April 28, 2008
Hello to all and welcome to another issue of SWAHP: Solutions for Work At Home Parenting. This month’s theme is Self-Confidence. Believing in yourself is so necessary to success in all aspects of life. In fact, the more self-confidence you have, the more likely it is you will succeed. Consider how self-confidence affects not only your business goals, but your parenting ability and even your time management skills.
In this issue:
1) Val’s Views: Do you have the confidence to meet your business goals?
2) Parenting corner: Your Child's Self-Esteem is in Your Hands
4) Stress buster of the month: Super-Parent Burn-Out
5) Time Management: The Five Minutes That Will Change Your Life
6) Quotes on Self-Confidence
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VAL’S VIEWS
Do you have the confidence to meet your business goals?
Whether your goal is to work as a telecommuter, build your own website or start your own housecleaning business, your goals won't become reality if you don't have the self-confidence to make them happen. If success is eluding you so far, a lack of self-confidence could be part of what's wrong.
To grow your confidence, you have to focus on solutions, not problems. Whatever goal you are striving toward can be met if you know where you going and if you believe you can do it.
Saying negative things to ourselves is a habit for many of us. Many of us received negative messages from parents and teachers at a young age: "Who do you think you are - you'll never amount to anything." "Don't kid yourself- you're not going to be able to do that." As adults, well-meaning friends may tell us that any business opportunity we consider is a scam, that there's no chance we can become a super affiliate, that we can let go of our dream of quitting our day job. We hear discouraging messages so much that we may start to believe them.
The good news is negative self-talk is a habit, and ALL habits can be broken. Make a conscious effort to stop negative self- talk as soon as it begins.
How do you change the habit of negative self-talk? Notice your achievements instead. Sit down right now and make a list of your ten best achievements or strengths. Don't tell me you don't have any. If you can't think of any, ask your closest friends what your best assets are. It could be that you have finished a course, survived temporary disability brought on by a car accident, served on the PTA, etc. It could be that you are very patient with your children and a role model to the other children in the neighborhood. It could be that you're a wonderful cook, that you have the ability to make people laugh when they're feeling down. You HAVE accomplished something. Give yourself a pat on the back for each achievement. Embrace your failures too. They prove how hard you've been trying.
Some great suggestions for setting business goals and staying focused on them are found in the classic "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. In fact, in the chapter called "Faith", he lays out a Self-Confidence Formula that is well worth reviewing on a regular basis. It begins with this statement:
"I know that I have the ability to achieve the object of my definite purpose in life; therefore, I demand of myself continuous, persistent action toward its attainment."
You have the ability to achieve your objectives. Make them happen.
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PARENTING CORNER
Your Child's Self-Esteem is in Your Hands
As a parent, you are the center of your child's self-worth. That's something to think about when you speak harshly to your children. Don't forget how much weight your opinion of them carries, even when they don't admit it.
We are human after all, and parenting can be challenging. Yet most of us can remember incidents when we were children and a parent or other adult criticized us, accused us of doing something we never did, or expressed the opinion that we were incapable of succeeding. Sometimes, we may have believed the negativity, the put downs, the lack of encouragement.
Your child's self-esteem is in your hands. Teach your child to see himself in a positive light, and you are giving him a gift he will carry with him for a lifetime. Helping your child develop self-confidence is one of the best ways to insure his or her success as an adult.
Here are some tips for developing self-confidence in your child.
1) Offer unconditional love. Remind your child that you're love won't be withdrawn when she disappoints you in some way. Self-confidence will blossom in a child that is lavished with unconditional love at all times.
2) Offer plenty of attention. What we love, we give time to. Children know this instinctively, and thrive in an environment where they get plenty of attention.
3) Notice small successes. If your child does ten things wrong in the course of a day, but only one thing right, focus on the one thing he did right.
4) Allow children to make their own mistakes. Our job as parents is to offer support, but not to stifle growth. Growth won't happen without mistakes and pain. Teaching children that they can survive their mistakes is part of building a child's self-esteem.
5) Set an example. If your children see you courageously face life's challenges, they will be inspired that they will have the ability to take life as it comes as well.
Above all, open communication with your child is the best path to self-esteem for both your child and yourself.
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Good news! Whatever your passion, you can do what you love without leaving your children. Learn more here.
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STRESS BUSTER OF THE MONTH
Super-Parent Burn-Out
You think you can do it all. Sure, you can juggle either a full-time job or a home business with kids, school, errands, community events. Somewhere you'll find time for cooking, cleaning, visiting long-lost relatives, helping with homework, caring for pets...Oh, and don't forget to save some energy to pay attention to your spouse.
Parenting involves learning new lessons on a daily basis. Our children are constantly changing, so it's like playing a game in which there are new rules every day.
When we chose to have a baby, little did we know we'd be working triple shifts, that there would be days we'd forget to put on makeup; days we wear mismatched outfits; days we never make it to bed at all. A lot of what faces us as parents comes as a total surprise. All around us, everyone seems to be doing ok. How come we feel so burnt out?
The first thing we need to do is stop comparing ourselves to others. That includes our parents or in-laws, (who may be insisting that they sailed through raising their children) to well-meaning friends, (many of whom do not have children, yet are quick to tell us we are falling short) to TV role models, always smiling, always perfect.
We need to recognize that we are human, that our children did not come with directions and are different from everyone else's children. Not a soul out there is experiencing exactly what we are experiencing with our children.
Some days will be better than others. Set priorities, ask for help when you need it (delegate!), rest when you can and above all, be gentle with yourself. You are doing ok.
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TIME MANAGEMENT:
The 5 Minutes That Will Change Your Life
By Marcia Francois
How would you like to start every day off on the right foot? Wouldn't you like to feel a sense of excitement as you start your day? You CAN if you do something for just 5 minutes a day.
This is not some crazy statement - it really is true. I promise :) If you spend 5 minutes every evening (or at the end of every day) planning the next day, your life will dramatically change.
SO WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?
1. GRAB A NOTEBOOK OR MY EAT THE FROG FORM
The point is to have something to capture your thoughts.
2. ASK YOURSELF ONE OF THESE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
* Which 3 - 5 things, when accomplished, will move me towards my goals?
* What is the best use of my time tomorrow?
3. THINK EFFECTIVE, NOT BUSY
Busy means you're doing lots of things. Effective means you're doing the RIGHT things.
E.g. Yesterday, after I downloaded email, I had two choices - keep BUSY by reading newsletters and replying to all my blog comments & personal emails, or be EFFECTIVE by responding to a journalist who wants to interview me, and write this newsletter.
Guess which I chose to do?
4. NOW WRITE DOWN NO MORE THAN 6 TASKS
Mary Kay, one of the world's most successful businesswomen, said that the secret of her success was to only tackle 6 tasks a day. If it's good enough for her, it's good enough for me.
I actually showed a client my own planner a few weeks ago. When I think I'm Superwoman and put down more than 6 tasks, I never get them all done. But when I put 5 or 6 tasks on my list, I get them all done.
5. NUMBER THEM IN ORDER OF PRIORITY
Only now (in step 5) do you number them. Don't try and number them before you get them down - you might get stuck in analysis paralysis.
You'll hit the ground running the next day when you start on number 1 and move through your list until you complete number 6.
Marcia Francois is a time management and organising coach who empowers small business owners and other busy people to organise their time, space, business and life. Visit http://helpineedmoretime.blogspot.com to read more about the Help! I need more time system and while you're there, pick up your free Organising Success Pack.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?
expert=Marcia_Francois target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?The-5-Minutes-That-Will-Change-Your-Life&id=1054194
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QUOTES ON SELF-CONFIDENCE
"Whatever we expect with confidence becomes our own self-fulfilling prophecy."
- Brian Tracy
"I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence but it comes from within. It is there all the time."
- Anna Freud
"Put your future in good hands - your own." - Author Unknown
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Thanks for reading the current issue of SWAHP.
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Best of luck on your journey. You can and will succeed.
Valerie Dansereau
http://www.work-at-home-parenting.com
Don’t just build a website!