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Cancer Survivors' Fund From Surviving to Thriving |
Weekly Motivational Messages |
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1/1/2012 A New Year Lies Ahead A
new year lies ahead. We all possess the capacity to feel and to touch, to
be happy, to have friends, to receive love, to realize the demands of a
world that needs our encouragement, our participation, our beliefs. All of
us are one -- the rich, the poor, the educated, the illiterate, the
student, businessperson, the professional, the person with spouse and
children, the person who is alone. So much is new in our world -- new
people, new directions, new opportunities, and new purpose. Every day is a
new day bringing into our lives friendship, promise, and love. Let
us ask ourselves hard questions… How
much time did we waste in the year that is now gone? Did
we fill our days with life, or were they dull and empty? Was
there love inside our home, or was the affectionate word left unsaid? Was
there a real companionship with our children, our parents or was there a
living together and a growing apart? Were
we a help to our mates, or did we take them for granted? With
our friends - Were we there when they needed us? The
kind deed: Did we perform it or postpone it? The unnecessary gibe: did we
say it or hold it back? Did
we live by false values? Did we deceive others? Did we deceive ourselves? Were
we sensitive to the rights and feelings of those who worked with us? Did
we acquire only possessions, or did we acquire new insights as well? Did
we fear what the crowd would say and keep quiet when we should have spoken
out? Did
we mind only our own business, or did we feel the heartbreak of others? And… Did
we live right, and if not, then have we learned and will we change? 12/18/2011 The
Art of Staying True to Yourself We
enter the world as babies bursting with confidence, happy, and totally
free to be ourselves. The world is our oyster; we’re eager to explore
and life is one big adventure. Every time we fall over, we pick ourselves
right back up and keep just going, never worrying what other people think
about us. We are born into a world full of opportunity and with the
potential to achieve incredible things; let somehow, this potential gets
unwittingly crushed between birth and adulthood. From
the very day we are born, we’re subjected to social conditioning from
our parents, teachers, the government and the media. We’re taught that
in order to succeed in life and be happy we must get good grades at
school, go to university and get a well-paid job. If we’re to be
accepted within certain social circles we are expected to drive expensive
cars, own a big house in an exclusive area, and wear designer clothes. It’s
no surprise then, that gradually over the years, many of us begin to lose
our sense of identity, struggle to understand who we really are, and feel
misplaced in life. The
sad truth is that we often hide our dreams and true values in order to be
accepted by others. By the time we reach adulthood, we’ll have created a
whole belief system based on what we’ve been told as we’ve grown up,
and instinctively we find evidence to support these beliefs. However, many
of them are incredibly limiting such as “I’m not good enough” or
“I always fail” etc. Find
Out What You Truly Want
We
carry the burden of these beliefs with us throughout our lives without
ever questioning whether they are really true, or if they even serve any
useful purpose. It’s these limiting beliefs that are the ones that hold
us back in life. They keep us boxed in, and make us scared to shine. They
make us fearful of what others might think if we reveal who we truly are. You
may want the fast car, a glamorous lifestyle and a big house. There’s
absolutely nothing wrong with that as long as it’s what you REALLY want
and you’re being true to yourself; not what you think you need in order
to be happy. If you find yourself being an entirely different person at
work to when you are at home; ask yourself: “Is this what I really
want, or is this what others expect of me?” “Why can’t I be
myself?” Let
Your Personality Shine
The
most beautiful people in the world are those who allow their true selves
to shine through; they exude confidence, poise and radiate warmth. In
doing so, they naturally give others permission to feel beautiful also. So
as the start of another year looms, ask yourself if you are really happy
and living the life that you want. Life is precious and the sands of time
are ticking. This isn’t a dress rehearsal; this is your one shot. Life
may be short, but it’s also far too long to be living it by someone
else’s standards or ideals. Stay
true to yourself; follow your dreams and never, ever, be afraid to reveal
the amazing person within you. Source
URL: http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/self-help-articles 12/11/2011 What Do You Stand For? The
top achievers in every field, the leaders, know who they are, what they
believe in, and what they stand for. Knowing what they stand for helps
them from wasting precious time and energy thus allowing them to
accomplish many times more that the average person who has no clear goals
or values. You
have to know what your values are because your values determine your
beliefs. Your beliefs in turn, determine your expectations. And your
expectations determine your overall attitude and what you are willing to
do to get the job done. Bottom
line, your actions will determine your results, but as you can see, your
values and beliefs determine what actions you'll take. People are happiest
when they act in ways that are in sync with their values. If you are
acting against your values, you will not be happy. So it is important to
spend some time figuring out what your values are - because they will help
you find the way to happiness. One
way of ensuring yourself that you are acting in harmony with your values
is to trust your intuition. To listen to and trust your gut feelings. To
listen to your heart. Some
questions that will help you determine what your main values are: What
makes you feel good about yourself? What makes you feel important? What
fills you with pride? What would you like to be known for? How would you
like to be remembered? Remember,
you will become what you think about most of the time. Successful people
constantly think about what they want to accomplish, about how they will
accomplish it, and about being true to themselves as they accomplish it.
About keeping true to their values. Put
it into action: Write down three to five of your most important values. What are you best known for? What kind of person would you like to be if you knew you could not fail? Are you practicing these values on a daily basis? Write your own obituary. What do you want your friends and family to say about you at your funeral? What's something new you could start doing today to be more in harmony with your values? Start doing it today and watch your self esteem soar. Copyright © 2007 Ruben Gonzalez 12/4/2011 5
Tips for Working When You Don’t Feel Like It We
all can be motivated, self-starting dynamos – when we feel like it. But,
let’s face it: sometimes starting or finishing a job can be
excruciatingly difficult, especially when we are our own boss. These tips
might help you get your body and mind synchronized and working together to
get you off the couch and into active productivity. Just
start moving You
know the two sides to the Law of Inertia: A body at rest will remain at
rest; a body in motion will remain in motion. Get the ball rolling. Go
ahead and gas up the lawn mower. Fill the sink with soapy water. Open the
can of paint and start stirring it. Open the book, turn on the calculator,
put on your work clothes. Whatever your task might be, you probably know
what Step 1 is. Do it. Break
it into pieces Sometimes
a task just seems so large and daunting that we just don’t know where to
begin, and that can cause paralysis. You can’t climb Everest in one run,
and you can’t paint a house in a day. Plan your work, and then work your
plan. If you have to write a 20-page paper, make a list of the research
you’ll need; do your research; outline the points you want to make based
on your research; write the first half; write the second half; edit and
polish it. The sooner you settle down and get to it, the more time you
will have for each section of the project and the better your result will
be. Plan
a treat for yourself at each milestone Don’t
let yourself have that carton of peach yogurt until you get completely
done with the first piece of your project. Challenge yourself to complete
the next phase of the task in time to watch Survivor or Grey’s Anatomy.
Treat yourself to a Facebook break when you finish the next milestone
(unless you’re a Facebook addict, then go for a scoop of ice cream). You
get the idea. Give yourself the little perks you deserve to keep yourself
motivated. And no cheating! Figure
out what’s holding you back, and then fix it Is
it a job you hate? Are you lacking the knowledge or instructions you need
to proceed? Is your mind cluttered with other concerns that are making it
impossible to focus? Are you physically too tired or too filled with
toxins that are making you lethargic and lazy? Motivate yourself with the
relief you’ll feel when the job is behind you and off your mind. Talk to
your boss or client, or go online and get the information you need. Clear
your mind and cleanse your body with some rigorous physical exercise, and
then get right to work. Have
a little talk with the man or woman in the mirror There is no better motivator than self-affirmation, self-confidence, and positive thinking. Look yourself in the eye and tell yourself that you can do it and that you have to do it. Visualize yourself as the master of your task, and visualize your task from start to finish. This part is like the huddle in a football game: You set up and design the play, and then you break with a shout of affirmation, leaving no room for doubt as to your ability and resolve to move the ball ahead. It may take several plays and a few first downs, but soon you will cross the goal line. Nothing succeeds like success, and each move ahead inspires the next and the next. Source URL: http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/self-help-articles/motivation 11/27/2011 5
Steps to Creating a Balanced Life In
the age of the Internet, it can feel as if you need to be “always on”
and always working. It can be almost impossible to disconnect and enjoy
the more mundane and human things in life, especially when you have cell
phones, emails, IMs, social networking and countless other things
constantly calling you back in. This
can lead very quickly to a feeling of overload, as if you’ve got too
much to do and not enough time to do it in. This can lead to a variety of
problems including depression, marital problems and even, perhaps
ironically, poor work quality. Simply
put, finding balance in your life means more than just taking two weeks of
vacation every year. It’s something that has to be worked and fought for
every day. On
that note, here are five steps you can take right now to help you lead a
more balanced, happy and fulfilling life. 1.
Determine Your Priorities You
can’t hope to find balance in your life if you don’t know how things
are “weighted”. Sit down and draft a list of the things that are most
important to you. This can lead to some very big questions such as whether
you put career before family, but if you can’t answer them honestly,
you’re going to struggle to make decisions that will bring you
happiness. It’s
important to keep in mind that this list needs to be a selfish one,
meaning the things most important to you personally and not what others
feel is the most important. If you can’t decide, try to imagine a life
without one or more of the elements and see which, when absent, would hurt
you the most. 2.
Plan Your Days Starting With #1 Now
that you know what’s more important in your life, it’s time to start
planning a typical day or a typical week. When doing that, start with
what’s more important to you and block out time for it. For example, if
you have a hobby that’s important to you, set a side some time every day
or week to to do it. While
there are some things that you may have to block in that might be a lower
priority, such as hours you have to be at work, dole out your free time
starting with what makes you the happiest and work our way down the list. 3.
Drop What’s Not Important If
you make a long enough list, you’re going to find quickly that some
things just don’t fit. Those that are lower down on your list need to be
dropped from your life. At least for now. This
may mean that you stop doing some things that you enjoyed but don’t find
as important as you might have once thought. Likewise, it might mean
dropping or scaling back on things that you thought were important to you,
but aren’t of as high of a priority as they seemed. Some
of these decisions will be painful, but they are most likely for the
greater good. However, if dropping something does wind up causing more
grief than it gains, you can always adjust your priorities later with this
new knowledge. 4.
Set Boundaries Once
you have your schedule, even if it is just a general idea of how you want
to divide up your time, you need to set strict boundaries on how you spend
your time. The
biggest rule is to never let lower priority things intrude on higher
priority things. For example, if you put your family ahead of your work,
remember that order when work asks you to stay late on a night that you
were going to spend at home. Though
sometimes life gets in the way, it’s important to remember that
there’s always tomorrow and you can’t let your lower priorities
interfere with your higher ones, at least not without a very good reason. 5.
Remember to Take Down Time Finally,
though it’s tempting to try and schedule an activity for every waking
moment of every day, it’s crucial that you set aside some down time.
This is time where you are doing nothing, or at least as little as
possible. Simply
put, humans were not meant to be going every waking moment between morning
and night. Whether it’s a few minutes sprinkled throughout the day or a
block of time that’s just for you, be sure to have a time where you can
do nothing but relax. While
there’s no real rule as to how much time you need to set aside, it needs
to be enough for you to recharge and continue to face the day. On
a related note, make sure that you give yourself enough time to sleep.
Though it’s tempting to skimp on sleep to get more things done, doing so
makes you less effective and can make you far more miserable than leaving
a few unfinished tasks. Conclusions The
simple truth is that there is no magic solution to leading a more balanced
life. The key is to determine what is most important to you, focus on
those things and then learn to let go of the things that are less crucial. For
most, unfortunately, it’s the letting go part that’s the hardest of
the process. The good news is that most will quickly learn to do that when
they see how happy they are doing the things that matter the most to them. So,
while there’s always some initial pain with moving to a more balanced
life, it’s quickly dulled by a much happier and more fulfilling life
over the long haul. Source
URL: http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/self-help-articles/page/2 11/20/2011 How to Become a Better Leader When
I decided to take up the luge and train for the Olympics I was 21 years
old. Back then I thought I could make it to the Olympics all by myself. I
still had a lot of growing up to do... In
"Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," Steven Covey talks
about three stages people go through - dependence, independence, and
interdependence. At 21, I was still in the independent stage and needed to
move on to becoming interdependent. Along
the way I realized that I needed some help. In order to accomplish great
things I was going to have to develop some leadership and people skills to
build a team. Then I would have to work through the team to make my
Olympic dream come true. I was going to have to turn singles luge into a
team sport. It's no different in any big project or endeavor. Lone Rangers
never accomplish as much as people who work through teams. It
takes only two things to be a good leader - passion and integrity. If
you are passionate about your mission, you will attract the people who are
like minded; people who would like to be a part of your mission. I was
passionate. I told everyone I talked to about my Olympic dream. Everyone!
And I was excited about it. I was not wishy-washy. Other people had no
doubt that I believed in and was committed to the dream. By doing that,
whenever I talked to someone who was interested in the Olympics, I became
their link to the Olympic Games. And
many times they were willing to help me out. My
passion about the Olympic dream attracted people to me. I believe everyone
has the capacity to be passionate about something. Unfortunately, most
people keep their passion all bottled in. They don't want to show their
passion out of fear of what others might think. I didn't care what others
thought. I actually wanted to know who did not believe in me so I could
stop associating with them. The
first part of leadership is passion for the cause. The second part is
integrity. Would
you follow someone you don't trust? Of course not! So if you want to be
the leader and have others follow you, you need to be absolutely
trustworthy. Your word is Gold. You keep your word. You start being very
careful about what you promise. You must deliver on every promise. Every
time you don't, your credibility and your reputation will suffer. The only
way to become trustworthy in other people's eyes is to always under
promise and over deliver. If you always do that, people will automatically
trust you. If
you have passion for the cause and you are a person of integrity, you'll
be ahead of 95% of the people out there. People will be attracted to you,
and you will be able to accomplish great things. Put
it into action: Have you been trying to do everything by yourself? Who are three key people that could help you massively accelerate your progress? What's keeping you from enlisting them to your cause? When people think about you, do they associate you with your dream? If not, you probably need to be more passionate about your dream. Copyright © 2007 Ruben Gonzalez Discover
Your Blueprint to a Healthy Life One
remark that I always get is: “You look good for your age.”
That is always followed up with a question: “What’s your secret to
looking young?” Well, my secret does not come in the form of an
elixir; in fact it is widely-known and practiced all round the world:
exercising. Nourishing
Your Mind Through Exercising Since
young, I have always had a passion for sports. Any opportunity I got, I
would be out there pitching on the field. Exercising regularly has more
benefits than sculpting an attractive body; it helps you become the person
you want to be. It is through exercising that I ·
Know I can achieve what I want ·
Build my confidence level ·
Enjoy success in all aspects of life ·
Channel others’ negativity into a trigger to achieve
something productive ·
Count myself among the ranks of an elite group of Americans
who exercise every day Jumping
Through Hoops Of
course, setting aside time for exercise when you have to work (which
incidentally hastens the aging process: just watch as the strands of gray
hair sprout with every new deadline), is a challenge. However, there are
several ways around it. Instead of driving to work, walk to your office
every morning! Taking 10,000 steps a day can significantly reduce the risk
of a cardiovascular disease! If
you are constantly pressed for time and always knock off work after the
gym’s opening hours, then purchase a set of “dumbbells”. This way
you can do your strength training exercises in the comfort of your own
home. With dumbbells, you can also work the different muscle groups,
compared to the limitations of the machines at the gym. While
I may ‘look good for my age,’ I certainly am not getting younger.
While I am not discouraged, I am very mindful of my limits. I cannot train
as hard as I used to. If you are in the same boat as I am, I would advise
you to regularly seek medical advice from your physician. Go for a yearly
checkup and speak to your doctor about your medical conditions. Then, plan
your exercise routine while keeping in mind your health status.< A
Lifelong Commitment Requires Motivation Committing
to the ideologies of healthy living takes work and also motivation. There
are two forms of motivation: 1.
Intrinsic motivation is the enjoyment you derive when you sweat it all
out; this is when exercising is second nature to you. 2.
Extrinsic motivation is when you work out in the hope of getting something
out of it – be it a trim physique or monetary incentives from
competitions. Whether
you are young or old, there are days when you just do not have the
motivation. Here are some tips to keep yourself motivated all year long: ·
Wear comfortable sportswear when exercising ·
Prevent injuries by equipping yourself with the right safety
gear ·
You enjoy the sport or workout more when you can do it
better, so acquire the right techniques to advance your skills ·
Don’t let your routines become dull; change it up! If
you are about to embark on an exercising journey, you can reap a lot of
benefits with a personal trainer at your side. Their knowledge and
expertise will help you achieve your goals more efficiently. However,
there are many errant trainers on the loose, so always check that your
trainer is registered with agencies such as ACE, AFAA, ACSM or NSCA. Check
that your trainer has attended first aid and CPR courses as well. Combat
Stress! Stress
is part and parcel of our lives, but undue stress can be detrimental to
your mental health. When you exercise, you trigger the release of
endorphins — the happy chemicals in your brain. This is why you often
feel positively about yourself after a good workout. Before a workout, you
can also do simple inhaling exercises to keep your mind focused. With
every exhale, let out your stress and think positive thoughts when you
breathe in. Three
Components of Exercise Exercising
brings about many benefits, but when not done correctly, it can do more
harm than good. Very often, the cause of many injuries can be attributed
to neglecting to warm up and cool down properly. Why?
As you warm up, blood and oxygen flow to the different muscles you are
activating. Your muscles are prepared for what’s to come. When you do
your proper warm up, you are less prone to muscle cramps and spasms.
Warming up comprises a series of simple exercises: you can get your heart
pumping with a slow and short jog, followed by some light stretching. The
day after an intensive workout can be likened to a hangover: just sheer
misery. To avoid this, always do a proper cool down. You might have
unknowingly damaged your fibers or ligaments while exercising, and a cool
down helps to repair them. Stretching your muscles after exercising will
help speed up the recovery process. Diet
is What Counts Even
a huge amount of exercising will not do you any good if you are bent on
ingesting junk food every day. There is no need to phase out junk food
entirely; in fact, allow yourself one day a week to indulge in moderation.
This way, you satisfy your cravings and you do not risk falling prey to
binge-eating, which deals a lot of damage. A
good diet is a well-balanced meal that has carbohydrates, protein and fat.
You can also take in vitamins and minerals to strengthen your
constitution. After a hard workout, you will need to replenish your
body’s glycogen, which gives you the energy to do stuff. Have a sports
drink or even chocolate milk to recharge. Finally, drinking plenty of
water throughout the day is critical. This will help you to remove the
toxins in your body.
Why
You Should Keep Your Goals to Yourself Often
when we resolve to do something or achieve a goal, we are naturally prone
to telling our family and friends about it. There is, however, much
evidence which advises to do the contrary. That is – that we
should in fact keep our goals to ourselves, at least around people who are
absolutely not concerned. Whereas
this may seem counterintuitive, let me list some reasons why keeping your
mouth shut might be a good idea if you want to stay motivated. And
no, having your friends hold you up to your goals turns out not to be very
effective. Can
you live with failure? Failing
to achieve a goal which everyone expects you to achieve may have bad
effects on your image. Depending on the type of your goal, you might
be remembered as the one who doesn’t stick to their word or resolution.
You know very well that talking about weight loss will help but by
stretching your wrinkles. But if you keep talking about it for too
long without actually doing something about your weight, you will attract
less and less attention and credibility. If
you want to maintain your face, just talk about the little successes which
you have achieved on the way. Have you been to the gym three times
last week? Tell your friends about that, don’t tell them that
you’re planning to go five times next week. This will bring you
satisfaction from what you have already done and will motivate you for the
next round. Apart
from risking your own failure, you are also risking that someone will try
to beat you to your goal. While this is not necessarily a bad thing
in the weight loss category, starting up a promising business might be a
worse scenario. Don’t let others steal your thunder or your
customers by beating you at your own game. This
is not to say that you should not network or seek advice. Just try
to talk about your achievements in vague terms – that will still leave a
lot of space for you to brag once you have finished. You will keep
people interested and you will keep yourself interested in completing your
tasks, anxious to do the unveiling. What’s
best is that if you indeed succeed, you will be able to enjoy your
accomplishment fully with everybody else and nobody will have any reason
to doubt your skills. Why
make your goals painful Telling
anybody about your goals is simply a bad idea. There has been
extensive research done in this field indicating that telling others about
your goals has a strong psychological effect on the one who speaks. By
sharing with others what you want to do, you are effectively living
through the experience of having done it and you probably feel like your
audience’s reaction to your announcement is the same as if you had
already finished. Therefore, you are less motivated to complete the task
and, well, experience the same reaction again. This makes you a
little more laid back and not even aware of your newly acquired comfort. That
is why, in a single experiment, a group of randomly selected people was
asked to pick a task that they would like to accomplish. Everyone in
the experiment resolved to undertake a specific task, but only one half of
the subjects was asked to share their goal with others in the room.
Everybody started working on their tasks under the supervision of the
researchers. On
average, those who shared their goals with others gave up working (in
favor of resting) much earlier, not pushing as hard to finish what they
resolved. What is even more concerning, though, is the fact that the
“sharers” also felt much better about the status of their task.
They felt that they were much closer to accomplishing it and were much
less likely to resume working on it anytime soon. To
partially offset the negative effects of telling others, there is a simple
strategy. (Remember that it is always best not to tell, but just in
case you were forced to…) If you must tell someone about your
goal, try to include how much work there is still involved in achieving it
successfully. I
suggest that you mention having to meet all these people and exert all
this effort, and, most importantly, that it is not a done deal by any
means. Only if you keep in mind the possibility of failure and the fact
that your success is not for granted can you stay focused on the task at
hand. Keep yourself on your toes and make sure others know about it. Epic
fail That
is why I am often surprised by hearing that many Central European
countries have this custom of celebrating their high-school graduation in
the winter, half a year before they actually take their final exams.
Considering all we have learned right now, it seems that moving the
celebration until after the exams might have extensive (positive)
implications on the performance of the students during their last
semester. Conclusion Remember,
while we are indeed social animals, we have to make sure that we are using
our social features and qualities in the right way to propel us, to fuel
our motivation, and to help us achieve our goals more easily. If you
must talk about your goals, talk only about that which you have really
achieved so far. Try not to mention what you are going to do and, if
you must discuss the future, mention all the painful details, miles and
meetings which lie between you and your goal. It
is OK to tell your calendar what you need to do, but it may be
counter-productive to show your calendar to others. Source URL: http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/self-help-articles/goal-setting 10/30/2011 Improve Confidence and Learn to Deal With Sarcasm Some
people regard sarcasm as a heightened level of wit and sophistication. And
it is true that witty, quick thinking retorts are often highly amusing and
entertaining to others. How many of us have wished that we could have
thought of that snappy rejoinder half an hour before instead of when we
were driving home in the car? But
sarcasm when both parties are not evenly matched can become a form of
verbal abuse, a bit like a cat playing with a mouse, and equally
unpleasant to watch. Dealing effectively with sarcasm can have several
different approaches. 1.
Ignore it. Act
a bit unworldly and treat the comments as if they were a valid remark.
There is no sport in being sarcastic with someone who does not get the
comments and they will give up trying if there is no reaction, if all that
happens is a normal response that appears oblivious to the inferences
being made. Treat the remarks like water off a ducks back. 2.
Laugh at the comments. By
joining in, the remarks lose their offensiveness and laughter is often a
great tool to defuse a tense situation. Being able to laugh at ourselves
is an attractive quality and enables everyone around to comfortably join
in with the humour too. You also show yourself as being confident enough
to be able to relax and see the wit in the comments and the situation. 3.
Retaliate if you can. Retaliate
if you feel you are quick enough, but be wary of joining in a fight unless
you know that you can win. And these situations can sometimes become quite
unpleasant. Does it really matter to you that much or is it better to let
it go? Often by retaliating it can make the situation more difficult
because the defence to sarcasm being nasty or cruel is often that the
remark was meant as a joke. You can then appear to be excessively
sensitive with no sense of humour. It is sometimes more embarrassing to
pursue this line of conversation and better instead for you to pick one of
the other options that I have outlined. 4.
Consider why this person is behaving this way. Are
they genuinely regarding themselves as bright and witty, but becoming a
little over the top, or are they trying to appear superior. Are they
perhaps jealous or trying to score points and so becoming a verbal bully?
Often low self-esteem and confidence levels are a factor when someone is
trying to win a war of words. There can be an attempt to demonstrate their
greater intellect by a putting others down mentality. You can reassure
yourself that they are less confident than they are appearing and usually
everyone around can see that this is the case. This behaviour is often an
elaborate cover up. By
protecting yourself in the most appropriate way you can reinforce the true
belief that this situation is not about you. You are in a situation caused
by another person to amuse and entertain themselves and perhaps others.
Allow yourself to keep control, protect your confidence levels and you
will emerge stronger and more confident as a result. Source
URL: http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/self-help-articles/self-esteem 10/23/2011 I
have a deep rooted belief that you can do extraordinary things with your
life when you are happy with yourself. As a communication coach, I’ve
constantly seen a correlation between these two factors. People
who are happy with themselves are more authentic and more sociable; they
have more initiative, take more risks and bounce back from failure faster.
All these traits create a context where success and fulfillment happen a
lot easier. Being
happy with yourself is certainly a wonderful condition, but it is also not
very common. I find that most people struggle with limiting beliefs and
self-image issues that prevent them from being in this condition. If
you want to be happy with yourself, chances are that you’re gonna have
to work for it. Here are the most important ideas I think you want to
apply: 1.
Know Your Strengths People
who are displeased with themselves often believe that they have nothing of
quality to offer. This is of course, baloney, but since they are unable to
see their strengths, it seems like the truth to them. For
this reason, it’s important to know your strengths. We all have
strengths, natural qualities that we are born with or we have developed.
Unfortunately, many of us are not very aware of them. One of the best
things you can do is to commit yourself to discovering your entire
personality and clearly understanding your strengths. 2.
Discover the Qualities under the Flaws I’m
frequently told that I’m stubborn. At one point, I thought this was a
big flaw of mine. Eventually, in my quest for self-knowledge, I’ve
realized that it was actually a quality that others labeled as a weakness:
most of my opinions and decisions were based on solid logic and facts, and
I knew this, so I was very firm in them. This came off to many people as
stubbornness. Many
qualities are often labeled by ourselves or by others using words that
reflect weaknesses; but if you look at the practical effects they create,
you will notice that they are in fact, qualities. Take a good look at what
seem to be your flaws: could some of them be strengths in disguise? 3.
Annihilate Perfectionism You
cannot be happy with yourself if you ask of yourself to be perfect, to
have no flaws and to make no mistakes. Perfectionism will kill your
self-esteem and keep you in a perpetual cycle of self-hate. It’s
fundamental to realize that you don’t need to be perfect and perfection
is an insane expectation, even if it’s very common. Don’t just know
this at a conscious, rational level; let this idea sink in and make it a
part of your very psychological fabric. 4.
Learn and Grow Constantly While
perfectionism is insane, wanting to learn and grow is a very healthy
thing. Psychologists believe that our most complex and our defining trait
as human beings is the need for self-actualization: we want to be all that
we can be. In order to do this, we need to constantly learn and grow. Set
specific personal development goals for yourself and work on achieving
them. Read books, take classes or work with a coach; practice consistently
all that you find valuable. When you know that you’re always improving
and becoming a better person, you naturally tend to be very happy with
yourself. Do
not expect for a miracle method that will make you love yourself forever.
Reaching and maintaining a state of happiness with yourself requires just
like growing in any other area, consistent practice. On this journey, you
will find perseverance and the ability to have fun with it to be your best
companions. Enjoy
yourself and keep walking! Eduard
Ezeanu provides communication coaching and helps people put their best
foot forward in communication. He also writes on his blog, People Skills
Decoded. 10/16/2011 The
Seven Habits of Highly Happy People Highly
happy people all share happy habits.
It’s as simple as that. The happiest people I know share seven very
obvious habits. If you’re looking to expand your general happiness, you
may consider adopting these in your own life. 1.
Be a part of something you believe in. 2.
Share time with friends and family. 3.
Reflect on the good. 4.
Exploit the resources you DO have access to. 5.
Create happy endings whenever possible. 6.
Use personal strengths to get things done. 7.
Savor the natural joy of simple pleasures. Source
URL: http://www.divinecaroline.com/22189/97602-seven-habits-highly-happy/2#ixzz1aUfCzAuH 4
Tips to Unleash Your Inner Brilliance and Creativity If
you’ve often wondered if there’s a way to make yourself smarter and
more creative, good news – there is! In fact, there are many different
things you can do to enhance your creativity and increase your level of
intelligence. Never
Stop Learning If
you have a life filled with learning new things, chances are your
creativity and general intelligence will be higher, too. Taking a college
class in something you’re interested in, or something you don’t know
much about can help your mind expand in new directions. Take
Risks It’s
well-known that taking risks in your daily life can make you smarter and
increase your creativity. When you get out of your comfort zone, you’re
more likely to learn new things, interact with people who challenge your
assumptions, and see problems from a different, more creative point of
view. Consider getting a new, more challenging job, traveling somewhere
you’ve never been before, applying to get a master’s degree in a new
field of study, or taking a course in a language you don’t speak. Go
Somewhere New It’s
said that your environment can greatly affect your creativity and
intelligence. If you’re in college or will be in the near future,
consider studying abroad. The change in environment and all the little
things associated with being in a completely foreign culture is a great
way to expand your mind, making you smarter and more creative. If you
can’t make such a bold move, think about moving to a different part of
town, or taking a new job in a different city. The increase in your
intelligence and creativity from such a small change could be surprising. Take
Good Care of Yourself Sometimes,
your brilliance and creativity will suffer because of your physical,
mental, or emotional health. To achieve greater intelligence and
creativity, it’s important to take care of your body. This means getting
enough sleep, drinking enough water, exercising regularly, and eating food
that is healthy and nourishing. If you have mental or emotional issues
that are causing you problems, it’s important to address them with a
licensed therapist or counselor who can help you deal with those issues.
If your body and mind aren’t healthy, then it’s difficult to make
yourself smarter or more creative. Source URL: http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/self-help-articles 10/2/2011 Why
You Don’t Need To Include Change In Your Goal Setting! Many
people fail with their goal achievement, because they hope that simply
setting a goal is enough – that once you have set a goal, the rest will
magically happen without any action or any change. In this article I’m
going to examine this by explaining the only time you can set goals
without including change… The
fact is, the only way you can set goals without including change is to set
a goal of ‘keeping everything the same’. That
may seem obvious, churlish even, but it’s a hugely important point which
can be pivotal to whether you succeed or fail with your goals. If you set
your goal as ‘keeping everything the same’, then you won’t have to
change anything to achieve it, right? After
all, we all know that to keep repeating the same actions will keep
bringing the same results. The trouble is, life will come along and throw
a spanner in the works, and that spanner can be classed as ‘unexpected
change’. So,
even if you did set a goal of changing nothing, of remaining in the safe
and comfortable status quo, it’s unlikely to work in the long term,
because life 'will' throw change at us. It really is a case of when, not
if. That’s
introduced the 2 points I want to make with this article, so let’s look
more into what practical steps you can take to incorporate them into your
goal setting… Start
small Armed
with the knowledge that change is essential in the achievement of goals,
if we are afraid of change at the outset, it’s important how we phrase
that change in our plan. In
the goal setting stage, when you lay out the steps you will take to get
you from where you are now to where you want to be, most if not all of
those steps will bring change. Although some of them may be massive
changes, lots of those will be a way down the road, and some of the first
steps you need to take will be small ones. Make
the small ones the priority! Don’t
worry about the big ones down the road – they will come in due course,
but they won’t come at all unless you make the small changes to start
with. So, don’t focus on big changes, focus on the small ones, as this
will massively reduce the fear factor which stops so many people dead in
their tracks. In
your written plan of action, look at the first step, and then break that
step down as far as you can, into as many smaller steps as you can. Each
time you do this you are reducing the size of the change you need to
accept. Accept
the inevitability of change Change
happens to us whether we want it to or not. The physical ageing of our
bodies is a good example of this, but other examples will come as a
complete surprise. By
definition, those surprise changes cannot be planned for in advance, but
you can develop your way of reacting to change, and a good exercise for
this is to look to your past. In
the majority of cases, things we feared never ended up being as bad as we
thought they would, and reminding ourselves of this is very helpful in
developing an acceptance of change. Take
your pen and paper, and write down 3 examples of your past experiences
which were not as bad as you had thought they would be. Three examples,
and they must be from your own experience. Writing
them down will help to drive them home as memories you can draw on for
support. It won’t be hard to think of 3 examples, and in fact once you
start you will probably end up with a whole list. Combine
two steps for maximum results So
to sum up, remind yourself with your own experiences that change is rarely
as bad as it may appear beforehand. Although it would be naïve to suggest
that all change is nice, it certainly is true that most of the time change
is not awful – a big difference. You
can combine this with focusing on small changes in your goal setting plan.
If you use both these exercises, you move from someone who reacts to
inevitable changes that life brings, to someone can ride those changes. There
is more though – you will also move to someone who takes control of
change by making them yourself, steering them to your own purpose, and
that’s a powerful foundation to drive some serious goal achievement! So
although it might be nice to think we don’t need to include change in
our goal setting, that is a limiting mindset, and it must be accepted that
change is a key element to the whole process. 7
Ways For You to Be the Best You That You Possibly Can Be Are
you satisfied with your life and who you are? Are you living your life to
the fullest possible? In this hectic crazy world it is very easy to lose
sight of what is important. Many people have lost their self esteem and
self respect. With the economy creating havoc in many peoples lives is it
any wonder things are the way they are. There are so many people
unemployed, many have lost their homes and families as well. And after
losing all they had, they may also end up losing their most precious
possession – themselves. For
many it is easy to give up, after all it is tough losing everyone one
cherished and ‘loved’. I remember an expression I learned a long time
ago, “when the going gets tough, the tough get going”. So I have to
ask myself and you, are you tough? Do you have what it takes to tough it
out? It is easy to give up and quit, but quitters never win. Do you want
to be one of the quitters? I expect not, but life does throw us curves
from time to time, the question really is how do we handle them? Here are
seven suggestions for you to consider before you throw in the towel.
Ponder these ideas and see how you can change and improve your life. 1.
Do you know your purpose? Everyone
has a purpose, can you believe that, or do you see yourself as wandering
through life with little or no direction. Are you hoping that things will
work out, that you will find happiness, that prosperity will come knocking
at your door? If you can find your life purpose you can turn around any
situation ailing you at the moment. There are enough stories of people
near the brink of total disaster or ruin who have found a purpose and
turned it all around to become a success. 2.
Do you know what your personal values are? What
is it that you value above all else? Do you know? Is it security, family,
success, freedom, or just being happy? What is most important to you? If
you do not know then how will you reconcile them to your purpose? Your
purpose and values need to be aligned. Make a list of your values and
compare it to your purpose. 3.
Do you know what your needs are? Have
you been too busy taking care of everyone else that you have neglected
yourself? Do you know what you need, or are you just satisfying everyone
else. It is time to start taking care of yourself. 4.
What are you passionate about? Is
there anything that you are passionate about. Find a bigger cause than
yourself and get involved. There are many places where you can volunteer
your time or services and by doing so you will get a better sense of self
worth. 5.
Are you living 100% on the outside instead of living from your heart? Are
you so busy looking outside that you have forgotten to go within? Perhaps
you’ve heard the cliche, ‘go within or go without’. Do you take any
time to sit quietly and listen to what is going on inside? Or are you like
a leaf floating in the breeze. 6.
Do you honor your skills? What
is it that makes you who you are? And if you are not sure then ask those
close to you, you might be surprised what you hear. By sharing what you
know and are good at you will increase your sense of self worth and self
confidence. 7.
Have you ever given of yourself and served others? We
are all part of humanity, living on this planet as individuals, yet at the
same time as a family. Have you ever given back to the family, or to the
planet? By giving of yourself you become richer in ways you may never have
thought possible. Try it and see for yourself. So
the bottom line is regardless of your circumstances, or situation there is
always hope. There are countless ways you can improve yourself and those
around you. You are a child of the universe, there is not another one
exactly like you. Please find your purpose and light your light so we may
all see. Source
URL: http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/self-help-articles/motivation 9/18/2011 How
to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others and Boost your Self Esteem Comparing
ourselves to others is a complex process and can lead to very different
outcomes. The consequences of which vary greatly depending on how and why
we choose to draw comparisons with others. Positive
Comparisons Reassurance
is a key factor with self-comparison; people stand themselves up against
others as a checking in or reference point. We look out for people with
similar characteristics and mark ourselves against them. For
example; mothers may look to other mothers dealing with young children and
asses their parenting skills. The outcome of this is that they sense that
they are achieving the same outcome and feel good about what they are
doing. We
can also learn and improve through comparing ourselves, look at what
others are doing and see how they have done this, using this as a
benchmark. Comparing
ourselves to older and more experienced individuals can also be a useful
way of looking at our own development and can provide assistance to
choosing paths. Learning from the mistakes of others and understanding
that life doesn’t always run smoothly can help us move forward. Observing
the lives of others on a global scale or as close as next door can help
put perspective on our own lives. Negative
Comparisons Choosing
to compare ourselves against people or situations that make us feel
inadequate is an utter waste of time. If you had a painful cut on your
finger would you rub a handful of salt all over the wound? No you would
not; you would clean the cut and put a plaster on it. If you are feeling
unsuccessful and down on yourself, take positive steps towards
self-improvement and protect yourself rather than adding insult to injury. Battling
insecurities through bringing up irrelevant comparisons is a dangerous
game, the gut-wrenching emotions of uselessness that emerge are poisonous
and can easily be avoided through taking control and not allowing yourself
to get pulled into this pointless game. The
list of negative self-comparisons is endless, generally it will reflect
whatever it is that you are struggling with at the time, below I have
outlined a few examples of some of the most common forms: ·
Body image: Feeling insecure about your
appearance or weight? Picking up a magazine and flicking through pictures
of scantily clad models is not going to help! Looking at the weight loss
and dieting efforts of celebrities against your own is fruitless. All you
are getting is an image with a brief written capsule of text you have
nothing real or concrete to set against yourself. Ditch the magazines and
opt for a novel instead. ·
Relationships: Comparing yourself against
your current partners ex is a sure fire way of creating avoidable
bitterness and angst. Maybe she seems more successful? More attractive?
More fun? Torturing yourself about the past can distance you from the
present, it is your future that you are working towards, concentrate on
what you are doing right and what works and learn to leave what is in the
past: behind. ·
Career: If you are feeling uncertain of
unhappy in your current career, putting yourself up against someone who
you see as being more successful is a damaging approach. Dwelling on how
well somebody else is achieving does nothing but hinder your own
development. Instead look into positive steps to improve your working
situation. How
to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others Whoever
or whatever it is that you use to negatively compare yourself against,
should be recognized and dealt with. Feeling
jealously towards people involved in your life can be difficult to deal
with; you may be very fond of them but find them difficult to be around
when you are having moments of self-doubt. Rather than subjecting yourself
to them, take a little break, it is far better to distance yourself for a
moment than tainting a friendship with jealousy. Making
yourself aware of what makes you feel inadequate is a great way of dealing
with it, learn to recognize how and why you get involved in this negative
cycle and quickly remove yourself. Think:
comparing yourself to others is pointless, because there has never been or
will be a person just like you! Source URL: http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/self-help-articles 9/11/2011 Definition
of Goal Setting: How to Super-Power Your Goals The
Definition of Goal Setting is pretty
self-explanatory – it is the process of deciding what you want (or
setting a goal) and figuring out how to achieve it. We
all have goals, right? Well… actually… not exactly… We
have plans. We plan to make more money in a few years, we plan to find a
better job, we plan to go on vacation in But
all these are not goals. They are ‘wishes’, ‘desires’, or maybe
‘plans for the future’ at best. Even
those of us, who are familiar with the concept and definition of Goal
Setting often set false goals for ourselves. This is actually one of the
main reasons why only 10%-15% of people who have the motivation and skill
to succeed, consistently achieve the results they desire. Whether
you are new to Goal Setting or consider yourself a pro, I urge you to take
a few minutes and check if your goals are lacking some important
characteristics or if they can be made more powerful and more effective. Is
Your Goal: 1.
Challenging? Make
sure that your goal is challenging enough to motivate you, yet not too
hard so that it discourages you before you have even started. 2.
Specific? How
clear are you about what you want? If you were to share your goal with me,
would I be able to picture it without asking any other questions? 3.
Believable? Are
you confident enough in your abilities and your chances of success? Does
your goal sound do-able to you? 4.
Motivating? Do
you feel inspired by your goal or is it just something you would not mind
having? 5.
Limited in time? Does
your goal have a specific deadline, so that you can measure your progress
along the way? In my practice, many people confuse goals with ongoing
habits (e.g. “waking up early”, “going to the gym twice a week”).
If your goal is based on something you have to do regularly for the rest
of your life, you are setting yourself up for sure failure. 6.
Enjoyable? It
is much easier to succeed at something that you enjoy doing, rather than
at something that you have to force yourself into. 7.
Written down? Writing
your goals down instantly makes them feel more tangible, more urgent and
more desirable. 8.
Breakable into smaller action steps? Can
you identify a number of steps that will take you from where you are now
to where you want to be? 9.
Easy to visualize? Our
mind thinks in pictures and, therefore, it is hard for our mind to focus
on something like “tons of money”, “a beautiful body” or “a
hot-looking date”. Make sure that when you think about your goal you can
picture it up to the smallest detail. 10.
Backed-up by a support team? At
times when your confidence wavers, is there anyone who can encourage you
to stay on track and keep on moving forward? Source URL: http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/self-help-articles 9/4/2011 10
Time Management Tips to Stop Wasting Time Time
is one of the most valuable resources that we have, because you cannot
replace it or get it back. Once it is gone, it is gone. That
is why you need to start incorporating time management techniques to stop
wasting your time on a daily basis. These
are the top 10 ways you will save time by cutting waste out of your
schedule: 1.
Failing to Stop and Think: When you spend too little time in
preparation, you are forced to spend too much time in execution. The time
you invest in collecting, compiling, and organizing your thoughts before
you begin a project pays off in time savings and in the quality of the
outcome. 2.
Multitasking: This is an extremely ineffective way to apply time
management skills. In fact, researchers say that when you multitask you
are making your brain take time to switch to a different skill set and a
different memory experience. Even
thought, sometimes multitasking is not optional, here are some ways to
avoid being on this situation: a.
Turn off your cellphone or the ringer on the land line, or forward your
phone to go directly to voice mail, when you are working on something
important. b.
Set your email program so you are not notified every time you receive a
new message. c.
Log off from Facebook and Twitter d.
Set aside blocks of uninterrupted time for your work. 3.
Working without brakes: Be aware that there is a point where your
focus and concentration start to fall dramatically. You should take
frequent breaks but for very short durations. 4.
Demanding Perfection: This is not a way to apply time management
resources, because the amount of time, effort, energy, and emotion
required to achieve perfection dramatically reduce production. You are
much better off investing your time and energy in starting something new
than focusing on perfection. 5.
Worrying and Waiting: These are two time wasters that can
undermine your success and happiness in life. Worry usually comes from
dwelling on factors that you cannot control. Also, if you are spending
time worrying, you are not spending time on ways you can prepare or avoid
such factors. a.
What am I really worrying about? b.
What can I do about it? c.
What will I do about it? d.
When will I take action? 6.
Hooking up to the tube: According to the Nielsen Company, the
average person watches more than 28 hours a week of TV. Think how much
further away your business will be, if you would invest that time into
time management strategies and growing your business. 7.
Surfing the Web: The internet is an incredible time management
and time saving resource, but it is also a storehouse of useless
information. When using the internet for research or
information-gathering, it pays to stay focused on your mission: What are
you in search of? 8.
Getting caught up in junk mail undertow: As if it were not enough
to be inundated with credit cards offers, catalogs, and direct marketing
materials in your mailboxes, now your e-mail in-boxes are slammed with
unsolicited tidings, commonly known as spam. Some statistics shows that
the average person wastes too much time sitting through both paper and
electronic mail to make sure they do not miss critical correspondence.
Getting off all these lists is more of a challenge than it ought to be,
but it is something you should think on doing. 9.
Killing Time in Transit: If you do a lot of driving or currently
use public transportation, you may want to consider how to use in a
productive way all the time waste sitting on traffic or commuting. There
are many audio programs you could use to turn you down time into learning
time. 10.
Spending time with negative people: One way to bring down your
energy level, reduce your enthusiasm, darken your outlook, slow your
productivity, and drain your glass from half full to almost empty is to
invest your time in negative people. The more you reduce the influence
they have on your life, the happier and more productive you can be. Source URL: http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/self-help-articles/time-management/page/2 8/28/2011 Some
days we just wake up feeling tired, unhappy and stressed out be the amount
of work that needs to get done. But who said that the day that starts off
badly, cannot get better? Consider trying a few (if not all) of these
steps to brighten your days. Some are easy, some take more time, and all
will put a bounce in your step. 1. Make your bed in the
morning Take
two extra minutes in the morning to fluff your pillows and smooth your
comforter in the morning, and you’ll relish the opportunity to come home
to a tidy room and fresh bed to fall asleep in. 2. Write an email to an old
friend. With
Facebook, instant messages and free telephone services like Skype, staying
connected is easier than ever. Drop a brief line to an old friend and
enjoy catching up little by little. 3. Splurge on a delicious
meal. Luxurious
food and drink last for a couple of hours; the memories of a perfect meal
are much more substantial. My recommendation: share your experience with
someone special. No meal should be eaten alone. 4. Pet an animal. Studies
show that the joy from petting and playing with an animal has the same
chemical effect on the brain as playing with your child: that means a big
boost in happy energy. If you don’t have your own pet, head to a local
animal shelter, or walk the neighbor’s dog. 5. Take time with your
appearance. It’s
the ultimate confidence boost when your self-esteem is still in winter
hibernation. Dress in clothes that make you feel good, get a haircut,
shave, or spritz yourself with something that smells really good. (The
best part: you still feel good even if there is no one around to see you!) 6. Start a long-term project. The
hardest part of tackling a huge project is starting it. When end results
seem so far away, it’s hard to get motivated to start and to see it
through. Whether it’s as small as updating your entire iTunes account
with album art or as important as getting out of credit card debt, doing
one small thing every day will show big results in the long term. As a
bonus, you’ll feel proud that you made the first steps! 7. Prepare for your day the
night before. Have
a few extra minutes before you go to sleep? Do one or two small thing that
will make your morning scramble a little easier. Pack your lunch, lay out
your outfit, blow dry your hair, organize any work supplies. Rather than
running around to make it to work on time, you can sit back and enjoy a
cup of coffee. 8. Give yourself the chance
to laugh. Watch
a comedy, browse some YouTube videos, call up a hilarious friend, or go
read through some old Sunday funnies. 9. Save something to look
forward to. Instant
gratification can be very satisfying, but there is a reason why your
birthday is so special: it only happens once a year. Plan on something to
look forward to, be it a weekly podcast, a concert a few months away, a
family trip, or extravagant holiday plans. 10. Share something with
someone. Joy
is best when split between more than one person (there is a reason women
love shopping in pairs). Cook a big meal for a group of close friends or
gather a few pals to go on a hike. 11. Get outside. Now
that the sun is shining, it’s time to soak up all the Vitamin D you’ve
been missing for the past five months. Get up, get out, and enjoy the
fresh air – even if it’s just for a quick walk on your lunch break.
But remember to bring a couple of layers: spring is known for its showers. 12. Rock out. A
life without music is really no life at all. Pump up the volume and start
getting jiggy. Hint: the more bass the better. 13. Eat breakfast for once. And
I don’t mean a Pop Tart. I mean something with some nutritional value
that will jump start your day, boost your mind and body, and get you
raring to go. 14. Be really nice to
yourself. Give
yourself all the compliments you deserve. 15. Be even nicer to others. You
know how good it feels to receive an unexpected compliment. A good rule to
live by: people are nicest to people who are nice. 16. Smile. A lot. It’s
science: the more you smile – even if there is no reason to do it- the
better your mood. 17. Get exercise. Even
gentle exercise burns calories and releases mood-enhancing endorphins.
Whether you’re training for a marathon or taking a quick walk down to
the mail box, your whole day will feel brighter when you start moving. 18. Help someone every day. It
doesn’t have to be a commitment to the Peace Corps, but committing
yourself to being available and helpful is both a personal mood booster
and the opportunity to make a difference. It could be as simple as
offering to grab your coworker a cup of coffee on your trip to Starbucks,
or as involved as supporting a child in another country. No
one has the perfect day every day. But working to change your outlook on
life and enjoying the small stuff is a great way to improve your attitude!
8/21/2011 How
to Get Motivated – Motivation
is a psychological feature which arouses you to take a step forward to
your goals. It’s easier to be motivated when you have freedom to choose
your goal. But there are also times that your goals are identified by
someone else. Your
personal goals are the products of your desires so you have one of the
best motivator; your desire. When
it comes to the goals identified by someone else, it can be more difficult
to be motivated. You always have something to be done every day. You have
to be motivated to finish your job that is identified by your boss. You
have to be motivated to help your friends. You have to be motivated to
answer your family’s needs. There can be more goals in your life which
are identified by others. In that case, you need more help to get
motivated. When
you cannot have all things done on time, don’t worry. You are not alone.
A day only has 24 hours for each of us. I know there are super moms,
workers, students, business owners who seem to have more time than us.
Don’t judge yourself and never be in a bad mood. There is always a
solution. I can give you some tips to follow and I know they will empower
your motivation. The
first thing you should keep in mind is, not to force yourself to get
motivated. Forcing yourself only makes you bored, angry, upset and
finally, give up. There are better ways for motivation. You can motivate
yourself internally or externally. How
to Get Motivated: Internal Factors 1.
When you try to get motivated on a subject, there are always
interruptions. Instead of getting angry, you should try to find out, if
there are opportunities in these interruptions. Actually, interruptions
add too much to your motivation. When you lose motivation, your mind has
some time to organize your thoughts, your problems and your goals.
Finally, you come up with a bright idea which you were searching for and
this will help you to get motivated again. 2.
In order to get motivated, you must have self confidence. Unless you have
self confidence your mind will be busy with your previous failures, the
problems that can occur and even with others’ thoughts about you if you
fail. You must have self confidence and change your focus from your
failures to your success. 3.
When you feel powerful, your confidence will rise. The best way to feel
powerful comes from your experiences. Try to remember the times which you
most feel yourself powerful and successful. Remember a trouble you have
solved successfully. Now, come back to the moment and think; you had that
power before, you could handle worse before. Why not now? 4.
As you know, body posture is important on others’ thoughts but, do you
know that you can also empower your self confidence with your posture.
When you have the right posture, you will convince yourself that you can
get motivated for your success. 5.
Do whatever you need to be happy. Happiness helps you to be open to
novelty and you can be more motivated to learn and investigate new
opportunities. This way you will be more successful. 6.
You can also use your anger for motivation. Anger can motivate you to
succeed. When using anger you must be careful not trying to prove yourself
to others. If you do so, you’ll always keep in mind your failures and
that will break down your motivation. How
to Get Motivated: External Factors 7.
Music is too much effective on the mood. There are some melodies or lyrics
which make you feel something powerful is rising inside you. You feel
confident, happy and like you have everything to succeed. Music is a good
motivator to help you take steps. 8.
Inspirational movies are also like music. When you lose your motivation
don’t force anymore and give some time to yourself to relax. Watch a
movie which can make you happy or inspired. Don’t think that it is a
waste of time. Actually it is a kind of time management. If you don’t
watch a movie or do anything else which will inspire you, you will spend
the same time trying to find some inspiration to be motivated. 9.
You can also use inspirational quotes to motivate. Some quotes, work like
a magic. They can empower your motivation. 10.
When you feel locked up, the best thing to do is to socialize. Spend some
time with friends. Turn your focus to something new and clear your mind
for new ideas. Besides, support of friends will add more than you think to
your success and motivation. Also, some friends can be more motivational
than anything else. 11.
Change the place you are working if possible. Even if you don’t notice
that, changing your point of view, will help you to change your thoughts
and discover something new for your motivation. Those
are not the only motivators you can use. There are also some techniques
you can use. You can benefit from meditation, NLP techniques, affirmations
and subliminal recordings to motivate yourself. I
hope you won’t have difficulties any more to motivate yourself. Source URL; http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/self-help-articles/motivation 8/14/2011 Do
you ever make a to do list and give yourself a certain amount of time to
do each thing but then when your time is up you only got a portion of your
list accomplished and just wish you had better time management? If you
said yes you are not alone, we all go through this on a daily bases but
luckily I have 12 tips on how to manage your time more wisely,
effectively, and efficiently! 1.
You need to spend time planning and organizing Give
yourself 15 minutes to sit down and make your game plan and organize
everything that needs to be organized. This is crucial because if you go
through and make a quick list of things to do that is not effective at
all, you could have missed important things or rushed through it and put
things that might take more time than what you actually got! 2.
Set Goals Make
sure you have your goals set for long-term work and short-term work. If
there is some type of goal you want to achieve give yourself time to
achieve it, whatever it may be. The only way to achieve is acting on it.
Instead of putting it on the back burner and letting it sit there for
awhile put your step to achieving your goals on your to do list. A little
of time spent on it adds up to a lot of time spent on it! 3.
Prioritize Make
sure you have your priorities straight. If you have something that has to
get done, get it done! Why put off tomorrow when it can get done today. If
you put your priorities first you will find yourself spending less time on
them than you thought you would. If a priority of yours is spending time
with your family, do it, then get your list done. Don’t let that time
pass by because you will be thinking of it that whole time you are working
on what ever you may be working on! 4.
Use your to do list Like
I said earlier making a to do list, make sure you use it. There are so
many times when I will spend the time on making a to do list then set it
down and go do what I think I should be doing then look back at my to do
list and notice how many things I forgot! A great tool to use is Gmail
calendar. This is such a great tool, we can make an efficient to do list
and always have it open in a tab to make sure we are getting it done! 5.
Be flexible Make
sure you are flexible with your time. Give yourself more time than needed
to accomplish a task. This is very important because don’t forget about
transition time between things to get done. Sometimes you can spend 5, 10,
15 minutes between each task! So make sure you are flexible with your
time! 6.
Consider your prime time Lets
say you have a break when working or doing some type of activity around
the house, job, or life in general. Is that break a prime time for your to
work on your to do list? Most likely it is not. Make sure you find a good
time slot that is your prime time. Whether it be early in the morning,
afternoon, or at night. This is important not to be scattered with your
work because many times we find ourselves forgetting to finish something
that we have started. Sometimes I think I will have enough time to write
an article or post and not finish. That evening I will make my list of
things to do and then when working on stuff I remember that I did not
finish a task that I started! 7.
Do the right things right! This
is so imperative on whatever you are doing. If you are writing an article
make sure you are doing it right and giving it your 110% effort. The worse
thing to come across is when I read an article and you can tell the author
just wrote it for quantity not quality! Make sure everything you do is
amazing content and it represents you how you want it to. The quality of
your presence is so important; don’t let one article ruin your
reputation. 8.
Eliminate the urge If
you stumble upon a great website that seems to distract you, you must
eliminate that urge to go on. The TV can always be a bad urge to, if you
have the TV on in the background and you are trying to focus, just turn it
off. The TV will grab your attention and suck you in. Before you know it
an hour has gone by and you haven’t started anything. 9.
Do not double task There
was a study that I was reading up on that the average person that double
tasks spends 80% more time on the two tasks put together than if you would
have done the tasks separately. Double tasking makes it so you are not
giving your 110% effort towards one task and can easily get distracted
doing other stuff besides what your plan was to do. just trust me on my
judgment don’t double task! 10.
Avoid being a perfectionist The
sad truth is is that nothing can ever be perfect. So avoid attempting to
be a perfectionist. If you are working on a task and feel that something
is not perfect only give it a few revisions because if you try to make it
perfect you will spend hours on trying to fix something that is not
fixable. People love the way you are that’s why they are readers,
viewers, followers, and friends of yours. There is nothing to prove to
one. So when you write something or make a video just give it your best
shot and if its not perfect in your own eyes that’s ok no one cares. 11.
Conquer Procrastination This
is probably the most important tip of them all. Procrastination. We all
hate the word but we all do it anyway. Like I said earlier why put
something off till tomorrow if you can get it done today. Procrastination
is nothing but evil, it brings stress and lost time in the long run that
you could have used to work on something else. So when you tell yourself
you will get it done today, you tell yourself right back and say NO I will
get it done NOW! 12.
My favorite tip – REWARD! Every
time you accomplish a full list of things to do reward yourself. This is
so important in life. Make sure you give yourself a pat on the back and
say Good Job for what you just did. Rewards can come in so many shapes and
sizes! Whether it be taking yourself and the family to a movie or simply
relaxing on the couch and watching some TV, whatever you love to do make
that your reward when you get your list done! Source
URL: http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/self-help-articles/time-management 8/7/2011 How
to Re-Motivate Yourself Every Day You’ve
had points in your life when you were incredibly motivated. Times when you
started a new diet, looked seriously at changing career, began exercising
again, got going on a big project, and so on. Inevitably,
though, you found that your motivation petered out. Maybe after a couple
of weeks, maybe after just a day or two. What
happened? Why did it all go wrong? Motivation
is an emotion – and it doesn’t last forever. Like being in love, the
initial high-energy rush quickly fades. Or, as Zig Ziglar puts it: People
often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing –
that’s why we recommend it daily. But
how do you motivate – or re-motivate – yourself on a daily basis? #1:
Look at the Big Picture If
you get up and rush straight into chores or your to-do list, you’ll
inevitably find your motivation waning. You might wonder what the point
is, or whether you’re really working on the most important tasks. I
find that my day always goes more smoothly when I take ten minutes in the
morning to plan what I’m doing: to look at the days ahead, and to think
through the most effective use of my time. You
might try:
A
calm start to the day can really set the tone for productive, meaningful
work – instead of a rush through lots of little, unimportant tasks. #2:
Make Time For Yourself How
often have you started out feeling really motivated – about your diet,
your work, your financial turn around – only to get more and more
drained by daily life? If
you feel zonked out every evening, you’re probably not taking much time
to rest and recharge during the day. However much you love your work, you
do need down time – in the long run, this makes you much more
productive, and more motivated. Making
time for yourself means taking a proper lunch break so that you come back
refreshed in the afternoon. It means getting up from your desk and walking
around to re-energise yourself physically. It means giving yourself
permission to read a novel, take a long bath, or do something purely fun
in the evening. This
week, find time to recharge each day – and notice what a difference it
makes to your mood and your motivation levels. #3:
Work Efficiently When
you’re starting to feel a motivation lag, what do you typically do? I
know that I get tempted to stop working – I’ll suddenly feel like
chatting on Twitter or reading webcomics. It’s easy to convince myself
that this is “taking a break”. Really,
though, it’s just procrastination. I know that I should be working – I
even want to be working – so I’m not really relaxing at all. If
you’re starting to feel de-motivated, one of the best ways to get your
energy back is to get on with your work. Make a checklist of what needs to
be done, and tackle some of the major tasks. Yes, it’s hard to get
started, but you’ll find that it’s easier and easier to carry on once
you get going. Motivation is like momentum – once you’ve built it up,
it doesn’t take much extra energy to maintain it. I’m
sure you’ve got plenty of your own tips and tricks for re-motivating
yourself on a daily basis. Let’s hear them in the comments! Source URL: http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/self-help-articles/motivation Measuring
Your Progress (From Ruben's book
"Becoming Unstoppable.") As
you set goals and begin working towards them, it is critical that you
establish benchmarks you can use to evaluate your progress. The more
specific your measures are, the faster you'll reach your goals because
you'll reduce wasted time. Your
subconscious mind works best when you set clear goals with deadlines. When
you do, your subconscious mind will act like an autopilot that will steer
you towards your goals. It will be like a radar that is tuned in to
finding anything that might help you reach your goals. It
is important to identify all of the tasks you need to do to reach your
goal. Once you have identified the tasks, you should prioritize them and
focus on the most important task first. You
may have to break down each task into smaller sub-tasks - and so on. Each
sub-task should have its own deadline. Deadlines create urgency and get
you to take action. For example, imagine you wanted to climb the Climbing
Each
of those sub-tasks might be broken down further. For example, in order to
become fit enough to climb, you might have to change your diet, train
yourself like a marathoner, lose 30 lbs, etc. What
you do is start with the deadline, and work backwards to see when all the
other steps must be completed by. If you don't set deadlines, by human
nature, you never do what you need to do to accomplish the goal. Once
you set deadlines and start taking action, you'll be amazed at how great
you feel as you check off completed tasks. Before long you start creating
momentum and when momentum is on your side, everything in the process will
seem more and more effortless and more fun. Along
the way you keep careful records and measure your progress because what
cannot be measured, cannot be managed. No
matter what your goal is, you can focus on smaller tasks that can be
measured to gauge your progress. If you want to improve your sales, you
could focus on how many calls you make each day. If you'd like a
promotion, you could ask your boss for specific tasks you could focus on
to make yourself more valuable. If you want to improve your relationships,
you could focus on how many minutes you spend with that special person. Start
finding ways to measure your goals and tasks and your performance, and you
will be more successful in everything you do. Put
it into action: To create momentum, break your goals down into smaller measurable tasks and tackle them one at a time. Copyright
© 2007 Ruben Gonzalez 7/17/2011 How
You Can Improve Your Creativity – What You Need to Know Would
you like to enhance your creativity? Do you think that increased
creativity is something that would improve your life? Before
you answer yes or no to that question, take some time to explore what the
word “creativity” means to you. If
you think that creativity is something that you only need if you’re an
artist, while you happen to be a middle-manager in a corporation, you may
decide that increased creativity is not really important to you. But
creativity is actually something far broader than artistic expression, and
it’s required in many areas of life. Your
idea of a creative person might be someone who lives in a loft, painting
gigantic canvases all day long. Or perhaps a writer at her computer,
working on a long novel. Or a musician, actor, or singer performing on
stage to an audience. All these people are expressing themselves
artistically, and they can all rightly be said to be creative people, even
if no one else enjoys their art. But
what about an entrepreneur who has an idea for a new product, who forms a
new company to produce and distribute it, eventually employing hundreds of
people? Doesn’t this also require creativity? What
about a research scientist toiling in a lab, developing new compounds in
an effort to cure disease? Isn’t this creative? What about a single
mother who manages to come up with healthy delicious meals on a tiny
budget? Isn’t that creativity? To
one person, creativity can mean gluing seashells to a picture frame. To
another, creativity might mean solving a grand unified theory in physics.
And to another person, being creative might mean coming up with an
ingenious new way to speed up a factory assembly line. When
we define creativity only in terms of artistic expression, we miss a lot
of other potential applications for creative thinking and problem solving. An
artist painting a picture, or a writer working on a novel, both have
something in common with the researcher in the lab, and the entrepreneur,
and the person gluing seashells to picture frames. They
are all working on problems and devising solutions that didn’t exist
before. These people are using their minds to imagine fresh ways of doing
something, putting together existing forms and ideas in new ways. They
may be creating a new idea, a new look, a new product, or new technique.
Sometimes the ability to be more creative can lead to personal fame and
fortune; sometimes it just provides a deep sense of personal satisfaction. Can
we improve our ability to be creative? Yes, in fact, learning to be more
creative can be quite enjoyable and easy to do. Most of us were very
creative as children, before we learned the official rules about how
things are supposed to be. We can resurrect our ability to be more
creative by exploring some of the many techniques that have been developed
to improve creative and artistic ability, as well as to improve creative
problem solving. Some
of the techniques that are used to improve creativity include
brainstorming, mind-mapping, various forms of hypnosis and meditation, and
guided imagery. The
techniques that have been developed to try enhance creativity all have one
thing in common. They are all trying to bypass the inner “judge” or
“critic” we have in our minds. Most
of us have an inner voice that is running a constant commentary on
everything we think and do. We might barely notice this inner voice much
of the time, yet it has a great impact on what we can accomplish in our
life. In
many of us this inner voice is usually very negative. No matter what we
want think about, or want to do, this inner voice is running like a tape
in the background of our minds, criticizing our ideas, our performance,
and our ability to be successful. When
we come up with a new idea, our inner voice may be saying, “This idea is
stupid.” Or it might tell us, “I should never be mediocre or average,
I must be brilliant and perfect all the time. All my ideas should be
totally brilliant and innovative. If my ideas aren’t perfect right from
the start, I am a failure and it’s better not to even try”. Our
negative inner critic does not always appear as a voice. Sometimes we see
visual images of ourselves failing. Or we may have physical sensations of
fear and embarrassment that stop us from pursuing new ideas or new
actions. Your
inner critic isn’t being evil when it criticizes you, or when it tells
you your ideas are not very good. Your critic is actually trying to
protect you from being ashamed or embarrassed by the potentially negative
comments and reactions of other people to your ideas. Our
inner critic is trying to make us perfect and safe, but it can have an
unforeseen damaging effect. If
our inner judgmental dialogue is mostly negative, our creative abilities
will suffer. Instead
of helping us to come up with better ideas, this endless barrage of
negative inner commentary will hurt our ability to come up with new ideas. You
can’t be creative, and be critical at the same time. These two processes
require different ways of thinking. The critical, judgmental, analytical
function of the brain is not the part that knows how to generate creative
ideas. Even
the types of brainwaves that you generate when you are being rational and
analytical are quite different than the brainwaves that go with maximum
creativity. When
it’s time for you to be creative, you have to send your “inner
critic” out for a walk. 7/10/2011 Practical
Mind Skills – 5 Rules of Super Speed Learning Do
you know these 5 Rules for Super Speed Learning? Read on and learn how to
use the power of your brain to quickly and easily learn anything you
choose. The
Rule of State: Some
states of mind are far more conducive to quality learning that others.
Cultivate a state of relaxed alertness, where you’re physically relaxed,
mentally relaxed yet alert and comfortably focused on the outcome in hand. Try
listening to classical or baroque music, or experiment with binaural beats
to dial into the right mind state before hand. The
Rule of Intention: Have
an outcome defined in advance, before you crack a book or attend a
lecture. What specifically do you want from the activity? You don’t need
to write this down every time, but you want to have one. Your
intention acts as a filter for the relevancy of data you’re consuming
and helps you build out the information structures in your mind
efficiently. It’s rare that you need to be able to memorize everything. The
Rule of Performance: What’s
your final goal? What are you going to do with the information? Are you
going to perform it, demonstrate it, re-express it in a test? The final
performance is often a different skill set altogether from the learning of
the information in the first place. Studying
for a test is one thing, sitting a test is another so make use of peak
performance mind skills and visualize yourself performing perfectly and
let your subconscious mind organize your output to that end. The
Rule of Input People
tend to have preferences for how they learn best. Some prefer reading,
others listening. Some can’t understand things well unless they can
physically do it. Optimize the info for your preferred method of input. If
you understand better through discussion with others, do that more than
reading. If you like to listen get recorded lectures and listen to them in
double time on your computer. The
Rule of Rhythm Memory
fades in a predictable pattern. If you review a chunk of information just
as it’s starting to fade it reinforces the memory. Multiple quick
reviews can then be done to build up your knowledge in layers and encode
the data better into your long term memory Review
in line with your brains natural memory rhythms is an easy way to memorize
things quickly. Aim for a review of your notes on day 1, then days 3, 5,
9, and 14 days to infuse them permanently into your long term memory. Each
review can be quite quick and get quicker with each session. Source
URL: http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/self-help-articles/tips-for-students/page/2 7/3/2011 Dream Big If
there were ever a time to dare, You
owe it to yourself Know,
though, that things worth doing Persist. Because
with an idea, Trust. Believe
in the incredible power of the human mind. The
start of something new 6/26/2011 Learn
to Dream Big and You Will Live the Life of Your Dreams By
Ingrid Grzeskowiak Let
us start with a quote from Jim Rohn, one of the 50 world famous
motivational speakers on personal development at “Formal
education will make you a living but self education will make you a
fortune.” We
all remember the time in high school when it was much more important to
win the football game of the season than getting an “A+” in chemistry.
To be elected and honored as homecoming queen or king, being a member of
the cheerleader team, or find out “who is asking Jenny out on
Saturday” – those were the topics of interest. Education
in high school sort of happens without the conscious intent of the
student. There are several reasons for this but the main one is, that
going to school is not the primary choice of the student. He or she has to
attend school. In most western countries it is prohibited by law to stay
away from school. Sometimes students are taken to their classes even by
police force. The common understanding of education is to go to school,
get a job and earn a living. Hence,
the responsibility for the education and its outcome is placed on the
teachers, the parents, the churches, the educational institutions and the
environment. And they are doing their best. Self education however is much
more powerful and totally relies on the student himself. It is self
motivated, self responsible and the outcome is completely self earned. The
power of self-education lies in its conscious choice. When we choose to
take a course in fly fishing for instance, we will be going fishing sooner
or later and try out what we have learned. Learning and taking action,
testing out the new abilities to reach and achieve the goals we had in
mind, describes the process of a conscious self-education. Why
is it then that so many people are clueless about how to live the life of
their dreams? The
ability to dream decreases with the increasing age. If you listen to
children speak about what they want to be later in life, they are so
confident and self assured saying: I am going to be a famous lion-tamer.
No doubt about it. We laugh about these childish statements because we
think we know better. Unfortunately this is not the case. Many people give
up their dreams and start to play small. They adjust their dreams to the
life that meets them every day. They compromise and lose their passion,
their determination in pursuing their goals of life. Slowly, slowly the
mind repeats the same old story over and over again. Caught in the
limitations of a mediocre life where big dreams are just soap bubbles,
life gets boring and suffering takes over. The
limited mindset is focused on just earning enough money to keep out of
debt and being able to pay the bills. This is definitely not what life is
meant to be. And people know it. Somewhere deep down there is this nagging
voice speaking to us constantly but we pretend to not hear it. It reminds
us of our potential which is much, much greater than we could ever
imagine. This sweet little voice tries to remind us to listen to
ourselves, to our deepest longings, our wildest dreams. It
[the voice] cries out loud, that it wants to live and not be shut down in
some mediocre life. It [the inner voice] expresses all the inspiration,
the power of creation and the joy of life – a life of fulfillment, joy
and happiness. Pursuing your dreams, no matter how big they are, gives you
energy, inspires you and maybe for the first time makes you feel
authentic. Dare to trust yourself on your dreams and dream as big as you
can. Create a dream that inspires you, a dream that takes your breath away
and watch the energy flooding in. Once
you start listening to yourself you will develop the mindset that you
possess everything it takes to live the life of your dreams. It will
strengthen your will-power, will give you confidence in making the right
decisions and then… only then you are ready to start learning the
principles and strategies to reinvent your life. There were people before
you and there will be people coming after you but the only thing that
matters right now is the choice you make about your life. Source URL: http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/self-help-articles/tips-for-students/page/2 6/12/2011 Time
Management Help For College Students Time
management for college students is an imperative. Classes, study time,
student activities, work-study, and home life can pull students apart,
especially if they do not have a plan. It is the scheduled and disciplined
student who will not only succeed but have the best and most rounded
college experience. Get
And Use A Planner Schedule
It Review
Weekly Do
To-Do Lists Print
And Post The Calendars Get
Your Fun In Reward
Yourself Source URL: http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/self-help-articles/tips-for-students/page/3 6/5/2011 The
Ten Commandments of Success Success
is not reserved to a few selected individuals. It belongs to you as well,
given that you are willing to go after it. But before you do, take 3
minutes to learn the Ten most important Success Commandments
that stand at the base of any prosperous venture, any rewarding
relationships, and any inspiring goal: 1.
Thou shalt dream a great dream Every
important achievement always starts with a great dream. Do not settle for
less, just because it is easy, familiar and guaranteed. At some point in
your life you will have to face a decision to either risk it and go for an
opportunity or settle for less than you know you are capable of achieving.
Set goals that inspire, challenge, and excite you! This is the only way to
leave your mark in this world! 2.
Thou shalt do what thou loves Success
does not solely imply financial security and a handsome paycheck at the
end of the month. It is about self-realization and enjoyment as well. You
can be making a lot of money, but until you do what you love, real success
will remain a far cry. 3.
Thou shalt not be discouraged by criticism Whenever
you set out to do something original, daring, important and exciting there
will always be people, who will try to talk you out of it. They will tell
you your idea or goal is crazy, unrealistic, too risky, too innovative,
too strange. Take it as possible feedback, not as the absolute truth,
because in most cases people’s criticism has nothing to do with your
goal and everything to do with their own personal fears, doubts and
negative past experiences. 4.
Thou shalt welcome thine failures The
more attempts you take at something the sooner you will figure out the
best way of doing it. Do not be afraid to try and fail. In fact, welcome
failure, learn from it and try again. I have yet to meet a person, who
spent years learning, planning, collecting the right tools and then became
successful overnight. But I know plenty of people who tried, failed, tired
again, failed again, until one of their numerous attempts tuned into a
flourishing business or a multi-million dollar idea. 5.
Thou shalt not steal thy own time Most
of us feel guilty about wasting someone else’s time, yet part with our
own without giving it a second thought. If you want to be successful in
life you have to see every new day, every minute of your life as an
opportunity for growth and achievement. Make it a habit of asking yourself
throughout the day “Am I doing something meaningful or useful?” If
not, you are stealing from yourself one of the most precious treasures you
have been given – your time. 6.
Thou shalt not flaunt thine ego by bringing others down Little
people try to make themselves look better by bringing others down. Great,
truly successful people feel no need of belittling those of lesser status,
intelligence and wealth. Starting today focus on empowering instead of
judging, helping instead of criticizing, listening instead of talking,
learning instead of convincing that your opinion is the only correct one
in the room, and something magical will happen – people will follow you,
seek your advice and offer their help without you having to ask for it. 7.
Thou shalt invest in relationships Our
relationships with other people lay at the base of any significant area of
our life. Our professional success depends on our relationships with our
employees, colleagues, clients and business partners. Our personal life is
built on relationships with our spouse, children, parents and friends.
Even our spiritual growth is accelerated by our mentors, spiritual
teachers, family members and sometimes strangers. Do not take people in
your life for granted. Invest your time and energy into building and
maintaining strong relationships with those you love, admire, and respect. 8.
Thou shalt keep thine mind opened to possibilities It
is not always easy to spot a great opportunity that comes your way,
especially when it looks like a problem, but this does not mean that we
should stop trying. Be careful not to become too rigid in your thinking,
as it will impede your ability to see possibilities and act on them. 9.
Thou shalt not be swayed by distractions Very
often our success depends on our ability to concentrate our efforts on a
few highly important goals and ignoring the rest. It is often tempting to
stop what you are doing and chat with friends on facebook, to check your
mailbox to see if there are any urgent emails or to take five minutes
break and play solitaire. A
great way of dealing with such distractions is to remind yourself that
they are the main reason why you will feel stressed out, overwhelmed and
unproductive by the end of the week. Every time you say “No” to
distractions you are moving one step closer to becoming a true master of
your time. 10.
Thou shalt treat the world the way thou wants to be treated “What
goes around comes around” – is the Universal law of life that works
without exceptions. Your attitude in approaching people, situations and
circumstances in your life can either help you to become successful or
backfire right in your face. This is why before acting on an impulse take
a fraction of the second to think, “What would I like to attract in my
life?” Because if your actions are guided by negative emotions, you are
doing yourself the biggest disfavor. On the other hand, if you act out of
compassion, forgiveness, passion and kindness, you are creating a good
karma that might last you a lifetime. Source
URL: http://www.arinanikitina.com/the-ten-commandments-of-success.html 5/22/2011 Simple
Tricks to Write Faster and Smarter Research Papers For
many of you students, writing research papers can be stressful. It’s
enough work just to think of something to write about, but actually
finding evidence to back up a thesis is a rigorous battle that can turn
into a nightmare without the proper foresight and planning. It
takes a lot of determination, hard work and wit to earn an “A,” but
that doesn’t mean all research writing has to involve a 48 hour cram
session fueled by Mountain Dew and Doritos. Everyone
gets stuck in the writing process from time to time, so here are a few
tricks that help students write faster, more efficiently and sometimes
even sound a little smarter. Start
Early It’s
not fun to write a whole research paper in one sitting. In fact, it’s a
horrible idea. You might think that racing against the clock provides some
much needed motivation to finish a paper, but the reality is you’ll just
be forcing words on a page. Instead
of trying to do everything at once, one way to get ideas for research
papers is to start with an outline. It doesn’t have to be detailed, but
it should follow a simple format: •
Thesis – the main point you’re trying to convey Some
writers use this outline as a check-off sheet, and mark off each bullet
point while they write. It doesn’t matter how you use it, but creating
an outline is a great way to organize your thoughts and stay on track when
it’s time to start writing. Turn
a Brainstorm into a Brain Hurricane It
sounds cliché, but when you’re stuck on an idea and don’t know what
to write, you have to keep writing. Some people call it sprinting. Others
call it a free write. The bottom line is to put all of your ideas out
there and sift through the good ones later. Any
idea that comes to your head. Just keep writing. Don’t think. Forgot a
period? Who cares? Just keep writing. Even when you don’t know what to
write, keep your fingers cracking those keys. It
might take a few minutes, and you’re probably going to write some ideas
that smell worse than Taco Bell gone bad, but you should be able to push
through and find a hidden gem. Call
on Your Friendly Word Dinosaur Even
when you know what to write, sometimes the hardest part about writing a
research paper is putting all the right words in just the right order.
Whenever you have trouble finding the best word to use, or when you need
to take three words and turn it into one fancy word, reach out for your
thesaurus. Less
widely used compared to a dictionary, the thesaurus is the best tool for
finding synonyms (words with a similar definition) or antonyms (words with
a contrasting definition). While you might not know it, you probably have
access to an amazing thesaurus on your home computer. Using Microsoft
Word, highlight a word in a new document and use the hotkey Shift+F7 or
hold ALT+click to open the thesaurus tool inside the Research Task Pane. In
fact, it’s always good to have a thesaurus or dictionary nearby.
Whenever you read or hear a word you don’t know, make it a point to find
out what it means. Remember,
writing a research paper shouldn’t feel like pulling teeth. If you can
maintain time management, creativity and determination, you’ll finish
your paper in no time. Have fun! Source
URL: http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/self-help-articles/tips-for-students 5/8/2011 Letting
Yourself Making Mistakes Means Making Fewer of Them By Heidi Grant Halvorson,
Ph.D. While
some people seem eager to tackle new challenges, many of us are really
just trying to survive without committing any major screw-ups. Taking on
something totally new and unfamiliar is understandably frightening, since
the odds of making a mistake are good when you are inexperienced. Small
wonder that we greet new challenges with so little enthusiasm. How
can we learn to see things differently? How can we shift our thinking, and
approach new responsibilities and challenges with more confidence and
energy? The
answer is simple, though perhaps a little surprising: Give yourself permission
to screw up. Start any new project by saying, "I'm not going to be
good at this right away, I'm going to make mistakes, and that's
okay." Letting yourself make mistakes means making fewer of them. How
can you reframe your goals in terms of getting better? Here are the three
steps: 1.
Start by embracing the fact that when something is difficult
and unfamiliar, you will need some time to really get a handle on it. You
may make some mistakes, and that's OK. 2.
Remember to ask for help when you run into trouble. Needing
help doesn't mean you aren't capable -- in fact, only the very foolish
believe they can do everything on their own. 3.
Try not to compare yourself to other people -- instead,
compare your performance today to your performance yesterday. Focusing on
getting better means always thinking in terms of progress, not perfection. 5/2/2011 A
Yearning for Learning By
Chuck Gallozzi We
have a natural yearning for learning. Infants have an insatiable hunger,
responding to each sight, sound, smell, taste, and tactile experience with
curiosity. As toddlers, they roam everywhere, soaking in as much
information as possible in their attempts to discover the nature of the
world. This search for knowledge never ends. However, as we mature, the
desire to discover and understand the world changes to a desire to
discover ourselves. The
keys to discovery are learning and thinking about what we learn. Which is
more helpful, thinking or learning? Well, both are essential, for as
Confucius [1] taught, "Learning without thinking is useless; thinking
without learning is dangerous." Nevertheless, since we have to learn
something before we can think about it, let's focus on the subject of
learning and begin by reviewing some of the common ways of learning. Some
of the Ways We Learn:
But
until we learn to respect others, we'll be unable to learn from them. In
a word, everyone and everything around us is our teacher. You
have acquaintances and friends, don't you? What's the difference between
the two groups? Although acquaintances are people you know, friends are
people you intimately know. It is friends that you turn to for help. It is
similar with knowledge and learning. Knowledge is what is found in books
and taught to us by teachers and others. But until we integrate that
knowledge into our lives and make it a part of us, it is no more than an
acquaintance with little value. Learning is the result of embracing
knowledge and applying it to our lives. We may forget what we have read or
heard, but we will always remember what we have learned. The
Purpose of Learning Although
there are many reasons to learn, Mortimer J. Adler [2] shares a major one,
"The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies,
can continue growing as we continue to live." Here are other reasons
for learning:
To
summarize this section: "Learning, if rightly applied, makes a young
man thinking, attentive, industrious, confident, and wary; and an old man
cheerful and useful. It is an ornament in prosperity, a refuge in
adversity, an entertainment at all times; it cheers in solitude, and gives
moderation and wisdom in all circumstances." What
to Learn As
the field of knowledge is unlimited and our life is not, we will have to
choose what we wish to learn. Here are some subjects to consider:
Caveats
Two
Learning Exercises 1.
Make a
list of what you have learned from life. What are your "Laws of
Life"? Make a list and keep adding to it. For example, here is a
partial list of what I have learned from life:
2.
Set your learning goals. Choose three things you want to learn before you
die. Next, work backwards listing three things you want to learn in the
next twenty years, ten years, five years, this year, this month, this week
and finally, three things you wish to learn today. Conclusion
I'll
conclude by sharing four quotes from different times and places. "The
man who graduates today and stops learning tomorrow is uneducated the day
after." (Newton D. Baker) "Try
to learn something about everything and everything about something."
(Thomas H. Huxley) "Learning
is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere." (Chinese
Proverb) "Learning
is the best of all wealth; it is easy to carry, thieves cannot steal it,
the tyrants cannot seize it; neither water nor fire can destroy it; and
far from decreasing, it increases by giving." Source
URL: http://www.personal-development.com/chuck 4/17/2011 Behind
The Scenes of Achieving Goals By
Ryan
Chaffin I
feel that these days anyone can learn how to set goals. There are
countless books, and even more articles on the web, teaching people
how to set goals, and pretty much any kind of goal. Whether it is a
personal goal or a team goal, a health goal or a personal development
goal, an effective goal or an attainable goal. If you’ve read up
on, or just know about setting goals, then you probably noticed my last
thought ended with two aspects that every goal should incorporate.
But setting goals is a whole other topic. And I do not want to talk
about that. I want to talk about actually achieving the goals you
set! Sure,
setting effective goals is important to achieving them, but there is more
to achieving goals than just setting great goals. Think about it, if
all it took was setting the ?perfect goal? to achieve your goal,
everyone would be exactly who they want to be and have exactly what
they want. Unfortunately, it takes more than just setting that goal
to achieve it, it takes work. Hard work. And that hard work is exactly
what is behind the scenes of achieving goals. So let’s talk about
it. Achieving
goals takes hard work in the four core aspects of life: mental, physical, emotional,
and spiritual aspects. Let’s discuss the first two individually: Mental This
is where effective goal setting comes in. If you set a goal you do not
believe in, or do not feel you can achieve, or do not really believe
in, then your not going to achieve it. But that isn't all. Even if a
goal seems achievable when you set it, over time it may seem to be
unreachable. Personally, I’ve been trying for two years to lose all
of the sixty pounds I put on over 2007 and 2008. I started 2009 at 240 pounds,
peaking at the end of 2008 at 245 pounds. Over
the last two years, I’ve slowly and naturally taken that weight off
through changing my diet, exercising regularly, and just doing a
better job all around in take care of myself. I just got back to 180
pounds this week. I was stuck at 185 pounds for months, and was about
to give up on those last five pounds. Mentally I was worn down, and
lost hope. Then I took some time, thought things through, and mentally recovered
and then hit it hard. Staying mentally strong is just as hard as anything else,
but its crucial to success. Physical It
does not matter if your goal is a physical goal, like losing weight, or
getting in better shape, or if it is a goal to get a promotion at
work; if it's a goal, the state of your physical being is crucial.
Take the example of getting a promotion at work. If you are not
taking care of your self physically, you are going to be more prone to illness,
and having to take a lot of time off work as ‘sick’ days is not
appealing to upper management. Or what if it’s not even that, but
rather you simply just do not fit the physical standard needed to
perform your daily tasks, or the daily tasks of the promotion you
desire. Ultimately,
taking care of your self physically is crucial. A healthy, strong you is much
more desirable than a sick, weak you. My recommendations for always being capable
of the hard work demanded physically, and the three simple principles I strive
to live by everyday are as follows. First, eat healthy. If you want to be
healthy and alive, eat food that is alive. Eat fresh fruits and
veggies, along with food you prepare, and avoid the processed junk. 4/10/2011 How to Set Goals Like A Champion There
are four basic steps that will help you make the most of your goal
setting. First, choose a goal, next, see yourself succeeding at your goal,
after that, choose a quality that will help you achieve your goal, and
finally, create a new habit that will help you achieve your goal. What
changes would you like to make in your life that excite you just by
thinking about them? What would you love to do? Where do you want to be 10
years from now? What is your dream? But just thinking about your goal is
not enough. If you want to reach your goal, you need to make it real -
write it down! Don't worry how you will make your dream come true at
first. Magic happens when you put your goals down on paper. Writing it
down is the first step in turning a dream you might achieve into a goal
you will achieve. Several
times a day close your eyes and for a couple of minutes vividly imagine
what it's going to feel like when you achieve your goal. Really get into
it. Feel it as if it were really happening - right now! Get excited! Your
subconscious does not know the difference between imagining it and it
really happening. By doing this, you become passionate about your desire,
your belief becomes unshakeable and you become unstoppable. The
third step in reaching your goal is to choose the main quality you think
you will need to reach your goal. Is it Boldness? Creativity? Enthusiasm?
Patience? Leadership? In my case it was Perseverance. To get good at the
luge, I knew I was going to have to endure many crashes and injuries and
simply refuse to give up. So I made a decision to become perseverant.
Someone has said, "The main difference between a successful person
and a failure is that the successful person tried one more time." I
decided to persevere in trying one more time. Finally,
you need to create a new habit that will help you achieve your goal. Good
habits usually don't just happen. You need to develop a specific plan for
creating a new habit. It's simply a matter of choosing an action that
helps develop your quality, deciding when to practice that habit, knowing
that you are going to have to repeat it many times and then give yourself
a reminder. Since
perseverance was the most important quality I needed to have to reach my
goal, I needed to find ways to develop my perseverance. I had to get good
at "not quitting". So I decided to become an expert on
perseverance. I read books about people who had faced great challenges and
refused to give up. I got inspired that if they could - I could! I made a
decision that no matter how bad a crash I had, I would get back on my
sled. I had a picture of a luge athlete riding a sled. I used that picture
to remind me to get back on my sled. By
following these four steps I was able to turn my goals into habits that
ultimately helped me realize my dream. If you will commit to these four
steps and you too can make your dreams come true. Put
it into action: What is your goal? Close your eyes and vividly imagine what it will feel like, taste like, smell like, look like when you realize your goal. DO IT...NOW! What quality do you need to develop to realize your goal? What new habit will you develop to reach your goal? Now persistently and consistently take the actions that will get you to your destination. Copyright
© 2007 Ruben Gonzalez 4/3/2011 Success
is Not Taught in Schools By
Jim Rohrbach Today
I want to share some “guidelines for a successful life” that you may
not have come across in your formal educational process. I unashamedly
describe myself as a formerly shy, low-self-esteem underachiever with a
bad attitude – in other words, I was a pretty normal young adult. You
may be able to relate to that, along with feeling lost, confused, scared,
frustrated, and depressed about your prospects for the future. If that’s
the case, don’t despair – I believe most people have a similar
experience, something like: “OK – I’ve got my degree(s)… now
what?” Relax – you’re not crazy, and you’re not stupid – you
just haven’t been given a REAL education on what it takes to be
successful. So
here are a few guidelines and resources I can share that helped me get it
together: In
his classic book Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill interviewed over 500
highly successful people and found they all had what he called “a chief
definite aim or major purpose.” So the first step in creating a
successful life is to define your mission. If you need more clarity on
your career direction, simply do an Internet search on “career
assessments” – you’ll find a number of free online assessments to
help you narrow down your choices. Positive
Mental Attitude Henry
Ford was quoted as saying, “If you think you can, or if you think you
can’t, you’re right.” It’s critical for all of us to believe in
ourselves, regardless of our current situation, because our circumstances
can only improve if we believe they can. I highly recommend Dr. Norman
Vincent Peale’s book The Power of Positive Thinking. Goal
Setting Once
you’ve created a Mission Statement and believe you can achieve it,
you’ll then need to set your goals in the four major areas of life:
Mental (your career and financial goals), Physical (the shape of your body
and what you put in it), Emotional (your relationships), and Spiritual
(those things that help your spirit soar). The best teacher of goal
setting is Brian Tracy. Time
Management You
can then manage your time based upon your goals in these four areas of
life. I highly recommend you get a daily planner, then set an appointment
with yourself every weekend to schedule all your activities for the
upcoming week – you’ll sleep well on Sunday night if you do, because
you will have a plan. The only people who fear Mondays are people who
don’t know what to expect. First Things First by Stephen Covey is a fine
book to help you do this right. Visualization All
great athletes, from the professional ranks to the Olympians, use mental
rehearsal to picture successful outcomes in their sports. It’s no
different for you. The basic technique is to put yourself in a relaxed
state, breathing deeply with your eyes closed. Then use a “preprogrammed
daydream” to see yourself achieving your goals, whether it’s
completing a project, closing a deal, being in great shape, or improving a
relationship. Check out Shakti Gawain’s book Creative Visualization. Lifelong
Learning I
was not the best student in high school – I graduated with a 1.74 grade
point average because I refused to take studying seriously. I’m now very
serious about not only my success, but especially the success of my
clients. So I now have an annual learning goal – since 1998 I’ve read
over 40 books a year related to my field. I’ve come to realize that when
we stop learning, we’re dead. No budget for books right now? No problem
– your local library has all the books you’ll need. Humor Finally,
you GOTTA laugh at life! A well-honed sense of humor will help you keep
perspective on your life, especially during the inevitable tough times, so
you can stay focused on success without taking any setbacks personally. My
best “coaches” on this? Rodney Dangerfield, Richard Pryor, Jim Carrey,
and The Marx Brothers’ movies. I
hope you find these guidelines and resources helpful and begin to apply
them today. In the long run they’ll bring you the satisfaction of a life
well lived. 3/27/2011 Successful
People Set Goals (From Ruben Gonzalez's book "Becoming Unstoppable.") The most successful people in the world are extremely goal oriented. They know exactly what they want and they are always focused on achieving it. Goals keep you focused, and they help you be more confident and motivated. They keep you from drifting through life with no purpose. The main difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is how they think. Successful people think about what they want and how to get it. Unsuccessful people think and talk about what they don't want. Setting goals helps you keep thinking about where you want to go. People who set goals live more meaningful and purposeful lives. They are more in control of their destiny and therefore happier. People are happier when they are doing something that is moving them towards something they want. Goal setting is so powerful that I'll bet you get happy just thinking about achieving your goals. Your goals need to be clear, written, and very specific. They also need to be measurable. You have to know when you have achieved them. Write your goals down every day. It only takes a couple of minutes. Make it a rule that you can't turn on your computer until you've written your goals down. I dare you to do this! And I guarantee you that if you do it for a year, your life will change dramatically! Talk about your goals to other people. See if you can get them writing their goals. It's a great way to impact other people's lives. And remember to focus on why you have those goals. The "why" is the driving force. Once you start writing your goals, talking about your goals, and thinking about your goals, you will start turning into a success seeking guided missile that won't miss. Put it into action: What do you want to be? What do you want to do? What do you want to have? Write those goals down. But don't just write them, take action. What is something you can do in the next 15 minutes that will help you get closer to your goals? DO IT...NOW! Copyright © 2007 Ruben Gonzalez 3/20/2011 9
Things Successful People Do Differently By
Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D. Motivational
psychologist, author of Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals Why
have you been so successful in reaching some of your goals, but not
others? If you aren't sure, you are far from alone in your confusion. It
turns out that even brilliant, highly accomplished people are pretty lousy
when it comes to understanding why they succeed or fail. The intuitive
answer -- that you are born predisposed to certain talents and lacking in
others -- is really just one small piece of the puzzle. In fact, decades
of research on achievement suggests that successful people reach their
goals not simply because of who they are, but more often because of what
they do. Here
are nine things successful people do differently: Get
Specific When
you set yourself a goal, try to be as specific as possible. "Lose 5
pounds" is a better goal than "lose some weight" because it
gives you a clear idea of what success looks like. Knowing exactly what
you want to achieve keeps you motivated until you get there. Also, think
about the specific actions that need to be taken to reach your goal. Just
promising you'll "eat less" or "sleep more" is too
vague -- be clear and precise. "I'll be in bed by 10 p.m. on
weeknights" leaves no room for doubt about what you need to do, and
whether or not you've actually done it. Seize
The Moment To Act On Your Goals Given
how busy most of us are, and how many goals we are juggling at once, it's
not surprising that we routinely miss opportunities to act on a goal
because we simply fail to notice them. Did you really have no time to work
out today? No chance at any point to return that phone call? Achieving
your goal means grabbing hold of these opportunities before they slip
through your fingers. To
seize the moment, decide in advance when and where you
will take each action you want to take. Again, be as specific as possible
(e.g. "If it's Monday, Wednesday or Friday, I'll work out for 30
minutes before work"). Studies show that this kind of planning will
help your brain to detect and seize the opportunity when it arises,
increasing your chances of success by roughly 300 percent. Know
Exactly How Far You Have Left To Go Achieving
any goal also requires honest and regular monitoring of your progress --
if not by others, then by you yourself. If you don't know how well you are
doing, you can't adjust your behavior or your strategies accordingly.
Check your progress frequently -- weekly, or even daily, depending on the
goal. Be
A Realistic Optimist When
you are setting a goal, by all means engage in lots of positive thinking
about how likely you are to achieve it. Believing in your ability to
succeed is enormously helpful for creating and sustaining your motivation.
But whatever you do, don't underestimate how difficult it will be to reach
your goal. Most goals worth achieving require time, planning, effort and
persistence. Studies show that thinking things will come to you easily and
effortlessly leaves you ill-prepared for the journey ahead, and
significantly increases the odds of failure. Focus
On Getting Better Rather Than Being
Good Believing
you have the ability to reach your goals is important, but so is believing
you can get the ability. Many of us believe that our
intelligence, our personality and our physical aptitudes are fixed -- that
no matter what we do, we won't improve. As a result, we focus on goals
that are all about proving ourselves rather than developing and acquiring
new skills. Fortunately,
decades of research suggest that the belief in fixed ability is completely
wrong; abilities of all kinds are profoundly malleable. Embracing the fact
that you can change will allow you to make better choices, and reach your
fullest potential. People whose goals are about getting better, rather
than being good, take difficulty in stride, and appreciate the journey as
much as the destination. Have
Grit Grit
is a willingness to commit to long-term goals, and to persist in the face
of difficulty. Studies show that gritty people obtain more education in
their lifetime and earn higher college GPAs. Grit predicts which cadets
will stick out their first grueling year at The
good news is, if you aren't particularly gritty now, there is something
you can do about it. People who lack grit more often than not believe that
they just don't have the innate abilities successful people have. If that
describes your own thinking -- well, there's no way to put this nicely --
you are wrong. As I mentioned earlier, effort, planning, persistence and
good strategies are what it really takes to succeed. Embracing this
knowledge will not only help you see yourself and your goals more
accurately, but also do wonders for your grit. Build
Your Willpower Muscle Your
self-control "muscle" is just like the other muscles in your
body -- when it doesn't get much exercise, it becomes weaker over time.
But when you give it regular workouts by putting it to good use, it will
grow stronger and stronger, and better able to help you successfully reach
your goals. To
build willpower, take on a challenge that requires you to do something
you'd honestly rather not do. Give up high-fat snacks, do 100 sit-ups a
day, stand up straight when you catch yourself slouching or try to learn a
new skill. When you find yourself wanting to give in, give up or just not
bother, don't. Start with just one activity, and make a plan for how you
will deal with troubles when they occur (e.g. "If I have a craving
for a snack, I will eat one piece of fresh or three pieces of dried
fruit.") It will be hard in the beginning, but it will get easier,
and that's the whole point. As your strength grows, you can take on more
challenges and step-up your self-control workout. Don't
Tempt Fate No
matter how strong your willpower muscle becomes, it's important to always
respect the fact that it is limited, and if you overtax it, you will
temporarily run out of steam. Don't try to take on two challenging tasks
at once, like quitting smoking and dieting at the same time. And don't put
yourself in harm's way; many people are overly-confident in their ability
to resist temptation, and as a result they put themselves in situations
where temptations abound. Successful people know not to make reaching a
goal harder than it already is. Focus
On What You Will Do, Not What You Won't
Do. Do
you want to successfully lose weight, quit smoking or put a lid on your
bad temper? Then plan how you will replace bad habits with good ones,
rather than focusing only on the bad habits themselves. Research on
thought suppression (e.g. "Don't think about white bears!") has
shown that trying to avoid a thought makes it even more active in your
mind. The same holds true when it comes to behavior; by trying not to
engage in a bad habit, our habits get strengthened rather than broken. If
you want change your ways, ask yourself, "What will I do
instead?" For example, if you are trying to gain control of your
temper and stop flying off the handle, you might make a plan like this:
"If I am starting to feel angry, then I will take three deep breaths
to calm down." By using deep breathing as a replacement for giving in
to your anger, your bad habit will get worn away over time until it
disappears completely. It
is my hope that, after reading about the nine things successful people do
differently, you have gained some insight into all the things you have
been doing right all along. Even more important, I hope are able to
identify the mistakes that have derailed you, and use that knowledge to
your advantage from now on. Remember: You don't need to become a different
person to become a more successful one. It's never what you are, but what
you do. This
post originally appear in the Harvard
Business Review. Source URL: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/heidi-grant-halvorson-phd/success-strategies_b_833464.html 3/13/2011 College
Students Success Secrets Overcoming
Adversity, Knock the T Out of Can’t By
Paul F. Davis Conquer
your fears, transcend your limitations, and be a college student success
story by overcoming adversity and knocking the T out of can’t. Only
believe and you can achieve success. Overcoming adversity may be tough,
but any college student can overcome with these simple success secrets. When
I entered college and went through growing pains, I realized I was in
store for some new challenges for which I had never been forewarned. My
parents encouraged my academic success throughout high-school into
college, but never bothered to prepare me for the rigors of college life
and academics. There
is a big difference in college between knowing you “what” you need to
do and knowing “how” to do it. Unfortunately many college professors
(perhaps by reason of being in the trenches of academia too long) are not
always so helpful in that regard. Plus it is often hard to find someone as
a college student who you can relate to who also has some intelligence who
can guide and counsel you. Sadly
even college counselors sometimes treat you like another problem in their
caseload rather than a genuine person needing someone with a heart to talk
to. That being said here are some success secrets to help any college
student overcome adversity on their university campus. 1.
Stay calm and cool. When
you stay calm and cool, what you need to do will more easily come to you. Just
acknowledge and recognize your present problem, after which set in your
heart the intention to tackle it once you know what to do. Upon setting
your intent to tackle and deal with this problem, you assuredly will
eventually figure it out and take it out! 2.
Listen intently, ask questions, and seek out intelligent people. The
more you listen, the more you learn. Those two ears attached to the side
of your head are there for a reason. Unfortunately most people prefer to
move their mouth a million miles a minute to vocalize their problem,
rather than solve it. Problem
solvers however know the secret to solving problems successfully is to
quietly process the problem, design a strategy to solving it, and inviting
intelligent people around you to help you figure out how to tackle it. Humbly
yourself and ask questions of those around, preferably those with
intelligence who can provide good advice and tell you what they would do.
As you listen and gain varying perspectives, eventually intuitively it
will come to you what it is you should do. 3.
Don’t despise the process as you sort through the pieces. Everybody
wants to be a college student success story, but success doesn’t come
overnight. You have to make the grades for four years and remain focused
through the many attractive distractions throughout college. As
in obtaining a degree, wherein is required the completion of various
coursework, overcoming adversity sometimes requires life work and internal
home work as you sort through the pieces to your ordeal. When
my mom died prematurely due to a drunk driver hitting her, I had to
process some of my unanswered questions and find closure. This was not
done easily and took time. Likewise must you most likely give yourself
some time to sort through the personal pieces and elements to that which
is presently testing and challenging you. Embrace the process regardless
of the present pain, knowing assuredly that as you do you will grow
through and get up above your problem eventually. Once
you rise above it, you will then be able to objectively look down and back
at it to see more clearly. When that time comes, you will simultaneously
be able to comfort and lift others currently suffering in a similar
dilemma as you. Therefore your present suffering is not in vain, as truly
it will empower you to help others just the same. 4.
Celebrate your progress. Celebrate
your small successes and steps forward. When
I was hit by a drunk driver (another drunk driving accident years after my
mom was killed) and my car was totaled, I was injured physically and great
crushed financially. I was already suffering financially before the
accident. The drunk driving accident however pushed me over the edge.
Suddenly I was now having to use rental cars for months, fight my
insurance company for payment, visit medical doctors continually, and sort
through stacks of legal documents and medical bills nonstop. At
one point I foolishly said and thought it would have been better if the
drunk driver would have killed me, because the pain of the present
situation after the accident was crushing and killing me. It is safe to
say I was overwhelmed and miserable. Nevertheless
serendipitously a car dealer showed up in my life and offered to
personally finance a car for me to buy (since my credit was ruined after
the accident and I couldn’t get a decent loan from a car dealer). I was
so thankful and appreciative. Nevertheless
I had to make car payments in the range of $2,000 a month, while trying to
live off a teaching salary of $2,600 a month and pay a mortgage on my
house. Incidentally, those 6 months were very challenging. Yet
when I finally made that last car payment, I rejoiced and sighed a sigh of
relief. Sometimes
it is the little things in life that we most take for granted, but
suddenly begin to appreciate when they are swiftly removed from us. I
therefore gave thanks to my stars and rejoiced upon making that final car
payment. What
are you thankful for today? As you begin to give thanks something will
arise within you, whereby you will be lifted above your adversity and the
ability to overcome will mightily move you forward. Cultivate
an attitude of gratitude and apply these marvelous success secrets to work
miracles in your life and propel you happily and successfully through
college into your dream career! Wishing you great and continued success! Source
URL: http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/self-help-articles/tips-for-students/page/3 2/27/2011 Vocabulary
Build-Up Tips For Success By
Chuck R Stewart No
one can escape the frustration of being stumped and being able to find the
right word immediately. It is an awful feeling when the words are stuck at
the tip of your tongue. It is an all too common feeling of helplessness
when not recalling the right word to use or sometimes we don’t actually
know it altogether. When preparing for a Vocabulary Quiz, one can make use
of some tried and tested guidelines and tips in order to have an effective
preparation. 1.
Learning Tip #1 – Read and Read More! 2.
Learning Tip #2 – Polish Up Your Context Skills 3.
Learning Tip #3 – Practice and Practice More! 4.
Learning Tip #4 – Use Association and Connection Techniques 5.
Learning Tip #5 – Adopt Mnemonics 6.
Learning Tip #6 – Enjoy Playing with Your Vocabulary 7.
Learning Tip #7 – Take a Vocabulary Quiz Do
all of these tips and your vocabulary will improve in no time! Source
URL: http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/self-help-articles/tips-for-students/page/3 2/20/2011 Take a Chance (From Ruben Gonzalez's
book "Becoming Unstoppable.") The most successful people in the world are risk takers. As soon as they see an opportunity, they move quickly and make something happen. They have a special quality that sets them apart from less successful people. They take initiative in everything they do. Successful people accept responsibility and take action when they see something needs to be done. They don't suffer from paralysis of analysis. They just do something. Anything that will get them closer to their goal. By taking action - massive action - they build momentum and soon good things start to happen. My business coach likes to say, "Most people need to think less and act more." Another of my mentors always says, "Done is better than perfect." Another way to say it is - implement now, perfect later. If you want to succeed, be willing to fail. To succeed big, be willing to fail big. To succeed fast, be willing to fail fast. Successful people are willing to try different approaches to reach their goal. They are not worried about failing. They are just focused on the result. They just throw mud on the wall knowing that if they throw enough, some of it will stick. They never focus on the approaches that didn't work. There's no tie for that. Wallowing with self pity is for losers. Winners simply learn from their mistakes and quickly try a different approach. The faster they move, the more energy they have. The more different things they try, the more likely they are of succeeding. They make a game out of it. And they never take their focus away from the goal. Their attitude is - there is always a way. I will find a way. I will succeed. A national survey of octogenarians revealed that their biggest regret in life was not having had taken enough risks. Think about that! What they're saying is they realize they did not live life to the fullest and they missed out. When you turn eighty you don't want to have that regret. So go for it. Take a chance. Do something. You'll be glad you did. Copyright © 2007 Ruben Gonzalez 2/13/2011 Get
Started and Don't Quit (From Ruben Gonzalez's book "Becoming Unstoppable.") There
are two parts of courage that lead to success. The first part is the
willingness to begin, to act in faith, to step out boldly in the direction
of your goals with no guarantee of success. The second part of courage is
the willingness to endure, to persist, to refuse to give up, and to keep
on working harder than anyone else. Most
people talk themselves out of even going for their dream. And most of the
ones who make the attempt quit as soon as the going get tough. It's so
sad. Because everyone has the ability to make their dreams come true. It's
sad that so few people have the willingness to do what it takes. That's
why we root for the underdog. That's why we love movies like Rocky and
Rudy. Because all of us have felt like the underdog at one time or
another. Because seeing the underdog win gives us hope that we can win
too. Once
you get started on the road to making your dreams a reality, you must make
the decision to never quit. The decision to never give up gives you a huge
advantage. The person who is most determined usually wins. A
study on goals and perseverance found that 95% of the goals that people
set are ultimately achieved, as long as the person didn't give up. Ninety
five percent! That's almost a guarantee. A guarantee that if you refuse to
quit you will eventually win. The main reason people fail is not because
of lack of ability or opportunities. They fail because they lack the inner
strength to persist in the face of obstacles and difficulties. Don't
worry about failing. Failing is how you learn. You can fail over and over
again, but all it takes is one big success to wipe out all your previous
failures. The only time you can't afford to fail is the last time you try.
The more you persist, the more you will believe in yourself. And the more
you believe in yourself, the more you persist. Your persistence is a
measure of how much you believe in yourself and how much you believe in
your ability to succeed. If you act as if you are guaranteed to succeed,
your belief will grow. Because emotion follows motion. What you do determines how we will feel. Act in spite of your fears and commit to not quit, and I'll promise you that the winner inside you will burst forth to propel you to victory. Copyright © 2007 Ruben Gonzalez 2/6/2011 All
of us need a pick me up now and again. Things may not go our way or
something negative may bring us down. It can be a challenge to stay
positive among the ongoing challenges we face. Therefore, here are some
tips to improve your attitude and be a more positive person – RIGHT NOW!
These are steps you CAN take to create an immediate shift in your
attitude. And if you practice some or all of these regularly, that
positive attitude will begin to come more and more naturally to you. 1.
Gratitude Write
a list of all of the things you are grateful for right now. This isn’t
always an easy task when we have been depressed or negative for so long
but there are always things to be grateful for whether it is that you have
food to eat or limbs to move. For more lasting results, decide that
everyday, you will make a note of at least one thing you are grateful for.
Writing these down will have the added impact of providing a reference to
look back on when your attitude needs a boost. 2.
Everything Happens for a Reason Everything,
I mean EVERYTHING that happens, happens for a reason. If you begin to
evaluate every situation that challenges you and look at how it could be a
benefit rather than a detriment to you, you will begin to change your
attitude. If you are stuck in traffic, perhaps it is because it is causing
you to avoid an accident you may otherwise have had. If you lost a job,
maybe it is because you couldn’t have a new opportunity present itself
until you did, or maybe there is a valuable lesson you need to learn from
that job loss. Every situation can be looked at from two perspectives, the
positive and the negative. If you practice finding the positive reason for
everything, you will change your attitude about everything. 3.
RAKS – Random Acts of Kindness. When
we take time away from our own crappy negative attitude to do something
nice for someone else, it can really improve our attitude immediately. Buy
someone you don’t know a cup of coffee, smile to a stranger in line,
send a complement to someone you care about, send a thank you card for
excellent service received. 4.
Exercise I
know this one sucks but it honestly has a major immediate response to a
negative attitude. By getting our body to move, it releases chemicals in
our brains that are much needed mood enhances. Even dancing counts so have
some fun with it and dance to some great music right away! 5.
Celebrate your successes Think
of all of the things you have been successful doing in your life. Just
like the gratitude, you can start small, however, this is not the time to
“ya, but” yourself. Take full credit for everything you have done and
then celebrate! Really celebrate. Put on some great music, jump up and
down, party like you just won the lottery! Success can come in many shapes
and sizes from graduating from school, buying a house, starting a business
to exercising today, eating healthy today, getting up on time today. 6.
Watch, read or listen to someone inspiring Seeing
where others have come from helps us to realize that our lives aren’t so
bad or that we can do it too. Find a favorite video or source of
inspiration and watch it now for immediate attitude shift and regularly
for permanent attitude shift. 7.
Humor Humor,
much like exercise can cause the release of chemicals within our brains
and help us to focus on something other than our negative attitude. Even
the most humorless people can get benefit from laughing out loud. We
are all amazing individuals and have every right to have a positive
attitude. These tips are easy to implement and can result in immediate
benefits as well as foster lasting change. If more of us can have a
positive attitude, the world will be a better place! Source
URL: http://www.NicoleBandes.com 1/30/2011 Study
methods
Self
commitment
it’s ok if you get failing marks, failing marks are not at all your best
shot! Health
Matters
next day you’re going to forget them all!
Source
URL: http://soerjapfelicia.blogspot.com 1/16/2011 Never
borrow from the future
1/9/2011 Enhance
Learning – Get Emotional By
Mitchell Sahlfeld Think
of the experiences you have had that you remember the most clearly.
Chances are they are the experiences which had the most affect upon your
emotions. They are the experiences that ended up shaping who you have
become and they are the experiences which will stay with you for the rest
of your life. How
do you know not to touch fire? Chances are you have before and remember
just how much it hurts. Touching the fire is linked to pain so much so
that you will always remember to be careful around it lest a disaster
occur. When
we learn new things, the experiences that entice our emotions tend to be
the things we retain the best. The things we learn when we are excited
tend to stay with us throughout life. Sadly, this is why a lot of the
information we get exposed to at schools is lost so quickly; it means
nothing to us. Beating
the Monotony Many
of the things we learn are so laced with emotional content because life
just unfolds in that way. Sometimes, though, we have no choice in the
matter; dullness and some experiences go hand in hand. To beat this
dullness, there has to be some sort of connection made; we have to be able
to see how the current experience connects to prior experiences. We have
to be able to use some imagination in thinking about the subject matter. Discovering
our connectedness to the subject matter will help us become emotionally
involved in the content. The information comes to life and suddenly our
curiosity is piqued. Achieving
this is not easy. Some classes seem so far away from everyday life that no
one could get excited about them, but life does not always hand us the key
for growth. Sometimes we have to use a little imagination and a little
resolve to learn more about our world. Source URL: http://allmustendure.blogspot.com 1/2/2011 How
to Stick To Your New Year’s Resolutions By
Bev James After
the Christmas season of overeating, socializing and general festivities,
most of us come to January with a sense of resolve that we are going to
make some changes to improve either ourselves, or our environment. By
January the First, millions of resolute people make a promise that they
will achieve something different, whether it is stopping smoking, going to
the gym and getting in shape, quitting a bad habit or taking up a new
hobby. The
tradition of New Year’s resolutions goes right back to the Babylonians
four thousand years ago, who used to make pledges involving farming and
agriculture to mark the beginning of the year. Since then, the tradition
was continued by the Romans, the Chinese (who pledged to clean their house
from top to bottom) and now, the modern world. There is something truly
satisfying about making a promise to do something differently, and
subsequently sticking to it, and there is no better time to do it than at
the beginning of a new year, with all the promise and willpower which that
can bring. All
that said, many of us find ourselves making a pledge to achieve something,
only to find that by the end of January or will to achieve has dwindled
somewhat, and we are left feeling disappointed in ourselves. The following
tips are designed to support you in making a great New Year’s
resolution, and stick to it… Choose
something realistic The
most fruitful resolutions involve something which is entirely feasible to
achieve. Rather than telling yourself to lose half your body weight by the
end of the month, cut out drinking for the rest of your life or become the
next leader in world peace, choose something which is within reach. It
could be that you decide to cut down on your alcohol intake, go to the gym
twice a week or pledge to take up a new hobby. Whatever you pick, make
sure it is tangible and can actually be realized, so you don’t lose
heart at the first hurdle. Set
yourself an Nobody
responds well to the thought of endlessly undertaking an activity which
doesn’t inspire them. Deciding that you are going to stop smoking,
forever, is not as effective as telling yourself that you have a target to
quit and not smoke for the next two months. The chances are, as you
progress, you’ll choose to extend your deadlines anyway. The beauty of
this is that you break your resolution up in to a manageable size, making
it easier to realize. Tell
everyone about your plan
Nothing
spurs willpower on more than being encouraged and supported. Tell people
around you what you are planning, to give yourself a little more incentive
to achieve, and line up people to call when your resolve is wavering. Pick
a great reward The
best possible way of achieving something is to give yourself a nice reward
at the end of it. Whether you put some money aside from quitting a habit
to buy yourself something you’ve always wanted, or simply promise
yourself a gift at the end of your resolution, make sure you have a great
incentive to achieve, and make the reward as much a part of the overall
resolution as the job itself. Good
luck! Source
URL: http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/self-help-articles |
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