Archive for November, 2007

Get Dressed and Get Hired

Thursday, November 15th, 2007

By Terrance Farley Tying a tie properly may tie you to your next employer. A properly tied tie is essential to a good first impression. With the recent outcry regarding athletes wearing flip-flops to the White House, its apparent that a review of socially acceptable fashion rules is needed. Gone are the days of Leave It To Beaver and other such shows which often depicted the strong leader of the family proudly donning a suit and tie for his daily job and any other social occasion. Todays impressionable society takes more cues from the Internet than from Nick at Nite. Formal Friday night dinners are a thing of the past and many churches have relaxed their dressing expectations, so its possible that a young man could get through college without ever having to tie a tie. Even if they went to a formal dance they may have worn a clip-on bow tie. Many young men graduating from college dont get hired because of the way they present themselves. They have a general disregard in how they dress for their interviews and when its time to knock the socks off of a potential employer, the focal point of their suit is out of focus. A professional appearance can be as important as a complete resume. Prospective employers look for consistency in a potential employee. Even the most polished resume does not coordinate with an applicant in a t-shirt and jeans. Wearing a suit without a tie is like avoiding a handshake or leaving your name off an application. If an applicant wants to set themselves apart from others, theyll take the extra steps to present the complete package. A poorly knotted tie projects sloppiness and reflects poorly on ones abilities. Take the time to learn the proper way to tie ties because youre worth it and your professional career may depend on it! Terrance Farley is the webmaster of How to Tie a Tie and it has become his mission to provide information about the most important and neglected article of men’s clothing, the tie. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terrance_Farley http://EzineArticles.com/?Get-Dressed-and-Get-Hired&id=59624 buy cheap phentermine online net pharmacy order phentermine phentermine without prescription overnight phentermine & no prescription

Successful Surveys: 10 Tips for Better Results

Thursday, November 15th, 2007

By Kathy Gulrich Why would you use an email or online survey when you could simply call your clients and customers and ask for their input? Lots of reasons. - standardization - easy to get large numbers of responses - easy to tabulate, analyze - easy (and often fun) for your clients and customers - inexpensive - non-intrusive - time-efficient (for you, and for your clients and customers) - protect your customers’ anonymity (if important) - professional - no “cold calls” - no answering machines! And have you figured out how long it would take to have 100 fifteen-minute conversations instead? (I don’t have to do the math to know that it’s WAY too long!) So in this article, I’m going to talk surveys. How to find them, how to do them, and how to make the most of your results. Here goes…. 1 - Clarify Your Objectives What’s your reason for doing the survey? You might want to get your clients’ input on your products and services, let them know you really care about what they think, or learn what keeps them up at night. (Or anything in between….) Before you start, be very clear about what you’d like to accomplish. Then, be sure that each question on your survey will get you a step closer to your goal. 2 - Choose a Survey Company You can write and produce your survey yourself, or (easier) use one of the many companies out there that provide survey services. These services come at a variety of prices (from free to quite expensive), and with a variety of options (from basic to quite extensive). Zip around the web a bit to find what’s out there, and what seems most appropriate for what you’re doing. In your wanderings, you may want to check out: http://www.EZsurvey.com http://www.zoomerang.com http://www.pollcat.com or my favorite, http://www.surveymonkey.com 3 - Keep it Short Most often, we’re asking survey recipients to do us a favor by filling out our survey - even if the information we gather will help them, longer term. So be respectful of their time by keeping your survey short (no more than 10 questions, unless absolutely necessary) - and easy to fill out and return. The easier it is do complete, the more responses you’re likely to get. 4 - Mix It Up Most automated surveys allow for lots of different types of questions, including: - multiple choice - choose one or more from a list - fill in the blank(s) - rate on a 1-5 (or similar) scale - open-ended questions with a fill-in text box Try to mix up your question format to keep it interesting. Lots of essay-type questions often seem “too hard” for respondents. Conversely, all multiple choice questions can get a bit boring. 5 - Get it Out There Sometimes you’ll want to limit your survey to a particular group: your clients, people who have bought your book or participated in a particular teleclass, your newsletter subscribers, etc. Often, you’ll be looking for responses from a much broader audience, say, self-employed individuals over 50, or all coaches in North America. In this case, you may want to email the survey link to your list, and ask recipients to forward the survey to anyone they know who fits your category. (You’ll want to give them a compelling reason to do so!) 6 - Make Course Corrections One of the great things about most surveys (Survey Monkey is a great example) is that you can pop in and look at results as they come in. Here’s why that’s important:If the answers you’re getting don’t answer your questions in the way you expected, you’ll have the opportunity to revise your survey, on the spot. Revise a question … replace it … change the order … integrate something you learned from a respondent … add something you forgot. Get in there, see what’s happening, and make course corrections if necessary. 7 - Analyze Results Once all the answers have come in, look at them carefully. What does the “quantitative” data tell you? Slice and dice the numbers to learn all you can from the responses you get. If you use a survey service that offers them, check your data in different formats, from pie charts to graphs. And just as importantly, what “qualitative” information comes through? - what’s the general feeling you get from the open-ended responses? - how enthusiastic were the respondents to share their views? - what’s your “gut” telling you? 8 - Use Results to Improve Your Business One thing I’ve learned over the years is that people don’t always do what they “say” they’re going to do on surveys! And in that sense, surveys can be misleading. In terms of trends, directions, feelings, interests, etc., however, results tend to be pretty accurate. Net net? Proceed boldly, but with caution. (Always test before you make a BIG leap!) 9 - Use the Report as a Special Offer Let’s face it, humans are pretty curious. We send in our answers to a survey or questionnaire, and then wonder what all the OTHER people had to say. Capitalize on this curiosity! You can:- offer the report/analysis as a “thank you” for responding (this will help increase your response) - write up a special report, and turn it into a passive income product (particularly useful for hard-to-get information in a narrow market niche) 10 - Use Surveys Often They’re easy. They give us tons of helpful information. Our clients enjoy them. They’re often free. They give us practically real-time answers. Let’s face it … a survey is a terrific tool, and if you haven’t yet, I hope you’ll give one a try soon. Best-selling author Kathy Gulrich helps clients get from idea, to action, to results - more quickly, and more easily - whether they’re looking to write a book, develop a new product, or market their product or business. Clients love her direct, no-nonsense approach - and her gentle insistence on great results. Find out for yourself: Check out one of Kathy’s teleclasses, or pick up a free worksheet, at http://www.smARTbusinessCoaching.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Gulrich http://EzineArticles.com/?Successful-Surveys:-10-Tips-for-Better-Results&id=46073 xanax without prescription from mexico xanax without us prescription buy xanax bars buy real xanax overnight with online culsultation prescriptions

Dieting And The Brain-How To Lose Weight And Keep It Off Forever-Part 3 Using Brain Chemistry

Wednesday, November 14th, 2007

By Katherine Reschke This is the third installment of my series on Dieting and the Brain. I looked at mindful eating and using the hunger scale. Here I look at how you can use how the brain works to help you change your bad habits forever. Whenever you do something pleasurable whether it be eating a wonderful meal, shopping or having sex, your brain is flooded with a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine affects brain processes that control movement, emotional response, and ability to experience pleasure and pain. The brain then seeks out to repeat the actions that caused the rise in dopamine. When taken to an extreme, an addiction is the result. So how can you take advantage of this chemical to take on healthy habits? The trick here is to associate the healthy habit with an immediate reward that will kick in the release of dopamine. So for example, if the healthy habit you want to take up is exercise but for you, exercise in itself does not equate with a pleasurable activity and does not stimulate the release of dopamine, then immediately after exercising, reward yourself with something that does bring you pleasure. This could be anything from a hot bubble bath to gift cards to your favorite shop or settling in front of your favorite TV program. Once your brain has associated this pleasure with the exercise you will find it much easier to be motivated. Indeed if you are finding even starting an exercise program difficult, you can break it up into smaller chunks. In her book, “The Four Day Win,” Martha Beck recommends setting what she calls a ridiculously easy daily goal” with a reward attached daily and then a bigger reward if the goal is achieved 4 days in a row. She recounts her first ridiculously easy daily goal as driving to the gym every day, sitting in the parking lot and listening to a song then driving home again. These small and easy to achieve goals build up a momentum of success which helps to achieve the next slightly harder goal, with the reward system harnessing the power of dopamine to attach a pleasure response to the new habit. So your first step is to sit down and brainstorm a list of treats - some small to reward daily goals that you meet and then some bigger ones to reward 4 days or a week of reaching your goals. If money is tight you may have to be more inventive but I am sure you can generate a wonderful list nonetheless. Make sure you reward yourself immediately even if it means you write yourself a ticket for the treat to be had later. If you do this, then spend a couple of minutes imagining having the treat; really feel how good it feels taking that bath or visiting your favorite museum. Katherine Reschke is a life coachSee her page on Playing to Win in the game of lifehttp://www.playingtowincoach.comor her favorite dieting resources athttp://www.weightloss.rocksolidreviews.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Katherine_Reschke http://EzineArticles.com/?Dieting-And-The-Brain-How-To-Lose-Weight-And-Keep-It-Off-Forever-Part-3-Using-Brain-Chemistry&id=442990 zopidem diazepam purchase online with discover card getting valium online valium prescription without valium oxycodone online

Cell Phone Buying Guide to Help You Get the Best Value For The Money

Monday, November 12th, 2007

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=David_Arnold_Livingston]David Arnold Livingston Whether it’s your first or umpteenth mobile phone you are planning to buy, knowing or being reminded of the following tips will surely better your chances of getting the perfect one. 1. Features from which to choose: You may either be enthralled by the looks of the latest cell phone your friend is using or fall in love with one that you found over the Internet. But the choosing doesn’t end with how it looks. It is advisable to mentally dissect the cell phone with regard to its features. The key is to select one that comes with the options that will meet your needs. Here are some cell phone features that you may or may not consider important: - size and weight - design (clam shell, PDA, side ways, slide, block) - screen colors and size - keypad - camera - FM radio, mp3 player - messaging (MMS, SMS) - e-mail - to-do list - voice commands - band support - E911 or enhanced 911 - connectivity (bluetooth, GPRS, infrared, PC sync) - accessories (face plates, head set, themes, screen savers, ring tones) - battery life - dual mode After narrowing down your choice of phones to about 2 to 3 models, research some more. Research what others have to say regarding the phones you think you would like to use. Look for reliable sources of phone reviews. 2. Be rebate alert. This is for those who are in a tight budget. If you already are enjoying the service of a certain carrier, see which phones are offered fre’e with a rebate. If you have signed a contract, it often entitles you to discounts and rebates for phones. Better find out which ones they are. For a better possible deal, instead of going to the carrier, surf and see the websites of the manufacturer for more rebates. 3. Save more by shopping around. Checking out if your choice phone is sold by third-party retailers will help you get more value for your hard-earned dollars. If you can find general electronics stores not affiliated with carriers, buying phones from them is a lot better, too. However, you have to ensure that your carrier will support the phone. An unlocked phone that is also compatible with other GSM carriers will prove to be a good buy, too. Auction sites may also help you in this endeavor. However, you have to be really careful if you choose to search for phones on these sites. 4. Choose a service plan properly. Comparison tables regarding US service plans abound in the Internet. Over 60 plans from the largest nationwide service providers are available for your perusal. If you do cross-country traveling a lot, common sense will tell you to sign up for a national phone plan. Better overestimate the number of minutes you will use for every sent and received call. 5. There is a reason for the fine print. You have to read the fine print. It is possible that you become liable for an activation fee. The fine print will inform you of that. Don’t forget to check the policy of your carrier for what happens, in the event your phone is lost, stolen, or damaged. There you have it. All you have to do is follow most, if not all, of those bits of advice and you will see for yourself how cell phone buying could be a cinch. David Arnold Livingston is an entrepreneur with many years of successful business experience. For tips on choosing the ideal cell phone, he recommends: [http://www.usecellphone.com/]Use Cell Phone Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Arnold_Livingston http://EzineArticles.com/?Cell-Phone-Buying-Guide-to-Help-You-Get-the-Best-Value-For-The-Money&id=97378 drug drug employment prescription testing ultram buy link online199mbcom tramadol ultram buy online purchase 180 tramadol

Celebrating Wedding Anniversaries

Sunday, November 11th, 2007

By CD Mohatta The day of wedding that was awaited since long is gone. The couple has joined millions of other couples in the dull existence of life. A routine life with nothing exciting. Instead of flowers and love notes, they talk more of budgets, pipe leaks and groceries. That is life. The dreams are long over and one is facing the reality of life. The fairy tale romance is lost and day-to-day drudgery has taken its place. What a tragedy, but that is life. With arrival of children, the couple many a times forgets about its own existence and worries more about the way the child is growing up, the issues related to children’s physical, mental and all-round growth and so on. Where is the place for the romance that they shared sometime ago? That is life. Our hero who at one time admired his heroine’s hair, gets irritated by looking at the strands fallen around in the bathroom. Our heroine who was so enamored by our hero’s strength, now wants him to get up on the ladder and fix the loose fittings. The quality that one admired once remains same, but the viewpoint changes. Life takes a turn that no one expected. Those who read romantic novels, always find written at the end - And they lived happily ever after. The novelist is very intelligent. How to talk of silly chores in a romantic novel? So the novel closes at the right spot. But, we readers forget that life must have been very difficult for our valiant couple of the novel. We would never like to know about the fights that would ensue between our hero and heroine about unpaid bills after they got married. That is life. What does one write in the message for congratulating a couple on their wedding anniversary? Please help the couple bring the romance back in their life with your message. Life will no doubt continue with the same dull days and tense nights. The problems will not go away. But why forget the romance that the couple shared once? That romance brought them together at the first place. Why not help them revive the memories, and begin another phase of romancing with greater passion? Please send your anniversary messages that rekindle the dying romance. Let love conquer all. I write for ecards on Weddings, Engagements and New Baby. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=CD_Mohatta http://EzineArticles.com/?Celebrating-Wedding-Anniversaries&id=146320 zolpidem buy ambien buy ambien with no prescription discounted ambien online generic ambien online no perscription

A Global University Project

Thursday, November 8th, 2007

By Matthew Goodfellow It’s true. University and college students do have the “ideal” life. We share rooms with our friends, and have our own little, segmented communities. We are learning the secrets of the universe, developing our minds into powerful tools that can do anything we want. We have everything we need within walking distance of our rooms (well, mostly) and we don’t even have to cook for ourselves. On top of it all, we are in a highly concentrated area of prospective mates. Could anything be easier? I say “heck yes it can be easier!” The reason for saying this is simply that there are many stereotypes surrounding university students and the like. Most of them either stating how lucky we are, or how reckless we are. I’d like to remind everyone that there is only one way to get accurate information… The source! Of course we don’t live perfect lives, we aren’t allowed hot-plates and public showers and bathrooms SUCK. Have you ever eaten at meal hall? Or should I more accurately ask if you’ve ever taken vice-grips to your stomache and pesticide to your tastebuds? As far as University being a “dating connection” dream on. It’s just as hard here as it is everywhere else, the only difference is that we don’t have to travel very far to get shot down (by the decent ones). It’s fine and good to try and use an article such as this to dispell such stereotypes, but what if we had a way to give the rest of the world a first-hand look at our lives as students? Well, now we can. The website www.Res-Rants.com is on the hunt for college students willing to give an account of a campus related mishap. Any sort of prank, any drunken night, and any thing school related (humor is a virtue). These stories are all going to be compiled into one large ebook to be sold on the internet. The best part of the whole deal is that by submitting your story, you are ensuring yourself a free copy of the finished product. Better yet is that all of the money brought in off of the ebook is going towards publishing costs to get it turned into an honest-to-god book. This is a great opportunity for us to show the rest of the world how things REALLY are. More importantly it’s a chance to produce something as a collective, as a unified mass, that is representative to our fun-loving, mischievous ways. Matthew Goodfellow Bachelor of arts - Psychology University of New Brunswick http://www.Res-Rants.com to claim your place in the spotlight. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Goodfellow http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Global-University-Project&id=89161 xanax no prescription where can i buy 2mg xanax online buy xanax online mo prescription buy xanax without p

Secrets of Argentinian Cuisine

Wednesday, November 7th, 2007

By Chris McCarthy Argentinian cuisine is immensely influenced by Spanish, Italian and South American food. The specialty of Argentine food is steaks and grilled meat. Argentine beef is low on fat and cholesterol and has a special flavor too. Another determining factor in Argentinian cuisine is that Argentina is the world’s major producer of wheat, beans, maize, soybeans, beef and milk. Thus, these items are commonly used on the table in the likes of wheat based Italian dishes or the Argentine Pizza. Argentinian cuisine is very authentic and natural, which means use of vegetables are quite prevalent and salads are an important part of their food. In spite of this, in cities the picture is fast changing. Pre-packed frozen food is becoming popular. Fast-food is now an important share of city life challenging hamburgers and steaks. However, the three original dishes of Argentina still found in Buenos Aires are: -Caramel Apple Pancake - a lip smacking dessert -Revuelto Gramajo - made of eggs, crisp potato, ham and chicken -Milanesa Napolitana - breaded veal cutlet, slice of cheese and ham covered with tomato sauce and cooked in the oven till cheese melts Argentina is famous for steaks and grills from the days of the illustrious Incas, who roasted meat over green branches on hot rocks or coal. This must have probably been the first barbecue man had ever made on earth! Another specialty of Argentina is Porteno, which means classic European cuisine with a local touch. A French or Italian will not trace any similarity because it is just different with the local influence. Argentines have a high protein diet and beef in the form of grilled meat and steaks dominate it. Breaded and fried meat is used as snacks with sandwiches or simply with mashed potato. In parties and picnics Argentines love pastries of meat, cheese, sweet corn etc as starters. Vegetables and salads are very important for Argentine meals. They have adapted to Italian staples of pizza and pastas in the food. Italian-style ice creams are common in Argentina. For evening snacks they have crust less white bread buttered with thin slice of meat, cheese and lettuce leaf with beer. In the provinces, the European touch is not visible but pro-Colombian and colonial traditions are noticed. More use of maize, beans, pumpkins and chilies in food is observed. Fruits like apples, pears, peaches, kiwifruits, avocados and plums are used in abundance in their food. A traditional drink called mate is a luxury and is considered a social ritual at family or small gatherings. The dried leaves and twigs of Yerba Mate plant is placed in a cup, which is also called mate, and near boiling water is added to it. This cup is made up of gourd or bone or horn. The drink is sipped from a metal cane called bombilla. The drink can be sweetened with sugar or flavored with aromatic herbs or dried orange peel to suppress its original bitterness. The host prepares the drink to the taste of the guests. Mate Cocido is the same leaf prepared differently. It is boiled and served like tea or coffee with milk or sugar. Other drinks are wine, tea or coffee. With this whole lot of varieties you are sure to go into a tizzy. Experience the taste of Argentinian cuisine with a touch of Spanish and Italian influence. Chris McCarthy owns InsaneChicken’s Hot Sauce and BBQ Sauce Catalog. InsaneChicken’s Hot Sauce and BBQ Catalog also has a large selection of BBQ Rubs. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_McCarthy http://EzineArticles.com/?Secrets-of-Argentinian-Cuisine&id=458358 online pharmacy tramadol next day ultram tramadol order order tramadol online dream pharmaceutical buy hydrocodone tramadol free online consultation

Mobile Web Access: The Wave Of The Future?

Tuesday, November 6th, 2007

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Gabriel_J._Adams]Gabriel J. Adams Mobile Web Access is a term used to describe accessing the internet through mobile devices such as cell phones and PDA’s (Personal Digital Assistants). Web enabled mobile devices are becoming more and more common most cell phones now come with some form of internet and/or data access feature on them. Mobile web access has many advantages. One of the greatest is that you can take your internet access with you wherever you go you can download driving directions, find nearby restaurants, use online yellow pages, to name a few uses. Mobile web access could play a vital role in other tasks as well. Take for example a remote search and rescue mission rescue teams could use the internet to download medical information or to communicate with other authorities. Improved mobile web access could improve communication abilities for anyone on the move salesmen, law enforcement officers, truckers, pizza delivery drivers, etc. The mobile web has a bright and promising future, but it needs some work and development if it is going to reach it’s full potential. Mobile web access currently faces many usability issues, due largely to the lack of interoperability between computers and mobile devices. One example is the small screen size of mobile devices. The small screen size means that they cannot view most standard websites. There are websites designed specifically for mobile devices, which is excellent. Ideally, though, a standard could be developed to allow mobile device users to easily view any website. The W3C, the organization who administers many web standards (including HTML), is taking steps to improve the usability of the mobile web. They are attempting to lay down standards, best practices, recommendations, and work on interoperability between devices. Mobile devices are widely variant, unlike computers, which can be distinguished by a few characteristics, as far as web browsing is concerned. Visit [http://www.bblo.net/]Wikipedia for mobile devices - get the info you need on your mobile device! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gabriel_J._Adams http://EzineArticles.com/?Mobile-Web-Access:-The-Wave-Of-The-Future?&id=279842 buying valium online buy xanax ativan buy ativan valium buy valium lora buy carisoprodol diazepam online soma valium prescriptions

Dating Advice- The Golden Rules

Saturday, November 3rd, 2007

By CD Mohatta Follow these golden rules for success in dating. You want success in dating, am i right? Or you are looking for a failed date subconsciously? Check it out with your thinking. Do not get surprise some of us sub consciously are looking for failure. Though they look all eager to make the date a success, something tells them that they deserve misery and not happiness. This subconscious tuning leads such people to behave in a manner that guarantees failure and satisfies their belief that- I am a failure and I do not deserve good things in life. If you are conditioned in this way, change your thinking. Believe that you also deserve success like your friends and are worthy of that. Let us now talk about the golden rules of success in dating. 1. Never discuss any subject that may cause arguments. Religion, politics, beliefs about some social groups and any such topic should be avoided. 2. Even if you enjoy your alcohol, control yourself on a date. It is also true with smoking. Be within acceptable limits. 3. Wear neutral colored clothing. Anything that distracts your personality should be avoided. 4. Control your voice. The volume should neither be artificially low nor high. 5. Laugh between intervals and give smile. 6. Maintain eye contact. Do not look away from your date for an extended period. 7. Do not talk about your past relationships. Speak less and hear more. Do not interrupt your date. Follow these simple rules. Remember during a date, you are there to develop good relations with your date and find out if both of you can be partners. Take dating seriously. Be open and honest. Spell out your expectations clearly and find out more about what your date thinks. Dating can be very exciting. To meet a human being and to try and develop intimacy is very exciting. Let this excitement help you in dating. Jazzycomments offers hundreds of myspace comments If you are looking for myspace graphics, wishafriend offers hundreds of myspace graphics . Wishafriend also offers free layouts, contact tables, backgrounds. If you are interested in quizzes you may want to try some quizzes on funquizcards. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=CD_Mohatta http://EzineArticles.com/?Dating-Advice–The-Golden-Rules&id=544420 ambien soma fioricet online ambien buy online without prescription ambien ambien soma fioricet online

The Way I See It - Getting Motivated to Make New Habits

Friday, November 2nd, 2007

By Kimmer Kimkins What makes the difference between success and failure when we’re trying to lose weight? Why can some people sail through the weekend or a social engagement without blowing their carb and calorie allowance to hell? I’ve talked to hundreds of dieters. Newbies, old hands, students and professionals. Whenever the complaint is, When will staying on plan be easy? the answer is always the same. When you make it automatic. I’m going to borrow a comment from Dr. Phil who says that no one breaks a habit, they merely substitute one behavior for another. Assuming Dr. Phil knows what he’s talking about, how do we make this life law work for us? Create rituals! Even confirmed party animals thrive on some degree of structure. During my weight loss phase what I found most challenging were weekends, Sunday mornings in particular. For well over 15 years, my husband would get up early and bring home an assortment of sinfully huge muffins or fresh warm donuts. I’d make vats of decadent dessert style coffee and we’d relax in caloric oblivion over the Sunday paper, planning our day, easing into our always hectic Mondays. It’s hard to break a 15 year old habit, but my 40s brought several surprises including divorce, bankruptcy and foreclosure. If there was ever a time for the comfort of my food and wine rituals, this was it. So, I did. To an extreme actually, because I gained another 40 lbs in only a few short months. One afternoon I caught a sideways glance in a mirrored window. The prayer Holy cow, who’s that woman? Glad I don’t look like that, crossed my mind for a brief second. Oops, then I realized I was looking at me. When did this happen? Is the mirror distorted? No. How would I make this diet time different? Successful? I had no problem organizing my home, my children, my work so I decided to apply the same principles to losing weight. I knew very well that low calorie low carb was the fastest way and fast always appealed to impatient me. Out came my planning pad and I jotted down everything I could think of that would make the difference between success and failure. Grocery list - check. Menus - check. Cooking plan since I cook in batches - check. Projects to keep busy and away from the fridge — well, at least until my old friend, ketosis, took over and whisked away my appetite. Double check. My list didn’t include exercise. Why? Because I don’t like it. Wish I did, I know it’s terrific for your cardiovascular health, but I don’t. However, if I did I’d have scheduled a quick 15 minutes when I first got out of bed. Get it done, out of the way and right before a hot shower! I also probably would have sneaked in an after dinner activity that didn’t feel like exercise like walking laps at the park with the other moms or making a tennis date with friends instead of munching snacks in front of the TV. The way I see it is that our rituals are whatever we decide them to be and we can change them at will. If we want to. Even if it’s uncomfortable. Drinking my 600 calorie cups of coffee was self-defeating. I don’t care for black coffee, so what to do? Quit. Cold turkey. By the way, no one told me about caffeine headaches. Ouch! I was positive I had a brain tumor! But even more distressing was a decision about what to have first thing in the morning in lieu of coffee. To most people this would have been a simple choice. Yeah, to most people. Honestly, I stood frozen in the kitchen like a deer in the headlights. If not coffee, what? Think, think. Change. Not my favorite mode, to be sure. But my 1200 calories a day in 2 huge mugs of coffee weren’t part of my Kimkins plan. Gingerly I opened the fridge and briskly opened a can of Diet Coke. Who on earth drinks diet soda for breakfast? Me. And you know what? It only took a few days before it didn’t feel so weird anymore. Scientific studies show that it takes 21 days to create a habit. If you change a behavior or ingrain a new habit for just 3 measly weeks, you stand an excellent chance of success. Our challenge to ourselves is to not be overwhelmed. Maybe we won’t be Kimkins poster kids solemnly sworn to our plan in 3 weeks, but we can darned sure strive to undo sabotaging habits like 600 calorie coffee (or Big Macs). Do co-workers meet for drinks after work each Friday like clockwork? Well, you’ve got 5 days to figure out how you’re going to handle it. I know it’s outrageous, but maybe even skip the watering hole a couple of Fridays? Fearing dinner with the in-laws and grandma’s never ending pasta bowl every Sunday? Figure a strategy. Maybe start a new in-law ritual with Sunday brunch ham & eggs are very Kimkins friendly. What’s my point? Look at the obvious field mines and c-h-a-n-g-e. If it’s not helping, it’s probably hurting. Change it. Examine your food and socialization rituals. Create new ones that work for the new you and your new goals. Challenge yourself to succeed. Kimmer struggled for years with morbid obesity before finally finding developing a weight loss program that worked for her. Four years ago she lost 200 pounds and she has been successfully maintaining at a petite 118 pounds since then. Now Kimmer devotes her time to helping other people lose weight at Kimkins.com. Kimkins.com is a thriving community with her effective weight loss plan, forums, one-on-one support, a chat and more. Visit Kimkins.com today and sign up for the free newsletter! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kimmer_Kimkins http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Way-I-See-It—Getting-Motivated-to-Make-New-Habits&id=261950 buy valium without prescription valium without prescription buy valium in turkey without prescription diazepam online without a prescription