Payday loans are a convenient and conventional loan in which you pay the amount borrowed back to the lender in a few days or weeks’ time, including a pre-agreed amount of interest.

At this point in time, the process of actually arranging the payday loan will generally fall into one of two categories, although, as with most things nowadays, the convenience of the internet is beginning to mean that loan applications online will be the way of the future.

However, at this moment, one payday loan processing system is where you are required to fax the documents to the lender, whilst the other one is known as faxless payday loans or payday loans no fax.

Payday loans no fax services allow you to apply entirely online. Such faxless payday loans are made available to anyone, with little or no reference made or heed paid to your current or past credit situation.

However, this assumes that anyone wishing to get a quick payday loan has easy, convenient and quick access to the internet, which is not always going to be the case.

It is still possible to apply for a faxless payday loan even without such online access, but it probably means a trip across town to the payday loans company offices, waiting in queue for approval, and so on.

Probably better and more convenient in these circumstances to find someone with a fax machine, and go for a payday loan that does require some documentation to be faxed to the company.

Nevertheless, some of these faxless, or online, payday loan lenders will agree such a loan almost instantly, with little or no reference to your credit history, outstanding debts and so on. All that they will require is that you have a steady income from your job, and perhaps proof of when the next wage check will come in, and for how much.

Obviously, this is very simple, and very quick.

The downside is that the less information you furnish your payday loan company with, the higher they will assume the risk to be. This translates into them charging you a higher rate of interest for the loan, in all probability.

Moreover, it seems that, with the growing professionalism of the payday loans industry, there is a growing move to standardizing the requirements for loan applicants. Such requirements as minimum age 18, salary over $1000 per month, in the same job or 3-6 months, same address for the same time period, and so on, are becoming standard.

Thus, what might be deemed to be the higher risk end of the faxless payday loan market, where the individual loan applicant is required to provide little or nothing in the way of documentation, is becoming the domain of he small time payday loan outfit.
Again, these small time lenders have less money to actually lend, and therefore each individual payday loan represents a proportionately higher risk for them.

Thus, you can expect even higher interest payments if you take a payday loan from this type of smaller lender.
So, faxless or online payday loans are the easy way to raise cash very quickly and relatively painlessly, but still one should keep some important aspects in notice.

The most important thing is that it is a loan or a liability and definitely not a gift.

Just like any other debts, faxless or online payday loans d need to be settles, in full and promptly.

Bearing this very firmly in mind, you should be very careful of how much money you borrow in the first place, remembering that you will have to pay back both the initial loan an all of the interest on the payday loan due date.

Simply put, you should only borrow to the limit of what you can easily pay back without any substantial delay or problem.

When doing this, also do not forget to take into account the possibility of some unforeseen bills crashing on to your door mat in the next month, and ensure that, even with this possibility, that the repayment in full of your payday loan should not present any major problems to you.

Faxless or online payday loans do provide a great solution to short term cash flow problems, as long as you understand the rules of the game, and play by them religiously. Ignore this fact, and payday loans could become your worst nightmare!

Stephen is an international business consultant, specializing in debt management and control working with major businesses in Asia. You can download his stunning free report Death By Credit Card at http://webbiz99.com/paydayloans

If you obtained a loan such as a car loan, unsecured personal loan or a mortgage when the interest rates were high you may now be able to get a lower interest rate. It may just be that your credit score was low when you got your loan and it has now improved or it could be that interest rates have come down. Either way you could get a lower rate. A lower interest rate means less cost over the duration of the loan. A 1-2% drop in the interest rate could save you a significant amount over the life time of the loan.

Refinancing a new car loan is popular with those car owners who wish to replace a loan with a higher rate of interest with a loan with lower interest. This can allow borrowers to reduce monthly payments and reduce the overall cost of the loan. Research should be done before refinancing. This can be done on the internet. Terms and conditions should be compared and once satisfied the borrower can take out the new loan with a lower interest rate. In terms of cost effectiveness refinancing is unsurpassed. If you shop around you can find a better loan for you. You can get more flexible terms and conditions and a lower interest rate providing better value for money.

Refinancing your mortgage can give you extra cash so you can make home improvements, buy a new car or pay off other debts such as credit cards. Getting a lower interest rate may mean you can borrow more and still pay less each month. You may wish to consult a mortgage consultant who can advise you on the best mortgage deal. A mortgage, because it is secured on your property, will almost always have a lower interest rate that unsecured debts such as credit cards. It should always be remembered that a mortgage is secured on your property. Only take out a mortgage if you intend to pay the instalments. If you have a lot of debts you may want to try to get a cash-out refinance loan. With this type of loan you add an extra amount to you home loan, refinance the entire loan at a lower rate of interest and then pay off your debts with the addition cash. This will allow you to reduce monthly payment because the loan is at a lower interest rate.

Shelley Green is the owner of http://www.mortgages-click.com, a site that specializes in Mortgages. Shelley Green is also the owner of Loans Click and Refinance Click.

1.-Make specific goals. In business speak, goals should be SMART, ie specific, measurable, agreed, realistic and time framed. Trying to reach a vague goal is like trying to hit a moving target or wrestle a jelly. So instead of saying ‘I will lose weight’, go for something like “I will lose 5 lb by the 1st February 2002″. Last year, my resolution was to get fitter. I made this more specific by saying my goal was “To run the 5k Race for Life without stopping”.

2.-Write it down - taking your resolution out of your head and on to the page is the next step in making it a reality. Writing out potential action plans and due dates makes the goal even more powerful. Get some Post-its and stick your goals in places you’ll see them every day. When you set a time frame, write it down in your diary (following the example above, write what your weight will be when you’ve lost 5lb on 1st February page)

3.-Get someone to keep track. Make yourself as accountable to as many people as you can. Tell everyone you know what you’re going to do. People who love you will want to support you. Hire a life coach to help you keep on track and focused. A life coach will help you to keep on track when the going gets tough because they’re trained in helping people like you achieve their goals. For more info on coaching check out www.joannemallon.com

4.-Book a reward. Celebrate your achievements and reward yourself for the action you take, rather than focusing on all you still have to do. Every effort deserves a pat on the back. Book something great like a facial or a massage or a night out for you to look forward to after your 1st month of effort. In doing so you’ll be sending a big message to your subconscious that you are going to succeed.

5.-Imagine life if you didn’t stick to your resolutions. Think ahead to this time next year and imagine what your life would be like if you didn’t change at all. What if you were still like this in 5 years time? Pretty scary, eh? Now think about how life could be if you made the changes you want to. The difference between these two pictures will be a big motivation.

6.-Really think about the resolutions and why you’re making them. We’ve all woken up with a hangover on the 1st January and vowed never to drink, smoke, eat or snog unsuitable men ever again. Are you making your resolutions for your own reasons or for other people’s? You’ve more chance of succeeding with 3 changes you really want to make than with 10 you’re not that bothered about. If you’re not really excited about your resolutions why are you making them?

7.-Think about previous resolutions - why did you keep them, what stopped you? Review your goals regularly throughout the year - give yourself permission to change your resolutions based on changing circumstances

8.-Do not attempt to reinvent yourself totally in one week - gradual changes are more likely to stick. You did not get this way overnight, you will not change in a day either. Aim for 1 small change a week. For example, it’s unrealistic to think that you’ll go from being a gym hater to attending 3 times a week. So start small with maybe once a week doing an activity you find exciting.

9.-Prioritise - if you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?

10.-Take action as soon as possible to achieve your goal. Think of what the easiest step would be to achieve your goal and just do it.

BACKGROUND -

Joanne Mallon is a life and career coach. She specialises in helping people fulfill their potential, especially media and creative workers. For more information and a free motivation newsletter, visit http://www.JoanneMallon.com or contact info@joannemallon.con

For many women, they have suffered years of painful periods, literally dreading the day each month when the cramps begin, knowing that they will feel awful, with not only a terrible bellyache, but also bloating and irritability. For a week or 10 days each time, this is the plight of an awful lot of women. I detect many nods of agreement from women everywhere.

Although most women take pain-killers and just get on with it, some are completely incapacitated. I mean, it shouldn’t be happening in this day and age, should it?

Here’s the background to what we have discovered about how to avoid this most horrible of complaints from occurring with dreadful regularity each month.

A friend had noticed that the pain was particularly bad after eating certain foods. After eating curry, for example (one of her favorites), she would be up all night sitting on the loo with cramps and wanting to go. It seemed like the intestines were cramping up against what was inside them, i.e. the food that had been eaten that evening. The cramping would continue on for two or three days at least.

Pain-killers would help for 3 or 4 hours, but then their effect would wear off. And they did nothing for that bloated feeling. She would always end up feeling like Mr Blobby, like there was a brick in her lower intestines. This happened every month, whether she had been eating curry or not. Other ‘heavy’ or greasy foods had just the same effect.

One month, that time came around again, with dreadful inevitability, but at the time she was in the process of ‘clearing out’ or detoxing from her usual diet. It wasn’t a strict diet or anything, but just eating less food and avoiding foods that she knew made her feel tired and bloated (wheat mostly, plus milk). Note it’s not a good idea to cut out more than one food at a time, otherwise you might be overdoing the detox and end up feeling terrible, with possible colds and flu.

So this month, because of the lighter diet, her stools were soft and she had been ‘evacuating’ her bowels (hope this is not too graphic) two or three times a day in the days just preceding her period. So when it came to the dreaded time, she found to her delight and amazement there wasn’t really any pain. Well, not like usual anyway. She would get odd twinges but that was it. She could not quite believe it. Obviously she had avoided the curries beforehand too, but had eaten fairly normally, other than eating more lightly and avoiding wheat products and dairy. So it seems that because there was nothing in the lower intestines for the body to cramp up against, there was little or no pain.

This got her thinking, of course, and so we could not wait for the next month to try it out again. She was, by then, still in her detox-from-wheat phase and generally eating lighter meals. But she also made a conscious effort to clear out the intestines in the week leading up to her period, just using nature’s way, e.g. eating prunes, taking some tablespoons of olive oil and having other fruits as well. And avoiding eating too much meat. Lo and behold, she could not believe there was no pain again! It had worked for a second time.

This was just too exciting to keep quiet about, as she had, as millions of women regularly do, suffered pain and horrible discomfort every month for her entire adult life!

The other really surprising and wonderful thing was that she didn’t get the usual bloating either. So could the wheat be the cause of the bloating, we were wondering?

I know wheat can cause all sorts of problems, like zinc and selenium deficiencies, and people do report feeling bloated after eating bread and pasta, and the like, but we certainly didn’t realize it would be the cause of this terrible feeling, like you’ve got a brick in your guts by the end of the period.

Exercise has been widely reported to help with painful periods. Could this be because it helps with moving food through the gut?

So our advice would be to eat prunes, grapes, figs, whatever does it for you, and eat lighter meals in the days leading up to your period, avoiding wheat and too much meat (and dairy if you can stand it) and you may find a big difference! And by eating small, light meals once the period starts, you can almost test what effect the particular food is going to have on your intestines/cramps without eating too much of it.

Don’t overdo the ‘clearing out’ though and make yourself ill. One easy step at a time would be our advice. Maybe not everyone is affected by ‘wheat intolerance’, and it is not easy to cut out a food which has formed such a large part of our diets, but it is well worth giving it a go.

Let us know of your experiences please: Does this work for you? Do you relate to any of this? Let us know what has helped you in the past.

Are you interested in more articles like this one?
Other article topics: What to take with alcohol to avoid the after effects
Precis of Colin Turner’s Made for Life book
How the I Ching works
Numerology of famous people and how it can work for you
Millionaire’s Secrets

Email: mrmmonk@yahoo.co.uk

Interests include: self-help, motivation, health, and anything that improves your life. The author uses ancient techniques that have been around for hundreds of years: numerology, I Ching, psychic insight, and astrology, that can provide deep personal insights and wisdom, helping with everything from ailments and depression to a complete overhaul of your life. Choose a career that really suits you, make decisions and find direction. Liberate your playful side, have fun, and get energized about life and living.

Women need to strength train for fat loss. That’s surprising. And women can also train hard. That’s surprising to a lot of folks as well. Here are some cool workouts for women’s weight loss.

Now just because the 300 workout was built for a guy’s movie doesn’t mean we can’t modify a workout originally made to chisel male Greek Statue bodies into a workout that will turn the average gal into a fitness Goddess.

The original 300 workout is brutal, and there are two ways we can modify it. First, by using the same exercises and decreasing the reps. And second, by keeping the reps but reducing the intensity of the exercises.

Let’s do option A first, doing a workout with mostly the same exercises but fewer reps. So this becomes a 125 rep workout. Its tough, and is really for advanced female fitness only. A more beginner exercise is below.

a) Pullups - 5 reps (if you can’t do real pullups, use the assisted pullup machine or even pulldowns)
b) Deadlifts with 25lbs - 30 reps (in the original workouts, they used 135 pounds. We’ll decrease the weight and use the EZ curl bar instead. Alternatively, you can do dumbbell squats with 15 pounds per hand).
c) Pushups - 20 reps (do a combination of regular and kneeling if necessary)
d) 12-inch Box jumps - 25 reps
e) Floor wipers - 20 reps (Use the EZ Curl Bar again, or a broomstick)
f) 1-arm Clean n Press with 10lbs Kettlebell - 20 reps total, not per arm
g) Pullups - 5 reps (same as above)

A woman with a moderate fitness level might try this 100 repetition workout (remember - minimize the rest between sets):

5 bodyweight rows
15 bodyweight squats
5 pushups
50 jumping jacks
10 mountain climbers
10 lunges
5 bodyweight rows

Those are some challenging workouts. Work with a trainer to come up with other ideas.

Just do this workout once as a test. You might try it every couple of months or so as a comparison, but don’t train like this everyday.

And as always, train safe. If you aren’t sure about the technique, your form, or don’t feel comfortable with the workout, skip it!

You have permission to publish this article in your web sites, ezines or electronic publication, as long as the piece is used in its entirety including the resource box, all hyperlinks (HTML clickable) and references and copyright info.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training for Fat Loss have helped thousands of men and women with weight loss and fat burning in less than 45 minutes three times per week. Turbulence Training for Fat Loss workouts help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment. Craig’s bodyweight workouts for fat loss help you lose fat without any equipment at all.

Acne is a result of the over activity of the sebaceous glands which are the oil producing glands of our body. This over activity results in excess oil production which together with hair follicles and germs create a suitable environment for the acne breakout to take shelter. Acne can appear in various forms like whiteheads , blackheads, pustules and cysts. It can appear virtually anywhere- on your cheeks, nose, back, chest and, in some cases, over the whole body as well.

It is a chronic skin disorder which has troubled around 80% of the people around the world. The small kids- as young as infants, the adults and the old people- all could be attacked with acne. It seems quite amazing as how can an ailment attack so many people- of different ages and races.

What is the exact cause of acne is not known as yet. Still, we have some substantial explanation for the emergence of acne.

Puberty is identified as the main cause of acne breakout. During puberty, tremendous changes to the hormones bring in, which affects the production of sebum in your body. And together with hair follicles and bacteria, they create the requisite shelter for the occurrence of acne. Our bodies are natural shelter to this acne producing bacteria. But only when the growth of these bacteria multiplies and other acne inducing factors home in, we get acne attack.

Genetics are also found related to acne. That is, if your father or mother had this problem in the past you have very good chances of its meeting with it in your life phases like puberty or pregnancy.

Next identified cause of acne is stress. Stress indeed is an additive factor. Your pimple condition can get worse if you also suffer from stress, depression or anxiety.

As exact cause of acne is not known, many myths have taken a natural shelter. Acne is not caused by junk food, chocolates, chips pizza or soda. However you should not indulge in too much of these foods as they may disrupt your digestion process which may induce acne causing factors in you.

Many of us believe that acne condition is associated with teens only. But this is not true. Age is not a defining trait to get or not to get acne. As you see a pimple popping up on your skin, you should strictly take a restrictive step to mollify the attack. Benozyl peroxide is one of the main ingredients to fight acne.

Some people would say acne is a normal part of growing up in a child. This is a false belief and such myths are real culprits for increasing army of acne among the kids. Apart from taking help from your dermatologist, you should also adopt some good habits to cure acne.

To keep acne away, learn to stay clean and healthy. Keep your surroundings and yourself very clean. Wash your face with a mild face wash or soap 2 to 3 times a day.

Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and drink lots and lots of water.

You should avoid squeezing or pricking a pimple as it can lead to infection which may worsen your condition.

People with long hair should not allow hair to fall on their face. Hair sprays, gels should be kept at a bay from the face.

To know more about how to treat acne and what is best acne medication visit http://www.acnetalks.com/pimple/magazine/edition/Acne-Skincare.htm

WHY NETWORKING WORKS -

It’s a regularly repeated marketing mantra that ‘people do business with people’: - in other words people want to know, like and trust you before they will do business with you. Consistent networking to raise your profile will mean that the more connections you develop the more business you’ll naturally attract.

But what if you don’t want to go out networking? What if you’re shy of going into a room full of strangers? What if you’re running a business from home and want to be able to network at times that suit you? Maybe you’re working in a remote location and can’t make it to the meetings? Online networking means that you get the benefits of conventional networking without having to leave your desk.

As someone who’d rather be reading the kids a bedtime story than handing round business cards with a bunch of suits, I’ve found that focusing on consistent online networking has brought me fantastic opportunities to meet and do business with people all over the world. This is what I’ve found makes all the difference:

DO YOUR RESEARCH -

Talk to your clients and fellow professionals, especially people who are as successful as you want to be. Where do they hang out online? Which websites, discussion forums etc do they enjoy? The easiest way to reach your potential clients and workmates is to hang out where they do.

WHEN YOU MEET PEOPLE ONLINE -

Don’t try and sell to them straight away - this is the equivalent of rushing into a party and forcing your business card on everyone, without stopping to find out if they’re interested in what you’ve got to offer. ‘Lurk’ for a while to get the feel of how various online environments operate - read other people’s messages to get a feel for the culture: is it serious and businesslike all the way, or is there a space for humour? Look for connections between what you do and what other members of the community do: this may give you an opening to make a connection.

BUILD YOUR PROFILE CONSISTENTLY -

It’s more effective to have a limited number of sites and forums that you contribute to regularly than to try and be all over the internet at once. Make a regular commitment to participate and stick to it. Answer queries, contribute articles and blogs. Be generous with offering your expertise: this will say more about you than an ad ever would. Look for what you can contribute to others rather than what you can sell.

One thing to remember with online networking is that it probably won’t replace good old face to face networking entirely. Many people still don’t like to do business with others until they’ve looked them in the eye and had a face to face conversation. If you make an interesting connection with someone online, develop the relationship by giving them a call or meeting for coffee.

QUEEN OF YOUR OWN DOMAIN -

Some of most valuable networking you can do will be within a group of your target clients where you are in a position of authority - this raises your profile amongst your potential clients and makes you a centre of influence in their world. It is now easier than ever to start an online networking group with the help of Yahoo, Google or Smartgroups. Members of networking sites such as Ecademy can also choose to form their own clubs and become club leaders.

Of course for this sort of group to flourish, members have to be getting more out of it than simply finding out about your business. I run a networking group for Women in Media, because that’s the client group I specialise in helping. However, if the group only consisted of ads for my services, members would soon drift away. The fact that members get a whole host of support and opportunities keeps them coming back for more. And that’s the fun thing about running your own group - it soon takes on a life of its own and develops in ways you could never have predicted.

PLAN YOUR OBJECTIVES
Above all, before you start be clear about what your objectives are for online networking: Whom do you want to meet? What do you want to happen? How much time are you prepared to commit to it?
Above all have fun and be open to meeting new people. Be interested in what they’re doing and they will soon be interested in you.

To get you started:

SOME BUSINESS AND PERSONAL NETWORKING SITES:
www.soflow.com - International online networking with a high proportion of media/creative professions. It’s a fairly small community at present but that can make it easier to get to know people than on larger sites.

www.ecademy.com - Business networking site with the facilities to post articles and blogs

www.linkedin.com - Works by linking people up with one another, following the ‘Six degrees of Separation theory’: that you’re only six people away from everyone else on the planet.

www.ryze.com

www.tribe.net

www.MediaWomenUK.com - Online networking group for women in media. Mainly UK based but with members around the globe. Many members are freelance journalists, though a wide range of other media professions also represented

BACKGROUND -

Joanne Mallon is a life and business coach who specialises in working with media and creative people. She is also the founder and moderator of the Media Women UK Online Network atwww.MediaWomenUK.com. You can find out more about Joanne’s work by visiting http://www.MediaLifeCoach.com or by calling 01273 562 415 or emailing Joanne@medialifecoach.com

When you talk about decorating styles many people will tell you that they have their own style. What they usually mean is that their home is a mix of different designs and styles. While they may have a cottage style kitchen they prefer a pared down and stylish living room. They may have a taste that leads towards art deco when it comes to their bedroom and they may desire an intimate dining space. Although this may be how most people deal with decorating styles there are those who prefer a more thematic approach when sprucing up their home.

Suppose you are a fan of the cottage style of interior decorating. You might have sturdy furniture, especially in the kitchen and dining room because it will stand up to more bashing about than other more elegant styles. Cottage style furniture is usually of the sturdy pure wood type, particularly when it comes to tables and chairs. With cottage decorating it is ok to have mismatched furniture, but usually not too much of it. Chintz is also another firm cottage style favorite reminiscent of the old farms and ranches. Most traditional cottage style homes often sport loaded bookshelves and an open fire. When it comes to cottage style, cosy is often the key word - although you can get cottage style with cleaner lines and less color.

If art deco is your thing then you may have lots of black, cream and white with smooth flowing lines. Clocks and mirrors may be angular and cushions and crockery may have bold, bright patterns. Art deco style may include striped drapes and chubby looking armchairs. There is now plenty of artwork around that is a reminder of this period and it is worthwhile getting a few prints and framing them. The bedroom is where you can have fun with really fancy dressing tables and an elegantly dressed bed.

If you are more inclined towards a contemporary or modern style then the first thing you need to do is rid yourself of any excess clutter. Modern streamlined designs are made for rooms that may seem empty to a cottage style or art deco fan. Some contemporary designs consist of a lot of leather and chrome - colored bathroom suites are out if you are going for this look, the bathroom should be white and functional. A fully fitted kitchen with all the latest gadgets is also part of the contemporary style. The place where the moderns let their hair down is in the bedroom. Here you can choose whatever you find the most relaxing and the decor that is most likely to ensure you get a good night’s rest.

Lee Dobbins writes for Perfect Home Decor where you can find out about more great decorating styles.

There are few moments in life as precious as the ones which you spend preparing for the arrival of your new little one. You will spend ten months in anticipation of this arrival and when that day comes, you will want everything to be perfect when you bring the bundle home from the hospital.

If you know that you are having a boy, you may choose to go traditional. When I found out I was having a boy, my husband and I chose a somewhat traditional mixed with contemporary approach. We did choose a smoky blue for the color of the top half and ceiling of his room. To add a little something more to it, we chose to put white wainscoting on the bottom half of the wall topped with chair rail. This adds a little texture to the room and makes it a little more interesting. We also have a ceiling fan in the room whose blades are of dark wood. This adds to the richness in the blue color that we chose for the room. Another popular choice would be to further enhance the room by adding the name of the child in large letters on the wall. This is certainly an option and does add to the decor of the room. We chose to leave the walls relatively blank with the exception of three small decorative pieces of artwork that goes with the theme of airplanes that is expressed through the bedding for the crib.

If you find that you’re having a girl, the traditional color choice is pink or lavender for the room. You may choose to do one or both of those colors in the room and buy bedding that will go with the color scheme that you have chosen. The color of the crib and furniture will add to the decor. If you have white furniture, brighter colors will work nicely. If your furniture is showing its natural colors, deeper earthy tones will probably work best. The decor and bedding that you choose for the room should compliment the colors that are in the room. If having a girl and using the traditional color scheme, a theme of butterflies or princesses or something along those lines will tie into those colors nicely.

If you either don’t know what you’re having or that is not a factor in your choice of design, there is a whole world of choice available to you. A room that is designed for babies in general is one that may use tones of greens and yellow. These are bright cheery colors that have no connotation of one sex of child over the other. There are plenty of themed sets of bedding that go with these color choices as well. If you’d rather not choose a “theme,” there are simple color choices in bedding that will go with the look you’re trying to achieve. The important thing is to create an atmosphere that is cheerful so that you’re little one can start off every day with a little cheer.

No matter the color, the baby’s room should be one that creates a happy atmosphere. This atmosphere should be conducive to learning and exploring as that is what your little one will be doing for the next several years of their life. This room should be unforgettable in process and completion.

Lee Dobbins writes for http://www.look4decor.com where you can find out more about interior design for your home and get more great decorating tips.

* Woulda, shoulda, coulda
Do you sometimes find yourself thinking about the things you ’should’ do, but for some reason aren’t? Often a ’should’ goal is actually somebody else’s goal, not necessarily the thing that gets your zinger zinging. ‘Shoulds’ are generally the things that don’t get done.

Why not ban yourself from using the word ’should’, and challenge your brain to come up with something else instead?

Next time you hear yourself saying ‘I should go to the gym; I should eat more salads’ take a moment to ask yourself, what is it you actually want to do? Maybe football or running are more your thing. Start finding the things that’ll motivate you, not somebody else.

* Write it down
Get a big sheet of paper and write this question on the top: What difference would losing the weight and getting fit make to my life? Then write at least 20 answers to the question. Maybe you’d become more confident, try new things or feel and look better than ever.

Spend a few minutes thinking about how fantastic it would be to have everything on your list. Focus on it until you’re glowing with motivation. Which answer excites you most? Where’s the juicy bit that really makes you want it?

Keep your list somewhere handy, maybe in your handbag or coat pocket. Re-read it once a week or whenever your feel your motivation needs a boost. You’ll instantly be transported back to a state of supercharged motivation.

* Keep on keeping on
The main thing that separates the successful from the unsuccessful is not talent, luck or money, but simple persistence. Thomas Edison got the lightbulb wrong 10,000 times before he got it right. Getting it wrong is an essential step along the way to getting it right.

Whatever you’re doing, whether it’s building a business or losing weight, there will be days when things just don’t seem to go your way. It’s at this point that the unsuccessful person stops, whereas the successful person keeps going. Remind yourself that this is a normal part of the process and give yourself a day off to recharge your enthusiasm.

Of course, this only works when you concentrate on the learning that each failure can bring - sometimes we learn an awful lot about how not to do something before we hit on the way that works for us. Keep asking yourself ‘What am I learning from this?’ and you’ll turn failure into progress.

* Think big
Some projects are easier to get started on, because you can see more clearly where they’re leading. But what about the smaller stuff that happens from day to day, which you just may not feel like doing? How do you get motivated to do the housework? Or go to the gym?

The answer lies in expanding the picture until you can see that it’s part of something you really do want. So say there’s a sink full of dirty dishes and you just can’t face tackling them - expand the picture and what do you find? A clean kitchen, the satisfaction of a job well done, a sense of having contributed to your family? Or if you just don’t feel like that aerobics class - remember how good you’ll feel afterwards and how this will get you one step closer to the size you want to be.

Every small task, somewhere along the line is connected to something that you really want, and that’s where you can hook your motivation into. Remember that the juicy bits may be a bit further down the line, but they’re still there.

BACKGROUND -

Joanne Mallon is a life and career coach. She specialises in helping people fulfill their potential, especially media and creative workers. For more information and a free motivation newsletter, visit http://www.JoanneMallon.com or contact info@joannemallon.com