Positive Self-discipline

Self discipline is not self-denial or self-restriction.  Self-determination is the inner training that develops     self-control. Self-discipline is synonymous to self-determination. Self-discipline is perseverance in action.  People who practice self-discipline make their jobs enjoyable. They create their own success and happiness.  Many people without self-discipline allow the outcome of their lives tone shaped by fate, luck or their astrological sign.  They think that their lives are controlled by outer agencies.

People who accomplish more depends on their positive self-talk, constructive dreams and careful planning.  How they achieve their goals is a result of practiced self-discipline.  No man or woman has ever achieved anything of value who is not self-disciplined.  You may be motivated.  You may have the right attitude. But you will never get near the launching pad without persistent self-discipline.

Self-discipline alone can make a positive habit or break a negative habit. Self-discipline alone can effect a permanent change in your self-image and your capacity for joy.  Self-discipline is holding your ground when you'd rather run away.  Self-discipline is within.  It is the ability to practice within.  Achievers work and practice to toughen themselves to the task.  Self-esteem, self-knowledge, self-discipline, these are the three qualities that bring lasting personal success.

Expect to Succeed

Whether you are a manager in a corporation, secretary in the office, or an employee on the production or a student studying in the college, expect the best of yourself always.  Your enthusiasm generated by positive expectations, will energise others drawing them to you.  You will find your spirits uplifted and your efforts moving more easily toward an ultimate goal.  Negative thinking produces negative results, positive thinking produces positive results always.

People who always feel joy in themselves  believe in the self-fulfillment prophecy.  They create their own agenda, always task and goal oriented and thinking positively.  Individuals who enjoy their jobs keep up their momentum by expecting good health, financial gain, good working relationships, new opportunities and career success.  Be surrounded by positive aura of atmosphere always.

Developing Dynamic Habits

Everyone has habits.  Getting up in the morning, doing the things that create order in your environment, eating nutritious meals, exercising your body, practicing good hygiene, getting enough sleep.  These habits enable you to function at full strength both at work and play.  Good study habits enable you to organize your thinking and use your time for effective learning.  Habits of courtesy create natural good manners that make others comfortable.  Consistent practice habits enable you to develop a skill or talent like music or sports, painting, crafts or writing. 

A habit is a pattern of behavior we have acquired that has become so automatic it’s difficult to modify or eliminate.  Most habits become unconscious and we no longer have to think about where, when, how or whether to do things – it’s almost as though they’re done outside of our conscious will.

Habitual behaviors can certainly be helpful.  We rarely need to think about the way we use our bodies to walk, run and climb stairs.  We are robotic about the way we hold a pencil, fork or a cup.  Drivers get into the habit of operating the accelerator, brake and turn signal efficiently, never giving the process a thought.  Habits of politeness such as saying “hello,” “please,” “thank you,” “you’re welcome” and “excuse me,” promote harmony as we communicate with each other in our daily routines.

The habits of doing routine things in a certain order can sometimes assure completion.  For instance, putting everything you need for work in the same place near the door before you go to bed each night can help you get a smooth start the next morning.  If before you leave the house each day you form the habit of taking a few seconds to visually scan the room and think about what you need to take with you, you will save yourself time and embarrassment.  Thinking about what needs to be turned off or unplugged will help keep your home safe.

The habits of thinking negatively about ourselves and our opportunities is self-destructive.  Procrastination is an insidious and self-defeating habit that has ruined many lives.  Blaming other people or circumstances for our failures can become a habit that prevents us from moving forward toward the completion of our goals.   By the time  a behavior pattern becomes a habit, it feels so familiar that it seems to be a natural part of us, but, infact, habits are learned and practiced.  Just as we have learned them over time, so too it’s possible to unlearn them. Determine how to be the master of your habits, so that your habits can be useful servants to you.

Communication for Results

When you send messages, speak on the telephone, or make presentations, you represent your organization.  By assessing your present level of confidence in these areas, you can identify where additional study and practice would be helpful.  Good communication skills make every other part of your job easier.

Keep these general principles in mind whenever you are writing or speaking:

There is no substitute for knowing the facts about your subject.  Learn everything you can about your organization, how it works, who does what job, normal schedules and procedures, general policies, and which customers or clients warrant special consideration.

Never be afraid to say or write that you do not know something.  Do say, however, that you will find out and let the other person know as  soon as possible.   Then be sure to follow through on your promise.

Always try to understand the other person’s point of view; what is he or she really asking?  Listen to the other person or read his or her message carefully, and consider the context from which it was written.

When unpleasant information must be communicated, soften it with something positive.

Observe how effective people around you use the telephone.  Ask to read samples of their memos (including letters and emails).  What works well for them?   How could you adapt their methods to work for you?

Why People Don't Plan?

Planning takes lots of concentrated thought.  You have to know where you are in life, what options are open to you, where you want to go, and what you have to do to get there.  That requires self-examination and a thorough analysis of  your strengths, weaknesses, philosophy, and attitudes.

Majority of the people think that planning is useless, they think that everything happens through ‘chance’ and ‘luck’.   Chance is the impersonal, purposeless determiner of unaccountable happenings.  It’s pure chance when a coconut falls out of a palm tree and lands unnoticed in the sand.  But if the coconut were to land on your head, you’d consider that bad luck, and you’d be right.

Good luck is simply chance that benefits human beings.  You can’t influence chance, but you can control the way you respond to it.  If no one was around to see or hear the coconut fall, it would merely be a chance occurrence.  But if you saw the coconut fall and jumped out of the way to avoid it, you could say you were lucky, and you’d be right again.

The planning process shapes your luck by showing you how to respond to falling coconuts and other external chances of life.  You can, through careful planning improve your potential for good luck and enhance your chance of  success by recognizing good fortune whenever it occurs and by applying yourself to the opportunities it presents.  If you don’t respond to chance in a predetermined fashion, you run the risk of having bad luck or no luck at all.

People who rely entirely on chance events for their success always seem to come up short.  And it isn’t only their response to the whims of Mother Nature that clouds their future.  Much of their misfortune lies in their dogged determination not to plan.  People think it’s a waste of time to try to figure out what’s going to happen in a distant, hazy future.  They would rather rely on the mysteries of chance to bring them happiness and prosperity.  But what they don’t know is that no one who has relied on chance alone has ever been consistently successful. 

 Some of the other reasons why people don’t plan is because of their negative attitudes, stubbornness, excessive optimism, inflexibility, lack of perception, problems with urgency,  social taboos and environmental blocks, limited view points, fear of the unknown and lack of perservarance.

Body Talk & Dress In Interviews

Your mind will probably racing as you anticipate what you’ll say and how you’ll behave, but the first impression you create will be visual and the importance of body language, grooming and dress can’t  be overestimated.

Men should wear a suit and tie.  The suit doesn’t have to be dark, three-piece, or pinstriped, but it should be somewhat conservative in colour and style.  Naturally, there are situations where only a very conservative suit is appropriate, sus as in interviews at financial institutions or law firms.  On the other hand, if you’re interviewing with a design or record company, it may be more suitable to interview in a sport jacket and trendy tie.

Women have more choices in dress and therefore can make more mistakes.  Suits and conservative positions,  dresses are the best bet for women as well; avoid extremes in length, colour, and frills.  The more staid the company, the more conservative the outfit should be.  You can personalize your clothes with tasteful understated jewelry and accessories. Stay away from pants, miniskirts, sweaters and anything that’s overly trendy or casual.

A  firm handshake makes a tremendous impression on an interviewer, but it always takes him or her a few moments to concentrate after shaking a clammy, limp hand.  Make sure your hand is dry, even if it means wiping it inconspicuously on your clothes or hiding a napkin in your pocket.

You should appear calm and comfortable with a genuine smile, whatever your internal thoughts.  Sit in natural positions, bearing in mind that you’re not on your own couch at home.  Avoid crossing your arms tightly across your chest, because this is often perceived as an indication that you close people out.

Make eye contact throughout your meeting.  If you’re nervous and have an inclination to look down, try to catch yourself and look at your interviewer.  Many people have little nervous habits that they’re unaware of.  For that reason you may want to try a few practice interviews with a friend.  What do you unconsciously do when you’re speaking?  Do you pick at your nails?  Play with your hair?  Have your friend point out any such unwanted habits, and then find ways to avoid them.

Increase Your Memory Power

How often have you wished that you were better able to remember details or experiences and then apply these memories to the task at hand?  When you are able to recall pertinent knowledge to solve a problem, come up with a new idea or answer a complex question, you are skillfully applying your memory.

Memory systems date back to antiquity.  In ancient times memory was vitally important since there was no written language.  It was memory techniques and systems that enabled storytellers to remember stories, poems and songs and orators to remember their speeches.

The importance of a memory system has not lost its importance over the centuries.  Today, anyone wanting to be effective in his or her job must develop and exercise an efficient memory.  Most jobs require us to store millions of pieces of information.  We must have immediate mental access to company procedures, systems, products and services.  We must also be aware of similar items from our competitors.

We need to remember countless names and faces and relevant facts about people with whom we meet and interact.  Added to this, we are asked to accurately remember information discussed in meetings, during dozens of transactions and a variety of other details.  We are, infact, a walking computer.

Most of use only a fraction of our memory capability.  The way we improve our memory is not by improving intelligence or mental capacity, but by actively applying the fundamental principles of memory improvement and using the variety of memory techniques which is scientifically proven and beneficial.

Our mind is a vast reservoir of integrated holographic systems composed of over 10 billion nerve cells.  Scientists have scarcely tapped the surface of understanding how the human mind works.  Although much has been learned, the nature of how memory functions still has many mysteries.  Despite how little is really known, understanding how memory works and developing proven memory techniques will provide numerous personal and professional benefits. 

There is no such thing as "poor" memory exists for most of us.  The real issue is whether we have a trained memory or an untrained memory.  Almost anyone who wants to improve his or her memory can use proven methods which will train the mind for better recall.