Under Pressure

We all know what pressure is. Pressure from family, friends, our jobs, even ourselves can cause us to fail at any goals we undertake.

Sometimes family members think putting you down is the best way to make you angry enough to change a bad habit. Having people close to you criticize you may not be helpful at all. Instead it may cause you to give up on your desired outcomes altogether.

There are, however, some ways that pressure can be good for you.

It is important to know which kind of pressure inspires you and which kind hinders you.

Deadlines: For me, I work best when I have a specific date and/or time when something must be completed. Whether I'm taking a college course or must turn in my latest article to an editor, having a deadline inspires me to get my work done.

Accountability: Having to allow others to view my work, makes me work that much harder to ensure that it is as near perfect as possible. Anyone seeing my work as half-done, or lazy is embarrassing to me. Just knowing that someone else will see and judge my work motivates me.

Growth: "If you're the smartest one in the room, you're in the wrong room." Richard Tirendi.

This quote fully illustrates the type of pressure that motivates me most. I love to be surrounded by, and held to the same standard as people who are smarter and more experienced than I am. It forces me to stretch and learn in ways I could not have imagined.

It is important to recognize when the pressure you feel is positive, and utilize it.

Leverage positive pressure to achieve your goals in 2014!

What kind of pressure motivates you?

Guest Post--Music To Get You Motivated

 

Image courtesy of jambase.com

 

Music is a universal experience. We clap our hands and sing songs in grade school to make music and are slowly introduced to more and more bands as we grow older. It affects how we feel, choices we make and people we meet. Beyond that it can enhance the way we experience any number of things. Music is a very powerful thing.  

 

How Music Affects The Brain

 

Music literally engages our body’s sympathetic nervous system --the same system responsible for getting us ready for a challenge in our environment. It has the ability to make us feel as though we are the most powerful person on the face of the earth, or the loneliest person in the universe.

 

Electrical activity in the brain helps us to develop perceptual, cognitive and motor processes --which is why it is suggested that even babies in the womb listen to music. The frontal and parietal lobes enhance neural activity on the top of the brain, literally acting as a changeable variable if whatever activity we are participating in.

 

5 Ways Music Can Help You

 

●     Relax and fall asleep at night. Many people have trouble falling asleep at night because they have trouble quieting their thoughts. Music is a great way to distract your brain and drift off into a deep slumber.

 

●     Focus on the task at hand --like studying or concentrating at work. Let’s face it, sometimes outside distractions can leave us looking up at and around the office, chatting with those around us and getting zero actual work done for the day. Music helps you center yourself and motivates you to finish your projects in a more timely manner.  

 

●     Get you excited to complete a workout routine. The patterns in music can affect how much energy a person has. Athletes in certain competitions around the world have been banned from listening to music while they compete because it is said to give them a serious advantage. Listening to music while you exercise will give you the boost you need to complete the entire routine.

 

Photo courtesy of freshnessmag.com

 

●     Cure boredom. Music is a world in and of itself. There are an endless number of solo artists and bands today and new ones emerge every day. If you go searching for new music you could get lost downloading offline or bouncing from one idea of what to listen to in Spotify for hours.

 

●     Share an experience with a loved one. Music can not only give us a sense of having something in common with a friend, significant other or family member --but our hearts actually slow down and speed up according to how fast the tune of the music is. This literally means your heart is beating in time with the person you’re sharing a music experience with.

 

●     Experience culture. There is more published (and unpublished) music in the world than we even have time to listen to. Cultures from all over the world have their own styles and distinct sounds. More than that, music can help you meet new friends with similar taste or create a deeper connection by understanding the kind of music they listen to.

 

Adding music to every aspect of your life a great way to get motivated for all the things you need to accomplish. You brain and music paired together have the ability to give you the energy you need when you’re feeling slugging or keep you level-headed when you are feeling down. 

 

 

 

Marcela De Vivo is a freelance writer in the Los Angeles area who currently works with Arena, a music streaming company. Though her background is in marketing, she writes on everything from health & wellness, music, gaming, and technology.

 

 

 

 

 

Change, Even When You Don't Feel Like It

We all have goals that we would like to accomplish. At this time of the year, people believe they want to change. Everywhere you turn there are books,  magazine articles, and television specials about improving your life. It's a very inspiring time really.

What happens, however, when all of the hoopla is over and you are left with all of the actual work you must do to change. For many people the goals they first created for themselves begin to fade. They lack the motivation or "will" to do what must be done.

A person once told me, "You keep waiting for something big to happen. You keep thinking that you're going to have this aha moment. No book, or tv show, or person has the answer you are looking for. Change happens when you simply take action."

This advice stuck with me for a long time. I ran the words over and over in my mind before I ever decided to make any changes. Really, change is that simple. If you want to change something, you take action. Then you repeat the action consistently.

I usually don't feel like doing the work involved in making my lasting changes, but over time I've learned to do the work anyway.

I heard a quote once that says, "You will never regret a good workout." I think this could apply to anything a person wants to accomplish in life. Often just thinking about something you have to do too much causes you to lose your energy.

Every excuse in the world pops into your mind to keep you from doing the work. I've learned that once you just get up and do the thing you are avoiding, you will never regret it. Instead you will feel accomplished and good about doing the necessary work to achieve your goals.

Every step you take brings you closer to realizing your dreams.

I came across these two articles in the Huffington Post which I believe have tips to help us all stay on track at any point in the year.

My goal for this year is to: Follow Through, and Finish What I Start.

What are some of your goals, not just for the new year, but for your life?

Stay Motivated Links

Anyone who is trying to accomplish a large goal knows that throughout the journey
you must do many things to stay on track. You must recommit yourself to your goal, remember why you started your journey in the first place. Finding inspiration wherever you can, and reassessing your strategy are also very important. Here are some links to help you along the way:

• Once you know, you can make the necessary corrections :12 Habits Standing Between You and What You Want
• Because it is never too late to dance: Too Big For Ballet?
• What are you reading this summer? Here's a great list of books for new business owners.
• Acceptance, the key to overcoming your fears?
• You can lose weight over the summer. Top 10 Tips For Fat Flushing Your Summer.
• Too hot to workout? Think again. 6 Ways to Rock a Summer Workout.
• My favorite kind of story...52 Year Old Graduates From UCLA With Honors.