Problem: Article: Even if you don't remember your dreams, you have them every night. Writing them down can help you remember your dreams. Along with your dream journal, keep a pen or pencil. This will remind you to record your dream as soon as you wake up. Don't forget to bring your dream journal along when you travel. It's best to date your entries. If you'd like, you can also leave room under each entry for your dream interpretation. Then write them down. Make it your morning ritual to record your dream while you're still in bed. You'll remember the most right after you wake up. If you wait even a few minutes, your memory of the dream will start to fade away. Don't even go to the bathroom, as that gives your mind time to forget! You'll get a more meaningful interpretation if you remember more details. This includes what you were doing, who was with you, how you felt, and anything you saw that could be a symbol. Write down as much as you can. Some people even draw what they saw in the dream! Things to write down include: Emotions you felt People in the dream Animals The setting of the dream Colors A mode of transportation, if there was one A journey, if there was one A plot, if there is one It's normal for dreams to not make sense. However, your conscious mind will want to create a story out of your dreams. Resist this urge! Write down only what you remember, even if it's just a series of random emotions and images. This will give you a better interpretation than a made-up story. If you feel tempted to turn the dream into a story, focus just on the emotions you felt, what you saw, and adjectives to describe the scene. For example, you might have a dream where you're lost in the woods, being chased by a wolf. In addition to writing out what happened and how you felt, you might draw several trees to represent a forest from your dream, along with words like "lost," "chased," and "wolf." This could influence what you write, making you change or omit important details from your dream. At first, just try to document what happened. You can interpret it later. This challenges your mind to identify a specific theme or what stuck out most to you. Don't try to make your titles meaningful, however. Just use whatever comes to mind first. This can help you get a better idea of what you really feel about the dream. For example, you could title the forest dream described above something like "The chase," "Scary woods," or "Running scared."
Summary: Place your dream journal next to your bed. The moment you wake up, keep your eyes closed and try to remember as much of the night's dreams as possible. Record everything you can remember. Avoid creating a plot in your dream if there isn't one. Don't try to interpret the dream while you're recording it. Title each dream.

Problem: Article: This can get a little messy (especially if there are children around), so lay down some newspapers, put away any objects you don't want to get gooey, and grab your essentials. You'll need: A small natural object (shell, leaf, bone, etc.) Petroleum jelly Plaster of Paris Water Small disposable dish or Tupperware container (such as a margarine tub) Any object from nature works -- shells, leafs, and animal bones are all good choices. If you do choose a leaf, make sure it's not dry and crackly. It must also fit in your container!
Summary: Gather your materials. Choose the object you want to make a fossil of.

Problem: Article: It's pretty unlikely that you'll reach your goal immediately; focus on making progress. Most positive things just take time and feeling grief can cause you to move backward on everything you've accomplished. Look at what you have already finished and compliment yourself on it. After all, you are that many steps closer to completing your mission. It is completely normal to fall back into old, comfortable habits, even if those habits make you unhappy. The important thing is to identify when you have fallen off track, and then immediately get back on! Don't let one imperfect day throw off your whole plan. Sometimes you might fall off track for a longer period of time. Maybe something unexpected happened or you just lost your motivation. Try to remember the first time you decided to make a change, and remind yourself that if you were able to do it once, you can do it an infinite number of times. Starting over is not a failure, but giving up is. Sometimes we are more vulnerable to setbacks after we've already made quite a bit of progress. Don't let any progress you might have made be your excuse to go back to square one. Always be conscious of your goal and where you are on your road to achieving it. This is another scenario in which keeping a journal might come in handy. Keeping track of your thoughts is useful for maintaining awareness, especially if you feel like you are losing your motivation. Mindfulness is a great technique for reducing the stress you might feel due to a lot of changes happening in your life. On the other side of the coin, be aware of situations that cause you to dwell on the past and focus your energy on moving forward. If you bomb a presentation at work, make a list of all the things you want to remember for next time. Remember that staying out of a rut is a continuous process. An actor who makes one bad film isn't necessarily a bad actor, just like a person who has one bad week doesn't necessarily have a bad life.
Summary: Don't be too hard on yourself. Get right back into your new routine. Practice mindfulness, or living in the present.

Problem: Article: Self-care has been found to be a major factor in whether or not people are perceived as attractive. That means that if you are well-groomed, then your partner is more likely to be attracted to you. Before you have your romantic conversation, take some time to do the following: get a workout in eat a healthy meal shower style your hair brush your teeth put on some nice clothes Dim lighting is a great way to set a romantic mood for a conversation. If you are going out, then choose a restaurant with dim lighting and candles. If you are staying in, then light a couple of candles or turn on some flameless candles to help set a romantic tone. Music can be a great way to set a romantic tone, as long as it does not distract from the conversation. Opt for something without lyrics and keep the volume down low. Some good options include: classical music smooth jazz new age music nature sounds Chocolate has long been known as a romantic food and it can really enhance your feelings of romance. Eating chocolate, especially dark chocolate, can lead to feelings of euphoria. Try getting a small box of some high-quality chocolates and keep them nearby during your conversation.
Summary:
Make sure that you look your best. Light candles or use some flameless candles. Play some soft music. Offer your partner some chocolate.