by Kirsty Dunphey
1. Be an idea champion: Show initiative, suggest new ideas and offer to take charge in implementing them.
2. On time is late (10 minutes early is on time)
3. Go the extra centimetre: Don't worry about the extra mile, the extra tiny little bit is all you need to do to stand out, grab your boss a coffee without being asked, remember everyone's birthdays and be the first to wish them well or
4. Smile.
5. Keep it at home: Personal life is personal, business is business. The most outstanding people I've ever worked with know how to keep the two separate. So if your boyfriend has just dumped you or you had a fight with your best friend - deal with it outside of work hours and see point 4.
6. Never utter these words to a customer: That's not my job. Just see point 4 and be flexible and make it happen.
7. Follow up: Delegate, share and collaborate, but where your name is associated with a piece of work always go back and double check that your expectations have been met.
8. Keep your inbox to a minimum: I'm a big time management nut and this is my number one time management tip. Only keep in your inbox what you're currently working on that day. Shift everything else to folders to address at the appropriate time. My inbox usually has less than 10 items in it and works more like a to do list. Also check and sort your junk email often (there's nothing worse than an important email going unnoticed due to over-active spam protectors).
9. Read more books that will enable you to become better at your job (my goal is 1 per week, but if you're not reading any at the moment start with one per month or every 6 weeks and work up from there)
10. When you deserve a promotion or pay rise go to your boss with a list of reasons and proof of your achievements. Don't be afraid to show the progress you've made, the projects you've put together and the work that may otherwise go unnoticed. Sell yourself!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Assertiveness At Work: How To Be Assertive And Shift Your Career Into Overdrive
by Michael Lee
People who show assertiveness at work are usually the ones who get noticed, get promoted and enjoy salary raises. Of course, assertiveness is different from aggressiveness. Superiors tend to get threatened or turned off by the latter.
But not everyone is born assertive. And not everyone is a natural star employee. If you want to develop assertiveness at work and be rewarded for it, follow the 3 tips below.
1) Participate in General Meetings.
You know you have good ideas. So why not pitch them during meetings? It might not be characteristic of you to speak up; but if you really want to develop assertiveness at work, this is your first challenge.
Once you have gone through this initiation, you’ll find yourself having an easier time speaking out. Having the spotlight on you is not always a bad thing.
If you have sensible ideas, the boss will definitely take notice of you. Your superiors will start considering you for other projects and before you know it, you’ll be up and running for a promotion.
2) Be An Active Listener.
Listening is not just a one-sided process. One way to develop assertiveness at work is by occasionally nodding your head or murmuring expressions of agreement while the other person is talking.
Asking questions is also a form of assertiveness. It shows the speaker that you are genuinely interested in what he is saying. The whole process becomes an exchange of ideas and opinions.
However, don’t make the mistake of asking a question which was already covered in the person’s talk. That will just give that person the impression that you were not listening at all.
3) Show Confidence in Every Aspect.
Self-confidence is very important in the workplace. As much as possible, avoid second-guessing yourself. Or at least, avoid revealing how unsure you are about something.
The way you talk, walk and pretty much do anything, requires an air of confidence. I’m not saying you should walk around the office like you’re the boss of everybody; but at least act like you’re the boss of yourself.
If you’re going to talk, try not to stutter. Keep your voice modulated. Not too loud and not too soft. Use hand gestures, even if it’s just to keep others from seeing your trembling fingers. The more you try to exert self-confidence, the better you’ll be at it.
Assertiveness at work is one trait that bosses of all companies look for in a model employee. It shows them that you are someone capable of leadership.
People who show assertiveness at work are usually the ones who get noticed, get promoted and enjoy salary raises. Of course, assertiveness is different from aggressiveness. Superiors tend to get threatened or turned off by the latter.
But not everyone is born assertive. And not everyone is a natural star employee. If you want to develop assertiveness at work and be rewarded for it, follow the 3 tips below.
1) Participate in General Meetings.
You know you have good ideas. So why not pitch them during meetings? It might not be characteristic of you to speak up; but if you really want to develop assertiveness at work, this is your first challenge.
Once you have gone through this initiation, you’ll find yourself having an easier time speaking out. Having the spotlight on you is not always a bad thing.
If you have sensible ideas, the boss will definitely take notice of you. Your superiors will start considering you for other projects and before you know it, you’ll be up and running for a promotion.
2) Be An Active Listener.
Listening is not just a one-sided process. One way to develop assertiveness at work is by occasionally nodding your head or murmuring expressions of agreement while the other person is talking.
Asking questions is also a form of assertiveness. It shows the speaker that you are genuinely interested in what he is saying. The whole process becomes an exchange of ideas and opinions.
However, don’t make the mistake of asking a question which was already covered in the person’s talk. That will just give that person the impression that you were not listening at all.
3) Show Confidence in Every Aspect.
Self-confidence is very important in the workplace. As much as possible, avoid second-guessing yourself. Or at least, avoid revealing how unsure you are about something.
The way you talk, walk and pretty much do anything, requires an air of confidence. I’m not saying you should walk around the office like you’re the boss of everybody; but at least act like you’re the boss of yourself.
If you’re going to talk, try not to stutter. Keep your voice modulated. Not too loud and not too soft. Use hand gestures, even if it’s just to keep others from seeing your trembling fingers. The more you try to exert self-confidence, the better you’ll be at it.
Assertiveness at work is one trait that bosses of all companies look for in a model employee. It shows them that you are someone capable of leadership.
Happiness Is A Choice
Happiness is largely a choice, so choosing to be happy is incredibly simple. Putting it into action is not always so straightforward though.
But in challenging economic circumstances, your business will stand a much better chance of survival if you simply choose to be happy in your work.
Concentrate on the aspects of your business that bring you most pleasure. Doing so will give you the strength to deal with negative people or worrying situations. And if you start to turn towards pessimism, return to more satisfying work. Think of it as reward bank. In this way you can ‘bank’ satisfaction, build up ‘credit’ to draw on as you face less happy tasks
Nothing is achieved by being miserable, so enjoying yourself while working hard is vital to the success of your business.
Feeling happy in your work will get much easier if you adopt a more positive approach to the current economic climate and realise that this is the biggest opportunity you’ve ever had. Far too many SMEs are focusing far too hard on current results thereby locking themselves into a downward spiral as they condemn themselves to repeating those results.
What they haven’t realised is just how much they can help themselves by thinking their way to success. The Law of Polarity says that for every down there must be an up, so however bad the recession is for your business, there must be something good about it as well. Search for the opportunity and project your energy towards more optimistic, positive outcomes.
In short, if you expect things to turn out for the best, they invariably will. Equally, if you expect everything to go wrong, it most likely does. That being the case, if you can create your own future, why not create a bright one?
It won’t all be plain sailing though, you will inevitably come across problems, but rather than be discouraged by them resolve to become a better problem solver. Too many people are business fall into the trap of problem-raising instead of problem-solving; and then try to avoid the problem instead of attacking it head-on with passion and focus. Don’t be like them, face your future will a glad heart.
Having decided things are going to get better, draw up a plan of how you will make your business work and be prepared to the massive action to realise that plan. Massive action means you need to take significant steps towards your goals by devoting yourself to making them happen. The greater your goals, the greater your action must be.
Written by: Steven Foster
“You’ve got to love what you do to really make things happen.” Philip Green
The Cause Of Workplace Absenteeism
Employees seldom cares about their absenteeism because it cost them nothing. The worst it can cost them is their job but for the employer or the organization the employee is attached with: it means problems or loss of money.
Every year many organizations are paying a high price for absenteeism. The major cost often comes from the fact that the organization that is facing high level of absenteeism have to quickly hire a replacement employee and train them. Quick replacement and training equals expenditure of money and time.
If your organization is facing a high level of absenteeism, it means there is something wrong with your organization. In order to reduce high level of absenteeism, as an employer, you should identify what is the cost of high level of absenteeism in your organization or company. This means identifying the organizational as well as individual factors influencing absenteeism.
When we talk about organizational factors influencing absenteeism, we mean the workplace and work satisfaction. Workplace involves the environment as well as the culture or practices practiced at workplace. These are often related to the conditions the employees experiences daily during their working hours.
The key question to ask is how satisfied is the employee in relation to their working environment? Physically is the condition of the work location or internal environment affects the high level of absenteeism? Does the employee find the workplace to be stimulating or boring? This directly relates to employees job satisfaction. Is the employee satisfied with the work conditions?
On the personal level, is the employee a healthy individual or someone who has health problem? How about the distance from the home of the employee to the work place? All these factors may contribute for absenteeism on the part of employees. These are the factors the employer have to look into and find solutions to resolve the problem of absenteeism in the organization. With correct problem analysis the employer can identify the real cause of employee absenteeism and find relevant solutions.
Relevant solutions often have to come in the form of job satisfaction for the employees. Although there can be personal problems on the part of employees that may cause absenteeism, we find through experience that absenteeism can be reduced by providing proper job satisfaction for the employees. Ultimately the employer is responsible in hiring and keeping a positive and job satisfied employee who does not have absenteeism problem.
written by Wise Life Advice
Every year many organizations are paying a high price for absenteeism. The major cost often comes from the fact that the organization that is facing high level of absenteeism have to quickly hire a replacement employee and train them. Quick replacement and training equals expenditure of money and time.
If your organization is facing a high level of absenteeism, it means there is something wrong with your organization. In order to reduce high level of absenteeism, as an employer, you should identify what is the cost of high level of absenteeism in your organization or company. This means identifying the organizational as well as individual factors influencing absenteeism.
When we talk about organizational factors influencing absenteeism, we mean the workplace and work satisfaction. Workplace involves the environment as well as the culture or practices practiced at workplace. These are often related to the conditions the employees experiences daily during their working hours.
The key question to ask is how satisfied is the employee in relation to their working environment? Physically is the condition of the work location or internal environment affects the high level of absenteeism? Does the employee find the workplace to be stimulating or boring? This directly relates to employees job satisfaction. Is the employee satisfied with the work conditions?
On the personal level, is the employee a healthy individual or someone who has health problem? How about the distance from the home of the employee to the work place? All these factors may contribute for absenteeism on the part of employees. These are the factors the employer have to look into and find solutions to resolve the problem of absenteeism in the organization. With correct problem analysis the employer can identify the real cause of employee absenteeism and find relevant solutions.
Relevant solutions often have to come in the form of job satisfaction for the employees. Although there can be personal problems on the part of employees that may cause absenteeism, we find through experience that absenteeism can be reduced by providing proper job satisfaction for the employees. Ultimately the employer is responsible in hiring and keeping a positive and job satisfied employee who does not have absenteeism problem.
written by Wise Life Advice
The Gen Y wants a balance between work and play
They may be labeled spoilt brats. Misunderstood by the preceding generations but Generation Y, refered to in global management consulting firm Hay Group's survey as Gen Yers, is seen to have different priorities and outlook towards what is work and life.
For the group born between 1980 and 2000, Gen Yers' concept towards work and life is proving to be a challenge for employers.
As adults, Baby Boomers led a life of striving to make as much as money as they can for the comfort of their families while Gen X exercised more balance in their life, making family time as much the priority as work.
When Gen Yers poured into the workforce in the last few years, employers realised they are dealing with a group of people with different mindsets and priorities.
Gen Yers clearly do not fit the mould set by the Baby Boomers and Gen X as their idea of living diverge from what their seniors typically expect out of life.
Their goal is to have a work-life balance a career without sacrificing their social or personal lives.
To tackle this issue, Hay Group country head for productised services Alex Lim said that employers need to decide on whether they want to be in the employee or employer market.
He points out that bosses could choose to change their management styles to accommodate the expectations of three generations or they could be selective, employing only those who can fit in the company's management.
“There is no perfect solution to the situation but employers have to decide what strategy to use,” he told.
One of the key differences between Gen Yers and the elder generations is that they do not see work as a primary part of life. For them, work-life balance triumphs any other desires.
According to Hay Group's survey on Gen Yers' attitude towards employment, career and salary: “Gen Yers want to have enriching lives outside of work with time to pursue personal and family interests, like travelling, photography and volunteer work unlike their parents who regard careers as top priority.”
“Having seen their parents work so hard during the week and then spend weekends to recover, they have decided that they want more out of their own lives.”
The survey also noted that: “They don't live for work, but work to live.” Hence offering them “stretch” projects without engaging their passion will often backfire if the work clashes with their need for good work-life balance.
Lim says that for Gen Xers who also want a balanced life, the balance is between family and work.
“For Gen Yers, they want a balanced life but it is between work and clubbing,” he says with a laugh.
Lim said that anyhow, engaging with Gen Yers while maintaining a working environment amiable to Baby Boomers and Gen Xers is important to keep companies thriving. After all, there will only be more Gen Yers entering the workforce to work alongside their seniors.
Among the five main reasons Gen Yers join a company, as found in Hay Group's survey, are the company reputation, clarity of career progression, benefits and perquisites, training and development and passion for the job.
While most Gen Yers are already happy with their salary, save for those in legal and actuarial sectors, whether a company is deemed “sexy” matters to them.
“Between a renowned company and an obscure one, Gen Yers would pick the more reputable company even if the latter offers more attractive salary,” Lim says.
In the survey, it noted that companies like Google and Apple would attract Gen Yers more than less visible brands. The survey also points out that these youths are attracted to near-cash benefits like holiday or mobile phone allowances rather than the conventional housing or vehicle loans.
“Gen Yers are in a way spoiled by their parents. They would be provided with a car when they start working or would have had one even in college. Some parents will most likely have had a property investment in the city so the children need not worry about accommodation,” he elaborated.
Aside from that, Gen Yers also want constant feedback on their performance, rather than wait for an annual review. As they have grown with an education system that constantly gives them feedback, they expect the same when they enter the workforce.
“They want acknowledgement when they have achieved something. It's like back in school when teachers commend them for their accomplishments,” Lim says, adding that some companies have begun rewarding staff on a quarterly basis.
Unlike Gen Xers who can work independently with a set of Key Performance Index clearly drawn out at the start of the year, Gen Yers feel that bosses who neglect to give regular feedback on their work are not good employers.
“The one thing good about them is that they are more likely to accept criticism than Gen Xers,” he said.
One of the major challenges employers face when it comes to Gen Yers are their loyalty. Among the reasons for their leaving are better opportunities elsewhere, being slapped with job responsibilities that were not specified during an interview and not having an increment upon confirmation.
“They want clarity when they take up a job. Lay out the expectations of the job before they accept it. Many companies have started to reintroduce confirmation increment to keep their new recruits,” he says.
Lim adds that many organisations have restructured to create a sense of progress or promotion.
“They have no patience. It used to take engineers about three years to train to become an engineer but Gen Yers are impatient. Many Oil & Gas and manufacturing companies have broken engineering jobs into three levels at least,” he says of the inflated job titles in the market today.
It may be that a rolling stone gathers no moss but many Gen Yers have more to them than meets the eye. Lim's golden advice to managers was to have constant communication with the staff to understand their needs and wants.
Although bosses who encourage their staff to pursue personal goals run a risk of losing their workers, employees will nonetheless be motivation to perform and that would only enhance the efficiency and morale of the team.
“You should know what are the (staff's) goals, what are the milestones they set for themselves so that you can help them progress. Then there is a higher chance for them to stay with you rather than leave as soon as they have better offers,” he says.
For the group born between 1980 and 2000, Gen Yers' concept towards work and life is proving to be a challenge for employers.
As adults, Baby Boomers led a life of striving to make as much as money as they can for the comfort of their families while Gen X exercised more balance in their life, making family time as much the priority as work.
When Gen Yers poured into the workforce in the last few years, employers realised they are dealing with a group of people with different mindsets and priorities.
Gen Yers clearly do not fit the mould set by the Baby Boomers and Gen X as their idea of living diverge from what their seniors typically expect out of life.
Their goal is to have a work-life balance a career without sacrificing their social or personal lives.
To tackle this issue, Hay Group country head for productised services Alex Lim said that employers need to decide on whether they want to be in the employee or employer market.
He points out that bosses could choose to change their management styles to accommodate the expectations of three generations or they could be selective, employing only those who can fit in the company's management.
“There is no perfect solution to the situation but employers have to decide what strategy to use,” he told.
One of the key differences between Gen Yers and the elder generations is that they do not see work as a primary part of life. For them, work-life balance triumphs any other desires.
According to Hay Group's survey on Gen Yers' attitude towards employment, career and salary: “Gen Yers want to have enriching lives outside of work with time to pursue personal and family interests, like travelling, photography and volunteer work unlike their parents who regard careers as top priority.”
“Having seen their parents work so hard during the week and then spend weekends to recover, they have decided that they want more out of their own lives.”
The survey also noted that: “They don't live for work, but work to live.” Hence offering them “stretch” projects without engaging their passion will often backfire if the work clashes with their need for good work-life balance.
Lim says that for Gen Xers who also want a balanced life, the balance is between family and work.
“For Gen Yers, they want a balanced life but it is between work and clubbing,” he says with a laugh.
Lim said that anyhow, engaging with Gen Yers while maintaining a working environment amiable to Baby Boomers and Gen Xers is important to keep companies thriving. After all, there will only be more Gen Yers entering the workforce to work alongside their seniors.
Among the five main reasons Gen Yers join a company, as found in Hay Group's survey, are the company reputation, clarity of career progression, benefits and perquisites, training and development and passion for the job.
While most Gen Yers are already happy with their salary, save for those in legal and actuarial sectors, whether a company is deemed “sexy” matters to them.
“Between a renowned company and an obscure one, Gen Yers would pick the more reputable company even if the latter offers more attractive salary,” Lim says.
In the survey, it noted that companies like Google and Apple would attract Gen Yers more than less visible brands. The survey also points out that these youths are attracted to near-cash benefits like holiday or mobile phone allowances rather than the conventional housing or vehicle loans.
“Gen Yers are in a way spoiled by their parents. They would be provided with a car when they start working or would have had one even in college. Some parents will most likely have had a property investment in the city so the children need not worry about accommodation,” he elaborated.
Aside from that, Gen Yers also want constant feedback on their performance, rather than wait for an annual review. As they have grown with an education system that constantly gives them feedback, they expect the same when they enter the workforce.
“They want acknowledgement when they have achieved something. It's like back in school when teachers commend them for their accomplishments,” Lim says, adding that some companies have begun rewarding staff on a quarterly basis.
Unlike Gen Xers who can work independently with a set of Key Performance Index clearly drawn out at the start of the year, Gen Yers feel that bosses who neglect to give regular feedback on their work are not good employers.
“The one thing good about them is that they are more likely to accept criticism than Gen Xers,” he said.
One of the major challenges employers face when it comes to Gen Yers are their loyalty. Among the reasons for their leaving are better opportunities elsewhere, being slapped with job responsibilities that were not specified during an interview and not having an increment upon confirmation.
“They want clarity when they take up a job. Lay out the expectations of the job before they accept it. Many companies have started to reintroduce confirmation increment to keep their new recruits,” he says.
Lim adds that many organisations have restructured to create a sense of progress or promotion.
“They have no patience. It used to take engineers about three years to train to become an engineer but Gen Yers are impatient. Many Oil & Gas and manufacturing companies have broken engineering jobs into three levels at least,” he says of the inflated job titles in the market today.
It may be that a rolling stone gathers no moss but many Gen Yers have more to them than meets the eye. Lim's golden advice to managers was to have constant communication with the staff to understand their needs and wants.
Although bosses who encourage their staff to pursue personal goals run a risk of losing their workers, employees will nonetheless be motivation to perform and that would only enhance the efficiency and morale of the team.
“You should know what are the (staff's) goals, what are the milestones they set for themselves so that you can help them progress. Then there is a higher chance for them to stay with you rather than leave as soon as they have better offers,” he says.
Saturday, February 04, 2012
What Are You Afraid Of?
"The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear.” -Aung San Suu Kyi
Everyone is afraid of something. Some of us are scared of hairy spiders. Others are afraid of flying. And others are afraid to walk out their front door.
In some instances, fear can be helpful. It keeps us from taunting angry rattlesnakes and dancing on the edge of unstable cliffs. But all too often, fear keeps us from being successful.
In order to get the most out of life, we must understand that fear holds us back. There are risks around every corner, many of which we are blissfully unaware. But if we never take a risk, we'll never get what we want out of life. This is why we must confront our fears and work to get past them.
Fear of Failure
“Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
Thomas Edison
One of the things that keeps would-be entrepreneurs from taking the plunge is a fear of failure. They don't believe they have what it takes to start and run a successful business, so they keep pressing on at their jobs, even if they hate them. They would rather be financially secure and miserable than take a chance on a business that may or may not take off.
Those who have chosen to buck the system and start a business are not immune to fear either. They may shy away from proposing joint ventures because they feel certain that rejection is imminent. They might avoid pursuing leads for fear of being turned down. Whatever the case may be, fear keeps them from moving forward.
People who are afraid of failure often do not even realize that's the problem. For those suffering from a severe lack of confidence, the idea that they will fail at everything may be so deeply ingrained in their subconscious that they aren't consciously aware of it. If you seem to be sabotaging your own efforts, it's crucial to look deep inside yourself and determine whether fear of failure is the problem.
Whether your fear of failure is obvious to you and everyone else or camouflaged by something else, you must confront it in order to move ahead. Try making a list of the mistakes you're afraid of making, then file it away for about a week. Take it out and look at it again, and you'll probably find that many of your concerns sound rather silly.
It's important to acknowledge that the things you fear could happen. They could also not happen. Just remember that if you don't try, you have a 100% chance of not succeeding.
Fear of Success
On the flip side, some would-be entrepreneurs are afraid of success. It sounds completely illogical, but it's actually quite common.
Why would anyone be afraid to succeed? There are several reasons. These include:
You don't want to leave your comfort zone. The status quo could be good or bad, but we often fear leaving it for unknown territory.
You think it will be too difficult. Starting and running a successful business is hard work, and we may not feel up to the task.
People will raise their expectations of you. If you succeed, you'll be under pressure from others (not to mention yourself) to maintain that level of success. What if you can't do it?
You worry that you will succeed in the wrong area. What if it turns out that you don't enjoy the field you choose as much as you thought you would?
You think success will change you, or change others' perceptions of you. You may fear losing your friends or becoming arrogant due to your achievements.
You feel that you're not worthy of success, even if you are capable of attaining it. This is another possible manifestation of low self-esteem.
Fear of success is often far less apparent than fear of failure. No one says to himself, “I would really hate to succeed in life.” And in most cases, it's not the success itself that we fear, but the side effects of it.
Let's address each of the aforementioned reasons one by one:
Your comfort zone may be comfortable, but it's rarely the best place to be. If it were so wonderful, you wouldn't be considering something else.
Entrepreneurship requires hard work and commitment. But if you want to start a business badly enough, you can do it. The rewards will be well worth your trouble.
Pressure to succeed is not such a bad thing. There's always the chance that you might not maintain your success for one reason or another, but is that any reason to not even try?
Starting a successful business doesn't sentence you to a life of doing that and only that. If you find that the field you chose isn't for you, you can always sell the business and move on to something else. At least you'll have some startup capital to work with.
True friends will cheer you on when you succeed. And success isn't an instant personality changer. You are in control of your own reaction to your accomplishments.
ou are worthy of success. If you can achieve it, then you deserve it.
Recognizing a fear of success is difficult, but doing so is the only way to get past it. The upshot is that once it's out in the open, it's not too hard to see why there's nothing to be afraid of.
Don't Let Fear Stand in Your Way
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt
Fear is something we all experience from time to time. And sometimes our fears come true. But if no one ever took a chance, the world would be a very unimaginative and static place.
If you let fear hold you back, you'll never know what might have been. And that's something to truly be afraid of.
by Mindmap to Riches
Everyone is afraid of something. Some of us are scared of hairy spiders. Others are afraid of flying. And others are afraid to walk out their front door.
In some instances, fear can be helpful. It keeps us from taunting angry rattlesnakes and dancing on the edge of unstable cliffs. But all too often, fear keeps us from being successful.
In order to get the most out of life, we must understand that fear holds us back. There are risks around every corner, many of which we are blissfully unaware. But if we never take a risk, we'll never get what we want out of life. This is why we must confront our fears and work to get past them.
Fear of Failure
“Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
Thomas Edison
One of the things that keeps would-be entrepreneurs from taking the plunge is a fear of failure. They don't believe they have what it takes to start and run a successful business, so they keep pressing on at their jobs, even if they hate them. They would rather be financially secure and miserable than take a chance on a business that may or may not take off.
Those who have chosen to buck the system and start a business are not immune to fear either. They may shy away from proposing joint ventures because they feel certain that rejection is imminent. They might avoid pursuing leads for fear of being turned down. Whatever the case may be, fear keeps them from moving forward.
People who are afraid of failure often do not even realize that's the problem. For those suffering from a severe lack of confidence, the idea that they will fail at everything may be so deeply ingrained in their subconscious that they aren't consciously aware of it. If you seem to be sabotaging your own efforts, it's crucial to look deep inside yourself and determine whether fear of failure is the problem.
Whether your fear of failure is obvious to you and everyone else or camouflaged by something else, you must confront it in order to move ahead. Try making a list of the mistakes you're afraid of making, then file it away for about a week. Take it out and look at it again, and you'll probably find that many of your concerns sound rather silly.
It's important to acknowledge that the things you fear could happen. They could also not happen. Just remember that if you don't try, you have a 100% chance of not succeeding.
Fear of Success
On the flip side, some would-be entrepreneurs are afraid of success. It sounds completely illogical, but it's actually quite common.
Why would anyone be afraid to succeed? There are several reasons. These include:
You don't want to leave your comfort zone. The status quo could be good or bad, but we often fear leaving it for unknown territory.
You think it will be too difficult. Starting and running a successful business is hard work, and we may not feel up to the task.
People will raise their expectations of you. If you succeed, you'll be under pressure from others (not to mention yourself) to maintain that level of success. What if you can't do it?
You worry that you will succeed in the wrong area. What if it turns out that you don't enjoy the field you choose as much as you thought you would?
You think success will change you, or change others' perceptions of you. You may fear losing your friends or becoming arrogant due to your achievements.
You feel that you're not worthy of success, even if you are capable of attaining it. This is another possible manifestation of low self-esteem.
Fear of success is often far less apparent than fear of failure. No one says to himself, “I would really hate to succeed in life.” And in most cases, it's not the success itself that we fear, but the side effects of it.
Let's address each of the aforementioned reasons one by one:
Your comfort zone may be comfortable, but it's rarely the best place to be. If it were so wonderful, you wouldn't be considering something else.
Entrepreneurship requires hard work and commitment. But if you want to start a business badly enough, you can do it. The rewards will be well worth your trouble.
Pressure to succeed is not such a bad thing. There's always the chance that you might not maintain your success for one reason or another, but is that any reason to not even try?
Starting a successful business doesn't sentence you to a life of doing that and only that. If you find that the field you chose isn't for you, you can always sell the business and move on to something else. At least you'll have some startup capital to work with.
True friends will cheer you on when you succeed. And success isn't an instant personality changer. You are in control of your own reaction to your accomplishments.
ou are worthy of success. If you can achieve it, then you deserve it.
Recognizing a fear of success is difficult, but doing so is the only way to get past it. The upshot is that once it's out in the open, it's not too hard to see why there's nothing to be afraid of.
Don't Let Fear Stand in Your Way
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt
Fear is something we all experience from time to time. And sometimes our fears come true. But if no one ever took a chance, the world would be a very unimaginative and static place.
If you let fear hold you back, you'll never know what might have been. And that's something to truly be afraid of.
by Mindmap to Riches
Law of Attraction Basics - Deciding What You Want
Manifesting your desires is easy once you master a few law of attraction basics. These basic principles, although simple, are the foundation of your success at manifesting your dreams and desires. Master the core skills revealed in this article and you will see a dramatic improvement in the quality of the results that you are getting in life.
What do you want?
What do you want to be? What experiences do you want to have? Where do you want to live? With who? This is where your dream life begins. Deciding which of your dreams to manifest is the first step toward making your dreams a reality. But choose carefully! If you mess up here, you will create problems for yourself further down the road.
There are three specific things that you need to look at when you are picking and choosing which of your desires to manifest first. All three need to be present in order for you to tap into your full inner strength, and to avoid potential problems. Look at each one and see where you can fine tune your desires. This will let you bring your dreams into your life with a lot less struggle.
Choosing Your Dream
1. Do you really want it? This is important. You have to really want your dream. Not just wish for it. Wishes are for fairy tales. It takes a burning desire to reach a goal or dream, for you to unlock your hidden potential.
Here is a secret: Your desire for change has to be greater than your attachment to your current habits and ways of thinking. You have to be willing to change. You have to be willing to be honest with yourself about your choices.
Does your dream get you out of bed early? Does it keep you up late? Is it a priority in your life? Does thinking about your dream get you fired up? Answer yes to those questions and you will be on your way to making that dream a reality!
2. Do you have a strong reason WHY you want this dream? What will reaching this goal or dream mean to you? Why do you want to achieve it? Look at the reasons behind your choices. Be sure that you have a strong reason why you want to make a particular change in your life.
Having a strong motive behind your dreams will allow you to go farther and do more than you could otherwise. You will find yourself more willing to give it your all, you will be more willing to do what it takes, and you will discover that you get better at making empowered decisions that move you forward!
3. Do you know EXACTLY what you want? Even with a burning desire and a powerful reason 'why', you will still struggle to reach your dreams unless you are very specific about the details of exactly what you want to attract into your life.
Understand that any details of your dream that you do not choose are being left up to the universe. In other words, you may manifest your dream, but there may be things about your dream that you don't like or don't want with it. You manifested a new sports car, but it came with a huge increase in your insurance premiums. Or you attracted that perfect guy, he is caring and compassionate, but he gambles away the rent money every month.
A Clear Vision
You can avoid these problems by getting crystal clear about your desires. The clearer your vision of your future, the more details of your dream that you spell out in advance, the better your results will be. Be specific! Take the time to consider all the possibilities that exist within your dream, all the varied ways that it can show up in your life, and decide exactly how your life will look for you.
Use this list to check each of your dreams before you get too far into the process. This will ensure you that you are tapping into the full power of the law of attraction basics and will help you eliminate many of the problems that can show up.
by Bob Crawford
What do you want?
What do you want to be? What experiences do you want to have? Where do you want to live? With who? This is where your dream life begins. Deciding which of your dreams to manifest is the first step toward making your dreams a reality. But choose carefully! If you mess up here, you will create problems for yourself further down the road.
There are three specific things that you need to look at when you are picking and choosing which of your desires to manifest first. All three need to be present in order for you to tap into your full inner strength, and to avoid potential problems. Look at each one and see where you can fine tune your desires. This will let you bring your dreams into your life with a lot less struggle.
Choosing Your Dream
1. Do you really want it? This is important. You have to really want your dream. Not just wish for it. Wishes are for fairy tales. It takes a burning desire to reach a goal or dream, for you to unlock your hidden potential.
Here is a secret: Your desire for change has to be greater than your attachment to your current habits and ways of thinking. You have to be willing to change. You have to be willing to be honest with yourself about your choices.
Does your dream get you out of bed early? Does it keep you up late? Is it a priority in your life? Does thinking about your dream get you fired up? Answer yes to those questions and you will be on your way to making that dream a reality!
2. Do you have a strong reason WHY you want this dream? What will reaching this goal or dream mean to you? Why do you want to achieve it? Look at the reasons behind your choices. Be sure that you have a strong reason why you want to make a particular change in your life.
Having a strong motive behind your dreams will allow you to go farther and do more than you could otherwise. You will find yourself more willing to give it your all, you will be more willing to do what it takes, and you will discover that you get better at making empowered decisions that move you forward!
3. Do you know EXACTLY what you want? Even with a burning desire and a powerful reason 'why', you will still struggle to reach your dreams unless you are very specific about the details of exactly what you want to attract into your life.
Understand that any details of your dream that you do not choose are being left up to the universe. In other words, you may manifest your dream, but there may be things about your dream that you don't like or don't want with it. You manifested a new sports car, but it came with a huge increase in your insurance premiums. Or you attracted that perfect guy, he is caring and compassionate, but he gambles away the rent money every month.
A Clear Vision
You can avoid these problems by getting crystal clear about your desires. The clearer your vision of your future, the more details of your dream that you spell out in advance, the better your results will be. Be specific! Take the time to consider all the possibilities that exist within your dream, all the varied ways that it can show up in your life, and decide exactly how your life will look for you.
Use this list to check each of your dreams before you get too far into the process. This will ensure you that you are tapping into the full power of the law of attraction basics and will help you eliminate many of the problems that can show up.
by Bob Crawford
How to Trust Yourself More and Empower Your Business
Trust - or a lack of trust - impacts every area of your life and your life’s work. You must trust yourself in order to feel confident; to stand out and bring your business forward. To become more visible, to make your work and your business more visible so you can help more people and prosper, you have to trust yourself.
How do we develop trust - or greater trust - in ourselves? Self-trust is built one decision at a time.
Make a Decision. Making decisions is empowering. Ambivalence or wavering, hesitating or waiting to make important decisions erodes your self-trust and your power
Each time that you hold back from making a decision because of uncertainty or fear, you give yourself a disempowering message about you. Indecisiveness becomes a habit based in lack of self-trust. A lot of your precious time, energy and attention is lost on indecision.
Every time you make a decision you are freed up. Your energy is set free!
You are faced with thousands of business decisions every year. From what investments to make in you as a business owner, to what investments to make in your business, to what you offer through your business...
Make a Decision Based on What’s True for You. Trusting yourself grows by making decisions based on what is true for you. How do you tell? It feels right.
Even if it takes your breath, a decision that is in alignment with what’s true for you will feel right. Every one of these decisions that you make builds a pattern and a consciousness of self-trust.
To make a decision that builds self-trust - whether that is to do something, buy something, to take on a particular client, offer a program, price an offering, take a course or hire a coach - that decision needs to feel right for you.
Not partially right, or maybe right, but right. Not right for someone else, not right for the way you were taught, not right for you last year, but right for you, right now.
Three Actions You Can Take to Increase Your Self-Trust Now!
1. Write down all the pending decisions you haven’t made.
2. Take each one separately. Tune in to what’s true for you (what feels right?) and make each decision based on that. Then cross it off your list. It will feel great.
3. Make a decision to make 3 new and conscious business decisions each day. When you make this decision, the others will light up for you. Tune in with each one, and make the decision that is true for you.
Make decisions based on what is true for you! Each one will increase your self-trust and your self-confidence. It will change your life and change your business.
Step Into Your Greatness!
One decision at a time!
by ReggieO
How do we develop trust - or greater trust - in ourselves? Self-trust is built one decision at a time.
Make a Decision. Making decisions is empowering. Ambivalence or wavering, hesitating or waiting to make important decisions erodes your self-trust and your power
Each time that you hold back from making a decision because of uncertainty or fear, you give yourself a disempowering message about you. Indecisiveness becomes a habit based in lack of self-trust. A lot of your precious time, energy and attention is lost on indecision.
Every time you make a decision you are freed up. Your energy is set free!
You are faced with thousands of business decisions every year. From what investments to make in you as a business owner, to what investments to make in your business, to what you offer through your business...
Make a Decision Based on What’s True for You. Trusting yourself grows by making decisions based on what is true for you. How do you tell? It feels right.
Even if it takes your breath, a decision that is in alignment with what’s true for you will feel right. Every one of these decisions that you make builds a pattern and a consciousness of self-trust.
To make a decision that builds self-trust - whether that is to do something, buy something, to take on a particular client, offer a program, price an offering, take a course or hire a coach - that decision needs to feel right for you.
Not partially right, or maybe right, but right. Not right for someone else, not right for the way you were taught, not right for you last year, but right for you, right now.
Three Actions You Can Take to Increase Your Self-Trust Now!
1. Write down all the pending decisions you haven’t made.
2. Take each one separately. Tune in to what’s true for you (what feels right?) and make each decision based on that. Then cross it off your list. It will feel great.
3. Make a decision to make 3 new and conscious business decisions each day. When you make this decision, the others will light up for you. Tune in with each one, and make the decision that is true for you.
Make decisions based on what is true for you! Each one will increase your self-trust and your self-confidence. It will change your life and change your business.
Step Into Your Greatness!
One decision at a time!
by ReggieO
Living a Life of Gratitude Will Attract Abundance
by Randi G. Fine
We cannot possibly realize the immense power that comes from our thoughts. What we focus on grows…that is the law of the universe. When we live our lives with gratitude or appreciation for what we have, we occupy our minds with positivity. When we focus on what we are lacking, our minds become filled with negativity that breeds thoughts of bitterness, jealousy, and resentment. Living a life of gratitude is what brings abundance into our lives. The more grateful we are for all gifts large and small, the more abundance we attract to us. Having gratitude means being thankful for the many gifts and blessing we have.
Many people say that they are grateful; still they find themselves experiencing negative thoughts when life doesn’t go the way they expect it to. And many people say that they have little to be grateful for, when in actuality they have much more than they think. It’s all based on point of view, and our point of view is something we consciously control. We all have the ability to shift our thinking. We can take any situation in life and find something good in it, if that is our inclination. Good and bad things happen in life every day. What outlook we choose to focus on is entirely up to us.
Quantum Physic studies are verifying that matter and reality can be changed by our thoughts. The Law of Attraction, one of the five fundamental principles of existence, tells us that “like attracts like.” It is a scientific fact that thoughts are energy. Neurons in our brain produce thought. So if energy follows energy, than energy follows thought. To put it in simpler terms, we attract what we put out. The universe isn’t biased – it doesn’t decide if a thought is good or bad. It just responds to the vibrations we put out there. When we live life with sincere gratitude and appreciation, we change the vibration of our energy and we attract more of what we want. How we think is what we get…and gratitude is the key.
When we focus on what we lack, we create blockages and limitations. We become imprisoned by the vibration of our negative energy. As a result, we attract what we think, which in this case is negativity, while repelling the very things we desire. No one would deliberately disrupt the flow of abundance that comes into their life. Those that do it don’t realize that they are doing it.
Some of us have already, or will gladly accept this truth at face value and apply it. For skeptics and naysayers, the only proof is the proof itself; living a life of gratitude is the only way to prove its effectiveness and to understand the immense power of it. The universe is infinitely abundant…we just have to allow it and learn how to work in harmony with it. We accomplish this through the practice of positive thinking; through a conscious effort to “go with the flow.”
Having gratitude does not mean denying that problems exist. The experiences and challenges we face in the course of our lifetimes are many. What is does mean is incorporating a simple practice that makes it easier to accept these experiences. The gift of empowerment comes once gratitude is firmly placed in our lives. Then we have that accomplishment to add to the list of things we are grateful for. It is an endless cycle that goes round and round. Developing this practice and changing our perspective, therefore allowing abundance to flow, opens us up to all the possibilities that exist in the universe. The ultimate goal is to keep the abundance in a constant flow. We never want to hoard our abundance; that will only block the flow. By sharing our gifts, we stay in harmony with the universe.
One of the most important messages to take away from all of this is that the universe has perfect timing. Everything happens when it is supposed to, not because we want it to. Honoring that universal truth will soften the blow of every disappointment we may face in life. To quote Brian Tracy, “Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.”
We cannot possibly realize the immense power that comes from our thoughts. What we focus on grows…that is the law of the universe. When we live our lives with gratitude or appreciation for what we have, we occupy our minds with positivity. When we focus on what we are lacking, our minds become filled with negativity that breeds thoughts of bitterness, jealousy, and resentment. Living a life of gratitude is what brings abundance into our lives. The more grateful we are for all gifts large and small, the more abundance we attract to us. Having gratitude means being thankful for the many gifts and blessing we have.
Many people say that they are grateful; still they find themselves experiencing negative thoughts when life doesn’t go the way they expect it to. And many people say that they have little to be grateful for, when in actuality they have much more than they think. It’s all based on point of view, and our point of view is something we consciously control. We all have the ability to shift our thinking. We can take any situation in life and find something good in it, if that is our inclination. Good and bad things happen in life every day. What outlook we choose to focus on is entirely up to us.
Quantum Physic studies are verifying that matter and reality can be changed by our thoughts. The Law of Attraction, one of the five fundamental principles of existence, tells us that “like attracts like.” It is a scientific fact that thoughts are energy. Neurons in our brain produce thought. So if energy follows energy, than energy follows thought. To put it in simpler terms, we attract what we put out. The universe isn’t biased – it doesn’t decide if a thought is good or bad. It just responds to the vibrations we put out there. When we live life with sincere gratitude and appreciation, we change the vibration of our energy and we attract more of what we want. How we think is what we get…and gratitude is the key.
When we focus on what we lack, we create blockages and limitations. We become imprisoned by the vibration of our negative energy. As a result, we attract what we think, which in this case is negativity, while repelling the very things we desire. No one would deliberately disrupt the flow of abundance that comes into their life. Those that do it don’t realize that they are doing it.
Some of us have already, or will gladly accept this truth at face value and apply it. For skeptics and naysayers, the only proof is the proof itself; living a life of gratitude is the only way to prove its effectiveness and to understand the immense power of it. The universe is infinitely abundant…we just have to allow it and learn how to work in harmony with it. We accomplish this through the practice of positive thinking; through a conscious effort to “go with the flow.”
Having gratitude does not mean denying that problems exist. The experiences and challenges we face in the course of our lifetimes are many. What is does mean is incorporating a simple practice that makes it easier to accept these experiences. The gift of empowerment comes once gratitude is firmly placed in our lives. Then we have that accomplishment to add to the list of things we are grateful for. It is an endless cycle that goes round and round. Developing this practice and changing our perspective, therefore allowing abundance to flow, opens us up to all the possibilities that exist in the universe. The ultimate goal is to keep the abundance in a constant flow. We never want to hoard our abundance; that will only block the flow. By sharing our gifts, we stay in harmony with the universe.
One of the most important messages to take away from all of this is that the universe has perfect timing. Everything happens when it is supposed to, not because we want it to. Honoring that universal truth will soften the blow of every disappointment we may face in life. To quote Brian Tracy, “Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.”
How to Change Your Life By Loving Your Life Right Now
How to Change Your Life By Loving Your Life Right Now
by Bob Crawford
Do you want to learn how to change your life? You can, if you are willing to love your life right now. Creating change, learning how to change your life in empowering ways, is the common thread that ties all of our goals and desires together. Yours, mine, everyone's. We all want things to get better... we all want our lives to be full and happy.
But we also all share another universal thread, one that holds us back, one that keeps us from realizing our dreams and goals. That thread is called discontent. Now, at first you might think that discontent would be a great motivator, that if you are unhappy with the way things are, you would be driven to make the changes you want in your life.
But that is not true at all! The reality is, that in order to change your life, you must love your life the way it is right now - problems and all. Being discontent, unhappy, dissatisfied, or mad at the world for handing you such a lousy life only keeps you stuck in that negative state of mind. When you live life as a victim, you give away your power to control your own life. The same thing happens when you blame life or your boss or anything else outside of yourself for your problems. You give away your power.
But that all changes when you love your life the way it is right now. The good, the bad, the ugly, all of it. How do you do this? By deciding to. You can make a conscious decision to love your life right now - in spite of your problems, in spite of all your challenges, and in spite of whatever negativity you see in your life right now!
You see, when you come from a place of love, you are free to focus on the important things, you are free to focus on solutions rather than being stuck on the problems in your life. Unlike being unhappy with your life, being loving toward yourself is empowering and lets you move forward. It lets you change your life.
This is because we all have the tendency to continue being whatever we are being right now. If you are being unhappy with your life right now, you will probably continue being unhappy with your life for the foreseeable future... unless you change your outlook and start showing up in your life with an attitude of love and gratitude.
Loving your life the way it is now, doesn't mean ignoring your problems, it means seeing them from a new perspective. Anything that you look at with love will look dramatically different than something you look at with discontent or unhappiness.
Try this out in your own life, and see if it doesn't make a big difference in the way you see things. Not only will you find it much easier to reach your goals when you are loving life, you will have a much clearer vision of exactly what you want your life to be like!
by Bob Crawford
Do you want to learn how to change your life? You can, if you are willing to love your life right now. Creating change, learning how to change your life in empowering ways, is the common thread that ties all of our goals and desires together. Yours, mine, everyone's. We all want things to get better... we all want our lives to be full and happy.
But we also all share another universal thread, one that holds us back, one that keeps us from realizing our dreams and goals. That thread is called discontent. Now, at first you might think that discontent would be a great motivator, that if you are unhappy with the way things are, you would be driven to make the changes you want in your life.
But that is not true at all! The reality is, that in order to change your life, you must love your life the way it is right now - problems and all. Being discontent, unhappy, dissatisfied, or mad at the world for handing you such a lousy life only keeps you stuck in that negative state of mind. When you live life as a victim, you give away your power to control your own life. The same thing happens when you blame life or your boss or anything else outside of yourself for your problems. You give away your power.
But that all changes when you love your life the way it is right now. The good, the bad, the ugly, all of it. How do you do this? By deciding to. You can make a conscious decision to love your life right now - in spite of your problems, in spite of all your challenges, and in spite of whatever negativity you see in your life right now!
You see, when you come from a place of love, you are free to focus on the important things, you are free to focus on solutions rather than being stuck on the problems in your life. Unlike being unhappy with your life, being loving toward yourself is empowering and lets you move forward. It lets you change your life.
This is because we all have the tendency to continue being whatever we are being right now. If you are being unhappy with your life right now, you will probably continue being unhappy with your life for the foreseeable future... unless you change your outlook and start showing up in your life with an attitude of love and gratitude.
Loving your life the way it is now, doesn't mean ignoring your problems, it means seeing them from a new perspective. Anything that you look at with love will look dramatically different than something you look at with discontent or unhappiness.
Try this out in your own life, and see if it doesn't make a big difference in the way you see things. Not only will you find it much easier to reach your goals when you are loving life, you will have a much clearer vision of exactly what you want your life to be like!
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