#GuestPost – Book Reviews by the Reluctant Retiree

Grammar check: any time vs any time

A couple days ago at work, I had to decide whether to use any time or anytime on a social media post so I did a quick check to decide what to do. …
Grammar check: any time vs any time

Taking the Leap: Your Journey to Personal Development

The journey to personal development is a long and challenging one, but it can also be incredibly rewarding. If you’re ready to take the leap and make great changes in your life, here are some tips for staying motivated and successful on your quest for personal growth.

Starting a New Career

Personal development starts with setting goals. Is one of yours to start a new career? An online degree could be the way to do it without sacrificing your work and family responsibilities. Just think — you can make progress toward your educational ambitions as you complete everyday tasks. Taking the step to invest in yourself has potential rewards far beyond just obtaining a qualification. It’s also a great way to boost your career prospects, network with like-minded people, and gain valuable skills. So, if you’re looking for an avenue to get ahead, this page deserves a look.

Maintaining a Self-Care Routine

Self-care is an essential part of any journey toward personal growth. Make sure you’re taking care of yourself by eating healthy meals, getting enough rest, exercising regularly, and making time for activities that bring you joy. This will keep you energized and motivated as you work towards your goals.

Starting a New Hobby

Finding something that brings you joy can be an important part of your journey, as well. Consider starting a new hobby like painting, playing music, or even reading more books. The key is to find something that offers an outlet for creativity or relaxation. This will keep you motivated and give you something positive to look forward to each day.

Working With a Mentor

Having someone who can guide you through the process of personal development can be invaluable. Consider finding someone who has already achieved success in areas where you want to grow and benefit from advice based on their own experiences. This could be anything from business ownership tips from an entrepreneur or relationship best practices from someone married for many years.

Turning a Passion Into a Business

If business ownership is something that interests you, turning your passion into a startup is one way to get started. Doing research ahead of time will ensure that everything runs smoothly once things get off the ground. This can range from understanding taxes and expenses to learning how to set up contracts with vendors and clients. Having these details taken care of before launching your business will help everything go according to plan.

Learning to Meditate

Meditation has been proven to reduce stress levels and increase focus, which are both essential when it comes to achieving success on your personal development journey. Consider downloading a meditation app or attending classes so that you can learn how to meditate properly and reap all the benefits it has to offer.

Developing a More Positive Mindset

A positive mindset is essential when working towards any goal, especially when it comes to personal development. Start by focusing on what makes you unique. Write down positive affirmations about yourself each day and practice gratitude by writing down three things each day that make life worth living. These small steps will help you cultivate a more positive outlook, which, in turn, leads to greater success in life.

Personal growth takes time, so you need dedication and hard work to make it possible. Taking steps like maintaining a self-care routine, getting an online degree, and starting new hobbies are just some ways you can set yourself up for success.

5 Sustainable Healthy Habits for 2023

Perhaps you’ve tried to make new year’s resolutions in the past, but for some reason, you’ve never been able to stick to them. In 2023, you can finally fulfill your resolutions by setting gradual, realistic goals. For example, if you’d like to read more books, you can commit to reading ten pages each day and create a reading list by checking out Book Reviews by the Reluctant Retiree! Here are a few other habits you could adopt this year, from keeping a cleaner home to waking up earlier.

Keep Your Home Clean

It’s hard to feel your best in a cluttered, messy home. If it’s been a while since you decluttered and deep cleaned your home, the new year gives you the perfect opportunity! You’ll want to start by donating or throwing out any items you no longer need. Next, block off a weekend to thoroughly deep clean each room. Finally, spruce up your space by getting some houseplants and keeping your blinds open to let in more natural light.

Read Daily

Maybe it’s been a while since you read a book, but you miss the feeling of getting lost in a great story. Reading brings lots of benefits – for example, Everyday Health states that reading can lower your stress levels, deepens your empathy for others, and even boosts your cognitive function.

You don’t have to force yourself to read through a stack of classic novels to get back into reading. Instead, choose a couple of books you think you might enjoy, and block off time to read a reasonable number of pages each day. You could choose to read with your morning coffee or before you go to bed.

Exercise Regularly

Lots of people make fitness-related resolutions each year. But if you try to rapidly shift from a sedentary lifestyle to working out every day, you’re likely to give up early or even injure yourself by exercising too intensely right off the bat. Try adding two to three workout sessions per week to your schedule, and consider connecting with a personal trainer who can help you design an exercise routine around your abilities and goals.

Wake Up Earlier

Do you have a tendency to sleep in? Maybe you’d like to start waking up earlier this year so that you’ll have plenty of time for a morning routine before your workday begins. Even if you’ve always considered yourself a night owl, you can slowly shift your usual wake-up time. Sleep Advisor recommends ensuring that you’re going to bed early enough to get between seven and nine hours of sleep, ditching alcohol and caffeine in the late afternoon and evening, placing your alarm clock far away from your bed, and tucking your phone in a drawer before bedtime so that you don’t end up scrolling late at night.

Drink More Water

Many people don’t even realize that they are chronically dehydrated. If you suspect that you’re not as hydrated as you should be, you could make a resolution to drink more water this year. To accomplish this, try getting a large reusable water bottle that you can refill throughout the day and putting a glass of water by your bedside before you go to sleep so that you can focus on hydration as soon as you wake up.

When it comes to new year’s resolutions, you don’t want to bite off more than you can chew. Instead of setting huge, ambitious goals, you can pick up some simple habits that can significantly improve your quality of life. Whether you want to read more books, cultivate a cleaner home, or start exercising, these tips have got you covered!

Looking for your next favorite book? Turn to Book Reviews by the Reluctant Retiree! Browse the blog today to find exciting new reads.

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Guest Post by Jason Kenner
Jason Kenner, On-Par Parent

How to Effectively Network as a Senior

Whether you’re looking to start a business, create a nonprofit, or find a volunteer opportunity, networking is a valuable tool that can help you achieve your goals. As a senior, you may have plenty of experience under your belt. However, networking can still be challenging, especially if you’re unsure how to do it. Keep reading to learn tips on networking effectively as a senior.

The Importance of Networking

In the business world, it’s often said that it’s not what you know but who you know. Networking is an essential part of doing business. Senior business owners can connect and share ideas, resources, and advice. It also gives you a chance to meet potential customers and partners. Networking can significantly benefit your business in today’s highly competitive business environment.

Get Off on the Right Foot

There are many opportunities for entrepreneurs, nonprofit organizations, and volunteers. If you’re thinking about starting a business or nonprofit or volunteering, a few must-dos will help you get off on the right foot.

First, research the market and understand the community’s needs. What products or services are in demand? What does the competition look like? Knowing this information will help you create a successful business plan. Connect with your local Chamber of Commerce and other local business organizations. These groups can provide valuable resources and advice as you launch your new venture.

Finally, If you’re looking for a way to save on taxes, then forming an S c orp might be precisely what your wallet needs. This entity offers pass-through taxation and self-employment benefits that can help provide some extra cash flow.

Making a Connection

As a senior business owner, volunteer, or nonprofit owner, you may feel like you’re not as connected to the online world as you could be. However, there are many ways that you can connect with other like-minded people. One way is through social media. Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook have groups and forums dedicated to people like yourself. These are great places to ask questions, get advice, and learn about new trends in the business world.

Attending Events

Attending networking events is another excellent way to network. You never know whom you’ll meet or what opportunities will present themselves when you simply show up and get involved. Search online for events happening in your area that are relevant to your interests.

Updating Your Resume

One of the most important things you can do when networking is to have an updated resume copy handy. You want to be able to put your best foot forward, and an outdated resume isn’t going to do that. Fortunately, creating a professional-looking resume is easier than you may think. A type of resume generator offers resume templates, and you can choose the one you like and add your copy, photos, colors, and images. With that, you’ll have an instant resume.

Achieve Your Professional Goals

As a senior business owner, networking doesn’t have to be complicated or daunting. By following the tips above — such as having an updated resume on hand and attending relevant events — you can make valuable connections that will help you achieve your professional goals.

Visit Book Reviews by the Reluctant Retiree for honest and detailed book reviews!