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20 Ways to save time with your smart phone

In many ways, life has become more stressful for the knowledge worker. Information is coming at you in many different forms. Sometimes it can seem relentless. This is made even harder if you are regularly required to spend time away from your desk. Not long ago, time spent away from your desk meant that there would be a great deal of time where you couldn’t do anything important e.g. if you had to travel to a one hour meeting, it was hard to make effective use of the time spent travelling before and after the meeting. If you were taking public transport, you could carry work with you but this brought its own problems. Thankfully there is now a tool which allows you to make the most of your time, even when you are on the move – a smart phone. Almost everybody in the western world has a smart phone but they may not be aware of the many ways in which it can help them save time.

Save time with your smart phone

Your smart phone, if used correctly, is an excellent tool for helping you to save time. Your smart phone can perform a wide array of functions which save you time. The following list covers just 20 of the easiest ways that you can use your smart phone to save time.

1. Capture commitments and information

The first step in staying organised is to capture your commitments and important information. You don’t just receive information when it is convenient for you to do so. You will have conversations, ideas and receive requests at many different times. While it may not be convenient at that time, it is imperative that you capture that information so that you can review it and process it at the earliest opportunity.

For example, you may be out to lunch when you have a great business idea. When you have your smart phone at hand, you always have a means to capture that idea e.g. you can email yourself or call your own voicemail and leave a message. Then, when you review your email or voicemail later on; you will have captured the idea and be in a position to act upon it.

2. Task lists

Task lists are fantastic if you manage them properly. One of the most important aspects of effectively managing your task lists is that you must have access to it. When you maintain one or more task lists, you must maintain them in a way that means you will have access to them when you need to.

For example, my friend Jay works from his desk for the vast majority of his day. He chooses to maintain his task lists using Microsoft Outlook and that works for him. My work requires that I am regularly away from my desk and I do not have Microsoft Outlook on any mobile devices. Therefore, if I was to depend on Microsoft Outlook to manage my tasks lists, I would be without access to them for much of the day.

Thankfully, smart phones have a large number of apps which allow you to store your task lists online and access them from a mobile device. I choose to use a Google Spreadsheet to manage my tasks lists as I like to keep things as basic as possible. Thanks to my smart phone, I can access my task lists 24 hours per day, allowing me to maximise my productivity.

3. Contacts

With a smart phone, you always have the contact details from your all of the important people in your life. You don’t have to go digging through files or business cards. You can also back up your contacts list meaning that a change of device does not mean that you have to manually transfer all of the contact information. This is one of those tips where you don’t realise how it will save time until you hit a problem.

4. Calendars

Just like task lists, calendars are a wonderful time management tool, if you use them properly. You should only ever use one calendar and you should always have access to it. There are a number of different calendars that you can use with your smart phone; just choose one that meets your needs.

5. Document access

In the knowledge work era, more and more people are spending large chunks of time away from their desks. It used to be that if you wanted to work on a document or, just read it, you had to be on your PC or Mac or, you had to print it and carry it with you. Now there are a number of apps that allow you to store documents online and access them from anywhere, on any device. This allows you to save time by reducing down time.

If you are away from the office, you can still get valuable work done thanks to apps such as Google Drive or Dropbox which allow you to store and retrieve your documents, as and when you need to.

6. Reading material

When I worked in my first job, we used to have an external consultant who regularly came to the office to do some work for us. When I would go to meet him at reception, he would be reading a novel to kill time. While novels are great, they are not the best use of work time.

As highlighted in the previous point, you can now access important documents via your mobile device so that you can save time by using your mobile device to maximise downtime. In addition there are a number of apps which allow you to read books related to your industry e.g. Kindle, Scribd. And, if you want to stick with the novel, you can access it on your smart phone rather than having to carry it everywhere.

7. Social media

The advent of social media has seen a new way to provide customer service, provide information and market yourself. It is important work which if managed correctly, can be done in just a few minutes. This makes your mobile device an ideal way to check in on social media and handle quick tasks. It can be done from anywhere at any time.

It is important to remember that the objective here is to save time so, any time that you go onto social media, it should be with a clear purpose. Once you have done what you have set out to do, you should be logging off again.

8. Timer

Parkinson’s Law tells us that a task will expand to fill the time allowed. If you are struggling with time management, one of the best things that you can try is to use a timer. You can set a time limit e.g. 40 minutes and work on the task for that period of time, without interruption. It is far easier to avoid distractions when you know that you are only working for a set period of time and that at the end of that period of time, you will be able to tackle anything that pops up.

You can check out the Pomodoro technique for more ideas on how to use a timer to improve your time management skills.

9. Picture capture

When I say picture capture, you are probably thinking of pictures for fun or for posting on social media but let me give you an example of using the camera on your smart phone to save time.

I was on a coaching course in London when we were divided into groups to brainstorm an exercise. As a group, we produced a Flipchart sheet full of great ideas. Three more groups did likewise.

As you might imagine, nobody wanted to lose these great ideas so we all took out our pens and notebooks to write them down. Suddenly, one lady walked up to the Flipchart sheets (we had pinned them up) and took out her smart phone. She took a picture of each sheet and sat back down. The rest of us just laughed before following suit.

When you have a smart phone in your pocket you can save time by just taking a picture of anything important rather than spending time trying to write it all down.  You can also take pictures of important documents, receipts, business cards etc. which may prove important in the future.

10. Videos

Video can be used for many wonderful purposes; from recording events to making tutorials. Within your smart phone, you have a video making machine. You may need to add one or two tools to make it even more effective but you can save time by making videos for clients, colleagues, friends etc.

For example, imagine that a colleague has emailed you asking for some advice on setting up a proper filing system. Rather than trying to explain in great detail how you use your filing system, you could just take your smart phone out of your pocket and record a video of you walking them through your system. They can watch the video any number of times until they understand thoroughly, meaning that you save time by not having to answer questions by email.  You could even upload this video to YouTube so that others may learn from it too, meaning that you can record it once and use it an unlimited number of times.

You can get more great time management strategies with Quick Fixes For Your Productivity.

11. Audio recording

As well as making video recordings, your smart phone is also capable of making audio recordings .This function can be used to dictate notes, make educational resources or even record interviews.

12. Reservations

With access to the internet, the opportunity to make bookings and reservations is easy. Regardless of where you are going or what you need to do, you will usually be able to make the reservations with a few taps on your smart phone.

13. Shopping

Online shopping is becoming more and more popular. Most physical stores now have an online presence too. I remember during my college days, Amazon was just starting out. Many people laughed at the idea of buying books online. What they failed to understand was how much people value convenience and time saved.

You no longer need to go to a store for most items. You just order and pay online and they will deliver it straight to your door. Even supermarkets offer home delivery so you can just order your groceries online and they will be picked up and delivered straight to your door. If you want, you can usually save your grocery list on the supermarket’s website. That way you just have to login, review your list and either add any additional items you need or remove items you do not need before you complete your purchase. Once you set it up, the amount of time saved really does add up.

14. Travel arrangements

Not only can you book your travel and accommodation via your smart phone; you can check for potential delays too e.g. you can check to see if there are any traffic delays on your planned route and search for alternatives.

With many travel companies, you don’t even have to waste time printing your tickets now. You just save them to your phone and display them at check in, meaning that you save time, save paper and help save the environment. Now you’ve got to love that.

15. Banking

Waiting to be served in a bank is a pain in the backside and, now it is an unnecessary pain in the backside. You no longer have to travel to a bank, wait in line and fill out a multitude of forms just to make a simple transaction.

With your smart phone, you now have your own banking machine in your pocket. You can check your balance, transfer money and pay bills in mere moments. Save time and save hassle by setting up online banking and installing your bank’s app.

16. News

It’s important to keep up to date with what is going on in the world and in your industry. With your smart phone you can do this. You can search the internet or you can set up RSS feeds from your favourite news sites. This allows you to access the news when you have a few free moments, rather than having to sit down at an exact time to watch a news bulletin. This flexibility means that you can fix your own schedule and keep moving throughout the day.

17. Relaxation

Life cannot be all work and no play. Neither your body nor you mind were designed to work that way. Rather than wait for the opportunity to relax, you can make a conscious effort to use down time to relax and unwind. Play a meditation or some relaxing music – even a hypnosis track. Just a few moments spent relaxing can have a massive impact on your health, wellbeing and performance. As a result you will save time and improve your performance.

With your smart phone you can do all of this. Just make sure that it is safe to do so e.g. do not do any of the above while driving.

18. Fun

Just like relaxation, fun is an essential component of effective time management. Having fun will allow you to unwind, release stress and escape the pressures of your work life for a few minutes. With your smart phone, you have a virtual amusement arcade. Whether you are into video games, music, comedy etc. your options for fun are virtually unlimited.

19. Education

The internet is full of educational content. Whether it is in the form of writing, audio or video, your smart phone allows you to access any of the educational content that you desire. Free time can easily be used to improve your knowledge and skills allowing you to learn and improve on the go.

20. Communications

Yes, I know it is obvious but you have a communications hub in your pocket when you have a smart phone. With email, phone, text, Skype etc, there are unlimited ways to contact people and conduct important business. One of my task lists contains tasks for which I only need access to my phone. That is so that when I am out of office, with only my phone, I can still quickly scan these tasks and choose the most important one that I can get done at that moment.

Note: it is important to remember that while you can contact others, they can also contact you so, if you are working on something important you should remember the most important function on your smart phone – the power button.

For more great time management strategies, check out Quick Fixes For Your Productivity.

Being away from the office is no longer an excuse for not being able to do some important work. With your smart phone in your pocket, you have an abundance of ways to make better use of your time. It is important that you have predefined work hours and this article is not intended to have you working 24/7/365. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the many ways that your smart phone can help you to make better use of your working hours, meaning that you are less likely to have to work outside of these times. With your smart phone you can make your productive time more productive; allowing you to relax and enjoy your own personal time.

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New Post has been published on Coaching Positive Performance

New Post has been published on http://coachingpositiveperformance.com/17-essential-time-management-skills/

17 Essential time management skills

Having lived and worked in 5 different countries, I have yet to meet anybody who didn’t want to improve their time management. Even those with strong time management skills realise that there is always room for improvement. Becoming productive with your time is all about seeking to make constant and never ending improvements to the way that you perform your work. Thankfully, there are many time management skills which you can improve to help you get better results. One of the biggest mistakes made by those who struggle with their time management is thinking that time management skills are entirely behavioural e.g. you set a goal and you work on it. However, the truth is that many of the most important time management skills are entirely cognitive i.e. they are thinking processes.

17 Essential time management skills

Below, I have outlined 17 time management skills which play a critical role in determining your productivity levels. Some of these time management skills overlap and, in many cases, mastering one skill will greatly improve your performance in another. However, it is important that you understand each skill and the role it plays in your time management.

1. Goal Setting

Time management is not a standalone skill. You cannot manage time but you probably already know that. You can only manage how you use your time and how you use your time should be driven by effective goal-setting. The most fundamental of time management skills is the ability to use your time in a manner which serves your goals.

When making decisions about what to focus your time on, you should always be cognisant of your goals and how each action is aimed at bringing you closer to achieving those goals.

If you do not have clear goals, check out the Ultimate Guide to Goal Setting.

2. Prioritisation

The biggest reason that most people struggle with prioritisation is that they start too late in the process. They attempt to prioritise the items that are on their task list. However, if you look closely at most task lists, you will find that they contain items which never should have made it on to the task list in the first place.

As strange as it may sound, prioritising should not begin with a focus on getting more work done. Prioritisation should always begin with avoiding/eliminating the tasks which you should not be performing. Once this has been done, you can switch your focus to completing the most valuable work you can with the time and resources available to you. Prioritisation is one of the most misunderstood and misused of the time management skills. When you get it right, you will find that your time management improves rapidly.

3. Self-awareness

No two people like to work the same way. We all have our own preferences for how we like to work e.g. some people work best in the mornings while others prefer to work late. We are motivated by different things and like to work in our own way. There is nothing wrong with this. In fact, it is quite healthy. It just means that you need to have a good understanding of your own likes, dislikes and needs.

When you have a high level of self-awareness, you are able to take the very best time management advice and tailor it to fit your own style.

4. Self-motivation

You will have days where you do not want to do anything. You may be sick, tired, bored or simply lacking motivation. On days like this, there is little that anyone else can do to get you going. You need to be able to motivate yourself to take action, even though you’d rather not. If you have improved your self-awareness, you will have a great deal of the information that you need to motivate yourself.

In addition, as you move up your organisation or, if you go down the path of the entrepreneur; there will be nobody standing over you to hold you accountable on a daily basis. You will be totally responsible for your own results. You could have all the other time management skills but if you lack the ability to motivate yourself, you will soon experience large amounts of pressure and stress.

5. Focus

Regardless of what you are trying to do, there will always be something else competing for your attention. It’s not easy to shut everything out and focus on the task at hand. Focus is one of those time management skills where you don’t realise how important it is until you struggle with it.

It is important to remember that no matter how many tasks need to be done, you can only work on one task in any given moment. The myth of multi-tasking causes many problems for those who wish to improve their time management but if you want to get results, you must learn to focus on one task at a time and block out all distractions.

6. Decision making

It would be nice to think that you could just sit down and do your work without having to put any serious thought into it. Alas, there are few jobs that fit that description. You will have to make important decisions e.g.:

• Which task to do • Which tasks do not get done • When a task is completed • Which meetings to attend • Who you can or cannot help, etc.

If your decisions only affected you, it wouldn’t be such a big deal but few tasks are performed in isolation. Almost every task has a knock on effect on another person, or task, which means that every decision that you make has consequences both for you and for others.

Decision making is one those time management skills which if you are not good at it, you will notice the negative impacts in every area of your life. It is imperative that you are able to consider the consequences and make effective, clear decisions.

7. Planning

As mentioned earlier, tasks will overlap and be dependent on each other. There will often be times when one task cannot be started until another task is finished. Your schedule will also be impacted by the schedules of others. These factors need to be considered at the beginning of each project and, monitored throughout. Failure to do so can lead to delays and missed deadlines.

Planning is one of the essential time management skills because it allows you to foresee all of the tasks which will be required to complete a project and, how they will best fit together. A well made plan will save you a great deal of time.

8. Communication Skills

You will have to work with others on a daily basis. It is unlikely that you will perform every aspect of your work so you will need to enlist the help of others. Strong communication skills will enable you to build supportive relationships with those whom you work with. You will be able to work better together and achieve more than you ever could apart.

When you require another person to do some work for you; you will want to communicate in a manner which will enable them to perform the work to the desired standard, in the fastest time. Should any errors occur, you will want to raise the issue quickly and explain clearly about the adjustments that need to be made. In these situations, the quality of your communication directly impacts the quality of the work that gets done.

If you need to improve your communication skills, check out How To Talk So Others Listen.

9. Questioning and challenging

If you want to work to the highest standard, you must be willing to challenge anything and everything which does not meet your standards. This begins when somebody attempts to assign a task to you. If you do not think that you should be the person to perform the task; you must raise the issue and challenge the person that is assigning you the task. When you begin to do this, you will often see a decrease in the amount of work which gets delegated to you. Quite often, people delegate work to you because it is convenient; not because it is the correct course of action. If you want to improve your time management skills; this must become a thing of the past. As mentioned earlier, eliminating work that you should not be doing is the beginning of prioritisation. Questioning and challenging are essential skills to help you achieve this.

Questioning and challenging are also essential when you are being assigned work that you should be doing. Never accept a task until you are crystal clear about what is expected e.g.:

• What is to be done • When it is to be completed by • How much is required • The manner in which the work is to be performed • Any other details which impact on your ability to complete the work

If you have any objections, you should raise them before giving your firm agreement. Taking the time to achieve clarity at the beginning will save you far more time in the long-run.

10. Delegation/outsourcing

Just as others will want to delegate work to you; there will be times when you want to delegate work to others. You will want to ensure that all the important work gets completed but that does not mean that you have to be the person to complete it. One of the greatest time management skills is knowing when you are not the right person to perform the task.

If the task is more suited to somebody else’s skill set; you should consider delegating the task. Of course, when delegating, it is important that you provide all of the necessary information and ensure that the person who will perform the task is clear about what is expected of them.

11. Coping Skills

Things will go wrong from time to time. You can be certain of that. When things do go wrong, you can sit around wallowing in despair or you can review the situation, identify the correct course of action and implement that action.

Time management is not just a behavioural skill. It is cognitive too. Your thinking and mindset play a massive role in determining your results. Knowing how to cope with setbacks will help you bounce back quickly and reduce the amount of time lost when things go wrong.

12. Stress Management

With work comes pressure. Pressure in itself is usually a good thing. It motivates you to take action and to do a good job. However, once you begin to feel that you can no longer cope with the demands placed upon you, you begin to move from pressure to experiencing stress. Stress is not a good thing. People often speak of good stress but that is just an inappropriate way of labelling pressure.

When you experience stress, your body and mind begin to suffer. Large arrays of mental and physical problems have been linked to prolonged exposure to stress. Before you get to that stage, stress begins to have a negative impact on your performance and your time management. If you experience stress, you will have so many things on your mind that you will find it practically impossible to focus on the task at hand. As a result, it will take you longer to perform even the simplest of tasks. A backlog will start to build up as you fall behind which in turn increases your stress levels and so the spiral continues.

Time management skills and stress management skills are intertwined. They also have one major thing in common – they allow you to understand that it is better to prevent the problem occurring than having to deal with it once it does occur. If you want to improve your time management skills, make proactive stress management a ritual in your life.

13. Working effectively with others

I have already highlighted the importance of communicating with others in maximising your time management. Working effectively with others is often the quickest way to get a job done properly. This is about more than just communication and delegation. It is important to understand how others like to work; their goals and expectations. As you get to know people better, you build positive relationships where you can work together for the benefit of all concerned.

14. Record Keeping

When you are on top of everything and you know exactly what is going on; you can make effective decisions and provide information quicker. Regardless of your subject area, accurate information is essential. You do not have to know everything off the top of your head but you would be surprised at how much time you can save when you know where to find the necessary information at the moment you need it.

You must determine what information you need to have and put systems in place to ensure that it is collected and stored.

15. Organisation and filing

This is an extension of record keeping. I used to laugh at the amount of effort that my first boss used to put into his filing system. His desk was spotless, as opposed to mine – I couldn’t even see what colour my desk was. Whenever I asked him for something, he was able to reach his hand out and grab it in a matter of seconds. When he asked me for something, I would practically tear my desk apart trying to find it.

It does take some time to set up a proper filing system but once it is set up, you save large chunks of time because you can store and retrieve information without having to think about. And, that is the ultimate benefit of organisation – you only have to think about anything once. Everything has a place and, unless you are using it, you will be able to find what you are looking for in that place.

16. Patience

Many people think that time management skills are all about getting more work done. That is not the case. Time management skills are about ensuring that you get the important work done. You could try to focus on getting more done but you end up rushing things and making mistakes. By the time you have rectified the mistakes (if it is possible to do so) you will have spent more time than if you’d taken your time and done the job properly.

Patience isn’t just a virtue; it is a skill. It is something which you have to practice. The very best time managers do not rush things. They have patience and take precisely the amount of time required to do the job properly.

17. Forgiveness

Like patience, forgiveness is actually a skill. It is not something which magically happens; it is something which you must choose to do. As you try to improve your time management skills and become more effective, you will make mistakes. Others will also let you down from time to time; though rarely intentionally. It is easy to become irate when these things happen but if you do, you will find that you become too emotional to focus on your work. In the end, you compound the mistake by reducing your effectiveness further due to your own frustration.

When things go wrong, give the people the benefit of the doubt. People rarely get things wrong on purpose. Whether it was you or somebody else who made the mistake, choose to forgive. Accept that it was a genuine mistake, and then focus on identifying the corrective action that you need to take. This way, you will maintain your self-esteem, improve your relationships and reduce the amount of time wasted following the mistake.

If you want to get the best results possible from your life; time management skills are essential. As you improve your time management skills, you will find that you get more valuable work completed in less time. It is not about increasing the quantity of work that you complete. It is all about ensuring that you complete your most important tasks which will enable you to achieve your goals quicker and with less stress. There are many different time management skills and the list above is by no means exhaustive. If you take one time management skill at a time and work to improve it, you will find that it has a knock on effect on your entire performance. Why not pick one of these skills today and get started on your journey to high productivity?

If you would like to add any time management skills to the list, please do so in the comments section, below.

[carthagebuckley]

New Post has been published on Coaching Positive Performance

New Post has been published on http://coachingpositiveperformance.com/understanding-managing-emotional-triggers/

Understanding and managing your emotional triggers

When you react badly to an event, it is common to blame the event for your reaction e.g. your boss asks you to work overtime and you get angry. Your natural reaction may be to blame your boss for your anger. However, you may notice that other people, when asked to work overtime, do not always react angrily. In fact, some just accept and get on with it while others, if it is not convenient, inform their boss that they will not be able to work overtime. Given the fact that others are able to react differently to the event, it stands to reason that it is not the event that causes your anger. Rather it is your beliefs or feelings about the event. This is where your emotional triggers come in to play.

For just about every possible event, you have your own beliefs, feelings or views. In the example above, you may feel that you cannot say ‘No’ to your boss. Alternatively, you may feel that your boss should not be asking you to work overtime as you work long enough hours. Can you see how either of these beliefs would cause you to react angrily when your boss asks you to work overtime?

Now imagine if rather than these beliefs, you believed that you had the right to say ‘No’ to your boss or; you just accepted that from to time you would have to work overtime. Can you see how these beliefs would lead to you feeling differently about the situation? As a result, you would be less likely to get angry.

Your beliefs about a situation are just one way that emotional triggers can influence your behaviour. Sometimes, emotional triggers can lead to positive behaviour; however, emotional triggers often lie behind some of our worst behaviour. If you are unaware of your emotional triggers, these negative behaviours can seem automatic and out of your control. Fortunately, as you become aware of your emotional triggers and start to monitor them, you realise that you have the opportunity to intervene in the space between the event and your response, thus creating a more desirable situation.

Taking control of your emotional triggers

You can implement the following steps to help you take control of your emotional triggers by increasing your awareness and developing new ways of responding. These steps are divided in to 2 phases – understanding your emotional triggers and, managing your emotional triggers.

Understanding your emotional triggers

 1. Identify your emotional triggers

A trigger is an experience that draws us back into the past and causes old feelings and behaviors to arise. It is important to note that the emotional trigger is not always the specific situation e.g. in the example given earlier the emotional trigger is probably not the fact that you have being asked to work overtime. The following are just some of the emotional triggers which are more likely to be the issue in that particular example:

Being asked to do something you do not want to do

Taking orders from authority figures

Having somebody else control your time

Lacking the confidence or assertiveness to say ‘No’

Thinking errors – e.g. you may believe that the boss always expects you to be the one to work overtime and never asks anybody else

As you can see, each of these emotional triggers is different and would have to be dealt with a different approach. That is why it so important to observe your feelings and emotions to find the exact emotional triggers which are leading to your undesired behaviour.

2. Spot external stimuli

Some triggers are situational and social. Take note of the situations where you behave in the undesired manner. Include the people who were there, what was happening etc. In time, you will begin to see a pattern which will better enable you to identify the root cause of the issue.

3. Identify internal causes

When you find yourself behaving in the undesired manner, take note of your thoughts and feelings. Your thoughts and feelings about situations, and people, heavily influence your behaviour. In many cases, these thoughts and feeling are inaccurate, unhelpful or no longer relevant. When you become aware of them, you are in a position to challenge them.

4.  Accept that we all have emotional triggers

We are all human and as such, we are all fallible. Having emotional triggers which cause you to behave in a negative way does not make you a bad person. Instead, view them as an opportunity to grow and develop into an even better person.

Managing your emotional triggers

5.  Keep a journal

The best and simplest way to monitor your behaviour is to keep a journal. Whenever you behave in the undesired manner, make a record of your thoughts, feelings, emotions and the situation you were in when the behaviour took place. Note what’s going on in your head and in your surroundings at the time. Be as detailed as you can be.

Tracking your triggers is the first step in mastering them. It allows you to identify patterns and pinpoint the causes of your behaviour. When you can do this, you are then in a position to make changes.

 6.  Challenge yourself

The key to change is placing yourself in difficult positions and being open to doing something new and more constructive. Many people avoid their problems but avoidance is not an effective problem solving strategy. If you want to change your behaviour, you must challenge yourself. It is not always easy but the rewards are always worth it.

 7.  Come up with alternatives

If you want to change your behaviour, it is not enough to simply stop behaving that way. That approach is rarely effective. You need to substitute a new behaviour. Brainstorm new strategies you can use instead of the old behaviour e.g. if you do not want to do the overtime, commit yourself to becoming more assertive so that you can tell your boss that you will not be available.

You may need to develop and implement new skills. Develop Your Strengths may be helpful to you.

8.  Know your capacity

Proceed at your own pace. To continue with the previous example; if you want to be more assertive, you can start out by being more assertive with your spouse and friends if you need to practice before talking with your boss. This will build your confidence and, as you see that the world does not end when you say ‘No’, you will build a greater resolve to stand your ground.

9.  Make time to relax

Taking the time to manage your stress levels will help you to manage your emotions better. Identify the behaviours which help you to de-stress and fit them into your schedule on a daily basis. As you begin to de-stress and unwind, you will find that you become more resilient and more determined.

10.  Live healthy

Another way to make yourself more resilient is to take good care of your body and mind. Eat right, sleep well and exercise regularly. You’ll be better prepared to bounce back from any obstacles that may arise.

11.  Develop a strong support network

When you’re dealing with stubborn issues, it’s good to know you have people who care about you and want to help. By telling people whom you can trust about your desire to change, you will have a support network whom you can turn to during your tough times and, with whom you can celebrate your progress. The knowledge that you are not alone upon your journey can be enough to give you the courage to keep going.

Note: Professional help can be a wonderful part of your support network, if required. There is absolutely no shame in seeking professional help when you are trying to improve your life.

Failure to understand and manage your emotions is one of the leading factors behind Passive Aggressive Behaviour. To help you mange this problem, check out Tackling Passive Aggressive Behaviour.

When you behave in an unacceptable manner, it is easy to blame others or to blame events for your behaviour. When you blame outside factors it may make you feel better in the short-term but in the long-term you are cheating yourself of the opportunity to live a happy, healthy life. If you are behaving in an inappropriate or undesirable way, the problem may well be due to emotional triggers. We all have our own unique emotional triggers. Learning to handle them constructively enables us to fix the issues that get in our way and move ahead in life. So, rather than blame outside factors for your unwanted behaviour; take it on the chin, accept that you need to make some changes and get to work. When you implement the steps outlined above, you will be well on the way to taming your emotional triggers and enjoying a happy and healthier life.

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Make life easier with these 6 tips

This year, I have set out with a major objective of trying to make life easier for myself; both in my working life and my personal life. I think it is a wonderful objective and one that when achieved, will improve the quality of life for me while having some positive benefits for my friends and family. This is not a goal with a set end date. It is an objective which can be constantly pursued and improved upon. When you make life easier, you achieve more of what is important, reduce stress and conflict and improve the quality of your relationships. What’s not to like about that?

The advocates of the Zen mindset often use water as an example when speaking of life’s challenges. We can use such an example in this instance too – life is a lot like swimming: if you have good technique, you can glide along easily and effortlessly. If you are lacking in technique, the water puts up more resistance and you end up expending great quantities of energy, thrashing about, going nowhere. Simply put, if you adopt the right approach and seek to make life easier, you will move through life more simply and encounter less resistance along the way.

6 Tips to make life easier

When you are attempting to make life easier for yourself, a few simple changes to your mindset can reap great rewards. It can be as much about what you don’t do as it is about what you do. Give these suggestions an honest try and you’ll make life a whole lot easier for yourself:

1. Focus on what’s important

Life can be hectic and one of the biggest challenges facing people today is time management. The biggest problem with time management is that people look at time in the wrong way. From a young age, we are taught to think of time chronologically i.e. each minute is of equal value.

In terms of time management we must shift our focus to understand that the value of a specific unit of time e.g. 1 hour is determined by how we spend that unit of time i.e. 1 hour spent working on an important tasks is far more important than 1 hour spent working on a meaningless task.

An error that almost everyone makes is attempting to get too many things accomplished. It is better to do fewer things but focus only the most important tasks. The 80/20 rule tells us that 20% of our daily tasks produce 80% of our positive results. 80% of what you do each day is almost irrelevant. By focusing on the 20%, you will make greater use of your time, achieve better results and make life easier for yourself.

When you’re working on these important tasks, reduce your wasted activity and eliminate unproductive distractions. You can use a timer to keep you focused for a fixed period of time. Then, you’ll finish your tasks in even less time, leaving more time for you to do the things you enjoy most!

To know what is important in your life, you need to have a clear and specific set of goals.

2. Have less stuff

We live in a consumerist world. I remember when MTV Cribs first aired and it seemed like each celebrity was trying to outdo each other. In the end, it emerged that some celebrities did not own the houses or the vehicles which they were presenting as their own.

Thankfully, most of us do not behave that stupidly but if you are honest, you will probably find that you own stuff that you don’t need and never use. Owning items you don’t need or love wastes money, creates hassles, and gets you off track. In addition, more possessions mean more items to take care of or worry about.

Before you purchase or acquire any item, ask yourself ‘Do I really need this?’ Also, regularly review your possessions to identify items that are no longer of use to you. You can always pass them along to someone who does require them or, a charity shop. You’ll find that life feels easier and lighter if you only have the things you really need or love – you’ll enjoy your things more, save money, and have more free time.

3. Avoid worrying about matters that don’t really matter

If your life is full of struggle, it’s likely that you’re often fighting over little things. When something is getting you down, ask yourself  ’12 Months from now, will this be such a big deal?’ You will usually find that the answer is ‘No’. Let go off all those minor matters, take a breath, and follow the first strategy – focus on what is important.

4. Get organised

When people used to lecture me about being organised and ordered, it used annoy me big time. I considered time spent organising as time wasted. Years later, I can now see that such organisation is one of the greatest time savers that you can possibly implement.

I remember my first real boss – Gary; whenever I would ask him for something, he would just go straight to the place where it was stored and grab it. If he asked me for something, unless I was working on it at that moment, I would be pulling my desk apart, trying to find it.

It has taken me time to get more organised but as I have done so, I have seen the benefits in terms of time saved and reduced stress – as I no longer fear that I may have lost something important. Each person will have an organising strategy that works best for them. If you have not found one yet, then you should start organising now. It is a simple way to make life easier for yourself.

5. Change gradually

When you get frustrated with life, it can be very tempting to try to change everything at once. You want to get up earlier, eat better, exercise daily, and improve your social life all at the same time. You quickly learn, the hard way, that it’s extremely difficult to be successful following this path.

Instead, work on one thing at a time. Give it a couple of weeks, and then add in something else. And go slowly with each item. Having patience when you make an important change is crucial to ensuring your success.

If you want to learn how to make gradual improvements in your life, check out Develop Your Strengths.

6. Show compassion

Compassion is a key ingredient in developing mutually beneficial and supportive relationships. When you are compassionate to others, not only do they benefit but you feel better about yourself too. You become a positive influence in the lives of others and you’ll be helping yourself at least as much as you’re helping them. When you are compassionate, you value being kind above being right. This strategy will make life easier by reducing conflict and worry.

Compassion comes easier when you choose to adopt Values Based Living.

Simplicity is a beautiful thing. Not only does it make life easier for you but it benefits those whom you interact with also. We humans tend to make things more complex than necessary. With complexity comes unnecessary difficulty, stress and conflict. Simplicity is not about dumbing things down. It is about eliminating unnecessary stuff from your life so that you may spend more of your time focusing on what is important to you. When you adopt simplicity and make life easier, you eliminate stress and maximise performance. The strategies, above, will enable you to do so.

Try these 6 suggestions – give them 30 days and see how easy and enjoyable life can be!

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How to enjoy a productive day when you feel bad

There will be days when you wake like a bear with a sore head or, so lethargic that you do not want to even contemplate work. There have been time management gurus who would have you believe that once you take their advice, you will skip out of bed each day, only too eager to get going and unleash your brilliance upon the world. The reality is very different. Even when you have become highly productive, there will be days when you don’t feel like doing anything at all. One of the most important aspects of improving your time management is to enjoy a productive day even when you don’t feel like it. That does not mean that you have to complete a massive workload; it simply means that you have to complete some important work which takes you closer to your goals and objectives.

On these days, it is important that you remind yourself that time management is not about the quantity of work that you complete; it is all about the quality and importance of the work that you complete. You can enjoy a productive day by completing just one task; if that task is important and takes you closer to achieving your goals.

Enjoy a productive day even when you feel bad

On those days when you don’t feel like doing anything, you can implement the following steps, get more done and enjoy a productive day.

1. Identify your 3 key tasks

Everyday should be focused on importance but on these tough days, it is even more important that you make every moment count. You may not be able to do a full day’s work but you can at least get some valuable work done. Assuming that you know which tasks have yet to be completed; you can take a quick look through your task list.

Identify the 3 most important tasks that you can complete today and make them your main focus. It may surprise you but most people struggle to complete 3 important tasks on a good day. They are too easily distracted by urgency and they lose focus on what is truly important. Today, you are going to eliminate distractions by refusing to focus on anything other than these 3 tasks.

Tip: Importance is determined by the contribution these tasks make towards the completion of your most important goals.

2. Rank them

Rank these tasks with the most important being 1 and the least important being 3. This step should be quick and easy to implement.

3. Identify the next most important 3 tasks

Before you set to work, it is worthwhile to identify the next 3 most important tasks and rank them as well. You can use the same criteria as you used previously.

Once you have identified these tasks, you are not going to think about them unless you have completed your 3 most important tasks with time and energy to spare.

4. Only schedule your 3 most important tasks

Return to your 3 most important tasks and, if necessary, schedule them. Unless they are time specific, you will not actually need to schedule them.

An example of a time specific task would be if you need somebody else present to complete the task and they are only available at a particular time. In this instance, you would have to schedule the task for the time when they are present.

5. Tackle the most important task first

There has been a lot written over the years about tackling the most difficult task first or, tackling the easiest task first. There are pros and cons to both but I don’t think either of them is the right approach to adopt. I am a fan of the lazy approach to scheduling your tasks.

The lazy approach is not about avoiding work, it is about making each minute as valuable as possible and achieving the maximum benefits with the minimum work. To do this, you need to stop thinking about whether a task is easy or difficult. Instead, you must focus on the importance of each task.

By completing your most important task first, you make the biggest possible impact first thing in the day. Even if an emergency were to arise, you would still have been able to enjoy a productive day because you completed a task of great importance. If you were to start with your easiest or most difficult task, you would have completed some tasks but you would not have had as big an impact.

6. Set a timer

When you are ready to start work, a timer is a great tool to help you stay focused. You can decide what block of time you are best able to work for e.g. I like to work in approximately 40-50 minute blocks of time. I set the timer for that length of time and focus solely on the task at hand until the alarm rings to tell me that the time is up.

Using a timer, it is easier to block out all other distractions. You are less tempted to do less important tasks like checking your email and social media because you know that at the end of the time block, you will be able to do so without feeling guilty. Also, if others need to get hold of you, they will usually be able to survive without for 40-50 minutes.

7. Take a break between tasks

When the alarm rings, you are free to take a break. If you have finished the task, I recommend a 10-15 minute break before attacking the next important task. There are many different things which you can do on this break:

• Perform a mundane task such as filing, tidying, printing etc. • Take a quick walk to get some fresh air • Stretch • Have a drink or bite to eat • Post to social media

The things you can do during your break are virtually limitless. You do not have to sit around doing nothing. The important thing is to give your mind a break from the pressures of important work by doing something which requires less mental energy and concentration.

8. Ride the momentum wave

Another great reason for focusing on importance is that once you complete an important task, you get a positive feeling which comes from knowing that you have done something worthwhile. This gives you a great boost and as you work your way through the day and complete more important work.

With each task completed, your momentum grows and you will often find that you do not want to stop. While you started the day wanting to avoid work; you now want to make the most of every minute and every drop of energy to ensure that you enjoy a productive day.

For more great time management and productivity tips, check out Quick Fixes for Your Productivity.

Improving your time management does not mean that you will always be ecstatic about starting your work day. You will still experience those feelings of dread where you want to  do anything but work. The key to making these days successful is to forget about the quantity of work you need to complete and focus on the quality of work that you can complete. Even though you feel terrible, you can still enjoy a productive day by following the 8 steps, outlined above. By simply deciding that you are going to complete as much important work as you can and, focusing all of your energies on the most important tasks, you can get started quickly, make good progress and soon you will have built up enough momentum to enjoy a more productive day than you had thought possible.

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6 Strategies to respond to someone who is angry

We all lose our cool from time to time; some of us more frequently than others. When we get angry, we like to be treated properly. We like to get a fair hearing and, we tend to appreciate when somebody attempts to help us deal with the issue which is troubling us so that we may get back on track. Many times in life, the shoe will be on the other foot and we will have to respond to someone who is angry. If you respond to someone who is angry in an inappropriate manner, you are likely to escalate the situation. Alternatively, when you respond to someone who is angry in the right manner, you quickly restore normality, reduce tension and stress and, in some cases, you can even establish the foundations of an effective relationship.

6 Strategies to respond to someone who is angry

Have you ever been in the awkward situation where someone you were with became totally frustrated and angry? Were you unsure as to how you were supposed to react to something like that? The following are some strategies which you can use to respond to someone who is angry and help to create a more amiable environment.

1. Just listen

When someone is angry, you rush to try and resolve the situation. However, this is the worst thing that you can do. Before you can resolve a troublesome situation, you need to understand the situation and, why the angry person has a problem with it.

When angry, people become emotional and use emotional and provocative language. This may trigger an emotional response in you, however, it is imperative that you focus on listening deeply to the core message that the angry person is expressing. When you focus solely on listening for the core message, you tend to ignore the emotional language and find it easier to understand their argument (even if you do not agree with it).

In addition, if you allow the other person to fully express their anger, they soon run out of steam and start to calm down. Once they are calm, you can start your attempts to resolve the situation.

2. Don’t worry about whether you agree with them or not

You may find it difficult to respond to someone who is angry because you feel that you cannot agree with their viewpoint. In reality, you do not need to agree with the other person and few, if any, people expect others to always agree with them. When someone is angry, the most important thing for them is to be listened to and, for the other person to do their best to resolve the issue, even if it does not bring them the result that they would prefer.

Unless they’re angry with you and you’re personally involved in the situation, refrain from sharing your own feelings about whatever is happening to agitate the other person. Even if they are angry with you; it is best to hear them out first before you attempt to formulate your response. Once you have heard them out, they will see that you are genuine in your desire to resolve the situation as amicably as possible.

3. Relate and empathise

Once you feel that you have gained an understanding of the issue, you can attempt to communicate it to the other person. You could say something like,

• “I hear what you are saying ….” • “I see your point of view …” • “I feel that …”

You are not required to accept responsibility where it is not yours to take and you are not required to apologise, however, you should never attempt to relate or empathise unless you are sincere. When you relate with him, the angry person will usually feel understood and, therefore, his anger will begin to dissipate.

4. Trust your instincts to protect yourself

Most people won’t become threatening or physically aggressive when they get angry but you should trust your instincts. If at any point you feel that the discussion is heading in that direction; tell the person that you are going to give them the opportunity to calm down and, once they do so, you will be happy to resume the discussion.

Of course, if you feel that you are in immediate danger, you should leave without feeling the need to explain yourself.

5. Once they have calm down, change the direction

When you believe the person has had enough time to talk through or vent his anger, you can attempt to ease the conversation in a more positive direction e.g. if you are in customer service, you might move from discussing the problem to identifying a workable solution.

If you encounter any resistance, this is a sign that they have not fully expressed their anger. At this point you can invite them to tell you what they are thinking. Once they have stated what they are thinking and talked through it, you can attempt to focus on a solution again.

For serious issues, you may have to go through this phase a number of times.

6. Invite their views on a solution

It’s appropriate to say, “What can I do to help this situation?” or “What would be your ideal solution to this situation?” as this gets their mind focusing on finding a way forward. Asking one of these simple questions is a wonderful way to help the person recognise he has someone right there who cares about how he feels.

When you involve them in creating the solution, they are more likely to buy in and accept the agreed way forward. Ultimately, the best way to respond to someone who is angry is to make them feel that they have been listened to. There is no greater way to do this than to fully involve them in the resolution of the issue.

If you struggle to cope with angry people, you will find some helpful strategies in Tackling Passive Aggressive Behaviour.

Life is full of ups and downs. It happens to each of us. You will experience times when you have to respond to someone who is angry. Knowing how to respond to someone who is angry is a wonderful asset. You will be more confident when faced with conflict. You will reduce stress and improve the quality of your relationships. Remember that there will be times when you are the angry person. When you are, you would like people to respond to your anger in the best possible way. You can be a shining example of how to respond to someone who is angry which will positively influence your friends, family and colleagues. Applying the strategies, listed above, will take you a long way towards achieving this.

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5 Simple ways to stay focused on your goals

Do you struggle with reaching your goals? The reality is that most people do struggle. When you set goals for yourself, you undoubtedly have the very best of intentions. You want to succeed with your goals and reap the many benefits that come with making successful and important changes in your life. However, there is something that you may fail to account for in your goal planning i.e. life itself. Just when you are ready to take the necessary actions and make those vital changes; life gets in the way and you are unable to remain focused on your goals. If you cannot remain focused on your goals, you will lose momentum and fail to make the progress you desire. This soon leads to a loss of confidence and motivation.

You may blame distractions such as work, family, or technology and say that’s the reason why you have a hard time concentrating on your goals. However, these things will always be part of your life. If you are not achieving your goals and objectives, it is not good enough to blame outside factors. When you do so, you are actually giving away your personal power and denying that your success lie within your hands. What you need to do is find a way to manage these outside factors which allows you to stay focused on your goals and, maintain a healthy and balanced life.

Despite your best intentions and efforts, it can be challenging to stay on track! A study at the University of Hertfordshire revealed that nearly 50% of people make a New Year’s resolution that includes a meaningful goal, but over 78% of people will fail to maintain their focus and achieve that goal. For this reason, when setting your goals, you must acknowledge that focus could be an issue and, make plans which will make focusing on your key goals a whole lot easier.

Strategies to stay focused on your goals

The good news is that there are a few simple measures that you can take to help you stay focused on your goals. By implementing these steps from the outset, you will be more focused, more motivated and more determined. You will soon see that you are making progress towards your goals and so, you will be more likely to stick with it and see it through to completion.

1. Narrow your list

Goals are great but if you have too many of them, you will soon see that one goal is distracting you from working on another. Instead of trying to focus on too many goals, narrow it down to 1-3 major goals for any given period of time. Even on a daily basis, you should have 1-3 goals which you are trying to achieve. These goals should tie into your medium and long-term goals so that each day will see you make progress. This ensures that you aren’t spreading yourself too thin and, as a result, losing your motivation.

When you are setting goals, you will find that you come up with a large number of goals. Identify the most important goals that you need to work on and put them on a separate list. Don’t discard the remaining goals. Instead, place them on a ‘Someday, maybe’ list. Knowing that these items have been captured for future reference will help you to stay focused on your key goals. You can regularly review this list and seem if any of the items on it need to be elevated to ‘Goal’ status. Strangely, you will find that over time, you manage to complete some of the items on your ‘Someday, maybe’ list, without any conscious effort to do so.

2. Break down each of your major goals

How do you eat an elephant? The answer – one bite at a time. The same strategy is critical for achieving your goals. Large goals can be very overwhelming. This causes you to lose confidence and motivation.

You’ll feel less overwhelmed when you break up a large goal into a series of smaller steps, each with specific, achievable tasks. Instead of focusing on the large goal, you focus on the smaller tasks which you need to complete. It will be less daunting and, with each small task completed, you will receive a confidence boost as you realise that you are one step closer to your goal. This makes reaching your ultimate goal that much easier.

As you accomplish each step, maintain your momentum and enthusiasm for achieving your goal by celebrating your success.

3. Have accountability partners

As long as the goal is not too personal or confidential in nature; telling people whom you trust about your goal will make you more accountable. You value friends and loved ones and you value the respect that comes with their friendship. When you inform them of changes that you wish to make, you want to be seen to honour your word. Ideally, these people will encourage you when obstacles arise and celebrate your successes with you along the way. This support will help you to stay focused on your goals.

When you have an accountability partner, you’re no longer on your own in your journey. You’re less likely to allow yourself to lose focus and become distracted when you have someone who’s encouraging you.

4. Record, measure and document your process

When you set a goal, one of the first things that you should do is decide how you will measure your progress. It is imperative that you know how you are progressing. As you take action, you can measure your progress and see whether you are making the desired progress or, whether you need to take corrective action.

Start a journal and write about your experience as you pursue your goal. Writing down your thoughts is a great way to maintain your motivation to the end. Your thoughts and feeling can provide you with excellent feedback on your progress and, if you ever have to attempt the same or a similar goal again, you will be able to review your notes to help you create the best plan.

5. Create either a physical or virtual goal board

To help you stay focused on your goals, you can create a visual reminder of why you created a particular goal in the first place. Take a poster board, bulletin board, or electronic platform (e.g. Pinterest), and fill it with pictures and other images that help you maintain your enthusiasm and focus. Your brain thinks in terms of images so, if you choose the right pictures, it will serve as both an enjoyable and effective method to stay focused on your goals.

In effect, it gets your subconscious mind “on board” with your plan to reach your goal. You want your entire psyche working with you to achieve your goal.

If you struggle to set and achieve effective goals, check out the Ultimate Guide to Goal Setting.

It takes hard work and consistent effort to achieve major goals. The harsh reality is that most people will fail to achieve their goal. These failures will rarely be due to a lack of knowledge or skills. It is far more likely that in a hectic world, they struggle to stay focused on their goals. If you do not want to be one of these people, you must find a way to stay focused on your goals. When you set goals, you feel energised and confident but this quickly fades away when you fail to stay focused on your goals. You can maintain your passion and motivation to make your dreams come true with these simple, focus-maintaining strategies. If you implement these strategies from the beginning, you will stay focused on your goals and increase the likelihood of successfully achieving those goals.

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Are you resilient? Learning to cope with setbacks

Life is full of ups and downs. Although it may appear that some people never experience the downs in life; that simply isn’t true. Nobody is perfect and nobody will ever live the perfect life. If you want to enjoy happiness and health, it is imperative that you learn to make the most of the ups while minimising the negative impact of the downs. When challenging experiences inevitably arise, you can reduce their impact by being ready to rise to the occasion. Your ability to bounce back after a transition or hardship determines whether most of your life is enjoyable and meaningful or troublesome and frustrating. This idea can be summed up in one word: resilience.

The more resilient you are, the quicker you’re able to re-adjust to a situation and move forward in life. Resilience is not some magic attribute that you are born with. You can learn to be resilient and take regular action which will help you to become more resilient. If you implement the right activities, on a consistent basis, you will become more resilient with each passing day. As you become more resilient, you will be better able to cope with life’s setbacks while increasing your confidence and self-belief. You will gradually become more willing to accept the bigger challenges in life which, when completed successfully, bring the bigger rewards. It is not just a nice thing to be resilient; it is absolutely essential for a happy, healthy and prosperous life.

Are you resilient?

Before you devise a plan to become more resilient, you must first understand how resilient you currently are. Consider these ideas while you think about your own resilience:

1. First responses

When something initially begins to trouble you, how do you respond? Maybe you bury your head in the sand and hope it goes away. Perhaps you just ignore the situation and pretend it isn’t happening. One of these approaches will enable you to become more resilient and enjoy more success in life while the other will cripple you.

When you’re resilient, you’ll choose to approach the situation head-on, and promptly. You’ll assess the issue and define the exact nature of the problem. Once you have done so, you will consider the potential solutions; choose the solution which you believe will work best and, implement that solution. You’ll set out right away to resolve the situation before it becomes a full-blown issue.

Rather than become overwhelmed by a problem, resilient people accept the situation and employ their problem-solving skills. This leads to a quicker resolution and a reduction in the stress and anxiety associated with the problem.

2. Approach to past events

When you ponder past events, you have two choices. You can try to forget them and pretend that they never happened or, you can take responsibility for the situation and identify the lessons that you can learn from it. Learning from past mistakes is one of the most important and powerful personal development opportunities. Learning from your mistakes allows you to avoid making the same mistake again, thus increasing your chances of success. It also gives you the opportunity to develop new strengths and skills.

Trying to forget your past mistakes robs you of vital energy. This weakens you and makes you more susceptible to stress. Resilient people focus their energies on the lessons and skills they’ve learned from past experiences. This builds both their resilience and their confidence.

3. Daily practice

Do you pursue constant and never ending improvement i.e. to get a little better each and every day? Or do you find entire days go by while you are overcome by negativity and, you achieve nothing of importance? In order to improve your resilience, consider each day an opportunity to do something positive, even if it’s just one thing.

It doesn’t have to be rocket science. What matters is that you achieve something which is important to you, each day, whether it be a phone call to a loved one or adding a little extra weight to your workout. What is important is determined by your own purpose, values and goals. Achieving something small but important each day will add meaning to your life while boosting your self-esteem. When you do this, you will naturally become more resilient.

4. Your support network

You won’t succeed in this life alone. You were never meant to. Do you have plenty of friends and family to call on if you need something? Resilient individuals build a supportive system of people they can visit, call, talk to, and turn to whenever they hit troubled waters.

If you feel like you’re all alone, start building your support network today by setting a goal to put yourself in situations where you can meet new friends.

Note: it is important that you do not just burden friends and family with your problems. Make sure that you include them in your good times too. This will help you build real supportive relationships.

5. Love yourself

Your first love should always be yourself. That does not make you selfish; it makes you self-centered. If you do not place yourself and your own needs at the centre of your life, you will not be able to thrive.

When you thrive, you are in a better position to help, support and nurture those whom you love. However, if you do not give love to yourself, you will not have the love or strength to offer to others. When you take care of your own needs, you’ll be more resilient when a crisis knocks on the door. If your own health and living situation are at the top of your priority list, you’ll be prepared to face any hardship, be it emotional or physical. Taking the time to keep yourself in tip-top shape physically and mentally builds your reserves of resilience whenever trying situations and events occur – either for you or for someone you love.

It would be nice to think that life was all plain sailing. Unfortunately, it would also be deluded to think so. Everything cannot go right all of the time. Challenges, transitions, and hardships will invariably arise in your life from time to time. If you are not resilient, it will take you much longer to recover from the tough times. If you confront situations immediately, use knowledge gained from prior trying events, and build your support network, you’ll be able to cope with your setbacks without too much suffering. This is what being resilient is all about. Being resilient will not remove the tough times from your life but it will reduce the damage the tough times cause and enable you to get back on your feet quicker.

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How to make important changes in your life

They say that there are only two things that you cannot avoid – death and taxes. If you can afford a good tax accountant, you can certainly avoid a lot of tax but there is something else which cannot be avoided – change. The world is in a constant state of. It always has been but since the advent of technology, it seems that change comes more frequently. While you may be able to avoid change for a short while; avoidance is never an effective long-term solution. There will be times when you must make important changes in your life and it is far better that you approach these situations with commitment and an intention to be successful with the changes. These can be stressful times but with the right mindset, you can make important changes in your life with relative ease and comfort.

It is important that you remember that there is a reason why you must make important changes in your life. Change, although usually seen as stressful, can actually help you get over some hurdles and move ahead with your life. In other words, where the status quo is unacceptable, there is little choice; you absolutely must make changes in your life. Yet, instituting change can be quite challenging. The purpose of this article is to show you how you can go about bringing a much-desired change to your life.

How to make important changes in your life

When you want to make important changes in your life, the following strategies will help you to stay focused and reduce the stress and anxiety that you experience along the way.

1. Be specific about the important changes you want to make in your life

Write down in a sentence or two what change you seek. Be as specific as possible. It is not enough to say that you do not want a particular thing in your life. You need to be specific about what you want e.g. don’t just say that you no longer want to be in your current job. Be as specific as possible about the job you would like. As you proceed with your job search you can further refine your criteria for a new job.

The clearer you are about what you want, the easier it is for you to find what you are looking for. It is also easier for friends, family, and colleagues to identify and recommend potential opportunities for you.

If you need to set clear goals for the changes you wish to make in your life, check out the Ultimate Guide to Goal Setting.

2. Know why you want the change

Being aware of your reasons for change will deepen your understanding of yourself and what you wish for your future. Also, when you make important changes in your life, there will be times when you struggle and you may even feel like giving up. However, understanding your reasons for making the changes and, how you will benefit from the change is essential. This level of understanding is the greatest form of motivation. You simply have to remind yourself of the reasons and the benefits and you will soon regain your motivation and drive to carry on.

Having clarity now pays off later. So, before you rush into major changes, take the time to gain clarity about the important changes you wish to make.

3. Explore all options for how to bring on the change

There are many different ways in which you can make important changes in your life. Before you rush into action, take a little time to review your options. When you are initially listing your options, suspend judgement – just write down whatever comes into your mind. You can then review all options, assessing the pros and the cons. It is rare that any of the options will fill you with 100% confidence so, pick the one that gives you the best feeling and take some action. You can always make adjustments as you go along.

4. Focus on making one change at a time

If you attempt to make numerous important changes in your life at the same time, you will be confused, stressed and anxious. It is hard to juggle a number of things at the same time. Another major issue with making numerous changes at once is that you will find it incredibly difficult to determine what is working and what is not e.g. if you are experiencing a benefit, it is hard to determine which change has brought about that benefit.

Concentrate your energies on only one task. This will increase your chances of being successful. And, when you see that you can achieve one change, you’ll gain confidence in making other changes.

5. Find your confidence

Gather your self-assurance and ignite your efforts to begin making changes. You don’t need to be 100% confident in order to make a start. In fact, if you wait until you are 100% confident, you will never be ready to begin. Instead, start with small actions and with each success, your confidence and self-belief will grow.

6. Use positive self-talk

It is estimated that you have about 60,000 thoughts per day. The quality of these thoughts can have a significant impact on your performance. You cannot eliminate all negative talk but you can increase your positive thoughts by making the effort to speak positively to yourself. Tell yourself that you know you can successfully make the changes. Reassure yourself that you have the necessary skills and strengths to succeed.

7. Discuss your wishes with anyone who is impacted

If others are going to be impacted when you make important changes in your life, you should let them know at the earliest opportunity. Not only is this the honest approach but you are likely to find some allies who will support you along the way. The support you get from others could be just what you need to carry you across the finish line.

In addition, when you tell the people you respect that you are going to make changes, they will hold you accountable. This will give you extra motivation.

8. Refuse to let anyone or anything stop you

When you make important changes in your life, there will usually be some people who disagree with you. Some of them may actively work against you as you try to make the changes. This is a natural occurrence and you should let it deter you from action. By all means, listen carefully to the opinions of those whom you love and trust. Then, proceed ahead on your well-planned course, taking their ideas into consideration if you found them useful.

9. Find a great mentor

It’s wonderful to have direct contact with someone who’s done what you’re striving to do. You can ask questions and learn from their experiences. This will help you to avoid many problems and also to accept some of the challenges and obstacles that you will meet along the way. By having an idea of what lies ahead, you will be better able to cope with both the good times and the bad.

While it would be ideal to have direct contact with someone who has been through the change that you are making, you can also learn from other sources e.g. books, blogs, training courses etc. The important thing is that you learn from the wisdom of someone who has already walked in your shoes.

Making important changes in your life can be stressful but if done for the right reasons, it will be very rewarding once completed. When you discover that you can create the life you deserve by making some adjustments here and there, you can move closer toward your goals in life with greater passion and confidence. It is the pursuit and achievement of your goals that brings the greatest joy to your life. However, to achieve your goals you must first accept that if you do not already have the life you desire; continuing to do the same things will not bring you that life. If you want to improve your situation, you must make important changes in your life. The 9 strategies above will make those changes easier and less stressful for you.

[carthagebuckley]

New Post has been published on Coaching Positive Performance

New Post has been published on http://coachingpositiveperformance.com/13-simple-strategies-building-trust/

13 Simple strategies for building trust

Trust forms the basis of every relationship. It is essential that people can accept that you are who you say you are and, you will do what you say you will do. The converse is also true i.e. you must be able to trust others. Without trust, you would have to do absolutely everything yourself as you could not depend on others to get the job done. When you are trying to establish a relationship, in any area of your life, you must first succeed at building trust. Building trust in certain situations can be tricky. While you may be looking to trust people, have you thought about how people view you when it comes to trust?

13 Powerful strategies for building trust

Implementing the following 13 strategies will greatly improve your success rate when building trust. As a result, building trust with others will become a much faster, smoother experience.

1. Keep to your word and follow through with your actions

The entire purpose of building trust with others is that they will be able to believe you when you say that you will do something e.g. if you promise to perform a task for them, they should be able to hand the task over to you and forget about it until it is completed.

There will be times when you regret making a commitment but for the sake of the relationship, it is generally best that you follow through on your commitment and then avoid repeating the commitment. There will be some situations where you are required to break a commitment but this should be communicated early and treated as a renegotiation.

2. Learn how to communicate effectively with others

This is usually the main reason why relationships fall apart, because of bad communication skills. As mentioned above, there will be times when you have to break a commitment but if communicated early and properly, this rarely becomes a major issue.

Another important element of communication is to be clear on what you have and have not committed to. Never leave the site of an agreement without double checking that all parties are crystal clear about what exactly has been agreed. Effective communication is critical to building trust.

3. It takes time to build and earn trust

Building trust should be viewed as a daily activity. Don’t expect too much too soon. Focus on small steps and small commitments. As the trust level grows, you will become more comfortable making and accepting bigger commitments.

4. Take time when making decisions and think before acting too quickly

A lot of disagreement and broken trust arises due to one person agreeing to something that they didn’t really want to agree too. Don’t be that person. Before you make a commitment, make sure that you are happy to agree to it. Consider everything that is involved in keeping the commitment as you may find that you do not have the time or desire to follow through on the commitment.

As unpleasant as it may seem, if you do not really want to do something you should say ‘No’. While others may be disappointed, agreeing to something and not following through would be far worse for everybody.

5. Value those relationships you have and don’t take them for granted

We all have friends and family in our lives that have been with us for years. It can be very easy to take these friendships for granted until problems arise and we realise that we neglected this person. Even during very busy periods, it is always possible to find a little time for those that matter most to us. Taking this time will ensure that you have valuable, supportive relationships built on a bedrock of trust.

6. Treat your customers well and thank them for their business

As above, don’t get so busy building trust and relationships with new people that you forget to nurture the relationships that you already have. It is far easier to maintain existing relationships. If you neglect these relationships they may be lost and become virtually impossible to re-establish.

7. Develop your team skills and participate openly

Whatever team you find yourself in, you have value to offer. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be there. Do not be the quiet person that sits in the corner and contributes nothing. Those who do not contribute anything are viewed as freeloaders whom others find difficult to trust.

When you participate fully in a team and offer your insights, people respect and trust you. Even if they don’t agree with you, they value the fact that you are willing to offer your view and have a discussion. When building trust within a team, it is important that you demonstrate your willingness to trust others. Your openness and willingness to contribute demonstrates this.

If you have trouble developing your strengths or skills, check out Develop Your Strengths.

8. Always be honest

It shouldn’t really need to be said but sadly, it does; ‘honesty is the best policy’. People often tell small lies in an attempt to protect others or, to avoid trouble. However, when the other person finds out that you lied, they automatically assume that you are prepared to lie about everything. Your chances of building trust will be lost over a small lie that was of little worth to anyone.

While you may wish to present information in the most pleasant way possible, the message you communicate should always be the truth.

9. Help people whenever you can

One of the most effective strategies when building trust is to be of service to others. If you help somebody in a way which provides no direct benefit to yourself, you will experience the indirect benefit of improved trust. Kindness really does go a long way.

10. Don’t hide your feelings

People have always tried to hide their feelings in order to appear tough and avoid the appearance of being vulnerable. However, people like and trust people who are most like them e.g. if you receive some upsetting news, they expect you to appear upset. They understand. If you try too hard to hide these emotions, you appear to be like a heartless robot and, nobody wants to trust a heartless robot.

When people know you care, they are more prepared to trust you. The honesty of your emotions can be a very powerful tool when building trust.

11. Don’t always self-promote

Think about others. If they have worked hard and effectively, don’t they deserve some recognition too? When you recognise and appreciate the efforts of others you demonstrate your talent for leadership and teamwork. Building trust with those whom you work with becomes incredibly easy and you soon develop a team of people who will go that extra mile to help you.

12. Always do what you believe to be right

Life would be easier if you just did everything that others wanted. You would have all the approval that you could possibly want and, approval is nice. The problem with seeking approval is that you have to sacrifice your own values and beliefs to get it. In other words, you don’t trust yourself, your values and your beliefs.

In addition, when people see that you are willing to sell out on yourself, they know that you will also be willing to sell out on them. Ironically, when you build a reputation for always doing what you believe to be right, even when others disagree with you; they respect your honesty, and integrity. It may seem strange, but when building trust, you have to be prepared to upset others.

In order to always do what you believe is right, you need to be clear on your values. Values Based Living can help you achieve this.

13. Admit your mistakes

Everybody makes mistakes. When you try to hide your mistakes, you are hiding your own humanity. People know that you are being dishonest. When you accept and acknowledge your mistakes, you have the opportunity to share what you have learned from it. Showing your vulnerable side helps to build trust with others as they see as somebody who is more like them.

While the above ways are all relatively easy to use, putting them into play may be difficult for some people. If you have been hurt or deceived in the past, learning to trust again can take a long, long time. But don’t give up on trusting people again; there are plenty of good, trustworthy people in this world. One of the best things that you can do is to focus on making sure that you are a trustworthy person who lives with honesty and integrity. Go through the above list and see if you can honestly say that you do all of those things. If not, select one or two and work on improving them first. Building trust starts with being trustworthy. When you get this message across, you will find that building trust and respect with others comes as natural as breathing to you.

[carthagebuckley]

New Post has been published on Coaching Positive Performance

New Post has been published on http://coachingpositiveperformance.com/boosting-mental-health-positivity-exercise/

Boosting mental health and positivity with exercise

The human race has always been focused on exploration. We have explored new countries, new continents and, in the latter part of the last century, there was a great desire to explore space and beyond. For a long time, this desire to explore further afield came at the expense of exploring our own physical and mental makeup. While progress has been made in developing our understanding of the human body, we still lack a thorough knowledge of the workings of the human mind. The brain is a complex organ that we still have much to learn about; however through research and studies, we are starting to see connections between exercising the physical body and improving mental health.

In a recent Brazilian study on older lab rats, they found that even exercising at a mild-intensity level the rats showed an increase in the production of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is known to promote the health of nerve cells. The increase of BDNF from exercising allowed the older rats to score as well on memory tests as younger rats that did not exercise.

Another study which took place in my homeland of Ireland took a group of sedentary male college students though a memory test. Following the memory test, the group was split in two with one group exercising on a stationary bike, until exhausted. The other group did not perform any exercise; they simply sat quietly. When the memory tests were administered again, the group that exercised scored much higher than the group that didn’t exercise.

Besides increasing cognitive and spatial learning, we also know exercising can reduce depression, anxiety and stress. The reasons given for this are many and varied. The truth is that nobody is certain why it works; we just know that it does. Exercising makes you feel better, more relaxed and better about yourself – higher self-esteem if you will.

Exercising also has some emotional benefits too, such as:

gaining self confidence

refocusing your mind

providing a positive coping strategy

Mental health benefits of exercise

As mentioned, there are many benefits of exercise but despite common misconceptions, they are not all physical benefits. The following mental health benefits are some of the most powerful reasons for making exercise a regular part of your life.

1. Gaining self-confidence

With fitness and strength comes confidence in your ability to get things done and, confidence in your appearance. One of the key aspects of regular exercise is the setting and achievement of goals. As you achieve each goal, you become more confident in yourself. As the exercise becomes a regular part of your life, the gifts that it brings and, the confidence you experience, become a regular occurrence too. Eventually, it impacts on your entire self image to the point where you have an unshakeable belief in yourself.

2. Positive focus

When things are not going well for you, it would be incredibly easy to focus only on the negative in your life. However, focusing on the negative will only lead to experiencing more negative. Exercise is one of the best strategies for overcoming negative thinking. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins which lead to feelings of positivity. Also, when you are exercising, you have a clear objective to focus on. As you focus on this objective, your other cares and worries start to drift away.

3. Providing a positive coping strategy

Researchers have consistently found that the benefits of exercising can be as effective as those produced by anti-depressant medications. Exercise is a fantastic way to relive the stresses and strains of everyday life by allowing your mind to focus on other things. Also, the fitness, strength and resilience achieved as a result of an exercise program, help to protect you against illness, both mental and physical.

Some people will require medication but most people can achieve as good a result without resorting to such measures.

What type of exercises produce the best results?

This is where many people fall down in their exercise efforts. They start thinking that they need to be like an athlete or a bodybuilder. Most people associate exercising with working out in a gym, running, or playing a sport. These forms of exercise are fantastic but exercise does not always have to take these forms. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you do something.

Many other activities you do are also classified as exercising, such as:

gardening,

washing the car,

carrying in groceries,

dancing

walking from your car to the office,

taking the stairs instead of the elevator, etc.

There are many ways to incorporate exercising into your daily routine without exercising in the traditional sense.

How much exercise is enough?

Exercising 30 minutes per day three times per week is enough to significantly improve mental and physical health symptoms. Intensity and duration of the exercise can have a significant impact on the results derived. However, it does take a little trial and error to find what works for you. Some people see significant improvement from as little as 15 minutes per day of aerobic exercise. Reduced intensity and duration tends to result in slower progress but if you are prepared to be patient, you will see great results.

To learn more about how exercise can help you reduce stress and maximise performance, check out Fit for Life.

While exercising can help you cope with mental health issues, it is not a substitute for seeking medical advice. It has become far more common for physicians to recommend exercise as a treatment and, in many cases that will be enough to help you manage and overcome the challenges that you face. For some people exercise will not be enough and a little medical or pharmaceutical assistance may be necessary. There is no shame in seeking such help if it is required. However, if you begin to make exercise a regular part of your life, you will soon experience the rich benefits that it brings and greatly reduce the chances of you ever needing to seek more specialist help.

[carthagebuckley]

New Post has been published on Coaching Positive Performance

New Post has been published on http://coachingpositiveperformance.com/7-important-life-skills-wish-learned-kid/

7 Important life skills I wish I learned as a kid

I had a very enjoyable conversation with an educator during the week. I have no doubt that this lady will have a positive impact on all the students and teachers that she comes into contact with. The conversation inspired me to think about my views on schools and the impact they have on our lives. Although we can learn to read and write at school, there are many beneficial life skills that schools rarely provide. These are skills that all adults and children should have. It is one thing to teach people facts and information but it is another entirely to teach people the valuable life skills which will enable them to think for themselves and navigate their way through life.

Bridging the life skills deficit

As I worked my way around the world, I have rarely been asked for the type of information that I learned in my school days e.g. I have never been asked the capital of New Zealand, though I have lived there. If schools are not teaching the precious life skills required for our work and personal lives, we need to get them somewhere. Many of these lessons can be learned, painfully, from life experience. It would be most beneficial if life skills were added to the curriculum; however, I also believe that both parents and companies can play their part in helping to bridge the life skills deficit. You might argue that this is not a job for a company to be undertaking but for a small investment, with training and coaching, employees could develop valuable life skills which would return that investment many times over.

Essential life skills

Listed below are 7 of the most fundamental life skills required for success in life. If you or anyone you know really struggles with life, odds are that there is a lack of expertise in one of these areas. That’s how important they are!

1. Asking questions

If you can’t do something or you are lacking some important information, you could waste a great deal of time trying to figure it out for yourself or, you could just ask somebody who possesses the necessary skills or information. You may take questions for granted but asking the right question, of the right person, will save a great deal of time and significantly reduce the amount of stress you experience. Effective questioning is one of the most important life skills.

You can also learn a lot by asking yourself questions. Questioning yourself forces you to consider all your options thoroughly before making important decisions. A good question forces you to reflect and, can help you determine whether your life is on the right course, or not.

2. Problem solving

Life is full of challenges. It would be great to go through life without ever facing any challenges and problems. It would also be naïve to think that this is even possible. The truth is that overcoming challenges and problems is what allows us to grow, to learn and to become stronger. There are going to be problems so why not teach people the necessary skills to solve them? When you know how to solve a problem, rather than have it solved for you, you can turn negative situations into positive experiences with greater ease. Again, you would be saving time and reducing stress.

There is another strong reason for teaching problem solving skills i.e. it teaches people that it is ok to make a mistake and get something wrong. When life puts an obstacle in your way, it also gives you the opportunity to remove that obstacle. If everybody understood this we would see less depression and anxiety.

3. Follow your passion

Most of us were taught that working and having a job stinks, so you’d better get used to it. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. Everybody wants to enjoy their life but nobody ever teaches us how to find work or hobbies which we enjoy.

The quickest route to happiness in life is to find the work you love, do the things you love and spend your time with people you love. It may not be possible to spend every minute of your life this way but you can certainly live like this for a large portion of your time and, the more time you spend like this, the happier you will be. To live this way, you simply have to follow your passion. Having the wisdom and courage to follow your passion is one of the most vital, and rewarding, life skills.

You can discover your passion and purpose in life with the Living Purposefully Workbook.

4. Independence of thought

The late Anthony De Mello, described approval as the most dangerous drug in the world. People will do many things that they disagree with just to get the approval of others. If you want to make the most of your life, you need to go the extra mile and, as M. Scott Peck said, it is never crowded along the extra mile. If you allow your decisions to be dictated by popular opinion, you might be popular but you will never be truly happy. One of the greatest gifts that you can give yourself is to allow yourself to live true to your own purpose, values and beliefs.

It is perfectly acceptable to have and, to express, a different opinion. There is very little in life which is actually fact. There will always be people who have a different opinion and you can respect their right to their opinion without sacrificing your right to your own opinion.

5. Valuing vision over knowledge

You will never know everything. There is simply too much to know. More importantly, you will never need to know everything. You are living in a society where information is freely available. You can find just about anything that you might want to know; as long as you know what you are looking for e.g. if you type the right query into Google, you will get many, many pages of information on the topic.

That is one of the most valuable life skills you could learn. Develop a clear vision of what you want to achieve first; then you can seek to learn the knowledge and skills required to help you achieve that goal.

6. Compassion

There are over seven billion people on this Earth; each with their own needs, values, and beliefs. Despite the differences, if you want to live your best life, you have to learn to work and live together, peacefully.

When you practice compassion, you learn to view each situation from the perspective of the other person. Seeing things from their perspective allows you a better chance of reaching a mutually agreeable solution and, where you cannot, you will find it easier to agree to disagree. Being compassionate is one of the greatest gifts you can give, both to others and to yourself.

7. Dealing with change

Time does not stand still for anyone. Things change, whether you want them to or not. Change is one of the few constants in life. Whether you want to survive or thrive in life, you will need to be able to deal with change. Accepting change and adapting to deal with it is another one of those life skills which will save you time and stress.

Those who can be flexible and deal with change effectively are much more successful and happier than those who can’t.

Education is wonderful but it does not teach us everything that we need to know to succeed in life. Life skills are essential but sadly, they are often neglected. These necessary skills that aren’t taught in school can be more valuable than anything we learn during our formal education. If you do not possess strong life skills, your performance in formal education will be irrelevant. Good exam results may get you an opportunity but without the necessary life skills, you will not be able to make the most of that chance. The life skills, listed above, are some of the most important life skills that you can master. They won’t be the answer for every one of life’s challenges but they will give you a good head start.

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New Post has been published on Coaching Positive Performance

New Post has been published on http://coachingpositiveperformance.com/overcoming-precrastination-procrastinations-painful-cousin/

Overcoming precrastination - Procrastination's painful cousin

We all know about procrastination and its dangers. In its simplest terms, procrastination is the putting off of the important tasks which you know need to be done. Everyone does it to some extent. Those who have the greatest ability to manage their procrastination will achieve the greatest levels of success. While procrastination limits your results by causing you to take longer than necessary to complete your most important tasks; the opposite, precrastination, can be just as harmful. Precrastination is when we rush to get through something as quickly as possible. In time management and productivity, we are often thought that speed is of the essence but this overlooks one incredibly important factor; if you are doing the wrong things, doing them faster is not going to benefit you. Both choices can cost us time and effort if we fail to approach our work rationally.

The precrastination problem

The major problem with prercrastination is that important decisions get made without the necessary thought being put into them. In a study, students were asked to pick a bucket to carry across a finish line. Surprisingly, many selected the bucket closest to them rather than the one nearest the final destination, even though that meant carrying the load further. If you take a moment to think about that, you will realise that the students chose the bucket which meant they would have to carry the additional weight for a greater distance, all due to convenience i.e. it was the closest bucket. Making decisions based on convenience is a recipe for precrastination and, it rarely ends well. Precrastination can be just as counterproductive as procrastination.

Overcoming precrastination

If you take pride in jumping on each new task without delay, you may want to think twice as you are probably doing more harm than good. The following are some suggestions which will help you to avoid precrasination.

1. Focus on importance

Precrastination is usually the fault of ineffective thinking. When people brag about their work, they usually speak of the quantity of work they completed or, the amount of time that they spent in work. Neither of these factors means anything of importance. If I spent 24 hours in work and completed 1,000 tasks; does that meant that I have had an effective day? If you think that it does, you need to think again.

The value of a day’s work is dependent on the quality and importance of the work done, not the quantity. If you complete one very important task, it is much better than completing 1,000 tasks which fail to bring you closer to reaching your goals. Your most important tasks should be determined by the contribution they make to achieving your goals and, these are the tasks that should fill your day. Strive to fill your life with meaningful undertakings as much as possible.

2. Focus on quality

Once you have reassessed your task list and identified the most important tasks to complete; it is natural that you will be more enthusiastic. When you realise that completing these tasks will bring you closer to your goals, you may want to rush through them. However, you must remember that these tasks will only bring you closer to your goals if they are completed properly. You have taken the time to identify your most important tasks, now you must treat them with the level of importance they deserve.

The focus of important tasks should be to complete them to the highest standard possible, not to complete them as fast as possible. Allow yourself the time needed to do the job properly. That way, you will do it right and only have to do it once.

3. Take time to think

When you are making an importance decision, you may have to take a great deal of information into account. It is essential that you allow yourself sufficient time to consider all of the information. While you do not want to spend forever on decisions which are not that important (a form of procrastination) it is essential that each decision receives the level of thought and time which adequately reflects its importance e.g. choosing which supermarket to go to shouldn’t take very long while choosing which University to go to would require more time and consideration.

4. When in doubt, relate it back to your long term goals

Remember your long term objectives. There will be times in life when you are unsure as to which task you should be focusing on. In these moments, you can refer to your task list and ask yourself ‘what is the most important task that I can complete now with the time and resources available to me?’ Again, importance would be defined by the contribution made to the achievement of a key goal.

5. Create batches

One symptom of precrastination is that your attention is constantly stolen by small, relatively unimportant tasks. Quite often, these tasks can be bundled together and completed as a batch. For example, you may receive invoices both by the post and email. Rather than pay an invoice as soon as it arrives, you can keep an invoice file and schedule a time each week for paying invoices e.g. Tuesday morning. When that time arrives, you can take out the file and pay all of your invoices together. Any invoice that arrives outside of this time is simply added to the invoice file, to be paid in the next batch.

6. Slow down

Pausing also enhances decision making. Your brain will often work at its best when it is most relaxed. Schedule some time to take it easy and have some fun. As you do this, your subconscious mind will be working on finding solutions to your challenges. Relaxing allows your creative juices to flow.

7. Keep contextualised task lists

Many people write a task list. They tend to do this from memory. At the beginning of each day, they list down every task that they can think of which needs to be completed. However, this is as far as it gets. They make no attempt to organise it. As they complete a task, they cross it off. As they do not complete every task each day, they soon find themselves with a task list that is spread out over many different pages and, as a result, causes more problems than it solves.

An easier solution is to have a contextualised task list for every situation e.g. when you are at your desk; when you are at your phone; when you are in town, etc. When a new task arrives, you decide which list it belongs on and add it. Then when you find yourself in that situation e.g. you are in town, you consult the relevant task list and begin to knock off some of the tasks on it.

Contextualised tasks list allow you to make decisions quicker and, if you have more than 20 tasks, they are considerably easier to maintain. I use a Google spreadsheet with a tab for each list. This allows me to access it on the computer or on my phone, meaning my list is never far away.

For more great productivity tips, check out Quick Fixes for Your Productivity.

Despite what some experts might teach, acting fast is not the cure for procrastination. There are times when you will be able to act swiftly but most times, you will be in danger of precrastination. Working quick, without the necessary thought, planning and organisation is a recipe for disaster. Precrastination can be as much of a problem as procrastination. . You must establish priorities, and keep the big picture in mind. The best way to avoid procrastination and precrastination is to do the right thing. To do the right thing, you need to know your goals, determine the important tasks which are going to get you there and, schedule your time based on importance. With this mentality and a little organisation, you can make both procrastination and precrastination a thing of the past and, walk the narrow middle ground which takes you all the way to your goal.

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New Post has been published on Coaching Positive Performance

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7 Simple ways to improve your health

As the old saying goes “When you have your health, you have everything” and it is so true. Health really is the greatest source of wealth. You could have all the money and material possessions in the world but without your health you will never have the opportunity to enjoy it. Some people are obsessed with their health. They are constantly trying to get leaner, lighter, faster, stronger etc. I commend these people for their efforts but you not have to go to such extremes in order to improve your health. To noticeably improve your health, you only have to spend as little as 30 minutes per day working on it. And, when you see some of the simple ways that you can improve your health, you will realise that improving your health can be one of the most enjoyable and beneficial commitments that you can make.

Improving your overall health is not that hard. Here are seven easy-to-implement ways to better health:

Laugh more, stress less

Do yoga

Work up a sweat

Know your healthy numbers

Avoid fad diets

Move more frequently (N.E.A.T.S.)

Take a nap

7 Simple ways to improve your health

The seven strategies listed above are really not that difficult to implement but the benefits can be amazing. These strategies will not turn you into a bodybuilder or professional athlete overnight but they will noticeably improve your health in a relatively short period of time.

1. Laugh more

Laughing not only eases stress and lowers blood pressure, but it may also boost your immune system. Some of the funniest experiences that you will have in life will happen spontaneously. That does not mean that you should wait for something funny to happen. You must actively seek to bring more laughter into your life whether that is spending time with friends or watching a comedy on TV.

2. Do yoga

Yoga not only relieves stress, lowers blood pressure, slows heart rates, but it also increases flexibility and mobility. By working through a series of exercises called poses, you loosen up your muscles and make them more adaptable, lessening your risk of a sport injury and releasing the everyday stress that builds up within your body. Because of its low intensity nature, yoga is incredibly relaxing, which in itself, gives your body and mind the change to switch of and recuperate.

3. Work up a sweat

Taking part in some physical activity just once per week will help to improve your health. However, to experience the real benefits of a good physical workout, you should be making time for it at least 3 times per week. When you are exercising, it is important to work up a sweat e.g. going to the gym does not mean that you are working out.

If you are not the type of person who enjoys the gym, that is not a problem. There are many other physical activities which you could enjoy. In fact, if you can find a means of working up a sweat which you enjoy, you will be far more likely to fit it into your schedule. In no time, your muscles will start to become more efficient, you’ll start to lose weight, have more energy and enjoy other physical activities more.

4. Measure and record

If you want to improve your health, you need to measure your progress. How else would you know if you are getting better or worse? As part of your annual physical check-up (you are getting an annual check-up right?), your doctor will check certain readings like blood pressure, resting heart rate, cholesterol and blood sugar. Ideally, your readings should be around 115 over 75 for blood pressure, under 100 for LDL cholesterol, under 70 for resting heart rate, as well as a fasting blood sugar level of under 100.

If your numbers aren’t close to these numbers, it is usually cause for change rather than cause for panic. Ask your doctor to help you set a good goal for each of these measurements and, ask them for advice on how you might make the improvements. Amongst the advice that you receive, you will most likely be encouraged to improve your diet and exercise regime. That’s good because you have already committed yourself to improving these; haven’t you?

5. Avoid fad diets

We have all heard of fad diets which promise to help us shed the pounds in quick time. Many of them will help you to shift the pounds quickly but there is usually one major flaw – they are unsustainable. Most of these diets are so extreme that you can’t stay on them for very long. As a result, once you come off the diet, the weight rapidly reappears. The end result is that you will have maintained or even gained weight and, you will have put your body under a lot of unnecessary stress due to the extreme nature of the diet.

Instead, learn to eat health and make any weight loss gradual. In the long term, you will achieve a more consistent weight while improving your health and increasing your happiness. Your body and mind will thank you for it.

6. Move more frequently

When I first heard the term Non-Exercise Activated Thermogenesis (N.E.A.T.), I was dumbfounded. It sounded a hell of a lot more complicated than it is. Simply put, exercise elevates your metabolism, causing you to burn calories at a faster rate. If you want to lower your weight, this is great. However, as soon as you stop exercising, your metabolism starts to slow down – not so great.

You can fight the slowing of your metabolism very easily. You simply have to move a little. Every time that you move for a couple of minutes, your metabolism will speed up a little. This does not mean that you have to exercise the whole time, your movement can take any form e.g.:

Walk around while on the phone

Walk to the copier/printer

Stand up for a few minutes while you work

If you work from home, like me, you can fit in a quick piece of housework

Walk to lunch rather than drive

It’s not rocket science. To ensure optimum performance, you should be taking regular breaks from your activities. By choosing to make these breaks more active, you can keep your metabolism working a little bit faster throughout the day; resulting in more calories burned.

7. Take a nap

As you approach the middle of your day, you will notice how your body and mind become a little more sluggish. They are trying to recover from the exertions of the day. As counterproductive as it may sound, you can speed this process up by voluntarily taking a short nap e.g. 25 minutes. When you do this, you maximise your recovery and return to work/play with more energy. You will perform better and be much healthier.

If you think you cannot afford to take time for a nap, you might note that Winston Churchill insisted on taking his nap, even as he led the U.K. through World War II.

If you want to improve your health, you do not need to spend hours in the gym and, you do not need to starve yourself. You need to treat improving your health as importantly as you would treat any work related project. You and your health are that important. When you improve your health, it will consequently improve every area of your life. There is no need to do anything dramatic; as this can lead to short term gains but long term losses. You just need to make the commitment to improve your health and follow through with simple but intelligent action. The 7 ways to improve your health, listed above, require minimal effort to implement but you can rest assured that they will noticeably improve your health and your quality of life.

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6 Tips for getting what you want from life

Are you getting what you want from life? The fact that you are reading this article would seem to suggest that although you may be getting some of what you want from life, you are not getting everything that you want from life. If you are not getting what you want from life, you need to take some action and, change some of your behaviours. If you do not change something then nothing will change. It is highly unlikely that you will wake up some morning to find that some magic fairy has changed everything and you suddenly start getting what you want from life.

Tips for getting what you want from life

Depending on what you want to get from life, you will need to take some specific actions. However, there are some steps that you can take which will quickly increase your chances of getting what you want from life.

1. Stop thinking that others are different

Have you ever had the thought that everyone else gets what he or she wants, except for me? If you think like that, you are experiencing a thinking error. Thinking that way causes you to think that others are better, luckier or more talented than you. You then think that the problem, and the ability to address it, lies outside of your control. The truth is that if somebody is getting better results than you; it is because they are doing something different than you. If you can find out what they are doing and, do it to the same standard, you will experience the same results.

Rather than be bitter or jealous towards those who are getting better results, you can choose to learn from them. Study their behaviour; in some cases you will just be able to ask them what they do. Learn what it is that they do to get the results that you desire and implement it.

There are several ways to get what you really want in your life and negative, disempowering thoughts are not one of them.

2. Accept responsibility

As in the point above, it is easier to blame circumstances that lie outside of your control. If you believe that there is nothing that you can do then you don’t have to do anything. That is not being honest with yourself; it is allowing yourself to be governed by fear. If you study successful people you will see one great quality that they all share – they accept total responsibility for the outcomes that they achieve in their life. When something does not go their way, they identify what they can do differently and work on it.

Being responsible may not sound like a whole lot of fun, but it greatly improves your chances of getting what you want from life. When you take responsibility for your life and stop blaming circumstances or, worse, yet, other people, you will see how your life moves in the direction that you desire. Accepting responsibility for your life is not just important; it is essential for success and happiness.

3. Take action

Having ambitious dreams for your life is wonderful. It is a pleasurable experience to sit back and dream about the life that you want but, unless you get up off your backside and take action; the dream will never be anything more than a dream. Rather than always thinking about what you want, take some action to move yourself towards it. When you take action you become clearer about what you want and more motivated to make it happen.

It is understandable that in some cases you may be delaying action due to uncertainty but the cure for uncertainty is action. You don’t have to jump recklessly into a new pursuit; you can dip your toe in the water to lean more. As you become more immersed in your new circumstances, you will be better able to determine if it is the right course of action or not e.g. If you want to change careers, you could take a class or two to see if your new career is something that you want to pursue.

No matter what it is you want to do, action is necessary. Where necessary, feel free to indulge in baby steps. Any steps are better than no steps at all.

4. Think positively

When negative things happen to you, and they will, it is easy to be overcome by negativity. However, negativity can block your ability to view situations objectively and think creatively. Getting what you want from life requires that you learn to deal with setbacks effectively. You don’t have to be unrealistically positive (i.e. deluded) but you do need to be able to stem the tide of negativity and believe in your ability to solve problems.

5. Be grateful

Let’s look at this from a selfish point of view. If you do a favour for a friend and, that friend does not appear to be grateful for your help, how inclined will you be to help them the next time that they are in need. Now, you may ignore a lack of gratitude once or twice but if it is a constant thing, you are eventually going to get fed up helping this friend. People love to help others and they are usually happy to do so (where possible) but if you never display or communicate any gratitude, you may soon find yourself short of people who will help you along your path.

In addition, being grateful allows you to see and appreciate all the opportunities that life has to offer. In his wonderful book The Luck Factor: The Scientific Study of the Lucky Mind Dr. Richard Wiseman conducted several experiments that showed how positive people were better able to see opportunities to improve their situation. Being grateful for all of the good in your life is one excellent way to experience this positivity. Again, you are not asked to be unrealistic but too many people focus only on their negative experiences.

6. Be focused

If you have a big goal, the next step is an action plan with small steps. These steps should require regular action. By focusing on and taking small, consistent steps towards your goal; you make getting what you want from life less overwhelming. Rather than be overwhelmed by the big picture, these small directed steps allow you to make progress each day, safe in the knowledge that you are moving closer to your goal. Including a regular review of your progress will allow you to identify anywhere that you may have strayed off course. You can then make the necessary changes to get back on track.

If you are unclear as to what you want from life, you can learn to set and pursue effective goals with the Ultimate Guide to Goal Setting.

There is nothing wrong with getting what you want from life. Getting what you want or, pursuing what you want is not selfish or greedy, unless you are trying to deny others their rights. While it is pleasant to sit back and dream of a better life, dreaming alone is not a successful strategy for getting what you want from life. You need to take action and develop the appropriate mindset. While the exact steps that you need to take will depend on the exact nature of what you want; there are some common steps which you can take to set you on the right path. If you implement these steps; getting what you want from life will move from the realm of dreams to the realm of distinct possibilities.

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New Post has been published on Coaching Positive Performance

New Post has been published on http://coachingpositiveperformance.com/5-core-principles-of-time-management/

5 Core principles of time management

Time management is a skill that most people would like to improve on. Even those with excellent time management are constantly seeking to find ways in which they can improve their productivity. There are many different methods/strategies you can use to improve your time management. Which one you choose is a matter of personal preference. Whatever that choice may be, there are some core principles of time management which will always be true. If you understand these core principles of time management and you adhere to them; you will move a long way towards living an effective, productive life. These principles of time management are fundamental skills. Often, when I coach clients in the area of time management, I find that they have skipped these fundamentals. Unfortunately, like any skill, if you fail to master the basics, you will struggle to achieve your goals.

5 Core principles of time management

The following list is not intended to be exhaustive. To include everything would make this article far too long to read. However, it will address some of the most important principles of time management.

1. You have a hierarchy of needs

You have probably heard of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It outlines the basic needs that we have as human beings. It is an explanation of the way we, as humans, think about our lives. We put things into a hierarchy with the most important first and work our way up from there.

As a person you have basic needs that have to be met. These include food and water, air, clothing and shelter. If you do not meet these basic needs, you will struggle to get anything of importance done. If you don’t believe me, try sitting through an important meeting when you are incredibly hungry. You will lack energy and concentration. Your mind constantly focuses on the need to tackle your hunger. You simply won’t be able to get things done unless your most basic needs are met.

From there, you have your need for safety, companionship, psychological needs and needs that feed your self-worth. All of these needs (includes wants) play into your daily life roles. You might be a mother, a wife, an employee, a business owner, a friend or several other hats that are worn by you. All of these things fight for time in your day. When people fall behind in their work, these are often the first needs to be dropped. On a rare occasion, that is not a major problem, however if you consistently deny yourself the warmth of interpersonal interactions and self care, it will begin to impact on your mental and emotional wellbeing. As a consequence, your performance will suffer.

Time management is about balance and prioritisation. Everything can’t be the top priority. Some things will have to wait their turn and, some things, though they may be nice, have to be let go as they simply are not important enough. You must learn to prioritise based on importance i.e. you determine through self-assessment what is most important to you right now and work on that first. As you complete the most important task, you can then reassess and identify the next most important task which will now get your attention.

2. It’s about effectiveness first, then efficiency

If you are anything like me, you have probably had a number of mangers over the years who have preached about the need for efficiency. Efficiency is all about getting more done. This is a good thing, unless you are doing the wrong things. If the tasks you are completing are of little importance, completing more of them is going to add little, if any, value to your life. The truth you rarely hear is that it is better to complete one very important task than 100 unimportant tasks. That’s what effectiveness is all about i.e. getting the right stuff done. When you are getting the right stuff done, you can then focus on increasing the workload.

Effective time management is one of the most important principles of time management. It allows you to focus on completing the most important task that you can complete at that moment in time; with the time and resources available to you. For example, if you are tired, an efficiency mindset will tell you that you have to keep going and do more. An effectiveness mindset recognises the fact that you are tired and encourages you to take a brief rest, even a nap, in order to get your energy back. With an effectiveness mindset you know that taking that rest and getting your energy back will allow you to complete a better quality and quantity of work than if you forced yourself to push through with a shortage of energy. You can take a quick or prolonged nap knowing that all is well in the kingdom so you don’t have to stress.

When you are focused on effectiveness, every minute of the day is filled with something important. It could be a nap or reading a story to your toddler but something is being done and you feel good about it because you know that you are doing the most important thing that you can do in that moment.

If you would like to learn some effective strategies for improving your time management, check out Quick Fixes for Your Productivity.

3. Time management is essential for business

In business, time management is extremely important. It could make the difference between keeping a client and losing one or, keeping your job or losing it. Bear in mind that nobody has perfect time management and we all make mistakes however, these mistakes should be the exception rather than the rule.

Time management techniques in business will see you meeting deadlines, finding new clients, opening up new opportunities and making more money than you were before. With proper time management, the quality of your work greatly increases. This is due to the fact that you are no longer rushed. You understand how much time it takes to complete a task and you allow for it. When you manage your time effectively, you get the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the completion of each project and, experience the positivity and confidence that comes with it.

Time management in the workplace is crucial for your health and wellbeing also. You need to be able to switch off at the end of the day and leave work behind you. Work needs to have a set schedule just like personal time. This is particularly difficult in the modern environment due to technology ensuring that we are always contactable. Nonetheless, if you wish to thrive rather than just survive, it is a skill you must learn.

4. It can’t be all work

No man or woman is an island. You need the warmth of human interaction to make your life complete. You will have many different relationships including spouse, children, family and friends. It is imperative that you do not just take these relationships for granted or, you may soon find that the relationship becomes broken beyond repair. Each of these relationships needs to be nurtured.

Squeezing friends and family in with a quick phone call between business meetings is not quality time. In this type of instance, your mind is on the work rather than the relationship. Personal time with family and friends needs quality just like your work. Wherever you are, you must be there 100% e.g. when you are with a loved one, they must get your complete and undivided attention. It is not always possible to spend large amounts of time with people you care about but you can ensure that whatever time you do spend with them is of the highest quality. Being in the moment is a gift of time management that can’t be duplicated or replaced. Spending quality time with those you love and focusing on them fulfills a need in your hierarchy as well.

5. Time management and motivation feed off each other

Time management increases your motivation. The opposite is also true; being motivated to achieve something increases your motivation to manage your time effectively. You don’t need motivation to live your life on auto-pilot so, if you are desperate to improve your management, it is most likely that you are ambitious and motivated. Therefore, rather than berate yourself for your shortcomings, be excited about the opportunity to improve your quality of life.

Once you see how your productivity increases, you are motivated to keep using time management tools and keep improving. You know that as you make improvements to your time management, you will improve the quality of the results that you achieve.

As with any other skill, mastering time management requires that you first master the basics. The basics of time management are really just some core principles that you need to understand and adhere to. The core principles of time management encourage you to focus on quality and effectiveness. Everything that you do should have a purpose and importance. When you adhere to these core principles of time management, you will start to see improvements in each and every area of your life. Not only will you achieve more; you will experience a much greater sense of fulfillment in doing so.

Over to you. If you would like to share your thoughts, please do so in the comment section below.

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New Post has been published on http://coachingpositiveperformance.com/8-benefits-regular-physical-activity/

8 Benefits of regular physical activity

Regular physical activity is one of the healthiest prescriptions to improve your health. When we think of physical activity, we sometimes think of people who live a life dedicated to exercise and athletic achievement e.g. bodybuilder and marathon runners. While these people do some amazing things, you do not have to go to such lengths to experience the benefits of regular physical activity. If you are not physically active; adding just a few minutes of physical activity each day will result in some amazing benefits. Naturally as you make regular physical activity a part of your life, and gradually increase the amount you do; the quantity and quality of the benefits you experience will improve.  Some of the benefits you can reap from getting physical are:

Controlling/losing weight

Improving your cardiovascular system

Decrease the risk for Type 2 diabetes

Reduce the risk for some cancers

Strengthen bones and muscles

Improve mental health and mood

Increased productivity

Increase your chances of living a high quality life, for longer

Note: before starting any exercise program, be sure to consult with your doctor first. You have to know if you are healthy enough to engage in regular physical exercise before starting any program.

Benefits of regular physical activity

The benefits of regular physical activity are too many and varied to list all of them here. What follows are some of the key benefits that you will experience when you make exercise a regular part of your life.

1. Controlling/losing weight

My friend Kieran Dolan of Dolan Fitness always compares weight management to accounting. It is a matter of balancing what comes in what goes out. Rather than managing money, you are managing calories. You gain weight when you eat more calories than you burn and you lose weight when you burn more calories than you eat. So it stands to reason that if you want to lose weight, you need to adjust your calorie balance so that you are usage outweighs your consumption. You can approach this in a number of ways:

Increase the number of calories that you burn

Decrease the number of calories that you consume

A combination of both of the above

The healthiest approach is usually to combine both a reduction in calorie consumption and an increase in calorie usage. When you adopt this approach, a small in increase in your regular physical activity can yield great results.

For example, if we know that you have to burn 3,500 more calories per week than you eat to lose a pound, it may sound daunting. It becomes more manageable when you break it down into 500 calories per day. Eat 250 calories less and burn 250 calories more each day and you’ll be at your one pound loss for the week.  To burn 250 calories extra per day requires you to burn just over 10 extra calories per hour. Now that does not sound too difficult.

  2. Improving your cardiovascular system

Heart disease and stroke are leading causes of death all around the world. Regular physical activity has been shown to improve the functionality of your heart and lungs.  In Ireland, it is recommended that we get at least 30 minutes of moderately–intensive exercise per week to significantly lower the risk for both diseases. While the recommendation may differ slightly from country to country, they are pretty similar. More exercise yet further reduces your risk even more.

Just a 30 minute walk each day greatly reduces your chances of cardiovascular problems, thus increasing your quality and quantity of life. That’s a significant reward for a very small effort.

3. Decrease the Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

The same 30 minutes per day of exercise will also lower your risk for Type 2 diabetes. If you are carrying too much weight, have low HDL cholesterol or high blood pressure, triglycerides or blood sugar, you are at a greater risk. Regular physical activity will help bring these stats back where they belong.

4. Reduce the risk for some cancers

Research has shown that being physically active reduces the risk of colon cancer in both male and females and the risk of breast cancer in women. Some findings are now suggesting that regular physical activity may also reduce your risk of endometrial and lung cancer. And if you are a cancer survivor, or a survivor of any other serious illness, exercising can help improve your quality of life.

  5. Strengthen bones and muscles

As we age, we begin to lose bone density, which can cause osteoporosis and falls ending up with broken bones. Every year we hear stories of elderly people who are badly injured from what appear to pretty innocuous falls.

Aerobic and muscle strengthening exercises helps keeps your bones and muscles strong and slows the loss of bone density. Not only will you be able to take on more challenges as you get older but you will be stronger and more resilient to injury and illness.

6. Improve mental health and mood

Regular physical activity will help you to maintain mental alertness and sharpness. Your brain will function better.  Exercise can also help prevent depression. When we exercise, endorphins are released in the brain making us feel good. Emotion comes from motion so, if you want to experience more energy and positivity; get moving.

Research has shown that 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise and strength training per day 3 to 5 times per week are optimal for maximum mental acuity benefits. However, even a little exercise provides some benefits. So, even if you cannot manage that much at the moment, you can gradually increase the amount of physical exercise you are doing. As you increase the exercise, you will feel happier and more confident. As a result, you will be more motivated to find the time for additional exercise.

7. Increased productivity

It is one of the paradoxes of life that increase physical activity actually increases your energy levels. You might think that regular physical activity will rob you of energy but you would be wrong. As you become more physically active, you become physically, mentally and emotionally fitter and stronger. This allows you to take on bigger challenges and complete more effectively.

Make the things you do every day, like climbing stairs, carrying a filled laundry basket and carrying groceries easier by getting in shape.

For more great productivity tips, check out Quick Fixes for Your Productivity.

8. Increase your chance of living longer

Research has shown that people who are physically active 7 hours per week reduce their risk of dying early from heart disease or cancer by 40 percent. Remember those 30 minutes of exercising per day? That counts toward your 7 hours per week of physical activity.  You shouldn’t find it too difficult to squeeze the extra physical activity in.

Of course, regular physical activity is not all about how long you live. Our time on Earth is not guaranteed but you can take action to ensure that the time you do have is of the highest quality. That starts with looking after your health and regular physical activity is just one critical aspect of that.

  These 8 benefits of regular physical activity are only the beginning. Life is not just meant to be lived, it is meant to be lived well. If you want to live your best life, you need to have the health, the energy and the enthusiasm to be able to do that. When you make physical activity a regular part of your life, you will begin to experience improved health, energy and enthusiasm. Each and every area of your life will be impacted. You may think that regular physical activity will not improve your work life but you will experience less stress, increased productivity and greater confidence. Not only will you benefit from regular physical activity but your family, friends, colleagues and, all who you interact with, will benefit from the new, improved you.