Sunshine Cash

Creating a Champagne Life on a Beer Budget

Inspire It.

Why Self-Care is an Important Part of your 10/10 Life – or – How Finger Nails are a Barometer of Your Life Balance.

A little over a month ago, I had a speaking engagement at a conference. I was also meeting a number of my coaching clients for the first time. In the lead up to the conference, I was determined to have nice long strong nails for the weekend. To achieve this, I had a routine of using strengthening oil on my cuticles and coating them with Sally Hansen’s “Hard as Nails” Strengthening Polish twice a week. (If you have not used the Hard as Nails polish, try it, it is great for growing long healthy nails.) By the time of the conference, my nails were GREAT!! Nice and long and strong.

After the conference, I was even busier than usual, and self care was the thing I neglected. I felt I just did not have time for me amongst everything else that was going on. Exercise, quiet mediation time, and – yes- my nail routine, went out the door.

As a consequence, my nails are currently NOT long and strong 🙁 , my stress levels have been high, and I am not living my ideal life, in fact, I feel like I am careering out of control, backwards down long hill 🙁

My plan for this week ( and subsequent weeks) is to take back some me time and rebalance my life. I know that this will mean i have to delegate some tasks, and outsource others for a short while, but it is necessary.

Do you make YOU a priority in your week? Let me know in the comments.

Achieving Life Balance

Ahh the elusive subject of “Balance”  It can start out with such good intention and quickly spiral out of control and, before you know it, you are back to square one.

Often your life might seem like a never-ending game of “Snakes & Ladders”.  Forever taking one step forward and three steps back, until maybe – finally you get a lucky roll of the dice.

So what CAN you do to create balance and momentum ion your life to achieve your 10/10 life.

PLAN!!!
Yep it really can be that simple.  (but oh so HARD)

 

Step 1:   List your Goals

Get REALLY specific here.  What does your perfect life look like?
Break your life down to these areas and write a few pages of what “perfect” looks like for you.

Home/Environment,  Family and Friends,  Romance/Significant Other,  Health & Fitness, Career/Business,  Wealth,  Personal Growth/ Learning and Spirituality,  Fun & Recreation

Rate each area out of 10, don’t think too hard about it.
Now write down what each area would look like if it were a 10.

What can you do this month to improve each area by just ONE STEP?   This is the best way I have found to set realistic goals for my life, not trying to jump ahead too much at once.   Eg: Set yourself a goal of losing just 1 kg this month.   Simple?  Probably, now duplicate that each month and you will have lost 12kg in a year.

Step 2: Plan your Days. 

Schedules and To-Do lists need not be restrictive. In fact if they are too tight, you are far more likely to not stick to the plan.  Look over your life goals and plan to move those areas up one step.  Get creative.  Want to exercise more and have more time to read?    Use your commute time, walk one extra bus stop, park a little farther way. During your commute, read a book rather than a trashy magazine, or if you drive, listen to audio books or podcasts rather than talkback radio.

Step 3:  Prioritize YOU!

Don’t minimize the time available to do the things you want to do, particularly if they are contributing to your life goals or wellbeing. Include ‘me” time around other essential life activities that require your time and attention.

Keep to the Plan unless in an Emergency ( a real Emergency)

Most people who create a daily plan, keep to it for a while, but not long enough for it to become a habit. Habits take around 28 days to form, so if you want your new plan to work and lifestyle to be improved, you must protect it at all costs.. Eventually, the changes you implement will become second nature, but until then, you need to stay in control of your plan.  Have a look over your plan every day to remind yourself of where you want to be.    Think of your plan as a roadmap to your perfect life.  Just like any journey, there may be some roadblocks or detours, but if you just follow the map you will arrive at your destination.

Want to learn more?  Join me on my Rise to RICH Programme and create YOUR perfect 10/10 life.

 

 

Morning Routine

Morning..,.

I admit it, I am a morning person, and I know some of you might hate me right now:)
I know that for many people, the mere thought of morning brings feelings of dread and panic.

However, for me, mornings are the time I get some “me” time.
I like to get up 30 minutes earlier than hubby. He is one of those – “as soon as his feet hit the floor he is go go GO!”

My 30 minutes or so are quiet time.  I like to make myself a cup of tea, read a few pages on whatever book I am currently reading, maybe do some stretches and most importantly THINK!!

It’s the perfect time to focus on myself before life gets in the way and it’s the perfect way to ensure the day gets off to the right start.

Another thing I frequently do is to start the day with meditation. Meditation is a fantastic tool for relieving stress and helping yourself to cope better with the challenges that life throws at you.  So if I know I am in for a busy day, some calming thoughts can prepare me for the onslaught.

Part of my quiet thoughts are often gratitude exercises.  Gratitude is super valuable for being happier and more effective. The problem is that many of us forget to stop and take stock of how far we have come or how good our lives are already. Instead, we tend to overthink and dwell on the things we have yet to accomplish and what we want next.

Spending five minutes in the morning writing down at least three things that I am thankful for (these can be big things or small things), but simply by focusing on them, I will feel more content and happy.

Starting the day with a to-do list is an excellent way to enhance productivity. It’s also a very good way to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the volume of things you need to do.   I tend to make my “Tomorrow To-Do List” at the end of each day.  By reviewing this list in the calmer atmosphere of the morning, I can prioritise the top two or three tasks that will be my “Main Thing” for the day.   Chunking down the tasks into bite-sized pieces makes the day far less daunting.

My morning routine helps me save money too. By knowing what I doing throughout the day, allows me to plan meals, so I rarely have to resort to a rushed takeaway meal.   If my day looks like it will run late, a meal thawed from the freezer stash means dinner can be on the table in a matter of minutes.  Or it might mean packing some healthy snacks in my bag for lunch on the go.

What is YOUR 10/10 ideal morning?

 

Cozy Minimalism

Have you heard this term yet?  I have a hunch it will be BIG very soon.

I first came across the idea of “Cozy Minimalism” a couple of weeks ago.  I must tell you, I am HOOKED!!!

Like many of us, I scour Pinterest for home decor ideas and have not ever really nailed down a style that is “me”
I like elements of many styles…
Farmhouse Styles like Joanna Gaines does on “Fixer Upper”

Hampton Style from when the TV show “Revenge” was on

“Resort” style

But nothing made my heart sing.      Hubby and I are not “frou- frou, frilly. pillows everywhere” people

So often, I will look at decorating ideas on Pinterest in magazines and just see clutter and dust collectors, all which translates to far too much cleaning for my liking.

However, on the other end of the scale, I am not really into the starkness of true minimalism or “Industrial Chic”
The feeling I get from this style is somewhat “Bachelor Pad” or “Hotel Room”

THEN!!!   I found   “Cozy Minimalism”
The term has been coined by blogger Myquillyn Smith of Nesting Place   As I read through a number of posts, I could feel myself getting drawn to this simple compromise of stark bare minimalism and over cluttered and busy.
Her ideas have been so popular she has written a best selling book on the subject…

To complement the book she even has a course to follow and create your own Cozy Minimal home.  You can find it here. I have a bit going on right now, but I have signed up for the course.  Here is what Myquillyn has to say about the style…

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Cozy minimalism isn’t a style, it’s a mindset.

Cozy minimalism isn’t about going without or achieving a particular new, modern style. Nope. It’s simply a mindset that helps you get whatever style you love with the fewest possible items. Why use more if you don’t have to?

I know you want a warm, cozy, inviting home, without using more resources, money and stuff than you need to.

Cozy minimalism is the perfect balance of simplicity and abundance and you get to decide how cozy, abundant and simple you need your home to be at any given time.

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I am really looking forward to starting this and seeing how our home evolves.   I have no intention of spending a great deal of money ( as usual ?  ) as I am sure I will be able to create the suggested looks with either what I have or with KMart or Op Shop finds.

 

Life – It is About Choices and the Decisions We Make

Life is like a road.  There are long and short roads; smooth and rough roads; windy and straight roads.  Many roads are on the map as we journey through life.   There are roads that lead to a life of marriage and family or others that lead to a fulfilling career with our without a family.  There are roads that lead to fame and fortune on one hand or isolation and poverty on the other.  There are roads to happiness as there are roads to sadness, roads towards victory and success, and roads leading to defeat and disappointment.

Just like any road, there are corners, detours, and crossroads in life.  Perhaps the most perplexing road that you would encounter is an intersection.  With four roads to choose from and with limited knowledge on where they would go, which road will you take?  What is the guarantee that you will choose the right one?  Will you take any road, or just stay where you are: in front of a crossroad?

Guess what-There are no guarantees!

You do not really know where a road will lead you until you take it.  There are no guarantees.  This is one of the most important things you need to realise about life.  Choosing to do the right thing ( what even is the “right” thing) all the time would always lead you to happiness.  Loving someone with all your heart does not guarantee that it would be returned.  Certainly fame and fortune does not guarantee happiness.  Fast tracking your way up the corporate ladder by accepting a “favour” from somebody is not always bad, especially if you are highly qualified and competent.   There are too many possible outcomes, which you really cannot control.  The only thing you have power over is the decisions that you will make, and how you would act and react to different situations.

Wrong decisions are always far clearer in hindsight.

Had you known that you were making a wrong decision, would you have gone along with it?  Perhaps not, why would you choose a certain path when you know it would get you lost?  Why make a certain decision if you knew from the very beginning that it is not the right one.  It is only after you have made a decision and reflected on it that you realise its relevance.  If the consequences or outcomes are good for you, then you have decided correctly.  Otherwise, your decision was wrong, but even a seemingly “bad” decision can produce some positive benefits.  Taking the wrong path might turn into “the scenic route” where you discover new things. That bad career move might have given you a skill that you would not have otherwise achieved, or maybe a bad relationship created beautiful children that you cherish.

Take the risk: decide.

Since life offers no guarantee and you will never know that your decision would be wrong until you have made it, then you might as well take the educated risk and decide.  It is definitely better than keeping yourself stuck in a rut complaining that nothing ever goes right, or dreaming that “one day life will change”.  Although it is true that one wrong turn could get you lost, it could also be that such a turn could be an opportunity for an adventure, as you discover more roads.  It is all a matter of perspective.  You have the choice between being a lost aimless traveller or an accidental tourist of life.   But take caution that you do not make decisions haphazardly.  Taking risks is not about being careless and stupid.  Here are some pointers that could help you choose the best option in the face of life’s crossroads:

·           Get as much information as you can about your situation.

You cannot find the confidence to decide when you know so little about what you are faced with.  Just like any news reporter, ask the 5 W’s: what, who, when, where, and why.  What is the situation?  Who are the people involved?  When did this happen?  Where is this leading?  Why are you in this situation?  These are just some of the possible questions to ask to know more about your situation.  This is important.  Oftentimes, the reason for indecision is the lack of information about a situation.

·           Identify and create options.

What options do the situation give you?  Sometimes the options are few, but sometimes they are numerous.  But what do you do when you think that the situation offers no options?  This is the time that you create your own.  Make your creative mind work.  From the most simplistic to the most complicated, entertain all ideas.  Do not shoot anything down when an idea comes to your head.  Sometimes the most outrageous idea could prove to be the right one in the end.  You can ask a friend to help you identify options and even make more options if you encounter some difficulty, but make sure that you make the decision yourself in the end.   Remember there is rarely only one road to any given destination.

Consider this scenario.  You wish to travel from Brisbane to Sydney – you have no time restraints to arrival time.  Will you fly? Will you take a coach?  Will you drive? Which highway will you take?   There are many options, but in the end, all will see you arrive at your destination. Are any one of these paths “wrong?”

·           Weigh the pros and cons of every option.

Assess each option by looking at the advantages and disadvantages it offers you.  In this way, you get more insights into the consequences of such an option.

·           Trust yourself and make that decision.

Now that you have assessed your options, it is now time to trust yourself.  Remember that there are no guarantees and wrong decisions are always at hindsight.   So choose… decide… believe that you are choosing the best option at this point in time.

Now that you have made a decision, be ready to face its consequences: good and bad.  It may take you to a place of promise or to a land of problems.  But the important thing is that you have chosen to live your life instead of remaining a bystander or a passive onlooker of your own life.  Whether it is the right decision or not, only time can tell.  But do not regret it whatever the outcome.  Instead, learn from it and remember that you always have the chance to make better decisions in the future.

·           Take action and make the move.

The next step from making the decision is to take ACTION.  After all, it is no good if you are at the intersection, with the brakes on and you decide to go right and do not move your foot to the accelerator. Without action, you will remain right where you are – good or bad decision.

On my path of life, I am aiming to create a 10/10 life for myself in all areas.