Category Archives: Purposeful living

Podcasts you should be listening to for inspiration, creativity & every day life

4 must-listen podcasts and other recommendations for inspiration, creativity, and every day life

For a long time, I didn’t hop onto the podcast bandwagon because there’s always so much to do but so little time!

Plus, I mostly enjoy the silence and rhythm of being outside when I go for my walks and runs and basically end up not listening to anything.

Until recently.

With a long daily commute to work and regular car drives to various places, I’ve come to appreciate the value of a good podcast, whether for inspiration, creativity, or just every day life.

While I sometimes end up listening to music or just enjoying the silence, depending on my mood, podcasts inject value into my drives and train rides when I need them, while keeping me informed and/or entertained on the go.

The “MUST LISTEN” List (aka my go-tos)

The 4 podcasts you should be listening to are also my go-to podcasts. They are the ones I switch on when I need a podcast fix, when I want to learn something new, when I need inspiration. And most of the time, I end up listening to every single episode of these shows.

And to be honest, these shows are the ones which I’ve learned so much from and picked up things that I actually use in my daily life.

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5 ways to show love to people in your life

Love doesn't have to be flowers and chocolates. Discover 5 ways to show love to people in your life, this Valentine's Day and all year round.

With the main Chinese New Year festivities behind us, it seems that the next “holiday” is Valentine’s Day. While Valentine’s Day has never been a much-celebrated holiday around here, I like to use it as a time to reflect on how I show love to the people in my life and how much they mean to me.

Since the mention of Valentine’s Day typically evokes images of flowers and chocolate, I challenged myself and discovered five ways to show love, sans your typical Valentine’s Day items.

I might add that if your loved one enjoys flowers and chocolate, I say go for it! But if you’re looking for some more unconventional ideas, here you go!

Ways to show love (without flowers and chocolate)

  1. Spend time.

    Sometimes, the greatest gift and demonstration of love is just spending quality time with them. Plan a fun day, intentionally disconnect from social media, and enjoy being in the company of those you love.

  1. Write a thoughtful note.

    It doesn’t have to be long or cheesy. Just a meaningful, handwritten note expressing your appreciation for your loved one and how much they mean to you can go a long way. You can make your own quick and easy ones, or print some fun ones online.

  1. Cook a meal / bake something.

    Food connects people. And if your loved one enjoys food, there is no better way to show them your love than to make or bake their favorite meal or food.

  1. Listen.

    In this day and age of instant gratification, many distractions, and short-attention spans, active listening is learned skill. But your willingness to put everything aside to listen to your loved one will show them how much you care.

  1. Serve them.

    Find out if there’s anything that they would appreciate you helping out with, whether it’s washing the car or running some errands. Sometimes, actions dospeak louder than words and the little things go a long way.

Which way will you choose to show love this year?

Living with purpose – 5 things you need to know about setting goals

5 ways to achieve your goals in 2016

With the turn of the New Year, I’ve read and loved plenty of posts about setting goals and making plans that stick throughout the year. While I am a big believer in goal-setting (I shared my own in this blog post last week), I’m also anticipating that 2016 will be a season of transition and change in my life.

So while setting goals to help me stay on track, I’m also keeping the flip side of goal-setting in mind, and having an open mind to whatever may come; the world is my oyster and I am remembering to be open to the possibilities and opportunities that 2016 will bring.

Here’s what I’m remembering as I measure out my goals and work through them this year:

  1. Be realistic.

    Set goals that are challenging, yet achievable. Don’t set yourself up for failure.

  2. Don’t be afraid to fail.

    This year, I might “fail” at achieving my goals. But regardless of what happens, I want to look back on the year and know that I tried my best and worked hard to achieve my goals, even if I don’t end up fully achieving them. As I’ve been told, don’t be afraid to fail; be afraid to not try.

  3. Be flexible.

    Life is bound to change, and when it does and the goals you made earlier are no longer relevant to your life, don’t be afraid to adjust your goals to suit whatever you are going through at that time.

  4. Know your priorities.

    I have so many things I want to do and achieve. But in line with being realistic, I’ve sorted through and prioritized my list of goals to achieve what matters most.

  5. Enjoy the ride.

    There is a sense of accomplishment in achieving goals. But it isn’t just about the end result of achieving goals as much as it is about the journey, the process, and how I learn and grow from it all.

How are you doing with your 2016 goals, twelve days into the new year? Let me know in the comments!

Here’s to 2016 being the best year yet. I’ve got a good feeling about this.

Living with purpose | Looking ahead to my 2016 goals

Living with purpose - Amelia's 2016 goals

Like I promised on Monday, I am back to share my 2016 goals with you today!

For a long time, I stopped making resolutions for a new year. Instead, I started setting goals and having intentions as I embrace my love for the new year, with its hope of beginnings and fresh starts.

With that, I was eager to set goals for 2016.

This year, I used the Live Your Legend Goal Setting Workbook to help me see the big picture and determine my goals for 2016. I loved the specific steps and thought-provoking questions listed.

I’m also hoping to use the Weekly Planning Workbook at the end of each week to help me evaluate my week and review my progress towards my goals.

But back to goals, here are my goals for six areas of my life this year:

Area: Goals:
Knowledge / Continued learning Listen to 2 podcasts each week.

Read 1 new book each month.

Improve my Thai.
Creating & Documenting Use Project Life to document 2016 in one album. (More details on my plan for this soon!)

Finish half-done projects.

Complete purchased online classes.
Health & Fitness Work out at least 3 times a week.

Run my personal best at a half-marathon.
Social Media & Blogging Write and publish 2 high-quality content blog posts each week.

Send monthly newsletters to my email subscribers.

Instagram daily
Spiritual Walk Have daily Quiet Time.

Serve in one area at church.
Daily Habits Early wake up

Journal

Some of these goals overlap into other categories since I tried to limit myself to 1 to 3 goals for each area. But for the most part, I think these goals settle nicely into their respective areas.

After I worked through my goals in detail, I’m pleased, excited and just a little nervous to see how well I achieve my goals this year! And I totally appreciate you for following along with me.

What are your goals for 2016? How are you putting them into action?