Visions Boards Lead to Success

August 18th, 2009

Visualize what you want and you’ll get it. That’s the “Secret” after all. Did you know you can use a vision board to help with this?

What exactly is a vision board? How is it related to the law of attraction? Basically, it is a visual representation, a collage, of the things that you want to have, be, or do in your life. You have to create a poster with cut-out pictures, drawings, and words that are related to your dream. When put together, these things will inspire you to steer your life towards achieving your dream.  Its purpose is to activate the law of attraction. And we all know that knowing the law gets us to attain all our hopes.

How do you make a vision board? To start with, you need to gather things from your environment that will enable you to realize your wishes. You need to select pictures and words that charge your emotions with only positive feelings. As soon as you feel the positivity set in, you will begin to manifest those things into your life. The design of the board is patterned according to how you creative you can get. Having artistic ability may be a plus, but is definitely not a prerequisite for creating a functional vision board.

First and foremost, your vision board has to be very visual. Your subconscious mind actually works in pictures and images. The pictures should be supplemented with words and phrases so that you are able to increase the emotional response you get from it. Of course, it also has to be emotional. Everything you put on your vision board should evoke a positive emotional response. The mere sight of it should make you ecstatic. You need to fuel your passion to achieve it every time you glance at it.

Once you’re done with the set up, you need to strategically put it in area where you are able to see it every day. It needs to give you maximum exposure to it. You need to constantly remind your subconscious mind of your hopes and wishes. If you bathe in its energy, you are able to manifest your desires quicker.

Make your vision board as personal as possible. Negative feelings can damage the delicate energy that your vision board emits. If you are afraid that others may ridicule you about it, you have every right to make it as confidential as possible. You are not forced to share this experience with everyone and you have the prerogative to tell only those who can understand you.

So get your supplies now. Feel free to incorporate anything and everything. Then start compiling pictures from newspapers and magazines. Don’t evaluate the pictures. Just put them neatly in a pile before you design the lay-out. You have to make sure that every detail pops out, so this must be done with care. Sort everything out and paste them. Make sure that you choose only those that create an impact on you the most.

Your vision board has to inspire and charge you with renewed passion every time you look at it. As your needs change, make the necessary adjustments on your board as well.  You’re vision board shouldn’t be a finished piece of art after its initial creation. It’s a dynamic thing that changes and improves over time.

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Manage Your Workload

August 18th, 2009

Many of us just simply take on too much in terms of our workload. Our intentions are good, but our businesses actually suffer when we can’t say “NO!”.

It’s time to stop the insanity and put a halt to our growing to-do list.
You need to understand the importance of time. After all, this is critical to your success. You have to be able to maximize every second of your day and complete all tasks in a timely fashion. If you just have too many things to do, don’t hesitate to ask for help. Hire an extra set of hands if you must so you can free up your time and concentrate on the other aspects.

Especially in business, you have to turn your focus on tasks that create revenue. These are things that go with the core of the business, the foundation from which the company stands on. If it doesn’t make money, delegate it. If you are a business owner, try not to get yourself into non-revenue generating activities. Your focus should be on marketing the business so you will have one to speak of.

Business owners, in particular, are mostly very busy. The size and nature of their company is irrelevant because when you are really starting something from scratch, you need to invest a lot of your time and money. As soon as you’ve set up the roles of the people involved and have purchased the materials, you now need to turn your attention to getting your business out there. So yes, you really will have to complete what would feel like a million tasks before you can finally see where everything should be. On the bright side, you are your own boss. So, if you need to stop and rest, you can do so without anyone questioning your actions.

If you are continually on the move, stress will definitely catch up with you. You will eventually feel harassed and annoyed. It might even get to the point where something has to give way. See the entire scenario as a balloon. If you keep filling it up with air, it will eventually burst. Going through busy periods is okay. However, you also need time to relax and recharge. Otherwise, you will be like a machine running low on batteries: completing a task just takes longer.

You need to know when to say stop, when to turn down a responsibility. The fate of the world does not rest on your shoulders, so when you have to step back, do so and do it without feeling guilty. No matter how noble your intentions are, you cannot be everything all at one time. I someone asks you to do something, weigh things first.

If it’s just not possible, learn to say no in a nice way. The most tactful method would be to tell them that you’ll consider their request once your work is complete. This tells the other person that your work is important and help would be nice.

Saying no actually helps other people to grow. You are also teaching them to fend for themselves. Now, if you still have too much on your plate, learn to delegate. Delegation is the art of a true leader. The secret to successful delegation is to build the task’s importance to the person you are passing the work to. Thank them graciously and tick one off from your list of responsibilities. At the end of the day, review your list to see how much you have achieved. This will help drive you forward. The point is, you don’t have to be ridiculously busy to get things done. Change your perspective and look at it as being busy achieving what you want.

You’ll get more done, by doing less. Your workload management skills are the key to productivity.

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The Cure for Procrastination

August 17th, 2009

Never put off til tomorrow what you can do today.

Yeah, right!

Let’s talk about why procrastination is such a hindrance and what we can do about it:

The reason we don’t always get what we want is that we sometimes put off work to the next day. Admittedly, the most difficult part of the project is starting it. We just have to get into the momentum, but once we do, we can be quite unstoppable.

We all have goals, something we want to do, to bring into our life, but we must take the first step towards that journey that leads to our success. We give so many excuses, and in the end, we never really get to do anything. Why do we always delay? What makes us think that there is always tomorrow?

We put off starting or doing something for several reasons. Sometimes we think that perhaps it may not be the right time, while other times, we are just not that motivated. Achieving our dreams requires hard work…a lot of it. We need to muster up enough energy to do it. We just can’t sit back and wait for things to come to us. If we let life happen and not open the doors to opportunities, then we might as well stop holding our breath. Nothing will ever become of us if we don’t move. The thing is, putting things off results in nothing. Things stay as they are because there was no force applied to start the ball rolling.

If you want your life to become better, you need to think of things you’ve always wanted to do. If you want a different career path, start looking for a job right now. If you want financial stability, start a business or start saving up. Whatever it is that you want, you have to get started right now. Create a sense of urgency in yourself to begin it!

If you are not in a position to start right now, arrange your schedule so that you can fit even a portion of the work into your day. A couple of minutes is all you need to make a really good start on something. While you gradually build your dreams, you’ll soon see yourself getting closer to your desired end. The more you get done, the more results you generate.

When it comes to business, you need to be stricter with yourself. After all, how will you ever earn if you don’t put much effort to your job? You have to be more productive at work. Create your time limit and make sure that you spread your work out evenly. Make sure that the most urgent tasks are placed on top of the list. That way, you’re working on the task that contributes the most value. Lastly, avoid interruptions. These only slow you down because every time you’re interrupted, it takes time to get back into the task you were working on. You’ll once more have to figure out where you left off.

Of course, never leave yourself out of the equation. Exercise, eat, and sleep right. When your body isn’t functioning properly, it’s hard to be productive. Relaxation is just as important. It’s easier to get more done when you have enough energy. Otherwise, you’ll just end up constantly committing mistakes.

The point is, stick to your plans and make sure that you target your every need. It’s amazing how much more accomplished you will feel when you start a proper schedule.

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Basics of NLP

August 17th, 2009

NLP is often spoken about but hardly ever explained. Neuro Linguistic Programming has certain basic principles that should be understood.

So here are,

The Basics of Neuro-Linguistic Programming

What is NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) and what are the things involved in its execution?

Basically, NLP is a set of techniques used to effectively change a person’s behavior and in the way he communicates his beliefs. NLP is a method of self-improvement. It can be used as a mode of therapy for working with a variety of problems. People use this to overcome learning disorders, specific phobias, and destructive emotions. The techniques originated from the idea of hypnosis. It includes the application of every technique available for your body, spirit, and mind in totality.

To survive in today’s society, you need to have a healthy attitude towards life. You simply cannot survive if you fear everything and think that things work to your disadvantage. NLP also ensures that you develop a positive attitude towards life. Learning NLP entirely depends on your personal perspective. People view the world differently, depending on what their experiences are. When someone has been handed the lucky hand in life, they will naturally feel more optimistic. On the other hand, if the person has seen nothing but heartache, you cannot exactly fault them for being melancholy, or sometimes, just downright rude.

The main purpose of NLP is to let people go beyond what they’ve experienced. After all, there is more to this world than meets the eye. The practice consists of 4 operational principles:

  1. The first principle is achievement planning. You first have to know more about your goals and what you want to achieve in a certain time period. It is only when you know what you want can you begin to reprogram your mind. The point is, you need to make a specific plan. You have to follow this list so that you don’t end up doing things that are not significant to your goal. The last thing you would want to happen is wandering aimlessly, doing so many things at one time but achieving nothing in the end.
  2. You need to be aware of what your target is. You have to work towards getting to that end. Think of your life as a race. Head towards the finish line and know where it is. Steer clear of the other paths and stick to the road that’s been destined for you alone. You need to be aware of exactly where you are. You may be going through something, and you cannot work towards healing if you don’t know what needs to be healed in the first place. Address your shortcomings and make sure that you are consistently working on becoming better. You also need to make yourself more aware of your environment. Read body language and facial expressions so that you’ll know which personality traits you need to tweak or change.
  3. You need to become more flexible. Welcome changes and adjust to the situation. You must realize that the world, after all, does not revolve around you.
  4. Seize opportunities when they come. NLP is all about immediate reaction so that you can enjoy and reap the benefits at the soonest possible time.

By thinking positively and deciding what you really want out of life, you can easily become the person you’ve always wanted to be.

More on NLP basics and principles in upcoming posts on http://selfimprovement.fm

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Communication Demands Active Listening

August 17th, 2009

What makes all the difference when it comes to being perceived as a person truly skilled in communication?

The art of active listening.

When you listen to public speakers talk about a certain subject matter, all you basically need to do is open your ears. However, speaking to someone face to face is another dynamic altogether. You communicate with people to get your point across to let them know about how you think and feel. It’s different when you are addressing the audience. Oftentimes, you are too far for them to see your nervous habits, facial expressions, and personal quirks.

But when you have to speak to converse with someone on a more personal level, you have to really become aware of the person. This is when active listening comes into play. Situations like these require a higher level of listening skills. You are required to maintain eye contact, read body language, take note of the silences between sentences, and try not to make too many assumptions.

Why are all these important? First of all, maintaining eye contact lets the other person know that you are interested in what they have to say. They are likely to open up more when the other person shows concern. When it comes to body language, this actually reveals a lot about you are about the person you’re talking to. Don’t slump or fidget, instead, lean slightly forward without invading too much of their personal space. You must be engaging without necessarily scaring the other person off.

Maybe the hardest thing about communicating is keeping quiet. You should leave some room for silence, and mind you, they don’t have to be uncomfortable at all. These may be moments when both parties have to contemplate on what has just been shared. By allowing these moments of silence, you also give the other person a chance to continue without offending them with any form of rebuttal. You are basically required to fully take in everything said, digest it, and then respond to it. Of course, this also means that you already know what they are about to say next. Ideal communication happens when both doors are opened.

Because words are not always perfect mediums to convey meaning, you have to know that people sometimes say less than intended or more than needed. You really need to take into consideration everything about the other party. Your communication will be more effective if you watch for cues. When it is your turn to convey something very important, expect the same kind of respect you’ve given them and make sure that your listener is engaged.

Paying attention to each other’s listening style, you get to build solid relationships and healthy friendships. Because you make yourself aware of the other signs, you may find that you also pick up on their unspoken words. Show interest so that you prompt others to communicate more with you more effectively.

Active listening could therefore be the basis for every friendship. You allow others to open up to you because they know that they will not immediately be judged. Although you cannot always accurately tell what lies behind their words, you will sense that there is something more. All you need to do then to assist them and show that you are sincere with your interest.

Believe me, active listening make ALL the difference.

Are you listening? Really listening?

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The Confidence to Motivate Others

July 20th, 2009

What is leadership? Well I suppose, in a simple sense, it’s the ability to get others to do what you ask them to do. Sounds straight forward, but as we all know, we commonly get into situations where people just simply aren’t motivated by us. This sounds typical in the office, doesn’t it? Work attitude commonly hinges on motivation.

Let’s look at how confidence in ourselves leads to the motivation of others.
One of the biggest secrets to achieving success is to become a confident person. You have to let go of destructive thoughts, otherwise, you end up becoming that negative person that no one wants around. Of course, it’s perfectly normal to have doubts. But regularly assuming the worst is already a problem. You already set your mind to thinking that things will never work to your favor, and you subconsciously sabotage your chances for true happiness.

Being overly confident isn’t smart either. Thinking that it’s in your fate to do something great can make your forego all the efforts to truly achieve what you want. Don’t pin your hopes to only one thing and know that it is better to work hard to get what you want. People will respect you more when they see that you are working just as hard as they do. Yes, you may be a natural at something, but you never assume that your talents will work for you all the time even when you don’t try hard enough. When things backfire, you can really bruise your ego and hurt your self-esteem. You have to plan for your future and anticipate what could happen. There’s always something to worry about, and if you think that life is a bed of roses, you are gravely mistaken. Of course, this is also not to say that you become a pessimist. It simply means that you have to plan for every possibility but also know that you have to take risks if you ever want to achieve anything. Believe in yourself but don’t be boastful, trust in your abilities but never be complacent.

If you want to be that person who inspires others to follow in your footsteps, earn their respect. Should you find yourself managing people under you, never use fear to motivate them. People may follow your advice when they fear you, but they can also just as easily betray you. Why? Because they never liked you to begin with. Some people will actually jump at the chance to put you in your place once they know that they can gain power over you. To inspire others to be just as excellent, you have to give them a sense of purpose. Make them understand how valued they are and that the goal can only be achieved when everyone works together.

So when you feel that the energy is leaning towards the negative, take a step back and try to see the entire picture. Just as you are working towards achieving your dreams, so are the others. Ask help when needed and extend your services to the others as well. You become a more motivated person when you know that the others are rooting for you. Should you commit a mistake, these people will be there to immediately help you pick up the pieces. To get kindness, you have to give it. Be that person who cheers for their peers when they achieve success. Never be jealous of what others have because you also have unique talents of your own. Remember, certain accomplishments can be made when different talents are combined. As long you know that you have something to contribute, you’ll have people who’ll watch your back as well.

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Power of Visualization

July 14th, 2009

The human mind is an incredible thing. It can literally manifest the things we seek by our mere thoughts and clarity of desire. Let’s explore in this reflection the power of visualization.

Your subconscious mind is an exceptionally potent ally. What you tell yourself to be and how you want things to work can be controlled. All you need to do is learn the power of visualization. Basically, your mind is fully capable of working backwards, working from the end to the means. This is basically an act of working towards your goal even without knowing the steps to be taken. If you “program” only the desired outcome successfully within your “mental computer,” then your subconscious takes over and helps you find the information and means to carry out the actions necessary to achieve the things that you want. This is perhaps the best mental training technique available to people nowadays.

Many people are now familiarizing themselves with affirmations and goal-setting as ways to attain objectives. They are harnessing all their energy into giving instructions to their subconscious mind. In a way, affirmation and visualization are very much the same. When you speak or think about an affirmation, it triggers a mental image of your goals and dreams.

Visualization enables you to plant goals into your subconscious mind. The process of imagining yourself going through the motions of a complex performance activates brain areas to enhance and further your skills. Brain scans reveal a firm neurological basis. Scientists were able to use the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans as basis for their theory. The results revealed that the mental rehearsal of an action activates the prefrontal lobe of the brain. This area was responsible for the formulation of the appropriate motor programs. This basically means that you can benefit when you use mental imagery.

Scientists have been able to establish the mind and body link. There’s also direct evidence in the way emotional stress can contribute to physical illnesses and difficulties. What people don’t realize is that the mind greatly influences the body and the circumstances outside it.

You could even use this technique in the middle of an exercise. When you want to lose all unwanted fat, all you need to do is imagine the burning process taking place. See the unwanted bulges melt away as you remove it from the areas in your body that you want smaller. You don’t need to be a scientist to know this. In fact, research enables you to create a picture on the entire process. For a fully successful workout, imagine the muscles building up and taking its place where the fat once occupied.

Even if you were not as educated with the internal structure and workings of the body, you could still use this method. The important thing to know here is that your body responds to mental imagery. It does not take heed of inaccuracies. What is more important is the process you want to happen. In field of hypnosis, the subconscious mind responds well to metaphor better than literal suggestions. Facts and logic belong to the conscious mind, while emotion and metaphor slips into the subconscious domain. If you frequently visualize what you want and set a schedule for the exercise, the mental images will be accepted by the subconscious. Then, your mind commands the will of the universe. This helps a lot with modifying and improving habits, behavior, and performance.

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Confronting Stress Head On

July 8th, 2009

It’s all to easy to ignore stress. When the signs of stress appear, we first don’t even recognize it. When it dawns on us that we are getting stressed, our first reaction is to ignore it. Finally, we blow our cool in some way.

The way we deal with stress has to change. Let’s learn to tackle stress head on and rely on our inner strength to deal with stress properly.

We all have to deal with stress. As you work your way towards success, there will always be hindrances. When problems arise, retreating is not always the answer. Giving up is the coward’s way out, and people ruled with fear will never achieve anything or amount to much. Stress is a part of life, and when you allow things to get out of control, you only make the situation worse. When you leave things be and focus your attention elsewhere, you are allowing the situation to win. Your life will be about avoiding issues, and nothing will ever get better. You have to sooner or later deal with it, and when you put off your responsibilities, you may one day find yourself overburdened with problems that are too tough to handle.

Do you want to spend half your life running away from things you fear? If you do this, then you are not living your life to the fullest. You are merely surviving. You will deny yourself from the true pleasures of life simply because you are trying to avoid trials. You won’t go anywhere and instead stagnate. Then you see the people around you living their dreams, while you are still at the bottom of the ladder. When you experience difficult days, you turn your back away and see that the problems have never actually disappeared. In fact, you merely threw a cloak over it and hid it for awhile. But things will always have a way of coming out, and when this happens, you will no longer have a chance to run away from it. You may then try to deal with it, but has already blown way out of proportion that there is no way of getting around it.

You now really need to find an immediate solution to controlling the situation and improving your circumstances. Do it now before it controls you. Although many of you regard stress as the enemy, there are ways to making it your friend. Quiet time is, without exception, the best way to clear up your head. You also have to trust in your abilities. When you find yourself in a predicament, you have to see it as a chance to strategize and prove to yourself and the people around you that you are more than capable of many things. Your experiences also play a big part in how you believe in your talents and capabilities.

We all have this inner critic that never changes. This stops us from seeing our true strengths and abilities. The key to moving forward and overcoming insecurities is to bring awareness to what you want and what you have achieved at present. Reclaim your self esteem and courage. Harness enough energy so that you can live through day to day experiences with a new zest for life. There is nothing you can’t achieve if you simply put your mind to it. You simply have to get up every time you fall. You may find yourself bruised and battered, but if you strive forth, you’ll be able to conquer any trial and win over it with a mind filled with wisdom.

One of life’s goals is to teach you a lesson, let you learn as you go through each and every experience. Gain more knowledge from it and apply what you’ve learned. Practice makes perfect, and if you keep at it, you’ll see that it gets easier along the way.

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A Winning Office Attitude

July 7th, 2009

Office Attitude: Playing to Win

When we are out of step with the rest of the office, that’s when we get into trouble. What if we’re playing to win and the rest of the office is really laid back?

Most of us would like to succeed at every endeavor and be like the superhuman we all would want to be. Unfortunately, unlike those superheroes we know of, we bleed and get hurt every time we fail. So, instead of pursuing our goal, we back out and quit.  This is especially true at the office and in our careers.

Office life can be a game, and our goal may not have to be to win in every round. What should be important is we learn from the rules so that we really do get to triumph in the end.

In our professional lives, we would like to be with a team of winners, but to make this even remotely possible, we need to create a good relationship among the players. We need to constantly inspire ourselves to try even harder. We all need a sort of wake up call to realize that winning is rarely easy. It takes a lot of hard work, patience, and time.

We need to celebrate every single moment of that journey. Yes, we may make bad choices along the way, but so what? At least we know whether they work or not. Once we make that decision to bravely venture into the unknown, we need to take careful and deliberate steps. The faster we rise, the harder we fall, and we should know that when every step is planned and deliberated, mistakes won’t blow up at a monstrous proportion.

When we play the game of life, we also need to realize that in order to win, we must come up with innovative ideas. We need to let go of perceived notions and let our creative juices flow. If we become willing to test things out, we get to strategize even better. Yes, we may be unsuccessful, but the disappointment is not the entire point of the journey. The most accomplished individuals in today’s world have failed, but they let their thirst for victory guide them through the entire process. In the end, their failures were soon forgotten because what people ultimately remember is their courage to take risks. In fact, they have become icons that inspire others to follow in their footsteps.

We really need to think about what we want most out of life. Otherwise, all the effort will be futile if we really aren’t that satisfied in the end.  Playing to win requires inspiration, and what sets apart winners from the losers is their goal. They are out there in the field, giving it their best shot because they want to be the best that they can be. People who fail tend to play by giving it only a bit of an effort simply because they don’t want to lose. This negative attitude is what brings people down.

To succeed in life, we need to face each day with a kind of hope that gives us the strength to overcome hurdles and still smile after a sad and depressing day because we know that things can always get better. As long as we have the strength to wake up each morning and drag ourselves out of bed, we can still do something. Let us keep this thought always in our hearts because this is what will make a difference in our lives.

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Getting Out of a Rut

July 6th, 2009

There are many ways of winding up in a rut.  Whether, it’s because of a single tragic episode or a series of little things that add up to something over time, we wind up in a “bad place”.

There is one sure way out however. We have to embrace the power of positive thinking. I know it’s hard, but you have to do it.

Some of us live our lives filled with incredible anger, hurt, and negativity. Our experiences leave us jaded and cynical, oftentimes dragging others down with us along the way. Though we don’t want to be this dark and despondent person, we just can’t help it at times. The pain we’ve endured is just too unbearable to let go. Then we notice, nothing good ever happens to us. Our life worsens every single day and we’re caught in this lethal downward spiral that we can’t get out of.

The truth of the matter is that we can get out of this rut that we’re stuck in. The problem is, we sometimes get too caught up in our own misery that we don’t notice the little miracles happening around us. This dark, dank, and dreary place has blinded us from seeing the good that is happening right in front of us. Get out of this dungeon and open the door that leads outside where the sun lights the way to a positive perspective.

Once we get to this place where we can just leave all of the circumstances in our life and our affairs in the hands of our personal faith and of what opportunities can offer, we can rest assured that everything is going to be okay. We know deep within our hearts and souls that this has proven to be true in the past.

We must have the motivation to make our lives different. We must inspire ourselves to do something other than what repeatedly hasn’t worked in the past. It is an act of thinking that everything works out to make us a better person. Motivation sets forth a series of miracles if we get it in our heart’s core. We must apply all these factors in our lives to rid ourselves of poverty, tensions and scarcity.

There can be a number of ways to get success or to achieve goals, but achieving it is entirely up to us. Motivation can change a man’s mind, and by looking at it in a positive light can bring a kind of hope that changes circumstances for the better. We can change our lives in so many ways, and all we must do is believe in ourselves to make things better. When we thirst for success and happiness, we will be able to see how miracles can happen. What usually stops us is our being too calculated. We depend on science and logic so much that we discount the many things that just seem to happen for no apparent reason. We look for justifications and our logical side just stops us from expecting something out of the ordinary.

Logic has successfully explained numerous phenomena, but there are still aspects that go beyond reason. We have to accept the fact that things often happen for reasons that we simply can’t explain. Be it in our faith or in our ability to just let go, we need to realize that we also deserve the good things that others are experiencing.

My only suggestion is to try it, because it has proven to be right in a number of individuals. After all, what have you got to lose? Nothing! But you can gain everything from this wonderful experience.

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