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Self Improvement

  • 7 Tips for Home Improvement on a Small Budget

    Embarking on a home improvement project with a small budget can be a very daunting and challenging exercise. What with sky-rocking prices of materials and tools, the challenge becomes even more difficult to undertake. 

    However, this is possible with some planning and creativity. With prudent management and a bit of creativity to ensure that the right materials are in place, it is doable.

    You will be amazed at what can be achieved on a merger budget. Most of the time we are too shy or rather scared to start something, especially when we are low on resources.

    We always think it can be done only when we have saved enough resources. But life as it, never gives you enough from the start. 

    But, rather it allows you to grow with what you have and not what you do not have. Sometimes a little confidence is all it takes to start working on something.

    If you are resolved to undertake the project but are low on resources, here are some tips to help you implement a home improvement project. 

    Planning Ahead

    Before you start any project, create a plan of what you want to achieve with what resources you have available. This will help you stay within your budget and avoid unexpected expenses.

    Planning ahead makes things a little bit easier. It gives you a proper direction of what you want to achieve and how you will go about it.

    With limited resources at your disposal, there is very little room for error, hence the need to create a plan that is solid. 

    A plan that will really guide and help you achieve your objectives with a small budget. However, do not over plan. 

    Many of the time we tend to over plan as a result, nothing gets done in the process as we lose focus and are bogged down with life issues. 

    However, this is not to undermine the importance of planning. It should be the first thing to be done. A good plan surely guarantees a good start.

    Prioritise

    Decide on which home improvements are most important to you and tackle them first. This will help you avoid spending money on unnecessary upgrades.

    Some improvements may not be regarded as a priority. Yes, they may need to be worked on but they could be regarded as non-priority.

    Organise your work in such a way that you first tackle the ones that really need attention and move to the least on your list.

    This way, you will be able to deal with urgent repairs and or improvements effectively. Funds permitting you then start tackling the least urgent ones. 

    Rather than work on everything at the same time, start small with what you can afford. Betters still, target a section at a time.

    Don’t be tempted to work on everything at once bearing in mind that you are on a shoestring budget. Work on what your money will allow for now. Leave those that need more resources for a later stage.

    Do It Yourself

    Doing some of the work yourself can save you a lot of money on labour costs. There are many tutorials and resources online that can help you learn how to do various home improvement tasks.

    For sure DIY can save you lots of money. If you have kids, involve them. Kids just love getting dirty and involving them is also one way of teaching them how to work. 

    Give them tasks that they will be able to do in a fun way. Motivate them by giving them an incentive. Depending on how old they are, you will be amazed by what they can do.

    Personally, I enjoy and love doing things myself. It has actually saved me a lot of money on labour and besides its good exercise.

    When you do things yourself you take time and do them the way you want. Some of these home improvements can actually be done without much difficulty.  

    Shop Around for Materials and Tools

    Compare prices at different home improvement stores or online retailers to find the best deals on materials and tools.

    Before committing to spend on materials, shop around and take note of the prices. Make decisions such as replacing branded materials and tools with non-branded substitutes.

    You will agree with me that branded items are usually more expensive than unbranded ones.  And sometimes, the unbranded items are also of good quality yet less expensive. 

    Shopping around could save you tons of money. Yes, it could be tedious but it’s worth it. It also gives you an idea of how much you will need to spend on materials and tools.

    Use Recycled Materials and or Tools

    Look for ways to repurpose or reuse materials and tools from other projects or items in your home to save money.

    Some materials could be reused or recycled. Look around your home for leftover items from previous projects.

    If you are undertaking a painting exercise for example, am sure the paint brushes and rollers from the previous project could still be reused.

    Things like leftover paint, if you are not changing the colour could be reused. Such items and materials would really go a long way in reducing your overall cost.

    Also, try as much as possible to improvise where you can. Most of the time we do not want to think outside the box. 

    Make Small Changes

    Sometimes small changes can make a big difference in the look and feel of a room. Consider things like painting, updating light fixtures, or adding new accessories.

    Get rid of the old stuff that is not being used. Free up some space and reorganise the room to give it a new look and feel.

    It is the small things that end up making the big things. Change a few things here and there and see if they are what you are looking for. Home improvement does not necessarily have to be a wholesale change. 

    Get Creative

    Look for creative solutions to problems. For example, instead of replacing an outdated bathroom vanity, consider painting it and adding new hardware.

    Being creative can help you find solutions to problems, improve your mood, and increase your overall sense of well-being. 

    In the context of home improvement, being creative can involve finding innovative ways to use materials or repurposing items you already have to achieve the look and feel you want for your home without spending a lot of money.

    Conclusion

    By following these few tips, you can embark on a home improvement project on a small budget and still achieve great results.

  • The Five D’s of Success Part 2

    In part 1 I talked about Dreams and Desires. Here is a quick recap of part one. Here is a quick recap of part one.

    Dreams are very important to have as they are the very tenets of ones success. Keeping your dreams alive will help motivate you to working hard in achieving them.

    The world requires practical dreamers who can and will put their dreams into action. Having dreams without action is procrastination.

    Desire is the starting point of all achievement. You cannot achieve any meaningful results without having the desire to do.

    Desire is the driving force to success. If the thing you desire to do is right, and you believe in it, go ahead and do it. Don’t worry about not having the resources.

    I will now focus on the 3 remaining D’s of success is Diligence; Determination and Discipline.

    Diligence

    To me, diligence is a very important factor for my success. In everything that I do I try as much as possible to be as careful as I can be.

    Remember that my dream is to help someone out there change their mind into a more positive one. Its to provide resources that can help someone have a positive mind.

    To do this I use my own personal experiences and through spiritual growth and reading. This blog is the main medium for now that I use to provide resources that can help with personal development and self improvement.

    There is no way you can grow personally without spiritual guidance. Personal development is no easy task and requires that you do things diligently and articulately.

    There is no personal success without being diligent in whatever you do. Being diligent means working hard, staying focussed and being persistent.

    To secure the desired results, it is necessary to know and diligently comply with the laws of success.  

    Proper compliance with the laws of success will be found to produce the desired result with invariable exactitude.

    Growth is attained through an exchange of the old for the new, of the good for the better. It is a conditional or reciprocal action.

    We cannot obtain what we lack if we tenaciously cling to what we have. Growth requires us to continuously seek to diligently acquire that which we do not have.

    Determination

    We all know that personal growth does not come on a silver platter. If you have been to school you know very well that to get good grades you need to have determination.

    Yes, you will come across temporary setbacks. Notice that I use the word “temporary” these are not permanent unless you decide to make them. The decision is entirely up to you.

    We are able to consciously control our conditions as we come to sense the purpose of what we attract, and are able to extract from each experience only what we require for our further growth.

    Our ability to do this determines the degree of harmony or happiness we attain. I liken determination to the vehicle of success without which you cannot reach your destination.

    Discipline

    Perhaps the most important of them all is Discipline without which I would not be posting blogs on a frequent basis.

    We all possess some discipline of some sort. It is the degree of it that determines our success or failure. The more disciplined you are the more likely you are to achieve success.

    I have not come across a successful a person who is not disciplined. Most successful people are disciplined with what they do.

    It is by discipline that we achieve our intended desires. Discipline coupled with determination is a recipe for success.

    Naturally, life requires us to be disciplined in order that we achieve that which we desire to be in our lives. There can never be full success without discipline.

    Conclusion

    I would like to conclude by reiterating that personal development is no mean achievement. It takes time and patience. Let me remind you that personal development is not a destination. It is a journey.

    There is no day you will say now I have arrived at the destination of personal development. There is always room for improvement. The above five D’s of success have worked for me and I continuously strive to improve on them.

  • How to Build Your Character

    What is character? “the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual” – Oxford Dictionary.

    Nature compels us to move through life, but every right-thinking person wants not merely to move through life like an empty bottle, but to develop, to improve, and to continue the development of his thoughts to the close of physical life.

    Yet, most people have remained stagnant, wallowing in poverty and living in mediocrity.

    This development can occur only through improving the quality of an individual’s thoughts and the ideals and actions that arise from them.

    Every one of us has the power of will and choice and can therefore exercise them in selecting the type of life to lead.

    Personal development is not an easy task, and no one can say they have arrived at the station called personal development.

    It is not a destination either but, a continuous exercise. We can only get closer to perfection as we continue to build ourselves on a daily basis.

    The only way to keep from going backward is to keep going forward. There are three things that you need in order to help build your character.

    Knowledge of the Power Within

    Surely knowledge is supreme, and all growth is from within. The Bible tells us that “without knowledge, my people perish.”

    Perhaps the most cardinal ingredient to personal development and achievement is knowledge, which no single person can do without.

    You need to acquire knowledge in order for you to succeed at anything you desire to do.

    He who desires wisdom, power, or permanent success of any kind will find them only within.

    Knowledge is the number one building block to achieving your personal development and success. Therefore, you need a solid foundation of knowledge if you are to succeed in any endeavor you set out to do.

    Knowledge leads to skills. A good set of knowledge leads to a good set of life skills. In order to build and improve your skills, you need to build on your arsenal of knowledge.

    One of the best ways I build my knowledge is by reading, watching motivational videos, and listening to self-improvement materials.

    I also read the Bible every day. I have come to appreciate the Bible because it offers not only a wealth of knowledge but also spiritual growth.

    The only way not to go backward is to keep moving forward. When you discover the power within you, the sky is the limit if only you can touch the clouds.

    Courage to Dare

    How many of us have the courage, and I mean real courage, to dare? Many of us fail because we have no courage. Having courage is not the absence of fear.

    We are always saying What if I start a business and I fail? Dare yourself and say What if I start a business and succeed.

    You will never know what you can achieve until you dare to try. You cannot succeed without taking action.

    Surely we are what we think. The thoughts we harbor are reflections of what we are “as a man thinketh so is he in his heart.”

    You must always remember that all there is today is a result of thought. Think about all the buildings you see around you. They all first existed in someone’s mind.

    The Bible encourages us to be strong and courageous, not to be discouraged, and not to be terrified.

    The courage to dare is the most lacking ingredient for people’s success. Most people have developed brilliant ideas, yet they lack the courage to implement them.

    We always find excuses for not implementing our ideas and thoughts.

    The most successful men and women have the courage to dare implement their ideas. Failure is a state of mind. You only fail when you accept failure.

    The Faith to Do

    What is faith? “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

    Knowledge alone will not bring forth success. You need to have faith and believe in what you are doing in order to bring forth results.

    Faith is a powerful tool needed to achieve any level of success. Walk in faith and just start living your dreams.

    If faith is so important, how then do you acquire it? The Bible says “faith cometh by hearing.”

    I have discovered that one of the best ways to develop faith is to write down your intended purpose and desire and read it to yourself aloud every morning and night.

    The repeated reading of your life’s mission statement will be impressed on your subconscious. As your mind becomes attuned to your intended purpose and desires, you will develop the faith to do so.

    Conclusion

    A good mix of the three will definitely yield better results for you. Personal development is a lifelong commitment and should be taken seriously, as this is a measure of your character.

  • The Five D’s of Success Part 1

    This is a 2 part series talking about the five D words of my life; Dreams; Desire; Diligence; Determination and Discipline. These are the words that form part of my core values.

    Life is not for the lazy, our creator engineered us to live a very fulfilling and enjoyable life on this earth. He further gave us all the implements and apparatus needed for it.

    It is entirely up to us as individuals to tap into and know what those implements are. We all have them embedded deep in us.

    I personally do not believe that living an empty life is the desire of our creator, no no it is an individual’s choice. Its a choice because God has given us every thing needed to succeed.

    If you are living a mediocre life it is the choice you have made. It is entirely upto you to get yourself out of it.

    There are two things in life, either you make the correct choices or decisions and live a very fulfilling and pleasant life or you make the wrong ones and be on the other side of the good things, that’s entirely up to you.

    At the time am writing this article I know that am on my way to living a very fulfilling life and have come up with a guide I am living by.

    It is very important that you derive yourself a set of standards to follow.

    I have a dream and that dream is to help change the future of most of the young people in my neighbourhood and society at large.

    To do this I will not give them money but help change the way they think about life and help them become what they want to be in life.

    Most of the people I have come across so far indicate that it is their thinking or rather their mindset that is a problem and nothing else.

    I want to be the change I want to see in the world but before I can reach out to helping others. I have outlined below 5 very useful characteristics to help me achieve my goal.

    Dreams

    Remember I have a dream. This is what keeps me posting these blogs to help someone out there to change their thinking and perhaps their attitude towards life in general.

    Dreams are very important they are the tenets of success. Whatever, you want to be in life starts with a dream.

    Am sure we all have dreams at least I have mine. Dreams are your aspirations and therefore, it is very important to keep them alive.

    Write them down so that you can have a very clear idea of them and read them very often to keep them alive in your mind.

    There is power in writing down your aspirations. I mentioned about helping to change people’s mindset and notice that dreams are made from our minds.

    We visualize them in our minds. You must dream big. Fill your mind with your dreams and begin living your dreams even when they are not yet, fully actualised.

    There is no successful person without a dream. It all starts with the mind. Only those who become “success conscious” ever become very successful.

    Success conscious means that the mind has become so saturated with the desire for success, that one can even see themselves already successful.

    If you do not see great success in your imagination, you will never see it in reality. First see yourself successful and then it will come to pass.

    The world requires practical dreamers who can and will put their dreams into action. Having dreams without action is procrastination.

    Remember that practical dreamers do not quit even when they meet with temporary defeat. They push on till they see the light at the end of the tunnel.

    The greatest achievement was, at first, and for a time but a dream. Dreams are what is transmuted into reality.

    Remember also that dreams are the seedlings of reality they are not born of indifference, laziness, or lack of ambition.

    Always keep your dreams alive and put them into action so that you do not rob the world of your gifts.

    Desire

    They say “desire” is the starting point of all achievement. People will see you in the days of your triumph, without investigating the cause of your success.

    Desire is the driving force to success. If the thing you desire to do is right, and you believe in it, go ahead and do it. Don’t worry about not having the resources.

    Things will begin to take shape as you start working on your dreams. You will begin to attract the right resources and make the necessary adjustments to accommodate your progress.

    Remember that all who succeed in life get off to a bad start, and pass through many challenges before they “arrive.”

    No one is ever defeated until defeat has been accepted as reality. Desire is a very strong emotion that is always transmuted into reality.

    I have observed that the things we desire most we usually accomplish. Ask yourself what you desire to be or achieve in life.

    Put the emotion of desire to work and you will see what results you can accomplish with your your life.

    Desire drives us to think and behave in specific ways so that we can effectively fulfill our various desires and aspirations.

    If you have a dream and a solid plan, turn them into a burning desire to achieve your goals.

    Desire backed by faith knows no such word as impossible. Remember that every adversity brings with it the seed of an equivalent advantage.

    Conclusion

    You must realize that all who succeeded in life first did a certain amount of dreaming, hoping, wishing, DESIRING and PLANNING before they actually succeeded.

    Continued in part 2

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