INSIDE: It’s time for another instalment of my favourite finds! The series where every Friday, I share my favourite book, podcast, YouTube video, blog post and freebie that’ll help you to take control of your life and become the BEST version of yourself. Want to know what’s on my list this week? Keep reading!
(This post might contain affiliate links which means that if you click through and make a purchase, I make a small commission. Read my disclosure policy here.)
Taking control of your life…
How in control of your life are you feeling right now? If your answer is ‘not very‘ you’re not alone and this post is for you! In it, I’m sharing my favourite finds of the week to help you regain control of your life so that you can start becoming the person you know you want to be.
Tired of your to-do list and diary calling the shots? Well, things are about to change! Let’s find out what this week’s book, podcast, YouTube video, blog post and freebie are so that you can take back your life!
MY FIVE FAVOURITE FRIDAY FINDS: JANUARY 24th
BOOK OF THE WEEK: The Big Book of 30-Day Challenges
Thirty-day challenges are an incredibly effective way to take control of your life. Allowing you to dive deep into one specific area, they help you push past procrastination and take action. Which is why I’ve chosen 30-day challenges as one of the themes for the blog in 2020.
Each month, I’ll be revealing a brand-new 30-day challenge for you to join. Challenges that will help you to become more productive, practice gratitude and mindfulness, feel happier and much more.
And so, with that in mind, for this week’s book of the week, I thought I would share one of the books that inspired me to focus on 30-day challenges as a theme for 2020.
What is it? The Big Book of 30-Day Challenges!
The big book of 30-day challenges…
With 60 different habit-forming 30-day challenges, not only will this book help you to take control of your life, it’ll help you to live a better life too. Colourful and easy to navigate, the challenges can be done in any order you like. Simply flick through and pick whichever challenges take your fancy the most.
Want to eat smarter? Focus on your friendships? Strengthen family bonds? Kick your bad habits? Maximise your productivity? This book will help! With simple rules to follow and lots of tips for following each challenge through, it shows you how to:
- Get better sleep.
- Meditate for ten minutes a day.
- Get rid of clutter.
- Eat three home-cooked meals a day.
- Track your expenses.
- Enjoy 30 minutes of family time a day.
- Read 20 pages a day.
- and much more!
I’m currently working my way through challenge #14 – eating a healthy breakfast each morning. And for next month, I’m thinking of giving challenge #21 – spending 30 minutes outdoors every day – a try. If you want to be more intentional about how you live your life and take back control, this book of 30-day challenges is a great starting point. Plus, it’s fun that the whole family can get involved in too!
CHECK OUT THE BIG BOOK OF 30-DAY CHALLENGES HERE >>
PODCAST OF THE WEEK: Do It Scared – Episode #3: How to stop listening to that voice in your head that says you can’t
Have you ever been held back by thoughts in your head that tell you’re not good enough? If so, I’m right there with you. I know EXACTLY what it’s like to be paralysed by negative thoughts in my head. Thoughts that tell me I’m not good enough. That I’m not smart enough. Or capable enough. That I don’t deserve to have what I have or be who I want to be.
Those negative thoughts – also known as limiting-beliefs – have held me back and stopped me from chasing my dreams more times than I can tell you. Even though half the time, I know they’re not actually true!
If it’s the same for you too, you might just want to give this week’s podcast a listen. Because in it, Ruth Soukup – the founder of Living Well, Spending Less – shares three simple strategies that will help you to stop listening to the voice in your head says you can’t so that you can push past your limiting beliefs.
Taking control of your life…
If you want to have more control over your life, you need to take control of your thoughts as well as your actions. Because mindset is everything. Especially when it comes to accomplishing your goals and creating a life you love. And in this week’s podcast, Ruth shows you how to do just that.
Taking control of your negative thoughts…
It’s been a work in progress, but I’m finally learning to push past those limiting beliefs. To turn them on their head. To feel the fear and do whatever it is that I want to do anyway. It’s scary but each time it gets a little bit easier. Want to know what the limiting beliefs that hold me back are? I’ll be sharing them in a future post…so be sure to keep an eye out.
In the meantime, if you struggle with this too and want to take control of your life by pushing past your limiting beliefs, make sure you give this episode of the Doing It Scared podcast a listen. I promise it’ll help!
YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Higher Level Living – How to feel like you have it all together
Each week on her show, certified Life Coach Nicole Hague from Higher Level Living shares a quick coaching tip to help “elevate, energise and empower you in your life”. The episode I’m sharing for this week’s YouTube video is one of my favourites from her channel.
In it, Nicole shares her simple trick for feeling like you have it all together. If you want to start accomplishing your goals, you’re going to love the strategy Nicole shares in this video. Learn how to take control of your life so that you can have success in whatever it is you’re reaching for – no matter how big or small.
Think you’ve seen Nicole before?
If you think you’ve seen Nicole before here on the blog, you’d be right!
Back in August, Nicole was kind enough to share her expertise in a four-part series all about elevating your life so that you can live your best life. And how to feel like you have it all together was one of the topics she covered.
Here’s the series…be sure to check it out as well as this week’s YouTube video!
- #1: How to elevate your life
- #2: Why you should be setting intentions as well as setting goals
- #3: How to reignite your passion in your life
- #4: How to feel like you have it all together – even when you don’t
- #5: The secret to living your best life
If you want to have more control over your life be sure to watch Nicole’s video and discover her simple strategy for feeling like you have it all together. While you’re there subscribe to her channel so that you can benefit from her weekly doses of encouragement.
Oh, and if you want more great videos just like this one, Nicole has an awesome IGTV channel too!
BLOG POST OF THE WEEK: 30 simple ways to make life easier to manage
One sure-fire way to take control of your life is to adopt habits and daily practices that make things easier to manage. And so, for this week’s blog post, I thought I’d share with you one that will help you to do just that!
In 30 simple ways to make life easier to manage, I show you how to banish the chaos and restore calm and order in your home and life quickly and easily. And because I love a good excuse to create a printable, there’s also a FREE cheatsheet with all 30 ways on it for you to download too!
Want a sneak peek of some of the habits and practices I share in the post? Here are five of my favourite!
- #1: Eat that Frog!
- #2: Adopt the two-minute rule.
- #3: Automate your finances.
- #4: Strive for progress over perfection.
- #5: Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Be sure to head on over to the post to find out what the rest are. Don’t forget to download the FREE accompanying cheatsheet while you’re there too!
FREEBIE OF THE WEEK: Kalyn Brooke’s bullet journal collection ideas printable
If you’ve ever wanted to give bullet journaling a try but never really known what to put in your bullet journal, this FREE printable from Kalyn Brooke will help you to get started. Kalyn is my go-to person for all things bullet journaling and this list of ideas and collections for your bullet journal is just one of the many amazing resources you’ll find on her blog.
Split into 11 different sections, you’ll find plenty of ideas to get you started. Many of which you might not have thought of before but will help you to not only take control of your life but get organised and stay on track too. You’ll find ideas relating to:
- Planning
- Home and family
- Self-care
- Finances
- Food
- Entertainment
- …and many more!
Need help getting started with bullet journaling?
New to bullet journaling? I have a great article for you to check out! A guest post by Nicole from Tailoring the Good Life, this bullet journaling ‘how-to‘ post gives you everything you need to get started. You’ll also learn how bullet journaling makes you more productive – which in turn helps you take control of your life!
READ THE BULLET JOURNAL POST HERE >>
Bullet journaling not your thing?
And if bullet journaling isn’t your thing, don’t worry. Kalyn’s bullet journal collection suggestions make great ideas for a regular planner or notebook too! Simply take the suggestions, write each one at the top of a fresh page and start writing.
And if you like to create lists as much as I do, you’ll LOVE her suggestions in the food, entertainment and travel categories. They’re guaranteed to spark a ton of other ideas for taking control of your life too!
DOWNLOAD KALYN’S BULLET JOURNAL PRINTABLE HERE >>
THIS WEEK’S BONUS: Habits for Higher Level Living
As this week’s YouTube video is Nicole’s episode on how to feel like you have it all together, I thought it would make perfect sense to share her course Habits for Higher Level Living as this week’s bonus!
Want to take control of your life? It all comes down to habits and the actions you take every single day. And in this self-paced online course, Nicole shows you which habits you need to adopt so that you can live your best life. You’ll discover how to:
- Elevate your energy and attitude so that you can find happiness every single day.
- Build the confidence to embrace and love who you really are.
- Maximise your potential so that you can perform at YOUR best in all areas of your life.
- …and much more!
I’ve personally taken this course and not only is it easy to digest, but it also fills you with confidence that you are capable of becoming the person you want to be – no matter what difficulties you might be facing.
If you want to elevate your life so that you’re living your BEST life, I highly recommend this course. With the help of videos, planner sheets and journaling prompts, Nicole shows you how to bring the very best of you to all areas of your life simply by adopting the right habits.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE COURSE HERE >>
Five simple ways to take control of your life…
There you have it, this week’s five favourite finds – all of which are guaranteed to help you take control of your life! Which was your favourite? I’d LOVE to know! Tell me your choice and share what you thought of it.
Send me a DM over on Instagram or drop me a line HERE.
Here they are again:
- Book of the week: The Big Book of 30-Day Challenges
- Podcast of the week: Do It Scared – episode #3: How to stop listening to that voice in your head that says you can’t
- YouTube video of the week: Higher Level Living – How to feel like you have it all together
- Blog post of the week: 30 simple ways to make life easier to manage
- Freebie of the week: Kalyn Brooke’s bullet journal collection ideas printable
- Bonus of the week: Habits for Higher Level Living
Take control of your life every week!
Don’t forget to check back next week for the next instalment of my five favourite Friday finds. Not only will they help you become the BEST version of yourself, they’ll help you to take control of your life too!
Better still, subscribe to A Simple and Contented Life so that you’re one of the first to know when it’s published! You’ll gain exclusive access to my Resource Library packed full of FREE printables designed to help you make life LESS stressful and MORE enjoyable at the same time.
Do you have a favourite book, podcast, YouTube video, blog post or freebie?
If it’s helped you to take control of your life, I’d love to know what it is. I’m always on the lookout for new personal growth resources to dive into!
That’s it for this post! Which of my favourite ‘take control of your life’ resources will you be checking out first? Let me know in the comments!
Until next time…
P.S. Like what you read? Subscribe to A Simple and Contented Life!
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Did you like this post? You’ll LOVE these too!
- My favourite Friday finds week 1: January 10th
- My favourite Friday finds week 2: January 17th
- How monthly challenges can help you to improve your life
