and you will be on your way to living a happier life.

Almost one third of our lives are spent working. This time we spend in our career is precious because it is the one nonrenewable resource we have.

Time is by far our most valuable asset and spending it at work extremely stressed is not doing you any good. If you want to prevent workplace burnout then try these life-changing tips.

woman who need to destress — Feeling overwhelmed at work? Maybe it is time to try out some tips to destress!

Why We Experience Workplace Burnout

While there are many factors that go into experiencing workplace burnout, there is one main reason that rises to the top. Two people could have vastly different jobs and yet the reason they burn out are likely similar.

The problem with most people’s jobs is that they simply spend so much time doing the same thing over and over again. We wake up every day and the monotonous routine drags on you.

One day you are excited to start a new job and within a year you are already fed up with it. Often times the cause is because we are stuck in a routine.

Furthermore, this routine can break your soul. It robs you of innovation and excitement in your work life. But there are things you can do to prevent workplace burnout!

However, if you use these tips to destress, then you will be on your way to avoid workplace burnout. Try them for yourself and see the change happen with your mindset.

Top 3 Tips to Destress

1. Find a Job You Enjoy

One of the easiest ways to avoid burnout is to find a job that you enjoy. If you enjoy what you do every day, then you will be less likely to get fed up with your job.

However, this is not the easiest thing to do. Life commitments and circumstances can have other plans for you. Fortunately, if you keep working at it you can achieve your dream job.

happiness prevents workplace burnout — Find a job you enjoy and work feels more like play! This is the best scenario to avoid workplace burnout.

Destress by learning new skills, mapping out your career, and working diligently so that you can get closer to finding a job that you actually enjoy.

Additionally, once you find a job that you enjoy you will not need to prevent workplace burnout. While there might be times that you get slightly bored with your career, if you enjoy what you do, you will not be overwhelmed or stressed.

This would be the ideal situation to be in. If you’re never burnt out, then you do not need to follow the rest of these tips.

Unfortunately, the reality is it can take a while to get there. It might take a few years to get to your ideal job. But never stop working.

In the mean time, find one thing that you love about your current job. It may be as simple as taking lunch with a happy coworker. Or asking your boss to attend a conference to learn a new skill.

Do anything you can to get out of that day to day, boring routine. In the mean time, continue to focus on how you can obtain the dream job that you have always wanted.

2. Actually Take Your Vacation Time

In the United States, we have a very industrious nation. Our country prides itself on working hard and long hours.

prevent workplace burnout by taking PTO — If you take one thing from these tips – use your vacation time!

However, this can make it difficult to actually relax. One great perk most companies offer includes paid time off (PTO).

PTO is a great benefit, but it often goes unused. In fact, American employees will only use about half of their PTO per year. This equates to $65.5 billion in lost benefits every year.

There is a stigma within the workplace that you need to be putting in extra hours and not take your vacation.

However, if you want to prevent workplace burnout, then you should take all of your vacation time, every year. Part of your total compensation package is your PTO time.

Most corporate employees have anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks per year available to takeoff. Use this time!

Use your PTO to destress and relax. Take a vacation, explore the world, and come back refreshed and rejuvenated.

Use this time to enjoy yourself, even if it is only for one personal day. Reset your mental health and come back ready to work.

3. Create a Separation Between Work and Life

One of the hardest things to do is to separate work and life. Constant evening emails and notifications bog down our ability to separate these two.

This tip to distress emphasizes the importance of creating a distinct separation between work and life.

destress from work by creating separation — When you separate life and work you can prevent burnout.

There are a few ways to do this. First, do you not answer emails after 6 PM. Hold the standard tight and do not falter.

However, before you use this tip to destress make sure you run it by your boss. Most employers do not have the expectation for you to answer emails at night, even if they send you one.

Ensure your job does not require you to be on call 24/7 and then hold yourself accountable. If you want to prevent workplace burnout then you need to create this separation.

Second, do not work in the same place you spend your leisure time. With hybrid and virtual work becoming more and more prominent, make sure to find an “office” for you to work in.

This could be a spare bedroom, a coffee shop, or even a library. However, do not work in your living room, kitchen or any other spaces that you consider your personal leisure space.

This physical separation will help prevent workplace burnout and is a great tip to help you destress.

Prevent Workplace Burnout for Ultimate Happiness

Happiness in the work place is attainable, but only if you are not overstressed. Being overworked and under-rested is a recipe for workplace burnout. To prevent this, find a job that you love. Work hard at it and reap the rewards of doing what you love.

Find a vacation spot you love and use your paid time off. Use all of it! Finally, create a true separation between your job and your life and you can find happiness.

Keep your family, hobbies, and career in separate parts of your day and you will be smiling all day.

Work can be hard, but with these tips to destress it can be easier.

How to Stay Motivated – 3 Tricks to Accomplish Anything!

Post author By LSNstaffwriter
Post date May 18, 2022
Categories In Get Motivated

Are you struggling to find motivation to get something done? It can be difficult to stay motivated. However, if you want to accomplish anything in life you need to find a way to stay on track.

While it can be difficult to continuously have motivation, when you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, there are a few things you can do to keep your spirits high.

Therefore, if you are looking for ways to stay motivated to knock out those long awaited goals, you’ve come to the right place. With these tips and tricks you’ll be able to finally be able to accomplish what you need to do to reach your goals and dreams.

how to stay motivated — Grab your cup of coffee and get ready to stay motivated!

Why Staying Motivated is Important

Motivation is a key driver of the results in your life. If you want to accomplish something then you need to be motivated.

You need to have a systematic way of keeping your inspiration high and the motivation coming.

Unfortunately, it is very easy to get in the groove of doing the same thing over and over again. A monotonous routine grinds innovation to a halt.

When you feel no motivation, you find it difficult to come up with new ideas and a want to put in the extra effort required.

There are many factors that can cause lack of motivation. Insufficient sleep, unhealthy eating, lack of goals, or too much of a routine can zap motivation from you.

However, these scenarios are quite common and luckily, there are ways to combat them. Check out these three tips on how to stay motivated and accomplish anything.

How to Accomplish Anything!

1. Discipline > Motivation

When most people think of successful people they think that these individuals are extremely motivated. We believe they have special traits and that we cannot be like them.

However, this assumption is often times false. Everybody struggles with staying motivated. At various times everybody wants to have little resistance and take the easy way out.

child proving he can accomplish anything — Showing up even when you do not want to is a skill all of us need to learn in order to reach our goals.

On the other hand, these successful people do possess something different, and that is discipline. Those who are successful exercise an extreme amount of discipline in their lives.

They do not wait for motivation to strike in order to get something done. In fact, they often do more work despite being unmotivated.

Showing up and putting in work is half the battle to staying motivated. Motivation is fleeting and you cannot rely on it solely if you want to do great things in life.

However, if you focus on discipline, you will be rewarded. If you want to stay motivated, stay disciplined.

When you don’t want to go on that evening walk to stay in shape, go anyways. When you are thinking about slipping out of work early to go home and get some rest, stay later.

Discipline is what separates those who succeed versus those who do not.

You see, most people have it backwards. They think you need to have motivation to be disciplined. When in fact, you need discipline to stay motivated.

Unfortunately, it is very easy to get in the groove and do the same thing over and over again. You need to have a systematic way of keeping your inspiration going and act on it. If you are looking for ways to stay motivated, it must first start with discipline.

discover your why — If you are going to accomplish something difficult, you are going to need to know your “why”.

2. Find Your Why

While discipline will get you started, understanding your why will help you stay motivated. When you set out to accomplish something hard you are going to face obstacles. This is what makes the reward so sweet.

However, there will be times where you will want to give up. You will want to quit. On the other hand, if you know why you set this goal for yourself, it will help you stay focused and it will help keep you goinging.

We all start out to accomplish a goal for a reason. That reason could be something superficial such as an award or money, or it could be something deeper.

Rewards such as fame and fortune will only last so long in helping you stay motivated. You can accomplish anything, but you must know your why.

Your why is what keeps you going when you want to give up. It is what helps you fight through the early mornings and late nights.

You’re why is the deepest burning desire you have to do something. Find your why and you will never lack motivation.

Use your why to push you forward when things get tough. Remember the true reason why you started and you will keep going.

Your why could be to provide a better life for your children, to prove those who doubted you they were wrong, or to show yourself what you were capable of.

It may help to put a picture or a note of your why next to your work space so you can visualize it every day. Whatever it is, you need to remember it in order to stay motivated.

woman managing her time — Time management is a skill that is paramount to finding success in your endeavors.

3. The 45/15 Rule

Now that you are showing up every day because of your discipline and you keep going because of your why, you need a plan for day-to-day execution.

You’ve knocked out the hardest things in an effort to stay motivated and it is time to implement a plan.

As you begin to work on something you will realize your motivation drops over time. For most, this happens at around 45 minutes. After 45 minutes of focused work on something, it is time for a break.

This is where the 45/15 Rule comes into play to help you stay motivated. If you want to accomplish anything, then you need to make sure you give yourself the proper rest.

There’s only so much work you can do until you get burnt out. Avoid this by working with great focus for 45 minutes, then take a 15 minute break.

During that 15 minute break you have the freedom to look at your phone, read a book, talk to a friend, or just hang out. The choice is yours.

However, if you want to stay motivated you need to be strict on taking those 15 minutes away. Do not allow this 15 minutes to turn into an hour. Put a hard stop on it by using a timer.

By time boxing your work you will be ready to go again and have the motivation to put in the work. Repeat this process for as many times as it takes to accomplish what you need and you will find your motivation will be high.

Use the 45/15 Rule to your advantage and watch your motivation soar!

Find Your Motivation Within – Stay Motivated for Life!

Motivation is something that is fleeting and hard to maintain. When you have it, do not let it go. Continue to work when motivation strikes, but have a plan for creating it when you feel it lacking.

Use discipline to stay motivated. Show up when you do not feel like it and you will stay motivated. Find your why – the true reason for doing what you do. Search within your soul and dig deeper.

Lastly, implement the 45/15 Rule to help yourself stay motivated every day. Give yourself a mini-break and come back motivated and ready to work.

Stay motivated. Stay disciplined. Continue to get great results!

Top 3 Interview Tips – How YOU Can Land Your Dream Job

Post author By LSNstaffwriter
Post date May 15, 2022
Categories In Get Motivated

When it comes to landing your dream job things can be difficult. Knowing the right things to say and do in an interview can make or break your opportunity. However when you follow these 3 interview tips it will help you stand out as the best candidate for the job.

Although this may sound difficult, there are a few things you can do to set yourself apart from others. If you really want to land that dream job, then you will need to have a game plan before going into the interview.

Follow these simple tips and it will give you that competitive edge of getting your next job!

Are you ready to land your dream job? — Making sure you are prepared for an interview is essential to getting the job. Use these interview tips to land your next position!

Interview Tip #1 – Come Prepared

Now, this might sound like a simple tip, but you would be surprised how many people don’t truly prepare for a job interview. Most of the time when somebody feels nervous, the reason is because they are not prepared.

However, you can combat this by doing your research. If you really want to land your dream job, then you are going to need to spend some time educating yourself on the company. You need to Control What You Can Control and put in some extra effort in order to get the job.

Go to the company website and learn all about their mission, their vision, and values. Find some recent news articles and get an understanding of any current events that are happening within the company.

By understanding what the company stands for and what is currently happening in their industry, you will have a better chance of landing your dream job.

come prepared to the interview — Just like a compass, you need to have something guiding you during your interview. Come in with a plan based on research you’ve done on the company.

Another interview tip to help you come prepared is to message current employees on LinkedIn. Find somebody who is in the department of the job you are trying to get and send them a message.

Ask for a 30 minute conversation and pick their brain to get a better understanding of what the corporate culture is like. Ask questions about what you can expect from management and what you will likely be doing in your role.

You will be surprised how insightful this will be and how willing people are to offer the information. After you’ve compiled all of this information you will be prepared to land that dream job.

Time for the Interview!

You are now prepared for the interview. Now is your time to shine. Come to the interview and just be yourself.

Showcase your experience and be able to talk about the things on your résumé. Be personable. Furthermore, don’t be afraid to stand out by being different than every other candidate that they are interviewing.

If a company is looking to hire you, they are looking to embrace your individuality.

They want to bring you on because they think you can add value. Focus on how you will help the company and give them ideas for how you could bring something to the table.

However, there is one extra action you can take in order to help set yourself apart. If you want to land your dream job you need to ask the most important question.

shaking hands to land your dream job — At the end of the interview, make sure you take the time to ask the MOST important question!

Interview Tip #2 – Ask The Most Important Question

At the end of almost every job interview, the hiring manager will ask you if you have any further questions. Most people will breeze right by this and allow this opportunity to slip by saying ‘I think you have covered it all’.

However, if you want to land your dream job you need to follow this interview tip.

When the hiring manager ask you if you have any questions you should say something along the lines of this, “Is there anything we talked about today or that was on my résumé that would prevent me from being successful in this position?”

This is the most important question you can ask! Asking this question allows you to clear up any doubts they may have in their mind.

Think about it for a second. If something on your résumé is causing the hiring manager angst about offering you the position, this is your moment to clear that up.

Maybe they don’t think you have enough experience. You can now tell them why, even though you don’t have as the required years of experience, you have the right experience to fulfill, and exceed the job requirements.

If you want to land your dream job you need to ask this question. This interview tip will give you the opportunity to stand out.

Furthermore, asking this question will leave you feeling like the manager had no doubts or at least has the opportunity to ask clarifying questions.

After the interview send a thank you card — Although old school, nothing beats a hand written thank you note. Take the time to thank those who took the time to interview you.

Interview Tip #3 – Land Your Dream Job by Sending a Follow Up

You now have made it past the interview stage. You came prepared and asked all the right questions. However, if you want to be sure you land your dream job, you need do one more step, follow up.

Remember back in the day when people used to send hand written thank you notes? You need to do something similar.

Send a follow-up message via email, handwritten note, or phone call to the hiring manager and/or recruiter and thank them for their time. Do this within 2 hours of your completed interview.

Every single person appreciates gratitude. Show your gratitude by reaching out and thanking the people who took the time to learn more about you.

Leverage this time to follow up with anything you think you could’ve said better and possibly provide them with a document you forgot to leave behind.

When you send an immediate, follow up correspondence people will remember you. Hiring managers always remember those who leave an impression both in the actual interview and after.

Be the person who leaves an impression. Leave your mark by sending a message or note right after the interview.

Even something as small as a simple email saying thank you and expressing that you look forward to hearing from them is something that can make a hiring manager smile.

Furthermore, this can put you at the front of their mind. When they go to evaluate candidates, having you at the top of their mind is a good thing. You want them thinking about you.

One of the best ways to do that is through a simple follow up correspondence.

use these interview tips to land your dream job — There is no better feeling than landing your dream job. Use these interview tips to crush your next job opportunity.

Landing Your Dream Job Can Be a Reality

If you want to land your dream job, you have to do things differently. You cannot follow the status quo and you cannot do what everybody else is doing.

Use these interview tips to stand out and finally land your dream job! Come prepared to the interview with a list of questions. At the end of the interview, make sure you ask the most important question. Finally, always make sure you send a follow up correspondence within 2 hours of the end of the interview.

Give these interview tips a try and see what happens! It might just change your life!