It’s also good to update your personal appearance. Are you still sporting an ‘80s haircut or wearing clothes you bought five or ten years ago? It’s time to upgrade!

6. Clear Out Your Debt Stop impulse buying and start paying off your credit cards. Establish a budget and start living within your means. Can you imagine all of the free time you’ll gain when you are not worrying about money? No more shopping around for credit and transfer balance deals. No more writing out checks or purchasing money orders. No more avoiding phone calls from creditors and lawyers. No more feeling guilty. Talk about freedom!

7. Simplify Your Language Try to speak honestly and directly with courtesy and kindness. Don’t use whiny and apologetic language to ask for what you want. (“I wonder if I could possibly persuade you to…”) Quit overusing jargon and slang such as “put that baby to bed”, “let’s throw it on the wall and see what sticks”, “out of the loop”, and “lock and load.” Eliminate euphemisms and toss out denials (“Just because he is sleeping with another woman doesn’t mean he doesn’t love me.”).

Get rid of the swear words, hostile comments, and the idea that you must voice your opinion about everything. Throw your judgment of others to the wayside.

8. Learn to say NO It was probably one of the first words you ever learned so why are you having so much difficulty using it now? Use it! It’s your life, your time, your resources and you have the absolute right to use it as you see fit. Don’t feel you have to explain, excuse or justify saying “no” to office observers, gossips or nosy individuals.

9. Limit Tradition Tradition is wonderful so long as it doesn’t run your life. If a tradition has lost its meaning or purpose and is just a timewaster, then get rid of it. When anyone says “but we’ve always done it this way”, figure out why. If it no longer makes sense, then feel free to walk away or change it.

10. Make Time for You Time is tight for most of us. Make a decision that you will set aside time that is just for you. Start with 15 minutes a day if that’s all you can find. Lock your door, turn off the phone, or whatever it takes, but it’s important to create a space where you can focus on only you. Meditate, pray, write in a journal or eat an apple. Whatever you want to do with your time, do it.

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