Find Out What Is Stopping You From Moving Forward

By Chrissy Atley  

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I've been reading a really great book on mindset. It's called "Mindset - The New Psychology of Success" by Carol S. Dweck. She outlines how people have two types of mindsets, a fixed or growth mindset. What's fascinating is the people with the "fixed" mindset feel that being perfect equals success. They are so pre-occupied with it, they miss the chance to grow and actually be successful. In essence they get in their own way, and stay stuck while trying to reach perfection. The people with the "growth" mindset see success as a process by which they are continuously learning new things. Success to them is a journey and not measured every step of the way. These people take action and move forward.
Think about it for a second. If you're constantly trying to be perfect in everything you do, really what you're doing is holding yourself back from moving forward. You likely care A LOT about what others think. If this is the case, every single decision you make is based on what others might think of you. Think of your sales calls for example. If you're on a call with a potential client and you're more concerned with what that person thinks of you rather than how you can help them, you're sunk! You won't be able to properly convey to them how you can help them and what you can do for them. Instead you're analyzing your every move for fear of being judged. This is limiting your success and business growth. It is likely showing up in all areas of your life too.
The good news is that you can change it! Just learning and knowing the two different mindsets exist has increased your awareness. You can start to see how the "fixed" mindset is actually limiting you from achieving happiness. With your newfound awareness you can start to pay attention to how this is showing-up in all areas of your life and do something about it. Take a few minutes to think about how your trying to be perfect has kept you playing small and limited your growth. Maybe you've wanted to have everything just right - website, business cards, tag line, marketing message, etc. - before attending those events. Sure being prepared is important, but not to the extent that you're stuck in "perfection paralysis". Meaning your need for perfection is keeping you stuck behind your computer fixing and fussing over every last thing, instead of doing what you need to do to grow your business - which is getting out there, and gaining visibility and traction.
The mind can be a crazy beast! It can keep you stuck and it can also move you forward. I've witnessed these different mindsets with my own clients. One client has fully admitted he is new to running a business and is just so eager to learn. He moved forward with all of my suggestions quickly. Another client, given the same suggestions, hums and haws over them and makes slow progress with growing her business. She is very nervous of making a mistake. You can see the first client has the growth mindset and is just interested in learning and moving forward, and not with being perfect. The second client wants everything to be perfect before getting out there and it's actually stopping her from making progress. Pay attention to where you are doing this. Having a slight shift in perspective and the way you look at things will make all of the difference.

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Ways to Manage Stress

by: Shena Fowler

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Although stress is often viewed as a negative, it is actually a natural and normal physical response. A stress response is simply the body’s ability to defend and protect itself. This “fight-or-flight” reaction can help a person stay energetic, alert, and focused. These behaviors can be beneficial. A winning touchdown, successful board room presentation, or an A on a test can all be partially due to a healthy stress response. However, too much stress can become harmful and can cause extreme damage to a person - physically, mentally, and relationally.

Chronic stress is caused when the body is subjected to an overwhelming amount of physical and psychological threats. Since the body cannot differentiate between extreme or moderate stress triggers, it reacts with the same intensity, regardless of how major or minor the cause. This means that a bounced check or a long commute can be the catalyst for intense stress related symptoms (that may feel as intense as a real life-or-death crisis). Symptoms may include muscle tension, headache, fatigue, anxiety, changes in eating habits, mood swings, lack of enthusiasm, and/or an upset stomach.

Each person has a different tolerance level when it comes to calculating stress. It is important for each individual to understand his or her stress level threshold. Factors that influence stress tolerance include: one’s ability to deal with emotions, one’s preparedness for stress-inducing circumstances, one’s sense of control, one’s attitude, one’s support network, one’s physical health and nutritional status, one’s fitness level, and one’s sleep habits. These variables are what enable one person to maintain a sense of calm while another person feels completely overwhelmed.

Just as each person must evaluate the factors that cause stress, it is essential for individuals to consider the ways in which they react to stress, and whether or not their responses need to be altered. Some individuals react by freezing up and becoming extremely internally agitated. Some become very outwardly agitated and may become volatile. Others become withdrawn and show little to no emotion. Understanding personal stress triggers and individual reactions are key in moving forward and coping with stress.

Although stress can affect any individual, those with fast-paced and challenging work environments (such as medical professionals) are more likely to experience the symptoms and signs of stress. Strategies for managing stress (whether it’s work related or personal) include: avoiding unnecessary stress, changing one’s situation or environment, adapting to and accepting one’s environment, upping one’s fitness level, and scheduling time for personal leisure and relaxation. Taking control of one’s life and prioritizing what’s truly important (and worth stressing over) are integral methods of managing stress.

Are you a busy medical professional looking for a wide array of Medical Scrubs and Nurses Uniforms? Visit Scrubs123. Even simple work wardrobe preparation can help to reduce stress.

About The Author
Written by Shena Fowler from www.scrubs123.com

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Learning To Improve Your Memory Information

 by: Timothy Romano

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Have you experienced the embarrassment of forgetting a family member's birthday or an important assignment? Are you in school and are finding it toilsome to study successfully for exams and tests? It's not just you! Thousands and thousands of individuals out there have the same challenge, and it doesn't just affect senior citizens. In school, they never teach you improve your memory information, or the time-tested strategies for successful memorization.

Your brain is a very able piece of machinery. The organ collects data and thoughts, and then categorizes and stores them. For the information in the brain to be used beneficially, it must be available for quick retrieval. One such case of quick recall would be answering a question like, "how old are you," or "what is your address?" How many of you have searched high and low for a pair of eyeglasses, and found them right on your head? Maybe you have forgotten something more important like a project at work, or a homework assignment. The good news is that you don't have to keep worrying about your memory. Regardless of age or ability, there are lots of things you can do to exercise, and improve the performance of your memory.

Sometimes the best "improve your memory information" can be found by asking someone who's got a lot of experience under her belt. My grandmother used to tell me about an old trick to help remind myself of something I had to remember. The technique is to tie a piece of yarn on your finger, or put some tape on your hand to serve as a reminder that you had to remember to do something. Since the string or tape is out of the ordinary, it will help you remember what you were supposed to do. You could tie a string on your thumb, wear your watch upside down, or even set an alarm on your mobile phone. The secret is to mix up your normal environment just enough to tune you in to the fact that something is wrong and you have something to remember.

You can also try creating a picture to help improve the effectiveness of your memory. The easiest way to accomplish this is to create a scene in your mind of what you are trying to remember. In my language learning hobby, I have found this technique very effective in learning new vocabulary. This is how it works. "Potato," in the German language, is pronounced cart-awfol, which is in no way like to the word potato in English. Try to form the following image in your mind. You're shopping for groceries at a store in Berlin and see a gigantic cart of rotten potatoes. Your buddy exclaims, "That is a cart of awful potatoes!" Implant the image in your mind and think about how bad that smells. I'll bet that you'll remember the German word! If your image is wild and imaginative, even a little dirty, you are much more likely to remember your vocabulary word. It works, believe it! This is a system I have employed over many hundreds of words in several languages. Try it! You can use this helpful trick to remember far more things than German vocabulary!

These are just a few ways you can supercharge your brain. The improve your memory information that I've shown you here is easy enough that you can start practicing right away! In no time, your memory will be much improved, thanks to the new techniques you've learned and practiced.

About The Author
Timothy Romano is a memory expert. For more great information on improve your memory,

visit http://www.secretstoimprovememory.com.

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Seven Self Improvement Tips That Will Make A Difference

 by: Amie Erickson

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For people who are through it, they can tell you that self improvement is a journey. It all depends on where one is starting from. The most necessary thing but is getting that first step out of the way.

Self improvement comes with the fulfillment that comes from understanding oneself. It is through this understanding that you get to grasp your house within the universe and your role here. You can understand that not everything has got to be a struggle; you can achieve success, made and happy and fulfil your mission.

As I have studied self improvement over the years, I've got picked out 7 self improvement tips that are a should for you to implement so that you'll see yourself started on the journey of private growth. I'm going to share them with you in this article.

Daily Journaling

Have you ever ever puzzled how come back the globe these days is aware of thus a lot of regarding past great achievers? True, individuals took day trip to check them, but a heap of the stories and details that we have a tendency to know regarding them could only have return from themselves. They are a translation of their thoughts on to paper. They kept journals and recorded their observations and their feelings. For you, a journal is more than a map of your journey. It helps to clarify thought, to think additional clearly and to truly see where your thinking could not be thus good. You then need to improve. Once you record one thing it becomes additional than a fleeting thought. Tomorrow, you may look back and see how you felt, and you'll compare with how you are feeling or suppose these days and you'll be able to go ahead and create adjustments.

Meditation

This is often the one that's most unconsidered by most people, but it conjointly happens to be the foremost important of the 7 self improvement tips. Meditation is the most effective and handiest manner of reducing stress and clearing out your system. You dispose of junk thoughts and better of all, you leave area in there for clean, clear thinking. It additionally has direct health advantages; you'll weigh down your heart beat and improve digestion simply by meditating for a few minutes every day. You will sleep higher and heal faster. Essentially, mediation is that the pillar of the seven self improvement tips - it is the one that produces all the others effective.

Expecting to Win

Of the seven self improvement tips, this one is the hardest to clarify because some folks just do not seem to listen to it. You wish to vary your thinking therefore that you tune yourself to expecting positive results. What's success alternative than what you're thinking that regarding? How will you get rich and be happy if every outcome you expect is negative? Some people are quick to argue now, however what they don't understand is that along with their positive thoughts are a ton of negative thoughts that have an effect on outcomes.

Expectations aren't regarding outcomes. They're concerning bold, right action and knowing that the results will be in your favour no matter what they can be.

Writing Goals and Plans of Action

A written goal is sort of a map. Let me challenge you right currently to jot down down a tiny goal, one thing that is inconsequential and to who's outcome you are not attached and stick it where you'll be able to see it every day. The instant you see your goal, you see plans of action concerning it start to form. You discover yourself spurred into action to try and do the proper thing. Return after thirty days and see how far along your written goal you've come. Did it facilitate to write down it?

I can challenge you that every time you are feeling in a very rut and like things are not working out for you, pull out your goal book and begin by ticking off how many of the last heap you have got achieved and then adding on new ones. You always come out with a clearer mind.

Be well Rounded

All areas of your life contribute to your self improvement. Your relationships, your health, your finances, will all affect any kind of private growth you are attempting to attain if they're out of balance. Simply one in all them going dangerous can lead to any or all of them going bad. As you seek to begin on personal development, work on all areas. - work on maintaining physical stamina, emotional fortitude, financial security and a smart social support system to realize personal growth.

Positive Affirmations

This has the power to vary your inner dialogue, and it is a powerful tool considering that much of the discontent in our lives is caused by inner dialogue. What does one advice yourself? Start to write down down an affirmation daily on all key areas of your life and rehearse it aloud twice daily. You are teaching you subconscious positive dialogue.

Teach to Learn

Of the 7 self improvement tips, this one is the one that will help you master self improvement the most. You learn one thing better after you teach it. As you teach, your inner mind opens therefore that you'll be in a position to digest and transmit information. Whatever you were trying to teach will be sitting there in your mind forever. Teaching is also a manner of holding yourself accountable - there are specific standards expected of academics so that students will follow in their steps. If you've got no one to teach, write!

About The Author
Amie Erickson has been writing articles online for nearly 2 years now. Not only does this author specialize in Self Improvement, you can also check out her latest website about:

Retirement for Seniors Which reviews and lists the best

Retirement Income

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Conversation Starters - It's Simple Really

By Rachel F Hill  

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Have you ever experienced feeling awkward and shy when you are out with others because you lack the techniques that make effective conversation starters? When this happens, you can feel as if no-one likes you, wants to talk to you or even that you don't belong there.
Really, all this means is that you are not practiced at using conversation success strategies. So, to begin with you need to know how to start a conversation the simple way. It's surprising how much difference this little technique will make.
You are probably used to starting a conversation with something like this:
You: "Hi, how are you?"
Response: "Good. And you?"
You: "Great"
Once the intro is out of the way you are faced with an uncomfortable pause. Both parties glance around the room as if the answer for how to get out of this awkward situation is somewhere out there. Now you are thinking "What next?" and feeling mighty uncomfortable too. What normally happens next is one or both of you quietly move away or one watches the other disappear. And this reinforces your own perception that you are not easy to like. You might even promise yourself that you will wait for someone else to start and so shrink back into the shadows to spend the evening watching everyone else have a good time. Of course this all reinforces that you are no good at striking up conversations and you swear that you will avoid coming again.
The good news is that this is very easy to change and the torture of these kinds of conversations can be relegated to the past. So, how do you do achieve it? Its simple really.
All you need to do is to give a little more information about yourself and the other person will have something to springboard off into a conversation. Try this next time someone asks you how you are. Try saying "I'm good. I've just come back from a lovely holiday and I feel so relaxed." By adding in a little extra you have opened up possibilities for the other person to ask "Oh? What did you do?" or perhaps "Sounds great. I've just come back from Alaska, myself." This, in turn, gives you the opportunity to ask them about their holiday or you can talk about what you did on yours - even if you didn't do anything special you can say something like "I had a lovely time at home sorting out those things you never seem to get to when you work all the time."
Can you see how a great conversation starter provides the impetus for getting into a really rewarding conversation. And all you did was give a little more information rather than a single word answer.
The point of this simple technique is not to reveal all your deepest thoughts and fears. Its not about telling your life story - its simply about adding in a few details so that people can converse with you and for you to get the opportunity to find out a little bit about them.
You can see how it takes just a little effort to completely change how a conversation goes. Add that little bit extra in the first exchange and you will find that conversations are fun and interesting. You will discover new and interesting facts about people you interact with every day.

You have learned an amazingly easy conversation starter. For more secrets, don't wait go right now to http://www.conversationstarters.biz

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3 Ways to Become a More Optimistic Person

 By Georgiana Carollus 

Photo: 30.media.tumblr.com
 
Are you a pessimist? Do you have a tendency to expect the worst to happen? Although a pessimistic attitude may seem to be an unchangeable character trait, one, in fact, can make a choice between pessimism and optimism. There are practical self-improvement techniques to make it easier to develop a positive attitude and undo lifelong habits of pessimism. This article will present three ways to help you become more optimistic.
Optimists have an outlook on life that is generally more positive and they know and value hope. Studies show that pessimists give up more easily and get depressed more often. Optimists, on the other hand, have superior stress management skills and do better in school and at work. Evidence suggests that optimists may even live longer. These are compelling reasons to become more optimistic!
One way to help convert from pessimism to optimism is to practice looking for the silver lining in problems. Optimists tend to look for the positives in situations that don't work out while pessimists use those same situations to reinforce their expectations of failure. Do you have a tendency to magnify the negative aspects of a situation and overlook any positive ones? Rather than automatically focusing on the worst, take a second look to see if there are any positive aspects in a difficult situation.
Don't wait for a problem to happen but start now to get into the habit of seeing positives in every situation. Additionally, make an effort to create some experiences of happiness. Brief, happy moments can help strengthen your sense that life can be good and you can draw on these feelings in more difficult times.
A second way to create more optimism is to review your past accomplishments. Identify your top five personal and work-related accomplishments and the strengths you used to achieve them. Use this review to affirm for yourself that you are capable and competent. Apply the confidence gained from reviewing your strengths and accomplishments to increase your optimism in your capabilities to impact the future.
A third way to increase optimism is to watch your language! The words we use help to create and shape our reality. Avoid negative self-talk - stop using phrases such as "I can't" and "This will never work." Challenge your negative self-talk and turn these statements into questions such as "How can I handle this?" and "What can I do?'. Not only are these questions more hopeful, they invite new options and possibilities.
Pay special attention to how you talk to yourself and make a concentrated effort to treat yourself as well as you would treat a friend or loved one. Don't say anything to yourself that you wouldn't say to anyone else. Be gentle and encouraging with yourself. When a negative thought enters your mind, turn it around to something to something more positive.
In conclusion, there are specific techniques you can use to convert from a pessimistic attitude to a more optimistic one. These techniques include highlighting the positive; using your past accomplishments and strengths to fuel your optimism in the future; and deliberately replacing negative self-talk with more positive messages.
As with changing any habit, it may take practice to defeat pessimism but your self-development efforts will prove worthwhile as you gain the positive health and social benefits of optimism.

How well do you treat yourself? As a personal and spiritual coach, Georgiana Carollus has a keen interest in inspiring people to recognize their own brilliance and to treat themselves as well as they treat their friends and loved ones. Visit http://www.FriendYourselfProject.com to find practical tips and to subscribe to a free Daily Moment of Inspiration!

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Feeling Down and Depressed?

By Margaret Sweet  

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Depression hurts. We all feel sad from time to time, but when a person is suffering from depression constantly, it hurts. Depression is a serious mental disorder that many take too lightly, but the truth is, depression is deadly. People with major depressive disorders have committed suicide, taking their own lives. Thus, when someone is suffering with depression it is important to give thorough consideration to what the person is saying.
People with depression lose hope, and often feel like the world has caved in on them, thus making it difficult to concentrate and cope with daily life. It gets worse when a person depressed feels that no one cares or is listening to what they have to say.
I lost a dear friend to depression. The warning signs were ignored. In the small rural area I lived in, my friend owned a glass shop. He was an alcoholic and struggling with depression. One day, he used his handgun to shoot himself, and when he failed, he staggered across the street to the police department and convinced them it was an accidental shooting. They believed him. I knew that this was the first warning sign. I instantly headed to my friends house once he was admitted from the hospital after being treated for his chest wound.
I encouraged him; I did everything within my power to persuade him to get help, and even offered to stay with him. Nothing I did worked. Later, my friend said he was going hunting, telling his family he would be back soon. I knew that was a lie when another friend of mine told me. That day, he shot himself in the head, a few days later he died.
Depression hurts not only those suffering, but those who are hurt by actions such as suicide. It is appalling that few people hear the "Silent Cries of" these "Victims" who silently suffer. It is time to wake up people, have them take notice. If someone you know suffers depression there is help for these people. They do not have to suffer alone.
Programs such as Cognitive Behavioral therapy are available online. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a helpful technique that helps the patient focus on thoughts and behaviors that causes the depression. By looking closely at these thoughts and behaviors, a person can spot irrational thoughts, and learn to deal with ruminating, hopeless thoughts more effectively. There is help.
Signs of depression
• Isolation
• Drinking frequently
• Loss of interest in activities
• Loss of interest in friends and family
• Feeling hopeless
• Deep sadness
• Insomnia
• Loss of concentration
• Fatigue
• Excessive sleeping patterns
• Weight gain or loss
• Excessive guilt
• Reoccurring suicidal thoughts
Depression is no joke. If you know someone who is suffering with depression, help them get emotional support.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy
http://www.online-therapy.com
http://www.cbttherapy.org

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