12 Ways To Wake Up And Feel Super Positive For The Day

1. Consider what makes you happy

Thoughts create emotions. Happy thoughts create happy emotions. It’s super simple but it’s so true – think about the things you love to do that make you happy. Just visualizing doing something that makes you happy is bound to make you actually feel happier in return.

2. Give gratitude

Gratitude is one of the most important practices I always recommend my clients. It’s easy to get caught in the cycle of negative thinking and eventually forgetting how good you actually have it. When you spend some time in the morning to list out 5 things you are grateful for, it shifts your whole mindset and your day becomes so much brighter.

3. Relax your body

Without physical relaxation, we breed stress and anxiety in our body. Make sure your daily routine includes self-care that allows you to relax your body. Whether it’s a massage, yoga, or a nice bath – relaxing your body is important ingredient to feeling positive every day.

4. Focus on breathing

Throughout the day, the more stress and to-do’s get put on our plates, the more anxiety heighten. We may not even realize that our breathing changes and becomes more shallow as we get stressed out. A really quick and simple tip is take a moment and notice your breathing. Is it shallow? Take some deeper breaths and let them out very slowly. Do this a couple of times and enjoy an increased feel of relaxation within minutes.

5. Don’t attach to your thoughts

Each day we create stories around the circumstances and events that surround us. Researchers say that we have about 60,000 thoughts per day! How exhausting is that? The less you attach to your thoughts and let them pass through without believing them and letting them affect you, the more likely you are to feel at peace and relaxed throughout the day.

6. Stay off social media

If you’re one of the people that checks their social media or email as soon as you wake up – stop that now! I didn’t realize how much it affects you until you stop doing it for a while. Each morning spent away from social media is so much more relaxed, peaceful, and joyful. We aren’t screamed at by a constant influx of information and messages and our mind has the capacity to just be.

7. Prepare a delicious breakfast

Instead of wasting your morning checking your Facebook feed, get yourself to the kitchen and prepare a beautiful delicious (and nutritious) breakfast! Protein pancakes anyone? Sunny side eggs? Perfection. Now, isn’t that so much better?

8. Establish a meditation practice

Making meditation a non-negotiable in your routine can be a real life-changer! Not only will you feel more peaceful and centered, you will feel more in tune with your body and your surroundings. Don’t worry if you aren’t a seasoned meditator yet. Meditation isn’t just sitting cross-legged humming “Ommmm” – you can do so much more, including dance meditation, mindfulness techniques, hypnosis, and more.

9. Try self-hypnosis recordings

Speaking of hypnosis, this is one of the easier and best ways to get yourself into meditation. There are tons of recordings available for purchase online (99 cents per track on Amazon!) and each one is created specifically to help with a certain problem. Want to feel more positive? There’s a lot of those to choose from.

10. Go for a morning run

Ahhh… endorphins! What better way to start the day than with these feel-good hormones? Go for a nice run in the morning, before the weather gets too hot, and you’ll be glad you did.

11. Play with your pets

I had a friend who always played with her dog in the morning. They would get breakfast, stretch out and play before heading off to work. It helped her connect with her pet, feel happier, and start the day off on a joyful note. I mean, it’s nearly impossible to be angry or sad after playing with your beloved pet.

12. Smile regardless of how you might feel at first

Even if you feel like you want to stay in bed for the entire day and mope around, don’t. Smile to yourself. Better yet, look at yourself in the mirror and smile at yourself. My dad does this every single morning for a minute or two and he swears it changes his whole mood and outlook for the entire day. It’s worth a try!

Tips on how to choose a right stream after Class 10th

So finally class 10th exams are over! But the biggest challenge comes right here, when you have to choose a right stream for 11th class. The question arises, which stream will help you to reach your career goals? This crucial question will pop-up time-to-time and a wrong decision can haunt you for life for not making right career choices. Therefore, a depth knowledge of choices is highly needed to build a career that is best suited for you. A misinformation or a wrong influence can make you end-up in a career that is not made for you. Read further to find out how to choose a right stream after class 10th that will help you achieve your future goals and academic success.

Find your Strength & weaknesses

Gone are the days when we used to make career choices based on two subjects- Mathematics or Biology. Now as time is changing we have wide variety of subject choices. So, here comes the challenge where you have to find your strengths & weaknesses in order to make right career choices. At this point of time you have to recall your past experience. If you are not good with numbers avoid taking subjects like Mathematics or Accountancy. Maybe you are interested in the subject and want to carry it further but it might be possible that you don’t have the required aptitude for the same.  Thus, there is a big difference between liking the subject and being good at the subject. So, know the difference and choose wisely.

Know your Interests

So what excites you the most? Is it Mathematics, Science or History? It is easy to understand that things we do with interest help in making things uncomplicated and comfortable. It is very important to know your interests to succeed in your academic life. Choosing a right subject will make you more confident and capable for building a good career. If you are happy and passionate about the choices you made you’ll make your academic journey smooth and enjoyable. 

It’s your Decision

You are the sailor of your ship! So, it should be your decision to make your career choice. Many students make wrong decisions by neglecting their passion and with a puzzled mind follow their parents decisions. However, this can lead to the worst consequences. It is important to discuss your career plans and taking guidance from an experienced person but at the end it should be a career based on your choices.

Talk to a Career Counselor

Even after a healthy discussion many of you still remain confused and with ambiguous mind you may end-up taking a wrong decision. In this situation, you need to consider a good career counselor for more clarification. Visit a career counselor who would conduct tests which have been specifically designed to evaluate and help students to know their capability, interests & skills. You can also attend various career guidance seminars, workshops, educational fairs and events to explore more career choices and to get a crystal clear idea about various career opportunities offered by each stream.

Don’t follow the crowd blindly

You might be unaware of how crucial this phase is in your life. It is a very first step towards building your career and taking one wrong decision will make you regret your whole life. Many of us try to follow our peers and friends without knowing they have different goals and interests. You should stop focusing on what others are doing and instead gain a clear insight about your own interests and skills. What interests you the most? What you want to do? What are your strong subjects? And evaluate your personality and skills. They may help you make right decisions for your career.

It does not matter what people think of your choice. Do not choose something just because you want your parents or relatives to think good of you. It’s time to think about yourself and what will help you to reach your future goals. Parents should also avoid imposing their decisions on children and help them in exploring right career options. After all it’s your career and in the end, you have to give answer to yourself. So, follow your dreams and choose wisely. All the best!

Golden Rules of Goal Setting

Five Rules to Set Yourself Up for Success

 

Have you thought about what you want to be doing in five years' time? Are you clear about what your main objective at work is at the moment? Do you know what you want to have achieved by the end of today?

If you want to succeed, you need to set goals. Without goals you lack focus and direction. Goal setting not only allows you to take control of your life's direction; it also provides you a benchmark for determining whether you are actually succeeding. Think about it: having a million dollars in the bank is only proof of success if one of your goals is to amass riches. If your goal is to practice acts of charity, then keeping the money for yourself is suddenly contrary to how you would define success.

To accomplish your goals, however, you need to know how to set them. You can't simply say, "I want" and expect it to happen. Goal setting is a process that starts with careful consideration of what you want to achieve, and ends with a lot of hard work to actually do it. In between, there are some very well-defined steps that transcend the specifics of each goal. Knowing these steps will allow you to formulate goals that you can accomplish.

The Five Golden Rules

1. Set Goals That Motivate You

When you set goals for yourself, it is important that they motivate you: this means making sure that they are important to you, and that there is value in achieving them. If you have little interest in the outcome, or they are irrelevant given the larger picture, then the chances of you putting in the work to make them happen are slim. Motivation is key to achieving goals.

Set goals that relate to the high priorities in your life. Without this type of focus, you can end up with far too many goals, leaving you too little time to devote to each one. Goal achievement requires commitment, so to maximize the likelihood of success, you need to feel a sense of urgency and have an "I must do this" attitude. When you don't have this, you risk putting off what you need to do to make the goal a reality. This in turn leaves you feeling disappointed and frustrated with yourself, both of which are de-motivating. And you can end up in a very destructive "I can't do anything or be successful at anything" frame of mind.

Tip:

To make sure that your goal is motivating, write down why it's valuable and important to you. Ask yourself, "If I were to share my goal with others, what would I tell them to convince them it was a worthwhile goal?" You can use this motivating value statement to help you if you start to doubt yourself or lose confidence in your ability to actually make the goal happen.

2. Set SMART Goals

You have probably heard of SMART goals already. But do you always apply the rule? The simple fact is that for goals to be powerful, they should be designed to be SMART. There are many variations of what SMART stands for, but the essence is this – goals should be:

• Specific.
• Measurable.
• Attainable.
• Relevant.
• Time Bound.

Set Specific Goals

Your goal must be clear and well defined. Vague or generalized goals are unhelpful because they don't provide sufficient direction. Remember, you need goals to show you the way. Make it as easy as you can to get where you want to go by defining precisely where you want to end up.

Set Measurable Goals

Include precise amounts, dates, and so on in your goals so you can measure your degree of success. If your goal is simply defined as "To reduce expenses" how will you know when you have been successful? In one month's time if you have a 1 percent reduction or in two years' time when you have a 10 percent reduction? Without a way to measure your success you miss out on the celebration that comes with knowing you have actually achieved something.

Set Attainable Goals

Make sure that it's possible to achieve the goals you set. If you set a goal that you have no hope of achieving, you will only demoralize yourself and erode your confidence.

However, resist the urge to set goals that are too easy. Accomplishing a goal that you didn't have to work hard for can be anticlimactic at best, and can also make you fear setting future goals that carry a risk of non-achievement. By setting realistic yet challenging goals, you hit the balance you need. These are the types of goals that require you to "raise the bar" and they bring the greatest personal satisfaction.

Set Relevant Goals

Goals should be relevant to the direction you want your life and career to take. By keeping goals aligned with this, you'll develop the focus you need to get ahead and do what you want. Set widely scattered and inconsistent goals, and you'll fritter your time – and your life – away.

Set Time-Bound Goals

Your goals must have a deadline. Again, this means that you know when you can celebrate success. When you are working on a deadline, your sense of urgency increases and achievement will come that much quicker.

3. Set Goals in Writing

The physical act of writing down a goal makes it real and tangible. You have no excuse for forgetting about it. As you write, use the word "will" instead of "would like to" or "might." For example, "I will reduce my operating expenses by 10 percent this year," not "I would like to reduce my operating expenses by 10 percent this year." The first goal statement has power and you can "see" yourself reducing expenses, the second lacks passion and gives you an excuse if you get sidetracked.

Tip 1:

Frame your goal statement positively. If you want to improve your retention rates say, "I will hold on to all existing employees for the next quarter" rather than "I will reduce employee turnover." The first one is motivating; the second one still has a get-out clause "allowing" you to succeed even if some employees leave.

Tip 2:

If you use a To-Do List, make yourself a To-Do List template that has your goals at the top of it. If you use an Action Program, then your goals should be at the top of your Project Catalog.

Post your goals in visible places to remind yourself every day of what it is you intend to do. Put them on your walls, desk, computer monitor, bathroom mirror or refrigerator as a constant reminder.

4. Make an Action Plan

This step is often missed in the process of goal setting. You get so focused on the outcome that you forget to plan all of the steps that are needed along the way. By writing out the individual steps, and then crossing each one off as you complete it, you'll realize that you are making progress towards your ultimate goal. This is especially important if your goal is big and demanding, or long-term.

5. Stick With It!

Remember, goal setting is an ongoing activity, not just a means to an end. Build in reminders to keep yourself on track, and make regular time-slots available to review your goals. Your end destination may remain quite similar over the long term, but the action plan you set for yourself along the way can change significantly. Make sure the relevance, value, and necessity remain high.

Key Points

Goal setting is much more than simply saying you want something to happen. Unless you clearly define exactly what you want and understand why you want it the first place, your odds of success are considerably reduced. By following the Five Golden Rules of Goal Setting you can set goals with confidence and enjoy the satisfaction that comes along with knowing you achieved what you set out to do.

So, what will you decide to accomplish today?

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How To Motivate And Inspire Your People In Difficult Times

These days, if you’re a leader of any type, you can’t simply order people around and expect them to do what you want. They may follow your directions, if you are watching, but once they’re left on their own they’ll go back to doing what they think is important.

Leaders today, more than ever before, have to win people’s cooperation. And there are two main ways of doing so: motivation and inspiration. Although the two words are often used interchangeably, they actually mean quite different things – depending on what you want to achieve.

Motivation is about moving people to act in a way that achieves a specific and immediate goal. When you’re motivating people to do something they may not necessarily want to do, you have to offer them something they want in return.

When coaches give their teams a pep talk during halftime, they are using motivation. They want their players to charge back onto the field or the court with renewed energy and focus, even though they may be too tired or disheartened to try. Their reward? Victory.

Here are 4 steps to motivate your people:

Tell people exactly what you want them to do.

Motivation is all about getting people to take action, so don’t be vague. Avoid generalities like, “I want everyone to do their best.” Say, instead, “I need you to come in over the weekend so we can get this project done on time.”

1. Limit the amount of time or effort that you’re asking for.

It’s easier to ask people to work late work one night or even every night for a week than to expect them to work late indefinitely. Set an end date.

2. Share in the sacrifice.

Leaders don’t ask people to do what they themselves aren’t willing to do. Don’t tell your people to work over the weekend if you’ve got plans for a spa day. Roll up your sleeves and share the load.

3. Appeal to their emotions.

Fear focuses people’s attention and can be an effective motivator. (“If we don’t get this done right now, we’ll all lose our jobs.”) But if you keep resorting to fear, you’ll end up de-motivating people. People are also motivated by-and prefer to be motivated by-positive emotions like excitement, pride, a sense of belonging, and the thrill of achievement.

4. Give people multiple reasons for doing what you want them to do.

You can give your own reason or the organization’s reason for requesting the action. “If we don’t get this project completed on schedule, we’ll lose the contract.” But the best reason of all is always personal. It would be nice if you could give your people extra days off or even a bonus. Or, you may talk about something as intangible as the camaraderie that comes from having achieved something important together. But things being what they are these days, the best you may be able to offer is the hope that no one will lose a job.

Inspiration, on the other hand, involves changing the way people think and feel about themselves so that they want to take positive actions. It taps into people’s values and desires.

Commencement speakers – the best ones, at least – inspire their audiences. They talk about the challenges the graduates will face, either personally or collectively, and the possibilities of making a difference. Inspiration appeals to the best aspirations of people, and its underlying, often unspoken message is “You can become what you want to be.” No reward is promised, other than the reward that comes from within: the sense of personal satisfaction.

As a leader, anytime you talk about values, about identity (either the corporate identity or each person’s identity), and about long-term goals, your intent – whether you know it or not – is to inspire.

Use these 5 steps too inspire your people:

1. Be the change you want to inspire.

Your reputation, your character, your behavior will inspire people more than anything else. The only way to call the best out of others is to expect the best from yourself.

2. Tell a story.

Stories don’t tell people what to do. They engage people’s imaginations and emotions. They show people what they’re capable of becoming or of doing.

3. Appeal to people’s value system.

Ask them to act in a way that is consistent with the values they themselves profess.

4. Trust people.

When you’re inspiring people, you’re not telling them exactly what to do or giving them precise directions. You’re empowering them to be their best, trusting that they will then do the right thing. And the right thing they do may not be what you were expecting; it may be something beyond your wildest expectations.

5. Challenge them.

People aren’t inspired by doing the ordinary or by meeting expectations. They’re inspired by the exertion, creativity, and sacrifice needed to exceed what they themselves thought possible.

Motivation and inspiration are not the sole province of professional speakers and preachers. They’re tools leaders use all the time – in one-on-one conversations, in meetings and in formal presentations – to bring out the best in their people. It’s just a matter of knowing the right time and the right situation.

When there’s an immediate, short-term and specific goal that you want your people to achieve, you need to motivate them. When you want to shape people’s identity and their long-term aspirations and commitments, you need to inspire them.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the French aviator and author of “The Little Prince”, wrote, “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.” Sometimes you need to do both. You need to enlist and organize people to do a specific task-to build a ship according to specs, on time and on budget-and sometimes you need to activate people’s desires and stand aside. Who knows, you may be surprised by what they do

If like this post please leave a comment. And you can also suggest any topics you wanted to see in the comments. Thank you!..

Tips to Help You Manage Time Better and Stay Motivated

Time management is tough, whether you’re good at it or not. Because it’s not just about managing time wisely, it’s about being productive with the time you invest.

It’s possible to waste hours – even when you are working – if you're unorganized or have not chosen a proper goal. You might find yourself browsing social media or perusing online storefronts instead of working.

 

Every once in a while, you might have a day where you don’t feel motivated or inspired. It happens to the best of us, and it’s difficult to get your drive back when it happens.

 

It helps if you have an action plan, or a method of attack. You can get yourself back on track quicker than if you just keep plugging away without a game plan.

 

Here are some tips to keep you on task and motivated.

 

1. Spend 30 Minutes Planning Your Day 

 

Before you begin working each day, spend 30 minutes planning out what you want to do. The easiest way to do this is to write down a list of goals for the day, which you can pour through. But you can also rely on time management software or mobile apps to do the same.

 

Whatever works best for you is the way to go. You will need to experiment and find out what that is.

 

If you get stuck or feel unmotivated, the list will help you complete your projects by forcing you to stay on task.

 

2. Take Small but Frequent Breaks  

 

Remaining sedentary for too long can affect productivity. If you are working long hours – especially if you are sitting – then it’s best to take frequent but small breaks to rejuvenate your focus. During your breaks, get up, get some water, and stretch.

 

Don’t focus on work during your breaks, take an actual break and let your mind recuperate.

3. Block Out Time for Important Tasks

 There will be times that you don’t know how long a particular task or project is going to take, and that’s okay. However, you should block out a certain amount of time in your schedule for important tasks. For example, you could choose to work on a report for an hour. After that hour is up, you move on to another task.

 

This does several things. First, it allows you to continue through your list of tasks, in turn staying productive. Second, it allows you to gauge how long that project will truly take to finish. After that first hour you should know enough to decide how long it’s going to take.

 

This strategy also works wonders when you find yourself stuck or unable to continue with a certain task. You at least have the option to move on and finish other work.

 

4. Minimize Distractions

 This is a tough one, but you need to do your best to minimize any and all distractions. This means avoiding sites like Facebook, Reddit, or YouTube. If you work from home separate yourself from your family and kids. Turn off the TV and opt for music if you like background noise.

 

Of course, everyone is different, so all our distractions are different. You need to find your own way to remove them from the equation.

 

5. It’s Okay to Say “No”

Don’t overload yourself with work. If you know that something on your daily list is going to take a while to complete, don’t take on extra work. It’s okay to admit when you cannot handle something, and it’s certainly okay to turn down work that would affect your productivity.

 

This goes hand-in-hand with our next tip, but try to focus on a small number of tasks at a time. You’ll have greater success focusing on one or two projects than several. This will mean saying no to tasks when your agenda fills up.

6. Stop Multitasking

Humans were not made to multitask. No matter how good you think you are, it’s time to stop.

 

Did you know that multitasking will not only decrease your productivity by as much as 40%, but it will also decrease your IQ and shrink your brain?

 

If you have to, look up tips and tricks for giving up multi-tasking. Focus instead on monotasking, or working on a single task at a time. You’ll soon find that not only are you more productive, you’re more accomplished, as well. Monotasking allows you to focus more of your energy and brainpower on a single task, which results in better work all around.

 

7. Go Off the Grid

 

Responding to emails, colleagues, and office interruptions can be a real problem when you’re trying to stay focused. Spend some time each day on these tasks, especially dealing with your emails. Then, move on completely and stay off the grid.

 

Avoid answering emails later in the day – while you’re working on other things – unless it’s an absolute emergency.

 

8. You Don’t Have to Complete Everything

 

The whole point of scheduling your day in advance, is so you're spending time each day on the most important projects. Hopefully, you’re not planning work the day before the deadline. Not only is that stressful, it’s not good for productivity or the quality of your work.

 

It’s impossible to get everything done, all at once anyway. Drop the mindset that you need to complete everything in one go. Arrange your schedule so that you have the appropriate amount of time to finish your work before it’s due. Work on the more important tasks first, and the least important tasks later.

 

Follow These Tips to Stay Productive

 

We hope you enjoyed our guide to staying productive and managing your time wisely. Hopefully, it helps you stick to your day-to-day tasks!

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