Most of us are partially contented with our lives the way they are, but it’s hard to think of anything else when there are so many other issues to be considered.
Still we should aspire for something better.
We are all attacked by problems. But it should not bother us or even slow us down to becoming all we should be. Our dreams as children should continue to stay with us, short-lived though they may be or as long as we could keep hold to the dream. The old saying that you can not teach an old dog new tricks does not apply.
#1 What is it that I really want?
This is the age-old question. All of us have so many things we want to do with our lives yet so little time to even get through the day. Finding one thing that you are especially good at will help make that first small step to improving yourself. Conscientiousness is how you will know it is worthwhile.
#2 Does it make sense to really change?
The current generation has taken another approach in defining “self”, at least that is what the youth are saying. If you are lucky enough to have teenage grandchildren or nieces or nephews, you will quickly find there are worse things they could have than acne or maybe loose morals. So how does that mesh with your lifestyle?
History has taught us one thing… it is the life that we have already experienced. If you used to party in the Seventies where dancing was a big part of the party scene at that time, watch the younger generation clap their hands after showing them how to “really” dance rather than risk breaking bones while break dancing.
#3 Is there a bright side to all of this?
With volumes of things happening around us there doesn’t seem to be any room to even think about the proverbial light at the tunnel’s end. We can look at it as being something positive without undertaking a detailed investigation. So if the light turns out to be a train at the end of the tunnel, try taking it for a ride and seeing what’s happening in this world!
#4 Am I totally comfortable with everything that I’m doing?
There are always two ways, the easy way or the right way, when it comes to how you decide what goes with your pants, dress, tie, purse, or whatever. You don’t need to be a genius to make yourself unique. It is not necessary nor desirable for us all be the same in everything we do. Variety brings about many exciting and interesting questions to be experimented with.
#5 Have I done everything I could for myself?
Well, have you, or are there more things you want to do? Being discontented in all aspects of your life can be dangerous in big doses, but in smaller doses you’ll be able to identify and do things you may never imagined doing.
#6 Does where I am today make me happy?
This is not a fair question so let’s let it be an answer. If you love being a loving mother, father or grandparent to the kids, then ratchet it up a notch! The children will remember and love you eternally. The same hold true with everyday life.
#7 Do I appeal to members of the opposite ***?
There is no easy answer to this. However, if you get into shape, change the way you dress, change the way you wear your hair, or especially change your attitude towards people, you should know it will always be to your benefit in the way the opposite *** perceives you.
#8 How much better can I be?
Truly, in this case one can not have too much or too little, but the focus should be on how badly it is really needed. Unquestionably, every one would like to have tons of money, but the real question is how much would you be willing to work for it?
#9 What things motivate me?
Do you know what motivates you? This is an answer you will have to find for yourself. Since there are a number of things that can make us all happy, the hardest part is to choose just one. The very best way is to simply try it piece by piece.
#10 What, in actuality, makes you tick?
OK, really, what makes you tick? We all can be just pretty much anything we always wanted to be, but to think that reaching something we want is very difficult is already giving up before the journey is even started. We should remember that self-improvement is not only about the philosophical or physical change you need to undergo, but it is also about something that you truly want.
By: Robert Markovsky
About the Author:
Read more on Ten Questions You Can Ask Yourself As A Preparation To Self-Improvement…
Filed under Improvement by on Sep 4th, 2010. 
It was long time back when I was still in my MBBS years. One of my friend was reading ‘7 Habits of Highly Successful People’. He was quite impressed with the book and recommended that to me.
“I do not need all this improvement stuff”, I replied, I am quite content with the way I am.”
As the time passed I could not help at introspection. Slowly my ego humbled and I found the flaws with myself. I was arrogant. I was poor at time management. I was hesitant to start a conversation. I never scheduled my goals. I was more emotional than practical.
I was always a good student. I was best in my school days. I was competitive. I did strive to do the best.But the very best was always determined by my surroundings. It is a different when you perform at local school level in a countryside school.But it is different when you compete at national level to enter into medical college.
I failed first time.
It was the first failure that I had encountered.
I did make it second time. I needed to study more. I did.
The MBBS is 5 and 1/2 years long course.The goal of pursuing postgraduation comes at the end of the course. Nothing stops one from early goal setting. But I said I was not that practical. Another failure. Another push. I was into my post graduation.
Post graduation was totally different game. You are a doctor who is student at the same time. You need to interact a lot with the patients, colleagues, seniors, staffs, technicians.Suddenly you find that you need to improve upon yourself.
I looked for directions and help. I observed the successful & effective clinicians. I observed good and not so good surgeons and their habits.I imbibed and learnt.
Of course everything can be learnt. You need only to stress that fact upon yourself.
I learnt a very important fact.
One needs to be open in order to improve.
It was a kind of irony. I was open to learn from the surroundings but I was not ready to accept that a self improvement book can help me. This kind of duality had always existed as I analysed myself retrospectively.I had always responded to my surroundings but always shut my eyes whenever I had a chance to look beyond. This needs to be resolved. This needs to solved.
Reluctantly I picked the book my friend recommended long time back. It was a good book.
It may sound ridiculous but as we grow up we start loving our weaknesses instead of mending them . We show our pride in them. Somehow we convince our minds that we are unique because of the qualities we possess. And when we say qualities we also mean our weaknesses.
But we hardly realize that.
How often have you heard these kind of statements-
I think with my heart.
I do not like to interact much. I am a kind of introvert . Who needs too much money.Why should I work more!
And so on
But somewhere in our minds each of us wants success. Each of us wants to get rich. Yet we keep on our denial because it does not match our personality we have created for ourselves. We want to achieve but we are not ready to follow the path success demands. I was blind as a goat when it comes to self improvement books.
I always believed nobody can teach you to become better. But at the same time I was learning from my available milieu. I was learning from somebody. Knowingly or unknowingly somebody was teaching me.
I was open to that idea but closed myself at the mention of the subject. Slowly I have killed that irrational pride. I am an open person now. One can learn from anywhere one wants. Same goes for self improvement stuff. Moreover it is not the stuff that teaches us. It is we who learn from that stuff.
The world of today demands a lot of interpersonal interaction. It is no more a place towered by eminence. The society today demands some basic qualities in order to achieve. Just one talent or quality cannot carry you for. You need to have a set of qualities.
Even if a reading can provoke single thought in our mind it is worth it.
By: Arun Pal Singh
About the Author:
Filed under Improvement by on Sep 4th, 2010.
For most of us self confidence can not really be explained. It is never easy to fully describe what it’s like to be confident. Self confidence is a state of being. It is a bit like being in love – you can’t really explain how you know you are, you just know. You also know that it is a state that you need to aquire if you ever want to succeed at anything worthwhile in life.
Self confidence begins with trust. It is trusting in your own abilities, strengths and attributes. It is the ability to take action and succeed. It is also the ability to take action and fail without allowing the failure to reflect badly on your own internal self of identity.
The true essence of self confidence lies in faith and belief. The belief in your own abilities. It is having a sense of self worth and feeling no less than anyone else. Self confidence means that no matter what happens you know that can deal with it. It is really having a sense of Self. Being aware that you are just fine as you are and being aware that those little imperfections that you do have are a part of who you are. They are part of the unique individual that makes you special.
So what leads to a lack of confidence?
Well, each of us have a self-protection mechanism built into us, and although this is much needed, it can cause untold damage in other areas of our lives. There is a self protection program that is hot-wired into the brain and energy system of every living thing. Its role is to protect us. It protects us from dangerous situations by accessing memories and reminding us of the previous discomfort!
Let me explain with an example. If you touch a hot coal you get burned and you know not to touch it again – your self-protection mechanism kicks in. If you encounter a red-hot coal in the future you keep your hands and body far enough away so you don’t feel the burning sensation and the pain associated with it. Your subconscious mind programs into your brain the fear of getting too close to hot coals. This memory, or just the fear and pain connected to it, is immediately evoked and sent to the conscious mind by the subconscious when it feels you are in danger of getting burnt. This mechanism, for self-preservation, has protected you from an infant. Unfortunately though, it also works against you in a lot of different ways.
Let’s look at one. For example at some previous point in your life you may have tried your hand at something that was completely new and alien to you. You tried and you failed! Perhaps your peers, family, parents friends or even complete strangers ridiculed you and laughed at your efforts. This may have embarrassed you and made you feel inadequate. Your subconscious mind stored and filed this information in exactly the same way a computer does and can access it in the same way. These are neural networks in the brain that fire in sequence and send electrical impulses to the body telling it to release certain chemicals (which produce emotional responses). A neural connection is made between the memory of the event and the emotion you felt at the time. When faced with a similar circumstance in the future you will have problems. The subconscious mind immediately activates the schema and the neural network begins to fire. Thus the subconscious mind replays the memory and the original emotions are evoked in order to protect you! This is done purely so that you do not feel belittled again.
For example, you may have tried to paint a picture. Your friends around you laughed and ridiculed your efforts. This caused you embarrassment and the feeling of being ostracized like the “odd man out”. You lacked the approval of your peers. Like a computer your subconscious filed this information away on your memory banks to be accessed at a later date when it thinks you need it. 20 years later you still have a desire to paint but won’t even go to a night class to learn because the thought of painting brings forth the emotions of disapproval, embarrassment and fear. The subconscious mind replays the emotions associated with the old memory even if you can’t recall the actual event ever having happened. You are actually getting a very clear message from your subconscious mind and it is telling you that if you try to paint again you feel all those terrible feelings. It reminds you by showing you the feelings again!”
Usually such emotional memories stem back to childhood from the time when you were most impressionable but not always. You can just as easily encounter such problems when you are an adult and the key to protecting yourself from such negative influences is to develop a better sense of yourself and build your confidence. This is at the very core of all personal development and self improvement techniques!
In reality you have no idea what the outcome will be when you start something new . As an adult, you should be able to try new things without the fear of what ridicule, or condemnation from others, would do to your confidence.
Self confidence is having the ability to feel the fear and do it anyway. In reality you have no idea what the outcome will be when you perform a task that is new to you. However, with increased self confidence you will be more expectant of a desirable result. Should you not have the outcome you desire you are then capable of looking at the situation realistically, determining what you need to learn and develop in order to succeed at it or at least be able to accept the fact that your are not suited to the activity without “freaking out” about it.
Many people believe that you are either born with confidence or you are not. The truth is we are all born confident! You demanded what you wanted and let everyone around you know it by wailing because you believed in your own self-worth and knew that you deserved it. You tried to walk several times while falling knowing that eventually you would get it. This is confidence. Unfortunately this kind of confidence is usually programmed out of us but it is your NATURAL sate. It’s time to get it back.
Firstly, you should be kind to yourself. Don’t expect perfection. Do you think Tiger Woods got a hole in one the first time he played golf? Although he may have been born with an innate ability at this sport chances are that the first time he played he was terrible at it!
The thing that builds your confidence is trying things that you haven’t done before. Try to do something that scares you. Those people who have self confidence are willing and often eager to try new challenges not becuase they are certain of success but becuase they have enough belief in themselves to give it a try. They refuse to give into their own fears. If there was no fear or uncertainty then there would only be knowing! Self confidence is not about being certain of an outcome it is about being uncertain but believing in yourself enough to have a go anyway.
The good news is that there are strategies and approaches you can learn to build your confidence level to a new all-time high. Once you learn these and begin to apply them you will feel better able to try new things and enter new situations. Then as you begin to succeed and realise that the world didn’t stop spinning because you faced your fear, you will gain more and more confidence.
The best advice I can give you is to use some of the excellent tools available for building up your self confidence and self esteem. Hypnosis and emotional releasing techniques can be invaluable. The personal development industry has a myriad of products and you should pick one that resonates with you. However, you have all the power within that you need to change yourself from the inside out. Make the decision now to face one fear a week and do it. You will build your self confidence to a level that you can not even now imagine.
By: Michael McGrath
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Filed under Improvement by on Sep 4th, 2010.
Practicing the art of acceptance in your interactions with others can help you to develop a peaceful mind-set. When you are in disagreement with others, your sense of frustration might come from your inability to change the situation or the person’s point of view.
Releasing your wish to control or change people or situations can be incredibly empowering, because you, then, realize that your inner peace does not depend on anything, but, your own state of being. When you release your inner struggles and focus on accepting what ‘IS,’ your frustration will melt away and inner peace with take its place.
Understanding that you can only change yourself, you can let go of your expectations about others and instead focus on yourself. Avoid being attached to anything, even your life. Your life is only that which runs through you – right now. In focusing on yourself you will see that you can shift your thoughts, thus, your feelings and your approach, which will change what, ‘IS.’
Although, you will be unable to avoid all conflict or tension completely, you could ease your frustration by gaining control of your emotions. When you step back and disengage from your emotions, you will be able to remain calm when interacting with others. You can also focus on projecting an attitude of acceptance for the people and situations you encounter. By letting go of your expectations – i.e. the way you think things need to be, you can allow circumstances and people to remain as they are and your stress level dissipates accordingly.
By: Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD
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Filed under Improvement by on Sep 4th, 2010.
The other day someone asked me what I considered to be the single most important tool for self improvement. Yikes! What a question. “I’ll have to get back to you on that,” I responded, knowing that I would need to wrestle with it for awhile before I could answer. I will work on it here and if you have any thoughts on it, I would love to hear them.
So what is the single most important tool to use when you are seriously committed to self improvement?
Is it meditation?
I consider meditation to be an absolute must when it comes to self improvement, but is it the only one you need? I don’t know. Meditation helps you get acquainted with the “inner you.” It helps calm your body and your mind, enhances your creativity and intuition and makes you more receptive to Divine guidance. I opens your subconscious mind and your spirit and allows the work to continue long after you finish meditating. There are many books written about the value of meditation and how to go about doing it. There are videos of guided meditations on YouTube so give it a shot so you can experience it first hand.
Is it Journaling?
Journaling allows you to express your thoughts, desires, pain, disappointments, likes and dislikes, etc. on paper. If done in a relaxed state where you simply allow the words to flow, it can tap into the riches of the subconscious mind. It allows you to express anything on your mind and have a record that shows you your progress. It enables you to see patterns and develop ideas. It is, indeed, an outstanding self improvement tool.
Awareness and Self Awareness?
Can there be any self improvement if you are not aware of who you are, what you want and need, and what changes are taking place? If you are not aware of your strengths and weaknesses, can you develop a plan for improvement? Being aware means you notice and understand what is taking place around you and self awareness means you notice and understand what is taking place within you. I seriously doubt if any progress can take place in the self improvement arena without awareness and self awareness. In fact, I doubt if you would even be on a self improvement path without awareness. But is it the most important? I really can’t say.
What About Positive Thinking?
For most people who are interested in self improvement, a key to lasting improvement is changing their thinking from negative to positive. If you gain insight into what makes you stressed, for example, and a major stressor is your job, then you may need to change your thinking about your job, your boss and/or your co-workers. Letting your mind dwell on how much you **** your job, how you dread going to work in the morning, how tired and stressed you’re going to be before the day is over, how your boss is a total dork and your co-workers are incompetent slobs will increase the stress level that you’re trying to relieve. If you can’t yet think of something positive about the job or the people, then think about something else in your life that makes you happy – your boyfriend if you’re single, or your husband and children, a walk in the park, sitting at the beach – or whatever it may be. In the meantime you might start looking for another job, but before you do, be sure it isn’t your negative reaction to the job and its people rather than the job and the people themselves. Make a point to get to know them better. You know the old adage about not judging until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.
These are big four when it comes to self improvement tools.
Which one is best? I still don’t know that answer. We are holistic and we are unique. What works for one person may not work for another. What works for you right now, may not be as effective next week.
What I do know, is that if you begin to employ each of the tools on a regular basis – if you
practice meditation journal your thoughts about the area of improvement you are working on work at becoming more aware of what’s going on around you and within you and work to change your thinking from negative to positive
you will begin to see some of the positive changes that you desire. If you have an opinion on one best tool, I would love to hear it.
By: Irene Conlan
About the Author:
http://www.theselfesteemblog.com
Read more on What is the One, Single Most Important Self Improvement Tool?…
Filed under Improvement by on Sep 4th, 2010.
Recently a woman said to me “I feel so withered”. I was puzzled as to what she meant by withered. She proceeded to recount that she felt that her life had become so predictable, repetitive, and rather dull. Both her job and her marriage were OK but neither was challenging or exciting. She added that she also felt withered because she had neglected her body. What upset her the most was that she used to be such a happy person with many interests and lots of energy.
I had heard similar expressions from other men and women in their second half of life. Although no one else had referred to what was happening as “withering away”. Yet the meaning was the same.
How do you recharge yourself? The key for making changes is to begin by thinking differently and by taking action.
1. Believe that you can make changes
By truly believing that change is possible throughout life we free ourselves up for growth. Just like plants need to be constantly nurtured to thrive so do people. If we don’t have new challenges from the outside or create new goals for ourselves on the inside we indeed begin to wither. It is a human need that we create our lives to be what we deep inside know we are capable of being.
2. Be in it for the long haul
We all are creatures of habit. When we do something over and over it becomes a habit. To change habits you have to consciously keep in mind what you want to change and begin with little steps. Lasting change takes persistence and after a while you will develop new habits.
3. Grow yourself throughout life
Do things as long as you enjoy them. When boredom sets on ask yourself what you need to to do to make the task or situation more interesting. For instance couples need to keep nurturing their relationship otherwise the relationship looses vibrancy and will be fueled primarily by the stresses of living. Likewise, there needs to be a chance to grow and be challenged at work because otherwise the mind becomes dulled. One of the characteristics of the second half of life is a renewed longing for life to have meaning and purpose. Value your inner voice because it is encouraging you to bring forth your authentic self.
4. Take action
The most important thing to do is to get started. For instance,if you want more energy for yourself review your eating habits. Are you eating things that fuel you or are you indulging in energy zappers? You can make a conscious decision to drink more water instead of sodas. It has to be conscious and specific. You can say to yourself ” I will drink one soda a day and substitute water all the other times”. That decision has to be followed daily and before you know it you will have developed a new healthier habit.
Look at life as a journey. You are the orchestrator of your journey. If you are on a path that doesn’t give you the satisfaction you desire then find a new path. Enjoy the process since it may take you in directions you have yet to imagine.
By: Kristina Von Rosenvinge
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Read more on Self-Improvement – How to Keep Yourself From Withering…
Filed under Improvement by on Sep 3rd, 2010.
When rethinking this article and searching the web I found a book that was already published in 2003: the self-help paradox (1).
I read the review and decided to write this article after all. The book is about the overflow of self-help support that is available in the marketplace. Basically as I understand it, the premise of the book is that certain books will tell you left, where others will tell you right; one example is: “am I at peace or just lazy?” Now how would you solve this dilemma for “yourself?”
Another way to look at the self-help paradox I had in mind is that with the decision to enter the self-help arena you start to become dependent of what you read. Or put differently: you accept that you need help when you are surfing around the self-help titles.
In my opinion the paradox lies in the fact that the only way to prevent this is not to enter the self-help section at all. So it is not I’m lazy or at ease, but I don’t bother what or how you (others) call what I might be or not be.
Before freud there was no such thing as psycho-analysis. Now there is and there are much more solutions in solving psychological problems. Of course, not all self-help is of the same level or similar domain of psychology, but many books have that focus.
There are many self-help books on nearly any subject or niche. And in the article market it is one of the most heavy segments, both in number of post as in number of reads.
But even if you want to help-yourself, there comes a time to “have had it,” where you leave the self-help behind you. The moment you start reading the self-help section (like this article) you are not able to spend time on other activities.
(1) - http://www.amazon.com/Self-Help-Paradox-David-Alan-Brown/dp/0972217428
Hans Bool
By: Hans Bool
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Filed under Improvement by on Sep 3rd, 2010.
For those who have been through it, they will tell you that self improvement is a journey. It all depends on where one is starting from. The most important thing however is getting that first step out of the way.
Self improvement comes with the fulfillment that comes from understanding oneself. It is through this understanding that you get to know your place in the universe and your role here. You get to understand that not everything has to be a struggle; you can be successful, rich and happy and fulfil your mission.
As I have studied self improvement over the years, I have picked out 7 self improvement tips that are a must for you to implement so that you can see yourself started on the journey of personal growth. I am going to share them with you in this article.
Daily Journaling
Have you ever wondered how come the world today knows so much about past great achievers? True, people took time out to study them, but a lot of the stories and details that we know about them could only have come from themselves. They are a translation of their thoughts on to paper. They kept journals and recorded their observations and their feelings. For you, a journal is more than a map of your journey. It helps to clarify thought, to think more clearly and to actually see where your thinking may not be so good. You then want to improve. When you record something it becomes more than a fleeting thought. Tomorrow, you will look back and see how you felt, and you will compare with how you feel or think today and you can go ahead and make adjustments.
Meditation
This is the one that is most ignored by most people, but it also happens to be the most important of the 7 self improvement tips. Meditation is the best and most effective way of reducing stress and clearing out your system. You get rid of junk thoughts and best of all, you leave room in there for clean, clear thinking. It also has direct health benefits; you will slow down your heart beat and improve digestion just by meditating for a few minutes each day. You’ll sleep better and heal faster. Basically, mediation is the pillar of the 7 self improvement tips – it’s the one that makes all the others effective.
Expecting to Win
Of the 7 self improvement tips, this one is the hardest to explain because some people just don’t seem to hear it. You need to change your thinking so that you tune yourself to expecting positive results. What is success other than what you think about? How can you get rich and be happy if every outcome you expect is negative? Some people are quick to argue this point, but what they don’t realize is that together with their positive thoughts are a lot of negative thoughts that affect outcomes.
Expectations are not about outcomes. They are about bold, right action and knowing that the results will be in your favour no matter what they will be.
Writing Goals and Plans of Action
A written goal is like a map. Let me challenge you right now to write down a small goal, something that’s inconsequential and to who’s outcome you’re not attached and stick it where you can see it every day. The moment you see your goal, you see plans of action about it start to form. You find yourself spurred into action to do the right thing. Go back after 30 days and see how far along your written goal you’ve come. Did it help to write it?
I will challenge you that every time you feel in a rut and like things aren’t working out for you, pull out your goal book and start by ticking off how many of the last lot you have achieved and then adding on new ones. You always come out with a clearer mind.
Be well Rounded
All areas of your life contribute to your self improvement. Your relationships, your health, your finances, will all affect any kind of personal growth you try to achieve if they are out of balance. Just one of them going bad can lead to all of them going bad. As you seek to start on personal development, work on all areas. – work on maintaining physical stamina, emotional fortitude, financial security and a good social support system to achieve personal growth.
Positive Affirmations
This has the power to change your inner dialogue, and it’s a powerful tool considering that much of the discontent in our lives is brought about by inner dialogue. What do you say to yourself? Start to write down an affirmation a day on all key areas of your life and rehearse it aloud twice daily. You are teaching you subconscious positive dialogue.
Teach to Learn
Of the 7 self improvement tips, this one is the one that will help you master self improvement the most. You learn something better when you teach it. As you teach, your inner mind opens so that you can be able to digest and transmit information. Whatever you were trying to teach will be sitting there in your mind forever. Teaching is also a way of holding yourself accountable – there are certain standards expected of teachers so that students can follow in their steps. If you have no one to teach, write!
To successful self improvement!
By: Vik Sharma
About the Author:
Read more on 7 Self Improvement Tips That Can Make A Difference…
Filed under Improvement by on Sep 3rd, 2010.
The self improvement industry is over a billion dollar a year business as there are a countless number of different books and seminars to help you on this subject. These tools are made to offer you the best solutions to the trying times that come up in life.
So what are some things that a person could do to help improve their lives.
These programs are made for situations in which you have a lot of things on your mind and simply want to have the easy way to deal with them. Such programs show you the ways on how to be in the healthy line if mental life. They can be an accelerated transformative practice which the professionals can easily impose on your schedule. It can last for a year or longer, depending upon the program administrator.
Many of these programs are made to not only improve your metal life but also you physical life as well. They may help you to maximize your energy, maintain good health, loose weight and even develop more fulfilling relationships. Many times if you will improve your physical life, your mental life will take care of itself.
One thing to keep in mind when starting any self help program. There is nothing that we can not achieve if we only put our mind to it. Now I’m sure that you have heard that saying before but it is true. The fact that if you will just believe that something is possible, then it is. You just have to put in a little work to get to where you want to go.
By: Mary L. Thompson
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Filed under Improvement by on Sep 3rd, 2010.
The New Year is here, and everyone is rushing to make their resolutions. Are you among them? Self improvement is often a favorite resolution, and rightfully so. To that end, here are seven self improvement tips to help you start the New Year with a bang.
1. Keep your self talk positive. Make it a resolution to do away with negative self-talk this year. No more “I can’t” and more “I can”. Positive self talks automatically programs you to head in the direction of success.
2. Stay dressed for success too. A new haircut or a fresh shave and decent looking clothes will create a positive and energetic air around you. This works even on those days you aren’t feeling at your best.
3. Stand straight and tall. If you’re going to think positive and dress positive, stand up like you mean it. Sloppy posture is a sign of weakness. Keep that back straight on your path to success this year.
4. Set specific goals. Instead of “I want to lose weight this year”, you should write down “I want to loose 10 pounds in the next 2 months.” The mind can help your body reach specific goals much more effeciently than vague suggestions.
5. Post your plans. Keep your plans and specific goals written and posted where you can see them every day. Take time to read and review them on a regular basis. Cross off those goals you reach and those plans that have succeeded. Keep reviewing and adding to your list so you will continue moving forward.
6. Share your goals. If you are married or in a relationship, make sure to share your goals and plans for this year with your partner. Mutual support and understanding can not only help your reach your destination faster, but it can also add a extra level of trust and intimacy to your relationship.
7. Take time to enjoy the fruits of your effort. Find a way to celebrate when you have reached any of the self improvement goals you have set out for the new year. Reward adds more value to your efforts and increases your motivation to continue.
By: James Allen
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Filed under Improvement by on Sep 3rd, 2010.