As a contributing author of the book I was proud to be asked for my participation and thrilled my name wound up alongside many personal growth experts I personally admire; Jack Canfield, Bob Proctor, John Gray, and many more.



The day I received my books I proudly handed a copy to my friend, Donna. She was thrilled for me. She's been a big supporter and cheerleader of mine and was the exact perfect person to give my first copy to. She curiously leafed through the pages. Excitedly asked to see my chapter in the book. And smiled with joy at the joy I was feeling.

As she was walking away, she read the title, "101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life", and gave me a sideway smile and said, "you know, that's what I'm afraid of. It scares me to think I have to reinvent the wheel, yet again".

Her words of fear, spoken so truthfully and heartfelt, made me realize how true this must be for many people, maybe even to many of you reading right now.

First let me tell you, I totally get it. The idea of "improving your life" sounds like a very BIG undertaking. Since I too set out to "improve my life" several years ago I understand the fear that goes along with digging deep, gaining clarity and letting go of the tried and true for only the possibility a better, more authentic life awaits.

Improving Your Life is a BIG deal. I think most people want to improve their life on some level but doing so can feel like a daunting task. Making the decision to do so is a decision you can and should be proud of.

I offer the following words of wisdom and tips from a deep personal understanding of what's involved in improving your life, or as I say, to get your life on track, once and for all.

These very simple words of wisdom and tips were shared with me when I started the journey to improve my life. I repeat these wise mantras OFTEN, even to this day. They give me perspective, take the edge off and allow me to keep moving forward. They support the LifeOnTrack Principles I live by and have been sharing with you. I hope they help you too.

Wise words: Say these words out loud to experience their full power.

Improving My Life is a journey, not a one time event. Improving

My Life only takes progress, not perfection.

Tips:

1. Acknowledge what's currently working and celebrate your accomplishments.

In your life today, there are things that work well, even if you think otherwise. It's important to acknowledge what IS working in your life for this reason: perspective. When you're being called to improve your life it's easy to feel as though nothing in your life is working. More than likely, that is far from the case.

Just because you feel a pain in one area of your life, don't let that pain rule out the areas of your life that work well and maybe even give you a lot of joy.

On the last day of every month, take stock of WHAT IS working in your life. Pat yourself on the back and acknowledge everything you've done to make this so.

2. Practice gratitude.

Bottom line, you get more of what you focus on. There isn't enough room in this article to explain why, but here's an example from the movie, The Secret. If you get up in the morning and stub your toe and get crabby because you stub your toe, how do you think the rest of your day will unfold?

On the other hand, if you wake up in the morning and stub your toe, brush it off and continue on by paying gratitude for all the blessings in your life, how do you think your day will unfold?

When you're grateful for what IS in your life, you send a big thank you to the universe. In turn, the universe sends you MORE things you can be grateful for! If you want to really see the positive impact practicing gratitude can play in your life, also be grateful for all the good fortune that is to come your way.

Practice gratitude every day. I suggest you keep a gratitude journal by your bed or on your computer desktop. Taking time to focus on what you're grateful for is another great way to shift your perspective. Instead of focusing all your energies on what isn't working in your life, you'll focus on what is working. You'll rebalance the wheel of your life and give yourself the opportunity to see more clearly what really needs improving.

3. Decide what area of your life, if you worked on it, would give you the biggest bang for your buck, right now.

Have you heard the rule that states you get 80% of your business from 20% of your customers? Same holds true for your life. The majority of your problems come from one or two areas of your life. Your problems are not the result of a poorly working life, they're the result of a poorly working one or two parts of your life.

Divide your life into sections; career, money, health, friends and family, significant other/romance, personal growth, fun and recreation and physical environment. Now, give each one of these areas a rating from 1-10, 10 = total satisfaction.

Now, which area scored the lowest? That's the first place you can focus your attention.

Once you understand which area of your life needs your attention the most, you'll know where to focus your attention. Then, you can begin dissecting this part of your life to discover where the problem stems from. From there you can move to tip #4'

4. Get working on it.

Come on, you can do it!

Nothing in your life will improve or change until you take action, so take action!

Take baby steps and remember the wise mantras above: Improving My Life is a Journey, Not a One Time Event. Improving My Life Only Takes Progress, Not Perfection.

If you'd like support, enlist the help of a good friend, coach or therapist. There are people out there that would love to help you create a life you love.

5. Repeat words of wisdom and steps 1-4, as many times as needed.

By doing so, you will create a life that works well and feels great and maybe faster than you ever imagined!

Copyright 2006 Cari Vollmer