4 Things You Can Learn From Your Child - Wisdom From Jim Rohn

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I found this link from Success, which I actually got through Leonie Dawson. This combines so many things I love - Jim Rohn and learning from children. If you don't know who Jim Rohn is, he was an American entrepreneur and motivational speaker. He just had a gentle way with his words that get his point across in all facets of life. If you're looking for some wisdom, do a search for his quotes and be inspired.

Here's a snippet of the article:

Be like children, and remember there are four ways to be more like a child no matter how old you get… 

1. Curiosity 

Be curious; embrace childish curiosity. What will kids do if they want to know something bad enough? You’re right. They will bug you. Kids can ask a million questions. You think they’re through, then they’ve got another million. They will keep plaguing you. They can drive you right to the brink. Kids use their curiosity to learn. Have you ever noticed that while adults are stepping on ants, children are studying them? A child’s curiosity is what helps them to reach, learn and grow.

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- See more at: http://www.success.com/article/rohn-4-things-you-can-learn-from-your-child#sthash.GFpyUut5.dpuf

Cheap and Fun Things to Do Over the Holidays

If you're home with the kids over the holidays and they're driving you up the wall, or you need to keep them busy while travelling and visiting (like we do right now!) then here are some tips to help you  have fun.

• Don't leave them alone to fend for themselves, do stuff WITH them!

• I always carry a few crayons and a mini container of modelling clay in my purse. (I got the mini containers from the DollarStore, for real!)

• If you need ideas, order this:  Creating With Kids Mini-Workshop  - so much fun and inspiration. Bonus points - she breastfeeds in the middle of it without shame! You go girl!

• Take everyone ice skating - burns off extra energy and is great exercise. Bring along a thermos of hot chocolate to share (see, I'm super cheap!)

• Gather everyone around for a Christmas carol sing-a-long. 

• Make sure to involve the kids in any dinner cleaning up/tidying. Keeps them busy and gets the cleaning done faster...sometimes. I make no guarantees! Also serves as a lesson in taking responsibility. See, cheap and educational. I'm winning here!

I could recommend apps or video games, but you know what? The holidays are about spending time together and we have enough electronic stuff in our daily lives (and it's not cheap!)

It doesn't take tons of supplies to entertain the kids, just an open spirit and some creativity.

I wish you fun, peace and health this holiday season. Best wishes from my family to yours!

Goal Setting

I wanted to share with you the techniques I use to help me and my family stay focused on our goals. You can imagine with us both working full time (and different schedules) means life can get chaotic and certain things fall to the wayside (like the dishes, for example).

We try to keep our eyes on the long term prize, even with a lot of uncertainty in our lives. No, we don't yet know where we will send the Little Man to school and whether we should move to a different part of the city (closer to our workplaces), but everything else that we can plan for can get done with focus.


So it starts with us adults sitting down and making good personal goals for ourselves. We write them down and update them every six months or so. I believe strongly in, "write it down, make it real!" Don't let dreams sit in your head - let them out into the world to breathe and grow. Share them with someone else and give them life! We also set family goals - things like how often we will have family vacations and how we will save monthly for them.

One person who has helped me learn to make goals and stay on track this year is Leonie Dawson. I highly recommend her yearly planner - here is the 2013 edition on sale. Go get it! It's worth every penny!

My vision board

I have a vision board in my bedroom on my side so I can see it every day.  This makes the goals more visible and helps me to focus on what I want. Otherwise, it's easy to get distracted and forget. It's a fun craft exercise and I like being able to physically take them off once they're achieved.

Another option is to make a short video and watch it daily. I got that idea from Patrick Leroux. He is a great guy to watch talk and he does do talks in English sometimes. Go see him if you get a chance!


Because I also travel blog, I made a virtual travel vision board and am pleased to say I already bought my tickets for China, not long after putting that post up, in fact.

Some people write on their bathroom mirror (I do that also sometimes) or you can put the goals up on your fridge. The point is to constantly remind your subconscious to keep working on it and over time, you start to find opportunities and solutions. I believe in the Law of Attraction and all that, so putting your wants and desires out there, even the wildest ones, can help the universe help you.
The point is to not be scared to try because you never know what can happen :)

I also find it comforting to see my vision board every day. After a long hard day, it helps to reassure me all the little daily troubles and sacrifices will be worth it and it helps keep me going. Tomorrow is another day and one step closer.