It feels that this past month has passed very quickly - perhaps it has to do with the variety of things I've been doing.

I have kept on adding pages to the web site and refining bits and pieces, and I have started writing what it will probably be a free mini-course in positive thinking. I have also been painting and drawing some, and have even started packing things for the move.

...Which move? Our move to Spain, where my husband and I have decided we want to go and live next. We don't know exactly when we will move, because it depends on many different things, but we are both quite excited about it and are preparing in all possible ways :-)

Besides, I'm living at present an interesting and at times tense situation at work, which is teaching in many different levels. For instance, I have had to approach this situation from many different angles, which has taught me to be more flexible.

I don't know what will happen with this situation, but I'm curious - and even though I allow it to stress me at times, I am thankful for all that I am learning from it, including how to not let it stress me :-)

In between that, I've had time for the social sphere - met a friend from University who was visiting London with her girl friends, had fun afternoons at home with others friends visiting, and lived a beautiful sunset in Camden with a new friend. Fun times, interesting people :-)

Autumn has taken residence in London and even though I miss the warmth and happiness of the summer, I like the coziness of long afternoons at home busy with my projects. Wishing you a cozy October/November!

Eight years ago, a guy in an African village saw a picture of a windmill in a book - and what he did next could greatly help Africa. I love how just a simple idea and acting on it can actually change things.

Read the full news at wired.com.

I am normally busy with several projects at a time - such as painting, writing, playing music, expanding my web site... I like to "get things done" - since achieving a large goal takes a few thousands small steps, and I have many goals - kind of a lot of steps :-)

I have tried many different ways to manage tasks, to-do lists, and the whole approach to getting things done (including the actual method explained in the book "Getting Things Done").

I have also taken positive thinking and applied it to accomplishing things. I've come up with a bunch of little helpers that continue supporting me in getting more things done: lately I have found I accomplish a lot with little effort.

Today I'm sharing with you seven of these positive tips to get more things done with more ease - tried and tested :-) :

1. Visualize. Before starting any task, take a couple of minutes to relax and visualize what it is you want to achieve as the end result of doing that task.

If it is writing an article, visualize the article already written; if it's clearing your desk, see the desk already cleared out. See and feel how you'd feel after the task is accomplished. See yourself going through the task with ease and flowing with it.

Then, when you feel fully relaxed and joyful, start the task.

2. Take small bites. I like variety and become bored sometimes when I spend too much time on anything - so I tend to use the kaizen approach (explained in "One small step can change your life").

This is, I divide whatever projects I'm doing in small tasks. For instance, I may choose to reply to emails from my readers, write an article, and sort through a pile of papers. So I may reply to one email; then take a few minutes to sort through the papers; then write a couple of paragraphs for the article; then reply to another email, and so on.

While this approach may not work for some people, it does work for me in that it provides my mind with variety and the constant satisfaction of getting small bits of work done. All of a sudden, I realize I've accomplished a lot in three different projects.

3. Continually choose to be in the present. When you've got a large pile of things you want to do, you can feel powerless or stressed if you look at all that you have NOT done yet.

However, the secret to accomplish a lot, I've found, is to be fully in the present with whatever task you're doing - stop thinking that you should finish it, or all that is left to do; just focus on the task at hand.

Amazingly, when you focus on the one thing you're doing, it seems to get done quickly and with ease. Then you can switch on to the next task, be fully present with it, and so on.

4. It's easy! Whenever you encounter difficulty in whatever you're doing, or if you feel you get stuck with something, take a moment. Relax, let go of trying to make something happen, and breath deeply.

Say to yourself that you choose to have it easy. You choose to be open to the flow of things and to let inspiration come to you at the time it does.

I have created a little image to remind myself that I choose to have it easy in whatever I do, and I have pasted it on the wall of my room to have it always present:

Resume the task when you've felt completely relaxed about it. You may observe that inspiration comes to you again easily.

5. Have comedy breaks. Make little breaks in between doing things to relax for just a few minutes and have a laugh - you'll feel it when you need a break; for me it's about every half an hour to an hour.

Why comedy? Because it will make you laugh, increasing the amount of endorphins in your blood stream, which in turn makes you feel better and lighthearted, and so when you get back on to your tasks you feel energized and ready to get on with it.

Here's a little recommendation for comedy: check "Flight of the Conchords". These two newzealanders have a bunch of funny acts - see for instance "Business Time".

6. Use affirmations. Here's a few useful ones to accomplish things with ease:

7. Keep breathing! I have noticed that I accomplish more when I am aware of my breathing and I purposefully keep breathing deeply and slowly. All of a sudden I find myself "in the zone" - easily flowing from one thing to the next, getting all sorts of bits and pieces done in the way.

I wish these seven tips help you to accomplish with ease whatever it is you want. Care to share how these tips help you? Let me know through the contact form.

Every month I receive emails from readers - some of them contain questions or comments, and some of them are contributions, such as a positive story or article or tip.

Given that I receive many great submissions of stories and other contributions, I have decided to publish in this newsletter the most inspiring contribution of the month - my thanks to all of you who write in! :-)

This month Munawara, from Pakistan, shared this inspiring article:

You can read this article on its page at "A positive story a day?"

Thanks, Munawara! :-)

A while ago I read "Chin and the magic stones", by Luis L Salazar, and wrote a review of it.

"Chin and the magic stones" tells the adventures of Chin and his dog Eagle, and it is a great way to introduce children to positive thinking - Chin has to confront and win over negative thoughts, and finds out about the importance of believing in himself.

I have now opened a contest to win a copy of Luis' book "Chin and the magic stones". All you have to do is go to the review page, scroll down and submit your entry. Please note that we will only be able to ship your book to a country to which Amazon ships - so do check that your country is in their list.

The contest is open until 23:59 on October 31st 2009, and I will randomly choose a winner in the morning of November 1st, 2009. I will notify the winner (and only the winner) the same day.

Have a peek, and if this book calls you (or you know someone who could easily do with reading it) I invite you to participate and submit your entry. Good luck!

I believe that being grateful for something is one of the most powerful tools to feel better immediately. Here are the two thanking bits of the month:

Thankful for... You! Yes, I mean you, you reading Dare To Play It Big - this newsletter would not exist were it not for each and every one of you, who decided at some point to subscribe. So thank you for being there! :-)

Thankful for... the colors of the Autumn. With the change of the season comes the change in colors in Nature: oranges, browns, reds, all surrounding us for a little while. Indulge your eyes in the beauty of the season!

What are you thankful for? Send me an email through the Contact Me form and let me know!

Care to send me your thoughts about this issue's topics? Email me and let me know!

If you enjoyed this newsletter, please pass it along to your friends, family and colleagues, or send them to the Dare To Play It Big sign up page. I thank you in advance.

Stay well,

Cristina