Dedicated to the positive people in my life, and to those who have touched my life and departed from this earth.
Keep a Candle Burning
Keep a candle burning to guide us through the night.
Keep a candle burning to show us there is light.
For sometimes there is darkness and sometimes skies are grey.
And sometimes we need brightness til sunshine fills the day.
If the flame begins to flicker let hope become a ray,
that makes the flame grow stronger to always light the way.
When flames are joined together, a larger fire ignites,
warming hearts to always soar to ever greater heights.
Keep a candle burning, with a flame that glows so bright,
that it lights the path before us, and hope dawns in our sight.
And should the flame diminish, transform it to a spark,
that twinkles in the heavens and guides us in the dark.
Uplift is one of the Building Blocks of Positive Shift. We can uplift ourselves with positive music, videos, quotes and thoughts. And we can uplift others with positive words, genuine compliments, acts of kindness, and simple gifts of appreciation. We achieve uplift with compassion and kindness for both ourselves and other people.
Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind. -Henry James
To inspire ourselves and others with thoughts, words, and action, remember KARMA.
Kind words and compliments
Affirmations – positive self-talk and thoughts
Random Acts of Kindness and expressions of gratitude
Music and Media (books, articles, quotes, news, movies, and videos) that are positive
Acts of self-care – practices that support our minds, bodies, hearts, and souls.
Affirmations. Use Positive Self-talk and Positive Affirmations. How often do we think negative thoughts that are not based in truth? To be impeccable with your word is one of the Four Agreements, and it means to be honest with yourself as well as others. Learn more about thinking rationally at Understand Emotions.
Affirmations are phrases that describe the results of adopting a positive belief. They can help change negative self-talk to positive when repeated frequently. They often begin with “I am…, I can…, I wil…” Examples: I am loved. I can breathe deeply and fully. I will practice compassion. They are: simple, clear, specific, positive, first person, and present tense. Try a pep talk generator.
A promise is a pledge; a vow that you will do something. Make a resolution today to identify your promise and show it with actions every day. My promise is to create and inspire positive shift. How will you show your promise?
Impact means making a difference, and many of us want to have a positive impact in the world through our work and lives. Purpose is one of the four Ps of positive shift, and an important part of our happiness. To have an impact, we must focus our soul attention.
Always Be Considering. Consistently press pause with SOS to be aware and live thoughtfully. Also be connecting your actions with your values. Follow through with a daily commitment, choosing to act on your top priorities.
Always Be Communicating. Communicate your purpose: advocate for the causes you believe in and convince others to join you. Concentrate on the value that you provide. Communicating is a two-way process: listen and learn from others.
Always Be Clear. Be clear about how you will focus your soul attention. Know your purpose, clarify your vision, and create a value statement or personal mission statement for a tool to stay on course and make an impact.
Sometimes mistakes can provide inspiration. Recently I made a typo and inadvertantly omitted the i in daily planit, resulting in The Daily Plant. An idea was born. Why not post a quote every day that plants a seed of thought that will inspire positive shift?
One of my favorite quotes is from Brian Tracy: “The only true measure of what you believe is what you do, not what you say.”
The Daily Plant is a good idea, but it has become a project that I hope to finish someday. For now, see the Quotes page for more information.
As I take time to review the past year, and set goals for the coming year, I am struck by the thought:
have I paused, or am I just on hold?
The symbol for both looks the same, but they are very different things.
To pause and notice is a key part of making positive shift happen. But being on hold just means being stuck nowhere for awhile, unable to move forward with potential projects. To be on hold is not a good feeling.
The pandemic has been a big part of putting things on hold this year. With so many facing loss, unemployment, and stress like has never been experienced before, it didn’t seem to be the right time for talking about happiness. For that reason (and for one other to be discussed below) I have not been present here at the daily planit. But as I review the building blocks of positive shift, I’ve come to realize something. When we are going through hard times, these practices of positive psychology are coping strategies that help. We need more than ever to exercise, meditate, relate (although it may look a little different), and have a purpose. So in 2021, I intend to spend more time here.
What will you give your soul attention to in 2021?
The second reason I have been absent during 2020 is that I turned my sole attention to my passion of literacy. When I recently saw the phrase “soul attention,” it struck me: Flow often requires your sole attention; Focus requires your soul attention on what you value. This has been so for me in 2020 as I built the Phonics Pow website and populated it with fun tools to unlock the power of reading. It has completely consumed my thoughts and my time. I will continue my work there in 2021, but hope now to also attend to things here at the daily planit.
The Keep It Super Simple Annual Review
I always like to take stock of my life in an annual review. To keep it super simple, see Plans for an Annual Review. During the year I add notes on a monthly calendar printed from Google during my weekly review, I make notes about progress on projects, trips taken, books I’ve read, and movies I’ve watched. These I save for the year. At the end of the year, I review the calendars and select top favorites, adding goals accomplished and choosing a few goals for the upcoming year.
The steps to perform an Annual Review are still good to follow, and more detailed forms are available there too. I’m hopeful that the year ahead may be a better one for everyone.
I’ve tried many ways of managing projects, but became interested in the kanban method. I wanted to experiment with it, but did not wish to download a new app to try, and I wasn’t sold on the idea of using a whiteboard and sticky notes.
So I’ve been using Google Keep (which I already use a lot) as a kanban board. While it is not really intended for kanban, by pinning some of the notes it works in a very similar way to keep projects handy and easily updated. It’s easy to set up and choose different colors for various types of projects. The notes show up alongside Google Calendar with a click of a button. I also use Google Keep for my to-do list, and often for reminders.
I also created a template to put into a plastic project file to use with 2 x 2 sticky notes. Download the 2 x 2 Kanban pdf. (I couldn’t find size 1.5 x 2 sticky notes). I like that projects flow through the effect priority matrix and mission statement in order to make choosing what to focus on an easier task. I hope these help to make positive shift happen!
For several years I’ve been reading books that have been adapted into movies, and watching the movies. I don’t always read or watch based on this criteria, but when I do, there are often pleasant surprises that I might not have tried otherwise. Of course, not all have been a good fit for me, and I haven’t enjoyed all of them. Sometimes I just get one or the other accomplished. And sometimes I choose to read books that have not been made into movies, and watch movies that are not based on a book. But on the whole, following the screen and page method has been a rewarding way to go. Three of my most enjoyable reads this year have movies in development or production, or are coming soon: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak, and The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn.
With the pandemic restricting new movie releases and movie theater showings, this year has been different to say the least. Still, the Academy Awards look like they are set to happen April 25, 2021, and I’ve been reading about some exciting contenders.
The Half-Life by Jonathan Raymond
The movie based on the book is called “First Cow” (PG13) and is available now on Showtime or to rent via Amazon Prime.
The movie “News of the World” (PG13), based on the book by Pulette Jiles, is due to come out in December.
The movie “The Midnight Sky” (PG13), based on the book “Good Morning, Midnight” by Lily Brooks-Dalton, is also due to come out in December.
The movie “White Tiger” (R), based on the book by Aravind Adiga, is due to come out in January.
More possibilities based on fiction books include French Exit, Let Him Go, and I’m Thinking of Ending Things. Check the 2021 Screen Reads lists at IMDB.com and Goodreads. Place your vote for a Screen and Page Oscar Contender at Chacy.com, simple collaborative lists without log-in.
Nomadland has been mentioned as an Oscar Contender, and is based on a non-fiction book by Jessica Bruder. Personally, I don’t enjoy reading non-fiction and the movie trailer didn’t grab me, so this isn’t my top choice for a screen read.
Update: So, I got “the Half-Life” by Jonathan Raymond read. I liked the descriptions, but the story was not at all what I expected. There was not a single cow in it! The trailer for the movie “First Cow” looks like it completely changes the book and leaves out a major character!
Also watched “The Midnight Sky” on Netflix. I was underwhelmed. Seems like they took an idea and stretched it waaaaay out.
When we increase our productivity, we get more of the important stuff done. Productivity skills have a significant impact on both personal and professional success. When you complete the Boosting Productivity Course, you will know how to find direction, plan your time, overcome procrastination, and focus your energy to tackle your top priority tasks. Get started today to make the most of your time!
[the course is currently not available as Mailerlite is making changes. I hope to eventually restore it.]
With this free course, you will learn about:
Assessing time use
• Conducting a time audit
• Identifying time wasters Choosing or reviewing a system
• Selecting the right task management system for you
• Using the Getting Things Done (GTD) system Establishing a routine
• Optimizing your day with the science of productivity
• Running your day like an athlete Planning for progress
• Planning action steps and measures
• Setting priorities
• Creating a to-do list Finding direction
• Mapping a mission
• AIMing for a vision
• Planning purpose
• Selecting goals Enhancing focus
• Designing your ideal workspace
• Eliminating distractions and finding focus Taking action
• Overcoming procrastination with strategies
• Understanding procrastination triggers
• Mastering motivation Reviewing progress
• Performing a weekly review Simplifying your approach
• Decluttering your work and life
• Automating repeating tasks Paying attention
• Understanding the value of time
• The power of a pause
Learning to be productive gives you the power to gain motivation, concentrate your attention, and manage your energy to complete your top priority tasks. With good time management skills, you can get the most important things accomplished. Productivity enables you to make the most of each day you are given. There’s no better time to begin than now!
When we increase our productivity, we get more of the important stuff done. Productivity skills have a significant impact on both personal and professional success. When you complete the Boosting Productivity Course, you will know how to find direction, plan your time, overcome procrastination, and focus your energy to tackle your top priority tasks. Get started today to make the most of your time!
Daily PlanIt 