Week 46 - 11.13.11
To 11mprove your Physical Life - Don't Give Up.
If you fall back into unhealthy eating or exercise patterns, there is no reason to beat yourself up about it. Identify why the lapse occurred and learn from your mistakes. Move forward with this knowledge and move towards health. The same holds true for a lapse in your relational, financial, work/school or spiritual life. Learn from your mistakes and move forward towards health!

Week 45 - 11.6.11
To 11mprove your ...
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Week 44 - 10.30.11
To 11mprove your Financial Life - Track Your Spending.
If you keep track of your spending, you can see what it is that you are buying that is necessary and what you are buying that you don't really need. Cut out the unnecessary spending.

Week 43 - 10.23.11
To 11mprove your School Life – Ask questions.
Ask questions until you fully understand. Ask as many questions as you need to. It doesn't matter if you think it's a silly question or not. Someone else most likely has the same question but will not raise their hand.

Week 42 - 10.16.11
To 11mprove your Spiritual Life – Go public with your relationship with Christ.
Getting baptized is a very important step in going public with your relationship with Christ. Another important step is being vocal about your walk with Christ. Once you have accepted Jesus Christ, tell someone. Don't keep it a secret. The Bible says that "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown before my Father in heaven" (Matthew 10:32-33).

Week 41 - 10.9.11
To 11mprove your Physical Life – Get friends that live healthy.
The ongoing interaction with people who have the health you desire will be a positive influence on you. It is far easier to make the transition to healthy living when you have the social support.

Week 40 - 10.2.11
To 11mprove your Relational Life – Share Responsibilities.
Each family member should have responsibilities in the home to fulfill. This teaches the importance of working together for the benefit of the family and sets clear rules and expectations.

Week 39 - 9.25.11
To 11mprove your Financial Life – Communicate with Your Spouse.
Statistically speaking, your chances of having a successful marriage shoot way up if you agree with your spouse on money, kids, religion and in-laws. But it’s the first of those four that many people don’t want to talk about. Here are 3 suggestions for talking to your other half about working together with money. (1) Tonight, turn off the television. Put the kids to bed early and eliminate every possible distraction. Gently and loving tell them your thoughts about money and your finances and engage them in a conversation. Find a way to talk to them in a language or manner that they understand. Don’t beat them over the head, but make it absolutely clear how important this is for your marriage and your future. (2) Develop a budget together. Remember, this is a team effort and you are a team. Unless you have an extreme situation include fun money in your budget. (3) Make sure you know what your credit card companies are charging you. They can get crafty in how they charge fees and interest. So when you have a credit card statement come in with a new charge, take it to your spouse and point it out. If you can convince them that credit card companies are charging too much (which they are), then you might move your husband or wife to do something about it..

Week 38 - 9.18.11
To 11mprove your Work Life – Keep Your Inbox Empty.
Reduce anxiety and simplify by clearing out your inbox as much as you can.

Week 37 - 9.11.11
To 11mprove your Spiritual Life – Serve People.
Jesus said he didn't come to be served but to serve. Is that your motto? Whether it's just listening to someone, helping them with a home repair, or just giving them some company, find a way to serve. The more we serve, the more we are becoming like Jesus.

Week 36 - 9.4.11
To 11mprove your Physical Life Train for Strength.
Building muscle not only increases your strength but also increases your metabolism. Strength training also stimulates the release of human growth hormone in your body which slows the aging process. Engage in strength training 2-4 times per week.

Week 35 - 8.28.11
To 11mprove your Relational Life – Stop Sweating the Small Stuff.
This is particularly important as a parent - not everything is worth getting upset about. Think twice before you yell over a spilled glass of juice or a stain on the carpeting. Will this really matter when your children are grown and gone? Is it truly a huge deal if your child eats the icing off the top of his/her cupcake and leaves the rest? Should your spouse's irritating habit of leaving the toilet seat up be such a big problem to you? Not getting upset over the little things of life not only improves your family relationships, it helps you become less stressed out as well.

Week 34 - 8.21.11
To 11mprove your School Life – Build Wealth and Give.
Golda Meir says, “You can’t shake hands with a clenched fist.” Vow to never hold your money so tightly that you never give any away. Hoarding money is not the way to wealth. Save for yourself, save for your family’s future, and be gracious enough to bless others. You can do all three at the same time.

Week 33 - 8.14.11
To 11mprove your School Life – Manage Time Wisely.
It's important to give yourself plenty of time to work on your studies if you want to do well, and you can save yourself a lot of stress if you plan ahead with good time management skills. Setting up a schedule for study, breaking up your studies into smaller chunks, and other time management skills are essential.

Week 32 - 8.7.11
To 11mprove your Spiritual Life – Live your life in a manner that is pleasing to God.
A life pleasing to God is a life that is lived in obedience to the Word of God. When thinking about doing or saying something, ask yourself - "what does the Bible say about this?" This is a great reason to become more knowledgeable about the Bible. Another guage is to ask yourself - "would I do this if God were standing right here?" Remember, God is with you all the time.

Week 31 - 7.31.11
To 11mprove your Physical Life – Make use of Healthy Snacks.
Having a snack between your meals is a good idea - as long as they're healthy. Stock up on fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds. Have them readily available for whenever you might feel hungry. This means both at home and at the office.

Week 30 - 7.24.11
To 11mprove your Relational Life – Serve together.
Serving others is a wonderful thing. Get involved in a ministry at church together, an iServe project, or a community event. Through serving we can get outside of ourselves. Selfishness is a relationship killer.

Week 29 - 7.17.11
To 11mprove your Financial Life – Pay off home early.
Once you've established a $1,000 Emergency Fund, paid off all debt using the Debt Snowball, put 3-6 months of expenses in savings, invested 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement, set up a college fund for your children - now it's time to begin chunking all of your extra money toward the mortgage. You're getting closer to realizing the dream of a life with no house payments.

Week 28 - 7.10.11
To 11mprove your Work/School Life – Leave work at the door.
Don't bring work home with you or you'll stress yourself out at home and the rest of your family, too.

Week 27 - 7.3.11
To 11mprove your Spiritual Life – Develop the Habit of Submission.
First is submission to God. When we understand the value of submitting to God it will not be difficult to be submitting to our leaders. Submitting to God means listening and following God’s words. Secondly, submission to our leaders is also a must to learn. God gave us spiritual leaders and anointed them to lead us in our spiritual lives by his empowerment. Our pastors and ministry leaders are not our employees; they are our spiritual leaders and we ought to submit to their leadership.

Week 26 - 6.26.11
To 11mprove your Physical Life – Eat Out Intelligently.
For the restaurants that you visit frequently, find out the menu choices that are healthy options. this way, you can enjoy going out without jeopardizing your health. Check out websites like the following to see restaurant nutrition facts: www.dietfacts.com, www.foodfacts.info, www.thehealthyeatingguide.com.

Week 25 - 6.19.11
To 11mprove your Relational Life – Don't hold grudges.
One of the biggest barriers to positive family relationships is bitterness and grudges over things that have happened in the past. Do not wait until someone is dying or dead to let go of a grudge you have held from the past. Life is too short and precious. Besides, the only one that bitterness hurts in the end is you.

Week 24 - 6.12.11
To 11mprove your Financial Life – Establish a college fund for your children.
Once you've begun investing 15% of your income, it's time to start saving for college. Whether you're saving for you or your child to go to college, you need to start now. In order to have enough money saved for college, you need to have a goal. Determine how much per month you should be saving at 12% interest in order to have enough for college. If you save at 12% and inflation is at 4%, then you are moving ahead of inflation at a net of 8% per year! Never save for college using: Insurance, Savings bonds (only 5-6% growth), Zero-coupon bonds (only 6-8% growth), Pre-paid college tuition (only 7% inflation rate). The best way to save for college is with Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) and 529 plans. Remember, college is possible without loans!

Week 23 - 6.5.11
To 11mprove your Work Life – Understand other roles.
Take the time to have a good but basic understanding of every role that affects you - management, fellow team members and the person the corner that nobody talks to.

Week 22 - 5.29.11
To 11mprove your Spiritual Life – Read books on Christian spiritual development.
Learn from others' experiences in their walk with God and get enlightened and edified. One of my top recommendations right now is: Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Read it; you'll thank me.

Week 21 - 5.22.11
To 11mprove your Physical Life – Take Your Lunch to Work.
Not only will brown-bagging your lunch save you some money, it will help you avoid eating unhealthy foods for lunch. Take the extra time to make your lunch in the morning or make extra for dinner and eat the leftovers.

Week 20 - 5.15.11
To 11mprove your Relational Life – Build Better Communication.
Before you speak, ask yourself if what you are about to say really needs to be said. Try to stop saying critical words, and instead build your family members up with what comes out of your mouth. Sit down and have dinner with your family a few times each week. Turn the television off more often and talk to each other instead. Ask your children about their days at school and your spouse about his/her day at work. No relationship can be formed or improved without a normal and positive level of communication.

Week 19 - 5.8.11
To 11mprove your Financial Life – Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement.
|Once you've established a $1,000 Emergency Fund, paid off all debt using the Debt Snowball and have 3-6 months of expenses in savings, you'll have no payments - except the house. Now it's time to get serious about building wealth.

Week 18 - 5.1.11
To 11mprove your work/school life – Pay attention to your looks.
Even though looks aren't everything, in the workplace they matter. Make sure that you follow the company culture and guidelines, and that you dress for the position you want. This will ensure that people always see you professionally.

Week 17 - 4.24.11
To 11mprove your spiritual life – Serve others.
Allow God to meet the needs of others through you. It might be listening to them, praying for them, spending time with them or meeting a physical need. The more we reach out and serve others, the more we are becoming like Christ and doing part of the work we were meant to do in this life.

Week 16 - 4.17.11
To 11mprove your physical life – Drink plenty of water.
Water is your friend. Your body is made up mostly of water. The problem is most people walk around dehydrated. If you’re feeling thirsty, it’s too late; you’re already dehydrated.

Week 15 - 4.10.11

Week 14 - 4.3.11
To 11mprove your relational life - Spend quality time together as a family.
Family night might include eating together, taking walks or playing sports. Volunteering is a great way to make a contribution to society and teach children about giving. Benefits from spending quality time together include keeping children out of trouble, working through depression and improving academic performance.

Week 13 - 3.27.11
To 11mprove your financial life - Save 3-6 months of expenses in savings.
Once you have $1,000 to start an emergency fund and you’ve paid off all debt using the Debt Snowball plan, you will have built serious momentum. But don’t start throwing all your ‘extra’ money into investments quite yet. It’s time build your full emergency fund. Ask yourself, “What would it take for me to live for 3 to 6 months if I lost my income?” Your answer to that question is how much you should save. Use this money for emergencies only: incidents that would have a major impact on you and your family. Keep these savings in a money market account. Remember, this stash of money is not an investment; it is insurance you’re paying to yourself, a buffer between you and life.

Week 12 - 3.20.11
To 11mprove your work/school life - Show Up Every Day.
This may seem too simple, but showing up every day for work or class is a crucial part of succeeding. If you show up every day you're letting your boss or teacher(s) know that you're serious about your job or education.

Week 11 - 3.13.11

Week 10 - 3.6.11
To 11mprove your spiritual life - Fast Periodically.
It’s a good idea for Christians to fast periodically. Biblically, fasting is abstaining from food, drink, sleep or sex to focus on a period of spiritual growth. Anything you can temporarily give up in order to better focus on God can be considered a fast. Specifically, we humbly deny something of the flesh to focus on God, enhance our spirit, and go deeper in our prayer life. Fasting is a way to demonstrate to God and to ourselves that we are serious about our relationship with Him. What can you temporarily give up in order to focus on God? Even unplugging the television for a period of time can be an effective fast. Join Palm Canyon as we fast for 40 days beginning March 9.

Week 9 - 2.27.11
To 11mprove your work/school life - Pay attention.
You can’t remember something if you never learned it, and you can’t learn something — that is, encode it into your brain — if you don’t pay enough attention to it. It takes about eight seconds of intense focus to process a piece of information into your memory. If you’re easily distracted, try to receive information in a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted.

Week 8 - 2.20.11
To 11mprove your relational life - Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball Plan.
List your debts in order from smallest to greatest (excluding the house). Commit to pay the minimum payment on every debt. Determine how much extra can be applied towards the smallest debt. Pay the minimum payment plus the extra amount towards the smallest debt until it is paid off. Once a debt is paid in full, add the old minimum payment (plus any extra amount available) from the first debt to the minimum payment on the second smallest debt until it is paid in full. Repeat until all debts are paid in full.

Week 7 - 2.13.11
To 11mprove your relational life - Learn Healthy Conflict Resolution.
Healthy conflict resolution is a component that smoothes the rough edges of relationships. Rough edges will occur. There will be disagreements, differences of opinion, and even disappointments of behavior. A knowledge of techniques and dedication to resolve conflicts with respect, support, and equality can actually strengthen a relationship. Unstated is the recognition of "look what we've gone through together. We're strong."

Week 6 - 2.6.11
To 11mprove your physical life - Get Enough Sleep.
Your body has to have enough time to rest otherwise you may find yourself feeling cranky and tired. This may sound like common sense, but according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), more than two-thirds of older adults suffer from sleep problems and many American adults don't get the minimum amount of shuteye needed to stay alert. Sleep is vital to good health and to mental and emotional well-being. The NSF reports that people who don't get enough slumber are more likely than others to develop psychiatric problems and to use health care services. Plus, sleep deprivation can negatively affect memory, learning, and logical reasoning. To avoid the pitfalls of insufficient sleep, make sure to get at least seven to 10 hours of slumber each night. Kids need more sleep, depending on their age.

Week 5 - 1.30.11
To 11mprove your spiritual life - Commit to Reading the Bible Daily.
The Bible is the primary source of information for your spiritual life. It is good to read commentaries and Christian books, but it's important to return the place where everything started. Make a pact to read the Bible once or twice daily. It is logical to read the Bible before going to bed, and in the first few minutes after waking up in the morning. Psychologists consider these times as prime learning opportunities. The brain is able to absorb more materials during the 30 minutes before and after sleep. Take advantage of this, and incorporate these as reading times during the day. Each time you read try to identify at least one thing you can apply to your life.

Week 4 - 1.23.11
To 11mprove your work life - Keep Your Boss Informed.
When you keep your boss informed, you demonstrate responsibility, good communication skills and concern. Keep your boss up to date about projects’ progress, assignment completion and any anticipated problems. Treat problems and challenges as opportunities to show your boss what you can do. Don’t just tell your boss about a problem - have a solution in mind. You may not have a complete solution, but when you approach your boss with your ideas, you demonstrate your professionalism and ability. If you can anticipate problems and work to solve them, your boss will regard you as a valuable resource.

Week 3 - 1.16.11
To 11mprove your financial health - Establish a $1,000 emergency fund.
An emergency fund is for those unexpected events in life that you can’t plan for: the loss of a job, an unexpected pregnancy, a faulty car transmission, and the list goes on and on. It’s not a matter of if these events will happen; it’s simply a matter of when they will happen. This beginning emergency fund will keep life’s little Murphies from turning into new debt while you work off the old debt. If a real emergency happens, you can handle it with your emergency fund. No more borrowing. It’s time to break the cycle of debt!

Week 2 - 1.9.11
To 11mprove your relational health - Make yourself trustworthy.
A key to marriage or dating is trust and a key to building trust is truthfulness. We need to be able to trust certain people in our society. We must be confident that they are truthful. Imagine putting yourselves in the hands of a surgeon who might have cheated on his board tests, or in some other ways lied about his credentials and training? Do you want someone like that holding a sharp instrument, getting ready to cut into your flesh? What if he cheated on his anatomy final, and doesn’t really know where your spleen is? What if you heard your surgeon say in the operating room: “Wait a minute. If this is his spleen, then what’s that? Or, hand me that...uh...that uh....thingy over there.” Honesty is crucial in maintaining trust in a relationship, and that is especially true for a marriage or a dating relationship. Truthfulness is a means to the end of building trust. That’s why we must be willing to be honest with our spouse or the person we're dating.

Week 1 - 1.2.11
To 11mprove your physical health - Eat breakfast every morning.
Eating breakfast is important for your health and mental power, supplying essential vitamins, minerals and energy for your day. Eat breakfast within 30 minutes of waking up.