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Another year is over. Take a moment to reflect on the past years.Start with an honest evaluation of your accomplishments, successes and failures.

Welcome the new year with a celebration of the past. Whatever challenges you faced last year, you are here to face another year. You are inspired and ready to tackle new endeavours, explore new horizons and reach for the stars.

Looking back helps to evaluate what worked and what didn’t. Some issues seem to be replayed over and over. How many years has it been that you’ve promised to be more vigilant about your diet and exercise? What about the overuse of your credit card? How do you manage your time? What is it going to be this year? What are your priorities?

It’s all a matter of perspective. Somewhere in the past, you stumbled and for a while, you were spinning your wheels. Take heart, that is past. There is a deep well of strength and courage within you. And you moved on.

No one passes through this life without knowing pain and heartache. Add to this regret over lost opportunities, wrong choices and wrong decisions. These do not define your life. It is the lessons learned from these , and the determination to do better. Reap the nuggets of precious insights from the muddle and move on.

How well do you take care of your mental, physical and spiritual self? If you believe in taking care of your mental and spiritual well-being, your physical health will definitely reap the benefits. Do you allow yourself time alone to enjoy peace and quiet? Have you learned to say NO. Do you take time to appreciate the beauty , the bounty and the blessings of the universe?

Stress is the scourge of living in the fast lane and getting caught up in the pursuit of material success. Consider seriously the level of your stress over the past years and how it affects your health. Think about this- your stress level impacts on your relationships, your career, your family and your whole life.

Some pursue elusive dreams. How long has it been? Ask yourself. Perhaps it’s time to re-assess that dream. Times change. There are other avenues to pursue. Don’t get stuck chasing after something that loses its value, its luster as time moves on. Don’t let life pass you by.

Look back honestly, but kindly. And move on.

You can increase your mind power starting today. There are conditions that are conducive to better thinking, and plants that increase blood flow to the brain. There are little “tricks” that can give you an immediate brainpower boost, and habits you can develop for a more permanent improvement in brain function. Here are six things you can try right now or over the coming days to prove to yourself that improved mind power is possible.

Exercise Helps The Brain

Long term exercise can boost brainpower, which isn’t surprising. Anything that affects physical health in a positive way probably helps the brain too. Recent research, though, shows that cognitive function is improved immediately after just ten minutes of aerobic exercise. If you need a brain recharge, walk up and down the stairs a few times.

Temperature And Mind Power

Many people have noted that they think better at certain temperatures. In general, it seems that being slightly cool, but not uncomfortable, is most conducive to good thinking. Try experimenting on yourself to see what temperature works best for you.

Become A Problem Solver

Just use a problem solving technique for several weeks and it will become a habit. Redesign everything you see for a while, and that will become a habit. Choose any of the many problem solving techniques and train yourself to use it, and you’ll have a more powerful mind. Many good thinking habits take some effort to develop, but then you will be more resourceful effortlessly from that point on. Use the power of habit to improve your mind power.

Develop Your Intuition

Einstein relied heavily on intuitive hunches. Because of his intuitive grasp of the game, Gary Kasparov can beat the best chess computer even though the computer can calculate positions many moves further ahead. Experience allows him to combine analysis with a “sense” of which move is best.

Your skill, knowledge and experience determine the potential effectiveness of your intuition. A weak chess player will never intuitively beat that computer. When enough good information is in your mind, it will go to work for you with or without your conscious participation, so feed it well. Also, watch for intuition to encourage it.

Sniff Roses or Rose Oil

This is relaxing for some people. The idea here is that sometimes you are too “wound up” for effective thinking. Relaxing can bring you back to a state where you can start again on a mental challenge, this time with more clarity. Again, I haven’t seen any studies done on this, but it seems safe enough to try.

Adjust Your Mind Power Beliefs

Believe you are smarter, and you’ll become smarter. For this, affirmations may work, but even better is seeing evidence. Make a note of your successes. Tell yourself, “Hey, that was really creative,” when you do something creative. When you have a good idea, make a note of it. Gather the evidence for your own mind power and you’ll start to experience more of it.