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7 tips for first-time job seekers

7 tips for first-time job seekers

Whether you are a college graduate or are about to be, chances are you've heard "dress for success," "sharpen your skills"...

7 tips for first-time job seekers
Motivational business speaker for your business needs

Motivational business speaker for your business needs

For employees to perform at their best capabilities they need to be motivated time and again...

Motivational business speaker for your business needs
Tips for protecting yourself during unemployment

Tips for protecting yourself during unemployment

The U.S. Department of Labor reported 372,000 applications for unemployment benefits at the end...

Tips for protecting yourself during unemployment
Turning your home into a castle

Turning your home into a castle

It can be easy to get confused and bogged down when it becomes time to redecorate your home. It doesn't, however, have to be that tricky...

Turning your home into a castle
Showing posts with label self improvement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label self improvement. Show all posts

Friday, 27 June 2014

7 tips you can kick start your career with a fine social media strategy

If you happen to be a victim of professional dissatisfaction, do not feel bad. Instead, you should improve your shortcomings or weaknesses to ensure and achieve success. We all encounter certain problems when we feel that everything has been suddenly decelerated. It could happen to anyone!

However, you still have hope and you can turn things in your favor by being actively visible on social media. You may develop a social media strategy to kick-start your stuck career and get back on the track of career success.  A social media strategy can give a boost to your career and help you climb the career ladder in no time.

1. Social Networking.

In today’s socially reachable job market, it takes only little efforts for employers to find a candidate. Invest your time building valuable professional contacts that match with your career profile.  The professional value that Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn holds for a candidate means just more than making new friends. These websites provide an extensive platform where professionals can interact, share and network with industry experts. Therefore, develop a professional network so that you may get insights into your industry from experts and do things the right way.

2. Join LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is currently the largest website that hosts professionals around the globe. An account on LinkedIn can present your profile in front of hundreds of employers. Additionally, you can join various professional networking groups and communities who can further help you reach your target audience. So, if you are missing out on a LinkedIn profile, you are losing out substantial exposure that could give you the right boost

3. Be A Committed User.

Your presence on social media sites will yield results only when you actively engage in social activities. By interacting with your audience on daily basis, you can build a strong relationship that would benefit you in future. Moreover, by actively engaging with your social audience, you will be cementing a bond that will reap fruitful results for your career.

4. Present Yourself.

Never just showcase your skills or talents but sell them like a brand. Create an impression by pitching your image like a true professional. No employer would be interested in you if you put a clichéd headline or a late-night-beach-party photo on your LinkedIn profile. Think like an employer and then tweak your profile in a way that it can impress even you.

5. Create A Inspiring Online Profile.

Your online presence counts the most when you are a fresh graduate and planning for a lucrative career. Without an inspiring profile, you cannot convince any employer to give your resume or you any thought. Remember, only an attractive profile exposes you to the world of prospective employer who might show interest in considering you as a potential candidate. Therefore, always keep your profile 100% complete and mention each and every achievement in it that you’ve made during your past tenure at a workplace. Mention even those achievements that you’ve made during your academic life like written a well-received UK assignment received a gold medal in an inter-university debate competition, etc.

6. Follow Fan Pages.

These days, almost every company has fan pages on popular social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus. By following the activities of your favorite employers, you can get a chance to highlight your talent and become visible on their social sphere. This will help you showcase your profile to your prospective employers and help you get their attention.

7. Connect With An Employer.

As a stranger, you might feel a certain level of aloofness while approaching to an employer but when you use a social platform it is not the case anymore. However, you will need good reasons to convince your connection to accept your invitation. Ask him to join you on a forum like LinkedIn.

Vanessa Collister is an academic writer, blogger and a diehard fan of jazz. She loves to share her academic expertise with students who ask to Do my assignment for me so they may make their academic endeavors less troublesome.

Taken from: Guest Post (article, By Vanessa Collister), Google (images).
Posted by Unknown

Friday, 9 August 2013

20 tips to improve self esteem in women

Self-esteem is all about how you feel about yourself, and it guides how you live your life. Self-esteem is not static and fixed. Lack of self-esteem is a negative evaluation of oneself. Nowadays there are many women who are struggling with low self-esteem.

Low self-esteem can negatively affect your personal relationship, professional life, social life and even your health. Improving self esteem is very important as low self-esteem hinders your personal development and limits your successes.

If you want to improve self esteem, you need to challenge and change your beliefs. Improving self-esteem can help you to build better relationships, overcome fears and improve your self-confidence. There are many things you can do to improve self esteem. Enhancing your self-esteem and confidence will help you to motivate.

Here are some ideas to improve self esteem:

1. Body image is a very important factor that affects a woman’s self-esteem. So it is important to maintain good posture.

2. Stop comparing yourself to other people as it will make you feel bad.

3. If you do not respect yourself, no one else will respect you. So it is important that you love yourself and treat yourself with respect.

4. Learn to appreciate your physique.

5. Do not put yourself down in front of others.

6. Believe you are beautiful and appreciate your physique as this helps to boost your self-confidence.

7. Set realistic expectations and excuse yourself for mistakes.

8. Don’t always try to please others.

9. Avoid friendship with negative people.

10. Reward yourself whenever you succeed.

11. Stop the negative thoughts and beliefs.

12. Accept compliments.

13. Live confidently as helps to build your self-esteem.

14. Physical fitness has a huge effect on self-confidence. So do exercise at least 30 minutes every day to strengthen muscles and to burn calories. When you improve your physical appearance, it helps to enhance your self-esteem.

15. Make a list of positive qualities about yourself, which helps to boost your morale.

16. Try to smile at others as smile sets off physical and chemical reactions in your body, and mind thus helps to release endorphins that boost your mood.

17. Get yourself motivated as it is a great way for improving self esteem and develop confidence on you to achieve whatever you want.

18. Giving a handshake is another way to improve self esteem. A firm handshake indicates a strong character.

19. Focus on your strengths, but not your weaknesses.

20. Identify the troubling conditions or situations as they may deflate your self-esteem. Most common triggers include: crisis at workplace, business representation, and change in life circumstances, such as job loss or child leaving the home.

Taken from: Guest Post (article, By Victoria Armstrong), Google (images).
Posted by Unknown

Thursday, 16 May 2013

9 easy ways to remove anger

If we feel anger but do not want it, then there are many ways to get rid of it. By itself anger will not stay for a very long time because of the natural changes in body chemistry. So if we do not feed anger with our thoughts it will go all by itself. Be on the watch for anger’s friend: Fear. Work to overcome the fears that make us angry through feeling helpless.

Keep these guidelines around to use when you need them! Here are nine practical ways to remove the biochemical basis for anger:

1. Slowly drinking several glasses of cool water (not icy cold) is a sure way to get rid of Anger. Soft drinks, with a lot of sugar, acids, and often caffeine will not do. They will only increase the excitement.

2. Drinking water that has been stored in a silver cup, accumulating lunar energy for a day and night or more, is the very best. As an alternative, sun-baked or unglazed clay cups may also be used.

3. Not taking any sweet or fat and especially fasting for some time is a sure way to deny combustibles to the fire of anger. Since the feeling of hunger may increase irritability, any food fasting should be combined with exercising calmness.

4. Taking a little sweet may help, but only a small amount should be taken and allowed to slowly melt in the mouth, just to give the direct effect of the taste.

5. Avoid pungent, salty, sour, and astringent tastes in general.

6. Avoid alcohol, because it is the best combustible available, heating and drying the body.

7. Chewing red or green cardamom will turn the acid biochemistry to alkaline and thus reduce anger.

8. Yogurt and lemons are very good also. Lemons are sour but are cooling, unlike most sour foods.

9. Wearing pearls or taking pearl powder for more than one lunar cycle is a good way to get rid of persistent anger.

We must, however, take care not to cool down the body too much because it may trigger a response that heats up the body, such as happens after taking a really cold shower.

Taken from: care2.com (article, By Annie B. Bond), Google (images).
Posted by Unknown

Tuesday, 14 May 2013

6 easy ways to improve your general knowledge

General knowledge and information on current affairs and other areas are important simply because they put you in wise light. Parents, teachers and the society insist on the need for acquiring general knowledge gradually right from an early age and emphasize on the different ways to improve general knowledge.

This knowledge acquisition does not just help in the field of education and research for getting through competitive exams and similar endeavors but enlightens you on a lot of other areas. People tend to look up to you because you are knowledgeable and wise and can talk about most things they want to get information on. Acquiring knowledge can be done in many ways and few of these are listed below.

1. Reading.

This is the first and foremost way to improve general knowledge. Expansion of knowledge occurs through constant reading. There is no hard and fast rule on the source of information. Any book, magazine, journal or just about anything in black and white can offer knowledge in some form or the other.

Some amount of it may be forgotten but when done with interest, a lot of information can be retained for later use. However, it is important to inculcate reading as a habit if you intend to enhance your knowledge. You need not be a voracious reader but try to maximize the habit as much as possible.

2. Writing.

Reading helps us grasp information and writing helps us to retain it. This is a simple logic that we learn from our school days. The need to write repetitively all that we learnt has the ability to reinforce information in your brain cells. This information can be later retrieved whenever necessary.

3. Networking.

The bigger your circle of friends, acquaintances and professional contacts and higher the number of informative conversations you have, the larger will be your capacity to retain information. This informal and casual way is perhaps one of the best ways to improve your general knowledge. This is because informal conversations and discussions tend to stay in our minds better than information gathered through any other method.

4. Seminars and Conferences.

People who usually preside over such professional workshops are those who have gained a fair amount of knowledge and experience and have information to share with similar or high experienced professionals or young dynamic knowledge thirsty individuals. Such a gathering is a huge repository of information pertaining to your area of expertise and a great wealth of knowledge to possess.

5. Media.

Media of all kinds, be it the newspapers or television, offers information, entertainment and many other individual desirables or undesirables. Capturing and retaining whatever you want is a choice you need to make. And when you do so, you are at a beneficial end.

6. Internet.

Search engines, information repositories, online quizzes, FAQs and what not inundate the World Wide Web every minute. Many times, you do not even have to look elsewhere if you have an electronic gadget and an Internet connection.

This way you have knowledge knocking at your doorstep for you to utilize holistically. Ascertaining the different ways to improve your general knowledge is a personal preference. However, the methods listed above are few of the easiest ways to acquire and improve general knowledge.

Taken from: magforliving.com (article, By magforliving.com), Google (images).
Posted by Unknown

Thursday, 9 May 2013

8 tips to boost your self-confidence

It can be pretty easy to fall into a self-confidence rut. From co-workers tearing you down to waking up on the wrong side of the bed, little things can make or break your confidence level on any given day. The solution? Fight back with one of these confidence-boosting tips.

1. Play dress-up.

One of the quickest and easiest ways to boost your confidence is to fake it. The best way to do that? Throw on one of your favorite outfits, or at least one you know will turn heads. By wearing attire that increases your self-confidence, you'll feel more presentable, secure and in control of your life.

2. Put on a happy face.

When you smile, the whole world smiles with you, so why not? Even if you're having one of "those" days, slap on a sincere grin. When you see others responding to your jovial attitude, your mood is bound to take a turn for the brighter and make you feel better about yourself.

3. Do a good deed.

Hold the door for someone. Buy coffee for a co-worker. Offer your seat on the train to a senior. Donate your time at a local women's shelter or the humane society. By doing a good deed, you'll feel better about yourself and the world around you.

4. Challenge yourself.

Whether you set out to master a new move in your exercise class or decide to get over your biggest fear, challenging yourself to master something and then doing it will give you a huge boost in self-confidence.

5. Do something you love.

When you're feeling low, it's important to do something you love and feel good doing. So lay on the couch and watch your favorite movie. Cook up a meal for friends. Take a run through your neighborhood. By doing something you're good at and that brings you pleasure, you'll feel more competent, accomplished and capable of handling any task that comes your way.

6. Stop procrastinating.

From joining a knitting group to signing up for martial arts classes to taking your first whitewater rafting trip, if there's something you've always wanted to do, but keep finding reasons to put it off, stop procrastinating and get it done. Not only will you feel more confident for making the decision to just do it, you'll also get excited about the new things you'll be learning.

7. Relax.

Anxiety and stress are not only toxic for your physical health, they can do serious damage to your self-confidence. Why not take some time out of your hectic schedule to seriously relax? By slowing your brain's thought pattern, you'll be less emotional and you'll feel calmer and more in control of your life a key to feeling confident. Relax through yoga, meditation or even just a nightly bubble bath.

8. Celebrate your achievements.

Everything you've done in your life is an accomplishment, including taking your first step, getting on a bicycle, getting your driver's license or playing a sport. When you're feeling low, make a list of all of the things you've done that make you proud, and then whip it out whenever you need a quick pick-me-up. It's sure to make you remember and celebrate the fabulous woman you really are.

Taken from: sheknows.com (article, By Sarah Kelsey), Google (images).
Posted by Unknown

Tuesday, 7 May 2013

10 easy ways to become a better person

Making a change in the world can be an easy part of your everyday life. Here are 10 ways you can make a difference. From Most Good, Least Harm: A Simple Principle for a Better World and Meaningful Life by Zoe Weil.

1. Commit to the 3 I's: Inquire, Introspect, live with Integrity.

Expose yourself to information and ideas about most good (MOGO) living by talking to and learning from people from all walks of life -- especially people who are also trying to do the most good and the least harm; by reading widely and deeply; by visiting websites aimed at making a difference; and by viewing relevant films.

You can find a list of regularly updated websites, books, magazines, and films in the resources section at HumaneEducation.org. Then introspect: identify your values, consider what is most important to you, assess your talents and interests, and seek out ways to put these together practically and productively. Finally, live with integrity. To the best of your ability, put your values into practice.

2. Work for change.

Give some of your time, resources, and talents to create systemic change that benefits all. Choose the issues that most concern and compel you, get involved, and relish the joy that such generosity brings to yourself and others. If you can, make your career one that is MOGO.

3. Rethink, Reuse, Repair, and Recycle.

As much as possible, rethink your use of products that are unnecessary, inhumane, produced through exploitive business practices, non-recyclable, over-packaged, toxic, and/or unsustainable. When you do make purchases, choose the most sustainable, efficient, humane, fairly traded, and healthy versions. Then reuse what you can, repair what is reparable, and recycle when you are through. And in the midst of these 4 Rs, consider what you could borrow instead of buy, and what you could share with friends and neighbors so that they can better rethink unnecessary products, too.

4. Eat for life.

As much as possible, choose plant-based foods produced close to where you live, grown organically, and unprocessed. This will improve your health, the environment, the lives of animals, and the wellbeing of other people.

5. Reduce your ecological footprint.


Drive less, carpool, walk, bike, car-share, and use public transportation more. If you need to own a car, choose one with the best fuel efficiency to meet your needs. Choose the most energy efficient and ecologically friendly options for homes, home repair, appliances, lighting, heating, and cooling. Choose your recreation and vacations with MOGO in mind as well: an ecotourism excursion over a cruise; cross-country skiing instead of downhill skiing; canoeing more often than motor boating.

6. Transform education.

People need relevant information, tools for critical thinking, and motivation to lead meaningful lives that contribute to a better world. Whether you are a parent, student, teacher, elder, or concerned citizen, help make living sustainably and peacefully the very purpose of education at all levels by engaging in dialogue with lawmakers, educators, and school and university administrators.

7. Invest your money ethically.

If you are going to rely on a mutual fund for retirement or college, choose a socially responsible investment fund. Ask for a portfolio and assess whether the company invests in the kinds of businesses you want to support. Seek out community banks and credit unions, and consider micro-lending and investment in social businesses as a means of using your money to help others.

8. Build community.

Find others who share your desire to make MOGO choices by joining existing groups or creating your own group, and invite people to join you. You will enjoy the friendship and camaraderie, and help make a difference at the same time. Don't forget the communities of which you are already a part. Get to know your neighbors, and work with them to make your neighborhood healthy, supportive, and safe.

9. Teach others.


Share what you know with others and engage them in the challenge of living a MOGO life by using positive communication that does not judge or blame. Listen as often as you speak. Teaching and learning happen everywhere: one on one, in schools, in religious congregations, at camps, in families, in print and film, at learning centers, on social networking internet sites, at senior facilities, and so on. Model your message, and speak your truth in kind and inspiring ways wherever you are and with whomever you're in contact.

10. Strive for balance.

Set reasonable goals for yourself, and remember that the "most good, least harm" equation includes you. You are a role model for a MOGO life, so find the balance that lets you live joyfully, enthusiastically, and compassionately.

Taken from: shine.yahoo.com (article, By Zoe Weil), Google (images).
Posted by Unknown

Sunday, 5 May 2013

5 great reasons to think positive and keep a positive attitude

It is so refreshing to stay positive. Being negative and feeling negative is never a good choice. Whatever you are feeling is what you attract to yourself. We should always strive to be our own personal best. The best way to start is by having a healthy positive attitude. Here are five great reasons to always think positive and always keep your attitude positive.

1. Motivation.

A positive attitude towards your goals will help you to accomplish them. Being positive will motivate you to achieve more than you ever expected. Motivation is a positive quality and it is wonderful trait to have in every aspect of life. Procrastination can be a very negative way to live. Being motivated to tackle any task and accomplish your goals is a wonderful way to be. Positive thinking and a positive attitude will motivate you because you will be sure that you will be successful at anything you start.

2. Happiness.

Everyone was put on this earth to be happy and experience the best that life has to offer. No matter where you are on your life path, you can be happy. You don't have to wait for your millions of dollars to be happy. Be happy now, don't wait for tomorrow or when you lose weight, or get a divorce. Having a positive outlook on life will naturally make you happy. Being negative will do nothing to increase your happiness and your enjoyment of life.

3. People.

When you have a positive attitude people tend to gravitate toward you. No one wants to run and befriend the party pooper or sour puss. Positive, happy people are fun to be around. Everyone loves and enjoys being around people with a positive attitude. Positive energy is uplifting, negative energy drains you and can drain others around you.

4. Self Esteem.

This one is obvious. Your positive attitude and positive thinking will first start with yourself. Just choosing to look at yourself in a positive light will increase your self esteem. Don't worry about people who want to be negative or try to bring you down. It is irrelevant what anyone thinks of you.

The important thing is how you think of yourself. Love yourself, be good to yourself, be happy, and think positive thoughts of yourself. Your self confidence will rise and confidence in yourself is one of the best qualities you can have.

5. Better health.

It is a proven fact that people who think positive are less likely to be sick, or if they get sick they will overcome the illness faster. Negative people are the ones that tend to be sick all the time, or talking about what's wrong with them constantly. Being positive will give you less stress, better health and a healthier immune system.

Taken from: voices.yahoo.com (article, By Avery Bennett), Google (images).
Posted by Unknown

Saturday, 20 April 2013

9 ways to be happy within yourself

Have you ever found yourself standing in front of the mirror and yelling at yourself or hating yourself? Do you understand what it feels like to be completely disgusted with yourself and longing for a change?

We often spend time upset about something, allowing our environment and circumstances to dictate whether or not we are going to be happy. The truth is that we can live our lives with happiness and decide that we are going to do whatever it takes to be happy. You can be happy if you have the mind to.

Happiness is something we must do on purpose. In the midst of struggles or difficulties, we must choose to be happy. Happiness does not come from the acquisition of money or things; happiness begins from within each of us.

Being happy within ourselves simply means showing mercy to ourselves, forgiving ourselves, befriending ourselves, accepting ourselves, and loving ourselves.

It’s a lifelong journey that requires regular self-examination and an ongoing process of making peace with ourselves. It means discovering what makes us unhappy and choosing to live in peace. It means treating ourselves with compassion and kindness.

It makes us to begin to enjoy life more and more and celebrate it as adventure in peace. It helps us to live life to the fullest, and help make the world a better place for us and others. However, being happy within ourselves may be one of the most difficult challenges we will ever face. For some, this challenge may prove too difficult to handle, and as a result, they allow it to rule them.

Many prefer to endure the challenges, while others love to overcome them but do not how to get out of them. If you belong to any of these categories, the following tips could help you experience happiness within yourself.

1. Forgive yourself.

Forgive yourself for thinking negatively. Forgive yourself for talking, without thinking twice. Forgive yourself for being rude to your superior, your friend, your parents, or your siblings. Don’t think negative thoughts about yourself for taking wrong steps or making wrong decisions.

This kind of thinking puts your focus on the problem and not the solution. It’s better to say good things about yourself than to say negative things. Always saying positive things about yourself is a sign that you have forgiven yourself.

2. Forgive others.

If we want to make peace with others, we first need to be at peace with ourselves. Learn to forgive and forget and let go of things quickly. It is not good to resent and hold grudges. People who hold grudges and resent their past incidents often suffer from cardiac and psychological problems.

The easiest way to forgive others is to assume that they didn’t offend us in the first place. If you weren’t offended, you wouldn’t have the course to be offended or to forgive others.

3. Stop thinking and talking about your problems.

Instead, focus on the good in every situation you face and every person you are in a relationship with – including yourself.

4. Focus on being a blessing to others.

Get your mind off yourself and focus on blessing others instead. When you bless others, the blessings will come back to you; it’s a wonderful phenomenon many don’t understand. After all, life is not all about receiving; it’s more of giving.

5. Be busy.

The busier you are, the less time you have to think, especially, about something or someone who left you with negative feelings. Being busy is the best way to keep negative thoughts from provoking you repeatedly.

6. Recount the things you have achieved.

Take some personal time to be with myself and recount the things you have achieved and the things you have. Counting one’s blessings and achievements makes one feel fulfilled and happy. We often hate ourselves when we feel we have not achieved anything.

The best way to count your blessings is to write down whatever you have achieved. No matter what happens in our lives, we have life, air to breathe, food to eat, some friends, family and associates, a measure of wealth and a measure of health.

7. Develop a pastime.

Spend your free time on reading, listening to music, watching movies or other activities. This enables you to put your mind off the problems you are facing and the thoughts you have about yourself.

8. Be content with WHO you are.

Don’t focus on things about yourself that you have no control over. Don’t strive to be like someone else. Don’t care about what other people think or say about you, when you’re not even sure whether they are right or wrong. When you do this, you relieve yourself of a lot of stress and anxiety. Be content with yourself, while you hope for a better you.

9. Never lose hope.

There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. Hope is something you can never afford to lose. With hope you always have a path towards happiness. Hope reminds you that everything will be ok. With hope, you know that whatever looks terrible is only temporary and that soon enough, things will be just fine.

Taken from: thechangeblog.com (article, By Olusegun Jegede), Google (images).
Posted by Unknown

Wednesday, 17 April 2013

10 ways to make a good first impression on girls

On meeting your prospective partner for the first time, you are bound to feel nervous and apprehensive. But, the good news is that you can actually appear more confident and smart with these simple tips.

1. Know The Person Before You Plan to Meet.

You always have time to know a bit about your prospective partner before you decide to meet up. Make sure you know some basic things about him/her like what is his/her favourite cuisine, likes, dislikes, topic of interest, etc. So, accordingly you can plan your meeting and think of topics to talk on.

2. Decide On a Place to Meet Up.


On your first meeting, don’t think your partner is going to do all the planning and have some surprise waiting for you. Be involved and together you guys can decide a place to meet up. Don’t try and act like you are too busy in life to think of all this.

It doesn’t seem nice and responsible. In fact, there can be no better place than a coffee shop for your first meeting. You can just take a corner table and chat for hours over a cup of coffee.

3. Be Polite and Act Graceful.

Remember, you are meeting your prospective spouse, so please greet him/her with a smile on your face. Also, make sure you appear polite and humble and most importantly, be honest. This will give you an idea about how well the two of you get along, whether or not your thought process match, etc.

When we say be honest, we obviously don’t mean sound harsh, rude and overtly opinionated. So, be careful.

4. Appear Confident and Calm.

Well, that’s the most important ingredient! Just like how important salt is to food, confidence is to a person’s persona. Show that your confident about yourself, about your behaviour, dressing, etc. Now, there’s a difference between being confident and acting snobbish and over-confident. One must be calm and composed.

Try not to compete subconsciously. Sometimes, it happens and we don’t realise it. So, watch out for your actions and words.

5. Impress Her and Sound Positive.

Shake hands if you and your partner are comfortable and compliment your partner on her looks and dressing. Women, mostly like it when her man pulls out a chair for her at the coffee shop or restaurant.

So, all you men out there, do try this the next time you plan to meet your partner. Start off with talking about work and then gradually move on to topics like family, interests, etc. Also, always place an order with elegance.

It is good to talk about positive things, as it makes you and your partner feel comfortable. But, please do not reveal all your secrets on your first date. Instead, show that your responsible and respect confidentiality.

Also, refrain from talking about life after marriage. Remember, you are there to know the person, so only focus on that. You could crack some smart and witty jokes if you’re bored or just excuse yourself to the loo and return with a smiling face.

6. Learn to Read Signs.

Your actions to a certain extent depend on the vibes you get from your partner. So, learn to read signs. You might not want to be humorous if the opposite person has declined a smile on your first attempt.

But, if s/he is showing positive signs, you know where you’re  heading. You take the initiative in starting a topic. Show that your happy to meet him/her, but don’t be over-excited.

7. Mind Your Table Manners.

Make sure you eat or sip slowly and interact more. It does make a difference, trust us! After all, you’re not here just to eat, right? And remember your table manners. Don’t open your mouth too wide or make weird noises while chewing your food.

8. Discussing Marriage.

It’s best to avoid discussing about your past. But yes, if the conversation so far was good and the two of you are comfortable talking to each other, then may be you could ask your partner about his/her views on marriage and expectations s/he has from his/her partner.

9. Move Out Gracefully.

As a guy, make sure you drop her home after the meeting, whether or not you liked her. This way you will make a good first impression by leaving a positive image in your partner’s mind. Then, may be you can either catch up again if u feel the need or simply call back and refuse.

10. Be Yourself.


Of course, when you meet someone for the first time you try to be nice, pompous, etc. But, it is always good to be yourself and not someone else. Accept the person you are. If you stammer or fumble when you feel nervous, don’t try to hide it. Remember, being yourself will make a genuine impression of you.

Taken from: blog.shaadi.com (article, By Vipasha Pillai), Google (images).
Posted by Unknown

Sunday, 7 April 2013

14 easy ways to motivate yourself

These simple strategies can keep you energized both on and off the job.

Here's a column that I guarantee will make you more more successful in both your professional and personal lives.

Here are 14 quick strategies to get and keep yourself motivated:

1. Condition your mind. Train yourself to think positive thoughts while avoiding negative thoughts.

2. Condition your body. It takes physical energy to take action.  Get your food and exercise budget in place and follow it like a business plan.

3. Avoid negative people.
They drain your energy and waste your time, so hanging with them is like shooting yourself in the foot.

4. Seek out the similarly motivated. Their positive energy will rub off on you and you can imitate their success strategies.

5. Have goals–but remain flexible. No plan should be cast in concrete, lest it become more important than achieving the goal.

6. Act with a higher purpose.
Any activity or action that doesn’t serve your higher goal is wasted effort--and should be avoided.

7. Take responsibility for your own results. If you blame (or credit) luck, fate or divine intervention, you’ll always have an excuse.

8. Stretch past your limits on a daily basis. Walking the old, familiar paths is how you grow old. Stretching makes you grow and evolve.

9. Don't wait for perfection; do it now! Perfectionists are the losers in the game of life.  Strive for excellence rather than the unachievable.

10. Celebrate your failures. Your most important lessons in life will come from what you don't achieve. Take time to understand where you fell short.

11. Don’t take success too seriously.
Success can breed tomorrow's failure if you use it as an excuse to become complacent.

12. Avoid weak goals. Goals are the soul of achievement, so never begin them with "I'll try ..."  Always start with "I will" or "I must."

13. Treat inaction as the only real failure. If you don’t take action, you fail by default and can't even learn from the experience.

14. Think before you speak. Keep silent rather than express something that doesn’t serve your purpose.

Taken from: inc.com (article, By Geoffrey James), Google (images).
Posted by Unknown

Friday, 5 April 2013

8 tips to improving your personality

It is quite evident in the methods and processes that is being employed in order to accomplish this particular goal. This is perhaps the reason why people buy new clothes or cut their hair. They improve their image and other things related to changing their appearances.

Personality goes beyond external appearance. It includes dispositions, traits, qualities, speech, and other things innate in the person.

Here are some tips in improving personality:

1. Be interested on people.

Try to discover what other people want. Know their likes, dislikes, interests, and beliefs. By doing this, you will be regarded as a person with an attractive and pleasing personality.

2. Assume that people like you.

If you show the other person that you want people to talk to you, they will react to you with warmth.

3. Admit your weaknesses.

Do not regard yourself as a perfect person. Just as persons have strengths, they also have their weaknesses. To improve your personality, you should admit that you also have defects.

4. Admire your friends.

Praise them for their achievements. Tell them how attractive they look. Make them feel how important they are to you. By this, they will also give importance.

5. Associate with people who are successful and happy.


Seek the companionship of others who can give you new points of views, renewed hopes, and meaningful life. Ask for their advice and guidance. They can give you valuable insights about their experiences in life. You can learn from their insights and apply their insights to improving your personality.

6. Attend social gatherings.


Social gatherings can increase your circle of friends. Social events can likewise give you new insights and experiences. It can help improve your relationships with other people and your community. Social gatherings can help you develop your communication skills.

7. Change your environment.

Go on vacation or rest in a new place. Renovate your house and fix your furniture. Introduce changes in your environment.

8. Learn new things.

Learn how to cook or play the piano. Enroll in voice lessons. Indulge in gardening. By doing this, you are expanding your horizons.

Aside from this, you can also develop your skills in other areas such as public speaking and understanding other people's attitudes and beliefs.

Improving your personality takes a lot of work and dedication. While it may take a lot of work, it can be worthwhile and fun because you are focusing your attention on improving relationships with others and yourself.

Taken from: streetdirectory.com (article, By Moni Arora), Google (images).
Posted by Unknown

Monday, 1 April 2013

10 ways to improve your leadership skills

Whether you consciously aware of it or not, on some level you are continually leading yourself and others. As a result, it would only make sense that you strive to improve your leadership skills and get the most out of life for everyone in your sphere.

If you desire to lead a passion-filled life wherein you are a positive influence to everyone, you will enjoy incorporating the following practices to assist you in consistently living your life as a conscious and strong LEADER.

1. Have a clear vision of yourself, others, and the world.

Who are you? What do you stand for? What is your life purpose? How do you want to influence others? How do you want to contribute to yourself, your family, friends, colleagues, and the world?

Answer these questions to formulate a concrete vision of yourself and your world. Then, start living your life as the leader who makes your vision a reality!

2. Know and utilize your strengths and gifts.

You have unique gifts that you were born with and personal strengths you’ve developed over your lifetime. Realizing and utilizing these gifts and strengths will assist you in being a formidable leader.

3. Live in accordance with your morals and values.

Making choices and taking actions out of accordance with your morals and values leaves you with a nagging “Bad” feeling. This feeling seeping in from your subconscious mind hinders your success in your career and your relationships.

On the other hand, making choices and taking actions aligned with your morals and values helps you succeed almost effortlessly. People sense integrity and will naturally respect your opinion and leadership.

4. Lead others with inclusiveness and compassion.

The greatest leaders are those who include everyone in their sphere of influence by recognizing each person’s greatest value. To be one of these leaders, look beyond the obvious and see others with insight and compassion.

Many of history's greatest leaders have admitted that they rose to the top because another leader recognized and harnessed their potential.

5. Set definitive goals and follow concrete action plans.

You have to know where your destination is before you can map out a plan to get there. To improve your leadership skills, first set specific life goals with appropriate timelines.

Design your goals by moving backwards from the end of your life to the present week. Then, formulate action plans you can commit to that will get you to where you want to be.

6. Maintain a positive attitude.

No one respects a grumpy or negative person. With a positive attitude you are looking at the bright side of life. People are naturally attracted to you when you have a positive attitude.

By being positive, you will lead a happier life, as well as be surrounded by other positive people. You will also magically attract exciting offers and possibilities.

7. Improve communication skills.

Having great leadership skills includes your being able to clearly and specifically communicate your vision, goals, skills, intentions, and expectations to others.

This also includes your ability to listen to what other people are consciously or unconsciously communicating. To become a great communicator, continually strive to improve your verbal, nonverbal, and listening skills.

8. Motivate others to greatness.

A leader is as powerful as his team. As a leader, you will want to surround yourself with a powerful team by assisting others in recognizing and utilizing their strengths, gifts, and potential.

Motivating others to their own greatness will improve the group energy, increase the vitality of your projects, and move you forward toward achieving your goals and vision.

9. Be willing to admit and learn from failures and weaknesses.

Face it – No one is perfect, and everyone has made a mistake or two in their lives! The most successful leaders know that the key to success is not in avoiding falling or failing, but to learn from their mistakes.

As a strong leader, you will also be able to communicate your weaknesses to your team, so that you and your team can appoint someone who excels at that particular task or activity.

10. Continue to educate and improve yourself.

Great leaders continue to improve themselves in every possible way. The person who thinks he is an expert, has a lot more to learn. Never stop learning. Be receptive to everyone’s perceptions and information from around the world and beyond. Grow, grow, grow, learn, learn, learn.

Taken from: icbs.com (article, By Ronya Banks), Google (images).
Posted by Unknown

Saturday, 23 March 2013

10 ways to instantly build self confidence

Self confidence is the difference between feeling unstoppable and feeling scared out of your wits. Your perception of yourself has an enormous impact on how others perceive you. Perception is reality, the more self confidence you have, the more likely it is you’ll succeed.

Although many of the factors affecting self confidence are beyond your control, there are a number of things you can consciously do to build self confidence. By using these 10 strategies you can get the mental edge you need to reach your potential.

1. Dress Sharp.

Although clothes don’t make the man, they certainly affect the way he feels about himself. No one is more conscious of your physical appearance than you are. When you don’t look good, it changes the way you carry yourself and interact with other people.

Use this to your advantage by taking care of your personal appearance. In most cases, significant improvements can be made by bathing and shaving frequently, wearing clean clothes, and being cognizant of the latest styles.

This doesn’t mean you need to spend a lot on clothes. One great rule to follow is “spend twice as much, buy half as much”. Rather than buying a bunch of cheap clothes, buy half as many select, high quality items. In long run this decreases spending because expensive clothes wear out less easily and stay in style longer than cheap clothes. Buying less also helps reduce the clutter in your closet.

2. Walk Faster.

One of the easiest ways to tell how a person feels about herself is to examine her walk. Is it slow? tired? painful? Or is it energetic and purposeful? People with confidence walk quickly. They have places to go, people to see, and important work to do.

Even if you aren’t in a hurry, you can increase your self confidence by putting some pep in your step. Walking 25% faster will make to you look and feel more important.

3. Good Posture.

Similarly, the way a person carries herself tells a story. People with slumped shoulders and lethargic movements display a lack of self confidence. They aren’t enthusiastic about what they’re doing and they don’t consider themselves important.

By practicing good posture, you’ll automatically feel more confident. Stand up straight, keep your head up, and make eye contact. You’ll make a positive impression on others and instantly feel more alert and empowered.

4. Personal Commercial.

One of the best ways to build confidence is listening to a motivational speech. Unfortunately, opportunities to listen to a great speaker are few and far between. You can fill this need by creating a personal commercial.

Write a 30-60 second speech that highlights your strengths and goals. Then recite it in front of the mirror aloud (or inside your head if you prefer) whenever you need a confidence boost.

5. Gratitude.

When you focus too much on what you want, the mind creates reasons why you can’t have it. This leads you to dwell on your weaknesses. The best way to avoid this is consciously focusing on gratitude.

Set aside time each day to mentally list everything you have to be grateful for. Recall your past successes, unique skills, loving relationships, and positive momentum. You’ll be amazed how much you have going for you and motivated to take that next step towards success.

6. Compliment other people.

When we think negatively about ourselves, we often project that feeling on to others in the form of insults and gossip. To break this cycle of negativity, get in the habit of praising other people. Refuse to engage in backstabbing gossip and make an effort to compliment those around you.

In the process, you’ll become well liked and build self confidence. By looking for the best in others, you indirectly bring out the best in yourself.

7. Sit in the front row.


In schools, offices, and public assemblies around the world, people constantly strive to sit at the back of the room. Most people prefer the back because they’re afraid of being noticed. This reflects a lack of self confidence.

By deciding to sit in the front row, you can get over this irrational fear and build your self confidence. You’ll also be more visible to the important people talking from the front of the room.

8. Speak up.

During group discussions many people never speak up because they’re afraid that people will judge them for saying something stupid. This fear isn’t really justified. Generally, people are much more accepting than we imagine. In fact most people are dealing with the exact same fears.

By making an effort to speak up at least once in every group discussion, you’ll become a better public speaker, more confident in your own thoughts, and recognized as a leader by your peers.

9. Work out.


Along the same lines as personal appearance, physical fitness has a huge effect on self confidence. If you’re out of shape, you’ll feel insecure, unattractive, and less energetic.

By working out, you improve your physical appearance, energize yourself, and accomplish something positive. Having the discipline to work out not only makes you feel better, it creates positive momentum that you can build on the rest of the day.

10. Focus on contribution.

Too often we get caught up in our own desires. We focus too much on ourselves and not enough on the needs of other people. If you stop thinking about yourself and concentrate on the contribution you’re making to the rest of the world, you won’t worry as much about you own flaws.

This will increase self confidence and allow you to contribute with maximum efficiency. The more you contribute to the world the more you’ll be rewarded with personal success and recognition.

Taken from: pickthebrain.com (article, By Editor in Chief, Pick The Brain), Google (images).
Posted by Unknown

Friday, 22 March 2013

10 tips to improve your self esteem

1. Focus on your strong points.

If you like something about yourself, give that area more attention than the others. For example; I love my eyes, so when I look in the mirror, I look directly into my eyes first, then I do a comb over of the rest of my body before returning to my eyes.

If you like your tummy, then do the same. Try making a mental list of the things you like about your body, no matter how small or insignificant they may be. Then focus on these things, the rest is just insignificant. If you can learn to like yourself for your strong points, then others will find it much easier to do so as well.

2. Do things that you can be proud of.

Accomplish goals, help people feel better about themselves, get good marks on a test. Any of these things will allow you to be more confident about your abilities. If you are sure of yourself, then you will find it much easier to believe that you are attractive.

Try making a list of things that you want to get done, and then DO THEM. This will make you feel like you are able to handle things well, and thus creates self-esteem.

3. Don't look for compliments until you are confident.

When you think you are ugly, and someone tells you different, how often do you change your point of view? My bet is on almost never. If you feel like you have done something well, and someone agrees with you by complimenting you on it, then your feelings were justified.

However, if you think that you totally screwed something up, and someone compliments you on it, you will just blow it off as someone trying to be nice. When people believe something they look for examples that make their beliefs true. If you get something that invalidates your beliefs, then you just blow it off. Compliments will do no good until you are confident enough to believe them.

4. Respect yourself.

It's true. People respect those who respect themselves. Don't give other people a reason to laugh at you by starting the laughter. If you make fun of yourself, other people will follow suit. If you think you're ugly, other people will think you're ugly.

5. Smile!

It's amazing what a simple smile can do to improve someone's appearance. When you look at yourself in the mirror, don't frown. By frowning you are automatically putting a depressing tone on the act. If you look at yourself while depressed, you will see nothing but faults.

Try smiling when you look at yourself. The good parts of your body will out shine the bad, and your confidence will come through in the image. Remember the saying "Smile and the whole world smiles with you, frown and you frown alone." As cheesy as it is, it's somewhat true. If you look happy when speaking to people, they will remember you in a much better light. Just don't over do it ;)

6. Do things that make you feel attractive.

Go for a run, go workout, get some exercise, or get a manicure. Whatever it takes to make yourself think you are better looking, do it. Even if it doesn't really make you look any better, as long as it makes you THINK you are better looking it will work to build your self-esteem. Remember, self-esteem means nothing more than how YOU see yourself. It is all in your head.

7. Learn to laugh at yourself.

Lighten up. Things are never as bad as you think they are. Everyone is his or her own worst critic. You will see faults in yourself that other people may never see. There is no need to worry about these things.

8. Be yourself.


Define your own personal style. Take things that you find attractive, and modify them to suit yourself. Different can be beautiful, and as long as you know who you are, you will be able to control your own image for the best.

Don't sit around trying to figure out why you don't look like Angelina Jolie. She is unique, and that is one of the things that makes her attractive. Yourself will always be the best person you can be. Once you are comfortable with whom you are you will gain confidence.

9. Find the things that you don't like, and make a plan to change them.

I didn't like a few things about my personality, so I took steps to change them. I talked to a few people and I got input and suggestions about what I should change and how I should change them. Once you make a few minor changes in your personality, you will realize that you can create your own image with ease.

10. Examine your own actions.

Why do you like the people you do. Is your boyfriend or girlfriend a model? I doubt it. Yet you are still with them. Realizing that everyone has different tastes is a big step in gaining self-esteem. There is always someone out there who is going to like you for who you are, no matter what you're like.

There are many other things that you should be paying attention to. Your body is only one part of a whole. People will like you for your strong points, and the ones who do, will probably ignore your faults, or help you correct them.

Remember, self-esteem means nothing more than how YOU see yourself. It is all in your head. You can have an ugly person with great self-esteem, just as you can have a beautiful person with poor self-esteem.

Taken from: jeremyhubert.com (article, By Jeremy Hubert), Google (images).
Posted by Unknown

Saturday, 2 February 2013

How to develop motivation in your everyday life

Personal development, maximizing your potential, goals setting, motivating yourself for the better – these are some of the inter-related things that you need to work on as an individual. Here, we will set our sights on the many ways that you can develop motivation in life.

The Importance of Finding Out what Motivates You.

First, let’s find out what the importance of motivation exactly is. Simply put, motivation is that driving force which allows you to achieve your goals and go after what you want in life.

If you want to change your personality for the better, get a promotion at work, start a new habit, be a better person who is part of the community, become a better parent for your kid – all of these things would be easier accomplished if you are properly motivated.

As long as you have a strong personal motivation, you can achieve almost anything that you want from life. However, remember not to fall into the trap of looking for short-cuts to achieve your goals.

It’s perfectly fine if you have to take a long and winding road to achieve your goal. It will be an even sweeter victory when you finally achieve your goal, knowing that you have had to go through several hurdles to attain it.

Developing Motivation in Life.

So how can you develop motivation in life? If you wish to accomplish a goal – be it short-term or long-term in nature – how can you find it in you to be properly motivated? Here are a few things that you should keep in mind:

1. Focus on one goal at a time.

This should be partnered with the fact that you should make sure that your short-term goals all help in achieving your long-term goals. One of the best ways for you to focus on one goal at a time is to make a diary of your goals – yes, write it down – so that you will have a visual representation of the things that you want to achieve rather than letting it all get lost in your head.

2. Get rid of all the distractions which might prevent you from achieving your goal.

Let’s say that you are a writer who wants to finish a book. How can you type away on your keyboard one chapter after another if there are many distractions surrounding you like television, friends chattering away or the lure of aimlessly browsing through the Internet. In order for you to stay properly motivated, make sure to steer clear of any distractions.

3. Completely block out any negative influences.

Finally, make sure that you are completely blocking out any negative influences in your life. If you feel that you are being distracted from your goal by a problem which does not seem to go away, ask yourself what you can do to eliminate such a challenge and distraction in your life.

Maybe you are being sidetracked by negative thoughts and feelings because you have no faith in yourself. Addressing the root of the problem, completely blocking out any negative distractions and thinking purely positive thoughts is the best way for you to develop motivation in your everyday life.

Constantly Work At Motivating Yourself.

A goal doesn’t do you much good unless you are constantly thinking about, and working towards it. Write down your goal and place it somewhere that you will see it at least 1-2 times a day. If you have a weight loss goal, place your written goal beside the refrigerator.

If your goal is to get physically stronger, place your written goal near your weight bench so you can see it when you are working out. This provides the extra motivation you need for those tough days.

A great way to motivate yourself with business goals is to put up a motivational quote beside your desk. Do a Google search for motivational quotes, then print off one and put it inside of a picture frame. Keep it there and read it occasionally throughout the day.

Whenever you find yourself not looking at the quote anymore, or it no longer provides the inspiration that it once did, it’s time to change the quote. It’s perfectly OK to change this quote every 1-2 weeks for maximum motivation.

Some people make a habit of reading their goals either when they first wake up or right before they go to bed. When you read your goals upon arising, you may begin to notice that you find yourself doing more each day to help you reach your goals. Similarly, when you read your goals right before bed, you may notice that you wake up with good ideas that you never thought of before.

Final Thoughts.

It’s important to have motivation in your life. Motivation is the fuel that you need to continue striving for your goals. Soak up motivating things in your life on a daily basis. Read great books that will inspire you. Read great blogs that are both positive and informative.

It’s human nature to have days were you aren’t very motivated. However, if you continue to surround yourself with positive and motivational things, those days will be few and far between.

Taken from: pickthebrain.com (article, By Ryan Whiteside), Google (images).
Posted by Unknown

Friday, 23 November 2012

8 tips for becoming a true leader

On the surface, the difference between a step and a stumble seems obvious. But in business, plotting long and hard to climb into a leadership role often is indistinguishable from inadvertently falling into one.

The fact is, whether you take a deliberate step toward an objective or immediately trip on a shoelace, you may end up in the same spot. Put another way, many people who have a laser focus on getting to the top make it there no faster than those who have a leadership opportunity thrust upon them.

Yet knowing the difference between thoughtful business leadership and the kind that happens seemingly by accident is critical—not only in your ability to grow and develop as a leader, but to establish a pattern of success that's deliberate, not miraculous.

Here, then, are eight attributes that separate genuine leadership from leadership that's more a matter of chance:

1. Real leadership means leading yourself.

Passing out orders is as easy as passing out business cards. But a prudent leader also knows how to lead himself or herself—not merely to provide a genuine example to others, but to become a working element of the overall machinery of your business.

"It's important that leaders have the ability to focus and motivate themselves as they motivate others," says Larraine Segil, an author and consultant who teaches executive education at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

2. Don't be a monarch.

Thoughtful leadership likely means you already have a talented work force in place. That's terrific. But be careful not set up a throne room in the process. Accidental leaders often inadvertently establish a system of guidance that's unnecessarily restrictive.

Guide employees, but don't implement more parameters than are absolutely necessary. "It's important to influence the people with whom you work," says Segil. "Don't see your business as a hierarchy."

3. Be open to new ways of doing things.

One potential land mine of a prosperous operation is to repeat anything that proves successful. It's hard to argue against that, but an inadvertent leader will put far too much stock in sticking with what always works.

By contrast, thoughtful leadership acknowledges success but also recognizes there are always ways to do things better.

4. Remember that white males are fast becoming a minority.

Statistics show that white males now make up only a small fraction of the workplace population. Couple that with growing partnerships across borders, and it becomes obvious that blending a variety of cultures and backgrounds in a work environment is an essential leadership skill. A thoughtless leader will try to cope with this as best as he can.

One with more vision will work to take advantage of differences. "Competition—the constant push for faster, better, cheaper — mandates that we learn to effectively deal with differences in the workplace," says career consultant Susan Eckert of Advance Career and Professional Development in Brightwaters, N.Y. A company that weaves an appreciation of diversity into its cultural fabric will make itself "unbeatable," Eckert says.

5. Establish a genuine sense of commitment.


I must admit this is a personal sore point with me. I've seen too many company slogans and catch phrases whose import is no deeper than the paper they're written on. Want to be "committed to superior service"?

More power to you, but a genuine leader will see that as words and little else. Instead, put some meat on those bones—establish how to quantify excellence, design a cogent plan to achieve it, and set a reasonable but real timetable for its completion.

6. Finish the job.

Many business leaders yak about their complete game, but how many actually finish what they say they're going to start? A thoughtless leader who never genuinely finishes anything loses the confidence of clients and customers.

That lack of follow-through isn't going to be lost on his or her employees, either. Instead, set goals and establish pragmatic, accountable measures to actually finish what you start. "The ability to complete things is critical," Segil says. "Nothing's useful unless you actually complete it."

7. Show genuine appreciation.

Thoughtless leaders must have forearms like Popeye's, what with all the back-slapping they do. That's fine, but good performance requires a more substantive response.

Leaders with an eye to the future hand out praise but augment it with real rewards: promotions, raises, bonuses, and other tangible tokens of appreciation. That motivates your people, not only to apply themselves with enthusiasm but to stick around your company longer than they might otherwise.

8. Know that leadership skills come from learning, too.

Far too may business executives believe leadership skills stem from some sort of wondrous epiphany or other such flash of insight. Sure, great ideas can come to any of us, but being a bona fide leader also means study.

Read books on effective leadership, attend seminars, and pick the brains of colleagues to see what works for them. It can be a long education, but one with rewards that multiply with the more knowledge you have under your belt.

Taken from: microsoft.com (article, By Jeff Wuorio), Google (images).
Posted by Unknown

Friday, 28 September 2012

what Is success?

This past weekend I was browsing through my RSS reader, and I came across an interesting post titled What is success? Impact.

The author is basically questioning what should be considered success (on a professional level), and he comes to the conclusion that success should be measured as the positive impact his work will have upon the lives of other people.

The article caught my attention because I have the exact same opinion.

Obviously I don’t think there is right or wrong as to how we define success. The term itself is a subjective thing, so what success means to you might be different from what it means to me or other people, and this is perfectly fine.

That being said, I think it is useful to discuss about such definitions, because it helps us to analyze whether or not we are moving in the right direction.

For example, most people tend to equate success with money. That is, the more money you make, the more successful you are. But under this definition one could argue that a drug dealer who makes millions of dollars annually is a very successful person. I don’t agree with this. I could give you that such drug dealer is a savvy businessman, but I wouldn’t call him successful, because the impact he has on the life of other people is actually a very negative one. The same thing could be said about online spammers, scammers and so on.

Now take Linus Torvalds as another example. He is the founder of the Linux movement, which created one of the most successful open source projects to date, and enabled millions of people to use a free and very reliable operating system. I am not sure how rich he is, but even if he was broke I would call him a successful person, because he had a huge impact on the lives of people from around the world.

Note that these things are not mutually exclusive either. In other words, it is possible to make a lot of money and have a positive impact in the lives of many people at the same time (and often times they go together). Just think about Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Larry Page and Sergei Brin.

But, I suspect that these folks were first and foremost motivated by the possibility of making something big that would impact many people. As Steve Jobs say, by the possibility of putting a dent in the universe. Sure, they were no philanthropists, so the money was welcome too, but I don’t think it was the only nor the main thing they were pursuing.

Which leads us to one question: are you working to make as much money as possible, or to make as big an impact as possible?

Taken from: dailyblogtips.com (article, By Daniel Scocco), Google (images).
Posted by Unknown

Thursday, 20 September 2012

how to present like Steve Jobs

5 tips on how to present like Steve Jobs. Whenever I’m asked to speak to a group -- whether it’s a large gathering like a college commencement, or a smaller one like those found at a local chamber of commerce’s monthly breakfast -- I think of Steve Jobs, the master presenter.

Who else didn't know Steve Jobs. Although he has passed away, but the aura and presentation power of Steve Jobs is always there, with his audiences. Steve Jobs didn’t just focus on statistics or technology in his communications. Steve Jobs sold the benefits of his company’s products.

Steve Jobs has widely been referred to as "legendary", a "futurist" or simply "visionary", and has been described as the "Father of the Digital Revolution", a "master of innovation", and a "design perfectionist".

Take a quick look at Steve Jobs’ keynote address introducing the iPhone during the 2007 Macworld Conference & Expo. Steve Jobs makes visuals were used to illustrate a point, not to fill space or entertain.

And no matter how brief or long the Steve Jobs-led dog-and-pony show, you left the venue with a full understanding of what was presented by Steve Jobs. What Is success?

We can all take some communications cues from Steve Jobs. Here are five that I recently came across from Jim Confalone, co-founder and creative director of ProPoint Graphics, a New York-based professional presentation design firm about Steve Jobs.

1. Know the one critical point in your presentation -- then make it clear.

Steve Jobs recognized that the human mind couldn’t process a mountain of material in one sitting. Any information or data that isn’t driving a specific message can be a distraction that weakens the impact of your presentation. Steve Jobs believe that use only visuals that support his one point.

2. Acknowledge why people are listening to you.

Your audience is in the room for a particular reason. For Steve Jobs, it’s critical to understand why they’re listening to him so people can tune his presentation in a manner that makes them more receptive listeners. The same talk might play out very differently if it’s given to shareholders, engineers or sales people, Steve Jobs added. Steve Jobs' 12 rules of success.

3. Make an immediate, personal connection.

Steve Jobs always began by trying to make an emotional connection with the audience, even though his goal was to sell technology. Steve Jobs makes this connection to builds empathy, which in turn encourages the audience to be more receptive to what he have to say. That's why Steve Jobs always get the audiences attention and attract them to understand of what he said.

4. Keep the audience focused on you the speaker, not your presentation.

The audience isn’t there to look at your slides. They’re there to see and listen to the presenter. Steve Jobs always keep his focus on them. That may mean bringing a prop to hold up and draw their attention to, or it may mean inserting a blank slide into your presentation so that the audience is forced to look at you. Steve Jobs often did this — again, drawing the audience’s attention to himself. Motivation for work.

5. Know your story.

You should know your content so completely that you are comfortable giving your presentation with no visuals at all. Steve Jobs was notoriously meticulous about his preparation, scripting everything. Other presenters prefer to have an element of spontaneity or improvisation, but not Steve Jobs.

Regardless of your style, mastery of your story affords you the luxury of calm and clarity, essential components to a great presentation. That's why, Steve Jobs always be an icon of amazing presenter.

That's all from CoolTips2u. You can apply this 5 tips on how to present like Steve Jobs to improve your presentation skill and makes your audiences amazed of you, of course you can do it! Remember, Steve Jobs does not sell computers, he sells an experience. Steve Jobs' presentations are meant to inform, educate, and entertain. Practice makes perfect. Rehearse makes better.

Taken from: entrepreneur.com (article, By Mikal E. Belicove), Google (images).
Posted by Unknown
Steve Jobs' 12 rules of success

Steve Jobs was one of the most successful entrepreneurs of our generation. His success story is legendary. Put up for adoption at an early age, dropped out of college after 6 months, slept on friends’ floors, returned coke bottles for 5 cent deposits to buy food, then went on to start Apple Computers and Pixar Animation Studios.

1. Do what you love to do.

Find your true passion. Do what you love to do a make a difference! The only way to do great work is to love what you do.

2. Be different.

Think different. "Better be a pirate than to join the navy."

3. Do your best.

Do your best at every job. No sleep! Success generates more success. So be hungry for it. Hire good people with passion for excellence.

4. Make SWOT analysis.

As soon as you join/start a company, make a list of strengths and weaknesses of yourself and your company on a piece of paper. Don't hesitate in throwing bad apples out of the company.

5. Be entrepreneurial.

Look for the next big thing. Find a set of ideas that need to be quickly and decisively acted upon and jump through that window. Sometimes the first step is the hardest one. Just take it! Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.

6. Start small, think big.

Don't worry about too many things at once. Take a handful of simple things to begin with, and then progress to more complex ones. Think about not just tomorrow, but the future. "I want to put a ding in the universe,” reveal Steve Jobs his dream.

7. Strive to become a market leader.

Own and control the primary technology in everything you do. If there's a better technology available, use it no matter if anyone else is not using it. Be the first, and make it an industry standard.

8. Focus on the outcome.

People judge you by your performance, so focus on the outcome. Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected. Advertise. If they don't know it, they won't buy your product. Pay attention to design. "We made the buttons on the screen look so good you'll want to lick them." "Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works."

9. Ask for feedback.

Ask for feedback from people with diverse backgrounds. Each one will tell you one useful thing. If you're at the top of the chain, sometimes people won't give you honest feedback because they're afraid. In this case, disguise yourself, or get feedback from other sources. Focus on those who will use your product – listen to your customers first.

10. Innovate.

Innovation distinguishes a leader from a follower. Delegate, let other top executives do 50% of your routine work to be able to spend 50% your time on the new stuff. Say no to 1,000 things to make sure you don't get on the wrong track or try to do too much. Concentrate on really important creations and radical innovation.

Hire people who want to make the best things in the world. You need a very product-oriented culture, even in a technology company. Lots of companies have tons of great engineers and smart people. But ultimately, there needs to be some gravitational force that pulls it all together.

11. Learn from failures.

Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.

12. Learn continually.

There's always "one more thing" to learn! Cross-pollinate ideas with others both within and outside your company. Learn from customers, competitors and partners. If you partner with someone whom you don't like, learn to like them – praise them and benefit from them. Learn to criticize your enemies openly, but honestly.  

Also read the tips 5 tips on how to present like Steve Jobs.  

Taken from: 1000advices.com (article, By Vadim Kotelnikov), Google (images).
Posted by Unknown

Wednesday, 19 September 2012

leadership tips from Bill Gates

Some 12 years ago Bill Gates wrote a book Business @ the Speed of Thought: Succeeding in the Digital Economy. To say it was influential at the time is an understatement.

I think the leadership tips he gave in it are still valid today. Here they are:

1. Take two “retreats” every year.

“Leave your office to develop long-range strategies.” Every leader needs to stand back from the day-to-day activities of the organization and take long hard look – long (forwards and back) and wide – what else is going on in the wider world, right now. Then it may be time to refresh the vision and refocus the organization

2. Read books on other topics.

“Read books on topics that don’t pertain strictly to your business or industry. It’s the best way to maintain a broad perspective.” Leaders need an open mind. I wrote about that here recently. Open Minds come up with new, innovative, solutions and new destinations – open your mind by reading books outside your immediate field of interest! You’ll be surprised where it might lead to.

3. Identify problems early.

“Identify problems early by tracking “exceptions,” such as sales figures that suddenly sag for a particular product. Jump on them right away.” You should know your organization well enough to know what are the key indicators and you should be tracking them. Don’t just look at them – truly understand – ask questions till you do. Then act!

4. Stop at the end of each day.

“Stop at the end of each day to analyze how well you used it. If you wasted time on things you didn’t need to do, eliminate them tomorrow.” Take time out to reflect and act on your reflection. If you find you don’t have time to react then have a look at this link; there is a post and a poll today about managing your email in-box.

Also read the tips Bill Gates tips for students.

Taken from: wisewolftalking.com (article), Google (images).
Posted by Unknown