Reasons to Abandon Television - I know it’s not for everyone, but Travis Wright at CultivateGreatness.com makes a good argument for why you should dump the television for more fulfilling activities.

Stop Worrying: 7 Effective Strategies for Dealing with Anxiety - At PickTheBrain.com, Tejvan Pettinger offers excellent advise for avoiding unnecessary and unhealthy worrying.

35 Sneaky Ways to Improve Your Finances - You’re probably doing some of these already. And several of the tips you know about, but just haven’t taking action. But I bet you’ll find a few that you’ve not really considered. This is a guest post by Alex Shalman on RirianProject.com.

Reconnect with Your Teenagers - Shelley Stile uses personal life examples to help you renew your relationship with your teenage children.

Can You Say ‘No’ When You Need To? - Jeff Cohen knows that one of the most important skills anyone can learn is how to say ‘no’. Take a few minutes to learn the skills you need to avoid taking on more than you should.

So here is my plan to correct my problem and become more productive:

1. First, I need to take 30 minutes and clean off my desk.
2. Then I will set up a couple simple file systems for work that needs to be handy, but put somewhere other than a big pile.
3. Finally, I set an expectation for myself to clear off my desk top before I finish working each day. This will keep the mess from accumulating.

That’s the plan. Clutter gone, productivity should increase. What ideas do you have for reducing office clutter?

[PhotoCredit:trec_lit]

My personal goal for work (my day job) is to complete the redesign of our agency website by February 19, 2008.

I work for a nonprofit state association that has really struggled with our presence on the web. The current web design was completed about 3 months ago. Okay, completed is not truly accurate, but the site was redesigned. And it actually is a huge improvement. But there are still problems.

The biggest issue I have with the site is the lack of regularly updated content. I have learned through blogging that websites are most helpful when they keep readers up-to-date with current news and information. So, my strategy for the redesign is to use the blogging platform, WordPress to manage the site. Since content is the biggest problem with the existing site, that will be my primary focus in the redesign.

I hope to have a draft ready for a committee meeting late next week. If they approve, I can complete the site in a week or so. That means this goal is definitely short-term. I will post a link to the new site when it is complete.

BTW, if you have recommendations for the site, please leave a comment or contact me through the new contact form.

To start with, let’s broaden our understanding of work. Work is not just our employment. Work is where we invest our time in order to add value to our lives. A stay-at-home mom adds value to her life by raising her children. The charity volunteer finds value in giving support an important cause. Work is an investment of our time and, therefore, directly related to investing, another of the Seven Actions.

The benefits of our work come in many forms: money to spend, activities that interest and challenge us, relationships, and a sense of worth. Not everyone experiences all of these rewards, and sometimes these benefits become less meaningful over time. Job dissatisfaction is a growing concern. We feel “burn out” when the benefits of the job do not outweigh boredom, stress, exhaustion, or other work related negatives. Career changes are the common result of these periods in our lives. (For more on career changes, visit UTurnAhead.com).

Since work is a part of everyones’ lives, we should find ways to optimize our rewards for work. We must find employment, volunteer activities, or other investments of our time that provide a feeling of value. Absent of other income, our work must be able to sustain us financially. And we have to maximize the positive relationships and pleasant experiences from our jobs.

I strongly believe that we are in control of the benefits we get from working. Too often people fall victim to believing that their employer is the reason for all their woes. “If only I was treated better, paid more, or given that promotion.” Sorry, I just don’t buy it. If this job doesn’t provide enough of what we need, we have the ultimate power. We can find other, more rewarding work. Blaming our boss or the company we work for is just keeping us from the benefits we really deserve…or recognizing those that already exist.

So, what value do you find in the work you do?

[Photo Credit: ForestForTrees]

But life is not over and the journey is still underway. I am at a point in my life where I need to revisit the goals that I have set, consider some new paths and set new targets for myself.

Over the years I have come to believe that our lives can be summed up in Seven Actions: love, play, live, seek, learn, invest, and work. Everything we do falls into one of these Seven Actions. By seeking to understand these actions, what they mean, and how we can use them to improve ourselves, we begin to take control of our lives. And when we are in control, we can choose our own path, create our own happiness and determine our own future.

So, I’ve set some new goals for my life. I’ve organized them by the Seven Actions. During the next year I will be talking about these goals, and the progress I am making. I will share with you what works and what doesn’t.

But this blog is not just about me. This blog is about change; and it’s about you. It is about using each of the Seven Actions to better our lives and become what we most want for ourselves. I hope you will visit often.

What you can expect:

• Regular posts and articles about using the Seven Actions to change your life.
• News and information about real ways to reach your goals.
• Tips, tools and resources that will improve your life at work, home and in the community.
• Encouragement from others who are changing their lives.

What you won’t get:

• A lot of fluffy words about change with no help with no real answers.
• Paid posts that promote a product or service without real experience that it works.
• Answers from a guru who knows everything and has life all figured out. (This is just one way of looking at life, and by no means the answer to everything.)