Self Improvement Article

In order to succeed in life there has to be a purpose to your life and you have to find purpose in everything that you do. If there isn’t purpose behind everything that do then why would you do it, if you become down in wondering why or how or if you are going in the right direction in life then maybe its time you stopped and looked at what it is you really wish to achieve out of life.

There are three main parts to your life’s purpose and by thinking about each of these parts you can determine if changes need to be made and what changes need to be made if any, life’s three main purposes are what motivates you, your principles and targets. If you can bring all these together then you truly know your life’s purpose.

Sit down and think long and deep about your life and what it is you want out of it, write down the activities that you do I your daily life and which you get the most enjoyment from. These of course should be linked to what you are hoping to achieve or get out of life. They should be all the things which motivate you in life and which help to get you towards where you want to be in life. When you have made your list, study it and reorganize it from the most important to the least.

When it comes to principles think about the ideals that you have what it is you believe in strongly. Sit down and think about this, write down as many as you can think of. When you have your list take another look at it and pick out one single principle, this principle will become your guiding principle.

Your life’s purpose obviously involves you reaching targets, what you want out of life and what you are aiming towards. These can be in your career or in your life; all areas of your life have purpose in whatever you do regardless of if they be work or your personal life. Your targets should have been clearly outlined in goals that you set out for yourself. These are what you are reaching towards in the future. Your goals should be divided into short-term goals, mid term and long-term goals. They should be reachable in a specified amount of time and you should also set yourself some targets which you will have to really push yourself to reach, this will give you the will to succeed and to push yourself that little bit further.

Once you have got all these together then your purpose in life shouldn’t be too hard to see, you will have gained the first steps needed to become enlightened. You should take everything you gain for this and use it to your advantage, it is extremely practical and valuable knowledge in your quest through life and what it is you want to get out of life.

Gain more time in a day? Sounds like an impossibility, right? Yes and no. There are definitely tricks and strategies to getting more out of each and every day.

Here’s how:

#1 Organize! Time searching for things is wasted time. Utilize task lists, time tracking software and calendars, however only utilize them to the point they’re saving you time by keeping you organized. If it takes you three hours to set up your day on a software program that’s 2 hours and 55 minutes wasted.

#2 Multi task when appropriate. Have phone calls to make and chores to do? Grab a headset, clip the phone at your waste and get busy. Clients and business prospects probably don’t want to hear dishes being loaded into your dishwasher but your sister probably won’t mind.

#3 Watch less TV. Spend 22 to 28 hours per week viewing television-> By the age of 70 you will have spent 7 to 10 years of their lives watching TV.
– The Kaiser Family Foundation. Imagine what you could do with those 22 hours! That’s another complete day.

#4 Spend less time aimlessly browsing the internet. Like television, the internet absorbs many hours. Set aside specific internet browsing time – if you need to shop online then shop online, if you need to read email set aside time each day to read email, if you need to learn or participate in social marketing set time aside to take care of it.

#5 Ask for help. Yes, partners, spouses and children can only do so much however they can help. Make Sunday afternoons make-ahead day and create and freeze five meals for the week. Have children help and make it a family activity. Now, rather than spending 30 minutes at the drive through or an hour making dinner, all you have to do is pull it out of the freezer and pop it in the oven. Voila – time saved and healthy home made food on the table.

#6 Wake up 30 minutes earlier every day – or if you’re a night owl go to bed 30 minutes later. Use that extra 30 minutes to plan your day and get organized.

#7 Prioritize tasks and focus on them. Yes, earlier multi tasking was mentioned as a way to save time however many tasks are accomplished much more quickly and efficiently when you can focus on them independently. Walking the dog and calling your mother who you haven’t talked to in a month is certainly two tasks which can be combined however paying bills, writing that report, or reading an important document for your presentation tomorrow are best accomplished with focused attention.

#8 Simplify. Taking clothes to the dry cleaner saves time ironing. Running around your neighborhood saves time driving to the local gym. Instead of making pancakes or waffles every morning, make them for the week and pop them in the freezer or substitute cereal once in a while. Set your coffee pot to brew right when you wake up rather than waiting in line at your local coffee shop. Small steps to simplify your life not only save time – they are often less expensive. Go to the grocery store with a recipes and a list – this will mean you don’t have to run to the grocery every day to pick up dinner and planning and shopping for meals often means healthier dinners and a less expensive grocery bill.

#9 Do fewer chores. Seriously. The house doesn’t need to be spotless. A good routine and some simple organization will reduce clutter. Set time aside, recruit help, and clean once a week. The day to day stuff can be minimized with organization. If possible – let it go and simply hire a maid.

#10 Create wind down time or personal time. Too much scheduling and work often results in procrastinating and a lack of interest in the task at hand. Don’t forget to have fun. Schedule days off or time off so you can relax and simply enjoy the things you like to do. It’ll make the time you need to spend working much more efficient.

Now you have all this extra free time, what are you going to do with it? The options are endless. Enjoy more time with your family, devote more time to your favorite hobby or pastime, or the inevitable…fill it up with more tasks.

Motivational quotes are everywhere. They can be found on posters hanging on the walls of busy offices and educational institutions, on the Internet, and in books. Those seeking motivation and those seeking ways to keep others motivated often turn to them for the help they need.

Motivational quotes are more than just a passing fad. A good motivational quote can give us the reinforcement we need to keep going. It helps us remember that others have been where we are and persevered. And it helps us combat negativity.

Why Are Motivational Quotes So Powerful?

Negativity can be detrimental to our efforts. Sometimes it seems that negativity is coming at us from every direction, including negative thoughts in our own minds and negativity from others. A favorite motivational quote can help us replace those negative thoughts with positive ones.

A good motivational quote will stick in your mind to help you get through the rough times. But it may be helpful to post it in a conspicuous place, such as on your computer monitor or office wall, as well. This will help ensure that it is there when you need it the most.

Where Can I Find a Good Motivational Quote?

There are a number of places where you can find motivational quotes. There are entire books dedicated to them, such as Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations. There are also many websites that index quotations by subject, application, and author. You may also find a quote that you like in a motivational book, video, or CD.

Many stores and websites sell items featuring motivational quotes. Posters are one of the most popular. But you might also be able to find a great quote on a t-shirt, coffee mug, mousepad, or other item.

Using Quotes to Motivate Others

Just as negativity can be contagious, so can positivity. Sharing motivational quotes with others can help them be more productive and improve morale. If you have employees, they could benefit from the same quotes that help keep you going.

The aforementioned motivational posters are a great way to share favorite quotes. At company luncheons, you could hand out motivational fortune cookies. And coffee mugs or shirts with motivational sayings make great holiday gifts.

If you work with others via the Internet, there are still ways to spread the motivation. You might send daily or weekly emails with motivational quotes. If you have an employee website, you could add motivational quotes to frequently accessed pages.

Motivational quotes are a great way to improve our outlook. Finding one that works for you and posting it where you’ll see it when you need it the most only takes up a small amount of time, and it could help you get through rough spots for a long time to come.

As an Internet marketer, managing your time is a critical task. This is especially true for those that are working part time at home.

We as an Internet marketing business owner, it is always very easy to get distracted while performing our business online. We are always doing the necessary researching, networking and other online tasks online. Have you ask yourself how much times is wasted for those unnecessary tasks? You might just wonder how anyone can gets anything done.

The following are few basic tips to keep in mind when you sit down to your computer every day.

1. Create To-Do Lists and Stay Focused
You have to keep telling yourself that there are things you have to do today that will make your business more profitable. Make a list of the things that you MUST get done on that day. Create signs, cues, pictures, sing songs, whatever it takes to keep you focused. Get work your way down the list until you finish.

2. Have a break when you are distracted or tired
If you are feeling tired or there’s something you are working on that you just get distracted, you can choose to stop and move on to another task for a little while. If not have a little rest and then come back later when you feel more fresh and focused.

3. Break Things Down
If you are working on big task that needs to be done, it may seem overwhelming. You might feel that you are getting nowhere. Think about it, have you ever keep transferring the same task from one day’s to-do-list to the next. Try to break down bigger tasks into smaller ones. This way, you can easily be marked off your list so that even at a glance it seems like you’ve accomplished something.

4. Measure the time for each task you spent
Keep track of time spent for each individual task. This is useful for future planning for similar tasks

You have to keep in mind that you will never be able to build your online business overnight. So while keeping focus with your tasks do not become too overwhelmed and overworked. Take your time and cut yourself some slack if you don’t get everything accomplished as quickly as you had hoped in the beginning.

Most people do nothing with the information they learn so they do not succeed with it.

DON’T be like them. When you read something, implement it!

You don’t have to implement everything you read, but you should make a habit of picking up the things you need to do or want to do and start a “To Do” list.

Here’s what you can do every day:

• Write down new items that need to be done
• Mark the items that are CRITICAL with an “A” next to them
• Items that are less critical are marked with an appropriate “B”, “C” or even “D” depending on their importance
• Items completed are checked off my list
• Each night before going to sleep re-write the list of items that are not yet completed for the next day and re-evaluate which are more critical than others at that time

This way, you will always have a running list of the most important and profitable activities that need to be done each and every day.

IT WORKS. TRY IT.
GET MORE DONE = MAKE MORE MONEY.

There are many memory techniques that can help you boost your memory retention and become more efficient at using your brain though using and practicing memory techniques. The study of Mnemonics is a way for you to learn techniques to enhance your memory of information that could be hard to recall. Some of the earliest things that we learn as children are based on Mnemonics. For instance the sing-song way that we are taught the ABC’s is a way to help us remember the song, and therefore remember the alphabet.

Mnemonic memory techniques are designed to make difficult information easy to remember. There are so many ways that memories are triggered, a song, a smell even a particular color can trigger memories. These memories are easy to remember because there are other stimuli working in the memory, rather than just the facts. For instance you may not remember the exact date that you last smelled your grandmother’s cooking, but you can certainly remember where you were, what it smelled and tasted like and what type of a mood you were in.

Today there are many things that we have to remember that may not have as many stimuli floating around. Passwords to ATM accounts, emails, computers, garage door openers, security alarms, the list can go on forever. So instead of just mindlessly trying to memorize these numbers, try grouping them or associating them with other things that may make it easier for you to recall. This type of memorization is a Mnemonic memory technique.

There are three main ways to use mnemonics. Imagination, Association and Location. These are the fundamental principles needed to properly execute mnemonics and build a better memory. Imagination is when you create something in your head. It doesn’t have to be true, but it does have to work to trigger a memory. Association is the process of linking different things together in your mind so that you can remember them. For instance, if Gary is wearing a green shirt, an easy way to remember Gary’s name is “g” for green, “g” for Gary. The third main method of practicing mnemonics is through location placement in your brain. An example of this could be the way your thoughts are already stored into the vaults of your brain. Your college memories are associated with the campus of the school you attended and that is where you memories of all of the people you knew from there get stored too. While your high school memories may be associated with a different place, like the cool halls of your high school building and all of the people you associated with then get stored there.

Using these memory techniques can help you develop your mind into a memory powerhouse. You’ll feel on top of your game and ready for anything once you get a handle on these techniques. Try them today and see how they work!

By learning positive thinking techniques and putting them into practice throughout every aspect of your life you can achieve many internal and external benefits.

The internal benefits that come from positive thinking are:

a positive attitude,
belief in alternative possibilities,
creative thinking,
better problem solving skills,
confidence,
focus,
determination,
satisfaction and,
feelings of achievement

Positive thinking leads to a positive attitude …simply because thinking about the positive traits and aspects of your life causes your brain to operate in a “feel good” state. By constantly thinking positive thoughts, your brain is trained to look on the bright side of every situation, which in turn causes you to feel satisfied with your current position in life.

Positive thinking also leads to a positive attitude because it keeps your mind busy. If your mind is busy concentrating on positive thoughts, it is extremely difficult for it to dwell on negative thoughts at the same time.

Positive thinking also leads to a belief in alternative possibilities.

When faced with what seems at first glance to be a no-win situation, positive thinkers have the natural ability to look outside of the facts for off beat or less conventional solutions.

This ability to look past the obvious facts opens more doors and possible outcomes for both personal situations and professional ones.

For example, a person who utilizes positive thinking skills has a better chance of overcoming a stressful situation like being fired from their job, than a person who possesses little or no positive thinking skills. A positive thinker will use their skills to broaden their new job search and ultimately find better employment in less time.

Since positive thinking makes the ability to believe in alternative possibilities a reality, it also leads to more creative thinking when faced everyday setbacks.

By believing that the solution may not be obvious, positive thinkers are more prone to draw their ideas from unusual sources.

Positive thinkers also express more creative thinking throughout everyday life. Self-proclaimed positive thinkers are responsible for a large amount of the inventions, discoveries and innovations that we enjoy today.

Since positive thinking promotes more creative thinking, it also promotes better problem solving skills.

When positive thinkers are faced with a particularly stubborn situation they not only use their skills to envision an increased number of solutions, but they also use their belief in the affirmative to continue on until they have found a resolution.

As we learned from the previous examples, people who are faced with problems or failure are usually too quick to give up. However, by using positive thinking problem solving skills both Maria and Bill were able to tackle their problems head-on and seek out desirable outcomes.

Through the previous benefits, positive thinkers are awarded a boost of confidence.

By utilizing the skills of positive thinking, you will begin to experience an increased belief in yourself and your abilities. After experiencing success after success with positive thinking, your brain will become trained to see each situation as a simple challenge instead of as a barrier that blocks your success.

As you develop your positive thinking skills, this new belief in yourself will lead to greater focus and determination. By simply believing that you will find a suitable solution you will gain the motivation necessary to stay on task until that desirable outcome is achieved. Plus, a can-do attitude will help center your concentration enabling you to stay focused on the positive aspects of the situation until the problem is resolved.

Once you have used your skills of positive thinking to overcome a situation you will be rewarded with feelings of satisfaction and achievement. You will feel satisfied with yourself and the situation due to the pride that comes from a job well done. The feelings of achievement will come from your knowledge that you personally were responsible for believing in and working toward the final outcome.

The external benefits that come from adopting a manner of positive thinking are:

having more positive relationships,
higher trust levels from your customers,
increased sales,
increased success,
higher employee output,
quicker conflict resolution, and
increased opportunities

These external benefits are, in part, due to the internal traits you now possess. For example, your new positive thinking skills will help you believe in and strengthen your personal relationships.

The bottom line is:

When you feel good about something those feelings rub off on those around you causing them to also feel good about the situation at hand. When others are influenced to feel good around you they subconsciously seek your company.

What Is Positive Thinking? … we hear a lot about it, but what is it exactly?

Before putting the powers of positive thinking to work in your personal and professional life, you must first understand exactly what positive thinking is.

By definition, the word ‘positive’ means dealing with matters of fact; expressed clearly, or in a confident or peremptory manner.

However, in the concept of positive thinking, the word positive is meant to signify a manner of thinking: a manner that puts emphasis on processing thoughts in a more desirable, upbeat way.

Positive thinking can be described as the practice of embracing the affirmative in our thoughts, our feelings, our actions, our reactions and our speech.

Positive thinking can also be described as a type of attitude. Happy, optimistic people are usually described as having positive attitudes and expressing positive thoughts. People who consistently “look on the bright side” are utilizing positive thinking.

Most importantly, positive thinking can be described as a skill that can be acquired by anyone. By learning the process of positive thinking, you can more easily reach your goals, whether they are personal goals or professional ones.

So, now you know how to describe positive thinking, but what is it?

Positive thinking is the act of reviewing thought processes and personal actions for areas that need improvement and for areas with negative implications, and then using the appropriate tools to change those thoughts or actions in a positive, goal-oriented way.

How does positive thinking work?

Positive thinking begins with a conscious desire to pay attention to and recognize the affirmative in any given situation.

Once the affirmative, or positive trait, of a situation or thought can be recognized, then the process of positive thinking can be utilized. In essence, the ability to pinpoint and utilize the positive in your thoughts and actions enables you to better reach your goals, realize your dreams and make a positive impact on all of your endeavors.

The actual process of positive thinking works to bring about desired outcomes in both our personal life and our professional life in a variety of ways.

By acting in a positive way we naturally draw positive people to ourselves. By believing in positive outcomes we more readily accept them as fact and open ourselves to their reality.

By thinking positive thoughts we are better able to see alternate, more advantageous routes to take. By truly accepting a positive way of thinking we are better able to see the path to success and better able to use our know-how to get there.

The basic mechanics of positive thinking are simple. This simple process involves consciously searching for the affirmative in any situation, recognizing the benefits of each positive trait and then employing a can-do attitude to follow through on these positive thoughts.

In order to better understand how positive thinking can work, look at the following examples.

Example #1: Maria is a medical assistant who has put in over seven years of service at her place of employment. Last month, Maria applied for a supervisory position within her company; however, she did not receive the promotion.

In order to incorporate positive thinking into this situation Maria did three things. First, she searched for the affirmative. Maria discussed the outcome with her supervisors and found that she didn’t posses a particular computer skill that they thought crucial to the position. Maria decided to look at this as a positive reason to secure new training instead of as a reason to become down on herself and her abilities to grow within the company.

Next, Maria sat down and made a list of all the positive outcomes that could be associated with pursuing computer training. Her list included possible jobs outside of her company that she could qualify for, possible jobs inside her company that she could apply for, ways that her news computer skills could enhance her current position and ways that new computer skills could benefit her personal life.

Then, Maria used the excitement and momentum created by the possibilities on her list to quickly enroll in a computer class and learn all she could from it. Six months later, Maria applied for and received a promotion within her company.

Example #2: Bill has been carving wood as a hobby for over twelve years. Recently, Bill decided to write a short, informational guide to woodcarving and sell it on the internet as a source of extra income. Bill used his savings to have the guide professionally written, to have a web site designed and to buy some banner advertising for his new site. Although Bill had a fair number of visitors to his site his guide was not selling. After one month Bill decided his idea was hopeless and was ready to give up. His wife, however, believed wholeheartedly in the guide and wasn’t ready to see Bill quit. After convincing Bill to try it her way, they sat down and made a list.

First, Bill and his wife made a list of all the good points of the guide. After looking at the results of Bill’s initial research they both decided that the guide was a good source of basic information for people who were new to woodcarving. Realizing this, Bill decided to focus his selling techniques on beginning woodcarvers.

Next, Bill and his wife looked for markets that catered to woodcarving beginners. Instead of deciding that the web site wasn’t working and calling it quits, Bill decided to look for fresh and innovative ways to market his guide. During this search Bill happened upon a web site that specialized in woodcarving tool kits for beginners. Upon seeing the site, Bill’s positive thinking wife knew two things. One, that there was a market for Bill’s guide and two, that with a little creativity, the tool site’s customers could become their customers.

Excited by the possibilities, Bill’s wife contacted the owners of the tool site and struck an agreement. In exchange for providing a link to the woodcarving tool web site, that site provided a link for buying Bill’s guide. Within a few weeks, Bill’s sales increased dramatically. Buoyed by confidence, Bill began contacting other markets and increasing his affiliations and referrals.

As you can see from the two examples, positive thinking can work when you remember to follow the basics. In both cases the individuals decided to search for something positive in an otherwise negative situation. Maria decided to search for a positive reason when she didn’t receive the promotion instead of just assuming she wasn’t good enough or lucky enough to get it. Bill’s wife decided to search for a positive trait in the guide instead of dismissing it as unwanted in the woodcarving field.

Then, both individuals worked to realize the benefits of the positive traits in their situations. Maria decided that although a computer-training course could not help her get the promotion that she had missed, it could benefit her life in numerous other ways. Bill and his wife decided to market the guide to a different group of people in order to increase sales.

Finally, both Maria and Bill used the power of positive thinking to follow through on their goals. By focusing on the positive benefits of their endeavors, both individuals were able to harness the confidence necessary to continue working towards their desired outcomes.

One of the areas that I have an interest in are the personal traits that lead to success.

I mean, why do some people become successful and others don’t?

Why do some automatically ‘get it’ while others go on for years trying everything and never having any real success?

What ‘breakthrough’ is needed to plunge you past failure and into success?

I never really liked ‘positive thinking’ at all… in fact, my biggest success came when my back was to the wall and it was “do” or “die”… it had NOTHING to do with ‘positive thinking’ and EVERYTHING to do with “DO or DIE” thinking.

That’s been my catalyst… even when I seemingly have all the success I need there’s something inside me that says, “Hey, it could be all gone tomorrow, so you better hustle your butt and add value to what you’re doing, make more sales and offer your products to more people than ever before…”.

There are four types of thinking, in my opinion, that will get in the way of your success:

—-Comfy Food Thinking: —-”Comfort Foods” are all the rage… why? Because they make you feel comfortable. But that kind of ‘thinking can be very bad for your business.

Not being able to move toward your goals because you’re ‘comfortable’ with what you already have… being ‘comfortable’ with your present situation is like signing your death certificate. You’ll never succeed if your too comfortable in your present situation.

—-’No Fear’ Factor Thinking: —-Fear is a great motivator- knowing that you could be broke and destitute if you lost your job or your business stopped working should be enough motivation to keep you going for a long time but most people do not USE their fear… they think they have to ‘think positive’ and ‘everything will be ok’ - Bull.

You need to be afraid, very afraid and USE it to your advantage

—–Amber Casing Thinking: —-The crap that gets built up in your brain over the years- stuff you think is true is really not true and not being able to see clearly enough to know what’s the RIGHT thing to do at any one time will stop you cold. You need to THINK for yourself and stop letting others do your thinking for you.

How many ORIGINAL thoughts have you had this week? I mean REALLY ORIGINAL…?

—-Distraction Disease Thinking: —-The world, your life, moves fast… we do everything fast… go to work, take kids to the ball game, fix dinner, go to the movies, watch TV show (you’re fav), eat, walk…

We need to do these things BUT… they can be simply distractions… constant distractions to being able to focus on what you want. Take 15-30 mins a day (I take 1-2 hours) to FOCUS on what YOU want and HOW to get it…

FOCUS on what you should do NEXT to get to your goal…

FOCUS on easy-to-do STEPS that’ll give you what you want.

Most people have Distraction Disease and their brains are fried from too much external stimulus.

You need to learn how to:

1) STOP,
2) THINK (really think, not just ‘pretend’ to think) and
3) PLAN.

Then COMMIT yourself to a course of ACTION!

Something to THINK about

“I think it’s time to get off the Internet, there’s NO money to be made here anymore.”

“It’s dried-up and dead.”

“All the guru’s are liars.”

“None of their techniques work, and worse than that, I’ve spent so much money on this damn Internet junk that my wife is about to divorce me and take the kids with her.”

“My kids never see me because I’m on the computer night and day, before after and during work and it’s giving me migrains.”

I’ve had it, I’m fed up and I’m giving up.”

**************************************

Is that what you’re thinking?

Well, if you are you are right and you are wrong.

You’re right if you think you’re ‘right’.

You see, most people get what they want in life based on how they THINK.

THINK about OPPORTUNITY and you GET opportunities handed to you.

THINK that you are defeated, and guess what?

You are.

One of the ways I have trained my mind to watch out for opportunities (and stop all the negative crap that runs through my mind) is by repeating the word “find” silently to myself.

Sometimes I say it out loud (when I’m alone, of course so people don’t think I’m a little crazy

I still can’t believe that repeating a simple word WORKS.

But, it REALLY does! I discovered this technique by reading a book all about “switch words“.

There are words you can repeat that give you happiness, peace, confidence and more money - just about anything
you want!

It’s really incredible.

Obviously there are forces at work in the Universe that we don’t understand, or it’s just a way to FOCUS yourself on a positive GOAL.

I don’t know. All I know is it works.

Switch words were first discoverer by a researcher - James Mangan.
James Mangan published his book about Switchwords by the name of “The Secret of Perfect Living“. It is already out of print and is published about 40 year backs.