It’s very true, what the Beatles said …. money can’t buy you love or happiness. Self improvement and happiness don’t just ‘happen’ when you’ve saved up enough money to upgrade your car, house or children’s school. Also, much as the feeling seems convincing at the time, happiness is also not a new pair of shoes or a bout of retail therapy. Here are some ten self improvement tips that can help you find lasting happiness.

Mitigate morning madness

Set your alarm so that you have plenty of time to have breakfast, a shower, and tidy up after yourself before you leave the house. Then, tell yourself before you go to sleep that “I am going to wake up when my alarm rings. I will press the snooze button once, and then get out of bed”.

Pencil it in

Create a realistic priority list of tasks that you want to achieve for the day, and make a concerted effort to tick every one of them off. The key to using this self improvement tip is not to overload yourself and to also schedule some relaxation time.

Weekend maximiser

Do you ever find that you’ve spent an entire weekend stressing about work? No wonder we all feel that weekends aren’t long enough! Check tip #2 above, and pencil some ‘fun’ into your weekend schedule so turn off your computer and stop checking your Blackberry.

Generosity killed the ’sads’

Humans are social creatures, and helping the people in your society is a wonderful personal development strategy to make yourself feel good. You don’t have to become a homeless shelter volunteer … but do take your co-worker’s teacup to the sink on your way, hold out the bag of sweets to your neighbour at the bus stop, and make dinner for an overworked friend.

The serenity to accept the things that you can’t change, the courage to change the things that you can

It’s a little trite nowadays – but if you think about this concept for a while and try to apply it to situations in your own life, you can find plenty of inspiration to either let go, or move forward.

Parlez vous …?

Learn a new language! It takes a while, but when you have the reward of a holiday in a country that has the language you’ve chosen as its native tongue it becomes much easier to motivate yourself.

Mix it up

Deliberately try to do things in a way that you usually don’t. The simple act of walking a different way to the bus stop or going to a new bar for after work drinks can really broaden your experience. Aim to achieve this on a larger level as well – to visit places you’ve never been, to speak to people that you usually wouldn’t or perhaps changing careers.

Face your fears – take a plunge

Deliberately doing things that put you outside your comfort zone are essential to personal development because they force you to look at the world in a new way … from a position of strength, courage and personal power.

Beauty is as beauty does

For many of us, thinking about our appearances takes up a significant portion of the day. Remember when your mother told you that true beauty is on the inside? She was right. Self improvement is about what’s on the inside, and you’ll have more energy for that without the distractions of excessive grooming. Spend your weekends without makeup, and wear clothes that make you feel comfortable.

Bend it, stretch it, just a little bit

Exercise is what our bodies were designed for – work that requires you to spend an entire day sitting down is a very recent social development. You’ll feel better able to deal with problems, more energetic, be less prone to depression and have a higher level of cognitive function if you make the effort to exercise every day.

Happiness has little do with the things you have, and so much to do with how you feel inside and what you do with your life! Try incorporating these self improvement tips and strategies into your life every week, and see how much difference it makes to your personal satisfaction level. Because in the end, who makes the most difference in your life? You do!

Most people try and set New Year’s resolutions but fail because they are not setting realistic or achievable goals. New Year’s Resolutions should follow the SMART system of goal setting in that they are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely so instead of saying that you want to lose weight, your goal would be that you want to lose ten kilos in six months for example and weigh yourself so you are able to measure how much weight you have lost. Studies show that people who write down their goals are three times as more likely to achieve them. Here are five New Year resolutions you should set in 2010.

Fitness

The New Year is a time when many people sign up for gym memberships or start an exercise regime but give up within the first month. It is easier to achieve your fitness goals when you have a game plan that is achievable and realistic and it is better to start slowly and build up to a routine than set yourself a gym schedule that will be unrealistic in the long run. Most experts agree that it takes about 21 days to create a habit and six months for it to actually become a part of your daily life and if you’re trying out a new class at the gym, most instructors advise you to try the class three times before you decide it’s not for you. You need to give a new exercise regime time and give yourself a chance to settle into a new routine.

Health

It’s always a good time to start to look after your health and wellbeing. You may want to exercise more, eat more healthy food and monitor your eating habits or do regular health checks. This is also a good time to set a New Year’s resolution to kick bad habits such as cigarette smoking, binge drinking or taking recreational drugs. A goal is easier to achieve when you have people supporting you so if you advise your friends, family and colleagues that you are on a new health kick, if they are true friends, they will help you achieve your goal and support you.

Wealth

It’s time to start saving whether you’re saving for a new car, holiday, house deposit or putting away funds for a rainy day. Set aside a strict budget of your weekly expenses including public transport, food, rent/mortgage, car payment, internet and phone bills and so forth and then deduct the money you earn each week to find out the maximum amount you can save. Even saving as little as $50 per week can lead to $2600 over a calendar year and you can use this towards a much hard earned holiday or put it towards your long term savings goals.

Career

The economy is starting to pick up and this may be the right time to find a job in the New Year, negotiate a payrise or change your career. It can very easy to become complacent or disillusioned that you will not find a better job. The New Year is the time to set yourself a new challenge and find a job. Money does not have to be your main motivator to find a job – you may find a job that is closer to home, has a work/life balance or fulfils you creatively.

Spiritual

The New Year may be a time to look at your relationships whether it is your partner, friends or family evaluate whether they are adding value to your life or taking up time and energy that could be invested into more worthwhile relationships. You may want to reassess your relationship with your partner who has been dragging their heels on commitment, address problems with a toxic friend or try and resolve a long standing family issue.

Setting measurable, realistic and achievable goals will help you reach them a lot faster and set yourself for a great New Year. Print out your goals and put them in a place where you can see them every day so you can keep on working towards those goals throughout 2010.

Christmas time may be a very merry time for some but it may be a very lonely time for others who may have relatives living overseas, are single in the holiday period or may have just lost their jobs and Christmas is looking just a bit little bleak this year. Here are five ways to celebrate Christmas on your own, create new traditions, beat the holiday blues and avoid Christmas stress.

Volunteer work

Instead of sitting at home feeling sorry for yourself, volunteer at the local homeless shelter or visit people at the nursing home who do not have any relatives to visit them. This will bring some happiness to those who are less fortunate than yourself, give you a sense of purpose and also bring a little bit of Christmas cheer into your own heart.

Call your local charity and see what activities they have planned for Christmas and how you can assist. You may even meet new friends and make volunteering a regular event on your social calendar.

Go on a shopping spree

Save all the money you would have spent on a potential partner, friends and family at Christmas and spend it on yourself in the post Christmas sales or on an indulgent holiday staying in a great hotel. Being single means you have the freedom to spend money on yourself with no other financial obligations.

Retail therapy is a great way to ease the loneliness in this period but make sure you don’t overspend and leave yourself with post sale blues and feeling unhappy when the bills arrive in the New Year.

Go on exotic holiday

When all your other friends are busy cleaning up snotty noses, avoiding the family bore or touchy feely relative, you can be sunning yourself on an exotic island with only gorgeous wait staff and single travellers to keep you company. As we all know, the meaning of Christmas can be easily lost after a few days at home with the family so enjoy your freedom.

This may also be a good opportunity to visit a friend interstate, fly to visit friends and relatives or visit a place that you have always wanted to visit. You may be able to get a last minute deal and go on a cruise or vacation.

Flying solo

So you don’t have a plus one to take with you to Christmas parties? This is no reason to stay at home and brood. The holiday season is a great opportunity to meet someone new so the more parties you go to, the more your chances increase of finding a great partner to spend next Christmas with. At the least, you might meet a likeminded friend who is in a similar situation to you and has no one special to spend the holidays with.

There are great advantages of being free, single and liberated at Christmas time and not having to suffer through boring family dinners or go to obligatory Christmas dinners so enjoy it while it lasts.

Movie marathon

Buy yourself a DVD box set, turn on Foxtel or hire out some videos and have a movie marathon. Make sure you buy the snacks in advance to avoid last minute shoppers trying to find ingredients for their Christmas lunch. Turn off the mobile phone, switch off the computer and put the answering machine on.

Take advantage of your solitary state and have some ‘me’ time whether that is pampering yourself, catching up on your reading, giving the house a holiday clean or getting organised for the New Year.

It may not be the easiest thing to do but enjoy the time that you have when you are single. All you need to do is change your outlook and your ‘grass is greener’ mentality. When you’re a busy wife or husband and/or looking after a family and you don’t have a spare moment to yourself, you will look back wistfully at the days where you had no obligations and the freedom to spend your time as you wish without anyone to answer to.

Research shows that happiness and self-actualisation comes from within and not external factors like money, status or fame. Here are five ways to improve your overall health and wellbeing.

Like yourself

Professor Paul Gilbert, author of The Compassionate Mind says compassion towards others and particularly compassion towards oneself can have a significant impact on our wellbeing and mental health. This is easier said than done but we should strive to like the person that we are and see the best in others.

It’s about recognising your strengths as a person and exploiting those strengths while also identifying your weaknesses and striving for self improvement. Ekhart Tolle’s message in his bestseller book The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment is simple: living in the now is the truest path to happiness and enlightenment. It means forgiving your past indiscretions and learning to move on from your past history and mistakes.

Show gratitude

Most people spend their lives wishing their lives away or searching for the things that they don’t have but don’t spend nearly enough time focusing on the things they do have such as a good job, good health, and good family relations and so on.

As documented in The Secret , it’s good to make a list of all the things that you are grateful for in your life and put this list in a convenient spot where you can easily refer to it. It’s also important to thank those who have helped you and give back to the community whether it be in terms of financial assistance or volunteering your time.

Be an optimist

People who are optimists and have a half glass full mentality lead happier and more fulfilling lives. It’s a cliché but there is always a silver lining in every cloud, sometimes you just need to look a little harder. Dr Timothy Sharp from the The Happiness Institute in Sydney  says that optimism (positive but realistic thinking) can make you happier.

There’s no doubt that happy people think about themselves, others and the world differently. So instead being critical of our own and other people’s faults, we should strive to see the best in ourselves and others and try and see their good points as opposed to their bad. If we expect the worst, it can sometimes become a self fulfilling prophecy.

Exercise more

Research shows exercise has a lot of psychological benefits. People who exercise are happier and less prone to stress, have lower levels of anxiety and are less likely to suffer from insomnia. Exercising releases endorphins (sometimes referred to as a runner’s high) and that these are responsible for the sometimes euphoric sensations experienced after exercising.

It is recommended by the National Physical Activity Guidelines that adults should exercise at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity (including brisk walking) on most days of the week.

Maintain a work-life balance

Life is all about a balance. Ideally, we should have eight hours work, eight hours play and eight hours sleep but we rarely achieve this balance. Read our article on negotiating working from home. Set aside time for yourself whether you’re going on a girl’s night out, treating yourself to a massage, reading a book or indulging in a hobby such as learning a new language.

Friendships, hobbies or ‘me time’ can boost your self esteem, give you a sense of fulfilment and happiness and add a sense of meaning to your life.

A true state of happiness can only be achieved when you are content with the person you are, grateful for the things that you have now and live in the present.

As you get older, your priorities may change, you may have less in common with your friends and you may be living in different states or countries but that’s no reason to neglect the friendship. There are the five friends you should hold onto.

The extrovert

The extrovert or the party animal as they are more commonly known is the friend you turn to when you want to hit the latest bar, go to the beach or away on holidays. They may not be the first person you call in a crisis, when you’ve broken up with your boyfriend or you want to vent about the office bully but you can rely on them when you need a plus one for a fun party, go away on holiday or want to have mindless fun without any of the hassles.

The know it all

This friend is your go to pal if you want to organise a party, cook a difficult recipe, need home hardware tips or want to find the easiest way to travel to an unknown destination. If they don’t know themselves, they know who to call, what websites to look at or know a friend of a friend. This person is connected to a huge network of resources that they are willing to share with you.

The introvert

The introvert may not want to tag along to a party or go out to a bar but they are always available for a night in, having a DVD night, watching or a movie or going out for a quiet dinner. They are great listeners, love cultural activities like going to museums and having conversations about books or foreign films. This person is often the rock in a friendship and the first person you call when you break up with your boyfriend or girlfriend, a loved one has passed away or when you want to share happy news about your life.

The motivator

This friend will always support your crazy stunts and when everyone says no, they will be at your side cheering you on and supporting you from the sidelines. This friend always sees the glass as half full and their optimistic nature and cheery outlook can’t help but rub off on others around them. They are always learning new things, going to courses or reading books and happy to share their new found knowledge with others.

The word of reason

When you want an honest opinion, this friend tells you how it is and doesn’t hold back. You may not want to hear their advice at the time but with greater reflection, you’ll realise that they may be right, it’s given you another point of view to think about or made you think about things from another angle. We all look for friends who validate us and share the same opinions but having friends who can offer us alternative opinions, a new perspective and make us think about the world in an entirely different way can make us grow and develop as people.

Friendships can boost your self esteem, give you a sense of fulfilment and happiness, add a sense of meaning to your life and give you a sense of self worth. Our first friends are the ones we know from family or around our neighbourhood but when these friends move, there is no reason for it to end.

Email, social networking sites like Facebook, and VoIP telephone calls like Skype have all made it easier and cheaper to stay in touch.

Former Random House editorial director Jason Epstein’s latest venture, On Demand Books, was founded last year with former Dean & DeLuca president and CEO Dane Neller and technology expert Thor Sigvaldason. The company has begun beta testing its Espresso Book Machine, which can print black-and-white text for a 300-page paperback with a four-color cover, and bind it together in three minutes. It has been termed ‘revolutionary’ and has drawn comparisons to Guttenburg’s invention of the printing press in the 15th century.

The Espresso Book Machine was invented by Jeff Marsh. In April, the first Espresso Book Machine was installed at the InfoShop at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., which has loaded 200 of its titles online for the three-month test period. It is believed the machine will soon have a catalogue of over 1 million titles. Eventually, it is hoped the machine will be able to print books that are out of stock or even out of print. Unpublished authors will have the opportunity to print their own work.

On Demand Books is also currently in talks with a bookstore chain outside the U.S. about installing the machine. At an affordable price of $US 100 000 book store owners believe it will pay itself off within 6 months.