5 Keys for Getting Organized

By Les Taylor  

Photo: frankbuck.org
 
You've heard me quote Peter Drucker saying: "The only way to get the future you want is to create it." This quote suggests you have more control of your life and over the events of your life - specifically your time - than you may be giving yourself credit for.
One of the ways we're able to create the future we want is by having an organized and productive environment. We look to the future, but we live in the present. The more organized your working environment, the more effective you'll be in the present, allowing you to shape and mold the future.
Consider doing the following:
Keep your desk and surrounding work area organized.
Don't leave things lying around and don't allow papers to stack up on top of your desk. Almost everyone has a filing system but few have a retrieval system. As a result, we stack. Here's a simple but powerful retrieval system you can use for filing just about everything: File by name, by subject or by company.
Stay up to date on time-sensitive matters
Not everything is an "A" priority. Some things require immediate action and some don't. For those items that do need attention now, commit to taking that action as soon as you possibly can. If it requires a phone call - make it. The same is true with an email response. Hint: Facebook posts rarely take precedence - over anything.
Use efficient routines.
By definition, a routine is a sequence of actions regularly followed. Creating routines is one of the most effective ways I know of to control your day. Do you have a morning routine in which you read something inspirational or motivational to get your day off to a great start? How about en evening routine that allows you to set fifteen minutes aside before you go to bed to evaluate the day? How about creating an email routine that says you'll only check email on the hour?
Create checklists.
Speaking of routine, try creating checklists for those things you do on a regular basis. If a pilot needs a preflight checklist to make sure he's flipping the right switch and pushing the right button to keep his passengers safe, maybe you need a checklist or two to make sure you're taking everything to work you need to take or making those important calls you need to make.
Batch similar tasks.
Control your day and create a desired future by batching similar tasks. Try returning all your phone calls at about the same times every day - say at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Review materials or prepare your reports at a particular time. As I've already suggested, return calls at specific times, so you can stay focused on completing those "A" priority tasks.
You really do have more control of your day than you give yourself credit for. Remember, time management is really event management, and everything is an event. Taking charge of your day is how you create the future you desire. Today is the tomorrow you were worried about yesterday.

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Learning How To Improve Life

 By Maureen Rainford 

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Easy Tips on How To Improve Life
It is a natural human desire to rise above the mundane and improve our lives. No matter how much we achieve, we always want more - a better lifestyles, more wealth, more professional growth and a richer personal life. Such is the flux which marks the journey called life. But at times even with your best efforts you could find success elusive. That does not mean you stop trying or give in to despair. Your constant efforts towards success may change their routes or means but should never stop. There are some simple ways which can show you how to improve life and make these very efforts successful.
How to Improve Life - Tip #1 - Listen to your heart - The best way to improve your life is to ask your own self what makes you happy. No one else can tell you where your talents lie or show you which path would lead to your success. Only your heart will so learn to listen to it.
How to Improve Life - Tip #2 - Set a goal - The only way to move forward is towards a goal. When you want to improve your life it is obvious that you have a vision of the future in mind. Set a goal and line it with shorter milestones both to move closer to your ultimate goal and also to motivate you further.
How to Improve Life - Tip #3 - Make your own choices - Trust yourself to make the right choices. No matter how much you love and respect the people around you, it is your own choices that will define your future. No one else's.
How to Improve Life - Tip #4 -Take a risk - It is often difficult and sometimes scary to step outside our comfort zones. Yet we are not meant to stagnate in one place but grow to our utmost. How can you do that if you don't step beyond the horizon and risk the unknown? Life is an adventure meant to be enjoyed. Let it enrich your living.
How to Improve Life - Tip #5 - Give in to your desires - We started out with learning to listen to our hearts. Now we need to muster up enough courage and give in to the desires that our hearts savour and reflect. For it is in the heart of our desires that true success lies. Live your dreams and let happiness rule.
One does not need to be a hero to achieve great success and happiness. All it needs is a little courage to believe in one self and learn how to improve life and change the course of the future.

Maureen Rainford is a personal growth and development coach helping people who want to change their life for the better.
Do you want to learn more about success and creating a life of your dreams and desires. Starting Today!
If so, visit; http://www.effectivehabitsforsuccess.com for more tips, advice and strategies for achieving greater happiness and success in your life.
Also get access to a FREE 10 day ecourse Success Mindset.

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Your True Definition - Valuable!

 By Jaachynma Agu 

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You are no fool, you are not worthless, you are not useless neither are you cheap. You are a jewel of inestimable value!
Peradventure you got a wrong guy, one that thinks with his fists rather than his head, one that practice boxing and karate in-house. Girl, don't hang in there until you get killed. Make a move, take a stroll, give yourself a break. There is no harm in excusing yourself from an abusive relationship, don't die there for if you do, you died for nothing. You haven't fulfilled your purpose; you haven't done all that you were sent to this world to do. Don't give any man the opportunity to snuff life out of you.
I jokingly tell folks "if the guy is too angry to raise his fist, I will be too fast to move my legs and pierce through the door of the relationship".
If you allowed yourself to get killed, you are at loss for all your efforts would have gone down the drain; all the dreams you came to this world with will return with you to your maker - untapped and God is not going to be happy with you for returning His talents to Him and your purpose unfulfilled. He preferred you get broken-hearted and He will fix it for you than you returning to Him earlier than He scheduled for you. God loves broken stuffs for He can make good stuffs out of them.
Ensure you are not the one provoking the man to using his fist; learn to control your tongue and temper. A friend once told me of how her mother gulps water and keeps it in her mouth while her father raged; the idea is this: with the water in her mouth, she won't be able to talk, what wisdom! When you have discharged your duties effectively and controlled your tongue et al yet the man still raises his fists then be quick to exit! Exit and exist rather than stay and be strangled.
Importantly, ladies, acknowledge God in all your dealings. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path." (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Never allow your desires to lead you away from God; allow nothing else to control you other than God and His Word. No matter what you see or pass through, don't allow them to define you.
You have already been defined by your Maker no circumstance has the right to define you again.
Copyright, Agu, Jaachynma N.E.

Agu, Jaachynma N.E. is a successful, dynamic, prolific and Best-selling author.
She is the Author of Best-Selling Book: Risk It, Be Different, available at http://www.amazon.com/The-Best-Option-Jaachynma-Agu/dp/1469183021

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12 Ways to Spark Your Creativity

By Perry Hua

Photo: img.scoop.it

The Creative You

Everyone is born creative. The boxes of crayons in kindergarten were not limited to those who possessed potential; because the truth is, everybody has potential. People appear to have the delusion that only a few are capable of creative genius. This is one of life's biggest myths. The truth is, creativity is very much like a muscle; everyone has the ability, but some people don't practice it because they don't believe they are capable.

You know this isn't true. By now you should realize that nothing is impossible, the thought of you creating something amazing and inspirational is only a matter of steps away. If you've tried to create something in the past and it didn't work out, maybe it's because you were trying too hard. Creativity is a matter of doing, not a process of thinking. Learn to be spontaneous to be able to bring ideas to fruition, and don't be afraid to make mistakes.

Below are some ways you can unleash the creativity within yourself.

Explore the Possibilities

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
~Scott Adams

#1. Exercise. Take a walk. Run a mile or two. Send all those endorphins coursing through your veins. Exercising certainly clears and relaxes your mind and allows for anything to pop up.

#2. Record your dreams. Those dreams may just create a creative spark in you.

#3. Discover your own style. People will welcome your originality more because it is uniquely yours. Being unique will allow people to see how important an asset you are.

#4. Don't hide behind fancy gadgets or tools. The true artist in fact reduces the number of tools he has, as he gets better at his craft: he knows what works and what don't and only uses the few perfect tools. Technology has negative effects so use it sparingly.

#5. Nothing will work without passion. What wakes you up in the mornings? What keeps the flame burning? What is the one thing that you'll die if you don't do? Sometimes you just want something so bad you become a virtual unstoppable. And that is passion. Passion will keep you going.

#6. You can't force inspiration. It hits when you least expect it to. For those unpredictable yet inevitable moments, you should prepare.

#7. Read everything you can -- good and bad, and keep your mind open to the never-ending potential of the universe. The more you know, the more you will desire to know, and the more your sense of wonder will be exercised.

#8. Focus on a creative activity everyday. Even doodling is a creative activity. Constantly write, it will help you get your ideas out.

#9. Think outside the box -- or don't. Sometimes, constraints are in reality a good thing. Boundaries discipline you to work within your means. They allow you to be more imaginative. Creative freedom is great, but limitations enforce discipline.

#10. Attempt something new on a daily basis and let your experiences extend your point of view. Open up to the people around you. As you push yourself out of your comfort zone further and further every day, your sense of adventure grows and so does your passion for life.

#11. Follow the beat of your own drum. Allowing for the suggestions of others will only bring disharmony to the music you are trying to create. If you have a unique idea, don't squander your time and effort trying to make people appreciate it. The help you will get in all probability comes in the form of negative feedback, which only means you're doing something right.

#12. Embrace insanity. The thing is, sanity or being ordinary limits people to think... well, normally. Creativity is for all intents and purposes breaking through barriers. It's important that your creativity doesn't get you detached from the real world completely.

Get To It!

I trust this article has encouraged you to start thinking further than your "limits." If you follow these steps soon you'll be living a fulfilling life out of the ordinary adventures. Unleashing your creative thinking will bring about a new passion for living life. As this new fervor begins to develop, so will your creativity - the two are dependent upon each other.

***Perry Hua is an aspiring writer in the field of personal development and is passionate about helping others improve themselves. Read more from Perry Hua at http://www.ithuit.com ***

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How To Successfully Change Your Thought Patterns

By Kirstin Lee Odonovan  

Photo: odewire.com
 
It has also been scientifically proven that our thoughts directly influence our lives and there is a wealth of information that can be found warning every one of the dangers of thinking negatively, and rightly so! Your thoughts affect your current health, your successes in life, your relationships, your finances, they influence everything. Your current reality is a mirror of the beliefs and thoughts you hold. Just by changing the way you think, you can change your life.
You have infinite power within you to influence your results and you would be naïve not to harness this power. Researchers have shown us that we have on average between 50 000 to 70000 thoughts a day! How many of those thoughts are empowering you and how many of those thoughts are limiting you? It becomes clearer every day that positive thinking is not a sheer luxury but a must if you want to feel fulfilled and happier in life.
The results you have in your life now are come from your past thoughts. Very often, past thoughts become a vicious cycle in undermining current and future results. For example, imagine you are struggling in your business, you are not aware but every second thought you have is something like `I will never be successful` or `my business is going to collapse in a few months´ or ´I am a failure, I knew it´. What really plays out now is that your thoughts connect to emotions, bad thoughts leads to bad feelings and you act on your feelings. In this example, the business owner would make very different business decisions and take very different actions depending if he felt positive or not.
Unfortunately, because he believes he will fail, he will most likely fail and he will mostly think that he was right too to be negative, which then reinforces this false belief and the cycle continues.
Because our thoughts are on automatic, most of the time we are not even aware we are having them. The first step is to become aware of the types of limiting thoughts you often have. Once you are aware of how many negative thoughts you have, you want to start to change the neurological patterns that have been formed. The more of the same thought you have, the more energy you are giving it and the more you are reinforcing that thought pattern. The neurons group and come together and are then more prominent in your awareness.
Simple Steps To Successfully Change Your Thought Patterns
• Identify - First you want to identify and acknowledge what types of thoughts you regularly have
• Awareness - The next steps is to create awareness around the thought. You want to understand where this thought/belief originates from. For all your negative thoughts, ask yourself if this is a belief or is it a fact, if it is a belief, how will you change it to empower you now?
• Replace - Now you want to replace this thought to one that is positive and will empower you.
• Repetition - You want to repeat the new thought in your mind so that now you are redirecting your energy to a positive thought and you are creating a new pattern.
Every time you think that thought, you are reinforcing it.
You need to repeatedly re-direct your thoughts to the positive one every time. The substance that keeps the associated thoughts together doesn't have unlimited supply so the good news is that after a lot of repetition, the old neurons start to disconnect and the new positive thought patterns replace it.
Change does not happen overnight and unfortunately, there is no magic pill you can take to see results instantaneously. It takes effort, time, commitment and perseverance, but with anything in life, these are the key ingredients to successfully make the changes and achieve what we desire.
You can also try:
• Distancing - this is when you just let your thoughts slip past you without giving too much attention to them at all.
• When you are aware that you are thinking negatively, tell the voice in your head ¨to shut up¨ or ¨sshh¨
• Do something active - If you feel like you are in a negative thinking rut and you can´t refocus, starting moving and do something active, this will help you to be distracted and change your focus for awhile.

Want 7 Simple Strategies to Triple Your Productivity? - Free Access to E-Course - - http://www.topresultscoaching.com

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LASIK Surgery

by jaida

Photo: drsondheimer.com

Are you tired of wearing contact lenses and eyeglasses just to correct your vision? Why not try having the LASIK surgery. It's the most advance procedure for eye problems like nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.

Normally the method will take 8 to 20 minutes.

Most patients were happy about the result. To avoid dryness, they are advised to have a lubricant permanently placed. That's one of the post surgery side effects. Their vision feels 20/20. It will only change a bit when you turn 40.

The consultation most of the time is free. A patient undergoes a thorough screening if he is qualified or not.

The method is safe and it does not hurt. It is stitch free. It does not need any anesthetic.

It is recommended that one must choose the most sought after doctors who have the most expertise on this field.

We want to have the excellent patient care prior and after the surgery.

LASIK has a permanent improvement. It will help you save a lot of money from prescription updates and fashion of wearing eyeglasses in the future.

It will be a lot of comfort for you without the need to clean any contact lenses. You can now enjoy life again.

for more info. about the procedure just visit: http://www.drsondheimer.com

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5 Tips On How To Be Successful In Your Chosen Career

By Lesley A Knowles  

Photo: herbertkikoy.info
 
Being successful in your career is a significant part of personal development. It can make you feel happy and fulfilled which can affect how you perceive the world with you in it. Your happiness at work could also positively affect your overall happiness in life and even the people around you.
But what does it mean to be successful in a job or career? For some, it is about being able to do their jobs well. For others, it is getting the highest salary and position their jobs could offer. Whatever success means, one thing is for sure. It takes a lot of hard work to get it.
Although, it is natural that you would want to take the easiest, smoothest and fastest road towards a successful career, the path that you are heading towards may not always be as smooth as you want it to be. There are times when the road will be bumpy and rough. Here are some tips to help you achieve your career ambition.
1. Grab every opportunity to stand out. Like in many aspects of life, a successful career is not very easy to attain. However, this could actually work to your advantage. If being successful is just an easy thing to do, then everyone would surely be doing it, living you with no room to show your skills and stand out. As mentioned earlier success at work requires hard work and because many people aren't hard workers, you have all the opportunity to be noticed and excel.
Don't just perform your job, but really strive hard to do it well. Always put your best foot forward and make sure all of your efforts count to ensure the quality of your work. This is one of the best ways to stand out and become indispensable in your company.
2. Love your work. Don't be one of those employees that constantly complain about their work, boss or co-workers. It's not like you don't have the right to complain. But if you think your complaint is legitimate, then follow proper company protocols. If what you are griping about doesn't really matter, then might as well drop it. Or better yet, you could always quit if you don't like your job.
In order to be successful in whatever you do, you must make sure that you're passionate about what you're doing. Otherwise, any efforts to be successful in your career is likely to be a waste of your time.
3. Believe in yourself. If you believe that you can be successful, then you will become motivated to make your ambitions come true. But self-confidence is not enough. What you need to do is set your goals and come up with an action plan. You've got to take action to see the realization of your dreams.
4. Don't stop learning. Once you've mastered how to do your job well, start taking some time to understand and learn the position that you are aiming for. So that when your boss needs to fill that position with someone who already knows the job, your name will be on top of the list.
5. Always seek for feedback. If your boss or supervisor fails to give you feedback on your work, then ask for it. This will give you a clearer picture of what you need to keep up and improve about your work.

There are other ways to achieve success in your career. One of these is to learn how to increase productivity. Visit the Dynamic Productivity website to know more about it. While you're there, please feel free to sign up for our 7-day Dynamic Productivity eCourse for free.

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How to Win When You Lose

By Terrie Schauer  

Photo: siliconvalleyrg.com
 
Things were going pretty well: I was up by 8 points (I think) in a no gi Ju Jitsu match. I checked the clock a couple of times during the match, when I could steal a look. The girl I was fighting was squirmy, but everything was going according to plan. I transitioned from mount to side control and then back to mount again.
"This no gi thing takes energy," I can remember thinking. "Let me just run down the clock."
No luck there. With less than a minute left, the squirmy girl swept me, got mount, and was fiddling around for my arm. OK - she just scored 4 points, I thought. No problem: only 20 seconds left. Easy stuff to resist for such a short time in a bad position.
I can remember thinking: "Good thing I scored early. She can only win by submission now. And that won't happen. I can just sit here."
And sit there I did, under her, as she worked to free my arm, as I felt her leg go over my face, and then as my grip on my own hand start to slip. Thirteen seconds is too long to resist an arm-bar when you've lost your grip on your other hand. Just in case you didn't know. I know that now. I tapped as I felt my elbow pop.
I was tempted to be angry afterwards: no one likes to lose, and especially not when you snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. But in my mind, I was reminded of a lesson I learned a few years ago in kickboxing. Sam Sheridan (writer of the book Fighter's Mind) describes two kinds of fighters: entity and incremental.
I'll tell you now, you want to be on the incremental side.
Entity fighters have a very hard time with defeat. They believe their talent stems from innate ability. They see themselves as superior fighters by nature. For entity fighters, a loss is a threat to the ego. Instead of bouncing back from a defeat, this type of fighter sees losing as sign that they have been beaten once and for all; that they're not good enough. Losing discourages them.
Incremental fighters see skill as a question of hard work. When faced with a defeat, this type of person simply goes back to the gym and continues training. Sheridan describes boxer Manny Pacquiao as the quintessential incremental fighter. He quotes Pacquiao: "[Every] fight has a winner and a loser, and sometimes it's just not [your] night".
Ultimately, you don't want a particular success or failure to determine how you feel about yourself, or about whether or not you continue to enjoy your sport. Entity thinking is bad for your training. It can lead you to pass up learning experiences because you don't want to feel inferior.
Instead of worrying about winning and losing, worry instead on incremental bench-marks: were you able to execute a specific move you've been trying, or did you manage to last longer than last time. Winning or losing, and success or failure aren't the measures of warriorship, they are polar ways of categorizing results.
Warriors train to learn. Consistently.
Winning - sometimes - is just the occasional product of this learning.

http://www.wayofthewarriorqueen.com

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Good Memories and Bad Memories

 By Narendra Goidani 

Photo: infoniac.com
 
Every one of us has a personal scream. Maybe, more!!!
I am about to share mine. Maybe, your scream will get company. Maybe, peace will descend. Maybe, strength will develop. Maybe, you will smile all the way from your heart. Maybe, ghosts will be exorcised.
Psychic calamity! Shattered nerves! Limited means as the default position! Having to repay too much with too little resources! Setting priorities. Failing miserably. Resetting priorities. Failing again. This was a daily chore.
While nights were an escape, the mornings were haunted for people will come to the door step again. Every time the door bell rung, something inside me disintegrated a little. There was swirling chaos in the mind and vacant expressions in the eyes. No one heard my silent screams that begged attention but I was too proud to ask.
Everyone looking at me with sympathy or a snarl was the touchstone of troubled times. I used to look in the mirror searching for a powerful image. What stared back was an unforgettable dense brooding face. Its power to shock me remained undiminished for a long time. The heart released a personal scream that never abated in its disorientation. There used to be a negative emotional response to about everything.
The ultimate embodiment of fear, alienation, became a fact of life. My life was fraught and anxiety driven.
My case study could have launched a thousand therapists...
Me and my family was going through the toughest times of our life.
We were cheated, ridiculed, insulted, mocked, ignored, brushed away, given up on, disrespected, taken for granted. While burial was awaited, eulogies were written and discussed. The smiles were fake. It hurt us deep.
'Why me god?' was my relentless self sympathizing question to no one is particular. Had put on a face of grace that hid as much as a see through bikini. When they knew I was looking at them, they pretended not to look. Otherwise, they pointed it out to all and ensured no one missed the fun. No one gave a towel or suggested an alternative. Self sympathy makes everything worse and I played right into it.
It was just another ordinary morning. There was no particularly unnerving event. I have no idea what was the trigger. Lying lazily alone in bed, around 8 am in the morning, I just told myself, 'Enough is enough'. I was fed up of myself. I was ashamed of my life. I took a simple decision. Let me turn it around. I promised myself. Whatever happens, 'no self sympathy'! I decided to fight it out. Instead of 'Why me god?' I said to HIM, 'Try me god! I am your product. I am meant to succeed and not to fail. Ha!!!'
I stopped staring and judging. I started smiling. Enough smiled back. I started laughing. Found humour in everyone and everything. Started believing future will be better. Opportunities emerged. I grabbed them. Failed sometimes. Succeeded some times. Learnt a lot. Overall, progressed well. Got a life. Told myself KEEP MOVING...
I thought I was a piece of coal. I realised, I am a diamond. I thanked the creator up there and all the other creators down here. The hammer and the chisel have nothing against the diamond. They are doing their job. Why did the diamond take so much time to realise it?
The irony of life is, diamonds do take time for both these things - One, they are a diamond. Two, the hammer and the chisel have nothing against it.
Till this realisation, I was filled with many bad memories and a few isolated good ones. When alone, the bad ones would rush and crush the other memories. Life looked a struggle. The diamond was very angry with the hammer and the chisel.
Sitting in the seat of silence, a realisation dawned one day. Fill the heart with gratitude. Never put anyone away from 'that' heart. While I must do everything to protect myself and others, while I might put someone away from my home, from my office, even from my life, let me never put anyone out from my heart. Pain, fear, anger creates more pain, fear and anger. To dissolve them, I must let go of them and not to keep them. When I keep people who gave me pain and confusions in my heart, I let go of the pains. Only then, I am free.
I reflected on feelings of judgements and self righteousness. They were unpleasant. They made me feel isolated, lost and a little bit frightened. I reflected on forgiving people. It always made me feel light, peaceful and very very spiritual. It made me feel strong.
After that, there were only good memories left. The diamond realised the value of the hammer and chisel. It looked at them with gratitude and kept them in its heart.
Li Po wrote a thousand years ago,
We sat together
The forest and I
Until only the forest remained
Judgement was dropped. Awareness was developed. Wisdom prevailed. The screams stopped. Only the good in the memories remained.
May your screams stop soon. Why not right now? Take a few moments and reflect. Can you see the sparkle of the diamond within? What are you waiting for?

With loads of love, prayers and best wishes,
Narendra Goidani
As I Live... I Learn
http://www.lifeschool.co.in

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