Self-defeating habits are thoughts and behaviors that keep us from unlocking our best life. They keep us stuck and frustrated and eventually flood our lives with regret. It’s tricky. After all, we might not even know we’re doing them because we do them automatically without thinking. We feel the effects because they affect our dreams,…

What is happiness? The dictionary says it’s “A state of well-being and contentment.” That’s a good start, but how can you know if you’re happy? What does happiness look like?  Although happiness is in the mind of the “beholder,” you’re probably happy when the following things are true about your life:  Happiness is more than…

What good parent doesn’t want their kids to be happy and successful? But how do we do that, exactly? We compliment and affirm, support them, tell them to chase their dreams, and teach them to live for something bigger than themselves. What else can we do? According to experts, we should teach them how to be…

There’s no way of sugar-coating it. To unlock your best life – to be successful and happy – you must learn how to eliminate self-destructive behaviors and replace them with healthy ones.  Shame Shame can make eliminating self-destructive behaviors challenging.  It’s easy to sink into shame when we mess up. Instead of realizing that we…

They tell us: “You deserve to be happy.” They even say that pursuing happiness is our God-given right.  But is happiness what we want, or is our soul searching for something deeper? The thing about happiness is that it comes and goes.  You can be happy one minute, and the next, you’re down in the…

We need mental toughness today now more than ever, not just to survive but to flourish.  Self-monitoring is a kind of self-awareness that develops mental toughness and resilience.  What is mental toughness? According to Mental Toughness Inc., “Mental toughness is the ability to resist, manage and overcome doubts, worries, concerns and circumstances that prevent you from…

Imagine being fully in charge of your life and reaching a level of personal freedom where you only have yourself to answer to. Imagine dreaming, setting, and achieving goals.  Being independent and practicing personal autonomy is a dream that few people seem to achieve.  But, personal autonomy is more than just focusing on you and…

Time-stealers are everywhere. You can start the day with good intentions but get derailed quickly by disruptions and distractions that drain time and energy. Life is hectic; whether rushing to get the kids to school or yourself to work, you can fall behind fast and play catch up the rest of the day. The day…

It’s been said, “Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.” Procrastinators have learned the habit of delaying something they must do until the last minute or until it’s past due. Sometimes it’s not a big deal and might even be helpful. But it can create anxiety and stress, harming…

Willpower is “the ability to control one’s own actions, emotions, or urges.” And self-control is “restraint exercised over one’s own impulses, emotions, or desires.” Imagine the kind of life you could unlock if you were that person.  Well, you don’t have to imagine because here are ways to strengthen your powers of willpower and self-control.  Willpower Strength…

Avoiding problems is a band-aid approach to handling life’s challenges that makes things worse. According to Christina Smith, LMHC, “Avoidance is a maladaptive coping skill that offers the mind an escape from uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, and/or experiences. It may seem like avoiding discomfort could be helpful, however, it results in never addressing the actual issue….

Some people know what they want and are determined to make it happen no matter what.  They’re ambitious; driven. And will work nights and weekends – even holidays – to achieve their goals, while others are okay with dreaming and drifting, accepting whatever life hands them, and hoping for the best along the way.  Why…