Time Management Can Lead To Success

Have you ever heard the saying, “Time is your biggest enemy?” Well I sure have and it applies to so many situations.

When I was still working for a technology corporation, my whole day revolved around time. I had to be at work on time so that I could call the US if I needed answers to my questions. Being on a different time zone certainly had it’s problems, so it was imperative that I start work early.

Because I did all the ordering for Australia, I had to allocate my time to different areas so that everything would be completed by the end of the day. On most days I would end up taking work home with me because I simply ran out of time at work.

A lot of my work colleagues would praise me for my work ethic and for the fact that I was always available to answer their questions. I was by far the busiest person in the company because of the responsibilities I had to keep the ordering system flowing smoothly. I was also one of the lowest paid because of the way the American corporation was set up.

My problem was, that even though everything I did ran smoothly and clients and colleagues were very happy with my work, I never did feel as though I was a success. I always felt as though I was lacking in skills and was only there because of luck.

You could say that I was lacking in self confidence, and I was. When I think back over the 7 years I worked for the company, I can see that my role there was pivotal in keeping the Australian operation going. Without my knowledge and the skills I’d learned in dealing with clients, everything I did would have to be set up in the US, which would mean that the clients would have to wait for days to get answers to their questions.

Before I finally left, I was working 7 days and nights a week and it was starting to affect my health. I gave a month’s notice and in that time I had to train 2 people to do my job! Needless to say they didn’t last 6 months, because they could see the volume of work they had to do and the amount of time they’d have to spend doing it.

I’ve since learned that everything I used to do is now being handled in the US.

Do you think I feel as though I was a success at my job? I do now and I feel proud that my efforts kept the company in Australia running. It’s too bad that it’s all done remotely now.

Are You In Control?

When I think back on my life, I can see that a part of me was always giving away my time to others, and in a lot of cases it was a complete waste of time.

I’d go out of my way to please people by doing odd jobs here and there and not once did I have the heart to say "no". I was trading my valuable time for the reward of having that person like me. It all added to my feelings of inadequacy.

Bill Cosby once said: "I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody".

I didn’t understand those words until I was well into my 30’s when I realised that I was being taken advantage of. Everyone knew that I’d always answer "yes" if I was asked to do something. Once I realised what was happening I decided that I would, in the future only do things that I wanted to do.

It’s amazing what happens when you start saying "no". Some people you thought were friends were suddenly nowhere to be found. Talk about feeling used! I soon found out who my real friends were.

Think about it the next time you are asked to do a task for someone. Are you willing to give up your time for someone else? What will you get out of it? Are you being taken advantage of?

When you can answer these questions honestly, you are in the process of controlling your own life.

Success Or Failure Is Not Change, But Choice

There is one thing that we all have in common. That is…at some point in our life, we will face adversity. It’s not a matter of if but…when.

I have come to realize that the difference in our success or failure is not change, but choice. When adversity strikes, it’s not what happens that will determine our destiny; it’s how we react to what happens.

I’m reminded constantly about the human spirit and the determination to succeed. We’ve all seen many news stories about the courage of some people who literally come back from the dead and go on to be successful in all areas of their lives.

Now they could have given up their will to live, but instead there was something inside which was pushing them to survive.

One person who epitomises the courage and the will to survive is Lance Armstrong. He has survived testicular cancer, and a tumour that metastasized to his brain and lungs. His cancer treatments included brain and testicular surgery and extensive chemotherapy, and his prognosis was originally poor, yet he survived and went on to win the Tour de France 7 years in a row.

In the link below is a 3 minute inspirational movie which is about staying strong and not letting circumstances defeat you. So just sit back, turn up your speakers and enjoy.

Click here to watch and be inspired!

And don’t forget to pay it forward by sharing this email with friends, family and co-workers. They’ll thank you for it!

Problem Solving

How many times have you caught yourself saying that there could be no other solution to a problem - and that the problem leads to a dead end? How many times have you felt stumped knowing that the problem laid before you is one you cannot solve. No leads. No options. No solutions.

Did it feel like you had exhausted all possible options and yet are still before the mountain - large, unconquerable, and impregnable? When encountering such enormous problems, you may feel like you’re hammering against a steel mountain. The pressure of having to solve such a problem may be overwhelming.

But rejoice! There might be some hope yet!

With some creative problem-solving techniques you may be able to look at your problem in a different light. And that light might just be the end of the tunnel that leads to possible solutions.

First of all, in the light of creative problem-solving, you must be open-minded to the fact that there may be more than just one solution to the problem. And, you must be open to the fact that there may be solutions to problems you thought were unsolvable.

Now, with this optimistic mindset, we can try to be a little bit more creative in solving our problems.

Creative thinking exercises can also help you in your quest to be a more creative problems solver.

Here is one example.

Take a piece of paper and write any word that comes to mind at the centre. Now look at that word then write the first two words that come to your mind. This can go on until you can build a tree of related words. This helps you build analogical skills, and fortify your creative processes.

So, next time you see a problem you think you can not solve, think again. The solution might just be staring you right in the face. All it takes is just a little creative thinking, some planning, and a whole lot of work.

How To Be A Good Leader

When you are at work, do you get frustrated because things don’t seem to be happening the way they’re supposed to be? You see people milling around but nothing gets accomplished. And in the daily hustle and bustle, do you feel that your goals remain just that - goals? Then maybe it’s time for you to stand up and do something about it.

Most people are content just to stand around listening for orders. And it isn’t unusual to adopt a follow-the-leader mentality. But maybe, somewhere inside of you, you feel the desire to make things happen - to be the head, not the tail. Then maybe leadership just suits you fine.

Some people believe that great leaders are made, not born. Yes, it may be true that some people are born with natural talents. However, without practice, without drive, without enthusiasm, and without experience, there can be no true development in leadership.

You must also remember that good leaders are continually working and studying to improve their natural skills. This takes a commitment to constantly improve in whatever endeavor a person chooses.

First of all, let’s define leadership. To be a leader, one must be able to influence others to accomplish a goal, or an objective. He contributes to the organization and cohesion of a group.

Contrary to what most people believe, leadership is not about power. It is not about harassing people or driving them using fear. It is about encouraging others towards the goal of the organization. It is putting everyone on the same page and helping them see the big picture of the organization. You must be a leader not a boss.

People follow others when they see a clear sense of purpose. People will only follow you if they see that you know where you are going. Remember that bumper sticker? The one that says, don’t follow me, I’m lost too? The same holds true for leadership. If you yourself do not know where you’re headed to, chances are people will not follow you at all.

You yourself must know the vision of the organization. Having a clear sense of hierarchy, knowing who the bosses are, who to talk to, the organization’s goals and objectives, and how the organization works is the only way to show others you know what you are doing.

Being a leader is not about what you make others do. It’s about who you are, what you know, and what you do. You are a reflection of what you’re subordinates must be.

Communication is a very important key to good leadership. Without this you can not be a good leader. The knowledge and technical expertise you have must be clearly imparted to other people.

Leaders are not do-it-all heroes. You should not claim to know everything, and you should not rely upon your skills alone.

Remember being a leader takes a good deal of work and time. It is not learned overnight. Remember, also, that it is not about just you. It is about you and the people around you.

Success Comes Naturally To Some

I was watching a story on TV the other day about Tiger Woods. Apparently he was shooting a commercial but in between breaks he was fiddling with a Rubik’s cube. He placed it on the ground, hit it, and it landed right in the hole! He was just as shocked as everyone else!

Tiger Woods is a person who oozes with success. It’s as if everything he does will be successful. There’s others out there like him as well.

A good friend of mine, Nik Halik, can also be classed as a person who seems to attract success with everything he does. He started setting goals when he was a young boy and he’s almost achieved everything he wrote down and is known as the "Thrillionaire", however, success doesn’t happen without effort. To be successful at anything you have to be prepared to put in the time and have a "never give up" attitude.

"Passion for life and for our work is a critical element of success and abundance.
Passion is a virtually unstoppable, attitudinal force that generates energy, creativity and productivity.
When you love what you do, it’s difficult not to succeed" Richard Carlson.

If someone like Nik Halik can come from very humble beginnings and end up being a "Thrillionaire", then it shows that anyone can achieve success. It’s all in your attitude.

Man’s Desire To Please Women!

An extract from Napoleon Hill’s "Think And Grow Rich"

Man’s greatest motivating force is his desire to please woman!

The hunter who excelled during prehistoric days, before the dawn of civilization, did so, because of his desire to appear great in the eyes of woman. Man’s nature has not changed in this respect. The "hunter" of today brings home no skins of wild animals, but he indicates his desire for her favor by supplying fine clothes, motor cars, and wealth.

Man has the same desire to please woman that he had before the dawn of civilization. The only thing that has changed, is his method of pleasing. Men who accumulate large fortunes, and attain to great heights of power and fame, do so, mainly, to satisfy their desire to please women.

Take women out of their lives, and great wealth would be useless to most men. It is this inherent desire of man to please woman, which gives woman the power to make or break a man.

The woman who understands man’s nature and tactfully caters to it, need have no fear of competition from other women. Men may be "giants" with indomitable will-power when dealing with other men, but they are easily managed by the women of their choice.

Most men will not admit that they are easily influenced by the women they prefer, because it is in the nature of the male to want to be recognized as the stronger of the species. Moreover, the intelligent woman recognizes this "manly trait" and very wisely makes no issue of it.

Are You Hanging Out With The Right People?

To be a success at whatever you choose to do, you have to network with people who are going to support you rather than being a hinderance to your aspirations. 

Aim For Success

It shouldn’t be too hard, should it? All it takes is the motivation to get out and do something to achieve it.

"Never again clutter your days or nights with so many menial and unimportant things that you have no time to accept a real challenge when it comes along. This applies to play as well as work. A day merely survived is no cause for celebration. You are not here to fritter away your precious hours when you have the ability to accomplish so much by making a slight change in your routine. No more busy work. No more hiding from success. Leave time, leave space, to grow. Now. Now! Not tomorrow!"
Og Mandino (1923 - 1996)

In other words don’t waste your time. We only have such a short time on earth to achieve the goals we’ve set ourselves and to achieve success you have to be willing to put in the effort.

Millions of "dreamers" from all over the world go out every week and purchase lotto or lottery tickets, hoping that their name will be the lucky one drawn out to win a fortune. What they don’t understand is that the real joy comes not from being handed money on a "silver platter", but from their own sweat and tears and earning it themselves.

You must believe in the power of your mind and your ability to achieve success. Keep in mind though that the rewards which you receive in life, material or psychic, will not come to you because of your potential, but rather through your performance.

Our lives are governed by the images in our mind, and therefore it is necessary to build images which will result in the greatest success. Once your image is established in your mind, it’s time to turn it over to the power within you so that your image will begin to materialize in your physical world. Now that’s success!

 

 

 

The Road To Success In Marriage

The road to success can be can be very rocky no matter what area of your life you wish to succeed.

Lily Tomlin (the actress) once said: "In Hollywood a marriage is a success if it outlasts milk!"

Isn’t that the truth? We all say or think the same thing whenever there’s an announcement of a Hollywood marriage, and that is "how long will it last?" We don’t expect their marriages to go the distance.

Why do we think like that? The answer I think is that because actors live in such artificial surroundings, they cannot cope with reality. Their working life is a fantasy and when they step out and do something "normal" they just can’t cope.

I’ve heard some of them say that it’s because they both work in the same industry and they often work away from home for a few months at a time. To me that sounds like such a lame excuse. I know of couples who both work in the armed services and can be separated from each other for up to 6 months at a time, and they pick up their relationship from where they left off.

The only reason you don’t succeed in a relationship is because you haven’t created the picture in your mind of the person you want to be to attract the right person into your life.

The road to success in marriage begins with your thoughts, feelings and actions and if any one of them is out of alignment then you need to rectify it as soon as possible to keep the balance in your life.

"Marriage is really tough because you have to deal with feelings…and lawyers!" Richard Pryor (1940-2005)

Personal development leads to success and is an ongoing learning experience. Achieving success in your relationships and every aspect in your life can be obtained by furthering your education.

 

Next Page »