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| Motivation Information |
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Creating Your Best Year Ever
January is synonymous with resolutions and getting organized is high on many people's list. Unfortunately, perhaps some of us make a resolution, when what we really want is a revolution. Twenty years of accumulated excess weight to disappear in twenty weeks or twenty years of accumulated excess possessions, to find a happy home in twenty minutes. Maybe a more realistic approach would be an evolution -- "a process of continuous, natural change from a lower or worse, to a higher or better state," according to Webster. Human behavior is not like computer software. It cannot be installed. It has to be nurtured. To bring order into our lives, in whatever area we choose, whether it is loosing weight, managing our finances, spending more time with our family, or finding a more fulfilling job, we must nurture our own behavior. One area of my life that is a constant struggle is exercise and healthy eating. As a young child my body caused me lots of problems and I tried hard to ignore it. I subconsciously developed a sense of disdain for my body because it constantly seemed to let me down. I learned to mask some of the pain, at least temporarily, by eating. Several years ago while doing some deep soul searching, I recognized that until I learned to manage my body, I could not find the peace and self-respect I was seeking. So I made a commitment that I would begin to nurture a change in my attitude toward my body by applying organizing skills. In working with thousands of people over more than 20 years, I've discovered there are five components to successfully changing any habit: (1) Vision, (2) Attitude, (3) Time, (4) Tools, and (5) Maintenance. I decide to practice what I preached and apply that knowledge to my own struggle with exercise. Here's the scenario: Vision: My vision of a healthy body means wearing a size 12 suit comfortably, not having a backache, exercising regularly without inappropriate discomfort, and eating healthy food most of the time, so I can splurge periodically without feeling guilty. Attitude: In the past I always focused on my failures, but it isn't difficult to look around and find people who have much more severe physical problems than I do that have healthy bodies. I knew that if I was going to accomplish my vision of a health body, I would have to eliminate all my excuses about my lack of exercise and poor eating habits -- I don't have time, it's difficult when I'm traveling, it's raining outside, it isn't a safe neighborhood to run, there isn't anything healthy in an airport, etc. I began to use Noah St. John's approach of "affirmations." Instead of "affirmations"-- saying, "I have a healthy body." I began asking the question, "Why is my body so healthy?" Since your brain automatically seeks answers, it was immediately easier to keep looking for ways to be healthy! Don't ask me to explain how it works just try it! Time: One of the interesting things I discovered in helping people to organize their homes and offices is that frequently it takes less time to be successful than people anticipate. Perhaps that's because we overestimate how long it takes to do the things we don't like and underestimate how much time we spend on the things we do like? I started out by using a system called Fit 10, an isometric exercise that takes 10 minutes a day. I knew that if I did not have that much time, I wasn't really committed to my vision. A few years later, I decided to work out with a personal trainer. The one I wanted is 30 minutes from my house. I committed to two days a week. At the appointed time, I hopped in the car, popped in a audiotape, and by the end of the first side, I was ready to exercise. On the way home I listened to the end of the second side. Now I could exercise my body and my brain at the same time! Tools: One of the big advantages of Fit ten is that I can do it in my bedroom before I'm tempted by outside factors to postpone exercise. In addition, it fits in my suitcase, and I can exercise in my hotel room, eliminating the excuses of "I don't like to exercise in public," or "I'm not sure this is a safe neighborhood to take a walk", etc. Maintenance: Now the hard part ?maintaining my resolve. My conclusion is that as long as I keep reviewing the first four factors, my vision now includes participating in a public walking event before I reach 60. I did Fit 10 alone for almost three years, but began to get bored, so adding the encouragement (and new tools!) of a personal trainer, put be back on track! What evolution are you looking for this year? Whatever it is, be kind to yourself, and make sure that you've covered all the five steps. Need some help? Find someone else who has a New Year's Resolution and do it together! © Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger's Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.ProductiveEnvironment.com
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Business Management A Reality Practice Suggested practice to gain freedom from self-limitation. Words Have Power How many times have you heard or read that words have power? Maybe it was in the context of working 'magic' or 'positive affirmations' or visualization techniques and you just dismissed it as more of that 'psychic hooha'. Motivation, Your Core Resource Your motivation is one of the core resources you have to accomplish all the things you want to achieve. Employee Motivation - The 8 Basics Building a team of motivated people in your business is vital to get the very best results, but so many managers focus on the 'ra-ra-ra', rather than the important things - the things that make people feel comfortable in their working environment. Here are eight that you might want to have a think about: The WeatherIs it too hot, or too cold. Your people need an environment which is, like Goldilocks said, 'Just right'. So is the office too stuffy in summer? Or too icy in winter? Is it draughty? Do people get wet when accepting deliveries, because the outside roof leaks? Literally make sure that external factors are as they wish. The BreaksSometimes working in a day-to-day job can get boring and exhausting. So people need to know when their breaks are and that they wil be able to take them - it's not that complicated. Yet often, they just aren't able to have this basic courtesy in place. Planning and caring for your people's needs is vital. It's what you would want for yourself, isn't it? HolidaysAnd vacations/holidays are important too - some would say it's the most important thing on the working year calendar. So enable this to happen, when they need to know, so that they can plan their invaluable time away from the business and refresh. Being HeardYou people need you to listen to then and hear them - really hear what they are saying and respond with action and/or acknowledgement. Be out there creating good, open relationships with your people and take in what they say - what's important to them - and deliver solutions to make conditions great. Achievable GoalsBy being really, really clear about what you expect from your employees, you will set the scene for committed staff. Through knowing exactly what their performance should look like to be judged excellent, by you, gets buy-in, big-time. So be clear, give them the resources to achieve success and they will be well onside. Being ThankedAs they do a good job for you each day - tell them. It's easy - just say 'Thank You'! Appreciation for achieving success, especially when it's from the boss is so important. So recognising excellent performance, even for small tasks, cost nothing and takes but a moment - worth building into your day job activities - every day! ChallengePeople like to do new things, to explore, to seek out and utilise their potential, Sometimes this means they will have to be 'stretched' in what they do. With a helping hand, to support, coach and grow the skills of your people, you are setting in place a keen, ambitious and ready-for-the-next-experience star in the making. So find new ways to develop them. SecurityIn today's business climate, it isn't always easy to build the best future consistently - things change too much, too quickly. But you can go some way to ensure that it is a safe place to be. With this level of security, your people will loosen up and feel capable of being with you, rather than against. It is a measure of your own leadership as to how well this works.These are basics for your people - get these right and you will be 85% there, in having motivated people working with you. Then you can turn on the charm, get radical and creative and find them right there alongside you (in front even!). Focused on building your business strongly. The Top 10 Ways to Overcome Procrastination When a person is bored or uninterested, certain tasks and projects can seem like torture! This feeling usually leads to procrastination, and procrastination often leads to guilt. Here are some practical ways to avoid these situations and overcome procrastination: Motivation and Change: Creating Your Daily Success Program I get some of my best ideas for my column from my clients. Keep Motivated To Succeed Online! Starting and managing a business takes motivation and talent. It also takes research and planning. Although initial mistakes are not always fatal, it takes extra skill, discipline, and hard work to regain the advantage. Take time beforehand to explore and evaluate your business and personal goals, then use this information to build a comprehensive and thoughtful business plan that will help you reach these goals. Do You have a Dream? Do you find yourself sitting at work longing to be somewhere else and doing something you have always wanted to do? By Planning and Exerting Effort, You Can Change Things For The Better Most of us plan to find the love of our life, our soul mate. It is a natural human instinct to find a partner. Someone who we can grow and expand with, someone we can have a family with, someone we can spend the rest of our life with. Making Decisions You lost your job. Your partner left you. Your car was re-possessed. You find your life barren like the desert. Creativity and Innovation Management - Motivation Motivation in creativity and innovation is more important than personality traits. This is like possessing high intelligence one must be motivated to improve and apply it. Choosing Your Vision There is a new television show, called Blind Justice that will be replacing NYPD Blue. The show follows a Detective who, at the prime of his life and career, loses his vision in a heroic attempt to thwart a bank robbery and save other police lives. The shooting of this Detective results in his losing his eyesight/vision. He refuses the "disabled" label and sues to get his job back. What immediately struck me as I watched the promo for this new TV show was the idea of losing one's vision. Not physically becoming blind, but losing the vision we once had for our lives. Need Help? Look Within First After eating a turkey and dressing sandwich for breakfast, I am raring to go! For those of you who wrote and asked where the article was last week, I appreciate the fact that you look for it! I apologize for missing it, and to make up for it I have posted on my website a web log and pictures of the barn raising party we had last week. Look for the link on the front page of www.creativemasterminds.com. Why Do 9 Out of 10 People Never Live Their Dreams? When we were kids we all had dreams. There were no boundaries to our imagination and anything was possible. Do you remember your dreams? What happened to your dreams? Did life get into its way? Are we all to busy to use our imagination? Quit Pretending - You Have To Live Whats In You To Succeed Some people, after they reach their mid and upper adult years seem to go through their lives just existing. Oh! They work at their jobs as best as they can. Some may even pursue higher positions in their jobs but they still don't seem to stay satisfied with whatever position they have. They are usually the ones just waiting until it comes time for their retirement. Action vs. Apathy - Feeling Powerless? Get Moving! How many times have you felt truly defeated by the circumstances in your life? You know, the "I don't know why I bother to keep trying, I'm going back to bed and staying there" feeling. It happens to everyone - housewives, corporate executives, rock stars, actors, world leaders. Each and every one of us has had a day when we felt that we just weren't able to cope with our daily lives. Want Real Change in Your Life? Take Action! It's easy to begin a year with analysis: months, days and even years of "thinking." Many of us would like to believe that "reaching goals" begins with an armchair, a self-help book and a beer. But if you really want to see some change, remember that action creates energy. Move On! I woke up one morning with a sharp pain in my ear. The last time I had an earache was some eighteen years ago. Then it was my mother's lot to worry about it. But this morning, I am to worry because I'm grown and hardly could hear with the left ears. I felt as if some insects crept into the ear while I slept. A friend once told me roaches and spiders could be that crazy. Whatever caused the pain all I wanted to do was see a doctor. I learnt that Ear specialists are at the General Hospitals, so I decided to visit the General Hospital on Broad Street. How to Take Your Stalled Projects to the Finish Line Q. I have several projects going at once -- but I never seem to finish them! I'm pulled in so many different directions -- and I end up with nothing to show for my efforts! How to Stay Motivated - Part 1 As a "Motivation Trainer" for over 20 years, I have researched the subject of "Motivation." It is talked about a lot, but not very much is taught or written about it. It seems to be a word that eludes us. I often here people say: "Can you motivate me?" or "I need motivating." or "I've lost my motivation."
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