Dear All,

Kindly find below a good article for your reading:

Ways To De-clutter Your life

One of the most important aspects of trying to organize your life is making sure that you have the space and time to actually live in the first place. Usually, a hectic lifestyle that is built around fighting fires and dealing with things one-by-one comes from having to de-clutter your lifestyle and remove some of the tedious tasks that many of us can get involved in from time to time.

If you want to start making plans to reduce your clutter, then these 5 ways to de-clutter your life should help massively.

1. Reduce your clutter at home

You might think that you do quite well to define what is useful, useless and anything in-between at home. The reality, though, might shock you. We all have a bit of a hoarder in us, and for homeowners this is extremely apparent – you need to start going through your home, thinking “Do I really need this item? Could this help someone else?”

When you start to cut through the nonsense that fills up your home you can make a genuine difference to your chances of long-term success. Your home is where you relax and take your mind off of clutter and mess, not bring it straight back on!

2. Find out which of your activities are not productive

We all find ourselves wasting a little time every now and then, on the basis that we have too much going on in our lives. If this sums you up to a T, then you need to start considering the various ways that you can de-clutter your life quickly and easily. Find out what activities you carry out on a regular basis, that aren’t really productive – or enjoyable – and stop it from being a regular habit. The amount of time and money that you can save just by cutting back on silly habits can be quite incredible.

3. Spend time only with people who make you happy

One of the easiest ways to waste your time and your patience is to hang around with people who aren’t positive individuals. It’s very easy to get yourself in a negative spiral and to think about all the bad things that might happen in the future – purely on the basis that the company you hang around with will influence your mood. Do you find that most of your friends are negative people who look at the “Don’t”s in this world, rather than the “Do”s?

If so, you need to change who you spend your time with. Being happy and feeling productive is a by-product of getting involved with the right kinds of individuals and hanging around with people who are likeminded. De-clutter by spending time with people who promote love, not guilt and shame.

4. Reduce your to-do list and get things done

If you can find that your “To-Do” list has at least ten things on it every day, this can be a problem as finding the time to do each of them efficiently and in the right manner can be a bit of a process on its own, never mind actually making a difference in the long-term.

So, instead of fighting fires and trying to get all of your tasks done as fast as you can why not consider the importance of de-cluttering your to-do list and making sure that you are working on a smaller set of tasks that you can truly concentrate on.

5. Set clear goals and follow them without beating around the bush

A lack of definition will kill anyone’s chances of being productive so if you want to make sure that you hit the right notes and that you are being productive, you should make sure that you set clearly defined goals which you can look back on with fondness in the future. Don’t let a lack of clarity hold you back forever.

regards

Dear All,

Please find below a good article for your reading:

Easy Ways To Boost Your Confidence

Imagine being able to overcome any obstacle that might come your way at work or in relationships. Then try to picture yourself taking risks and not having to ask for advice or someone’s approval every step of the way. This is what self-confident people do every day.

If you lack assurance and are low on self-esteem, read on because here are 5 easy ways to boost your confidence

“Low self-confidence isn’t a life sentence. Self-confidence can be learned, practiced, and mastered-just like any other skill. Once you master it, everything in your life will change for the better.” – Barrie Davenport

1. Boost your self image

If failure is getting you down, just remember that there is always a solution. You may have to try again but you can always analyze what went wrong. The best way to boost your self image after a setback is to write down all your accomplishments and star qualities. Make a list and put it on your computer desktop or near where you spend most of your time. You can also make a list of all the things you should be grateful for. The benefits of gratitude on your overall health and happiness are truly amazing, as you will see from this infographic.

2. Set realistic goals

You know your talents and strengths. Set your goals to match these. Reject those that are just beyond your skills set and capabilities, qualifications or experience. This is where you can realistically assess your weaknesses and build on your strengths.

3. Get on the positive thoughts track

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” – Helen Keller

Helen Keller was the first deaf and blind person in the US to gain a degree and she obviously used a lot of positive thinking to help her achieve that amazing feat.

So, why positive thoughts and not negative ones? Negative thinking may be useful when imagining failure scenarios, threats, and obstacles. Once you get on a negative streak, your brain filters out everything else and you only think of failure. The human brain is wired to think of problems and fears, perhaps because of an anthropological necessity to cope with harsh and hostile environments.

The best solution is to build on positive thoughts. Here are some practical tips to do just that:

• Make your own mantra where you often repeat phrases such as “I can succeed” or “we are capable of….” It was no accident that the Obama presidential campaign chose “Yes, we can”.
• Every time a negative thought invades your territory, kick it off the playing field and substitute it with a positive thought, plan, action, or emotion.
• Court optimism like a seductive lover. Visualize happiness and success. But don’t waste too much time on fantasizing as this will affect productivity and positive action.
• Do not ignore obstacles entirely. If the plan is feasible, repeat that you know about all the roadblocks along the way but you are well equipped and prepared for them. They will not throw you off the road.
• Reduce your exposure to negative media and gloomy news broadcasts. Once a day is more than sufficient.
• Aim for positive leisure time so that you can refresh your mind and body by indulging in comedy, sports, social occasions and avoiding toxic colleagues.

4. Actions and body language speak louder than thoughts

It is all very well to have a positive mindset but you need to accompany this with large doses of action. One study at the Colombia Business Schoolshowed that even one minute of using a dominant pose, such as being a confident boss with legs on the desk, led to more confidence. They also found that the right power pose actually changed the levels of testosterone. This would seem to suggest that our body language and the way we walk and other behavior can boost our confidence and chances of success!

5. Increase your will power

If you lack motivation and optimism, there are actually a few tricks that can help you increase your will power, so that you can get things done. Researchers have found that those on challenging diets should eat with their less dominant hand. This forces them to think a lot more about the quantity and the quality of the food. They get better results than those who never bother to change hands while eating.

When people were tempted to indulge in smoking, they found that by tensing certain muscles such as their fist or biceps, helped them to resist. Even gripping a pen in your hand was found to be helpful. Researchers at Rochester University found that the participants who sat up straight and crossed their arms had a much higher persistence rate and were more successful than those who adopted a more relaxed body pose.

Once you see the results from increased will power, positive actions, and the right mindset, your confidence will be boosted.

regards

Dear All,

Please find below a good article for your reading:

Reasons Why Introverts Can Be Great Leaders

Most introverts have no intention to lead. But if they are put in the role to lead, they can step up and be great leaders too. Successful leaders such as Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Barack Obama, Larry Page, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, J.K. Rowling, and Marissa Mayer are all introverts.

They show that great leaders don’t have to be outspoken or outgoing. They can be quiet and reserved too.

As an introvert, I used to not want to be in the spotlight and used to think that I couldn’t lead others well. But after given opportunities to lead others at work and in college, I realized that I can be a great leader too. Just that I have to lead differently from my extroverted peers and use my quiet personality to my advantage.

Here are seven reasons why introverts can be great leaders too.

1. They listen more than they speak.

Great leaders listen. They listen to what their team and customers have to say. They find out the problems their team and customers are facing and create solutions to help them. Introverts can be great leaders because they listen more than they speak. They have the patience to listen and collect valuable information from other speakers while they are waiting for their turn to speak.

Introverts also love meaningful conversations. They are more likely to find out underlying problems and important feedback from their team and customers when they communicate with them.

2. They are great followers.

Great leaders are great followers too. They have empathy towards their followers and understand what their followers are going through. They know what is important to their followers and understand how to serve them. Introverts can be great leaders because they don’t mind taking a step back and let their followers lead. Instead of telling their followers what to do and controlling what they do, they let their followers suggest ideas and engage in the decision-making process. This is crucial because someone working at the ground level may have more detailed knowledge than someone looking from the top level at the big picture.

Plus, most introverts have a lot of experience following. They know what makes a good leader or not. When it is their time to lead, they know what to do and what not to do to be effective leaders.

3. They influence people through action.

Great leaders are good at influencing and persuading others. To get support, they have to sell their vision and make others believe their vision is possible. Some introverts think that they can’t be great leaders because they aren’t good at garnering support and persuading others with words. The truth is introverts don’t have to persuade others with words. They can influence others through their action.

Introverts may not talk much but when they do talk, their words count. Introverts don’t think out loud. They think carefully before they speak. When they say they want to do something, they have already thought it through and are committed to taking action. Being consistent in their words and action helps them gain respect and trust from their peers and supporters. Therefore, they are more likely to have influence over other people.

4. They make time to think.

Great leaders make good decisions and delegate well. They think long-term and outline a clear path for their people to follow.

Introverts can be great leaders because they make time to think. They are mostly independent and not afraid of solitude. Being alone gives introverts a lot of time to reflect deeply, formulate plans and generate creative ideas. They provide clear, strategic direction for their followers and delegate work according to their strengths.

5. They make followers feel safe.

Great leaders make their followers feel safe and secure. They remove any doubts their followers have and align everyone to a shared purpose. Followers believe and trust their vision.

Introverts can be great leaders because their plans are well thought of. They are well prepared and they process information well. They go deep to the core of the issue and look at different angles to a problem. Followers are most likely to feel safe acting accordingly to their plans.

6. They are less reactive.

Great leaders exude confidence. They aren’t impulsive in taking action. They focus on their overall goals and people.

Introverts can be great leaders because they don’t response immediately. They reflect on what other people say before they react. They keep their cool during high-stress moments. So they are less likely to make impulsive and risky action that will harm their people or organization.

7. They are strong and resilient.

Great leaders have resilience. When challenges arise, they are able to bounce back quickly and resolve the crises.

Introverts can be great leaders because they are used to being misunderstood. Due to their quiet nature and their need for time alone, most introverts grew up being misunderstood as anti-social or don’t like people. Being misunderstood from a young age helps them develop resilience. So they are not easily discouraged or swayed by naysayers. And they are able to handle challenging situations with persistence.

A Note to All Introverts Who Doubt They Can Be Great Leaders

Be yourself. Be proud of your personality. Being introverted is one of the best gifts you can have. Use it well and be the great leader you can become!

regards