Wednesday 29 October 2014
Tuesday 28 October 2014
Perform at Your Peak Level with These 5 Mind-Sharpening Tips
Did you
know your mind is the gateway to your success? It holds the keys to
unlock the innovation, ingenuity and potential you have to overhaul your
business. How you think and what you think about impacts
everything.
From
competitive positioning to impeccable leadership, mindset is the greatest
dictator. Mastering your thoughts and cultivating superior thinking will serve
your business well. Are you ready to harness your intellect and think big?
Try these
five simple steps to upgrade your thinking and maximize your success:
1.
Optimize your mind.
Mindset
optimization lays the foundation for high-level thinking. It involves powerful
mind shifts about who you are and what you can achieve. Just as athletes
optimize their bodies, entrepreneurs should optimize their minds. Start by
recognizing self-defeating and sabotaging thought
patterns. These are disruptive to business success. Replace these
patterns with powerful and confident thoughts that support your goals and
objectives. Manage your mind, and refuse to allow fear and insecurity to
contaminate your business.
2. Resist
distractions.
Distractions
are nothing more than roadblocks to your success. They impede your ability to
think at a high level. Sharp thinkers are not victims of distractions—they
don’t get sidetracked by non-revenue-producing activities. Business leaders and
iconic entrepreneurs have a results-driven approach. By resisting disruptions,
they command their time and increase their bottom line.
3. Get
more sleep.
Yes,
running a business keeps you busy all day and up late at night, but don’t let
your entrepreneurial pursuits deplete you. Sleep
is a powerful business ally and not getting enough can lead to unwanted
consequences. According to the National Sleep Foundation, skimping on ZZZ’s
impacts your ability to focus, retain information and sustain productivity.
These outcomes are counterproductive to your business, as being well-rested and
alert are cornerstones of sharp thinking. Shoot for at least seven hours of
sleep a night to recharge your body and turbo-boost your mind.
4.
Upgrade Your Circle.
The
proverbial phrase “iron sharpens iron” could not be truer when it comes to
business. If you want to catapult your thinking and widen your perspective, upgrade your circle. When
you surround yourself with power thinkers, you cultivate your brilliance. Don’t
undervalue the pertinence of strategic networking and building relationships
with extraordinary entrepreneurs. Exposure to diversified thought breeds
creativity, collaboration and intellectual prowess.
5. Stop
it all.
What
would happen if you just stopped and did nothing for 20 minutes a day? Would
you be able to do it? Could you surrender to silence without thinking about the
next task or where you need to go and what you need to do? Resisting the need
to talk, think or do heightens awareness, clarity and perception. It’s one of
the greatest resources you have. Don’t let being busy stifle your genius.
Once a day, “just stop it” and repower your thinking with stillness and silence
- See
more at:
http://www.success.com/article/perform-at-your-peak-level-with-these-5-mind-sharpening-tips#sthash.IUQ8kf64.dpuf
Perform at Your Peak Level with These 5 Mind-Sharpening Tips - See more at: http://www.success.com/#sthash.IGFoYBYW.dpuf
Monday 27 October 2014
How to Encourage Introverts in Meetings
Remember
the kids in fourth grade who constantly and frantically raised their hands,
eager to dominate class discussions and flaunt their knowledge? When they grew
up, they probably overwhelmed a brainstorming group.
University
of Texas at Arlington professor Paul Paulus says that having group members
write their ideas at first and then pass them along to the next participant to
expand on, or listing them in a computer network, circumvents extroverts
hogging the discussion while others sit silently like wallflowers at a school
dance. There is some research showing that shy people often have the best
ideas, Paulus adds.
Psychologist
Tony McCaffrey promotes something similar, which he calls “brainswarming.” His method entails the use of a
large board, with problems listed across the top and resources along the
bottom. Participants don’t talk, but offer possible solutions via sticky notes.
He contends that his system generates far more ideas than traditional
brainstorming.
A skilled
facilitator will emphasize that a brainstorming meeting is not a discussion,
but a forum for producing as many ideas in a limited time as possible, says
innovation consultant Leon Segal. The facilitator can discourage extroverts
from dominating and encourage introverts to pipe up simply by the way she makes
eye contact with them, Segal says. Or she can tell the extrovert that he is so
ahead of the group that he should put his ideas in writing for review later and
remind the introvert that everybody’s input is important, Segal adds.
After
writing their ideas, the group then meets to discuss them. There is another
advantage to doing this. Insights that are verbalized early in face-to-face
sessions tend to be those that the group adopts, even if better ideas crop up
later, Paulus says. That doesn’t happen when thoughts are written first.
The
brainstorming facilitator can also call on individuals round-robin style, to
encourage participation by everybody, Paulus says.
- See
more at:
http://www.success.com/article/how-to-encourage-introverts-in-meetings#sthash.QAPLb0gN.dpuf
Remember
the kids in fourth grade who constantly and frantically raised their
hands, eager to dominate class discussions and flaunt their knowledge?
When they grew up, they probably overwhelmed a brainstorming group.
University of Texas at Arlington
professor Paul Paulus says that having group members write their ideas
at first and then pass them along to the next participant to expand on,
or listing them in a computer network, circumvents extroverts hogging
the discussion while others sit silently like wallflowers at a school
dance. There is some research showing that shy people often have the
best ideas, Paulus adds.
Psychologist Tony McCaffrey promotes something similar, which he calls “brainswarming.”
His method entails the use of a large board, with problems listed
across the top and resources along the bottom. Participants don’t talk,
but offer possible solutions via sticky notes. He contends that his
system generates far more ideas than traditional brainstorming.
A skilled facilitator will emphasize
that a brainstorming meeting is not a discussion, but a forum for
producing as many ideas in a limited time as possible, says innovation
consultant Leon Segal. The facilitator can discourage extroverts from
dominating and encourage introverts to pipe up simply by the way she
makes eye contact with them, Segal says. Or she can tell the extrovert
that he is so ahead of the group that he should put his ideas in writing
for review later and remind the introvert that everybody’s input is
important, Segal adds.
After writing their ideas, the group
then meets to discuss them. There is another advantage to doing this.
Insights that are verbalized early in face-to-face sessions tend to be
those that the group adopts, even if better ideas crop up later, Paulus
says. That doesn’t happen when thoughts are written first.
The brainstorming facilitator can also
call on individuals round-robin style, to encourage participation by
everybody, Paulus says.
- See more at: http://www.success.com/article/how-to-encourage-introverts-in-meetings#sthash.QAPLb0gN.dpufThursday 23 October 2014
Trust your instincts
"Trust your own instincts, go inside, follow your heart. Right from the
start go ahead and stand up for what you believe in. As I've learned,
that's the path to happiness." - Lesley Ann Warren
Wednesday 22 October 2014
Daily Quote
Daily
Quote
"Worry is the interest paid
by those who borrow trouble." ~George Washington
- See
more at: http://www.success.com/#sthash.ZqHymJ03.dpuf
Daily Quote
"Worry is the interest paid by those who borrow trouble." ~George Washington- See more at: http://www.success.com/#sthash.ZqHymJ03.dpuf
Daily Quote
"Worry is the interest paid by those who borrow trouble." ~George Washington- See more at: http://www.success.com/#sthash.ZqHymJ03.dpuf
Daily
Quote
"Worry is the interest paid
by those who borrow trouble." ~George Washington
- See
more at: http://www.success.com/#sthash.ZqHymJ03.dpuf
Tuesday 21 October 2014
Why You Need to Delegate—A Lot
There are
two important time-savers that I teach clients and practice myself. One is to
build a strong Life Team around you—people who complement your strengths with
their expertise. Second is to identify and focus on what I call
HLAs—these are high-leverage activities, the things that matter most in
achieving our goals.
These
days I can confidently delegate things to my Life Team and thus create plenty
of room on the calendar for my HLAs. I’m clear on what my time is worth, and I
make decisions accordingly.
A good
way to look at delegation is to examine your goals and activities and identify
which things absolutely cannot be delegated, like lunch with a key client or
time spent with your mentor. Now identify those things that can be effectively
handled by people on your Life Team. Let them make the follow-up calls to sales
prospects, or field résumés from job candidates.
Once you
start delegating with a strategy in mind, it can become addictive, and you’ll
want to delegate more; this can give you more time and energy to focus on the
things you do best and enjoy most. You will see immediate results because
you’re spending more minutes and hours focusing on the short list of things
that really matter to you.
- See
more at: http://www.success.com/article/why-you-need-to-delegate-a-lot#sthash.niryUMFg.dpuf
Why You Need to Delegate—A Lot
What’s your time worth? Make decisions accordingly
- See more at: http://www.success.com/article/why-you-need-to-delegate-a-lot#sthash.niryUMFg.dpufWhy You Need to Delegate—A Lot
What’s your time worth? Make decisions accordingly
- See more at: http://www.success.com/article/why-you-need-to-delegate-a-lot#sthash.niryUMFg.dpuf
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