The Best Apps for Teaching and Learning

Today's post is a listing of the best apps for teaching and learning today.  Some are free and others are as much as $3.99 - but technology engages and improves the teaching and learning process.  So there is definite benefit in each of these apps.

Studious is a free app that helps organize.

Notability can be used effectively with DropBox, Google Drive, and Box.  Notes can be taken and shared in class.

Haiku Deck is an app for presentations.  Students and teachers enjoy using this one.

ShowMe is especially helpful for teachers as they plan their lessons.  Teachers can prepare presentations for classes across all content areas and age levels.

Prezi is also for presentations.  There is a free version and a fee version.  Educators and schools are eligible for special discounts.  Prezi presentations have more flare and hold attention longer than some PowerPoint presentations.

Edmodo can be utilized in classrooms in a myriad of ways.  Again, regradless of content area or age of the student, Edmodo engages student learning.

Popplet and Popplet Lite (the free version) works in business as well as in education.  This app provides ways to map ideas with technology rather than on the old chalkboard.  It is very engaging and easy to use.

Sticky Notes is a fun way to remind students of upcoming tests and homework and also can be used very effectively in class to list ideas, dates, etc during discussions.

Graphing Calculator is fabulous and well worth the $2.99.  The cost of graphing calculators is roughly $110 - $130 now and classroom sets are becoming a thing of the past.  This is an excellent way to use technology!

Frog Dissection ($3.99) and The Chemical Touch ($0.99) are excellent apps for science classes.  Students are much more engaged using these apps.

These apps simply provide an easy way to integrate technology into classrooms and improve the learning environment.  These apps are not only fun to use, they are an efficient way to work as well.

If you haven't tried a few of these apps, now is the time as we are gearing up to go back to school.  I hope you find them helpful.

Another Way to Engage Students with Technology

Most teachers assess their teaching and their students' learning several times during class as well as at the end of the class.  Exit tickets or exit slips are used at the end of the class.  Back in the day I personally used index cards with a math problem from the day's topic as my exit ticket to assess my teaching and their learning.  

But digital exit tickets are much more engaging for all involved now.  Several ways exist right now - with more and more apps being added almost daily - to allow students to use technology to assess their learning.  One way that teachers can use digital exit tickets is to have students send a tweet that provides a summary of what they learned or provide a specific answer to a question.  High school students love Twitter and so do a lot of teachers - so this is a quick way to implement technology while assessing teaching and learning.

Instagram can also be utilized to capture the "look" of learning.  Instagram would be especially useful during class activities and then could be posted to a class blog.

Edmodo is another way that teachers can use digital exit tickets.  Most school systems encourage using Edmodo and this would engage everyone.

Vine videos can also be a fabulous way to sum up a lesson with just 6 seconds' worth of action.  YouTube videos also can create the digital exit ticket.

The point of today's post is to start developing a variety of ways to engage students and to assess teaching and learning using technology.  Many years ago when I was an Instructional Coach in the District of Columbia Public Schools, a math supervisor suggested that iPods would soon be used in classrooms and would engage students and create a climate conducive to learning.  I loved the idea then - and all these years later, definitely have seen the evidence.

More technology in the Classroom

This Week with Sara Fitts is reviewing more technology that can be easily utilized in almost all classrooms regardless of subject area.  Last week I discussed PollEverywhere and Remind. Both of these technologies are immediately engaging and connect teaching and learning with good impact.

Padlet (http://www.padlet.com) is truly a wonderful way to engage students of all ages.  Padlet allows students or an entire class to create a bulletin board or visual display that is engaging, fun, and immediately connected to the topic of study.  Students as well as teachers really enjoy using Padlet.

Teaching and learning need to be fun and engaging for both the student and the teacher.  Technology is a fabulous way to easily connect teaching and learning.  With just a little preparation, the daily lesson is transformed into an amazing array of information that is much more palatable to most students (and teachers) than the dreaded lecture.

If you haven't yet tried Padlet, give it a chance to impress.  I think you'll love it.  And I know your students will!

Technology Works in the Classroom

This Week with Sara Fitts is looking at technology in the classroom this week.  In a very short time the climate in most high schools has changed from "no cell phones" in sight to "take your cell phones out" for this class discussion.  And I, for one, am pleased that the tide has changed - or at least is changing.  

I love technology and use it in planning my lessons - and have for the past several years (such as the then-available technology was!) and am so pleased that teachers have so many options available to them for creating exciting lessons.

The first time I allowed texting in class was a few years ago and I used the site Poll Everywhere (http://www.polleverywhere.com) to engage Algebra 2 students in the daily bell work problem.  Poll Everywhere allows teachers to use texting for polling in class.  Students are able to text their responses to the problem (in my case) and the teacher can use this information as a quick assessment of where the students are with respect to the lesson.  The students really enjoyed this site and were much more enthusiastic in their responses to the bell work problems.

Another site that has great benefit for teachers as well as students and parents is Remind (http://www.remind.com).  This site provides access for teachers to text students and/or parents with reminders about homework, quizzes, test, projects, or grades.  And the best part of this is that no one has to share phone numbers!  

These are only two sources for excellent use of technology in just about every classroom in this country.  And there are many, many more - which I will explore in later posts.  Technology works in the classroom.  I firmly believe we should be using it more and more for teaching and learning.

Sara Fitts is a retired educator with 24 years in public education as a math teacher, administrator, and instructional coach.  Since 2000 she has owned SLF Consulting and has assisted numerous clients in being admitted to many major colleges and universities - including UMass, Brown, UCLA, University of Tennessee, and Virginia Tech, to name a few.  She was named Manassas Park High School's Educator of the Year in 2014.  SLF Consulting provides academic and instructional coaching, math tutorials, and SAT prep.  

The Benefits of Instructional Coaching in Today's Classroom

Instructional Coaching can have a major impact in today's classroom.  When an instructional coach can be in a classroom, the benefits can be huge for the students as well as the teacher.  Another pair of eyes can often see something that can have an immediate impact on teaching and learning.  Often the instructional coach's strategy is a simple one that can be implemented in a few minutes while other strategies and techniques will take much longer to put into place.

Another benefit of instructional coaching is being open to trying something new - or to attempt a strategy or techniques that hasn't been used in a while.  When educators are open to new things, students will usually follow.  Where there is an open mind, there is no limit to the teaching and learning that can happen.

Instructional coaching impacts teaching and learning in many positive ways.  This Week with Sara Fitts will focus on instructional coaching and its many benefits all week long.

The Benefits of Academic Coaching

As we plan the re-launch of SLF Consulting with a focus on academic and instructional coaching, I think it is important to discuss the benefits of academic coaching.  Academic coaching is really much more than tutoring.  It is a re-teaching with different approaches based on assessment of the immediate need of the student.  It combines education, instruction, and motivation in a way that embraces the student's inner desire to improve.  And improvement comes more easily for struggling students with academic coaching than with traditional classroom instruction - regardless of strategy or technique.

I believe for a student who is struggling and stressed with a class - or particular concept - the student needs to feel empowered in order to begin the process of improving.  In order for that student to feel empowered, the job of the coach is to be a motivator, a teacher, a strategist, an analyst, and a technician.  The biggest job of the coach is to believe that the student can be empowered - and then the empowerment begins.  

Academic coaching is not only for students with a grade of F hoping to pass a class. Academic coaching is for any student who needs or wants to improve while removing stress and struggle.  As we say at SLF Consulting, academic coaching makes stepping stones out of stumbling blocks and gets results for students.

A quick list of some of the benefits of academic coaching include:

• Less stress
• Less struggle
• Understanding of the topic or particular concept
• Better grades
• Higher self-esteem
• Increased self-worth
• Happier student and happier parent
• More balanced academic life
• More time for other activities
• Better behavior

If you or someone you know wants to find out more about how Sara Fitts and SLF Consulting can improve math grades, please contact us today to schedule an initial assessment.  We really want to reduce stress and struggle for parents and students.

Sara Fitts and SLF Consulting Back at Work

Yesterday was a fabulous day back in the office!  We updated This Week with Sara Fitts and gave it a fresh new look and also created a new blog, Sara's Little Formula, that you can view at http://SaraFitts.blogspot.com .  How I work with clients is actually what I call Sara's Little Formula - so I decided that the new blog would be devoted to strategies and techniques while This Week with Sara Fitts will have a broader view of SLF Consulting.

In the next few weeks we will be updating our company website and enrolling new students for the fall SAT and ACT dates as well as enrolling students for math tutorials.  This is an extremely exciting time for me and SLF Consulting.  I sincerely want to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks and help students improve their SAT and ACT scores as well as improve their grades in math classes.  While I enjoyed my public school teaching, I'm very excited to have a chance to help students in a much broader way.

If you or someone you know is in need of improving SAT or ACT scores, please contact us to reserve your slot in one of our new programs.  

SLF Consulting is Getting Ready for a Re-Launch!

Today is an exciting day for me - and for SLF Consulting!  We are getting ready to re-launch the business with an emphasis on test prep for SAT and ACT and math tutorials.  The actual re-launch will likely take place in August - which gives us time to get ready for new students.

When I founded the business in 2000 my focus was on making stepping stones out of stumbling blocks and getting results for my clients.  That focus really hasn't changed in 14 years.  We still want to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks and get results for students (and their parents!) so they can get into the colleges of their dreams.  We are removing stress and struggle for students and providing them with the tools, strategies and techniques to get good grades in math classes and good scores on the SAT and the ACT.

We have a proven track record of getting results for our clients.  We work with students on their individual needs based on an initial assessment and continue to adjust instruction based on their individual progress.  

If you are interested in hearing more about what SLF Consulting can do for you (or the student in your life), contact  my assistant, Clay Carter.




Sara Fitts is the owner and founder of SLF Consulting.  She is a professionally trained instructional and academic coach with more than 30 years of experience in education and business.  With a M.Ed. in Supervision of Instruction and expertise in education, test prep, curriculum and instruction, Sara Fitts makes stepping stones out of stumbling blocks and gets results for her clients.

Take a Breath

The holiday season is upon us.  We have enjoyed Thanksgiving and now are eagerly anticipating Christmas and New Year's.  And as much as we enjoy these festive and meaningful holidays, we are sometimes so rushed and stressed trying to get everything done that we can't fully enjoy the moments.

We need to take a breath.....Quite literally.

Try this simple little formula for taking a breath this holiday season - and see if it helps you.

• Get up 10 minutes earlier - and plan your day.  Some plan their day in their heads and others create an elaborate spreadsheet while others just make an old-fashioned list.  How you do it is not nearly as important as actually making the plan.  And have an extra cup of coffee or tea as you plan.
• Listen to music.  Music soothes the soul.  And it is a tremendous motivator as well. 
• Read for pleasure - at least for a few minutes.  It takes you away from the daily grind and provides a nice respite - even if only for a few minutes.
• Connect with a friend for a few minutes - or a few for a minute or two.  Staying in contact with others keeps us more balanced.  It also gives us a short break from our own troubles.
• Enjoy your dinner - whatever it is - and take the time to sit down and relax.  Whether it is of a frozen microwave variety or something you've prepared yourself, take the time to sit down and taste it.  If you have the benefit of dining with others, enjoy the conversation.  If you're dining alone, enjoy the solitude of the moment.
• Watch, listen or read the news for 30 minutes or less - otherwise it can add much more stress than we need.
• And before bedtime, do at least one thing you enjoy just for you.

This simple little formula for taking a breath this holiday season may not take all your stress away - but it may provide some much-needed breathing space.  And, if it works, it may just keep on working after the holidays are long gone.


Sara Fitts owns SLF Consulting and specializes in developing Simple Little Formulas for your success.  Please visit www.SLFConsulting.com for more information.

The Essence of Gratitude

Since this is Thanksgiving week - tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day - I'm thinking about the essence of gratitude.  What does it mean to be thankful?  What does it mean to have gratitude? 

I'm very thankful for many things.  I'm thankful for my family and friends.  I'm thankful for Patrick - and for Winston, too.  I'm thankful for my colleagues and my students as well as the clients that I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with over these past 30 years.  But is simply being thankful the same thing as having the essence of gratitude?

I know that as thankful as I am for the people in my life, I haven't always exhibited the essence of gratitude where they are concerned.  Sometimes I haven't had the patience that I needed to have.  Sometimes I haven't taken the time to listen as intently as I needed to.  Other times I was much too quick to end a conversation that could have continued.  Still other times I could have said "yes I can do that" instead of "no, I just can't make that happen."

I think the essence of gratitude begins with realizing that life is short and precious and we need to make sure that every single day is as peaceful for us and for those who walk with us as we can possibly make it. 

I think the essence of gratitude is expressed in how we live, in how we treat each other - strangers as well as family and friends.  We must live in congruence with our beliefs.

I think the essence of gratitude is also expressed in fairness and equality.

I think the essence of gratitude is never time-bound.  By that I mean that we should possess an essence of gratitude not only at holiday times but every single day we live.  I believe we should thank God for our blessings.  And I think we should also say thank-you to everyone who does anything for us.  I want to exhibit the essence of gratitude everyday from this moment forward. 

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope you and your family, friends and loved ones enjoy time together.



Sara Fitts is the founder and owner of SLF Consulting.  Please visit us online at http://www.SLFConsulting.com .  Sara is a teacher, coach, motivator, mediator, and consultant. 

This Week with Sara Fitts celebrates Thanksgiving Week.  It's hard to believe how fast time is going by - and that Thanksgiving is here!  I'm sitting here reflecting on all the things - and people - that I'm thankful for.  But in addition to being thankful - the stress of the holidays often shows up when we least need it.  And this post is going to address the stress - and how to (hopefully!) keep it at bay.

• Have a standing appointment with yourself.  Do something every single day just for you.  It can be reading - even a chapter or a few pages of a novel.  It can be listening to music - even if it's just one or two songs.  It can be a short walk - or a few minutes in your favorite chair - just listening to the quiet.  Make this a priority, and I guarantee that you'll have less stress.
• Eat a healthy diet.  Eat more of the healthy foods and eat less of the foods that aren't good for you.  "All things in moderation" can be a good guide here.
• Exercise.  An hour workout 3 times a week is fabulous if you can do it; however, even a little exercise every day is helpful.  Do what you can do to move more.  While brushing your teeth, you can do balance exercises by raising one foot at a time.  You can dance to good music once a day - even if for one song.  When you park your car, pick a parking space that requires some walking.  The bottom line is this:  move around as much as you can.
• Drink more water.  Water is one of the best ways to de-tox your body.  Try it and see what happens.
• Protect yourself.  If you can't do something, say "no."  If you can't talk right now, let the voicemail work for you.  If you need a minute, take one.  If you need to breathe, stop and breathe.  I don't mean avoidance here - just managing your stress and emotions. 
• Don't procrastinate.  Stop putting off things that must get done.  As my dad used to say, "Stop talking about it and just get it done!"  These words have helped me reduce my stress more than anything else.
• Smile - even at strangers.  As you walk down the street, to your bus stop, or from the parking lot - smile.  Smile as much as you can.  It makes other people smile, too.  It also makes your day better.  And your face will have less stress, too, because frowning uses more muscle-movement than smiles do!  :)
• Plan.  A lot of frustration - especially around the holidays - is caused when we say yes when we want to say no.  So plan how you want to spend your holidays, and plan what your answer will be when someone asks you to do something you may not want to do. 

These eight suggestions listed above serve as my Simple Little Formula for handling holiday stress.  Try it and see if this Simple Little Formula helps you. 


Sara L. Fitts is a teacher, coach, and motivator who designs and develops Simple Little Formulas for Success.  Visit www.SLFConsulting for more information.  You may contact thecoach@SLFConsulting.com to schedule a free 30-minute session. 

Sara Fitts Reflects on 2008

This Week with Sara Fitts reflects on 2008 on this New Year's Eve afternoon. As is my tradition of many. many years I use this day to reflect on the past year and assess the entire year in this afternoon while planning the new year.

2008 had many good points, several struggles, and lots of opportunities for growth - both personal as well as professional. I had my best business year ever during 2008 from January to June. Then the economy hit me like it hit so many others. July was a real turning point for me. Then in August I accepted a position in DC Government with DCPS as a coach - actually, a professional developer. My business skills were used in a whole new way in an educational setting.

In October I reached a personal milestone that I had prepared for over a period of 18 months. It was fabulous - and still is! Lesson learned: planning, goal-setting, and implementation plans work!

Since August my routine has certainly changed - I rise before 3:30 a.m. and am on my way to my office even before 5:00 a.m. I arrive back home between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. My routine is definitely different - and life is good!

If I had to bottom-line what I've learned in 2008, this is it:

• Faith is really the way to live life for me.
• New things don't have to be scary.
• One can definitely be fit by 50.
• When you love what you do, you do it better and you enjoy it much more.
• When you embrace what is difficult, it gets easier - and you find joy in it.
• When you look for the joy in everything, you find it.
• When you get out of the boat in faith, your feet really do stay dry. (Thanks Stuart!)
• Planning, goal-setting, action plans, and implementation of the action plan moves one forward faster than flying by the seat of one's pants.
• One can be older and wiser without being old.
• Escape is necessary - especially in the form of music, books, movies, and good conversation.
• Life is good - because (to quote my grandmother) nothing is ever so bad that it can't be worse.
• Results are the real returns on investments. So to invest in oneself is the way to go!

And looking to 2009, these are just a few of the goals I have:

• to learn French - and be able to speak it
• to maintain personal fitness and wellness
• to be as financially fit as possible
• to enhance my appreciation of art and music
• and to live each day to its fullest with no regrets

Thank you for indulging me on this New Year's Eve. I wish you much happiness and many blessings in 2009. Happy New Year!

Sara

Sara Fitts is a personal and business coach as well as professional developer. She motivates and coaches individuals and business owners. For a confidential appointment with Sara, please contact her @ thecoach@SLFConsulting.com or call her @ 703.791.4741. Visit www.SLFConsulting.com for more.

Get Your Personal Needs Met Once and For All

This Week with Sara Fitts looks at principle #13 of Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction: get your personal needs met, once and for all.

The theory behind this principle is based on the thought that if you have unmet needs, you'll attract others in the same position. Another way of saying it is this: You have more needs than you know, and they are distracting you.

Why do we have unmet needs at all? Well, for one thing, most of us have been raised not to be needy. Being needy is not a positive thing; therefore, we haven't focused on our needs. This can be a huge negative, though. Because we all have needs - and it is OK to acknowledge these needs.

Needs are different from values. Simply defined, a need is what you must have in order to be your best. Needs are not optional for this very reason. No one can be attractive to others if they are not getting their basic needs met. Attraction just can't happen if unmet needs exist.

How do we get our personal needs met, then?

• Accept that we all have needs - and they are essential to our happiness and our own well-being.
• Identify the most important need we have. [Is it to be validated? Is it to be heard? Is it to have our work acknowledged?]
• Identify one additional need. [What else is important to you? What else must you have in order to be your best?]
• Acknowledge that these needs are important - imperative, actually - in order for you to attract everything you want in your life.
• Make sure our two most important needs are met every single day.

The benefits of getting our needs met are amazing. We will begin to be more open - and more attractive - to others as well as ourselves. And by being more attractive to others and ourselves, we will attract much more of everything we want in our lives and in our work.

Today's Powerful Question for you: What are your two most important needs and how will you get them met?

Eliminate Delay

This Week with Sara Fitts continues discussing Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction with principle # 12: eliminate delay.

Delay is increasingly expensive - and very unattractive both personally and professionally. It is extremely stressful when we are waiting on someone for information, service, or just a call back. It is also stressful for the person who is causing your delay - because they are very likely overwhelmed and paralyzed by delay themselves.

Eliminating delay will create much more peace - personally and professionally - as well as increase productivity and efficiency at an incredible rate. Eliminating delay will create space in your day - and give you much more time for what is most important to you. Eliminating delay will automatically reduce your level of stress as well as the stress levels of all whom depend on you.

Eliminating delay will make you more attractive - more attractive to your colleagues, your customers and clients, your employer or employees, and your family and friends. When you are more attractive, more things will come to you - more time, more money, more fun, more peace, more space. If you will eliminate delay, you will attract more of everything you want in your life and in your work.

How can you eliminate delay? There are many ways to eliminate delay - and here are a few to get you started:

• Refuse to "talk it to death" and just get it done.
• Respond immediately to all requests, if possible. Otherwise, schedule specific times to return phone calls, emails, requests for information, etc.
• Refuse to keep an inventory of "To Do" items. Instead, keep up with your list of to-do items and get them done.
• Face your fears and reduce personal processing time to get things done. Perfection really doesn't exist - revision can occur later. Just start the project and refuse to fear the project.
• Prepare in advance for possible delays. Have a plan to address them.
• Filter out negative thoughts and words.
• Automate and simplify your processes as much as you can.
• Find out what you are waiting for - the real reason for your delay.

The most important way to eliminate delay is this: the mindset has to change. The paradigm must shift. We have to really want to eliminate delay in order for it to happen. We have to make all the changes that are necessary in order to be successful in this principle.

I really think that eliminating delay is one of the most important things we can do in our lives and in our work. We can eliminate delay in all areas of our lives and work - we can eliminate delay in forgiveness, in acts of kindness, in offering peaceful solutions to conflicts, in making simple phone calls or answering emails. How many times in any given day have we delayed doing what needed to be done? We all can eliminate delay - and we need to begin right now!

Create a Vacuum which Pulls You Forward

This Week with Sara Fitts discusses principle # 11 of Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction: create a vacuum which pulls you forward.

Thomas always said that being pulled forward is attractive, but pushing forward is not.

It really is much easier to be pulled forward as opposed to being pushed. I don't like feeling pushed and I'm sure you don't either. If we can create a vacuum that pulls us forward, then we have positioned ourselves for success.

There are many ways in which we can create a vacuum that pulls us forward. One way is to be driven by a vision rather than just a goal. We can all have goals - and certainly should have goals! - but when we can have a vision and see the end result clearly in our minds, we can be pulled forward quicker and easier. The best way to do this is to simply begin with the end in mind. Then hold onto the vision and keep it clearly in your mind's eye. Let the vision pull you forward.

Another way we can create a vacuum that pulls us forward is to surround ourselves with those who bring out the very best in us. When we design our own support team and stay away from negative people as much as possible, we are clearly better set up for success.

Yet another way to create a vacuum to pull us forward is to unhook ourselves from who we were. Rather than focus on who we were we need to focus on who we are right now. Let go of the past and live in the present. By doing this simple thing, we can create a powerful vacuum that will pull us forward.

The point of these principles of attraction is to make us better in all aspects of our lives. Whether we embrace one or two of these principles - or whether we take one each week - the effort of doing something different can be powerful.

If we can create a vacuum which pulls us forward, then we can attract more of everything we want in life.

Deliver Twice What You Promise

This Week with Sara Fitts continues with principle #10 from Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction: deliver twice what you promise.


I really like this principle of attraction because it is quite possibly the easiest one to implement as well as the easiest to get immediate results from. It's quite possibly the best advice any of us can use in life as well as in business. Deliver twice what you promise.


Deliver twice what you promise. How can you do this?

1. Cut your promised time in half by getting back to everyone in exactly half the time you originally promised. If I tell you I'll get back to you in an hour, I'll really get back to you in 30 minutes or less. If I tell you a project will take a month, I'll really get it done in 2 weeks.



2. Double your promised results by adding quality, service, and time on task. Customers and clients will absolutely love this because it's like getting a "2 for 1" deal. If I tell you I can help you increase sales by 15%, I'll really help you increase sales by 30%.



3. Arrive early and stay late - in order to get the job done. Never watch the clock to the point where you run out on a client or customer at their expense.



4. Keep your word, and then some. Always add your own brand of value to your customer or client - or your neighbor, for that matter.


5. Consistently exceed people's expectations - as well as your own. Believe in your work and in your ability to deliver.


6. Never limit yourself - or what you can do for others.


7. Be sincere in your delivery. Be authentic - or else it will never work for you.


8. Instead of talking too much and telling too much of what you can do for your customer or client, just do what you can do. Actions really do speak louder than words.


9. Under promise and over deliver - simply for the joy of it. Enjoy what you can deliver - and do it.


10. Stop talking about it and get it done. It's all about the results.

If you really want to attract more of everything you want in life, deliver twice what you promise. It really does work when you are sincere and enjoy what you can deliver for others.

Get a Fulfilling Life, Not Just an Impressive Lifestyle

This Week with Sara Fitts continues with Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction. This week we are looking at principle # 9: get a fulfilling life, not just an impressive lifestyle.

It really doesn't matter what car you drive, what designers you wear, what house you live in, where you vacation and how many times you travel in a year. You may have an impressive lifestyle - and that's fine. However, in the bigger scheme of things, all that doesn't matter at all if your life isn't fulfilling.

I believe that there is a huge distinction between living a life and having a lifestyle. The two are often interchanged and some feel are mutually exclusive. Thomas asked the question, "How much of my life is being consumed by my lifestyle?" and I think the question is powerful.

What are you really about? What do you really want to accomplish in your life? What about your life isn't really you at all? Interesting questions that need to be answered if you are going to attract all that you want in life.

Try this exercise - and see what happens.

1. Take an hour and sit in a quiet space and connect with yourself.
2. Write down what your own ideal life would look like.
3. Who would you really be? Where would you be? How would you feel? What would you do?
4. After an hour, stop the exercise. Let some time pass - and go back and read what you wrote. Tweak it as necessary.
5. Start living your ideal life. Don't hesitate.

Remember that a fulfilling life is not about an impressive lifestyle. It's so much more than that!

Much more to come from Sara Fitts......

Become Irresistibly Attractive to Yourself - and Attract More of What You Want

This Week with Sara Fitts continues the focus on attraction with the 8th principle from Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction: become irresistibly attractive to yourself.

What does this mean exactly? It means that in order to attract any bit of what we want in life, we must look the part, play the part, feel the part, and be the part. We need to show up as if we already have attracted what we want. We must become irresistibly attractive to ourselves in order to fully attract what we want in life.

How do we become irresistibly attractive to ourselves? The answer, as far as I'm concerned, is this: Whatever it takes to make us feel empowered and 100% engaged in life is what we need to do in order to become irresistibly attractive. It is whatever makes us feel the very best about ourselves.

What makes you feel empowered and engaged? What makes you feel good about yourself? How do you see yourself in your mind's eye when you are feeling your best? Are you 10 pounds lighter? Is your hair a different style, cut or color? Are you wearing clothes that fit in a certain way? Are you smiling? Are you happy? Do you portray your happiness to others? How do you make other people feel when they are around you? Are you positive or negative in your thoughts, words, and actions? Are you irresistibly attractive to yourself?

One of my clients puts this principle in this way: If you were in a crowded room, would you ask yourself out?

I look at it this way: What qualities and attributes are attractive to you? Do you possess these same qualities and attributes?

How can you become irresistibly attractive to yourself? Really think about it - and define what would make you irresistibly attractive to yourself. Then put it into practice.

Become irresistibly attractive to yourself - and attract more of everything you want.

Market Your Talents Shamelessly

This Week with Sara Fitts features the 7th principle from Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction: market your talents shamelessly.

This principle is difficult for most of us - but it really shouldn't be. After all, if we don't tell others how good we are at what we do, we will not attract what we want. Now this is totally different from bragging and rudeness! What I mean is that we should market ourselves and our talents by simply deciding what we want others to know - and then tell them exactly what we want them to know about what we can do for them.

My simple little formula for marketing your talents shamelessly is simply this:

1. List all of your talents, skills, and attributes.
2. Then draft a paragraph or two describing how you utilize your talents in order to help others. Be as specific as possible.
3. Develop a tag line - and use it every single time you speak to people.
4. Make a list of all the groups within your personal and professional network. Contact them and simply "re-introduce" yourself to them - letting them know what you can do for them and/or for people they know.
5. Follow up with everyone - and specifically tell them what you can do for them and others.

Market your talents shamelessly. Live up to your billing. And experience attraction. You will attract more business, more opportunities, more of everything. And success will be a by-product.

Affect Others Profoundly

This Week with Sara Fitts looks at principle # 6 of Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction: Affect others profoundly.

I think we can affect others profoundly in a number of ways - some negative and some positive. My focus is only on affecting others profoundly in positive ways. We can enhance the way we affect others and here are some simple ways to do that.

• Listen twice as much as you speak.
• Say what you mean.
• Put a positive spin on everything - and still be realistic.
• Be realistic.
• Don't make judgements about people or their actions. Accept them as individuals.
• Get rid of negativity.
• Say something that matters every single time you say anything at all.
• Create win-win situations.
• Stop participating in win-lose situations.
• Personalize things instead of using generalizations.
• Recognize the contributions of others - and acknowledge them (both the contributions and the person).
• Reward hard work.
• Empower others.
• Focus on the goose and not on the golden eggs. People are always more important than the products they make.
• Make others feel special and important.
• Expect to find the best in others - and you will.
• Never miss an opportunity to tell someone how much you care about them and what they mean to you.
• Assess the value that others bring to your life - and then acknowledge it to them.
• Say "thank you" often - and mean it.
• Remember names.
• Remember that enthusiasm spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.
• Loosen up and enjoy life - this will really affect others profoundly.
• Be authentic.
• Be consistent - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
• Think outside the box.
• Extend your boundaries.
• Be more frightened of old ideas than new ones.
• Embrace new opportunities.
• Encourage others at every opportunity.
• Be bold.
• Be courageous.
• Be honest.
• Celebrate others.
• Smile.
• Be pleasant.
• Enjoy life - and enjoy living.
• Laugh.
• Make it about others and not about you.
• Give instead of take.
• Leave things better than you found them.

As you can see, my list can go on forever. But it really is all about the little ways we can all affect others profoundly. The ways themselves do not have to be profound in order to have profound effects.

When we affect others profoundly in positive ways, we will attract more of everything that is good in this world. I wholeheartedly believe this. Success is simply a by-product.