goal setting Archives - Page 7 of 10

#243| One Small Thought

August 31, 2015 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

One small positive thought in the morning can set your day right.

Go ahead; get that positive thought firmly fixed in your mind.

The beauty lies in the fact that the thought doesn’t have to be big – it just has to be positive.

One small thought – one small positive thought – can make all the difference in the direction and course of your day.

Set your thoughts, and your day will surely follow.

Here’s to a great day!

Join in the Fray: Which family member or friend will you spend time with (or contact) this weekend?

The Swirl World Team is committed to sharing 365 days of inspiration in 2015. Our goal is to help you stay motivated and inspired by bringing you positive, uplifting images and corresponding thoughts.

We’d love to FEATURE YOU in one of our Inspiration Daily posts! If you’d like to be featured, please send a nice, clear photo to InspirationDaily@TheSwirlWorld.com.

#237|No Excuses!

August 25, 2015 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

I wonder how many things we could accomplish if we stopped making excuses?

We say we have “reasons” to explain why we do or don’t do certain things.

Yet if we drilled down to the root of those explanations, I dare say we would find that most of our “reasons” are what my Mother calls “dressed up excuses.”

Today, let’s challenge ourselves to get through the entire day without offering any excuses.

Let’s own our actions, emotions, shortcomings, procrastinations, fears – you name it.

Own the thing you’re excusing, and put you in check.

Let’s work on continuing to evolve into people of character. To do so, we have to put an end to making excuses.

Remember: No excuses!

Join in the Fray: In what area of your life do you need to stop making excuses?

We’d love to FEATURE YOU in one of our Inspiration Daily posts! If you’d like to be featured, please send a nice, clear photo to InspirationDaily@TheSwirlWorld.com.

#236| Brave Heart

August 24, 2015 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway 8 Comments

We like to jump-start each new week by providing a quote fierce enough to get you going.

I know I’m facing challenges this week, and as far as I’m concerned, every bit of motivation and encouragement helps me with pushing past, pushing thorough and pushing forward.

A brave heart is required to push past the naysayers, haters and saboteurs.

A brave heart is required to push through our own fear and sense of inadequacy.

A brave heart is required to push forward into our purpose, and ultimately into our destiny.

Today is the start of a new day and a new week.

Let’s get started, shall we?

Join in the Fray: What’s the thing you need to be “brave enough to start?” When will you begin?

We’d love to FEATURE YOU in one of our Inspiration Daily posts! If you’d like to be featured, please send a nice, clear photo to InspirationDaily@TheSwirlWorld.com.

#234| Be Gentle

August 22, 2015 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway 6 Comments

It’s easy to engage in negative self-talk, isn’t it?

To beat ourselves up with the coulda, shoulda, wouldas of life.

Your psyche is calling, and it has a message for you.

Please stop.

Please stop focusing on the negative circumstances of your life; your shortcomings and faults.

Instead, choose a different train of thought.

Try celebrating what’s good and right about you.

Give yourself a break.

Tomorrow is another day, and you’ll have a free, clean slate of 24 hours to work on getting things right.

Today, this minute, do yourself a favor.

Be gentle to yourself.

Join in the Fray: Name one thing you can to do be gentle to yourself.

We’d love to FEATURE YOU in one of our Inspiration Daily posts! If you’d like to be featured, please send a nice, clear photo to InspirationDaily@TheSwirlWorld.com.

#233| Yes Can Do!

August 21, 2015 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

It’s the end of the week, and if you’re like me you’re assessing the progress you made – or didn’t make.

This year I’m using the Day Designer Planner. Each day I write out a list of “goals of the day” and do my best to cross off each one.

More often than not, I don’t get to cross off every item, and when I don’t, I carry the item over to the top of the next day’s list.

Do that every day of the week, and sometimes you’ll find an item written on Monday was carried over all week . . . and into the next week . . . and occasionally, to the end of the month.

Le sigh.

So much for planning, huh?

What I have to remember is to celebrate my accomplishments (the crossed-off items) instead of wallowing in disappointment over the uncrossed items.

Yes, I need to examine the items I continue to carry over and figure out why I’m not completing them: is the item really important? If it is, am I procrastinating? Am I wasting time? Do I not have what I need to complete the project? What’s the problem? And more important, what do I need to do to fix it?

When I take myself through that series of questions, I come to an understanding of what I need to do to push forward.

Voilà!

I’ve managed to turn a “no can do” into a “yes can do.”

#Winning!

Join in the Fray: What “no can do” will you turn into a “yes can do?”

We’d love to FEATURE YOU in one of our Inspiration Daily posts! If you’d like to be featured, please send a nice, clear photo to InspirationDaily@TheSwirlWorld.com.

#229| Here’s Looking At You!

August 17, 2015 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway 2 Comments

I’d be hard pressed to find anyone over the age of 20 (OK, 30 for sure!) who hasn’t heard the classic line, “Here’s looking at you, kid.”

The line is from the classic movie Casablanca starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.

Though we’re not toasting in the same manner as Bogart, we’re still sending good cheer as the new week begins.

Whether you’re employed 9-to-5, an online entrepreneur, stay-at-home Mom or basking in retirement, here’s looking at you as you enjoy a solid week of wins.

Join in the Fray: What “win” are you looking forward to this week?

We’d love to FEATURE YOU in one of our Inspiration Daily posts! If you’d like to be featured, please send a nice, clear photo to InspirationDaily@TheSwirlWorld.com.

#225| A Traveling State Of Mind

August 13, 2015 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

When we began the practice of daily uploading blog posts during 2015, the concept of “Travel Thursdays” was instituted fairly quickly.

Travel Thursdays was inspired by an impromptu conversation I had with Interracial Dating Coach Lorraine Spencer, who at one point in her life packed up and moved to Alaska.

We were conversing prior to her guest appearance on the podcast, and she gave me my entire “Travel Thursday” life when making the declaration, “Black women need to travel!”

(If you want to listen to that episode, click here)

Most of us want to travel, yet for many, budgetary constraints pose a significant obstacle.

If you won’t be able travel abroad – or stateside – this year, don’t despair.

We can all still travel – even if we only travel across town, to a local park or lake.

Remember, “There is sanctuary in being alone with nature.”

If traveling isn’t possible as a state of being, make it a state of mind.

Join in the Fray: What are the best local places in your city you can visit on a day trip?

We’d love to FEATURE YOU in one of our Inspiration Daily posts! If you’d like to be featured, please send a nice, clear photo to InspirationDaily@TheSwirlWorld.com.

#224| Do It Anyway!

August 12, 2015 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway 20 Comments

The internet is aglow with images of tennis superstar Serena Williams, who currently graces the cover of New York Magazine.

To say her body is exquisite is an understatement; Serena has six-pack abs to die for.

Watch her play tennis, and you’ll shake your head in amazement at her athleticism.

What About The Rest Of Us?

Well, as for me, I cringe when I see what I call “my mushy middle.” I could certainly stand for a little less body fat and a lot more muscle.

I struggle with effective time management, and sometimes my gym time is sacrificed on the altar of blogging and podcasting time.

Le sigh.

I have my weeks of getting into the flow of carving out time for trips to Anytime Fitness; relentlessly pushing myself to get up and go; no excuses.

Something happens to throw me off my exercising game – let me correct that statement and take responsibility for my actions – I allow things to happen and thus throw me off my game.

Monday night was almost one such night, until I remembered the catch phrase and mantra of blogger Kawanda Lamb, a new friend I met at Podcast Movement 2015.

Her mantra?

Do It Anyway.

Kaywanda created these baby blue wristbands featuring the words #DoItAnyWay, and she gave me one when we met.

Monday night when I looked up from my laptop the clock read 9:15. Surely it was too late to go to the gym and be fresh the next day.

Of course I happened to be wearing the wristband ~~darn it~~ and my eyes fell on that hashtag.

#DoItAnyway

I got up, and I went.

And you know what? Once I pushed past the resistance and got in my car, I was fine. When I walked through the doors and got on the elliptical, I felt even better.

So, what’s the thing in your life you need to tell yourself, “Do it anyway?”

Go ahead and push past procrastination, push past negative self-talk, push past laziness – and do it anyway.

Join in the Fray: What’s the thing in your life you need to tell yourself, “Do it anyway?”

Kaywanda Lamb teaches single moms to do it anyway! To visit her blog, click here.

We’d love to FEATURE YOU in one of our Inspiration Daily posts! If you’d like to be featured, please send a nice, clear photo to InspirationDaily@TheSwirlWorld.com.

#223| What Are You Doing?

August 11, 2015 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

So, who are you?

What do you want to be?

More important, what are you doing?

Are you engaging in pursuits yielding lasting value – or are you frittering away your time?

Are you a dreamer – or a doer?

Remember:

The difference between who you are and who you want to be, is what you do.

~Unknown

Join in the Fray: What are you doing to show up in the world?

We’d love to FEATURE YOU in one of our Inspiration Daily posts! If you’d like to be featured, please send a nice, clear photo to InspirationDaily@TheSwirlWorld.com.

#222| Be Yourself

August 10, 2015 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

As you head out into this new week, put your best foot forward and be the best you can be.

Be happy and be yourself – your best self!

We’d love to FEATURE YOU in one of our Inspiration Daily posts! If you’d like to be featured, please send a nice, clear photo to InspirationDaily@TheSwirlWorld.com.

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#243| One Small Thought

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#237|No Excuses!

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#236| Brave Heart

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#234| Be Gentle

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#233| Yes Can Do!

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#229| Here’s Looking At You!

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#225| A Traveling State Of Mind

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#224| Do It Anyway!

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#223| What Are You Doing?

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#222| Be Yourself

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