Successful people have the ability to sacrifice temporary pleasures to get the bigger and more permanent rewards. If you want to achieve and be truly successful, you should be ready to face big challenges in the beginning. You will find that delaying gratification will make you a stronger and more patient individual. Here are some helpful tips.
Sacrifice, For Now
Learn how to give up easy rewards in the beginning. This will help you become more patient and understanding about the entire situation. You have to learn how to sacrifice smaller favors because these can help you focus more on the big goal. Some people get distracted very easily or may be tempted to change paths, just so they can get instant pleasure. You have to concentrate on the overall goal and make sure that you get rid of thoughts and actions that will only delay the process.
Be a Leader
Nobody will make the move for you, so you should pave the way to your own success. You should learn how to set trends. Initiative is very important, because if you only keep following what others are doing, you will most likely end up only in second or third place. You have to devise plans and follow your strategy carefully. Learn how to deal with people and be an effective leader for others to follow.
Confidence
Successful people have failed more than once in their lives. The important thing is that you quickly learn and gain experience from your past failures. It is best that you learn where you went wrong so you can change your strategy and keep aiming for the goal. Resilience and confidence in your abilities are vital to gaining long term success.
To your Success,
Allow me to help teach you and show you the techniques that have helped me make the transition from my cubicle computer to my home computer.
Thomas C. Chandler, Internet Marketer
859-760-3773
http://thomaschandleronlineleader.com/
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Women in Leadership - Become a Successful Executive
Many women leaders I coach have found that they have gotten so involved with their work that they have lost themselves in the process. They are over worked and overwhelmed. Their life is out of balance and sometimes their relationships are on the rocks. We do not have to let that happen to us as women leaders. I know the economy is terrible, jobs are in jeopardy and we are having to do more with less but there are some things you can do to become successful in spite of all of that.
- Live your life authentically and intentionally. Align your values, beliefs and goals and use them to steer all of your decisions and actions. Think carefully about things before you do them - consider the impact you have on other people and things. Use systems thinking to figure out the long-term consequences of your actions. It is better not to have any unintended consequences showing up to cause problems that you could have avoided.
- Grow and develop others. Madelyn Albright is famous for saying that there is a special place in hell for women who do not help other women. Make it your business to mentor and coach deserving women who are looking to you for advice and direction. Don't just devote your time to women - help anyone who needs it. Be a role model for how to develop other people.
- Engage in continuous self-awareness learning. I firmly believe that the more a leader can learn about herself the better leader she will be. Learn how you deal with fear, how you manage your self-talk, what your self-limiting beliefs are and how to get unstuck. Get yourself a good coach to help you really dig and find the stuff deep inside that will make you an outstanding leader. A good coach can be your secret weapon to advance your career.
- Constantly hone and increase your skill set. The business world is changing so rapidly that what was needed yesterday may be obsolete tomorrow. Don't just keep up with change - get ahead of it. Make yourself a life-long learner.
- Find your power and passion. Figure out what is going on when you are in a state of flow. Use it as a model for creating other like situations. Strive to live more and more often in your power and passion. It will feed your soul and keep you motivated.
- Create community where ever you go. Networking and relationship building are essential to your success. Keep those relationships strong because you never know how or when they may be able to help you out in the future.
All of these suggestions require that you take good care of yourself and put your own well-being first. That is essential for you to have the energy and enthusiasm to help others and to do your job well.
Lynn Banis PhD, MCC is known as America's High Performance Coach. Lynn specializes in helping women in leadership positions or wanting to be in leadership positions make the most of their opportunities and potential. She enjoys helping executives and entrepreneurs create their ultimate impact. Her years of working with small and large businesses has given her a depth of knowledge that is invaluable to her clients both as a business and a life coach. Lynn is the autor of two books "The Discovery Journal" and "Discovery Points: A Coaching Guide to Getting Unstuck." Both can be obtained under Lynn's name at http://www.lulu.com/. You can reach her at http://www.discoverypointcoaching.com/. Also check out Lynn's other businesses: Coach Academy Texas, a cutting edge coach training company; and Turnkey Coaching Solutions, a coaching program management and contract coach staffing company.
Leadership and Followers
"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way." - John Maxwell
Leadership implies that there is someone or some thing to lead. It also implies there is a destination, a goal, or an outcome. The leader is the one guiding others along the way. There are leaders and followers. Sometimes people can go quickly from being one to the other. Both positions, leaders and followers, have their pros and cons. Leaders are held responsible for the success or failure of an endeavor. So if a venture is successful, a leader might be promoted to an even higher position. If a venture fails, a leader can be demoted or fired. Leaders are also rewarded and given credit when everything goes right. Some people enjoy the responsibility that comes with being a leader. Followers may enjoy not having to make decisions. Followers may enjoy the simplicity of laboring on tasks versus deciding what tasks to do, why, and how to do them.
Being a leader takes certain kinds of skills. Someone in a leadership position must make decisions and decide how, when, and where things will be done. The burden of the choice falls on his or her shoulders, and so does the burden of the consequences of that choice. The leader must have the knowledge of his industry or profession to know with confidence that he is making the right choice. He also must have communication skills to convey this to his team. There is a certain charisma that a leader must possess. It doesn't have to be that of a public speaker, but simply an aura of strength that others are drawn to want to follow. Finally, the best leaders are also servant minded and humble - willing to do for his team anything necessary to accomplish their established goal.
Followers generally go along with the leader's decisions. Followers may not always agree with what the leader wants to do, but by nature of their position carry out their assigned tasks. Followers help achieve goals but may not be recognized by promotion or pay raises. They are also not be as likely to be fired if the leader is held accountable for his or her choices, but they have a vital role in any accomplishment within the organization - the leader cannot accomplish great things by himself.
Are people born leaders? Not necessarily. People can learn skills to function as better leaders. Many people have instincts or an urge to take control. Other leaders are offered and choose to accept leadership roles. Some leaders are voted into a position. Others take a position by force. Make no mistake about it, no matter how you get there, if you think you are a leader, but have no one following, you are thinking wrong. The very term "leader" implies intrinsically that there is someone following. Only those who influence others to follow can be called leaders. "He who thinks he leads, but has no followers, is only taking a walk." -Chinese Proverb
Leadership appears in everyday life, whether on the playground or in the boardroom. Guiding yourself or others involves determining priorities and making choices. Over time, everyone develops some form of leadership skills and become examples to their peers. Children are generally considered followers. They do what their parents tell them. The parents making the decisions are the leaders. Eventually, children begin to make choices and develop their own leadership skills. Those skills should continue to be developed through adulthood if a leadership role is chosen - and that only happens intentionally, not by default or position.
Both leaders and followers are necessary in any organizational structure. The best leaders were also the best followers first. Being coachable, humble, confident or your abilities, and taking action are the traits that a follower needs to adopt to be good in both roles should leadership opportunities come their way.
More thoughts on leadership to come in Part 2 - Leadership Traits.
Jerry Spangler
Jerry Spangler is currently an Internet Marketer that assists serious entrepreneurs in building profitable online businesses with multiple incomes streams. For more about this business go to: MLMPromisesToday. If you would like to learn more about Jerry Spangler, and the 180 Freedom Group, visit MeetJerrySpangler.com. You may also visit him on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter.
Leadership implies that there is someone or some thing to lead. It also implies there is a destination, a goal, or an outcome. The leader is the one guiding others along the way. There are leaders and followers. Sometimes people can go quickly from being one to the other. Both positions, leaders and followers, have their pros and cons. Leaders are held responsible for the success or failure of an endeavor. So if a venture is successful, a leader might be promoted to an even higher position. If a venture fails, a leader can be demoted or fired. Leaders are also rewarded and given credit when everything goes right. Some people enjoy the responsibility that comes with being a leader. Followers may enjoy not having to make decisions. Followers may enjoy the simplicity of laboring on tasks versus deciding what tasks to do, why, and how to do them.
Being a leader takes certain kinds of skills. Someone in a leadership position must make decisions and decide how, when, and where things will be done. The burden of the choice falls on his or her shoulders, and so does the burden of the consequences of that choice. The leader must have the knowledge of his industry or profession to know with confidence that he is making the right choice. He also must have communication skills to convey this to his team. There is a certain charisma that a leader must possess. It doesn't have to be that of a public speaker, but simply an aura of strength that others are drawn to want to follow. Finally, the best leaders are also servant minded and humble - willing to do for his team anything necessary to accomplish their established goal.
Followers generally go along with the leader's decisions. Followers may not always agree with what the leader wants to do, but by nature of their position carry out their assigned tasks. Followers help achieve goals but may not be recognized by promotion or pay raises. They are also not be as likely to be fired if the leader is held accountable for his or her choices, but they have a vital role in any accomplishment within the organization - the leader cannot accomplish great things by himself.
Are people born leaders? Not necessarily. People can learn skills to function as better leaders. Many people have instincts or an urge to take control. Other leaders are offered and choose to accept leadership roles. Some leaders are voted into a position. Others take a position by force. Make no mistake about it, no matter how you get there, if you think you are a leader, but have no one following, you are thinking wrong. The very term "leader" implies intrinsically that there is someone following. Only those who influence others to follow can be called leaders. "He who thinks he leads, but has no followers, is only taking a walk." -Chinese Proverb
Leadership appears in everyday life, whether on the playground or in the boardroom. Guiding yourself or others involves determining priorities and making choices. Over time, everyone develops some form of leadership skills and become examples to their peers. Children are generally considered followers. They do what their parents tell them. The parents making the decisions are the leaders. Eventually, children begin to make choices and develop their own leadership skills. Those skills should continue to be developed through adulthood if a leadership role is chosen - and that only happens intentionally, not by default or position.
Both leaders and followers are necessary in any organizational structure. The best leaders were also the best followers first. Being coachable, humble, confident or your abilities, and taking action are the traits that a follower needs to adopt to be good in both roles should leadership opportunities come their way.
More thoughts on leadership to come in Part 2 - Leadership Traits.
Jerry Spangler
Jerry Spangler is currently an Internet Marketer that assists serious entrepreneurs in building profitable online businesses with multiple incomes streams. For more about this business go to: MLMPromisesToday. If you would like to learn more about Jerry Spangler, and the 180 Freedom Group, visit MeetJerrySpangler.com. You may also visit him on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter.
Why They Succeed - 9 Qualities of Effortless Leaders
Have you ever wondered why some leaders seem to accomplish their goals almost effortlessly? It's not about their titles or accolades - it has to do with their character.
While there is no magic formula for legendary management, there are nine important character traits that great leaders tend to share. People that exhibit them are able to inspire crowds and achieve more because they develop deep buy-in from others.
This works because they establish their leadership in three main categories: action, emotion, and thought. Often, we engage others on one or two levels, but seldom on all three. If you are unsure of your leadership abilities, ask yourself a simple question: Will people follow me out of the office and into the rain?
Through action, a leader displays:
1. Confidence even when the situation does not merit it.
When things are going according to plan, most people require little outside motivation. It's during times of difficulty and downturn that folks begin to look outward and upward for cues. Normally the job responsibilities, monetary and social benefits, and other factors keep employees engaged. Yet, when they feel threatened by a recession or layoffs, these factors lose their clout. For this reason, confidence from leaders is especially important when it is least practical. During tough times, your people need you most of all. If sales are slumping or jobs are being terminated, confidence from leadership helps increase productivity and mitigate a slumping culture. Best of all, it's absolutely free.
2. Predictability in their actions and expectations of others.
There is one thing that makes hunting harder than target practice: moving goals are harder to hit. Being social creatures with self-interest, most people naturally notice the expectations of their leaders. Many will even adjust their behavior accordingly if incentives, deterrents, and metrics remain constant. Yet, too often, leaders are unsure what they expect of others, or cannot properly communicate these expectations. In such cases, target practice turns into hunting. This downgrades employee energy into frustration and then apathy. Can those around you list the top three things that you expect from them in character and job performance?
3. Frankness in communicating intentions and motives.
When a leader consistently demonstrates her core values through her own actions, others begin to emulate those actions and accommodate those expectations. This is how culture forms. It starts with the leader's character and externalizes itself in the character of others. Yet, although setting an example is important, one cannot lead strictly by example because actions have multiple interpretations. A leader that hopes to inspire a diligent work ethic by arriving at work early may simply be labeled "a morning person." For this reason, successful leaders learn to communicate the intentions behind their actions, and then live up to them. Unless employees have no reason to second-guess your motives, they will not wholeheartedly act on your words.
Through emotion, a leader displays:
4. Sympathy instead of mere empathy or pity.
Healthy communities are created around shared values. Not every leader wants to develop a casual relationship with employees, but all successful leaders must skillfully communicate their humanity. This is especially important in situations about which an employee feels strongly. Although you may not share the emotional beliefs of others, you cannot ignore them. Leaders personalize the feelings of others and relate to them on a human values level in instances where it matters to them. This cultivates a deeper sense of buy-in. The capacity to feel the emotions of others is helpful not only in creating community among your employees, but in addressing the needs of your customers as well.
5. Passion as a main personal motivating force.
Every career provides some tangible and emotional benefits. If leaders foster a culture where the motivation for work is strictly monetary, employees will only be engaged on the level of their desires. If however, they see their leaders motivated by true and meaningful passion, they become engaged on a deeper level. When a core purpose beyond self-interest informs us, our work becomes a much more significant pursuit. For this reason, leaders who can effectively convey their passion as their main motivating force make their enthusiasm contagious and thus better succeed.
6. Patience in dealing with divergent outlooks.
By nature, humans have a hard time stepping out of their own worldviews and assumptions. For this reason, when we hear ideas that conflict with ours, we often dismiss them without due consideration. In doing so, we perform our test under the wrong laboratory conditions. Good leaders have self-knowledge and can recognize when others share different core beliefs. Because growth comes from diversity, they are especially patient with those who have different belief systems or ways of working. By specially cultivating patience in such situations, they create an important ideological balance where ideas and innovation can flourish. In doing so, they avert a large source of employee dissatisfaction and generate increased respect for the leader.
Through thought, a leader displays:
7. Creativity tempered with palpable practicality.
Being a product of the heart, creativity must be paired with a sense of logic. Every artist explains that ingenuity comes from the imposition of limitations. By defining the project with specific and practical guidelines, creativity is given a specific place in which to thrive. When creativity overpowers logic, technology is created for the sake of its sophistication, not its relevance to market needs. Or advertising is made that is artistic, but does not accomplish the client's goals. For this reason, practicality does not impair creativity, but instead enhances and directs it. Leaders embody this balance and cultivate it in others.
8. Fairness in making unbiased and principled judgments
One of the quickest ways to undermine employee enthusiasm is the perception of favoritism. It undermines the fundamental sense of justice and fair play that incentivizes employees. Meritocracy gives everybody an equal feeling of opportunity and draws attention to quality of work. The best way to avoid even the accusation of bias is to base your decisions of a set of unchanging principles. The designers who work for Steve Jobs know that their boss looks for minimalism, efficiency, and cleanliness of design. Because of this, they have a metric by which they can judge the quality of their work. Each mistake becomes a learning opportunity, and establishes precedents that help employees tailor their performance.
9. Discipline in maintaining steadfast focus on key issues.
As much as visionary leadership is important, without discipline, visions seldom become reality. Individuals who are easily distracted by the day-to-day do not maintain a strategic focus on the key long-term issues. For this reason, the best leaders are able to delegate aspects of a project while keeping their focus on a set of key issues. With this focus, they keep track of the overarching picture and better arrange each of the individual pieces into the overall strategic blueprint. Folks who lack this ability may have good ideas but cannot manage the project or maintain direction in complex and multi-faceted projects.
Ravi S. Kudesia is a nationally published thought leader in the worlds of yoga and organizational behavior. His work tackles modern questions of corporate leadership and personal transformation through the lens of yoga philosophy and practice. He is founder of The Leadership Yoga where he regularly writes, speaks, and researches on these subjects. To learn more about his work please visit: http://www.theleadershipyoga.com/
While there is no magic formula for legendary management, there are nine important character traits that great leaders tend to share. People that exhibit them are able to inspire crowds and achieve more because they develop deep buy-in from others.
This works because they establish their leadership in three main categories: action, emotion, and thought. Often, we engage others on one or two levels, but seldom on all three. If you are unsure of your leadership abilities, ask yourself a simple question: Will people follow me out of the office and into the rain?
Through action, a leader displays:
1. Confidence even when the situation does not merit it.
When things are going according to plan, most people require little outside motivation. It's during times of difficulty and downturn that folks begin to look outward and upward for cues. Normally the job responsibilities, monetary and social benefits, and other factors keep employees engaged. Yet, when they feel threatened by a recession or layoffs, these factors lose their clout. For this reason, confidence from leaders is especially important when it is least practical. During tough times, your people need you most of all. If sales are slumping or jobs are being terminated, confidence from leadership helps increase productivity and mitigate a slumping culture. Best of all, it's absolutely free.
2. Predictability in their actions and expectations of others.
There is one thing that makes hunting harder than target practice: moving goals are harder to hit. Being social creatures with self-interest, most people naturally notice the expectations of their leaders. Many will even adjust their behavior accordingly if incentives, deterrents, and metrics remain constant. Yet, too often, leaders are unsure what they expect of others, or cannot properly communicate these expectations. In such cases, target practice turns into hunting. This downgrades employee energy into frustration and then apathy. Can those around you list the top three things that you expect from them in character and job performance?
3. Frankness in communicating intentions and motives.
When a leader consistently demonstrates her core values through her own actions, others begin to emulate those actions and accommodate those expectations. This is how culture forms. It starts with the leader's character and externalizes itself in the character of others. Yet, although setting an example is important, one cannot lead strictly by example because actions have multiple interpretations. A leader that hopes to inspire a diligent work ethic by arriving at work early may simply be labeled "a morning person." For this reason, successful leaders learn to communicate the intentions behind their actions, and then live up to them. Unless employees have no reason to second-guess your motives, they will not wholeheartedly act on your words.
Through emotion, a leader displays:
4. Sympathy instead of mere empathy or pity.
Healthy communities are created around shared values. Not every leader wants to develop a casual relationship with employees, but all successful leaders must skillfully communicate their humanity. This is especially important in situations about which an employee feels strongly. Although you may not share the emotional beliefs of others, you cannot ignore them. Leaders personalize the feelings of others and relate to them on a human values level in instances where it matters to them. This cultivates a deeper sense of buy-in. The capacity to feel the emotions of others is helpful not only in creating community among your employees, but in addressing the needs of your customers as well.
5. Passion as a main personal motivating force.
Every career provides some tangible and emotional benefits. If leaders foster a culture where the motivation for work is strictly monetary, employees will only be engaged on the level of their desires. If however, they see their leaders motivated by true and meaningful passion, they become engaged on a deeper level. When a core purpose beyond self-interest informs us, our work becomes a much more significant pursuit. For this reason, leaders who can effectively convey their passion as their main motivating force make their enthusiasm contagious and thus better succeed.
6. Patience in dealing with divergent outlooks.
By nature, humans have a hard time stepping out of their own worldviews and assumptions. For this reason, when we hear ideas that conflict with ours, we often dismiss them without due consideration. In doing so, we perform our test under the wrong laboratory conditions. Good leaders have self-knowledge and can recognize when others share different core beliefs. Because growth comes from diversity, they are especially patient with those who have different belief systems or ways of working. By specially cultivating patience in such situations, they create an important ideological balance where ideas and innovation can flourish. In doing so, they avert a large source of employee dissatisfaction and generate increased respect for the leader.
Through thought, a leader displays:
7. Creativity tempered with palpable practicality.
Being a product of the heart, creativity must be paired with a sense of logic. Every artist explains that ingenuity comes from the imposition of limitations. By defining the project with specific and practical guidelines, creativity is given a specific place in which to thrive. When creativity overpowers logic, technology is created for the sake of its sophistication, not its relevance to market needs. Or advertising is made that is artistic, but does not accomplish the client's goals. For this reason, practicality does not impair creativity, but instead enhances and directs it. Leaders embody this balance and cultivate it in others.
8. Fairness in making unbiased and principled judgments
One of the quickest ways to undermine employee enthusiasm is the perception of favoritism. It undermines the fundamental sense of justice and fair play that incentivizes employees. Meritocracy gives everybody an equal feeling of opportunity and draws attention to quality of work. The best way to avoid even the accusation of bias is to base your decisions of a set of unchanging principles. The designers who work for Steve Jobs know that their boss looks for minimalism, efficiency, and cleanliness of design. Because of this, they have a metric by which they can judge the quality of their work. Each mistake becomes a learning opportunity, and establishes precedents that help employees tailor their performance.
9. Discipline in maintaining steadfast focus on key issues.
As much as visionary leadership is important, without discipline, visions seldom become reality. Individuals who are easily distracted by the day-to-day do not maintain a strategic focus on the key long-term issues. For this reason, the best leaders are able to delegate aspects of a project while keeping their focus on a set of key issues. With this focus, they keep track of the overarching picture and better arrange each of the individual pieces into the overall strategic blueprint. Folks who lack this ability may have good ideas but cannot manage the project or maintain direction in complex and multi-faceted projects.
Ravi S. Kudesia is a nationally published thought leader in the worlds of yoga and organizational behavior. His work tackles modern questions of corporate leadership and personal transformation through the lens of yoga philosophy and practice. He is founder of The Leadership Yoga where he regularly writes, speaks, and researches on these subjects. To learn more about his work please visit: http://www.theleadershipyoga.com/
Managing the Early Morning Rush
The craziest time of day for parents is that early time in the morning trying to get kids out the door to school. Making sure they are fed, dressed, and have all their school stuff can be overwhelming. It does not have to be this way. A few tips can help to alleviate some of this stress.
One method is to attack the problem at bed time on the previous night. Have the kids lay out their clothes they will wear in the morning. You can also have them double check their books and bags to make sure it is all there. The parent can take this time to make lunches.
If you are on a tight schedule, school days are not the time for a three course hot breakfast. Save that for the weekend. Stock up on easy to prepare breakfast meals such as cereal, yogurt, nuts and breakfast bars.
One of the biggest time killers for a family is the television. If it is turned on, kids will become distracted and glued to watching it. This will adversely affect your chances of getting out of the house on time.
If breakfast is done and everything is prepared it is then the parent's prerogative if they want to turn on the television if there is any remaining time.
Children need a spot chosen for them to place their stuff when they get home from school. Otherwise they will just be prone to dump it on the floor when they get home and then you can't find it the next morning. This bit of organization can be a life saver for sanity and time savings.
Tools to make this designated space work might include hooks for coats in a closet that are on the kid's height level. Containers for smaller items will help the kids from losing them.
This is going to be a daily routine for a long time. Avoid being stressed every morning. Take a few minutes to yourself to relax in the morning before attacking the day.
One variety of wine gift bags, are the white paper bags.
One method is to attack the problem at bed time on the previous night. Have the kids lay out their clothes they will wear in the morning. You can also have them double check their books and bags to make sure it is all there. The parent can take this time to make lunches.
If you are on a tight schedule, school days are not the time for a three course hot breakfast. Save that for the weekend. Stock up on easy to prepare breakfast meals such as cereal, yogurt, nuts and breakfast bars.
One of the biggest time killers for a family is the television. If it is turned on, kids will become distracted and glued to watching it. This will adversely affect your chances of getting out of the house on time.
If breakfast is done and everything is prepared it is then the parent's prerogative if they want to turn on the television if there is any remaining time.
Children need a spot chosen for them to place their stuff when they get home from school. Otherwise they will just be prone to dump it on the floor when they get home and then you can't find it the next morning. This bit of organization can be a life saver for sanity and time savings.
Tools to make this designated space work might include hooks for coats in a closet that are on the kid's height level. Containers for smaller items will help the kids from losing them.
This is going to be a daily routine for a long time. Avoid being stressed every morning. Take a few minutes to yourself to relax in the morning before attacking the day.
One variety of wine gift bags, are the white paper bags.
Effective Time Management Tips for the Home Office
Thanks to the Internet, more and more people are now realizing their dreams of starting up their own business even on a very small capital by simply setting up an office right in the comfort of their own home. Unfortunately, home offices have their own downside. Because you are working at home, trying to juggle the things that you have to do at home and completing the tasks that you need to accomplish for your home business can be quite a challenge. The solution for this is to learn how to effectively manage your time in order to accomplish both your responsibilities at work and at home. Here are just some effective time management tips that you can try out.
Identify the Tasks
The first thing to do is to make a list of all of the tasks you will need to accomplish within the entire day. The best time to do this is at night before you go to bed or in the morning as soon as you wake up. Categorize these tasks into three: family, your home business and yourself. If there are any deadlines that come along with this, make sure that you also include these deadlines in your list. By doing this, you are now able to determine which are the most important tasks that you will need to complete immediately and which ones that you can do later in the day.
Start with the Most Demanding
Quite often than not, many people would often tend to start off with the simplest tasks first and then work on the most difficult ones later in the belief that they would be able to accomplish more. While this may be true, remember that you will be juggling with both responsibilities both at work and at home. By leaving off the more difficult tasks to accomplish later on in the day, you may eventually find yourself being unable to complete this at all because you are already feeling tired and worn down. Instead, start with the most difficult tasks first in the beginning of the day where you are the most alert and have the most amount of energy, and then slowly work your way down to the simpler tasks that require minimal concentration and energy on your part.
Take a Nap
Another helpful tip is to allot some time to take a power nap of 30 minutes early in the afternoon. This way, you are able to allow your body and your mind to relax and recharge itself to help you complete all of the tasks you need to accomplish within the day more effectively without feeling drained or stressed.
Grant has worked in the training and development environment for the past 6 years delivering a range of training initiatives within the areas of customer service, retail management, team development, sales training and call centre training throughout New Zealand and Australia. Visit Grant at http://www.zealmarkgroup.co.nz/
Identify the Tasks
The first thing to do is to make a list of all of the tasks you will need to accomplish within the entire day. The best time to do this is at night before you go to bed or in the morning as soon as you wake up. Categorize these tasks into three: family, your home business and yourself. If there are any deadlines that come along with this, make sure that you also include these deadlines in your list. By doing this, you are now able to determine which are the most important tasks that you will need to complete immediately and which ones that you can do later in the day.
Start with the Most Demanding
Quite often than not, many people would often tend to start off with the simplest tasks first and then work on the most difficult ones later in the belief that they would be able to accomplish more. While this may be true, remember that you will be juggling with both responsibilities both at work and at home. By leaving off the more difficult tasks to accomplish later on in the day, you may eventually find yourself being unable to complete this at all because you are already feeling tired and worn down. Instead, start with the most difficult tasks first in the beginning of the day where you are the most alert and have the most amount of energy, and then slowly work your way down to the simpler tasks that require minimal concentration and energy on your part.
Take a Nap
Another helpful tip is to allot some time to take a power nap of 30 minutes early in the afternoon. This way, you are able to allow your body and your mind to relax and recharge itself to help you complete all of the tasks you need to accomplish within the day more effectively without feeling drained or stressed.
Grant has worked in the training and development environment for the past 6 years delivering a range of training initiatives within the areas of customer service, retail management, team development, sales training and call centre training throughout New Zealand and Australia. Visit Grant at http://www.zealmarkgroup.co.nz/
Finding the Balance Between Work and Home
It might be hard for everyone to balance work and home life, especially for those who have already gotten used to the freedom of non-commitment. During singlehood, what people usually have to think of is just their work schedules and tons of paperwork. However, once they start a family, they will be torn between spending too much time in the office and spending too much time with their families. Neither of these is healthy for a person, since both of these demand undivided attention.
When there is no balance between work and home, chances are that an individual will experience a sense of dissatisfaction that will greatly affect that way he/she views his/her life. This is why before settling down on both of these endeavors; you have to be ready and prepared to take all the consequences of your actions.
Not to scare you, but balancing work and family is never easy. It takes a lot of time and effort on your part before you can actually adjust to both of their demands. However, although it is hard, it is not impossible. Even an average citizen, when given the right and proper tools, will be able to lead a satisfied life without compromising these two things.
Usually, what happens with people who have spent almost half of their lives in singlehood is that they tend to carry their single lifestyle into married life. It takes a while - even months or years - before they realize that they no longer live a carefree life. Because of this, they are prone to making the wrong decisions. They will usually neglect their families and still concentrate on their careers. So the best thing to do is to let the fact that you are now a married person sink in. Once you have realized the implications of your actions, chances are that you will be able to balance your work and home life.
In order to balance work and home life, participation of both parties involved in the marriage is required. The sacrifice of one person is not enough - both the husband and the wife should carry the load together. This means that if one sacrifices something, the other should do the same to make ends meet. This way, even married couples will have quality time with each other during weekends. This strengthens the bond between married couples before they become finally ready to expand the family.
Cathy is a freelance writer who enjoys gardening and camping with her family. Her family loves to use their backyard fire pit and use a convenient firewood cart to keep the wood nice and neat. As an avid gardener, Cathy realizes the importance of a great yard cart to keep her supplies organized while she works!
When there is no balance between work and home, chances are that an individual will experience a sense of dissatisfaction that will greatly affect that way he/she views his/her life. This is why before settling down on both of these endeavors; you have to be ready and prepared to take all the consequences of your actions.
Not to scare you, but balancing work and family is never easy. It takes a lot of time and effort on your part before you can actually adjust to both of their demands. However, although it is hard, it is not impossible. Even an average citizen, when given the right and proper tools, will be able to lead a satisfied life without compromising these two things.
Usually, what happens with people who have spent almost half of their lives in singlehood is that they tend to carry their single lifestyle into married life. It takes a while - even months or years - before they realize that they no longer live a carefree life. Because of this, they are prone to making the wrong decisions. They will usually neglect their families and still concentrate on their careers. So the best thing to do is to let the fact that you are now a married person sink in. Once you have realized the implications of your actions, chances are that you will be able to balance your work and home life.
In order to balance work and home life, participation of both parties involved in the marriage is required. The sacrifice of one person is not enough - both the husband and the wife should carry the load together. This means that if one sacrifices something, the other should do the same to make ends meet. This way, even married couples will have quality time with each other during weekends. This strengthens the bond between married couples before they become finally ready to expand the family.
Cathy is a freelance writer who enjoys gardening and camping with her family. Her family loves to use their backyard fire pit and use a convenient firewood cart to keep the wood nice and neat. As an avid gardener, Cathy realizes the importance of a great yard cart to keep her supplies organized while she works!
How to Concoct a Boredom Antidote
Have you ever thought to yourself - why?
The sun doesn't ever say that it is bored of rising in the boring east and would like what it's like to rise in the west today, or decides to not rise at all. You know right? It's because in nature everything follows a self-consistent and syncopated cycle, which is all important for conserving regulation in the cosmos. It's only we, humanity with all our erroneous ways, who confess to feeling bored.
It is thought that actually admitting to boredom entails we have no inner imaginations. Probably, we also lack resourcefulness since somebody who is in tune with their own unique inner resources would never become apathetic towards life. They'd be too busy pursuing their art, hobbies, talent or just imagination to recede upon, even when they'd have no external source of amusement available to them.
All but the social immoralities such as, substance abuse, alcohol addiction, sexual dependence and even crimes like murder is corroborated by boredom. In intense cases, folks even commit suicide.
You may have heard the set phrase "boredom kills," but, can you kill boredom? There is. All you have to do is go to this site... Just kidding lol back on topic, to salve that little morsel that's not bored and utilize it to gradually enchant and balance the rest of us back into the stream of life.
What precisely is the "boredom monster"? How does it feel when it takes over?
In short the boredom monster drains your energy, it's as if the will to do any type of activity has been sucked away and you feel as if it that 'will' is gone forever (scary right). For instance a lot of people's boredom feels as though they're in a wasteland. It's what I like to call "the belly of the beast" it's where everything seems colorless and dull. When your there you may as well be a walking corpse. You begin to feel sluggish, all your creative thinking begins to fritter away and ideas become humdrum.
More brutal conditions, of feeling bored is a condemnation of our self.
Nevertheless, it is crucial that we differentiate between a actual response towards something that is dumb, dull, dreary and mind numbing, and being wrapped up in a shroud of emptiness, either because of weariness or because we waste too much time doing nothing. The latter is the alarming situations that call for fast solutions- not the occasions when we have to attend a family function, where we have only grandma's friends for company and tasteless food.
Here is two things that should help you break down of your cycle of boredom.
-Understand and comprehend how you got bored in the first place. Is it where you work? It could be a domestic situation. Maybe it's you relationship? Could be your own inner fear that's causing sluggishness and dullness?
-Think, take a minute to investigate and do a little inner work. Trust me when the cause is found you can find a cure for boredom easier.
Boredom is being uninterested in oneself or surroundings. Since that's the case do something's to boost self-esteem or change your surroundings for a moment. Such as:
-Try being of value to another individual (it always makes me feel better when I can bring a smile to someone else's face)
-Discovering a fresh hobby (I know clichéd right but effective)
-You could try doing something for yourself, strictly for egotistical causes and of one's own delight.
Even so, all of the things mentioned above demand effort and movement and the "boredom monster" promotes inertia. Hence, the biggest challenge that you will ever face when slaying the "boredom monster" is to break this inactivity.
So it's best to start with developing a cure for boredom, from the inside-out, it's all important to develop a list of all your restricting habits:
-You could be suppressing a long held desire?
-Did want to beat you head against the wall because this article was so boring?
-For instance you could have found something in this article that you could relate to, but might not want to acknowledge it?
Occasionally we should just think and work to shed our wide-eyed desire to want everything our way and we'll discover that life U-turns for the better with this conclusion. We then learn to value consistency and stick to matters with a more stable mind and calmer heart.
Since there isn't a pill, magic spell or formula to poof you to that mind state, it's best to incorporate the changes in your attitude one at a time step by step, to keep on track just think about some of the above mentioned points.
The sun doesn't ever say that it is bored of rising in the boring east and would like what it's like to rise in the west today, or decides to not rise at all. You know right? It's because in nature everything follows a self-consistent and syncopated cycle, which is all important for conserving regulation in the cosmos. It's only we, humanity with all our erroneous ways, who confess to feeling bored.
It is thought that actually admitting to boredom entails we have no inner imaginations. Probably, we also lack resourcefulness since somebody who is in tune with their own unique inner resources would never become apathetic towards life. They'd be too busy pursuing their art, hobbies, talent or just imagination to recede upon, even when they'd have no external source of amusement available to them.
All but the social immoralities such as, substance abuse, alcohol addiction, sexual dependence and even crimes like murder is corroborated by boredom. In intense cases, folks even commit suicide.
You may have heard the set phrase "boredom kills," but, can you kill boredom? There is. All you have to do is go to this site... Just kidding lol back on topic, to salve that little morsel that's not bored and utilize it to gradually enchant and balance the rest of us back into the stream of life.
What precisely is the "boredom monster"? How does it feel when it takes over?
In short the boredom monster drains your energy, it's as if the will to do any type of activity has been sucked away and you feel as if it that 'will' is gone forever (scary right). For instance a lot of people's boredom feels as though they're in a wasteland. It's what I like to call "the belly of the beast" it's where everything seems colorless and dull. When your there you may as well be a walking corpse. You begin to feel sluggish, all your creative thinking begins to fritter away and ideas become humdrum.
More brutal conditions, of feeling bored is a condemnation of our self.
Nevertheless, it is crucial that we differentiate between a actual response towards something that is dumb, dull, dreary and mind numbing, and being wrapped up in a shroud of emptiness, either because of weariness or because we waste too much time doing nothing. The latter is the alarming situations that call for fast solutions- not the occasions when we have to attend a family function, where we have only grandma's friends for company and tasteless food.
Here is two things that should help you break down of your cycle of boredom.
-Understand and comprehend how you got bored in the first place. Is it where you work? It could be a domestic situation. Maybe it's you relationship? Could be your own inner fear that's causing sluggishness and dullness?
-Think, take a minute to investigate and do a little inner work. Trust me when the cause is found you can find a cure for boredom easier.
Boredom is being uninterested in oneself or surroundings. Since that's the case do something's to boost self-esteem or change your surroundings for a moment. Such as:
-Try being of value to another individual (it always makes me feel better when I can bring a smile to someone else's face)
-Discovering a fresh hobby (I know clichéd right but effective)
-You could try doing something for yourself, strictly for egotistical causes and of one's own delight.
Even so, all of the things mentioned above demand effort and movement and the "boredom monster" promotes inertia. Hence, the biggest challenge that you will ever face when slaying the "boredom monster" is to break this inactivity.
So it's best to start with developing a cure for boredom, from the inside-out, it's all important to develop a list of all your restricting habits:
-You could be suppressing a long held desire?
-Did want to beat you head against the wall because this article was so boring?
-For instance you could have found something in this article that you could relate to, but might not want to acknowledge it?
Occasionally we should just think and work to shed our wide-eyed desire to want everything our way and we'll discover that life U-turns for the better with this conclusion. We then learn to value consistency and stick to matters with a more stable mind and calmer heart.
Since there isn't a pill, magic spell or formula to poof you to that mind state, it's best to incorporate the changes in your attitude one at a time step by step, to keep on track just think about some of the above mentioned points.
The Real Secret to Success and Meaning
There is nothing more valuable than what most people call their "free time." Nothing can radically improve your life more than your other 8 hours. This blog is about life and money. It's about how to radically increase your happiness and make more money by using your other 8 hours. But what are the "other 8 hours" anyway? The answer is more than you think.
The other 8 hours are those precious hours of the day when you are not working or sleeping. How you spend the other 8 hours determines where you are in life, your education, the satisfaction you have with your relationships, your bank account balance, your happiness, and just about everything else that is important to you.
The time you spend sleeping and the time you spend working will, at most, keep you right where you are. But if you invest the other 8 hours -- even a couple of hours once in awhile -- they can radically improve your life. In fact, I'd go so far as to say the other 8 hours may be the most effective thing that can transform your life.
You lose 8 hours to sleep. You sell 8 hours to work. So if you waste the other 8 hours, how can you ever expect to get ahead? The only way to get a life and increase your financial security is to use the other 8 hours to create: This can mean starting a business, working on a side project, inventing, learning something new, and ultimately, increasing your human capital. But -- and this is a big but -- you've got to recognize just how valuable your free time is. Do this:
1. Ask what the other 8 hours have done for you. Play detective. Think about everything that's good in your life. What's the cause? Was it the result of something that happened while you were sleeping, working, or during the other 8 hours? Great relationship? It didn't get that way during your sleep. Great health? I doubt it's from working. Killer job? How'd you get it? When did you go to school? Almost everything can be traced back to the other 8 hours. Your job is to make the connection.
2. Stop calling it "free time." It undermines its significance and importance. The 8 hours you sleep gives your body and mind a chance to recuperate and repair. The 8 hours you work help you pay the bills and survive. The other 8 hours is your opportunity to grow and work toward a better future. It's the most valuable time you have.
If you do just these two things, you'll start to appreciate the power the other 8 hours have had over your life -- and you'll begin to recognize the power they can have in determining the rest of it.
For a limited time, you can download several free resources (assessment, poster, audio interview, video, and more) at http://www.other8hours.com/ and learn more about my new book,The Other 8 Hours: Maximize Your Free Time to Create New Wealth and Purpose.
The other 8 hours are those precious hours of the day when you are not working or sleeping. How you spend the other 8 hours determines where you are in life, your education, the satisfaction you have with your relationships, your bank account balance, your happiness, and just about everything else that is important to you.
The time you spend sleeping and the time you spend working will, at most, keep you right where you are. But if you invest the other 8 hours -- even a couple of hours once in awhile -- they can radically improve your life. In fact, I'd go so far as to say the other 8 hours may be the most effective thing that can transform your life.
You lose 8 hours to sleep. You sell 8 hours to work. So if you waste the other 8 hours, how can you ever expect to get ahead? The only way to get a life and increase your financial security is to use the other 8 hours to create: This can mean starting a business, working on a side project, inventing, learning something new, and ultimately, increasing your human capital. But -- and this is a big but -- you've got to recognize just how valuable your free time is. Do this:
1. Ask what the other 8 hours have done for you. Play detective. Think about everything that's good in your life. What's the cause? Was it the result of something that happened while you were sleeping, working, or during the other 8 hours? Great relationship? It didn't get that way during your sleep. Great health? I doubt it's from working. Killer job? How'd you get it? When did you go to school? Almost everything can be traced back to the other 8 hours. Your job is to make the connection.
2. Stop calling it "free time." It undermines its significance and importance. The 8 hours you sleep gives your body and mind a chance to recuperate and repair. The 8 hours you work help you pay the bills and survive. The other 8 hours is your opportunity to grow and work toward a better future. It's the most valuable time you have.
If you do just these two things, you'll start to appreciate the power the other 8 hours have had over your life -- and you'll begin to recognize the power they can have in determining the rest of it.
For a limited time, you can download several free resources (assessment, poster, audio interview, video, and more) at http://www.other8hours.com/ and learn more about my new book,The Other 8 Hours: Maximize Your Free Time to Create New Wealth and Purpose.
Get Your Life Back - Balancing Work and Home With Time Management
Over the recent years, there has been an increase in the number of people now working from the comfort of their own home. Apart from the convenience brought about by the Internet, many people are now opting to work at home in order for them to have a chance to work at their own pace, be their own boss, cut back on some expenses and be able to spend more time with their family. The sad thing is, not all of people who work from home are able to do so.
Because of the fact that they now work at home, many people tend to have a more difficult time balancing work and family because of the mere fact that their work is just a room away. However, with discipline and time management, balancing work and home is actually achievable. Here are just some ways on how you can balance your responsibilities at work and at home by simply managing your time.
Get Your To-Do List in Order
Creating a to-do list can greatly help you keep track on the different tasks that you will need to accomplish within the day. When creating your to-do list, make sure that you do not only include those tasks involved with your work, but also at home. As a rule of thumb, make sure that you allot the more complex tasks at the start of the day when your energy is at its peak and there is the least amount of distraction from your children who are in school, and save the routine and less-challenging tasks later in the day.
Set a Limited Working Time
A common trap among people who work at home is that they tend to continue on working throughout the day that, before they realize it, they are not able to spend time with their family or for themselves. Take advantage of the fact that you are able to set your own working schedule and working days. Set a time up to when you would be attending to the tasks you need to complete for work and stick to this. Once you have pass this, leave your work and turn your attention to your family and yourself.
Know Your Priorities
Your son has an all-important soccer match this weekend, but your client suddenly offers you a high-paying project which you need to work on the same day of your child's soccer game. Although making an income is important, no amount of money can replace lost time with your family. Learn how politely say no to your clients if you have already made some plans with your family or have pending work to complete. Otherwise, you will find yourself being tied and overwhelmed with so much tasks that need to be accomplished.
Grant has worked in the training and development environment for the past 6 years delivering a range of training initiatives within the areas of customer service, retail management, team development, sales training and call centre training throughout New Zealand and Australia. Visit Grant at http://www.zealmarkgroup.co.nz/
Because of the fact that they now work at home, many people tend to have a more difficult time balancing work and family because of the mere fact that their work is just a room away. However, with discipline and time management, balancing work and home is actually achievable. Here are just some ways on how you can balance your responsibilities at work and at home by simply managing your time.
Get Your To-Do List in Order
Creating a to-do list can greatly help you keep track on the different tasks that you will need to accomplish within the day. When creating your to-do list, make sure that you do not only include those tasks involved with your work, but also at home. As a rule of thumb, make sure that you allot the more complex tasks at the start of the day when your energy is at its peak and there is the least amount of distraction from your children who are in school, and save the routine and less-challenging tasks later in the day.
Set a Limited Working Time
A common trap among people who work at home is that they tend to continue on working throughout the day that, before they realize it, they are not able to spend time with their family or for themselves. Take advantage of the fact that you are able to set your own working schedule and working days. Set a time up to when you would be attending to the tasks you need to complete for work and stick to this. Once you have pass this, leave your work and turn your attention to your family and yourself.
Know Your Priorities
Your son has an all-important soccer match this weekend, but your client suddenly offers you a high-paying project which you need to work on the same day of your child's soccer game. Although making an income is important, no amount of money can replace lost time with your family. Learn how politely say no to your clients if you have already made some plans with your family or have pending work to complete. Otherwise, you will find yourself being tied and overwhelmed with so much tasks that need to be accomplished.
Grant has worked in the training and development environment for the past 6 years delivering a range of training initiatives within the areas of customer service, retail management, team development, sales training and call centre training throughout New Zealand and Australia. Visit Grant at http://www.zealmarkgroup.co.nz/
Perfectionism - 10 Steps To Overcoming It
Here are some ideas on overcoming perfectionism.
1. List the advantages and disadvantages of trying to be perfect. Consider why something has to be perfect. Match the time investment with the value of the task or project. Example: sending a man to the moon and having him safely return to earth requires perfection because one mistake could be fatal. Sending a package in the mail doesn't have to be perfectly packaged, taped, labeled, etc. in order for it to get to its destination.
2. It takes time to be perfect (or as close to it as humanly possible). Adopt the belief that progress is more important than perfection. Over time you will progressively improve. Think of it as a process rather than a destination. No matter how good you get, you can always do better.
3. Good enough is good enough for things that just aren't that important. Save your best performance for the most important things in your life.
4. The enemy of good is perfect: do one thing imperfectly each day. Examples: intentionally miss-match your socks; don't spell check an email.
5. Give yourself a break and delegate when possible. Just because you can do something better than someone else doesn't mean that you should. You may be able to do things better than anyone else, but are you making the best use of your time?
When you've defined your life purpose/mission statement and personal life values/principles, you're more able to focus on what's most important to you and delegate the rest. Any time you can pay someone else less money than your time is worth to do something, do it (unless you get fulfillment from doing it)! That's a basic, economically sound wealth-building truth.
6. Don't take yourself too seriously. Learn to laugh at yourself. Life is too short not to have fun! Develop your sense of humor. Watch comedies. Treat yourself to a live comedy show. Hang out with fun and funny people!
7. Adopt the belief that "I'd rather be happy than perfect."
8. Forgive yourself for not being perfect. Forgive others for not being perfect. Focus on what you like about yourself and others; ignore what you don't like.
9. If your self-esteem is linked to being perfect in everything you do, you're setting yourself up for failure. It's okay to strive for perfection, but when you make it a must you're heading for trouble.
10. Love yourself in spite of your imperfections. We all shine as different facets of the diamond. No one can be perfect at everything. So what? Love and accept yourself anyway - as you are - because 'as you are' is perfect for you, right now.
It is what it is. If you want to be happy, be okay with 'what is,' while you work on continuously improving.
Until you're walking on water, you won't be perfect. It's okay to strive for perfection. That's how you grow and evolve. You get into trouble when you make perfection a 'must.' Make perfection a preference rather than a must and you (and the people around you) will be much happier.
David Humes is a world recognized speaker and author on productivity (time management and Microsoft Outlook) and the psychology of happiness.
1. List the advantages and disadvantages of trying to be perfect. Consider why something has to be perfect. Match the time investment with the value of the task or project. Example: sending a man to the moon and having him safely return to earth requires perfection because one mistake could be fatal. Sending a package in the mail doesn't have to be perfectly packaged, taped, labeled, etc. in order for it to get to its destination.
2. It takes time to be perfect (or as close to it as humanly possible). Adopt the belief that progress is more important than perfection. Over time you will progressively improve. Think of it as a process rather than a destination. No matter how good you get, you can always do better.
3. Good enough is good enough for things that just aren't that important. Save your best performance for the most important things in your life.
4. The enemy of good is perfect: do one thing imperfectly each day. Examples: intentionally miss-match your socks; don't spell check an email.
5. Give yourself a break and delegate when possible. Just because you can do something better than someone else doesn't mean that you should. You may be able to do things better than anyone else, but are you making the best use of your time?
When you've defined your life purpose/mission statement and personal life values/principles, you're more able to focus on what's most important to you and delegate the rest. Any time you can pay someone else less money than your time is worth to do something, do it (unless you get fulfillment from doing it)! That's a basic, economically sound wealth-building truth.
6. Don't take yourself too seriously. Learn to laugh at yourself. Life is too short not to have fun! Develop your sense of humor. Watch comedies. Treat yourself to a live comedy show. Hang out with fun and funny people!
7. Adopt the belief that "I'd rather be happy than perfect."
8. Forgive yourself for not being perfect. Forgive others for not being perfect. Focus on what you like about yourself and others; ignore what you don't like.
9. If your self-esteem is linked to being perfect in everything you do, you're setting yourself up for failure. It's okay to strive for perfection, but when you make it a must you're heading for trouble.
10. Love yourself in spite of your imperfections. We all shine as different facets of the diamond. No one can be perfect at everything. So what? Love and accept yourself anyway - as you are - because 'as you are' is perfect for you, right now.
It is what it is. If you want to be happy, be okay with 'what is,' while you work on continuously improving.
Until you're walking on water, you won't be perfect. It's okay to strive for perfection. That's how you grow and evolve. You get into trouble when you make perfection a 'must.' Make perfection a preference rather than a must and you (and the people around you) will be much happier.
David Humes is a world recognized speaker and author on productivity (time management and Microsoft Outlook) and the psychology of happiness.
The Importance Of Saying No (And How to Do It!)
Do you find yourself saying "yes" to requests just to keep people happy even when you don't have the time to take on anything else? Or do you struggle to say "no" because you're worried about upsetting someone? These scenarios can be hazardous to your career, health and ability to manage your time effectively so it's important to practice the art of saying no. Here's how...
How to Say No
It's often much easier to say yes to a request than to say no because you eliminate the potential of having to deal with an awkward conversation, maybe upsetting someone, or making yourself feel guilty. But it's important to weigh up the price of compromising yourself and your time, which in turn can lead to increased stress levels as well as less time to meet your own goals and objectives, both personally and professionally. Saying no is not a selfish act, and in fact can often be more beneficial because it means that you can spend quality time on the things that you've already committed to.
So when should you say no? Here are 3 strategies you can use to help you determine when to take on extra work:-
Remember that whilst saying no isn't always easy, and in fact it can be nerve wracking and stressful, the side effects associated with being a 'yes-person' can be much more painful in the long run. It's worth the effort to work through these steps and go through the sometimes uncomfortable process of saying no, so that you can take back control of your time and reduce your stress levels.
Written by Faye Hollands, Career Coach and Time Management Specialist at Outshine Consulting. Faye specialises in working ambitious professionals who want to create a career they love, get more done in less time, and be personally and professionally successful.
Click the following link to receive FREE INSTANT ACCESS to a LIVE recording of Faye's recent teleseminar on "How To Create A Career you Love". Click here now for immediate access: http://www.outshineconsulting.com.au/Download.html. Or visit http://www.outshineconsulting.com.au/ for more free career coaching and time management resources.
How to Say No
It's often much easier to say yes to a request than to say no because you eliminate the potential of having to deal with an awkward conversation, maybe upsetting someone, or making yourself feel guilty. But it's important to weigh up the price of compromising yourself and your time, which in turn can lead to increased stress levels as well as less time to meet your own goals and objectives, both personally and professionally. Saying no is not a selfish act, and in fact can often be more beneficial because it means that you can spend quality time on the things that you've already committed to.
So when should you say no? Here are 3 strategies you can use to help you determine when to take on extra work:-
- Be Clear On Your Priorities - make sure you know what your current obligations are before taking on any new commitments. Saying yes when you aren't sure of your workload can lead to disaster
- Consider Stress - is the request short or long-term and is it going to increase your stress levels? If the request is going to add additional stress to your life, especially in the long-term, give it a miss.
- Goodbye Guilt - are you changing your plans and doing more out of obligation or guilt? It's OK to decline an offer and stick to your original game plan - doing otherwise will only add to your stress levels.
- Be respectful - make sure you listen to the request, and be respectful, even if the person asking isn't - don't let your emotions take hold, it's important to stay calm and in control
- You have a right to say no - have confidence in the the fact that it's your right to say no - people will often have more respect for you if they know they can't take you for granted
- Be polite but firm - quit the wishy-washy responses and avoid the 'maybe' approach, this only leads to false hopes which then come back to bite you later on
- Be honest - don't make up an elaborate story about why you can't say yes, just be truthful and honest about your reason
- Prioritise - if your boss asks you to take on more work, consider asking 'What would you like me to give up in order to create the time to do this for you?"
- Avoid obligation - Depending on the circumstances, you're not always obligated to explain your reasons for saying no - don't feel as though you have to elaborate, a simple decline is enough
- Buy some time - if you still feel hesitant to say no, buy some time so that you can consider your options rather than feeling pressured into saying yes on the spot.
Remember that whilst saying no isn't always easy, and in fact it can be nerve wracking and stressful, the side effects associated with being a 'yes-person' can be much more painful in the long run. It's worth the effort to work through these steps and go through the sometimes uncomfortable process of saying no, so that you can take back control of your time and reduce your stress levels.
Click the following link to receive FREE INSTANT ACCESS to a LIVE recording of Faye's recent teleseminar on "How To Create A Career you Love". Click here now for immediate access: http://www.outshineconsulting.com.au/Download.html. Or visit http://www.outshineconsulting.com.au/ for more free career coaching and time management resources.
3 Simple and Effective Time Management Techniques
Many people spend their days in a frenzy of activity, but achieve very little, because they're not concentrating their effort on the things that matter the most. Especially when you have a family and/or are working a JOB while you're trying to build a business so you can finally get out of that Rat Trap, you need to utilize simple techniques to get done what you need to get done in the shortest period of time.
Personal time management skills are essential skills for effective people. When you put into action simple time management, you'll find that you take control of your workload and say goodbye to the often intense stress of work overload.
These are 3 simple and practical techniques that can help you reach the pinnacles of success in your home business or just in general.
1 - Before ending your day, write down 3-5 tasks to be completed the next day. Now these are NOT "goals" but rather "tasks". If you just focus on accomplishing the income producing activities, your goals will be accomplished automatically. Don't stop until you complete these tasks so make sure they're obtainable. Over time this accumulative effort with explode your results!!! Small actions done consistently.....
2 - Oftentimes when we're pulled in so many directions and have so much to do, we feel overwhelmed resulting is our "shutting down" and doing nothing. Especially if time is tight and the last thing you want to do after a long day at your job and getting the kids to bed, is do even more work, this technique works real well. Set a timer for 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes - whatever is "manageable" and doesn't seem like a long time. Then focus on doing the income producing activities and once the time is up, you're done. This is good too because you know it's just a short period of time instead of thinking about all the things you have to do. You can do ANYTHING for 15 minutes a day and it's better than nothing plus you'll feel a sense of accomplishment. Small actions done consistently....
HINT: This is also a very good technique if you build your business utilizing the various social networking sites. The social sites are a great way to build up your warm market and build relationships; however, they are also a HUGE time waster. So, set a timer and when it goes off, you're done!!!! This will help you focus on tasks that produce results too because you know you only have so much time.
3 - One of the most important activities who can do while building your business is "prospecting and recruiting". However, 90% of people fail because they don't and especially when many people have that "phone fear", it's easy to get side-tracked and instead do what's "comfortable" which usually means "non-productive busy work". So, make it a habit to set hourly prospecting and recruiting goals in 30 minute segments. For 30 minutes, unless your house is burning down or some other emergency, all you do is get on the phone and talk to as many prospects as you can for 30 minutes. For one, if you can't set hourly goals, how can you expect to set weekly, monthly, etc. goals and also by making all your calls at once, instead of here and there, this will make that phone feel less heavy to pick up because after the first couple calls, you'll be on a roll. Small actions done consistently.....
At the heart of time management is an important shift in focus: Concentrate on results, not on being busy
Laura Paulson is a Marketing and Home Business Success Coach who escaped the "corporate America" rat race. Her passion is helping individuals create time and financial freedom for themselves and their families. She is looking to partner with self-motivated individuals who are looking to make a positive change in their life and ready to put in the effort to make it happen. To request an interview, go to http://www.corporateamericaescapee.com/
Personal time management skills are essential skills for effective people. When you put into action simple time management, you'll find that you take control of your workload and say goodbye to the often intense stress of work overload.
These are 3 simple and practical techniques that can help you reach the pinnacles of success in your home business or just in general.
1 - Before ending your day, write down 3-5 tasks to be completed the next day. Now these are NOT "goals" but rather "tasks". If you just focus on accomplishing the income producing activities, your goals will be accomplished automatically. Don't stop until you complete these tasks so make sure they're obtainable. Over time this accumulative effort with explode your results!!! Small actions done consistently.....
2 - Oftentimes when we're pulled in so many directions and have so much to do, we feel overwhelmed resulting is our "shutting down" and doing nothing. Especially if time is tight and the last thing you want to do after a long day at your job and getting the kids to bed, is do even more work, this technique works real well. Set a timer for 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes - whatever is "manageable" and doesn't seem like a long time. Then focus on doing the income producing activities and once the time is up, you're done. This is good too because you know it's just a short period of time instead of thinking about all the things you have to do. You can do ANYTHING for 15 minutes a day and it's better than nothing plus you'll feel a sense of accomplishment. Small actions done consistently....
HINT: This is also a very good technique if you build your business utilizing the various social networking sites. The social sites are a great way to build up your warm market and build relationships; however, they are also a HUGE time waster. So, set a timer and when it goes off, you're done!!!! This will help you focus on tasks that produce results too because you know you only have so much time.
3 - One of the most important activities who can do while building your business is "prospecting and recruiting". However, 90% of people fail because they don't and especially when many people have that "phone fear", it's easy to get side-tracked and instead do what's "comfortable" which usually means "non-productive busy work". So, make it a habit to set hourly prospecting and recruiting goals in 30 minute segments. For 30 minutes, unless your house is burning down or some other emergency, all you do is get on the phone and talk to as many prospects as you can for 30 minutes. For one, if you can't set hourly goals, how can you expect to set weekly, monthly, etc. goals and also by making all your calls at once, instead of here and there, this will make that phone feel less heavy to pick up because after the first couple calls, you'll be on a roll. Small actions done consistently.....
At the heart of time management is an important shift in focus: Concentrate on results, not on being busy
Laura Paulson is a Marketing and Home Business Success Coach who escaped the "corporate America" rat race. Her passion is helping individuals create time and financial freedom for themselves and their families. She is looking to partner with self-motivated individuals who are looking to make a positive change in their life and ready to put in the effort to make it happen. To request an interview, go to http://www.corporateamericaescapee.com/
Self-Empowerment and the Three Resources - Time, Energy, Money
Over the course of my 18 years as a psychotherapist in private practice in West Hollywood, California, I've come to utilize a number of phrases that summarize the wisdom of various theorists from Sigmund Freud, the "founder" of psychotherapy, to Louise Hay, an 80′s New Age inspirational author. But, also along the way, I've developed a few phrases of my own, "Ken-isms" I like to call them, based on my many observations, that have helped many people in various classic problem situations that I see over and over. Perhaps my favorite concept in treatment is "self-empowerment" (which is the name of my upcoming book, Self-Empowerment: Have the Life You Want!), because I believe in helping people empower themselves to improve their quality of life in various areas, such as your health, mental health, relationships, career, and finances. One of my favorite "Ken-isms" is encouraging my clients to spend their resources of Time, Energy, and Money according to their Values, Priorities, and Goals. What does this mean? Let's take each one of those six elements:
Time - We hear a lot about "time management", meaning that time is the great equalizer in that we all get 24 hours in a day, so the variable is how we "manage" those hours. As a resource, time is especially precious because it can't be stored, sped up, slowed down, or reversed. Once it's spent, it's gone. To control how we spend our time, we need resolve, determination, control, and a clear vision of our values, priorities and goals.
Energy - Energy, in the personal sense, relates to our physical stamina, and our ability to focus our energy on a specific task. This can vary based on our age, genetic makeup, and other individual differences. Just like there are only so many hours in a day, we each only have so much energy to give; it's a finite resource and we need to choose its expenditures carefully.
Money - Unlike Time and Energy, money is a potentially unlimited resource at our disposal, depending on our life circumstances. And, unlike Time and Energy, it can be a tangible resource that we can hold and touch in the form of currency. But for most of us, it is indeed a finite resource, and like Time, we must spend it carefully in order not to squander it.
Values - While the word "values" has been corrupted and sullied by the Right Wing with the term "Traditional Family Values", a euphemism for antigay bigotry and hatred, there are humanistic and positive values as well. When we expend our resources of Time, Energy, and Money according to our values, we are controlling the expenditures in accordance with a set of guiding philosophies. For example, I don't spend money at Wal-Mart because their corporate policies are in violation of my social and political values. I don't spend time watching football because that's in violation of my values of the hobbies I'm interested in. I do spend energy on working out, because that's in line with my values of taking care of my body.
Priorities - Our priorities in life are the things that, relative to other things, we hold in high esteem and importance. There aren't enough resources to expend equal amounts of resource on all things, so we must have priorities. If there isn't enough time in an evening to pay my bills online and go to the gym, I might skip paying bills as long as they're not overdue, because I'm making the gym a priority of how to spend my time. If I don't have the energy to both clean the kitchen and reorganize the closet, I might clean the kitchen since that's a daily priority.
Goals - Our goals are the short-term and long-term visions that we have for ourselves to make our lives satisfactory. If we are going to reach future goals, we need to regulate and expend our resources with those goals in mind. If my goal is to lose 2 inches off my waist, I need to expend time at the gym working out, money to renew my gym membership, and energy to complete certain exercises. The consistent application of our resources, over time, is what helps us reach our goals.
Whenever we feel out of control in our lives, and it feels like things just "aren't going well", it probably means we have to be more disciplined about spending our resources of time, energy, and money according to our values, priorities and goals. We need to remind ourselves, as we discipline ourselves, that we are responsible for our lives, we are calling the shots, and it's up to us to focus on what we want to achieve. While being more disciplined can feel like work, it's actually in our best interest to do it. We feel more in control, and more empowered. If you practice this "Ken-ism" consistently, you can move toward your goals and... Have the Life You Want!
Ken Howard, MSW, LCSW, is a licensed psychotherapist and life/business coach with over 18 years experience in Los Angeles. A free library of his articles, e-zine newsletter, blog, and podcasts are available on his website, http://www.havethelifeyouwant.com/, as well as booking information for motivational speaking and workshops
Time - We hear a lot about "time management", meaning that time is the great equalizer in that we all get 24 hours in a day, so the variable is how we "manage" those hours. As a resource, time is especially precious because it can't be stored, sped up, slowed down, or reversed. Once it's spent, it's gone. To control how we spend our time, we need resolve, determination, control, and a clear vision of our values, priorities and goals.
Energy - Energy, in the personal sense, relates to our physical stamina, and our ability to focus our energy on a specific task. This can vary based on our age, genetic makeup, and other individual differences. Just like there are only so many hours in a day, we each only have so much energy to give; it's a finite resource and we need to choose its expenditures carefully.
Money - Unlike Time and Energy, money is a potentially unlimited resource at our disposal, depending on our life circumstances. And, unlike Time and Energy, it can be a tangible resource that we can hold and touch in the form of currency. But for most of us, it is indeed a finite resource, and like Time, we must spend it carefully in order not to squander it.
Values - While the word "values" has been corrupted and sullied by the Right Wing with the term "Traditional Family Values", a euphemism for antigay bigotry and hatred, there are humanistic and positive values as well. When we expend our resources of Time, Energy, and Money according to our values, we are controlling the expenditures in accordance with a set of guiding philosophies. For example, I don't spend money at Wal-Mart because their corporate policies are in violation of my social and political values. I don't spend time watching football because that's in violation of my values of the hobbies I'm interested in. I do spend energy on working out, because that's in line with my values of taking care of my body.
Priorities - Our priorities in life are the things that, relative to other things, we hold in high esteem and importance. There aren't enough resources to expend equal amounts of resource on all things, so we must have priorities. If there isn't enough time in an evening to pay my bills online and go to the gym, I might skip paying bills as long as they're not overdue, because I'm making the gym a priority of how to spend my time. If I don't have the energy to both clean the kitchen and reorganize the closet, I might clean the kitchen since that's a daily priority.
Goals - Our goals are the short-term and long-term visions that we have for ourselves to make our lives satisfactory. If we are going to reach future goals, we need to regulate and expend our resources with those goals in mind. If my goal is to lose 2 inches off my waist, I need to expend time at the gym working out, money to renew my gym membership, and energy to complete certain exercises. The consistent application of our resources, over time, is what helps us reach our goals.
Whenever we feel out of control in our lives, and it feels like things just "aren't going well", it probably means we have to be more disciplined about spending our resources of time, energy, and money according to our values, priorities and goals. We need to remind ourselves, as we discipline ourselves, that we are responsible for our lives, we are calling the shots, and it's up to us to focus on what we want to achieve. While being more disciplined can feel like work, it's actually in our best interest to do it. We feel more in control, and more empowered. If you practice this "Ken-ism" consistently, you can move toward your goals and... Have the Life You Want!
Ken Howard, MSW, LCSW, is a licensed psychotherapist and life/business coach with over 18 years experience in Los Angeles. A free library of his articles, e-zine newsletter, blog, and podcasts are available on his website, http://www.havethelifeyouwant.com/, as well as booking information for motivational speaking and workshops
Time Management - 7 Ways to Work Less Hours Using a Smartphone
We all have some time available when we are traveling or waiting for our appointment to arrive. When you are a smartphone user you can put this time to very good use. Doing this gives me the ability to finish my daily planned tasks sooner. I see this as working less hours a day.
I am a iPhone user myself, but the below steps will also work if you have an Android or Windows Mobile smartphone. Below are the 7 important features I use on a daily basis:
1. Read emails
You can add almost any type of email accounts to your phones mail application. For some you can even get an instant message(push email) when a new mail arrives.
2. Up to date calendar
Syncing an online calendar with your phone makes it easier to add and remove entry's. Let's face it, typing on a mobile device got a lot easier, but it is still not quicker than typing text on a full size keyboard. In my business I use a system that allows me to add upcoming conferences/events straight into my Gmail calendar. That is why I sync using my Gmail account, for free.
3. Educational Podcasts
Always have your latest educational podcasts available to educate yourself on the go. Unfortunately I have not yet found a way to sync my podcasts directly over WiFi. This means I need to connect the smartphone to my PC or Mac to get the latest Podcasts I subscribed to.
4. Latest news by interests
Read the latest updates from sites you subscribed to using RSS. I use Google reader on my PC, as this gives me the ability to access add and delete subscriptions from any web browser. I have an iPhone app that allows me to view and sync my subscribed entry's.
5. Carry bookmarks
When I come across interesting pages I bookmark these on my PC or iPhone. Syncing these with an online service allows me to view my bookmarks wherever I am. To do this I use xmarks.
6. Cheap international calls
There are various company's offering VOIP services. Lots of them ask a small fee that let's you make unlimited calls to landlines in almost every country. I use Siphon on my iPhone. Using it over WiFi gives me much better sound quality then when I use it over 3G.
7. Access to social media services
These days social media services, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc. are not only important for personal use, but also for business use. Most of them are free to install and work very well.
Using a smartphone can give you a lot more freedom to move around. When circumstances allow it you can put wasted time to good use. To find out more on how to work less hours visit my blog. You can find it at: http://www.robertobom.com/
I am a iPhone user myself, but the below steps will also work if you have an Android or Windows Mobile smartphone. Below are the 7 important features I use on a daily basis:
1. Read emails
You can add almost any type of email accounts to your phones mail application. For some you can even get an instant message(push email) when a new mail arrives.
2. Up to date calendar
Syncing an online calendar with your phone makes it easier to add and remove entry's. Let's face it, typing on a mobile device got a lot easier, but it is still not quicker than typing text on a full size keyboard. In my business I use a system that allows me to add upcoming conferences/events straight into my Gmail calendar. That is why I sync using my Gmail account, for free.
3. Educational Podcasts
Always have your latest educational podcasts available to educate yourself on the go. Unfortunately I have not yet found a way to sync my podcasts directly over WiFi. This means I need to connect the smartphone to my PC or Mac to get the latest Podcasts I subscribed to.
4. Latest news by interests
Read the latest updates from sites you subscribed to using RSS. I use Google reader on my PC, as this gives me the ability to access add and delete subscriptions from any web browser. I have an iPhone app that allows me to view and sync my subscribed entry's.
5. Carry bookmarks
When I come across interesting pages I bookmark these on my PC or iPhone. Syncing these with an online service allows me to view my bookmarks wherever I am. To do this I use xmarks.
6. Cheap international calls
There are various company's offering VOIP services. Lots of them ask a small fee that let's you make unlimited calls to landlines in almost every country. I use Siphon on my iPhone. Using it over WiFi gives me much better sound quality then when I use it over 3G.
7. Access to social media services
These days social media services, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc. are not only important for personal use, but also for business use. Most of them are free to install and work very well.
Using a smartphone can give you a lot more freedom to move around. When circumstances allow it you can put wasted time to good use. To find out more on how to work less hours visit my blog. You can find it at: http://www.robertobom.com/
Time Management is the Pillar of Goal Setting - Busy Holistic Practitioners Need Work-Life Balance
Have you been spending time trying to figure out how to get more clients and then trying to figure out how to manage and reduce your hectic work-load because you are experiencing burn-out, or have you become static in your private practice building and been wasting time procrastinating and do not have much energy or motivation right now?
"Time is infinitely more precious than money, and there is nothing common between them. You cannot accumulate time; you cannot borrow time; you can never tell how much time you have left in the Bank of Life. Time is life..."-Israel Davidson
If any of these challenges are holding you back to, then time management would seem like a good idea, right?
Think about it, taking time-out to constructively access what is working and what is not working, clarifying your goals in all areas of your life, means you get to live the life you desire. Your goals are at the core of your purpose and placing your career in alignment with your purpose is the reason for being on this planet.
In my experience as a Vision and Life Purpose Business Coach I have not heard anyone say that it naturally come to them that other stuff has to wait because they are busy creating a 'vibrant' practice that is a joy to work in and their work/life balance comes first!
Holistic Practitioners and Spiritual Entrepreneurs get side tracked and road blocked for countless reasons. Many of us at some point in our lives have made decisions based on the time we have available and the time we do not have and often double book or over work ourselves just to get everything done.
We all have roles to fulfil in life and managing and juggling time can feel overwhelming at times, especially if we find it hard to say 'no' (people please) because it makes us feel comfortable and we are guilt ridden at the thought of letting others down.
You have to MAKE your TIME work for YOU, not against you! Giving yourself permission to do things for you and doing things as and when you choose to throughout your day and work week is up lifting and creates holistic work/ life balance.
Saying no gets much easier when you know if you say yes, for the sake of saying yes, it may just be thing that sends everything else out of balance.
Many of the time management books or workshops out there, have a list as long as your arm on important keys ways to manage your time, from lists of lists, time saving quick tips, must do's and must don'ts, actions lists, delegation, to time schedules. And these are great for a while if we stick to them, more often than not as human nature would have it, old habits kick in.
The key thing to ask yourself is, how important to you is managing your time, what results will it bring you, kinda what is in it for me, why should I make so much effort?
When your life is out of balance you serve your clients from a less than ideal place and your loved ones miss out on you time. Having systems and structure for your life and business means your home and work space and mind becomes de-cluttered, organised and you are much more willing to make plans for great changes.
It becomes logical to set goals that are inspiring, challenging, realistic and suit the direction you want to take your life and your private practice in.
Time management; or use of the same 24 hours in the day (that we all have) effectively is a vital element for creating your vision and making your difference in the world with out experiencing burn-out or putting aside other commitments, hobbies or family time.
When you feel confident you can commit to self management and self leadership, and begin to manage your time in effective ways, all the people and resources you need to support your life changes come in unexpected ways. You have the freedom to fulfil your purpose, easily and effortless and have time for the other important areas of your life.
If you integrated a plan for attaining your top three goals for each area of your life, would you feel more centred, balanced and fulfilled? How much time do you have? How much time do any of us have left?
This article is intended to get you to think about your life purpose, inspire you to choose to manage your time well enough to work on your goals and life direction. For me it is a 'no brainer' to use the time I have to enjoy my life and do what ever it takes to live the lifestyle I desire and have fun whilst making my difference in the world!
When all said and done we only get one life and can not go back and re-do the important moments our loved ones wanted to share with us, if we miss them, they are gone! We have a passion to make our clients feel better, but I would suggest not at the cost of you and your family. There is away to do more of what you love and have more fun, therefore time management is the pillar of goal setting and running a successful private practice and creating holistic work/life balance.
Iona - The Vision Coach supports holistic practitioners and spiritual entrepreneurs to overcome fear, resistance and teaches how to align vision, life purpose and use law of attraction to building a vibrant private practice.
With her teleclasses, action groups, coaching programs, spiritual mastermind alliance info-products and soon to come spiritual entrepreneurial community, Iona shows holistic practitioners how they can make their difference with a supportive holistic network with less struggle on their part.
To receive life purpose, business and marketing tips, be sure to join the International Holistic Practitioners Leadership Alliance call to leave your contact details or ask any questions one of the team will be happy to speak with you +44(0) 1473 432552
It's FREE to join your Welcome Pack will be emailed to you included is:
70 Page Special Report: 'The Astonishing Power of Vision Marketing The Laziest Way To Build Your Holistic Spiritual Practice.
Visioning & Goal Setting Guide:4 Steps To Project Your Practice Vision and Live Your Life With Purpose Everyday!
"Time is infinitely more precious than money, and there is nothing common between them. You cannot accumulate time; you cannot borrow time; you can never tell how much time you have left in the Bank of Life. Time is life..."-Israel Davidson
If any of these challenges are holding you back to, then time management would seem like a good idea, right?
Think about it, taking time-out to constructively access what is working and what is not working, clarifying your goals in all areas of your life, means you get to live the life you desire. Your goals are at the core of your purpose and placing your career in alignment with your purpose is the reason for being on this planet.
In my experience as a Vision and Life Purpose Business Coach I have not heard anyone say that it naturally come to them that other stuff has to wait because they are busy creating a 'vibrant' practice that is a joy to work in and their work/life balance comes first!
Holistic Practitioners and Spiritual Entrepreneurs get side tracked and road blocked for countless reasons. Many of us at some point in our lives have made decisions based on the time we have available and the time we do not have and often double book or over work ourselves just to get everything done.
We all have roles to fulfil in life and managing and juggling time can feel overwhelming at times, especially if we find it hard to say 'no' (people please) because it makes us feel comfortable and we are guilt ridden at the thought of letting others down.
You have to MAKE your TIME work for YOU, not against you! Giving yourself permission to do things for you and doing things as and when you choose to throughout your day and work week is up lifting and creates holistic work/ life balance.
Saying no gets much easier when you know if you say yes, for the sake of saying yes, it may just be thing that sends everything else out of balance.
Many of the time management books or workshops out there, have a list as long as your arm on important keys ways to manage your time, from lists of lists, time saving quick tips, must do's and must don'ts, actions lists, delegation, to time schedules. And these are great for a while if we stick to them, more often than not as human nature would have it, old habits kick in.
The key thing to ask yourself is, how important to you is managing your time, what results will it bring you, kinda what is in it for me, why should I make so much effort?
When your life is out of balance you serve your clients from a less than ideal place and your loved ones miss out on you time. Having systems and structure for your life and business means your home and work space and mind becomes de-cluttered, organised and you are much more willing to make plans for great changes.
It becomes logical to set goals that are inspiring, challenging, realistic and suit the direction you want to take your life and your private practice in.
Time management; or use of the same 24 hours in the day (that we all have) effectively is a vital element for creating your vision and making your difference in the world with out experiencing burn-out or putting aside other commitments, hobbies or family time.
When you feel confident you can commit to self management and self leadership, and begin to manage your time in effective ways, all the people and resources you need to support your life changes come in unexpected ways. You have the freedom to fulfil your purpose, easily and effortless and have time for the other important areas of your life.
If you integrated a plan for attaining your top three goals for each area of your life, would you feel more centred, balanced and fulfilled? How much time do you have? How much time do any of us have left?
This article is intended to get you to think about your life purpose, inspire you to choose to manage your time well enough to work on your goals and life direction. For me it is a 'no brainer' to use the time I have to enjoy my life and do what ever it takes to live the lifestyle I desire and have fun whilst making my difference in the world!
When all said and done we only get one life and can not go back and re-do the important moments our loved ones wanted to share with us, if we miss them, they are gone! We have a passion to make our clients feel better, but I would suggest not at the cost of you and your family. There is away to do more of what you love and have more fun, therefore time management is the pillar of goal setting and running a successful private practice and creating holistic work/life balance.
Iona - The Vision Coach supports holistic practitioners and spiritual entrepreneurs to overcome fear, resistance and teaches how to align vision, life purpose and use law of attraction to building a vibrant private practice.
With her teleclasses, action groups, coaching programs, spiritual mastermind alliance info-products and soon to come spiritual entrepreneurial community, Iona shows holistic practitioners how they can make their difference with a supportive holistic network with less struggle on their part.
To receive life purpose, business and marketing tips, be sure to join the International Holistic Practitioners Leadership Alliance call to leave your contact details or ask any questions one of the team will be happy to speak with you +44(0) 1473 432552
It's FREE to join your Welcome Pack will be emailed to you included is:
70 Page Special Report: 'The Astonishing Power of Vision Marketing The Laziest Way To Build Your Holistic Spiritual Practice.
Visioning & Goal Setting Guide:4 Steps To Project Your Practice Vision and Live Your Life With Purpose Everyday!
Deadlines Are Your Friends
If you cannot complete your project in time, you may lose your job. You have to complete your project in time, leveraging the talent of your team members. Your team is confused whether you will start the project or not. The thing which will make you inactive is your first enemy. That is your internal enemy 'laziness'. You have to get rid of this menace which will make you a grand failure. Deadlines are the friends of successful people. Never relax that you have deadline till tomorrow. Advance your deadline, complete the task and relax. How this laziness creeps into our life?
Laziness is your childhood friend. You never did your homework immediately after coming from school. Always running and last minute adjustments forced you to meet deadlines in a hurried manner. Sometimes or most of the times you miss your deadline and end up in failure.
That is the past. But now you are a responsible professional. Your boss may entrust you a task trusting your abilities and attitude to complete the work in time. Your laziness will not allow you even to start the task. Leave alone, completing the task in time. Let us follow deadlines to meet success and kill laziness.
A deadline is your friend which will drive you towards success. If you do not have deadline, you will never feel like completing the task in time. Plan meticulously to meet your deadlines. Decide a date to complete the task. Try completing the task in phases. If you can respect your last date, you can finish the task without fail. If you do not have respect on your deadline, you will hate yourself and the world also does not hesitate to hate you.
A deadline is a thought. A deadline is an action that will help you immerse in your work. Work will become your habit. It will take you from inaction to initiative and commitment. If you wish to complete your project in time, it will teach you the way of planning. If you wish to manage your time effectively, your body also has to cooperate. Physical fitness is one prime thing on which you have to concentrate to complete your task in time. If you wake up early in the morning and start your task, it will help you to complete your task. Do not postpone any task for the sake of auspicious time to start. The moment you decide to do a good thing, there starts your auspicious time.
Concentrate on your deadlines. Never postpone anything till last minute. Respect your time to embrace success. If you want to become proactive, productive and progressive, follow your deadlines diligently.
Laziness is your childhood friend. You never did your homework immediately after coming from school. Always running and last minute adjustments forced you to meet deadlines in a hurried manner. Sometimes or most of the times you miss your deadline and end up in failure.
That is the past. But now you are a responsible professional. Your boss may entrust you a task trusting your abilities and attitude to complete the work in time. Your laziness will not allow you even to start the task. Leave alone, completing the task in time. Let us follow deadlines to meet success and kill laziness.
A deadline is your friend which will drive you towards success. If you do not have deadline, you will never feel like completing the task in time. Plan meticulously to meet your deadlines. Decide a date to complete the task. Try completing the task in phases. If you can respect your last date, you can finish the task without fail. If you do not have respect on your deadline, you will hate yourself and the world also does not hesitate to hate you.
A deadline is a thought. A deadline is an action that will help you immerse in your work. Work will become your habit. It will take you from inaction to initiative and commitment. If you wish to complete your project in time, it will teach you the way of planning. If you wish to manage your time effectively, your body also has to cooperate. Physical fitness is one prime thing on which you have to concentrate to complete your task in time. If you wake up early in the morning and start your task, it will help you to complete your task. Do not postpone any task for the sake of auspicious time to start. The moment you decide to do a good thing, there starts your auspicious time.
Concentrate on your deadlines. Never postpone anything till last minute. Respect your time to embrace success. If you want to become proactive, productive and progressive, follow your deadlines diligently.
6 Things I Wish I Knew About Stress and Meditation When I Was Just Starting Out
Entrepreneurs and solopreneurs who I have facilitated are so focused on making money that stress and meditation is usually a second thought after a crisis. This behavior can become very costly as they continue to work hard to achieve their goal. I t hurts my heart to see well intentioned individuals forcing life to happen faster when there are so many tips and ideas that not only can save them a ton of money but allow them to achieve their dream in peace and harmony. And I am about to reveal 6 keys about stress and meditation that I wish I knew when I was starting out.
#1: So, is daily reflection good for your health?
People of all ages face stress almost daily. We can conquer some of the effects of stress on our body by having healthy eating habits, sleeping when we should, and by using meditation.
#2: What can contemplation do for you?
Reflection can be good for your health in many ways. Contemplation can control your emotions, reduce anxiety, and ease stress. Meditation can help you remain calm, think positive thoughts, and sleep better.
#3: What do Christians call meditation?
There are many forms of meditation. Christians call it prayer; others call it clearing your mind, and focusing on positive images. Part of reflection is breathing correctly. Oxygen helps clear toxins from your body and is essential to good health. Your cells need oxygen to function, especially your brain and heart.
#4: Do stressful situation make us healthy?
Stress, overtiredness, and anxiety can cause irritability, unhappiness, and impatient with those around us. It can make us unhappy and impatient with our own life and the circumstances we live in. If we can combat that with daily reflection we can be a healthier and happier person.
#5: Can we focus using meditation?
Thoughtfulness each day, even if it is only for ten to fifteen minutes can help handle stress, ease anxiety, and clear our minds so we can sleep better. It helps to focus our minds on the important events that we are facing, and ease the stress that comes with those events.
#6: A word of caution: Let's face it happy occasions can cause stress.
Happy occasions can cause stress. A new job, home, or relationship can cause stress. Taking a few moments every day to reflect and practice good breathing techniques can ease stress about happy events. Now that you understand there is not only hope but a define course of action you can take to start your dream of embracing stress and meditation and move beyond any question or concerns once and for all. Just imagine how much more energy, clarity and fun you can have in life. Now I would suggest you get started by taking action on one of the suggestions I outlined in heart of the article. Peace.
About the Author - Curious about additional, effective stress reduction tips? You can discover 21 extra effective ways for creating your own stress relief management system with the free "21 Stress -Stopper formulas for a healthy and happy life" special report at http://emptyyourcup.com/stressstopperformula.php.
#1: So, is daily reflection good for your health?
People of all ages face stress almost daily. We can conquer some of the effects of stress on our body by having healthy eating habits, sleeping when we should, and by using meditation.
#2: What can contemplation do for you?
Reflection can be good for your health in many ways. Contemplation can control your emotions, reduce anxiety, and ease stress. Meditation can help you remain calm, think positive thoughts, and sleep better.
#3: What do Christians call meditation?
There are many forms of meditation. Christians call it prayer; others call it clearing your mind, and focusing on positive images. Part of reflection is breathing correctly. Oxygen helps clear toxins from your body and is essential to good health. Your cells need oxygen to function, especially your brain and heart.
#4: Do stressful situation make us healthy?
Stress, overtiredness, and anxiety can cause irritability, unhappiness, and impatient with those around us. It can make us unhappy and impatient with our own life and the circumstances we live in. If we can combat that with daily reflection we can be a healthier and happier person.
#5: Can we focus using meditation?
Thoughtfulness each day, even if it is only for ten to fifteen minutes can help handle stress, ease anxiety, and clear our minds so we can sleep better. It helps to focus our minds on the important events that we are facing, and ease the stress that comes with those events.
#6: A word of caution: Let's face it happy occasions can cause stress.
Happy occasions can cause stress. A new job, home, or relationship can cause stress. Taking a few moments every day to reflect and practice good breathing techniques can ease stress about happy events. Now that you understand there is not only hope but a define course of action you can take to start your dream of embracing stress and meditation and move beyond any question or concerns once and for all. Just imagine how much more energy, clarity and fun you can have in life. Now I would suggest you get started by taking action on one of the suggestions I outlined in heart of the article. Peace.
About the Author - Curious about additional, effective stress reduction tips? You can discover 21 extra effective ways for creating your own stress relief management system with the free "21 Stress -Stopper formulas for a healthy and happy life" special report at http://emptyyourcup.com/stressstopperformula.php.
Relieve Your Stress - How Not Knowing Everything Can Be a Relief
As we grow up we are taught that knowing everything is a good thing. Unfortunately this belief secretly limits us and causes us stress.
This is especially in the world of work, where we're expected to know everything about our jobs, place of work, people there and how it all works. In some cases we get rewarded for the more we know.
You can become much more confident in yourself by holding a belief that not knowing is liberating. Not knowing can bring relief to you and the people around you.
Having to know everything leads us to be mind readers, so we think we know what people are thinking, feeling and saying.
Ask yourself how often you think you know what other people are thinking, feeling and saying? We can drive ourselves mad with our made up versions of what could happen based on these judgements. It can be quite enlightening to do a detox of this pattern of behaviour, that ultimately is about our need to feel we're in control of others, and therefore what will happen in the future.
You can tackle this issue by noticing in the NOW, when you are making up the past or the future based on your mind reading version about any situation.
It's always useful to remember that we are only ever in control of our reaction to circumstances, people and situations.
Take on the new belief that you may not know everything and that it's okay not to know, in fact it's a stress buster to admit it and a relief!
Practise this new belief and see what other changes it leads to in your life.
Make "I don't know" your new mantra. Give it a try for a day and see what a difference it makes to how you feel.
To supercharge your life and learn how to achieve what you want, visit http://www.fayhartwell.com/. Fay can help you get clear of beliefs that limit you and help you learn new strategies for living the life of your dreams.
Sign up for a FREE e-book called "7 Steps to Being Happy", it's full of tips and techniques for being happy more of the time.
You can Ask The Angels your burning question or ask them about a problem at http://fayhartwell.com/angels/ask-the-angels and receive a written angel letter.
This is especially in the world of work, where we're expected to know everything about our jobs, place of work, people there and how it all works. In some cases we get rewarded for the more we know.
You can become much more confident in yourself by holding a belief that not knowing is liberating. Not knowing can bring relief to you and the people around you.
Having to know everything leads us to be mind readers, so we think we know what people are thinking, feeling and saying.
Ask yourself how often you think you know what other people are thinking, feeling and saying? We can drive ourselves mad with our made up versions of what could happen based on these judgements. It can be quite enlightening to do a detox of this pattern of behaviour, that ultimately is about our need to feel we're in control of others, and therefore what will happen in the future.
You can tackle this issue by noticing in the NOW, when you are making up the past or the future based on your mind reading version about any situation.
It's always useful to remember that we are only ever in control of our reaction to circumstances, people and situations.
Take on the new belief that you may not know everything and that it's okay not to know, in fact it's a stress buster to admit it and a relief!
Practise this new belief and see what other changes it leads to in your life.
Make "I don't know" your new mantra. Give it a try for a day and see what a difference it makes to how you feel.
To supercharge your life and learn how to achieve what you want, visit http://www.fayhartwell.com/. Fay can help you get clear of beliefs that limit you and help you learn new strategies for living the life of your dreams.
Sign up for a FREE e-book called "7 Steps to Being Happy", it's full of tips and techniques for being happy more of the time.
You can Ask The Angels your burning question or ask them about a problem at http://fayhartwell.com/angels/ask-the-angels and receive a written angel letter.
Stress Management - How Do I Start Thinking Positively If I Have Never Done it Before?
In working with entrepreneurs and solopreneurs thinking positively is a necessary tool for dealing with negative people and negative thoughts. However, thinking alone without taking action can cost you megabucks. Much has been written about the power of positive thinking. Many business organizations have given seminars, sent their employees to positive thinking retreats, and given them books to read on positive thinking.
They have found that employees' thought processes have a direct bearing on the quality of their work. Here are some four tips to get you to start your dream of thinking positively if you have never done it before.
#1: Positive thoughts
Positive thinking is allowing our mind to think only positive thoughts and images that allow a mental outlook that encourages joy, happiness, and good health.
#2: Emotional problems
A person who has emotional problems is always encouraged to think positive thoughts and not allow negative thoughts to enter our mind. This may take some effort on our part if we have thought negative thoughts all our lives.
#3: Power of positive thinking
Since many believe in the power of positive thinking, how do we begin to put this power into effect in our lives? We can start by refusing to allow negative thoughts to control our mind and actions. If a negative mental thought creeps into, it needs to be replaced with a positive thought. Positive thoughts attract more positive thoughts.
#4: Positive attracts Positive
People are naturally drawn to those who have a positive attitude. They tend to shy away from those who are always negative. The aura we put out attracts either positive or negative vibes. Our body language, facial expressions, and the words we speak are good signs of a positive or negative attitude.
It hurts my heart to see good intention entrepreneurs unable to incorporate thinking positively in their lives. So I hope you will take the priceless tips you observed in the last few minutes to avoid this trap. Thoughts are things and will manifest results. It is possible and only a few short steps away.
About the Author - Curious about additional, effective stress reduction tips? You can discover 21 extra effective ways for creating your own stress relief management system with the free "21 Stress -Stopper formulas for a healthy and happy life" special report at http://emptyyourcup.com/stressstopperformula.php.
They have found that employees' thought processes have a direct bearing on the quality of their work. Here are some four tips to get you to start your dream of thinking positively if you have never done it before.
#1: Positive thoughts
Positive thinking is allowing our mind to think only positive thoughts and images that allow a mental outlook that encourages joy, happiness, and good health.
#2: Emotional problems
A person who has emotional problems is always encouraged to think positive thoughts and not allow negative thoughts to enter our mind. This may take some effort on our part if we have thought negative thoughts all our lives.
#3: Power of positive thinking
Since many believe in the power of positive thinking, how do we begin to put this power into effect in our lives? We can start by refusing to allow negative thoughts to control our mind and actions. If a negative mental thought creeps into, it needs to be replaced with a positive thought. Positive thoughts attract more positive thoughts.
#4: Positive attracts Positive
People are naturally drawn to those who have a positive attitude. They tend to shy away from those who are always negative. The aura we put out attracts either positive or negative vibes. Our body language, facial expressions, and the words we speak are good signs of a positive or negative attitude.
It hurts my heart to see good intention entrepreneurs unable to incorporate thinking positively in their lives. So I hope you will take the priceless tips you observed in the last few minutes to avoid this trap. Thoughts are things and will manifest results. It is possible and only a few short steps away.
About the Author - Curious about additional, effective stress reduction tips? You can discover 21 extra effective ways for creating your own stress relief management system with the free "21 Stress -Stopper formulas for a healthy and happy life" special report at http://emptyyourcup.com/stressstopperformula.php.
How to Manage Workplace Stress to Avoid Anxiety Attacks
Your job can be one of the most intense sources of stress in your life. Your boss, deadlines, meetings, demands, office politics, and irritating customers are just a few of the myriad forms of stress we encounter on a daily basis. And each one of these can potentially trigger an anxiety attack if you don't know how to control and eliminate the source of the stress.
Learning how to handle stress at work will help you do a better job and can actually contribute to an improvement in your overall mental and physical health.
Here's a few ways to manage stress at work to stop anxiety and panic attacks.
Take on Problems One a Time
As work related problems start to pile up, control the urge to tackle everything all at once. Select one problem and work on it until it is resolved.
Once accomplished you will feel a sense of relief and accomplishment and be ready to tackle the next challenge. Too often, people try to take on multiple problems all at once. The mountain seems insurmountable and the stress levels begin to rise.
Before he or she knows it, someone says something irritating or upsetting in some way and a triggering moment occurs. An anxiety episode is suddenly in full blown force and if more severe in nature it may become a full blown a panic attack.
Sound familiar? Try tackling issues one at a time, step-by-step..it will help keep you calm and you will accomplish more as well!
Don't Let Customer Problems Impact Your Health
If customers become obnoxious or antagonistic, keep in mind they may have other problems at home and they are venting their problems at you.
When people are irritating, demanding, or difficult, the source of their problems is one they haven't been able to resolve. So they may be using you to quell their own anger or anxiety triggers. It's a lousy and ineffective way to handle things but it's all they know.
Keep that in mind that they are not really giving you a hard time, rather it is whoever or whatever is underlying as a cause. Do this and you will be able to keep your stress level low and avoid a triggering event for an anxiety episode.
Take Some Time for You
I know many people who are committed workaholics. They drive themselves from pre dawn to late at night because the work is just so important that all else must take a subordinate role. As a result they are worn out, over stressed, unhealthy, have marriages in trouble, don't know their kids, and wonder why they have an anxiety attack when driving on a Los Angeles Freeway enroute to work.
Keep work in perspective. It is important, but is not your whole life. I have never heard of anyone who on their deathbed wished they had spent another hour a day at work. When work starts to take over your life to the detriment of what's really important, take some time off.
If you simply can't take time away from work, make your work environment as comfortable and pleasant as possible. Put up some family photos and add a few personal touches to your desk or workspace.
Keep pleasant images in front of you as a reminder of why you are there. Focus on the fun times with those you love that are the reason of work. Do this and workplace stress will seem insignificant in comparison.
Implement these simple techniques and your productivity will improve. More importantly, your personal life will as well.
The end result will be a lowering of workplace related stress that dominates your mind and emotional state, keeping those anxiety episodes at bay.
A happy life, a lower or controlled stress job, and a freedom from anxiety and panic attacks. Now that's what I call success!
I suffered from severe panic and anxiety attacks. I am not a health professional but did eliminate the attacks without medication. For information and tips on how to eliminate panic and anxiety attacks like I did visit the Panic Anxiety Attack Site @ http://panicanxietyattacksite.info//
Know More About Stress and How to Conquer It
Existence has become more and more complex as stress has become an indispensable part of our lives. With dominance of technology and rapidly moving life, all individuals are involved in the rat race of money and thus overstrain and overwork themselves. Unhappiness, frustration and impatience have been embedded in the lives of all.
Every single person on this earth is familiar with stress. All of us experience it in varying degrees and forms every day. Stress can be beneficial in small doses as it helps to perform under pressure and motivates one to do his best. It is only when stress becomes great; it affects our mental and physical functioning. In simple terms, it can be said that stress can affect anything and everything like the productivity, health, mood, quality of life, all relations and all the lifestyle aspects.
Stress can simply cause widespread damage, but it differs from individual to individual. Some people crumble at the slightest frustration and obstacle while some can well handle the punches even. The ability to tolerate stress depends on various factors like the general perspective towards life, the quality of relationships, emotional intelligence, self control and even genetics.
The causes of stress are several, and they differ from person to person. Something that's stressful to you may not faze others. The pressure and situations that cause stress are known as stressors. Stressors can literally be anything starting from an exhausting work schedule, financial problems and even rocky relationships. However, the main cause of stress always depends on the perception towards it. Some of the common external factors that cause stress are - family and children, work, financial problems, relationships, being busy and even major life changes. Stress can many times be self generated and there are various internal factors responsible for it like lack of assertiveness, inferiority complex, inability to accept certainty, pessimism, negative talk, unrealistic expectations and many others.
Though stress is totally unavoidable and damaging, there are many small things, which can help us to reduce its impact and also cope with its symptoms and effects. There are some easy tips, which can help you conquer stress:
Learn to handle stress - it is accepted that stress is totally unavoidable, but you can always control the way you respond towards it. Stress can easily be managed if one takes complete charge. Complete charge refers to talking charge of your emotions, environment, thoughts, schedule and even problems. Overburden, worrying and continuous struggle shall never cease, one should take out time for relaxation and self care.
Invest in your emotional health - Most of us have the habit of ignoring our health till we have a problem. However, if you give some time to your emotional health, it can really help you conquer stress. Good emotional health makes the stress bounce back and allows individuals to be more focused, positive and flexible.
Learn to relax - relaxation is one of the sure shot ways to cure stress. Relaxation does not only imply to sleeping or resting. You can even relax by talking to your friends, indulging in your hobby and even through meditation.
Wallace has been writing articles online for the past few years. Not only does he specialize in health and fitness, and self improvement, you can also check out his latest website on ladies fashion watches where he provides information and offers on ladies wrist watches.
Every single person on this earth is familiar with stress. All of us experience it in varying degrees and forms every day. Stress can be beneficial in small doses as it helps to perform under pressure and motivates one to do his best. It is only when stress becomes great; it affects our mental and physical functioning. In simple terms, it can be said that stress can affect anything and everything like the productivity, health, mood, quality of life, all relations and all the lifestyle aspects.
Stress can simply cause widespread damage, but it differs from individual to individual. Some people crumble at the slightest frustration and obstacle while some can well handle the punches even. The ability to tolerate stress depends on various factors like the general perspective towards life, the quality of relationships, emotional intelligence, self control and even genetics.
The causes of stress are several, and they differ from person to person. Something that's stressful to you may not faze others. The pressure and situations that cause stress are known as stressors. Stressors can literally be anything starting from an exhausting work schedule, financial problems and even rocky relationships. However, the main cause of stress always depends on the perception towards it. Some of the common external factors that cause stress are - family and children, work, financial problems, relationships, being busy and even major life changes. Stress can many times be self generated and there are various internal factors responsible for it like lack of assertiveness, inferiority complex, inability to accept certainty, pessimism, negative talk, unrealistic expectations and many others.
Though stress is totally unavoidable and damaging, there are many small things, which can help us to reduce its impact and also cope with its symptoms and effects. There are some easy tips, which can help you conquer stress:
Learn to handle stress - it is accepted that stress is totally unavoidable, but you can always control the way you respond towards it. Stress can easily be managed if one takes complete charge. Complete charge refers to talking charge of your emotions, environment, thoughts, schedule and even problems. Overburden, worrying and continuous struggle shall never cease, one should take out time for relaxation and self care.
Invest in your emotional health - Most of us have the habit of ignoring our health till we have a problem. However, if you give some time to your emotional health, it can really help you conquer stress. Good emotional health makes the stress bounce back and allows individuals to be more focused, positive and flexible.
Learn to relax - relaxation is one of the sure shot ways to cure stress. Relaxation does not only imply to sleeping or resting. You can even relax by talking to your friends, indulging in your hobby and even through meditation.
Wallace has been writing articles online for the past few years. Not only does he specialize in health and fitness, and self improvement, you can also check out his latest website on ladies fashion watches where he provides information and offers on ladies wrist watches.
Stress Management For Moms - 3 Stress Relief Techniques
It is fairly common for busy Moms to feel so stressed out from trying to balance their work, family and other responsibilities that they are often left feeling burned out and frustrated.
If these stress levels continue over a long period of time they can start impacting the overall mental and physical health of a Mom, so it is important that she learns how to manage stress. Although there are many stress management techniques that are very effective in relaxing the mind and reducing the unpleasant symptoms associated with stress, the focus here will be on just three of these techniques which are not only simple to follow but can also be done in the course of a busy day.
Breathing Exercises
At any time during the course of the day, try taking some very deep breaths while closing your eyes. Start with deep inhalation through your nose while letting your abdomen expand, then hold your breath for a second or two before exhaling it very slowly through your mouth. Repeat this process as often as you would like throughout the day, especially when you have just been through a stressful event or about to face another crisis. The advantage of this type of exercise is that it can be done almost anywhere, anytime, to quickly reduce tension and relax the mind. You can perform this exercise while standing or sitting, even at your office desk or on the train ride home from work.
Shift Your Focus
There is an increasing amount of research being done on the body mind connection that illustrates how our body chemistry changes when we experience certain types of emotional and psychological stresses. Since stress is centered around the mind, it would be logical to occupy it with something more useful or fun. Although this process may not actually solve the impeding issue at hand, it can definitely help in calming nerves and settling down any anxiety and tension. A few examples of shifting your focus would be to listen to relaxing and uplifting music and focusing on the words of the song or just letting your mind wander to a far away place, you can also try doing a puzzle like sudoku, crosswords or jigsaw puzzles. This diversion will help force your mind to focus on solving a problem that is actually fun to do. You can also try to watch a television show or read a book which can help temporarily shift your thoughts away from your worries and fears, allowing your body and mind to relax.
Talk to Someone
Sometimes a Mom just needs a shoulder to lean on and be able to vent out her frustrations. It is important to let go of negative thoughts and frustrations so that they do not fester and lead you to an outburst later on. It is not uncommon for a Mom to snap at one of her children because of stress only to feel regret and guilt later on. Talk to a friend, family member or anyone who will genuinely listen to you and not find fault. Often times this will be another Mom since she has most likely experienced similar frustrations and will be able to relate to you, offering sympathy, not judgment. In this modern age of Internet, you can also find many helpful chat rooms and forums specifically designed for Moms where you can voice your concerns. You will be able to get feedback from other Moms who have gone through similar issues and are willing to offer you some helpful advice or simply a sympathetic ear and some encouragement. If it is not convenient to talk to someone, try writing down your thoughts in a journal or typing them on your computer word processor, this will help you to release and vent out your emotions in a constructive way. Journalling is a therapeutic way of helping you get to the core and root of your issues by allowing you to freely express yourself and reveal even your inner secret thoughts that you may not otherwise feel comfortable sharing with others.
Any Mom can practice these stress management techniques and, if done as often as needed, she can take back control of her life and not allow stress, worry or fear to control her.
Are you a Mom who is burning the candle at both ends and are tired of feeling overwhelmed and stressed out?
Why not take control of the situation and get your life back before stress takes its toll on you?
You can receive a free 7-part series on managing your work and family entitled "Take Control of Your Life" right now by simply filling out the newsletter subscription box on the homepage of http://www.newcenturymoms.com/
If these stress levels continue over a long period of time they can start impacting the overall mental and physical health of a Mom, so it is important that she learns how to manage stress. Although there are many stress management techniques that are very effective in relaxing the mind and reducing the unpleasant symptoms associated with stress, the focus here will be on just three of these techniques which are not only simple to follow but can also be done in the course of a busy day.
Breathing Exercises
At any time during the course of the day, try taking some very deep breaths while closing your eyes. Start with deep inhalation through your nose while letting your abdomen expand, then hold your breath for a second or two before exhaling it very slowly through your mouth. Repeat this process as often as you would like throughout the day, especially when you have just been through a stressful event or about to face another crisis. The advantage of this type of exercise is that it can be done almost anywhere, anytime, to quickly reduce tension and relax the mind. You can perform this exercise while standing or sitting, even at your office desk or on the train ride home from work.
Shift Your Focus
There is an increasing amount of research being done on the body mind connection that illustrates how our body chemistry changes when we experience certain types of emotional and psychological stresses. Since stress is centered around the mind, it would be logical to occupy it with something more useful or fun. Although this process may not actually solve the impeding issue at hand, it can definitely help in calming nerves and settling down any anxiety and tension. A few examples of shifting your focus would be to listen to relaxing and uplifting music and focusing on the words of the song or just letting your mind wander to a far away place, you can also try doing a puzzle like sudoku, crosswords or jigsaw puzzles. This diversion will help force your mind to focus on solving a problem that is actually fun to do. You can also try to watch a television show or read a book which can help temporarily shift your thoughts away from your worries and fears, allowing your body and mind to relax.
Talk to Someone
Sometimes a Mom just needs a shoulder to lean on and be able to vent out her frustrations. It is important to let go of negative thoughts and frustrations so that they do not fester and lead you to an outburst later on. It is not uncommon for a Mom to snap at one of her children because of stress only to feel regret and guilt later on. Talk to a friend, family member or anyone who will genuinely listen to you and not find fault. Often times this will be another Mom since she has most likely experienced similar frustrations and will be able to relate to you, offering sympathy, not judgment. In this modern age of Internet, you can also find many helpful chat rooms and forums specifically designed for Moms where you can voice your concerns. You will be able to get feedback from other Moms who have gone through similar issues and are willing to offer you some helpful advice or simply a sympathetic ear and some encouragement. If it is not convenient to talk to someone, try writing down your thoughts in a journal or typing them on your computer word processor, this will help you to release and vent out your emotions in a constructive way. Journalling is a therapeutic way of helping you get to the core and root of your issues by allowing you to freely express yourself and reveal even your inner secret thoughts that you may not otherwise feel comfortable sharing with others.
Any Mom can practice these stress management techniques and, if done as often as needed, she can take back control of her life and not allow stress, worry or fear to control her.
Are you a Mom who is burning the candle at both ends and are tired of feeling overwhelmed and stressed out?
Why not take control of the situation and get your life back before stress takes its toll on you?
You can receive a free 7-part series on managing your work and family entitled "Take Control of Your Life" right now by simply filling out the newsletter subscription box on the homepage of http://www.newcenturymoms.com/
Resilience - And Stress
Primarily, It Is Still An Inside Job
In the big picture, numerous aspects of your learning and makeup either complicate your efforts to control stress or promote coping and healing. Resilience is the key. How well do you bounce back? What are your adaptive skills? What is your capacity to thrive and live to your full potential when stress squarely lands upon you? All are stress management issues to the max!
Resiliency is not a static quality; it is dynamic and flows with your focus and life events. Renewing your resiliency through taking breaks, self-care, staying involved with important people, building coping strategies, drawing on past successful coping skills, and keeping a positive attitude, are a few of the actions that reward you with greater ability to survive "life's lemons." Openness to asking for help when you are stumped and refusing to "beat yourself up" further build an adaptive repertoire.
The Strain On The System Is Relevant
No doubt, the seriousness and type of the stressor(s) should weigh in as pertinent information. It is one thing to be overwhelmed by death of a loved one or a serious medical diagnosis, quite another to cope with continuous pressure to solve job achievement issues. Both may stretch your abilities to manage the stress, but each may require a different focus and a different set of skills.
In the overall picture, resiliency can be likened to the willow tree that survives winds by bending and staying flexible. So, too, is flexibility necessary for us mere humans to remain functional. As has been discussed in other posts, stress management, in the acute sense, will be enhanced by techniques to calm yourself, for example relaxation and breathing, even medication, although we cannot take a pill to solve all problems, ultimately.
The least you need to know:
1. Resiliency is a major aspect in how stress is managed.
2. Resiliency is not static, therefore you can maximize your resiliency.
The mission, should you chose to accept, requires:
1. Once again, openness to consider the personal role you play.
2. Exploring how to build your resiliency.
I have been a psychotherapist for many years. Early in my career, I understood "to work in your passion means you will never work a day in your life." Personal growth is a passion, as is helping others grow and learn to cope with bumps in the road.
The title of my blog is Making Better Lemonade, http://healthyavatar.net/. My other website is http://www.qualitymatters2me.com./
In the big picture, numerous aspects of your learning and makeup either complicate your efforts to control stress or promote coping and healing. Resilience is the key. How well do you bounce back? What are your adaptive skills? What is your capacity to thrive and live to your full potential when stress squarely lands upon you? All are stress management issues to the max!
Resiliency is not a static quality; it is dynamic and flows with your focus and life events. Renewing your resiliency through taking breaks, self-care, staying involved with important people, building coping strategies, drawing on past successful coping skills, and keeping a positive attitude, are a few of the actions that reward you with greater ability to survive "life's lemons." Openness to asking for help when you are stumped and refusing to "beat yourself up" further build an adaptive repertoire.
The Strain On The System Is Relevant
No doubt, the seriousness and type of the stressor(s) should weigh in as pertinent information. It is one thing to be overwhelmed by death of a loved one or a serious medical diagnosis, quite another to cope with continuous pressure to solve job achievement issues. Both may stretch your abilities to manage the stress, but each may require a different focus and a different set of skills.
In the overall picture, resiliency can be likened to the willow tree that survives winds by bending and staying flexible. So, too, is flexibility necessary for us mere humans to remain functional. As has been discussed in other posts, stress management, in the acute sense, will be enhanced by techniques to calm yourself, for example relaxation and breathing, even medication, although we cannot take a pill to solve all problems, ultimately.
The least you need to know:
1. Resiliency is a major aspect in how stress is managed.
2. Resiliency is not static, therefore you can maximize your resiliency.
The mission, should you chose to accept, requires:
1. Once again, openness to consider the personal role you play.
2. Exploring how to build your resiliency.
I have been a psychotherapist for many years. Early in my career, I understood "to work in your passion means you will never work a day in your life." Personal growth is a passion, as is helping others grow and learn to cope with bumps in the road.
The title of my blog is Making Better Lemonade, http://healthyavatar.net/. My other website is http://www.qualitymatters2me.com./
How to Manage Anger Using Conflict Resolution Strategies
Conflict resolution is one of the most effective anger management techniques which can be used in any situation in our lives, whether we are dealing with our bosses, co-workers or even children. It is an effective tool which can be used in both personal and professional settings to solve problems and avoid heated arguments.
Outlined are a series of steps which form the basis of conflict resolution:
1) The first step is by setting the ground rules, which include no blaming, cursing, interrupting or raising voices.
2) Next, we have to listen carefully to what each party has to say. Do no interrupt and let the other party share their feelings, needs and expectations. Take turns in sharing views.
3) By finding common interests, such as things both parties can agree on, it helps foster better rapport and understanding of each others way of thoughts.
4) Brainstorm all the solutions possible. Listen to all options without pre-judging and then slowly discuss the pros and cons of each solution.
5) Share with each other your personal interpretation of each solution. Different people have different thoughts and feelings towards each proposed measure so it is important to listen to what other think before jumping to conclusions.
6) Work together for the common goal. Most importantly, the ultimate common goal should be the priority and we should always willingly drop our ego and accept other solutions if it produces a better result than your own.
7) Be willing to compromise. Sometimes, it is just better to give than to receive. If everyone compromises, everyone will be happy and the problem will be solved.
Liked this article? Khaiyong is a renowned personal development trainer, life coach and Anger Management Therapy counsellor. He strongly believes that everyone can live happier and fulfilling lives just by having a little bit more knowledge. Visit his Anger Management Community where he shares his insights and strategies and tips on anger management.
Outlined are a series of steps which form the basis of conflict resolution:
1) The first step is by setting the ground rules, which include no blaming, cursing, interrupting or raising voices.
2) Next, we have to listen carefully to what each party has to say. Do no interrupt and let the other party share their feelings, needs and expectations. Take turns in sharing views.
3) By finding common interests, such as things both parties can agree on, it helps foster better rapport and understanding of each others way of thoughts.
4) Brainstorm all the solutions possible. Listen to all options without pre-judging and then slowly discuss the pros and cons of each solution.
5) Share with each other your personal interpretation of each solution. Different people have different thoughts and feelings towards each proposed measure so it is important to listen to what other think before jumping to conclusions.
6) Work together for the common goal. Most importantly, the ultimate common goal should be the priority and we should always willingly drop our ego and accept other solutions if it produces a better result than your own.
7) Be willing to compromise. Sometimes, it is just better to give than to receive. If everyone compromises, everyone will be happy and the problem will be solved.
Liked this article? Khaiyong is a renowned personal development trainer, life coach and Anger Management Therapy counsellor. He strongly believes that everyone can live happier and fulfilling lives just by having a little bit more knowledge. Visit his Anger Management Community where he shares his insights and strategies and tips on anger management.
Life Purpose - How Do We Define Our Success in Life?
What does it mean to have a life purpose, how would others define their own life purpose?
Why do some connect with their purpose and others do not? Why do some people never even believe that we are all here for a purpose and place judgments on those that do?
How does leading a life 'purposeless' differ from living a life ' on purpose' and holding it as a central guiding marker for life direction?
Your values are what make you, you, the pillars of your life, does living your life purpose contribute to holistic well-being?
A good place to start to define your life purpose is with a definition: The Encarta Dictionary English U.K definitions relating to 'purpose' that stood out for me are as follows; 'Purpose':
Reason for existence, 'the reason for which something exists or which it has been done or made'... 'the purpose of life'
Desired effect, 'the goal intended outcome of something'... 'the purpose of.... is'....
Determination, 'the desire or the resolves necessary to accomplish a goal'...'you need to act with purpose'
On purpose, 'deliberately'
To good purpose, 'successfully, or with good results'
To no purpose, 'without success or achieving useful result'
To the purpose, 'relevant'
How, and if you define your purpose, is the key influence of your life and in my opinion contributes to holistic health and well-being.
Some people never even come close to the term life purpose and it has little relevance to them.
After much deliberation I put my own spin, or concept on this. I wanted to share with you my way of thinking about how you can define your purpose or consider it as a way of being in life.
I offer one way to flesh out your purpose, for those of you who need clarity, want to be fulfilled and successful in the goals you set and the intention you have for the way you choose to live your life.
I consider 3 elements to be key components that can contribute to a person defining their own life purpose.
They are; Passion, Pattern and Purpose.
The Passion and the life Pattern you have followed knowingly or unknowingly to date, at present and will continue to follow in the future and adds to your life fulfillment and joy everyday: this is your Purpose.
Passion + Pattern = Purpose
Passion;
Is your internal drive, or motivator, things that get you fired inside, energised once you wake you cant wait to start doing more of it. It keeps you awake at night or you wake up in the morning with intuitive thoughts, ideas for achieving your desire.
You would be prepared to do this paid or unpaid to have it in your life. Regardless of external judgment, opinions, you just have an overwhelming sense of knowing, an urge to get your message, talent or abilities out there and share with colleagues, loved ones, your community and/ or the rest of world. It's what you think about most of the time. What you feel you have no choice but to be lead by it in order to feel fulfilled and living a life that you are passionate about.
Pattern;
Some people follow a definite path to their purpose and know from an early age, others never become aware of their purpose or even come close to defining it.
For many, they discover more of who they really are and really want to be later on in life. When and what ever the reason, the accumulation of the pattern of past experiences, or flow of life isn't enough any more or something happens they feel off course or out of balance.
They may get a series of gentle light bulb moments or be struck like a lighting bolt.
How ever your purpose or future 'life pattern' is given, received, comes to awareness, when you look at what has been predominantly happening in your life pattern, there is a train of thought, or thought patterns process that leads you to consider 'where you are now, and where you want to be'.
From the vital questions you begin to ask yourself, you too realise your 'true purpose'.
These thoughts lead to feelings. Then, action steps that you have to take, to fulfill your purpose and make a difference to your life or world, will become come clearer.
Purpose leads to living in the here and now and living a life of 'precious aha moments' that some people wait a life-time for!
Purpose;
Sometimes you intuitively know what your unique abilities are; but it's not uncommon to need a little guidance to flesh it out.
How can you align every area of your life, so your live your life with 'purpose' and 'on purpose', doing what you were put on this planet to do?
No, matter how you or others define it, all say in some form or another whether it based on any of the religious beliefs or not, that your purpose and compassion is a part of you, you are your creator.
Our purpose is our main drive in life, the direction we steer our life towards, what we focus on most of the time and is our vision of how we want our lives to look and be.
Keep going because when you are doing work that aligns with your purpose, you are energised, powerful and get to live your dream everyday!
Not everyone knows or discovers their purpose or has a deep sense or need for finding a career that aligns their purpose.
Occupation or role does not define your life purpose, but you will have even more of a positive impact with your purpose, on others well-being and your own. If you are fortunate enough to do 'work' you love, that never really feels like 'work' remember to express gratitude because you are blessed!
It is said that 80% of the population 'hate' their JOB!
When you wake up in the morning, energised, paying the bills by doing more of the work you love, that has got to be a good thing, right?
Once my passion was to express my purpose through work directly with children and positively impact the education, health and well-being of our nation.
I have found a way to align my values, passion, pattern, purpose, with my that lifestyle fits in with family and my business.
This feels wonderful, every day I learn more, uncover and understand my life purpose and share my story.
So many of us hide and see the need to be perfect, when you are on purpose you know that there are no mistakes your life unfolds before you perfectly.
Working with holistic practitioners and spiritual entrepreneurs means I get to help them make their difference, which in turn impacts the universe on a much greater scale. How awesome is that?
My life purpose brought this article to you today, I trust you take from it what you need and leave the rest.
© 2010 Iona Woodmore is an author and Vision & Life Purpose Business Coach founder of International Holistic Practitioners Leadership Alliance
To receive life purpose, business and marketing tips, be sure to join the International Holistic Practitioners Leadership Alliance call to leave your contact details or ask any questions one of the team will be happy to speak with you +44(0) 1473 432552
Exclusive to first 1000 Charter Members in 2010! A Vision 'Breakthrough' Session Voucher Value £65 for no-charge One 2 One 15 minute laser business coaching over the the phone with The Vision Coach. Get Instant Access to Iona's personal online scheduler and leave the best land line phone number to reach you on here http://tungle.me/IonaWoodmore
Why do some connect with their purpose and others do not? Why do some people never even believe that we are all here for a purpose and place judgments on those that do?
How does leading a life 'purposeless' differ from living a life ' on purpose' and holding it as a central guiding marker for life direction?
Your values are what make you, you, the pillars of your life, does living your life purpose contribute to holistic well-being?
A good place to start to define your life purpose is with a definition: The Encarta Dictionary English U.K definitions relating to 'purpose' that stood out for me are as follows; 'Purpose':
Reason for existence, 'the reason for which something exists or which it has been done or made'... 'the purpose of life'
Desired effect, 'the goal intended outcome of something'... 'the purpose of.... is'....
Determination, 'the desire or the resolves necessary to accomplish a goal'...'you need to act with purpose'
On purpose, 'deliberately'
To good purpose, 'successfully, or with good results'
To no purpose, 'without success or achieving useful result'
To the purpose, 'relevant'
How, and if you define your purpose, is the key influence of your life and in my opinion contributes to holistic health and well-being.
Some people never even come close to the term life purpose and it has little relevance to them.
After much deliberation I put my own spin, or concept on this. I wanted to share with you my way of thinking about how you can define your purpose or consider it as a way of being in life.
I offer one way to flesh out your purpose, for those of you who need clarity, want to be fulfilled and successful in the goals you set and the intention you have for the way you choose to live your life.
I consider 3 elements to be key components that can contribute to a person defining their own life purpose.
They are; Passion, Pattern and Purpose.
The Passion and the life Pattern you have followed knowingly or unknowingly to date, at present and will continue to follow in the future and adds to your life fulfillment and joy everyday: this is your Purpose.
Passion + Pattern = Purpose
Passion;
Is your internal drive, or motivator, things that get you fired inside, energised once you wake you cant wait to start doing more of it. It keeps you awake at night or you wake up in the morning with intuitive thoughts, ideas for achieving your desire.
You would be prepared to do this paid or unpaid to have it in your life. Regardless of external judgment, opinions, you just have an overwhelming sense of knowing, an urge to get your message, talent or abilities out there and share with colleagues, loved ones, your community and/ or the rest of world. It's what you think about most of the time. What you feel you have no choice but to be lead by it in order to feel fulfilled and living a life that you are passionate about.
Pattern;
Some people follow a definite path to their purpose and know from an early age, others never become aware of their purpose or even come close to defining it.
For many, they discover more of who they really are and really want to be later on in life. When and what ever the reason, the accumulation of the pattern of past experiences, or flow of life isn't enough any more or something happens they feel off course or out of balance.
They may get a series of gentle light bulb moments or be struck like a lighting bolt.
How ever your purpose or future 'life pattern' is given, received, comes to awareness, when you look at what has been predominantly happening in your life pattern, there is a train of thought, or thought patterns process that leads you to consider 'where you are now, and where you want to be'.
From the vital questions you begin to ask yourself, you too realise your 'true purpose'.
These thoughts lead to feelings. Then, action steps that you have to take, to fulfill your purpose and make a difference to your life or world, will become come clearer.
Purpose leads to living in the here and now and living a life of 'precious aha moments' that some people wait a life-time for!
Purpose;
Sometimes you intuitively know what your unique abilities are; but it's not uncommon to need a little guidance to flesh it out.
How can you align every area of your life, so your live your life with 'purpose' and 'on purpose', doing what you were put on this planet to do?
No, matter how you or others define it, all say in some form or another whether it based on any of the religious beliefs or not, that your purpose and compassion is a part of you, you are your creator.
Our purpose is our main drive in life, the direction we steer our life towards, what we focus on most of the time and is our vision of how we want our lives to look and be.
Keep going because when you are doing work that aligns with your purpose, you are energised, powerful and get to live your dream everyday!
Not everyone knows or discovers their purpose or has a deep sense or need for finding a career that aligns their purpose.
Occupation or role does not define your life purpose, but you will have even more of a positive impact with your purpose, on others well-being and your own. If you are fortunate enough to do 'work' you love, that never really feels like 'work' remember to express gratitude because you are blessed!
It is said that 80% of the population 'hate' their JOB!
When you wake up in the morning, energised, paying the bills by doing more of the work you love, that has got to be a good thing, right?
Once my passion was to express my purpose through work directly with children and positively impact the education, health and well-being of our nation.
I have found a way to align my values, passion, pattern, purpose, with my that lifestyle fits in with family and my business.
This feels wonderful, every day I learn more, uncover and understand my life purpose and share my story.
So many of us hide and see the need to be perfect, when you are on purpose you know that there are no mistakes your life unfolds before you perfectly.
Working with holistic practitioners and spiritual entrepreneurs means I get to help them make their difference, which in turn impacts the universe on a much greater scale. How awesome is that?
My life purpose brought this article to you today, I trust you take from it what you need and leave the rest.
© 2010 Iona Woodmore is an author and Vision & Life Purpose Business Coach founder of International Holistic Practitioners Leadership Alliance
To receive life purpose, business and marketing tips, be sure to join the International Holistic Practitioners Leadership Alliance call to leave your contact details or ask any questions one of the team will be happy to speak with you +44(0) 1473 432552
Exclusive to first 1000 Charter Members in 2010! A Vision 'Breakthrough' Session Voucher Value £65 for no-charge One 2 One 15 minute laser business coaching over the the phone with The Vision Coach. Get Instant Access to Iona's personal online scheduler and leave the best land line phone number to reach you on here http://tungle.me/IonaWoodmore
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