1. Challenge yourself on the 'must' and 'should' haves rather than the 'could' haves. As a working mum it is too easy to pile on the pressure to do absolutely everything and do it all perfectly. When writing your lists really challenge yourself if it absolutely has to be done , a 'must' ,or if it ought to be done, a 'should' , these can be put off until tomorrow. Or a 'could', those tasks that may make you feel really virtuous like hand baking cookies with handmade labels for your child's teacher's present, but ask yourself , are your children going to grow up any differently if the 'coulds' don't always happen? The answer is most certainly no.

2. Have a wall calendar. Large and visible to capture everything going on each day, no more surprises.

3. Have a clean out. We are all a little bit guilty of saving things 'just in case they could come in handy' even our wardrobes are filled with things we haven't worn in the last 5 years. How many of us in a new home start off with a 'bits and bobs' draw, for those little items that don't really have a home anywhere else? Now, it is hard to find room for our cutlery as the bits and bobs encroach every available bit of drawer space in the kitchen. Spend a cathartic morning with a charity clothes bag, an ebay sales box and a black bin bag. You will feel a whole lot better for it and you'll save future time not hunting things down.

4. Buy lots of bags and fill them for different occasions. If your kids are still young, you've got to have the changing bag, a must for every eventuality. Then your child will need a bag for the childminder or nursery where they may have different requests - sun screen, lots of clothes for changes, wellies etc! You can try and use the bag for both in an effort to simplify but ultimately you'll end up weighed down and often forgetful of the key items. It is in fact simpler to have a separate bag for each occasion; you can even make up a swim bag, stocked with all you'll need in the way of nappies, clothes and arm bands. "Take two bags into the pool? - Not me". Of course, as your children get older, you need less paraphernalia, but even more patience (but that's another article for another day!)

5. Stay on top of things. It's stating the blinkin' obvious, but for working mums stepping over the threshold after a busy day, with the bath and bedtime routine ahead of them, putting the post away is a task that can be put off. All too often, so too, is checking the tyre pressures on the car and checking the oil level. What this ensures is that rather than a five minute task daily or weekly, the filing becomes an entire day's focus and the car will require a 2 hour wait for a tow. Get into the habit of doing things straight away and give your reactive problem solving skills a bit of a break - be assured that the kids are the perfect problem creators for any mum to deal with!

6. Buy a gorgeous notebook. Carry it everywhere for your lists, thoughts and calculations. Working mums often have that light bulb moment remembering about the costume required for the school nativity play costume whilst driving to work or in the middle of a meeting at work. Instead of having to scout for random bits of handbag ragged paper, use your notebook. You will have it as a reference when you can't remember exactly how much you figured a nanny would cost, or that your friend has a birthday tomorrow.

7. Get the kids helping. Make it fun, give them rewards and count to ten when it initially all goes wrong, your patience will one day pay off.

By utilizing these simple tips, you should find your life slightly simpler and easier to run.

The things you do consistently to reach a desired goal are called "action habits.". It's easy to start out with great ambition but we tend to drop the ball and lose momentum somewhere along the journey. Have you ever heard the saying that if it were easy then everybody would be doing it? Well it is true that everybody does the easy part which is to either think about what they want or they even go so far as to take the first step, but as it gets tougher they drop out and go back to things as they were because at least they know what to expect and it does not take any extra effort. People tend to prefer comfort over change.

Is that what you want for yourself, or do you want something better? Do you know that the majority of people feel they are above average and think they work hard? That just isn't true, but it sure is interesting. There are people out in the world today who have made a great name for themselves and are extremely successful. These folks make a living instructing others what to do to reach the same level of success they enjoy; but somehow the success rate of their students is below 10%. Isn't that just crazy!?! These successful people are teaching and sharing the whole truth, it's just that their students and clients aren't fully involved, participating and moving forward with the action steps necessary to make it happen for themselves.

The reason for expressing this bizarre truth is to wake you up to the fact that you could well be one of the people who has an opportunity to reach their potential and yet waits for it to be shown to them. If you want to not only think you are above average but actually be above average then what would you need to do differently? Do you know where to start to begin a journey that will lead you to be all you are capable of being? Remember, it starts with a 100% commitment and then you follow that up with action, what ever it takes, until you are living the results that excited you into motion in the first place!

I wasn't having an affair with anyone and I am sure she wasn't either. Anyway, neither of us had the time any more, that was the problem, time! Then one day, on an odd day, I found time to relax while the house was quiet and empty. She was out shopping and I just decided to do absolutely nothing except chill out and listen to some music. I used to listen to music all the time. In fact, one of the most enjoyable things we used to do together was cuddle up in front of the fire and listen to music, maybe with a glass of wine or two, and kiss and cuddle like teenagers. But that seemed such a long time ago now.

Anyway, I had a look through the dusty music collection and found a few elvis albums. The first track I played was "Heartbreak Hotel" which didn't do much to lighten my mood. The next track was "Love Me Tender" and I could certainly relate to the lyrics of that song. Then I played "Suspicious Minds" and the words of this song really sank home. "We can't go on together, with suspicious minds"!

The more I listened to the songs of Elvis, the more they seemed to have a deep meaning to my present problems. The next song was "Are You Lonesome Tonight" and as I listened, my eyes started stinging, tears welling up inside, I was really getting emotional, which is something I never do, at least not while listening to music. As I sat there playing through my Elvis collections, every one of his songs seemed to be speaking directly to me. I could imagine some of the pain and upset Elvis must have gone through when he lost Priscilla. And as I continued to listen and compare my relationship problems with the problems of Elvis and Priscilla Presley, the next songs that played were "Got a Lot Of Livin' To Do" and "Teddy Bear". It was those last two songs that made me decide there and then to do something to save my relationship with the woman I loved. And yes, I still loved her and I was sure that she still loved me. All we had to do was get our priorities right. So from that day on, I worked fewer hours and spent as much time as possible with the woman I loved. Our relationship was eventually repaired and we rediscovered each other.

All of this because of and thanks to Elvis Presley. Thank you Elvis, thank you for helping me to hang on to my very own Priscilla!

Elvis has not quite left the building! He lives on in our relationship!

Do you remember what you wanted to do for the year 2010?

And now, look back at the last 12 months, did hit it?

The reason you're "here" right now, meaning what you've become or achieved, is because of what you've done for the past 12 months and what you've DECIDED to do in those months.

This awareness is crucial.

If you don't lay down the foundation for your goal setting, you can't take the right steps towards success. Thus, in 2012, you'll be exactly where you have started in 2011. Make sense?

But before you can even consider setting a goal, you must have the Intention first because it's the Intention that will give you the passion to want to have your goal.

By now, do you start to see that your success is like a Domino effect? One thing leads to another thing.

Obviously, success is not just about having money. Success is holistic stuff - you need to have a balance of wealth, health, relationship/love, personal growth and spirituality.

To obtain wealth, ALWAYS remember MPS:

1. (M) Mindset

Most people in the world don't get this. Really. They think that mindset is all about positive thinking. Yeah, there are some people out there who became rich without reading personal improvement books, listen to success audios or attend seminars - but whether they know it or not, they DO HAVE THE SUCCESS MINDSET. Don't you think mastering persistency, overcoming procrastination, creating self-confident and so on are not related to success mindset? Put it this way, having the desire to achieve success or to become successful IS related to mindset. All successful people have that.

2. (P) Platform

You can be all fired up to achieve success but that's not going to happen if you don't know or don't have the vehicle. There are 4 great vehicles you can use - real estate, stocks, internet and business. You pick your choice. So make sure you learn everything you can about your chosen platform. Is Law of Attraction part of a platform? Not really because you really can't "attract" a million dollar by doing nothing, right? LOA is very powerful and it's in the first step of Mindset. You must be aware that it's the platform that you choose that will bring you the million you're attracting.

3. (S) Strategy

Choosing and knowing what platform that you want to use will make you become like one of the many millions of people out there. Don't. You need Strategy. Strategy in this context is about having a step-by-step plan and knowing how to execute the steps that will lead you to achieve success. Where do you get a Strategy? Easy. From the people who are already successful - it could be from the books, audios, seminars, etc of these people or as simply from knowing them as friends.

Last but not least, ponder on this statement:

Every day is "New Year". The fact is, you really don't need a real New Year to start something because you're in control of your own future. When is the best time? Usually, the best time is now.

It's pretty pathetic, actually-- as if you had no control over your ability to remember names. But if you'd like to start remembering names and quit using lame excuses, you can start by taking responsibility for yourself. Find out the real reasons you forget—it's probably not poor memory at all. See if the items below apply to you.

Assess Your Attitude. If tell everyone you can't remember a name after ten minutes, guess what you'll do? You'll forget names after ten minutes. It's called a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you want to start remembering faces and names, you'll have to toss out your handy crutch of "poor memory." Start selling yourself as one of those people who remembers, instead.

So, quit the excuses. No more "I'm terrible with names," or "I've got a poor short-term memory." Giving up excuses, of course, is a risk, since you'll have to take responsibility if you do forget. But think about this. Many people read your excuses differently. They may see you as actually emphasizing your unprofessional behaviour, or habitual rudeness.

Not Paying Attention. If you continually forget names and faces, it may have nothing to do with your memory at all. It's often about paying attention. You're just not focussing your attention on the person you've met. Your focus is on yourself, rather than on them—in fact you're having an inner conversation with yourself. Its things like, "Oops, did I remember to turn off the stove before I left for work?" Or, "Is this outfit too tight? How do I look?" Or, "Did the boss read my report yet?" No wonder you can't remember their name. You haven't even registered the name, let alone stored it in your memory.

The solution? When you meet somebody, take a deep breath and let your worries go. Concentrate completely on this new person so that you can retain information about their name. Focus completely on this new acquaintance.

Drowning in Data. Sometimes it's not your fault when you forget names. It's because you were faced with too much data at one time. Say you are introduced to a special task force with six members. You smile, shake hands, and promptly forget all their names. Don't panic. Rescue yourself by taking the group leader aside a bit later. Ask her to run over the members' names and faces one more time. If you concentrate on this review, it's more likely that you'll remember the names next time you meet.

Living a life of success doesn't need to be difficult, it doesn't take super powers, it just takes knowing what you're doing and the ability to be consistent in doing those things every day without fail.

For most of us, that becomes the problem, forming a new habit, doing the same things every day until it becomes a natural part of our makeup, being discipline enough to create your new world rather than falling back into your old one. If it was easy then everyone would be able to do it, but no it takes determination, courage and will power to enter this new world of success.

Here are 3 simple keys to entering that world of success and changing your outlook and outcomes for good.

Finding Your Path The first step is to find your path to fulfilment - no matter where you live in the world you must get to know yourself better than anyone else. A fundamental aspect of happiness and fulfilment is to be certain about your values and to live by them every day. Once you know who you are, create an inspiring vision for your future that comes from your heart. Really see what your future looks like, feels like and sounds like. The clearer you see it, feel it and hear it the more likely it is to happen. Even if it seems unrealistic, let your vision flow. From your empowering vision you can narrow down what is most important to you - your priorities.

Ask yourself these questions: If you had all the time, money, health and confidence and nothing stood in your way, what would you really want to do with your life? What are 3 biggest priorities this year?

Develop Your Path Now that you have discovered the path you want to be on you need to develop a plan to create that path. What are the actions steps that you need to take to create that life you want and deserve? It's time to create motivating goals. As you start to venture down your path in life you will be challenged by many things. This is where you make the firm decision to be true to yourself, have belief in your own power, faith in others and the universal forces at work.

Ask yourself these questions What are your goals for the next three months? Who will hold you accountable for doing what you say you will?

Maintaining a Fulfilling Life To maintain a life full of success and fulfilment you need to continue to refine your values, beliefs and habits. As you grow they will need to change to reflect the path you want to be on. Maintaining a fulfilling life often means staying educated, being around other successful people and filling your mind with self development books. Once you start living in complete alignment with your values you will feel energized, in flow, and fulfilled. As you realize your potential in your own life, your fulfilment can then come from empowering others along their own unique paths.

Ask yourself these questions: In what ways can you empower others along their chosen paths? When will you take the next step to get the support you need from someone who has skills to move you forward on your journey?

Living life full of happiness, passion, purpose and fulfilment often comes down to you becoming responsible for the changes you want to create and make in your life. As always a great starting point is searching online for other knowledge and education.

From my own crazy emotional roller coaster ride of totally unexpected experiences I have come to realise that raising chickens can bring about human personal development as we struggle to understand their world from the limitations of beliefs and morals we set in our mind of how things should be. They invite us to step out of our limited boundaries into unexplored dimensions and to focus on solutions rather than problems.

Day 1 - Four Lovely Hens

My partner and I collected our four hens and I was so excited as incidentally I had also read four chicken books and knew everything I needed to know about raising chickens. Oh really? After a tiring day watching Lacy, a beautiful blue laced wyandotte bully the other three girls which was very upsetting, but part of the pecking order we got them all tucked up in chicken ranch - good night Ellie, good night Jazz, good night Skye and good night Lacy. We didn't sleep much that night as it was like having four new babies.

Day 2 - Veil Of Death Followed By Warmth Of Summer

Lacy became sick overnight. She had a prolapsed vent, which is rare. We did all we could but sadly she didn't survive. I was gutted and could not get poor Lacy out of my mind for days. We picked another girl for our hens and named her Summer.

A Broody Hen And Mindful Meditation

Ellie loved Summer and Skye loved Jazz. Yes, the perfect family, love, peace and harmony in chicken ranch until Jazz lost the plot, head down wings puffed out screaming buck, buck, buck, buck none stop. Nothing prepares you for a broody hen. Skye was bereft and angry with Jazz for deserting her. We at first did not have a clue what was going on and thought she had gone crazy, as she would not let the other hens come near her without screaming or bucking. She took to the nest in a big way, neglecting her own health and forgetting to eat or drink, which really worried me. I had to lift her from the nest box to eat and drink much to her resentment as she pecked me to warn me off. So my focus on solutions began. I put an onyx egg under her. Disgusted she kicked it out and stole the other hen`s eggs which were not fertilised. I was advised to cool her down by putting ice cubes under her stomach. I hadn't got any, but I had some frozen sausage, which I wrapped in lots of kitchen roll, while I was waiting for the ice cubes to freeze. Believe me, a broody hen`s tummy is red hot; within an hour she had defrosted the sausage and almost cooked them, so she was actually sitting on sausage and eggs which made me laugh at the time.

A Hen In Peaceful Mindful Meditation And Three Little Chicks

It pained us to watch Jazz sitting on unfertilised eggs with nothing to show at the end, so we got her four fertilised eggs. She was one happy mom to be. She would sit content in mindful meditation for hours at a time which reminded me to practice mindful meditation myself. Three gorgeous chicks appeared three weeks later. We were in love. Jazz was a devoted mom, but the other hens disowned her and her chicks and wouldn't allow them back in the hen house. It broke our hearts when we saw mom and her babes huddled in the earth under the raised hen house, while the other three hens had the house all to themselves. We devised a plan to split the house in two; there was a peaceful compromise in chicken ranch which lasted all of six weeks.

Mother Hen Turns Against Her Chicks

Just like a switch had been switched in her head, Jazz turned on her chicks and viciously chased them like a bull chasing a red flag, as if she was running them out of town. She totally disowned them. We were very sad and cross with her. The two camps had changed. It was the hens against the chicks now and the chicks were not welcome! How crazy is mother hen; she spends six weeks fighting for her right to get her and her chicks into chicken ranch and now she will not let them in. Maybe she is being cruel to be kind to make them independent. Who knows? We have a new dilemma. The chicks are scared so we need to focus on solutions again rather than dwell on our pain. We decide to buy them their own house, which is somewhat smaller than chicken ranch; however we are all as happy as we can be with the compromise. The chicks are growing rapidly and we know this will only be a short term arrangement so we have no idea of the challenges to come.

So What is it Really Like Raising Chickens?

They make you laugh, they make you cry, they educate you and take you out of your own limited way of thinking as a human being, they push you to suspend judgement and to work with what is, instead of what you think should be. They are loving, curious, inquisitive and they push you into challenges where you have to focus on solutions instead of focusing on the problem. They are intelligent, cheeky, stubborn, caring, mischievous for the sheer hell of it and they adore mindful meditation. They bring every human emotion to the surface that you forgot you had. They show their good sides and their dark sides with no shame, they make you realise there is no right or wrong, just difference. They make you love them for whom and what they are.

Conclusion - Lessons To Be Learnt - Focus On Solutions - Mother Nature Knows Best - Practice Mindful Meditation

It was us humans that interfered with nature and thought we knew best for our family of hens by bringing in another hen`s unfertilised eggs so we changed the family dynamics. Is it no surprise we have had so many challenges. We are very good at interfering with nature. We wanted to fix something that didn't need fixing because we could not stand our hens pain of sitting on eggs and having no chicks to show at the end, so we tried to rescue her, but who were we really rescuing? Ourselves of course, as we could not stand our own suffering! The hen would have got over her broody period within three weeks and life would have been back to normal again after her mindful meditation retreat. One thing is for sure, we will stand by our hens and our chicks and we will remember to focus on solutions rather than problems as we continue raising chickens. We will leave mother nature to do what she knows how to do best from now on. We will always try our best but let go of the outcome. Most importantly we will try not to control and manipulate the outcome to avoid our own suffering, which only creates pain in other ways. Suffering is a part of living that none of us can avoid, but mindful meditation helps us to accept what is, without labelling life experiences as good or bad and just accepting them as they are, taking the valuable life lessons being presented to us. Everything in life comes and goes, nothing stays the same. It will be very interesting as one of the chicks is a cock, so watch this space. I really could write a whole book on chicken v human interactions. They have certainly made me take a closer look at my own life for which I thank them.

The heck with imagining though. You want to hit Vegas and make it real. No slot machines for you. Your chances of winning at the slots range from slim to truly pathetic. Likewise at Roulette, where you're basically throwing good money after bad.

You want to play a card game where your skills give you a better chance of winning—where you take some control of your chances of success. And what skills give you a better chance of winning? Your memory skills.

Think about it. Where do the expert gamblers go? They hit the Blackjack table. There, good concentration and memory skills give them a decent chance to beat the House at its own game. And you? If you apply concentration and improve your memory, you've got a chance to win a small fortune!

Train Your Brain for Memory Skills

If you were training for the Olympic triathlon, how would you start your day?

Would you watch TV while munching on potato chips, and playing video games? Probably not. More likely you'd work out in the gym, on the track, in the pool, and cycling. You'd work on general fitness and special triathlon skills. You'd also follow a healthy diet.

Your memory skills work in a similar way. They need constant brain workouts in order to get sharp and stay sharp. Playing cards requires cerebral robustness. Most people aren't born that way—it comes from a deliberate training program. If you decide to improve your memory by undergoing regular brain workouts, the results will show up in your card playing.

To start with, put your brain on a steady program of difficult puzzles and crosswords. Yes, you can actually have fun while you train your brain! Don't settle for the simple puzzles. Tackle those New York Times Sunday crosswords and deadly level Sudoku. The harder the brain workouts, the sharper your brain will become. And, of course, the better your memory will serve you when the other players lay down their cards.

As for diet, research shows that your memory function thrives on certain kinds of brain foods. Sure, you say—you're a sceptic. But it's true. Blueberries sharpen your concentration and intellectual alertness. And you've always heard that fish is brain food. Well, it's true. Research shows that fatty acids like omega-3 optimize brain health. And here's a nutty idea...sunflower seeds and nuts are also super foods for keeping your brain in shape.

Exercise and good food. At first it seems that these two ideas have little to do with memory skills. But give them a try for a while. You'll see the results when you actually learn card-playing memory skills.

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