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How to Stay Motivated and Reach Your Big Goals in Life

It is hardly a secret that the key to successfully accomplishing one goal after another is staying motivated. There are, of course, tasks which successful people may not like at all, yet they find motivation to complete them because they recognize how each particular task serves a greater goal.

So how to stay motivated most of the time? Here are 5 simple yet effective ways on how to be motivated and get what you want:

1. Find Your Good Reasons

Anything you do, no matter how simple, has a number of good reasons behind it.

You may not be able to find good reasons to do some tasks at first but, if you take just a few moments to analyze them, you will easily spot something good. We also have many tasks which don’t need any reasoning at all – we’ve been doing them for so long that they feel natural.

If you’re ever stuck with some tasks you hate and there seems to be no motivation to complete it whatsoever, here’s what you need to do: find your good reasons.

Even when you set goals, there needs to be reasons behind these goals. They may not be obvious, but stay at it until you see some, as this will bring your motivation back and will help you finish the task.

Some ideas for what a good reason can be:

  • A material reward – quite often, you will get paid for doing something you normally don’t like doing at all.
  • Personal gain – you will learn something new or will perhaps improve yourself in a certain way.
  • A feeling of accomplishment – at least you’ll be able to walk away feeling great about finding the motivation and courage to complete such a tedious task.
  • A step closer to your bigger goal – even the biggest accomplishments in history have started small and relied on simple and far less pleasant tasks than you might be working on. Every task you complete brings you closer to the ultimate goal, and acknowledging this always feels good.

2. Make It Fun

When it comes to motivation, attitude is everything. Different people may have completely opposite feelings towards the same task: some will hate it, others will love it.
Why do you think this happens? It’s simple: some of us find ways to make any task interesting and fun to do!

Take sports for example. Visiting your local gym daily for a half-an-hour workout session sounds rather boring to some. Yet many others love the idea!

They like exercising not only because they recognize the good reasons behind it, but simply because it’s fun! At certain time of their daily schedule, they find going to gym to be the best thing to do, simply because nothing else will fit their time and lifestyle so perfectly.

Depending on how you look at it, you can have fun doing just about anything! Just look for ways of having fun, and you’ll find them!

A simple approach is to start working on any task by asking yourself a few questions:

  • How can I enjoy this task?
  • What can I do to make this task fun for myself and possibly for others?
  • How can I make this work the best part of my day?
  • As long as you learn to have the definite expectation of any task being potentially enjoyable, you will start to feel motivated.

Some of you will probably think of a thing or two which are valid exceptions from this statement, like something you always hate doing no matter how hard you try making it fun. You’re probably right, and that’s why I don’t claim everything to be fun.

However, most tasks have a great potential of being enjoyable, and so looking for ways to have fun while working is definitely a good habit to acquire.

3. Change Your Approach And Don’t Give Up

When something doesn’t feel right, it’s always a good time to take a moment and look for a different approach for the task.

You may be doing everything correctly and most efficiently, but such approach isn’t necessarily the most motivating one. Quite often, you can find a number of obvious tweaks to your current approach which will both change your experience and open up new possibilities.

That’s why saying “one way or another” is so common — if you really want to accomplish your goal, there is always a way; and most likely, there’s more than one way.

If a certain approach doesn’t work for you, find another one, and keep trying until you find the one which will both keep you motivated and get you the desired results.

Some people think that trying a different approach means giving up. They take pride in being really stubborn and refusing to try any other options on their way towards the goal.

My opinion on this is that the power of focus is great, but

you should be focusing on your goal, and not limiting your options by focusing on just one way to accomplish it.

4. Recognize Your Progress

Everything you may be working on can be easily split into smaller parts and stages. For most goals, it is quite natural to split the process of accomplishing them into smaller tasks and milestones. There are a few reasons behind doing this, and one of them is tracking your progress.

We track our progress automatically with most activities. But to stay motivated, you need to recognize your progress, not merely track it.

Here’s how tracking and recognizing your progress is different:

Tracking is merely taking a note of having reached a certain stage in your process. Recognizing is taking time to look at a bigger picture and realize where exactly you are, and how much more you have left to do

For example, if you’re going to read a book, always start by going through the contents table. Getting familiar with chapter titles and memorizing their total number will make it easier for you to recognize your progress as you read. Confirming how many pages your book has before starting it is also a good idea.

You see, reading any book you will be automatically looking at page numbers and chapter titles, but without knowing the total number of pages, this information will have little meaning.

Somehow, it is human nature to always want things to happen in short term or even at once. Even though we split complex tasks into simpler actions, we don’t quite feel the satisfaction until all is done and the task is fully complete.

For many scenarios though, the task is so vast that such approach will drain all the motivation out of you long before you have a chance to reach your goal. That’s why it is important to always take small steps and recognize the positive different and progress made. This is how your motivation can sustain in long term.

5. Reward Yourself

This is a trick everyone likes: rewarding yourself is always pleasant. This is also one of the easiest and at the same time most powerful ways to stay motivated!

Feeling down about doing something? Dread the idea of working on some task? Hate the whole idea of working? You’re not alone.

Right from the beginning, agree on some deliverables which will justify yourself getting rewarded. As soon as you get one of the agreed results, take time to reward yourself in some way.

For some tasks, just taking a break and relaxing for a few minutes will do.

For others, you may want to get a fresh cup of coffee and even treat yourself a dessert.

For even bigger and more demanding tasks, reward yourself by doing something even more enjoyable, like going to a cinema or taking a trip to some place nice, or even buying yourself something.

Your progress may not seem to others like anything worth celebrating but, take time and do it anyway! It is your task and your reward, so any ways to stay motivated are good.

The more you reward yourself for the honestly made progress, the more motivated you will feel about reaching new milestones, thus finally accomplishing your goal.

Mix and Match for the Best Effect!

Now that you have these five ways of staying motivated, it is a good moment to give you the key to them all: mix and match!

Pick one of the techniques and apply it to your situation. If it doesn’t work, or if you simply want to get more motivated, try another technique right away. Mix different approaches and match them to your task for the best results.

Just think about it: Finding good reasons to work on your task is bound to helping you feel better; and identifying ways to make it fun will help you enjoy the task even more.

Or, if you plan a few points for easier tracking of your progress and on top of that, agree on rewarding yourself as you go; this will make you feel most motivated about anything you have to work through.

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Should I Just Do What Is Important First?

We’ve all heard the advice: do the most important task first thing in your day.

It’s fine advice, but oftentimes, it has backfired. Why?

You have to know what’s most important first before you can do it.

Which means you have to be willing to name and own what you want.

Sometimes that’s easy. You want a job. You want to pump up your health. You want to finish your project. You want to keep the kids alive, the bills paid.

You want the insanity about this pandemic to end and people to wear their masks.

And sometimes, you don’t know what you want. Or you do, but you don’t feel “good enough” for what you want. Or you’re just too tired to do anything about it.

Then analysis-paralysis, time monsters, procrastination, and plain old “why bother?” can eat up your days.

Because without desire, it’s difficult to know what’s most important.

But who has any bandwidth for desire these days?

Yet, without it, everything is so dry. So very dry.

We have just transitioned into a new year and it is natural to want to add new challenges and up your game. But it is also not news that there’s a chance you don’t know exactly what you want to do next.

You do what needs to be done but at the end of the day, you feel empty and insufficient.

You know you need to resist doing and spend time being, which sounds like such a cliche, but it’s the bone deep truth.

Yet when you’re frayed and flattened by so many giant global events, who wants to settle? you just want to numb.

It is clearly understood.

But here’s the deal:
Don’t pressure yourself just because you need to do something. Take it easy on yourself and give yourself moments to settle down. Promise yourself to not enact a new idea until you are sure you really want to do it. And not to forget, you know why you’re doing it.

Journalling is a great way to help you keep things in check. It helps you think clear thoughts.

Settling down is a learned skill. We’re social creatures, we have complex lives to tend to, and being quiet with ourselves often takes effort. Nevertheless, who is going to determine your future—Netflix, your boss, your pet, social media, your to-do list, or your deeper desires, values, aspirations, or the full and awakened life calling to you? Settling down is an act of soul resistance, and your life depends on it.

What will never become clear, never grow roots and become real, or never feel truly possible to me if I don’t settle?

I get how hard it is to allow room and time to be so we can listen to what’s next. Even when you have no kids and families to take care of, you agree that it is still hard to settle down and quiet your thoughts sometimes.

But then, it is exactly these moments where we don’t know what we want where we need to listen the most. To journal, to talk, to be still.

The most important thing to do, when you don’t know what you want, is to spend time settling down into the grace of inner stillness. However you wish.

And if all of this makes you want to run screaming from the room, put your hand on your heart and remind yourself allowing desire can trigger your emotional immune system to say, “Threat! Extreme danger! Run away now!” Notice you are okay in this moment. You have enough oxygen to breathe, gravity is holding you to the Earth, and you’re not starving; you’re okay.

Then ask yourself, “What’s one tiny thing I desire right now?” Even if you can’t have it, ask. Be curious for yourself.

Doing what’s most important can become a hustling scam when we don’t connect it back to what we truly care about. Life will always be filled with important stuff to do, people to take care of, the planet to fight for, and yet we can lose our way and fall into emptiness and “blahness” without a relationship to desire.

So before you rush onto the next thing, ask yourself “is this really important to me right now?”

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4 Top Foods For Increasing Breast Size Naturally

The breast can be improved on/increased just by eating these foods making the growth as natural as possible…

The breasts can be made bigger using natural and artificial means (for ladies who prefer to go a size/cup bigger).

A lot of ladies (with small breasts) would love their breasts fuller, rounder and with ample cleavage to show off in some outfit styles!

Using artificial ways including enlargement drugs, lotions and cosmetic surgery usually come with side effects making the natural way through specific exercises and foods the better preferred way to grow the mammary glands.

Here are 5 foods that make your breasts bigger naturally

1. Seafood

Seafood contain Manganese that studies show increase sex hormones that helps with breast growth so including seafood like mussels, prawns, shrimps and even fish amongst others helps the breasts grow naturally.

2. Dairy foods like milk, cheese

They contain natural hormones that are stimulants responsible for developing the female breasts and if you desire fuller bosom then diary foods are best consumed well alongside normal diet to help fill up the area naturally.

Include foods like cheese, butter, yoghurt and milk in your diet increase in breast size.

3. Nuts

Nuts have been fingered as ones to stimulate breast growth. If you want bigger breasts double up on eating seeds and nuts to help stimulate the glands in the area for bigger results.

Nuts as cashew, walnut, sesame and flax seeds are ones to consume for bigger breasts.

Also Read: How to leave a toxic relationship

4. Whole grains

Whole grains are packed full with nutrients that are healthy as well as ones to stimulate the breasts to go bigger. Whole wheat and brown rice should be included in diets for bigger breasts.

5. Vegetables

Leafy greens are also foods to load up on for increased breast size. The upside is they come healthy too so why not?

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The Istrian region in Croatia produces some of the world’s best olive oil, says experts

In just 15 years, Croatia’s Istrian peninsula in the northern Adriatic has become one of the world’s best producers of olive oil, decorated with top industry awards.

Denis Ivosevic from the Istrian Tourist Board said that Some 15 years ago there were practically no producers of bottled olive oil in Istria and there was no expert verification of its quality. Now Istria has become a region where guests come also because they know what kind of olive oil they can buy.

Manuel Grubic, the owner of an olive oil mill in the town of Bale, said the quality of the oil is based on the work of small family producers. He revealed that the olive harvest is done manually, they are processed immediately and the quantity produced is relatively small.

Miroslav Pliso, a lawyer who started his small olive oil business some 20 years ago, said that a focus on quality production and the industry awards had put Istria on the map with tourists seeking good local gastronomy. The price of the oil is quite high in comparison to the price of an average good quality oil which costs around 100-120 kuna ($16) per litre. We bottle the oil in the quantity of 0.25 litres and the price per litre is around 600 kuna. He also declared that his output is some 2,000 liters of top quality olive oil a year.

In 2020, Istria won the Flos Olei guide’s best region in the world award for extra virgin olive oil for a 6th consecutive year. The guide is compiled by expert tasters.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-croatia-oliveoil/

Article by Vivy LaBelle

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End SARS protesters shut down facilities in Delta


The End SARS protesters on Wednesday shut down the Warri Port of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA as well as critical oil facilities in riverine communities of Delta State.

The Coordinator of the protesters in Warri and its environs, Comrade Israel Joe confirmed the report in a chat with News Correspondents in Uvwie Local Government Area. While noting that the protest is in phases with a section being manned by Ijaw youths, Comrade Joe said that they are shutting down oil facilities in the riverine areas.

He also added saying that, The government cannot be getting oil to develop cities in Abuja, Kaduna, Lagos and the rest of them, yet their villages and communities where the oil is gotten from are being underdeveloped; still suffering from the iron road of intimidation battered by bad water and the creek of thatched houses. He said they will continue the End SARS protests until the Delta State Governor, Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa come out to address them on Friday, October 23 at the Effurun roundabout in Uvwie Local Government Area.
Joe threatened a total shut down of all critical facilities if the governor fails to meet with them.

According to him, Protesters are not going to back out of the protest as they do not have any plans to declare a 12-day revolution.  He concludes by revealing that if the government wants to test their resolve, then it should fail to give a public address on Friday.

Source: https://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/World+News/Africa

Article by Vivy LaBelle

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Josina Machel Seek Justice After Domestic Violence Left Her Blind In One Eye

On the 17th of October, 2015, Josina Machel, the daughter of the first president of Mozambique and a step daughter to Nelson Mandela, was having a disagreement with her partner Rufino Licuco in his car outside of her mother’s home.

It was Josina’s mother’s birthday and they were arguing about how to spend the rest of the day. Josina wanted to spend time with her family.

The disagreement turned violent. Rufino landed three punches—two to the eye, and one to the back of the head—on Josina. Josina had had a transplant on her eye 19 years earlier, and so the punch erupted her cornea and exploded the retina.

Rufino drove her to the hospital, dropped her at the ER, and left her there with a bleeding eye socket. Josina lost her eye.

Since 2015, Josina has been trying to get justice. She sued, and in 2017 Rufino was sentenced to 3 years for domestic violence with grievous bodily harm. But the sentence was suspended and he was allowed to pay a fine.

5 years later, though, neither the jail term, nor the fine, has been served or paid. Instead, Rufino appealed, and the Superior Court of Appeals in Mozambique overturned the 2017 decision, completely acquitting him.

But Josina isn’t giving up in her fight for justice. She’s calling for Justice4Josina and Justice4AllWomxn, saying:

I had placed my trust in the Mozambican justice system, for 5 years, waiting for justice to turn its blind eyes to my gender and convict this man of the crime he has already confessed to. Yet, along with all the women who have joined me in waiting through the years, I have been let down once again.

Let me state unequivocally that I do not accept this judgment overturning Rofino Licuco’s conviction for domestic violence and completely acquitting him. This is not only a let-down for me, but it is creating a dangerous precedent for all women seeking to get legal retribution against those who violate them.

The judgement will not set the dangerous precedent that my aggressor and his institutional enablers intend to. A situation all too familiar for women across the African continent. We are going to fight this. There must justice for all women. By demanding that I provide eyewitnesses to a crime that left me blind in one eye, the court has strengthened my resolve to look out for all other women around me.

Justice for her, she says, is justice for all women.

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Nicki Minaj Is Expecting A Baby!

Nicki Minaj is expecting a baby!

The rapper and Kenneth Petty are expecting their first child together. She had a yellow curly wig and showed off her arm tattoo as she smiled at the camera, captioning the post “#Preggers”. On another post, she wrote:

Love. Marriage. Baby carriage. Overflowing with excitement & gratitude. Thank you all for the well wishes. 💛

Minaj previously sparked pregnancy speculation on June 12 when she and American rapper 6ix9ine teamed up for the track “Trollz“.

The award-winning rapper and Petty tied the knot in October 2019. She announced the news with an Instagram video of Mr. and Mrs. mugs at the time.

Congrats to the couple!

 

 

 

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 5 Things You Can Do When You’re Mentally Exhausted

At one point or another, we all burn out. It wouldn’t be wrong to think that plopping yourself down on the couch for a few days would leave you feeling recharged. You may not know this, but physical fatigue can have more to do with mental exhaustion than the exercise you’re getting that day.

Below I’ve listed some effective ways to recharge your mind when it starts feeling burned out.

1. Change up Your Routine

It really can be hard to not fall into a routine. Every day you’re doing the same thing over and over, but breaking up that routine can be a really good way to kick that mental exhaustion. Make a point to challenge yourself to do something totally new once a week.

I mean, if you’re feeling really enthusiastic, try doing something new once a day. It can be something really simple. Instead of taking your usual way to work, take a different one that may be more scenic.

Think about activities that you enjoy that really feed your soul and start doing them. When your mind is opened to new ways of thinking and perceiving, you tend to be much happier overall.

2. Keep a Journal

Keeping a journal is a great way to relieve stress and get it all out on paper.[1] It can be really helpful down the road because it gives you the opportunity to look back and reflect on the progress you’ve made in your life.

Journaling also jolts your creativity, builds confidence, boosts comprehension, and encourages you to follow through with goals. It shouldn’t be something that makes you put pressure on yourself, you don’t need to have an entry for every day either.

Write down what comes to mind, you’ll feel such a release when you’ve finished. Make it a priority to write in your journal a few times a week. Eventually, you’ll find writing to be an outlet for recharging your brain.

3. Meditate

You may have seen this one coming. There are so many articles and people out there who rant and rave about the benefits of meditation, but it truly works. Roughly 80 percent of doctor visits are for stress-related issues. A lot of money and time can be saved if you learn to practice self-care through meditation. It can reduce stress, boost immunity, improve sleep, and can quite possibly increase happiness.

4. Re-evaluate Your Relationships

Having relationships is very important, but it’s even more important to really be mindful of how healthy they are.

You may find that you have a few toxic relationships in your life. It may seem difficult to end these relationships because often times you grow to be comfortable in them. Sadly, dysfunctional relationships may become a ‘normal’ part of life and you may not realize how mentally exhausting they can be.

Take time to be mindful of all your relationships. It’s crucial to once in a while reassess and decide whether they are adding value to your life and well-being. In toxic romantic relationships, you can become extremely mentally drained when you’re  putting energy into something that just may not be right.

People who are mindful of their relationships typically tend to be more confident in their own judgment.

5. Get Some Exercise

Exercise isn’t just beneficial for your overall well-being, it’s helpful for when you’re feeling drained as well. You don’t need to get a gym membership to get activity in.

We’re all busy, I get it, but setting aside just 20 minutes a day can really make all the difference. Multiple studies have shown the value of exercise in boosting your concentration and mental focus.[3]

With a daily 20-minute intense workout, blood flow to the brain increases and you improve your mood, creativity, and memory.

Ditch Your Ego, Be Mindful of Your Soul

DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY. This can get confused with doing something that brings you a sense of achievement. That feeling of achievement won’t always necessarily bring you joy.

Spending a few extra hours at work to get things done can be productive but powering through can really burn you out. Allow yourself to buy the shoes you’ve been wanting to buy for weeks, or take a spontaneous weekend trip with friends or your significant other.

In the grand scheme of things, our time on earth really is short. Whatever it may be that you choose to do, do it because it truly brings genuine joy to your soul.

Source: Lifehack.org

 

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Nigerian-born Tobechukwu Phillips shatters American school’s 125-year academic history

A Nigerian-born teenager, Tobechukwu Phillips has shattered the 125 academic history of her high school in Texas, US.

Phillips, a student of Alvin High School boasted a 6.9 GPA, after she earned A’s throughout her stay in the school. She emerged the first Black valedictorian in the school’s history.

Alvin High School was originally established in 1894. African-American students were allowed to join the school in 1965.

Speaking to Because of Them We Can, Phillips said, “Maintaining the highest GPA in my class is a difficult task. It truly takes time management but more importantly acknowledging what you do it for. I know that I am no longer just representing myself.”

Phillips had a word of advice for other students.  She said, “My biggest advice to other scholars of colour is to truly adopt the mindset of Rosa Parks — ‘No.’ Do not conform to the stereotypes that have held us under thumbs for so long,” she explained. “Do not be discouraged when someone speaks out against you, simply allow what they say to fuel your fire. But more than anything, do not remain tight-lipped. Stand up for what you believe in and take it upon yourself to be the change you’ve always wanted. Say ‘No’ to the ways of the world and stick out.”

Phillips will attend the Nursing School at the University of Texas on full scholarship later in the year. Her plan is to one day own her own clinic as a pediatric nurse practitioner.

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Ifeanyi Adefarasin Sweet Note to her husband is simply adorable

She says she would choose him over and over again.

She wrote :

Time passes by speedily when you’re living your best life with the man of your dreams!
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I had no idea the heights that you would take me to, nor the depths and wonders that you would show me in life; all I knew was that you were a very special man – a unique man, a true man of God; and I was being given the privilege and honour of journeying life alongside you. 25 years later, having lived life under your cover, guidance, love, and assurance; if I had to choose again, I would choose you Adeolu. 💕🤗
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I love you simply because you are an absolutely amazing person who cares deeply and loves easily. You make it so easy to love you.
I respect you for the loving husband and caring father that you are.
I cherish you for your large heart that reflects Christ in so many ways. It makes you very admirable and attractive.
I am so blessed and inspired by you. I thank you for being the man you said you would be.
_
Today, I stay focused on and grounded in the One who has blessed, kept, and given us 25 wonderful years and the promise of a great God-ordained future.
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With all my love now and forever, I wish you a Happy Wedding Anniversary, my Best Friend, my Husband, my Pastor, my Forever Heartbeat and my Love – @PaulAdefarasin

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