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Guest post by: Kathryn Watson Become an Author

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I was upstairs when I heard this terrible and very loud clanking sound coming from downstairs. I ran down to see what it was and discovered that it was coming from the laundry room.
Yep! You guessed it! The washing machine was jumping around and trying to walk out the door! I had to stop the machine and rearrange the clothes to re-balance the system.
When my life is off balance I find that I am ineffective and unproductive and much like the washing machine, I feel like running for the door! Keeping your life balanced will save you both time and money. The following nine steps will help to keep you focused and productive by leading you to a balanced life!

1.Live your values

Just like most of you my husband and I are very busy people. We both work and sometimes we come home to tired to cook. So we resort to the good old American standby; takeout. One month it seemed like that was all we were eating and I desperately longed for a home cooked meal. But I certainly didn’t have time to make that happen.

Then I remembered that wonderful little invention—The Crock Pot! Perfect! I could just smell the aroma of a home cooked meal already. I got out my crock pot and dusted it off. Off to the store I went to purchase a roast, carrots, potatoes and all of the fixings for a delicious home cooked pot roast. I could hardly wait until tomorrow!

The next morning I woke a tad bit late. There I was rushing around to get ready and suddenly I remembered the crock pot. I threw my purse and briefcase down on the table and began to pull out all of the ingredients from the refrigerator that needed to go into the pot. I quickly began stuffing in the potatoes, the carrots and all of the other vegetables. I grabbed the roast and tried to stuff it on top of everything but it wouldn’t fit. I pushed and shoved to no avail, it wasn’t going to fit. So I took everything out and began again.

This time I put the roast in first, after all what is a pot roast dinner without the roast? Amazingly I was able to fit all of the vegetables in this time, squeezing them in around the roast.
When you put the important ingredients of your life in first, the people and things you value most, everything else just slides in around them, fitting perfectly.

2.Stay in the present

Multitasking is seen by many in the business world as a badge of honor. Women are quick to point out that they are much better at multitasking than men. Is this a good thing? New studies have shown that multitasking will actually make you about 45% less productive.
Stay in the present. Stop to smell the roses. Enjoy life now! Don’t let life be what happens when you are busy making other plans.

3.Write it down

Whoever told you that you have to remember everything? You can only hold so many thoughts in your mind at one time. Is it really important to remember to pick up the milk on the way home? Write down your list of to-do’s and free your mind for more important tasks.

4.Don’t overload your circuit

My computer is an older version, much like myself. I find that if I have too many windows open on my screen, going back and forth between programs, my computer slows down. It is not as efficient and sometimes it will even crash. When you put too many items on your agenda you will not be as effective and if you stayed focused on one or two priorities.

5.Take Time Just For You

When the oxygen mask comes down in the airplane passengers are advised to put the mask on themselves first. They are no help to others if they do not take care of themselves.
By putting yourself first you are not being selfish but rather you are filling yourself up to allow you to give more back. Schedule some time for yourself every day. Take a walk, journal or listen to music.

6.Jump-start Your Day with Intention and Focus.

Do you know where you are headed? Many people jump out of bed in the morning and hit the floor running without a thought of what they really want out of their day. Begin every day by deliberately setting your intention. Intend to feel happy and productive and you will be amazed at the result. When something happens to change the course of the day you will find that you are able to easily and effortlessly bring your attention to creating that happy and productive day.

7.Un-Clutter Your Life

Take two or three minutes to think about where your life is too cluttered. Do you have physical clutter like a messy desk? Do you volunteer for too many things? Do you have too many projects going on at once? Write these all down on the left side of your page. Now on the right side right down where you could simplify. Turn your paper over and on the left side write down what the positive results will be once you have accomplished these simplifications. Now on the right put down the action you will take and a timeline of when you will action.

8.Develop an Attitude of Gratitude and Feel Your Energy Soar

I heard a speaker tell a story once that really stuck. David, a second grader, was bumped while getting on the school bus and suffered a two inch cut on his cheek. At recess he collided with another boy and lost two teeth. Then while sliding on ice, he fell and broke his wrist. Later at the hospital, his father noticed that David was clutching a quarter in his good hand. David said; I found it on the ground when I fell and this is the first quarter I ever found. This sure is my lucky day! Now that’s what I call gratitude!

9.Celebrate Every Day!

My friend Pamela Grant, a life and career coach, has a wonderful custom that I think everyone should adopt. At the end of the day she and her husband sit down together and tell one another what went right that day. They celebrate! Too often we beat ourselves up at the end of the day, looking and ruminating over what went wrong or what we should have done. Isn’t it so much better to celebrate all of those accomplishments, both small and large, and give ourselves credit for the good in our life?

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