Do you want to be more successful? Many successful entrepreneurs
share similar ideals and routines which play an intrinsic part in their
success.
Here we look at 8 routines and beliefs successful entrepreneurs use every day.
1. They Have A Morning Routine
Author Laura Vanderkam extensively studied the schedules of various
high achievers. She found one thing that they had in common; they got up
early, and almost all of them also had a morning routine. Richard Branson is also an advocate of embracing the morning. Getting up early has lots of benefits. You get the chance to be
available and present before demands are made of you, and before you
need to start working on your goals. This can improve your mood, as you
feel in control of your life. Getting up and completing your morning routine will help you to feel
confident and in control, ready to handle the challenges that the day
throws at you.
How To Adjust Your Schedule: Consider scheduling
tasks you would normally do in the evening in the morning instead. For
instance, try exercising before you go to work to help you feel
revitalized and productive.
2. They Don’t Panic When Things Go Slightly Wrong
Many people start to feel stressed and anxious when things don’t go
exactly to plan, but these things can happen on a daily basis.
Successful people realize they cannot control everything, and anticipate
mistakes. Dealing with problems is a big part of being a successful
entrepreneur. Plan for mistakes, and you will deal with them rationally
and efficiently as they arise.
How To Adjust Your Schedule: Factor In time every
day to help you deal with any problems that arise. Half an hour at the
end of your working day is ideal, as it means you can focus on the tasks
you want to complete during the day.
3. They Work When They Don’t Have To
First thing in the morning, the evenings and the weekend are all
times that most people are not working. However, you could be wasting
your productivity. Many successful entrepreneurs will work whenever
inspiration strikes, as they know they will be more productive then than
later. If you have a great pitch for work, strike while the iron is hot and get working – even if you’re not in work.
How To Adjust Your Schedule: Plan two hours work you
will do during your free time, from replying to emails to making
important calls. This will help you to get ahead and stay ahead.
4. They Do Important Work First
Many people arrive at the office and start their day with the little tasks, like emailing and admin. However, our brains are sharpest earlier in the day, so this is the best time to tackle the more creative work that challenges you. If you don’t get the opportunity to work on your chosen tasks first
thing, take matters into your own hands; do the work from home, or come
into work early.
How To Adjust Your Schedule: Set your schedule for
the next day while you are still at work. Plan your most important tasks
for first thing in the morning, and then respond to your emails before
lunch to guarantee a productive day.
5. They Keep Their Full Schedules In One Place
“It’s crucial to make sure you record all your meetings and
appointments in one place instead of having them scattered throughout
different calendars, notebooks, and apps,” says Alexandra Weiss, a
partner at CA Creative in New York. Instead of planning parts of your schedule on your phone, laptop,
work computer and notepad, gather everything together on one device. It
won’t seem intimidating – it will seem clearer and easier for you to
understand. You don’t have to worry about fitting everything in, as you
can see your full schedule and arrange it as you please.
How To Adjust Your Schedule: Choose the device you
are most comfortable with and use the most, whether it is your
smartphone or a notebook. Keep it on you all day while you are at work,
so you can adjust your plans accordingly throughout the day.
6. They Understand Teamwork
Many of the most successful companies in the world were started with
teamwork; Google was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Apple was
founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, and Paypal was started by a
team of five. Being successful is rarely about being completely independent –
successful people are able to work with others, able to compromise, and
accept other ideas.
How To Adjust Your Schedule: If you work in a team
alongside others, schedule an email chain with your co-workers. Make a
note to email your co-workers at lunchtime if you do work on a project
for feedback. This will help your team to feel involved, encouraging
them to share their opinions and get involved.
7. They Take Their Work Seriously
Successful entrepreneurs truly believe in their work and see value in
what they do. It is difficult to work productively and become
successful if you don’t believe in your work. It is important to stay motivated and not to get side tracked by
people who don’t believe in you – remember that if you believe in your
work, you shouldn’t need the reassurance of others.
How To Adjust Your Schedule: At the end of your
working week, set aside half an hour to review your goals and dreams,
and see how you are progressing towards them. This will help you to
achieve your goals, but more importantly – it will encourage you to
truly believe in your goals.
8. They Relax When They Are Done
Worrying about work while you’re not there can run you down, and
actually make you less productive when you start again. Author Tim
Ferris recommends writing down your working goal for tomorrow when you
finish work, as this will help you to feel motivated for the next day –
so you can actually switch off for now, and enjoy your evening.
How To Adjust Your Schedule: Write down three goals
you want to achieve during your next working day. Write down how you
will achieve them too, as this will help you to feel focused, so you
can switch off and enjoy your down time. Source
Earl Nightingale,
American motivational speaker and author, once said, “We become what we
think about.” Perhaps truer words have never been spoken. The human
mind is an incredible thing, and having the right attitude and mindset
has routinely been stated by numerous successful people as being a
pivotal key to success. Sometimes, however, it is easy to get
side-tracked. Situations in life can get in the way of our goals,
self-esteem, and personal well-being. Truthfully, success is a
subjective term, and everyone will disagree over what constitutes being
successful. Here are a list of guidelines, however, of some things to
stop doing if you want to be or feel successful.
1. Stop Expecting Perfection
Often, we get frustrated when things don’t work out the way we want
them to, or as quickly as we’d like them to. We stress over small
details, or beat ourselves up for getting one thing wrong, or forgetting
to dot one I or cross one T. People are fallible. Mistakes and
drawbacks are a fact of life. Nothing is nor will it ever be perfect,
and that’s okay. Stressing out over minute details or things that would have been
impossible to get to is unproductive and unhealthy. Start saying that
you will do your personal best, because at the end of the day, you’re
not in competition with anyone but yourself. Example: Jennifer Lawrence is someone who everyone seems to be
talking about right now, but did you know she was rejected for the role
of Bella Swan in ‘Twilight‘?
She also didn’t take theater classes. She just trusted her instincts
and worked as hard as possible to land acting roles. Obviously, she
wasn’t perfect for every role, but she didn’t expect perfection. She
takes her failures and rejections well, trying to learn from each
situation.
2. Stop Saying Yes When You Want to Say No
It’s always important to know your limits, and people will always try
to test them. Human beings are social animals. We want to interact with
others and feel like we are a part of something or like we are special
to someone else. People also, for the most part, like to please others.
Sometimes, however, it’s easy to be taken advantage of. Whether it’s
helping a co-worker with something when you can’t really afford to, or
loaning a friend money you can’t really afford to give. Out of guilt, people often say yes to people and situations that they
really should say no to. Don’t be afraid to trust your gut and say no.
Sometimes you can’t stay a few hours later because you had other plans
or important errands to run. Sometimes it’s okay to say no to that
co-worker that keeps nagging you for help but is really just stalling
because they don’t want to work and know you’ll help them. Sometimes it’s okay to prioritize other things over work. Saying no is healthy. Saying no means that you know your boundaries and can demand respect. Example: Margaret Thatcher is known as being tough. She was a
powerful politician. She also knew during her career when she had to take a stand, and sometimes that stand meant saying no to bad political and economic policy.
3. Stop Negative Self-Dialogue
We all can probably play back in our minds every negative or
embarrassing thing we’ve ever done to ourselves, been subjected to, or
done to someone else. Whether it’s tripping over one’s shoelaces in the
fourth grade, or being fired from a job, wronging someone else, or
overhearing someone speaking negatively about us, those thoughts are
forever solidified in our minds. Replaying those thoughts, however, and constantly punishing oneself
for past mistakes, is counterproductive at certain points. At some
point, it’s more important to learn from situations and move on, instead
of psychologically beating yourself up. The next time you find yourself saying, “I’m not pretty enough”, “I
did this horrible thing once five years ago and I’ll never forgive
myself”, or any type of statement along those lines, turn off that
negative self-dialogue. Look in the mirror and say something kind to
yourself. Read some inspirational quotes. Acknowledge
that you are taking steps and making an effort to be a better person.
Admit to yourself that everyone makes mistakes, and most importantly,
that making mistakes is okay. Example: This article does a good job of listing Steve Job’s failures. We
remember him anyway, and we remember him as a pioneer and someone who
didn’t give up. When things go wrong, and they often do, it’s easy for
us to remember every mistake we have ever made along the way. Sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of our goals because of that lack
of confidence. Don’t give up and attempt to stay positive. Train your
brain to think of things in a new, more positive way. Most of all, keep
working hard. Failure doesn’t have to be permanent.
4. Stop Focusing On Just Today
Successful people tend to understand the value of a good plan. They
plan out their day, their goals, a budget and they plan how much to
save for retirement. That doesn’t mean they don’t have fun, though. They
most certainly do! They just make sure to plan when it is appropriate
and inappropriate to have fun. They make time for productivity and fun,
but still save and think about the future. So, stop just focusing on today and having fun. Think about where you
want to be in five, 10 or 15 years down the road! Having a good focus
aids in success! Example: Neil deGrasse Tyson has
been in love with the universe and science since he was nine years old.
Because of that love, he worked long-term to study the things he cared
about. He was accepted into Harvard where he majored in physics,
eventually moving on to advanced education. His list of accomplishments
would take up another full article in and of itself.
5. Stop Ignoring Your Goals
Stop believing things will just work out for you because you’re a
good person. Good things only happen to people who make an effort. A part of making an effort is setting goals for oneself. As
evidenced in the previous point, it’s not enough to just focus on the
day at hand. It’s important to manage time and set short-term and
long-term goals in order to be able to track progress and have something
to strive for. Example: Alan Turing is
considered the father of artificial intelligence and computers. He also
broke the code to the Nazi encryption machine called Enigma. He faced
many challenges along the way, such as the inability to identify with
others and being charged with indecency, for which he was eventually
pardoned. Despite his personal struggles, though, he managed to break
the code for Enigma, saving approximately 14 million people from death
and in turn helped end World War 2.
6. Stop Isolating People
Successful people understand that not everything is about work,
church or similar obligations. Some things are about family, relaxation,
and hobbies. It’s easy to get the impression that everyone who feels or
defines themselves as successful probably has no spare time on their
hands, and in some cases, that’s true. However, it isn’t always. Social isolation can kill people. In
fact, many successful people have mastered the art of balance. They
don’t isolate the people they love because they have large goals or
something they want to accomplish. Instead, they incorporate those they
love into their goals and hobbies. Example: According to a recent Forbes article, many leaders feel lonely. However, here are 25 examples of social business leaders who
seem to thrive on relationships. It’s okay to know how to work alone
and prefer that, but it’s also important to be able to rely on your
staff, friends, and family for support. Involving people in leadership or product processes makes them feel
valued and provides valuable feedback. Successful people enjoy that
relationship. They also enjoy their time away from their goals and work
to spend time with their loved ones.
7. Stop Comparing Yourself To Everyone Else
Successful people understand that the only person they can compete
with today is the person they were yesterday. They are too focused on
themselves and their goals to worry about anyone else. They don’t want
to compare themselves to others because it’s counterproductive. However,
they do analyze where they have weak points and are able to genuinely
admire people who have mastered things they have not. There is no use to comparing yourself to someone else. It’s
counterproductive and harmful to your self-esteem. It also helps to
harbor negative self-dialogue. Example: Taylor Swift is
one of the most successful recording artists of our time, but before
that, she was a struggling musician in Nashville playing at small venues
and coffee shops. She would turn in demos to various studios, covering a
variety of songs. It was only when she started playing and writing her own music that
she got noticed and became the celebrity she is today. She faced a lot
of adversity as well. There were people who doubted her skills and told
her she couldn’t sing. Her confidence and faith in herself overcame
that.
8. Stop Living In The Past
Successful people learn from their failures, but they do not live in
the past. They take the skills and lessons they acquired from their
failures and apply them to the present and future. Don’t live in your own personal past. Don’t define yourself by who you were. Define yourself by who you are today and by who you’re working toward becoming. Example: Would we even remember Thomas Edison if he gave up on his ideas before becoming successful? Can
you imagine simply focusing on what happened yesterday? So what if
yesterday was a failure? Try again! Failure teaches us about what
doesn’t work, and helps us get closer to a process that does work.
Choose your attitude and control it. Move forward. Remember, failure is feedback.
9. Stop Tolerating Dishonest People
Successful people appreciate other people for their unique traits and
gifts. They do not attempt to harm, belittle, or in any way demean
others for their own successes or ideas. They are open to relationships
with others, but know when to cut the cord, so to speak. People can be too forgiving when it comes to being wronged, and it’s
important to know one’s limits. Successful people do not tolerate
negative and dishonest people, because they are too busy loving honest,
sincere people. Example: Everyone. We have all had frenemies. We have all invested in
people who did not return our investment in them. Successful people
know how to weed these dishonest people out. No one wants unneeded
negativity around themselves or around the people they love.
Our attitude plays a big part in our everyday lives and can
affect how our life may turn out in the future. If you decide to live
with a negative attitude, always expecting the worst and never enjoying
what you already have in your life, you’ll find that your inner choices
will reflect on the outside. However, if you have a good attitude,
you’ll be the kind of person who works hard, is a believer in the fact
that life is for living, and you will live the kind of life many would
aspire to.
Attitude comes down to choice, you can choose whether to have a good
or a bad attitude and whether external things can affect it or not. With
this in mind I’ve come up with a few ways to help improve your attitude
when you are struggling to turn a bad day into a good one.
1. Take action and then let it go.
If you have something you need to get done, and you’ve been putting
it off because the result could go either way, the best thing for you to
do to improve your attitude is to take the appropriate action required
and then let it go. Holding on, worrying and wasting precious time
fretting will only put a downer on your attitude. If you remember that
life is for living, and what will be will be, then you can’t go far
wrong. Worrying is a complete waste of your time—if it’s going to
happen, it will happen anyway, whether you worry about it or not!
2. Spend time with those who share your positive attitude.
This is a must if you want to improve your attitude. The people you
surround yourself with most of the time will reflect upon you and how
you live your life. So always make sure that these people share your
positive vibe, and lift you rather than bring you down. We are, after
all, only human, so there will be times when we get a bit down on our
luck, which makes it even more important to have good, positive people
on hand to encourage, support and inspire us.
3. Remember to forgive easily the limitations of others.
So often we get disappointed by other people’s actions or non-action.
Instead of getting angry or retaliating, the best way to improve the
situation and to improve your attitude is to forgive. Most people don’t
understand why they do the things they do or say the things they say. It
is through your forgiveness (which is not about letting them off the
hook, but rather letting yourself off the hook) that you will improve
your attitude. Holding on to grudges will only cause you more harm than
good because most people don’t realize how their limitations affect
others anyway!
4. Always act with a purpose.
When you take action, always take steps to act with a purpose, so
that your actions are in line with your values and who you are. Many
people walk through life blindly, with no real reason for what they do
and why they do it. Instead, live with a sense of purpose, so that you
go through life knowing the effect you have on those around you and why
you do the things you do. For an example, Walt Disney’s main purpose was
to “make people happy,” so next time you act, think of your purpose and
improve your attitude whilst doing so!
5. Always say, “Please,” and, “Thank you.”
Being polite when given help or asking for it isn’t a hard thing to
do, yet so often we forget these simple words, especially with those
closest to us. If you want to improve your attitude use, “Please,” and,
“Thank you,” every single time you are given the opportunity. Why?
Because what you give out you get back, so when you are nice to someone
who is helping you out or when you need some assistance, you’ll find
that you’ll get more than you bargained for—in a good way, of course!
6. Don’t compare yourself to others.
If you want to improve your attitude to life and to those around you,
quit comparing yourself to others. It’s human to compare our lives with
others, but when we do it too often we can drag ourselves down and
start to think that life isn’t going the way it’s supposed to go. When
we compare, we think someone else’s life looks better than ours. It’s
important to remember that we are observing the external view, and
things may look different behind closed doors. So spare yourself the
worry and stop comparing, only focus on your own life and attitude to it
and you’ll be much happier in the process.
7. Expect the best out of every situation instead of the worst.
How many times do you focus on the bad stuff that might happen in
your life, rather than the good? Do you hear yourself saying things
like, “Oh, I knew that would happen,” or, “I really hope this doesn’t
cost too much,” and, “I don’t want to be late”?
When life is hectic and you feel that you don’t have time to do what
you want because of what other people want from you, it’s no wonder you
can get so down and disgruntled about life. We tend to focus on what
could go wrong in our lives rather than focusing on what could go right.
In some respects we like to have a moan, and it seems complaining has become such second nature to us that we don’t even realize we are doing it.
So how about trying something different? Try not to complain for
seven days and instead replace any negative thoughts with a positive
one. Expect the very best out of every situation and see the improvement
in your attitude, you won’t be disappointed!
8. Wake up early every day.
I am a real advocate of early rising. For me it brings me closer to
the feeling of starting afresh, just in case yesterday didn’t go quite
as planned. I usually get up at around 4 a.m., although that kind of
time is pretty extreme to most people. However, when you plan to wake up
early and intend to make each day a good one, you’ll find your attitude
will change. It’s like you are taking the day by the horns and making
sure you get every last bit out of it and on your own terms. You’ll feel
in control of your life rather than just going through life in a blur.
Just try it, even if you only get up 20 minutes earlier than normal.
9. Live in the present moment.
As you read this you will probably have 101 things on your mind.
Errands to run, things you should be doing and things that have happened
that are worrying you. All too often we spend our days lost in thoughts
about the past or the future and never really living in this very
moment. When we live like this, we are never really comfortable with
ourselves because our inner peace is constantly at odds, which affects
our mood and our attitude.
Instead of rushing about, try to spend time watching your thoughts
and becoming more mindful of what you are saying to yourself. If you are
worrying about something, you are not in the present moment because you
are thinking about something that could happen in the future. Anxiety,
stress and worry are all signs you are not living in the now. When you
have too much of this going on it can lead to health issues later on in
life. To improve your attitude, learn how to take a break, to sit and be
quiet even if it’s just for 10 minutes a day. Your body and mind will
thank you for it, and so will your friends!
10. Be grateful for everything you have.
This always seems to come up whenever I write because gratefulness is
one of the most powerful attitudes to have in life. If you want a
better life, give thanks for all that you have each and every day. When
you rise early, practice grace before you do anything. This kind of
practice will set your day off nicely, your attitude will improve and
you’ll find you will receive more things to be grateful about!
So how’s your attitude today, does it need a little fine tuning?
Everyone should have the same opportunity to learn and achieve their ambitions in life, in their communities and at work. Because our business is to look at what works and what doesn’t in
learning, skills and employment, we have direct experience of the
“wrongs to be righted”. And we have the evidence to back up our
recommendations. That’s why, as well as delivering Adult Learners’ Week
(now in its 24th year), we campaign, lobby and advocate on behalf of
learners of all kinds, especially those at most disadvantage. In the recent years, we have campaigned to:
Highlight the unintended impact of 24+ Advanced Learning Loans for apprenticeships
Gain support for an Apprentice Charter that would benefit apprentices and employers
Support people in low pay to progress in their careers
Help marginalised learners to access better opportunities through the Equality, Diversity and Innovation Fund
Help adults improve their literacy and discover a love of reading, through our continued support for Quick Reads
Help adults improve their numeracy with the Maths Everywhere App
Deliver Community Learning Champions – supporting volunteers who help adults to learn
Help people plan for a longer working life through our Mid-life Career Review
Reach deprived and marginalized learners, through our management of the Community Learning Innovation Fund
Encourage schools to use the Pupil Premium for family learning – something we know has a dramatic impact on children’s and parents’ learning
Ensure Trainee ships are available to older learners link to the following news story on the new website please
Raise awareness of the needs of both young adult carers and care leavers
We want to work with anyone who is as passionate about learning and addressing disadvantage as we are. So if you develop policy, inform opinion or develop learning and
skills practice, or if you just care about learning, we want to
challenge your thinking, engage you in debate, and encourage you to
advocate alongside us, so that everyone can benefit from lifelong
learning.
Implement Your Chosen Coping Strategies
Stress is common in our everyday lives. For the purposes of improving
overall productivity and lowering stress, it is important to manage
your time effectively, plan your day, and prioritize task demands. At
the same time, it is highly beneficial, and recommended that you work on
developing and have various coping strategies available to you; their
regular use will help keep stress levels down. If you are currently
feeling overwhelmed by this process, you may consider setting up a
consultation with a licensed mental health clinician. - See more at: http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/first-things-first#sthash.w1KwoDKY.dpuf
Now,
I don't doubt the necessity of planning out one's day in advance. If we
are to be productive, we must consider what needs to get done and how
we're going to do it. Rather, it's how we think about and approach our tasks, duties, and
responsibilities - and the level of significance that we ascribe to
their completion which can cause some of us considerable anxiety.
Ultimately we may forget to do things, choose to ignore our
responsibilities, or do them in a haphazard fashion. Even worse, we can
become clinically depressed. In order to remain healthy, we should always consider the importance
and value of our priorities. In our personal and professional lives,
however, many of us want to accomplish multiple goals at once. Often
times, we don't care to work toward them in an incremental or step-wise
fashion. - See more at: http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/first-things-first#sthash.w1KwoDKY.dpuf
Now,
I don't doubt the necessity of planning out one's day in advance. If we
are to be productive, we must consider what needs to get done and how
we're going to do it. Rather, it's how we think about and approach our tasks, duties, and
responsibilities - and the level of significance that we ascribe to
their completion which can cause some of us considerable anxiety.
Ultimately we may forget to do things, choose to ignore our
responsibilities, or do them in a haphazard fashion. Even worse, we can
become clinically depressed. In order to remain healthy, we should always consider the importance
and value of our priorities. In our personal and professional lives,
however, many of us want to accomplish multiple goals at once. Often
times, we don't care to work toward them in an incremental or step-wise
fashion. - See more at: http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/first-things-first#sthash.w1KwoDKY.dpuf
First Things First: A Mindful Approach to Choosing Our Priorities at Home and Work
Now,
I don't doubt the necessity of planning out one's day in advance. If we
are to be productive, we must consider what needs to get done and how
we're going to do it. Rather, it's how we think about and approach our tasks, duties, and
responsibilities - and the level of significance that we ascribe to
their completion which can cause some of us considerable anxiety.
Ultimately we may forget to do things, choose to ignore our
responsibilities, or do them in a haphazard fashion. Even worse, we can
become clinically depressed. In order to remain healthy, we should always consider the importance
and value of our priorities. In our personal and professional lives,
however, many of us want to accomplish multiple goals at once. Often
times, we don't care to work toward them in an incremental or step-wise
fashion.
Self-Imposed Stress From "Taking On Too Much"
For these reasons, try to think about what you're doing and why. Ask
such questions as "Is it really important that this gets done now or can
it wait?" Essentially we must be more mindful of our own
thought processes. This is a very deliberate and intentional practice
requiring substantial mental focus. We need to know and be more
connected with our ideas, expectations, and intentions, particularly
those that will advance us toward our goals. Thinking in a more purposeful manner will decrease your experience of
stress. Specifically, it relaxes you, allows you to be more flexible /
revise goals as necessary, and decreases anxiety.
Prioritize And Plan Your Day
Know yourself well! Specifically, understand your strengths and weaknesses, including your unique work habits.
In all situations, time will dictate what happens next. You will
improve your efficiency if you know which tasks you can fit into the
time that is left over once all the major tasks have been completed.
Obviously, larger tasks will have to be broken down into smaller
tasks. For example, you might not have enough time today to write the
report that is due next Tuesday, but you can use the next 20 minutes to
write the introduction while waiting for a meeting to start.
Doing smaller, less significant tasks first (i.e., to lower your
anxiety), is okay, and in many cases desirable. But do them quickly and
without interfering with the important tasks. The important tasks are
the ones that will have serious ramifications if you do not finish them.
This is similar to the fourth point: Procrastination is the
practice of putting off your more important tasks until later, while
completing the less important or more pleasurable tasks first. To some
extent procrastination is normal, even healthy as a coping mechanism to
deal with anxiety about deadlines. But, it can decrease productivity, in
addition to driving up your sense of anxiety, resulting in stress, even
feelings of guilt.
Compartmentalize your efforts. By that I mean that you should try to
keep various assignments and issues separate from each other. Isolated
and focus only on those details necessary to complete a task.
Concentrate on the task before you, and don't let your mind wander,
i.e., thinking about what you have to do next. Learn to say "no" to
anything that doesn't deserve your immediate focus or time. By not
allowing yourself to be derailed by non-essential thoughts or details,
you will greatly increase your overall accuracy and cut down on the time
needed to complete assignments or home-related chores and activities.
Multi-task whenever necessary, provided the other activities don't
diminish your ability to focus or return your attention to the task
before you.
Know which assignments require more attention to detail and which do
not. This might be difficult if you are a perfectionist, but you will
save much time, while freeing yourself up to complete other items on
your list.
Be able to recognize when your anxiety or stress level is going up. Have a plan for how you will decompress.
When you get home from work, give yourself permission to switch
gears between work and family mode. Try to be present and mindful of the
fact that you're at home. You can remind yourself that whatever it is
that your mind keeps drifting back to regarding work can wait until
tomorrow. Also, remind yourself how continually thinking about work
while you're at home can have serious health consequences for your
physical and emotional functioning.
Implement Your Chosen Coping Strategies
Stress is common in our everyday lives. For the purposes of improving
overall productivity and lowering stress, it is important to manage
your time effectively, plan your day, and prioritize task demands. At
the same time, it is highly beneficial, and recommended that you work on
developing and have various coping strategies available to you; their
regular use will help keep stress levels down. If you are currently
feeling overwhelmed by this process, you may consider setting up a
consultation with a licensed mental health clinician.
- See more at: http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/first-things-first#sthash.w1KwoDKY.dpuf
First Things First: A Mindful Approach to Choosing Our Priorities at Home and Work
Now,
I don't doubt the necessity of planning out one's day in advance. If we
are to be productive, we must consider what needs to get done and how
we're going to do it. Rather, it's how we think about and approach our tasks, duties, and
responsibilities - and the level of significance that we ascribe to
their completion which can cause some of us considerable anxiety.
Ultimately we may forget to do things, choose to ignore our
responsibilities, or do them in a haphazard fashion. Even worse, we can
become clinically depressed. In order to remain healthy, we should always consider the importance
and value of our priorities. In our personal and professional lives,
however, many of us want to accomplish multiple goals at once. Often
times, we don't care to work toward them in an incremental or step-wise
fashion.
Self-Imposed Stress From "Taking On Too Much"
For these reasons, try to think about what you're doing and why. Ask
such questions as "Is it really important that this gets done now or can
it wait?" Essentially we must be more mindful of our own
thought processes. This is a very deliberate and intentional practice
requiring substantial mental focus. We need to know and be more
connected with our ideas, expectations, and intentions, particularly
those that will advance us toward our goals. Thinking in a more purposeful manner will decrease your experience of
stress. Specifically, it relaxes you, allows you to be more flexible /
revise goals as necessary, and decreases anxiety.
Prioritize And Plan Your Day
Know yourself well! Specifically, understand your strengths and weaknesses, including your unique work habits.
In all situations, time will dictate what happens next. You will
improve your efficiency if you know which tasks you can fit into the
time that is left over once all the major tasks have been completed.
Obviously, larger tasks will have to be broken down into smaller
tasks. For example, you might not have enough time today to write the
report that is due next Tuesday, but you can use the next 20 minutes to
write the introduction while waiting for a meeting to start.
Doing smaller, less significant tasks first (i.e., to lower your
anxiety), is okay, and in many cases desirable. But do them quickly and
without interfering with the important tasks. The important tasks are
the ones that will have serious ramifications if you do not finish them.
This is similar to the fourth point: Procrastination is the
practice of putting off your more important tasks until later, while
completing the less important or more pleasurable tasks first. To some
extent procrastination is normal, even healthy as a coping mechanism to
deal with anxiety about deadlines. But, it can decrease productivity, in
addition to driving up your sense of anxiety, resulting in stress, even
feelings of guilt.
Compartmentalize your efforts. By that I mean that you should try to
keep various assignments and issues separate from each other. Isolated
and focus only on those details necessary to complete a task.
Concentrate on the task before you, and don't let your mind wander,
i.e., thinking about what you have to do next. Learn to say "no" to
anything that doesn't deserve your immediate focus or time. By not
allowing yourself to be derailed by non-essential thoughts or details,
you will greatly increase your overall accuracy and cut down on the time
needed to complete assignments or home-related chores and activities.
Multi-task whenever necessary, provided the other activities don't
diminish your ability to focus or return your attention to the task
before you.
Know which assignments require more attention to detail and which do
not. This might be difficult if you are a perfectionist, but you will
save much time, while freeing yourself up to complete other items on
your list.
Be able to recognize when your anxiety or stress level is going up. Have a plan for how you will decompress.
When you get home from work, give yourself permission to switch
gears between work and family mode. Try to be present and mindful of the
fact that you're at home. You can remind yourself that whatever it is
that your mind keeps drifting back to regarding work can wait until
tomorrow. Also, remind yourself how continually thinking about work
while you're at home can have serious health consequences for your
physical and emotional functioning.
Implement Your Chosen Coping Strategies
Stress is common in our everyday lives. For the purposes of improving
overall productivity and lowering stress, it is important to manage
your time effectively, plan your day, and prioritize task demands. At
the same time, it is highly beneficial, and recommended that you work on
developing and have various coping strategies available to you; their
regular use will help keep stress levels down. If you are currently
feeling overwhelmed by this process, you may consider setting up a
consultation with a licensed mental health clinician.
- See more at: http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/first-things-first#sthash.w1KwoDKY.dpuf
First Things First: A Mindful Approach to Choosing Our Priorities at Home and Work
Now,
I don't doubt the necessity of planning out one's day in advance. If we
are to be productive, we must consider what needs to get done and how
we're going to do it. Rather, it's how we think about and approach our tasks, duties, and
responsibilities - and the level of significance that we ascribe to
their completion which can cause some of us considerable anxiety.
Ultimately we may forget to do things, choose to ignore our
responsibilities, or do them in a haphazard fashion. Even worse, we can
become clinically depressed. In order to remain healthy, we should always consider the importance
and value of our priorities. In our personal and professional lives,
however, many of us want to accomplish multiple goals at once. Often
times, we don't care to work toward them in an incremental or step-wise
fashion.
Self-Imposed Stress From "Taking On Too Much"
For these reasons, try to think about what you're doing and why. Ask
such questions as "Is it really important that this gets done now or can
it wait?" Essentially we must be more mindful of our own
thought processes. This is a very deliberate and intentional practice
requiring substantial mental focus. We need to know and be more
connected with our ideas, expectations, and intentions, particularly
those that will advance us toward our goals. Thinking in a more purposeful manner will decrease your experience of
stress. Specifically, it relaxes you, allows you to be more flexible /
revise goals as necessary, and decreases anxiety.
Prioritize And Plan Your Day
Know yourself well! Specifically, understand your strengths and weaknesses, including your unique work habits.
In all situations, time will dictate what happens next. You will
improve your efficiency if you know which tasks you can fit into the
time that is left over once all the major tasks have been completed.
Obviously, larger tasks will have to be broken down into smaller
tasks. For example, you might not have enough time today to write the
report that is due next Tuesday, but you can use the next 20 minutes to
write the introduction while waiting for a meeting to start.
Doing smaller, less significant tasks first (i.e., to lower your
anxiety), is okay, and in many cases desirable. But do them quickly and
without interfering with the important tasks. The important tasks are
the ones that will have serious ramifications if you do not finish them.
This is similar to the fourth point: Procrastination is the
practice of putting off your more important tasks until later, while
completing the less important or more pleasurable tasks first. To some
extent procrastination is normal, even healthy as a coping mechanism to
deal with anxiety about deadlines. But, it can decrease productivity, in
addition to driving up your sense of anxiety, resulting in stress, even
feelings of guilt.
Compartmentalize your efforts. By that I mean that you should try to
keep various assignments and issues separate from each other. Isolated
and focus only on those details necessary to complete a task.
Concentrate on the task before you, and don't let your mind wander,
i.e., thinking about what you have to do next. Learn to say "no" to
anything that doesn't deserve your immediate focus or time. By not
allowing yourself to be derailed by non-essential thoughts or details,
you will greatly increase your overall accuracy and cut down on the time
needed to complete assignments or home-related chores and activities.
Multi-task whenever necessary, provided the other activities don't
diminish your ability to focus or return your attention to the task
before you.
Know which assignments require more attention to detail and which do
not. This might be difficult if you are a perfectionist, but you will
save much time, while freeing yourself up to complete other items on
your list.
Be able to recognize when your anxiety or stress level is going up. Have a plan for how you will decompress.
When you get home from work, give yourself permission to switch
gears between work and family mode. Try to be present and mindful of the
fact that you're at home. You can remind yourself that whatever it is
that your mind keeps drifting back to regarding work can wait until
tomorrow. Also, remind yourself how continually thinking about work
while you're at home can have serious health consequences for your
physical and emotional functioning.
Implement Your Chosen Coping Strategies
Stress is common in our everyday lives. For the purposes of improving
overall productivity and lowering stress, it is important to manage
your time effectively, plan your day, and prioritize task demands. At
the same time, it is highly beneficial, and recommended that you work on
developing and have various coping strategies available to you; their
regular use will help keep stress levels down. If you are currently
feeling overwhelmed by this process, you may consider setting up a
consultation with a licensed mental health clinician.
- See more at: http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/first-things-first#sthash.w1KwoDKY.dpuf
125g butter, softened
100g light brown soft sugar
125g caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
225g self-raising flour
½ tsp salt
200g chocolate chips
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4.
2. Cream butter and sugars, once creamed, combine in the egg and vanilla.
3. Sift in the flour and salt, then the chocolate chips.
4. Roll into walnut size balls, for a more homemade look, or roll into a
long, thick sausage shape and slice to make neater looking cookies.
5. Place on ungreased baking paper. If you want to have the real Millies
experience then bake for just 7 minutes, till the cookies are just
setting - the cookies will be really doughy and delicious. Otherwise
cook for 10 minutes until just golden round the edges.
6. Take out of the oven and leave to harden for a minute before
transferring to a wire cooling rack. These are great warm, and they also
store well, if they don't all get eaten straight away!
There are few things more frustrating than not being able to fall asleep at night, and just lying there tossing and turning.
The
more frustrated you get, the less likely you are to fall asleep, and
then it becomes a psychological battle which can lead to longer term
insomnia.
But a Harvard-trained physician thinks he has a method which, if used properly, means you can get to sleep in 60 seconds flat. Dr. Andrew Weil pioneered the 4-7-8 technique, which sounds quite easy...
1) Breathe in for four seconds
The 4-7-8 technique can help you relax and get to sleep
2) Hold your breath for seven seconds
3) Breathe our for eight seconds
4) Repeat this three times (which takes 57 seconds)
5) You should then feel incredibly sleepy
We tried it in the office and it does very much make you want to go to sleep
Why does it work?
The eight seconds of
holding your breath is the important part. Following filling your lungs
with oxygen after a deep breath, it allows that oxygen to circulate.
This relaxes your body, while focusing on the breathing means you empty all the stress and frustration from your mind. It's
similar, in a way, to breathing techniques used in Mindfullness, which
also seeks to help you get rid of those recurring thoughts that just
won't go away. Source
Everyone knows that goals are supposed to be the way to help you get
what you want in life, set a goal and achieve more.
Why do so many
people fail to achieve their goals though? It seems so simple; think
about what you want, have an intention to achieve it and hopefully your
life will change.
There are many reasons why you might not be achieving
your goals.
Unfortunately, thinking alone will not get you anywhere, neither will
simply having a good intention without being prepared for challenges,
or not having clarity where to start, or sometimes not even knowing what
you want. The real difference lies in how effectively you set your
goals and how much support you give yourself to achieve them after you
set them. What I want to do is show you some things you can do to help
you boost your success in achieving your goals.
Get clear on your goals – Decide what you want and get clear on your goal as well as
-your deadline
-how you will measure your goal
-what you need to do to achieve it
-what resources you have and what you will need
-your obstacles and how you will overcome them
-what action steps you need to take
Plan effectively – You need to look at your end goal and determine
what steps you need to take to achieve your goal. Then you need to
include these steps and schedule them into your diary/calendar. Remember
to only plan 75% of your time, take routine tasks into consideration,
batch where possible and also plan according to your energy levels.
Do something – Take action. Planning but then giving into
procrastination is not going to get you any results. Most of the time we
have a good intention to achieve our goals, and then we hit resistance
when taking further action. Preparing for your obstacles and also
working through them when they arise are key to achieving your goals.
You will come up against resistance often, everybody does, this is called
homeostasis, a natural resistance to change. The key is to take action
and have plans to keep you moving forward.
Keep your goal at the top of your mind – Motivation is pivotal to achieving your
goal. Motivation gives you that boost you need to keep going when you
feel like giving up. Everyday looking at your goal, reaffirm it to
yourself, visualize it before you go to bed. Make it part of your daily
routine, feel it.
Keep focused – Always stay focused on your thoughts and what you are
feeling. Are you focusing on what you want to happen or what you are
scared will happen? Focus on what you want and not on what you don’t
want. Review your goals and progress regularly as well.
Commit and Persevere – To achieve any goal, you must be committed and
persevere, even when you feel like giving up. Some days will be easier
than others but to achieve any goal, you must persevere until you obtain
it. Too many people have given up just before they finally achieved
success.
Act as if – Always believe and have faith that you will achieve your
goal and take confident action. To believe in only those things which
you can see is not belief at all. If you don’t believe it will happen,
it won’t happen. Whatever you believe, you are right. Act as if and
expect the best to happen.
Journey, not destination – Lastly, stay present, enjoy it, it is
about the journey and not the destination. Don’t feel like everything
will be fine only once you reach your goal. Find the things that you can
be grateful and happy for now and remember that reaching your goal will
just make things much better, but don’t have the mindset of ‘when…I
will…’
If you have a burning desire to achieve more than you currently are but
you feel lost and stuck, remember, it is better to work through those
emotions now than to give up on your dreams forever.
Leadership
is learned behavior that becomes unconscious and automatic over time. For example, leaders can make several important decisions about an issue
in the time it takes others to understand the question. Many people
wonder how leaders know how to make the best decisions, often under
immense pressure. The process of making these decisions comes from an
accumulation of experiences and encounters with a multitude of
difference circumstances, personality types and unforeseen failures.
More so, the decision making process is an acute understanding of being
familiar with the cause and effect of behavioral and circumstantial
patterns; knowing the intelligence and interconnection points of the
variables involved in these patterns allows a leader to confidently make
decisions and project the probability of their desired outcomes. The
most successful leaders are instinctual decision makers. Having done it
so many times throughout their careers, they become immune to the
pressure associated with decision making and extremely intuitive about
the process of making the most strategic and best decisions. This is why
most senior executives will tell you they depend strongly upon their
“gut-feel” when making difficult decisions at a moment’s notice.
Beyond decision making, successful leadership across all areas
becomes learned and instinctual over a period of time. Successful
leaders have learned the mastery of anticipating business patterns,
finding opportunities in pressure situations, serving the people they
lead and overcoming hardships. No wonder the best CEOs are paid so
much money. In 2011, salaries for the 200 top-paid CEOs rose 5 percent
to a median $14.5 million per year, according to a study by
compensation-data company Equilar for The New York Times. If you are looking to advance your career into a leadership capacity
and / or already assume leadership responsibilities – here are 15 things
you must do automatically, every day, to be a successful leader in the
workplace:
1. Make Others Feel Safe to Speak-Up Many times leaders intimidate their colleagues with their title and
power when they walk into a room. Successful leaders deflect attention
away from themselves and encourage others to voice their opinions.
They are experts at making others feel safe to speak-up and confidently share their perspectives and points of view. They use their executive presence to create an approachable environment.
2. Make Decisions Successful leaders are expert decision makers. They either
facilitate the dialogue to empower their colleagues to reach a strategic
conclusion or they do it themselves. They focus on “making things
happen” at all times – decision making activities that sustain
progress. Successful leaders have mastered the art of politicking and
thus don’t waste their time on issues that disrupt momentum. They know how to make 30 decisions in 30 minutes.
3. Communicate Expectations Successful leaders are great communicators, and this is especially
true when it comes to “performance expectations.” In doing so, they
remind their colleagues of the organization’s core values and mission
statement – ensuring that their vision is properly translated and
actionable objectives are properly executed. I had a boss that managed the team by reminding us of the
expectations that she had of the group. She made it easy for the team
to stay focused and on track. The protocol she implemented – by clearly
communicating expectations – increased performance and helped to
identify those on the team that could not keep up with the standards she
expected from us.
4. Challenge People to Think The most successful leaders understand their colleagues’ mindsets,
capabilities and areas for improvement. They use this knowledge/insight
to challenge their teams to think and stretch them to reach for more.
These types of leaders excel in keeping their people on their toes,
never allowing them to get comfortable and enabling them with the tools
to grow. If you are not thinking, you’re not learning new things. If you’re
not learning, you’re not growing – and over time becoming irrelevant in
your work.
5. Be Accountable to Others Successful leaders allow their colleagues to manage them. This
doesn’t mean they are allowing others to control them – but rather
becoming accountable to assure they are being proactive to their
colleagues needs. Beyond just mentoring and sponsoring selected employees, being
accountable to others is a sign that your leader is focused more on your
success than just their own.
6. Lead by Example Leading by example sounds easy, but few leaders are consistent with
this one. Successful leaders practice what they preach and are mindful
of their actions. They know everyone is watching them and therefore are
incredibly intuitive about detecting those who are observing their
every move, waiting to detect a performance shortfall.
7. Measure & Reward Performance
Great leaders always have a strong “pulse” on business performance
and those people who are the performance champions. Not only do they
review the numbers and measure performance ROI, they are active in
acknowledging hard work and efforts (no matter the result).
Successful leaders never take consistent performers for granted and are
mindful of rewarding them.
8. Provide Continuous Feedback
Employees want their leaders to know that they are paying attention
to them and they appreciate any insights along the way. Successful
leaders always provide feedback and they welcome reciprocal feedback by
creating trustworthy
relationships with their colleagues.. They understand the power of
perspective and have learned the importance of feedback early on in
their career as it has served them to enable workplace advancement.
9. Properly Allocate and Deploy Talent
Successful leaders know their talent pool and how to use it. They
are experts at activating the capabilities of their colleagues and
knowing when to deploy their unique skill sets given the circumstances
at hand.
10. Ask Questions, Seek Counsel
Successful leaders ask questions and seek counsel all the time. From
the outside, they appear to know-it-all – yet on the inside, they have a
deep thirst for knowledge and constantly are on the look-out to learn
new things because of their commitment to making themselves better
through the wisdom of others.
11. Problem Solve; Avoid Procrastination
Successful leaders tackle issues head-on and know how to discover the heart of the matter at hand. They don’t procrastinate
and thus become incredibly proficient at problem solving; they learn
from and don’t avoid uncomfortable circumstances (they welcome them).
Getting ahead in life is about doing the things that most people don’t like doing.
12. Positive Energy & Attitude
Successful leaders create a positive and inspiring workplace culture. They know how to set the tone and bring an attitude that motivates their colleagues to take action. As such, they are likeable, respected and strong willed. They don’t allow failures to disrupt momentum.
13. Be a Great Teacher
Many employees in the workplace will tell you that their leaders have
stopped being teachers. Successful leaders never stop teaching
because they are so self-motivated to learn themselves. They use
teaching to keep their colleagues well-informed and knowledgeable
through statistics, trends, and other newsworthy items.
Successful leaders take the time to mentor their colleagues and make
the investment to sponsor those who have proven they are able and eager
to advance.
14. Invest in Relationships
Successful leaders don’t focus on protecting their domain – instead
they expand it by investing in mutually beneficial relationships.
Successful leaders associate themselves with “lifters and other leaders” – the types of people that can broaden their sphere of influence. Not only for their own advancement, but that of others.
Leaders share the harvest of their success to help build momentum for those around them.
15. Genuinely Enjoy Responsibilities
Successful leaders love being leaders – not for the sake of power but
for the meaningful and purposeful impact they can create. When you
have reached a senior level of leadership – it’s about your ability to
serve others and this can’t be accomplished unless you genuinely enjoy
what you do.
In the end, successful leaders are able to sustain their success
because these 15 things ultimately allow them to increase the value of
their organization’s brand – while at the same time minimize the
operating risk profile. They serve as the enablers of talent, culture
and results.
Now,
I don't doubt the necessity of planning out one's day in advance. If we
are to be productive, we must consider what needs to get done and how
we're going to do it.
