Today, I continue with 2019 motivation.  Today’s category is READING & WRITING.  Here are my top 5 inspiration points in this category.

Read 1 book per week.  Constant learning is what makes an extraordinary person and the world’s most successful people are avid readers.  I love to read, but sometimes I opt for the latest on HGTV over the next book in queue.  For 2019, I will spend more time reading and make a more conscious effort to listen to audio books during driving or exercising.

Write in a journal 5 minutes per day.  This is such a wonderful habit to create.  Journaling clears your emotions and enhances your creativity.  It also increases gratitude.  I have already started this in a small way with my sentiments jar.  (See the DIY post by clicking here.)  Documenting emotions can be powerful and by keeping your writing short, it makes it very doable.

Have no more than 3 items on your to-do list each day.  I am a huge list maker and sometimes my lists get totally out of hand!  The goal for 2019 is to do a few things incredibly rather than a million little things poorly!

Write and place a short, thoughtful note for someone once per day.  I am such a believer in hand written notes.  How much more meaningful is it to receive a handwritten note in the mail rather than an email? Do you hang your printed-out emails on the fridge?  When my grandmother passed away, I found she had saved all the notes I had written her over the years.  That is truly special.  When my children were small, I made it a point to leave fun notes in their lunch bags to brighten their day and remind them they were loved.  My children are grown, but I can still make people feel special by leaving notes to others.  Plus, research has shown that writing by hand increases brain development and cognition more than typing can.  (Why are schools eliminating handwriting?!)   Making a promise to myself to leave handwritten notes can only be a great thing for 2019.

Listen to audiobooks and podcasts on 1.5 to 2x speed.  Interesting!  This is a new concept to me.  The trend is called ‘speed listening.’  There is a software called FasterAudio that promises to ‘cut your audio learning time in half.’  I am intrigued by this concept and I am doing some more research and will give it a try in 2019.

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

*The article I read online that originally inspired me is titled 50 Ways Happier, Healthier, And More Successful People Live On Their Own Terms by Benjamin P. Hardy.  I have recommended it to everyone close to me to read.   I credit Mr. Hardy for providing a great outlook to live life’s best!  I encourage you to read the article.