Planning

If I were to ask the question, Would you like to improve your productivity dramatically without working any longer or any harder? chances are pretty good that you would say, “That would be nice! I’d be more effective and I’d probably get a raise! I might even have more fun in the process.”

Question: How many of you, on the night before the day you were going on vacation, sat down and wrote out a list of the things you wanted to be certain to do before you left work the next day? Chances are extremely good that most of you would say you had done that. And most of you would also admit that you managed to complete more than twice the number of tasks you complete on a normal day.

Now think about this for a moment: If planning your job on the day before you go on vacation increases your productivity, doesn’t it make sense that if you were to spend a few minutes every day before you start your work day contemplating what is really important and what you really need to accomplish, that you would have the same great results? And the chances are excellent – definitely better than good – that this process will attract favorable attention, probably leading to more job security, perhaps a raise, and maybe even a significant promotion.

The reality is, productivity has a direct bearing on profitability, and all businesses are interested – very much so – in profits. Profitability comes from loyalty, productivity, and having a character base from which to work. So as you ponder this question, I hope you will seriously consider not only planning your schedule as you prepare to go on vacation, but that every day you will spend a few minutes before you go to work planning how you can be more effective that day It doesn’t take long to plan; it does take a lot of time not to plan, because without a plan of action, people will impose on your time with idle chatter and requests that take you away from the task at hand. Not only will you be less effective, but the effectiveness of the people, who take your time for casual chatter, or in some cases gossip, will be greatly reduced and everybody, including management and leadership, will be very unhappy about that.

Chances are good, regardless of the job market, the most productive people with the right attitude are the ones who really have more job security, and in most cases a better income. When you feel good about yourself and your productivity, you probably will also be performing better at home. 

When there is no job related stress you are more aware of your mate and children, if you are a parent. You will spend more time being better organized so you can spend more time having that balanced life that all of us are really interested in.

Planning for a balanced life will enable you to deal with the physical, the mental, and the spiritual aspects of your life. It will also enable you to develop more friendships, and stronger, better, more lasting relationships. There are many benefits that go with making the plan a daily part of your life. Time well spent results in more money to spend, more money to save, and more time to vacation. It will allow you to attend more of your children’s ball games or school functions as well.

A plan is always successful if the plan is good. And if you’ve been on the job for any length of time, you can develop a better plan of action so that everyone benefits from it. I’m talking about planning today for tomorrow’s future. Think about it. I promise you’ll be more productive, happier, healthier, and have a much better chance for increased income when you are secure in who you are, where you are, and what you’re doing. I sincerely hope you’ll take action immediately to get that plan into your daily life.

- By Zig Ziglar

I Believe You Can Accomplish Anything You Choose

If you could see through my eyes,
I wonder what you'd be feeling right now,
Because I can see you standing
As you really are -

Powerful, sensitive, determined, and gracious.
I can see you achieving everything you choose to achieve.
I can see you being exactly who and what you want to be.
Look through my eyes for an instant,

And you'll see yourself
Conquering all limitations.
Look through my eyes,
And see who you really are

And what you are capable of.
You can accomplish anything --
I know you can.

- By Unknown

The Law of Integrity

Great business leadership is characterized by honesty, truthfulness, and straight dealing with every person, under all circumstances. This law requires that you be impeccably honest with yourself and others. As Emerson said, “Guard your integrity as a sacred thing. Nothing is at last sacred by the integrity of your own mind.” Integrity lies at the core of leadership, at the heart of the leader. Everything you do revolves around the person you really are inside. And the person you are inside is always demonstrated by your actions, the things you do and say. 

Leadership Defined :

Leadership has been defined as the “ability to get followers.” For people to follow you, to subordinate their interests to yours, they must be able to believe in you and be willing to commit their time, money, and energy to you. Leadership is therefore a trust conferred upon you by others. To earn this trust, to deserve this trust, you must be true to yourself. Only then can you live in truth with everyone else in your life and work. 

Be a Good Role Model :

Perhaps the most important thing you do as a leader is to be a good role model. Lead by example. Walk the talk. Live the life. Always carry yourself as though everyone is watching, even when no one is watching. Good leaders are completely reliable. People can take them at their word and trust that they will do what they say. They make promises carefully, and then always keep their word. 

Consistency : 

A key mark of integrity in human relations is consistency, both internal and external. The best leaders are consistent from one day to the next, from one situation to the next. Because of this internal consistency, these leaders are trusted. People know what to expect. There are no surprises. 

Two Basic Types of Leadership :

There are two basic types of leadership in business today, transactional and transformational. Transactional leadership is the ability to direct people, manage resources, and get the job done. But transformational leadership, the most important form of leadership today, is the ability to motivate, inspire, and bring people to higher levels of performance. 

Transformational Leadership :

Transformational Leadership is the ability to touch people emotionally, to empower them to be more and to contribute more than they ever have before. This ability enables transformational leaders to elicit extraordinary performance from ordinary people. 

- By Brian Tracy 

Neighbourly Kindness Starts A Commitment To Kindness

A couple of months ago I was renting a house to work from. I was fairly well set up, but didn't own a lawn mower and after a week or two realised I would have to find some way to deal with the growing grass! Funds were short, and I was on a fairly tight budget which didn't extend to paying a lawn mowing company.

I was thinking about this one Sunday as the "Mr Whippy" ice cream van pulled up outside on the street. I hadn't had a Mr Whippy ice cream for years, and on impulse I grabbed my coin purse, shook it to gauge affordability, and headed outside. On the pavement were three young boys aged around 10 years playing. I think a couple of them may have been from next door, but I was new there and hadn't really met anyone yet.

It was a hot day and I asked them if they'd like an ice cream. "Yes, please," they replied enthusiastically. At that moment a fourth boy joined them from the neighboring house. Yes, please, he'd love one too!! As the universe would have it, there was just enough change to cover five ice creams. 

As I left the van, I heard the lady serving the boys say, "that was a really kind thing that lady did for you boys. Don't forget to thank her." I smiled as I went inside to carry on working.

I left for work that evening, and didn't return until the Tuesday morning. As I drove into the drive, I realised something was different.  Yes, my lawns had been mowed and my gardens had been weeded. I felt this enormous warmth rush into my heart and a smile stretch across my face. 

Instinctively, I knew my neighbors had done this for me, and went to thank them straight away.

How would they know that this act of kindness not only made a big difference to me.

- Posted by thebigkind 

The Three Factors of Time

Organize Your Life Around Your Family, Your Career and Your Personal Goals :

You need to stand back on a regular basis and analyze yourself, your life and your time usage. You need to become a master of your time rather than a slave to continuing time pressures.

Your Most Precious Resource :

Time is your most precious resource. It is the most valuable thing you have. It is perishable, it is irreplaceable, and it cannot be saved. It can only be reallocated from activities of lower value to activities of higher value. All work requires time. And time is absolutely essential for the important relationships in your life. The very act of taking a moment to think about your time before you spend it will begin to improve your personal time management immediately.

The Starting Point :

Personal time management begins with you. It begins with your thinking through what is really important to you in life. And it only makes sense if you organize it around specific things that you want to accomplish. You need to set goals in three major areas of your life. First, you need family and personal goals. These are the real reasons why you get up in the morning, why you work hard and upgrade your skills, why you worry about money and sometimes feel frustrated by the demands on your time.

Decide Upon Your Goals :

What are your personal and family goals, both tangible and intangible? A tangible family goal could be a bigger house, a better car, a larger television set, a vacation, or anything else that costs money. An intangible goal would be to build a higher quality relationship with your spouse and children, to spend more time with your family going for walks or reading books. Achieving these family and personal goals are the real essence of time management, and its major purpose.

How to Achieve Your Goals :

The second area of goals is your business and career goals. These are the "how" goals, the means by which you achieve your personal, "why" goals. 

How can you achieve the level of income that will enable you to fulfill your family goals? How can you develop the skills and abilities to stay ahead of 

the curve in your career? Business and career goals are absolutely essential, especially when balanced with family and personal goals.

Personal Development Goals :

The third type of goals is your personal development goals. Remember, you can't achieve much more on the outside than what you have achieved and become on the inside. Your outer life will be a reflection of your inner life. If you wish to achieve worthwhile things in your personal and your career life, you must become a worthwhile person in your own self-development. You must build yourself if you want to build your life. Perhaps the greatest secret of success is that you can become anything you really want to become to achieve any goal that you really want to achieve. But in order to do it, you must go to work on yourself and never stop.

- By Brian Tracy

The Measure Of Life

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong,

enough sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything;

They just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past;

You can’t go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

Don’t count the years - count the memories….

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away!

- Unknown

Anyway

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
Love them anyway!

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway!

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway!

The good you do today, will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway!

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway!

The biggest person with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest people with the smallest minds;
Think big anyway!

People favor underdogs, but follow only top dogs.
Fight for underdogs anyway!

What you spend years building up may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway!

People really need help, but will attack you if you help them.
Help them anyway!

Give the world the best you have and it may kick you in the teeth.
Give the world the best you've got anyway!

- By Unknown