Kick the Habit

Habits have a bad rap. Most people think that habits either "should" be gotten or "should" be eliminated. Yet, in reality, habits are simply behaviors that show how we operate internally and externally.

Our lives are filled with habits – layer upon layer of habits. In most situations, we have a usual tendency, or a habitual way of reacting to the highs and lows of life. We also react to our habits. If we say we’ll go to the gym three times a week and don’t, we have a habitual reaction to that. Perhaps we’ll say we’ll never skip again. Maybe we’ll beat ourselves up or make a list of 431 reasons why skipping the workouts was beyond our control.

Habits say a lot about yourself – what you care about, what makes you angry, what makes you tick. Breaking those habits gives you lots and lots of choices in life. YOU have the power to choose your reactions, choose the words that come of your mouth, even choose your choices.

What am I talking about? When we hit a "same-old" situation or circumstances, many of us let our minds slip into automatic pilot and we lose the ability to consciously choose our reactions. It’s like dropping a marble into a groove in our brains over and over. Each time, the same old thoughts generate the same old emotions, and we say or do the same old things – over and over and over again. Sounds tiresome, doesn’t it?

If you actually assessed how much reacting habitually costs you in intellectual, emotional and physical energy, you’d stop right now. Today. There would be no habit to even break.

Consider your habits:

- What do you give yourself?

- Where do you deprive yourself?

- How do you use food, alcohol, sex and money in your life?

- What are your emotions of choice?

- What are your default reactions?

- What assumptions do you make?

- How often do you make fear-based decisions?

- How often do you make decisions based in joy?

Which of your habits are knee-jerk responses? When you’re in seemingly identical circumstances, do you react in identical ways without stopping to notice if the situation is actually the same? For example, is your response to a potential conflict to run and hide under the nearest barrel? (If it smells like conflict, looks like conflict …it must be conflict). Do you react to stress with a sprint for the closest candy bar?

Unconscious, habitual responses stop us from acknowledging and honoring what we really think, feel and believe. They keep us from feeling uncomfortable, or as mad, sad, bad or glad as we probably do. They are effective avoidance techniques.

Instead try to form healthy habits like exercise, meditation, honoring your feelings and taking good care of yourself. The level of consciousness is what distinguishes these habits from the "knee-jerk" habits. Once exercise becomes a firmly formed habit in your life, you can’t do it unconsciously. You still have to pack up your gym clothes and water bottle and drive to the gym or tie on your tennis shoes and go out for a run. And after a while, certain positive habits do become automatic, but don’t mask thoughts, feelings and desires.

A note of caution: Watch out for healthy habits that become a "should." If taking good care of yourself becomes a "should," it might become fear-driven rather than motivated by the desire to give yourself what you deserve.

It’s helpful to remember that everything you do is for a reason. You reengage in your habits repeatedly because you get something out of doing it – pleasure, pain, health, avoidance, repression, expression. We all do. Rather than being hard on yourself because you didn’t go the gym again, ask yourself what you got out of staying home. Do you get to keep a comfortable identity – even if it’s not the one you want?

Look deeply at your habits and you’ll find new information about yourself. Look at the habits that you like and the habits that you don’t; you’ll find where you’re stuck, what you’re avoiding, what energizes you, and what you value. What could be better?

Starting today, form a new habit of examining your habits and you’ll be surprised at what you uncover – and discover – about yourself.

Claudette Rowley is a professional coach, speaker and author who helps savvy professionals like you identify their true purpose and calling and mobilize the courage to pursue it. Sign up for her free monthly ezine "Insights for the Savvy" at http://www.metavoice.org or contact her directly at info@metavoice.org.

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It's Not The Same Old Routine

We are constantly inundated with routine (often boring!) tasks around the house. This can cause major frustration because many of us don’t do them efficiently, and most of us fail to complete our entire list of chores! You may take comfort in comment from a commiserating colleague: “A creative mind always has more ideas than the physical body is able to carry out. The only people who finish their ‘to do’ list are dead.” So, relax, there is only so much time in the day, and ask yourself, “What’s the most important thing to do today?”

It is important to make the most of your time and energy, but many of us take the long road to accomplish our work, when it turns out there was a short cut all along. Wouldn’t you love to lower your stress and add “free” time to your day? Here are a few tips you might try to accomplish your routine work more easily.

• Create a communication center on the fridge for messages, chores etc. Add a cartoon now and then to add a smile to your day!

• Make a master calendar for scheduling family commitments. Use a different color for each family member.

• Create a checklist for groceries arranged in the order of your grocery store aisles posted where family members can add items as you run out.

• Sort recipes in categories that make sense to you – “potluck ideas” or “company ideas.”

• Keep related items together, for example the coffee filters and coffee “live” above or near the coffee maker.

• Designate every location or container for a specific purpose -- a drawer for tools, a shelf for single size linens, or an attractive wastebasket for umbrellas.

• Keep cleaning supplies in a bucket other plastic container for easy portability.

• Identify a specific place to put car keys, gloves, umbrellas etc., for quick access when you leave the house.

• Use an answering machine or service to control calls. Return calls at your convenience. Keep a notebook by the phone for messages. Identify messages for family members with initials.

• Teach your children to use an alarm clock or clock radio.

• Choose clothing and accessories and pack lunches the night before.

• Start a child’s file system with a simple container, basket, file or shelf. It may contain information about their medical records, medicines, education, extra curricular activities, memorabilia, etc.

• Run errands at non-rush hour times if possible. Keep stops sequential to avoid driving in circles. Take one child along for one-on-one time and stop for ice cream or a look at the petstore.

• When opening your incoming e-mail, apply The FAT System™ (File-Act-Toss). Sort actions requiring action by category such as “Call,” “Discuss” or “Pay.”

• Attach the old message when replying to an e-mail to help the recipient remember its original content.

• Keep your filing system simple. Don’t create too many categories, it’s better to put information into the largest general category first, and break it down when it becomes too bulky.

• Finish one task at a time. Distractions will leave you with a lot of chores that are half way done.

• Practice the Art of Wastebasketryฎ. Ask yourself, “What’s the worst possible thing that would happen if I didn’t have this? If you can live with your answer, toss it – and live happily ever after!

Your daily routine will take time. And don’t beat yourself up if you can’t get it all done. But remember, a little organization can go a long way. Often it’s a simple change that makes a big difference. You may find your self saying “why didn’t I think of that before?” You can contemplate that thought at the end of the day, while you relax in a lounge chair, enjoying your free time.

ฉ 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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Increase Your Positivity By Appreciating How Far You've Come Already!

Whenever I feel I have daunting tasks ahead, and the wind is whistling out of my sails, I stop for a moment to consider what I’ve accomplished to date.

It inspires me, because invariably, I’ve overcome greater challenges than those that lie ahead.

For instance, I’m gradually working on getting into better shape, and my goals are really very modest, because I’m close to achieving them.

Yet there is a very real tendency to slow down, to see them as more challenging than they are.

To put them into perspective, I’ll recall a time when I was much heavier and less muscular, and much more behind the 8-ball. I follow that thought with the memory of the significant conditioning program that I undertook to turn things around.

Now, THAT was a challenge, I remind myself. Comparatively, I’ve come so far along the right path that with a baby step or two, I’ll be at the finishing line.

I use the same process in dealing with business goals and setbacks, recalling times when I have emerged from slumps and accomplished a zillion really crucial things in record time.

Try this, the next time the mountain in front of you seems ominously steep. A quick glance backward can put it into the proper perspective!

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of http://www.Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someoneฎ, You Can Sell Anything By Telephone! and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, “The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,” published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com

[tags]customer service training,sales training,bus coaching,telemarketing training,customersatisfaction.co[/tags]

Inch-By-Inch It's A Cinch!

When I was in law school, I was already a well known consultant, very busy professionally, and there were lots of times I asked myself, especially when hitting the books: “Why am I subjecting myself to this misery?”

That’s when I would remind myself of a saying that I first heard from a client:
“Inch-by- inch it’s a cinch; Yard by hard, it’s hard!”

Unquestionably, this saying tells us the wise way to get anything big, challenging, magnificent, or unprecedented, done. You have to break it down, into bite-sized morsels.

If you try to devour the project whole, or bite off more than you can chew, it will finish you off in record time.

Right now, I’m dealing with a current challenge that requires the same, take one step at a time, approach: writing articles.

My goal is very challenging. I’m committed to writing hundreds of pieces, being more prolific than ever before. But I realize, having completed major tasks in the past, if I focus on the grand number, the ultimate goal, it will seem too far away and daunting.

So, I’m taking the inch-by-inch approach.

I tell myself that the big number will arrive soon enough, if I simply commit to continuing to make forward progress, no matter how slight or miniscule.

So, some days, I make take off completely from writing, but I’m still considering what my future topics will be. That’s progress, still, and I need to interpret it this way, to stay positive.

If I stop to question the merit of the overall project, I’ll retard my progress, so there’s no questioning the original decision. It must stand.

Having committed, truly given myself over to the task, I can actually slow down, being more casual, more happily incremental about my progress.

It works every time, this small-is-beautiful approach, and I recommend it to you!

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someoneฎ, You Can Sell Anything By Telephone! and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, “The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,” published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

[tags]customer service training,sales training,bus coaching,telemarketing training,customersatisfaction.co[/tags]

Improve Yourself

I’m still remembered the sayings of my great fellow ezinearticle.com expert writer Mr. Mark Webb point out that “The greatest gift you can give to somebody is your own personal development. Stop waiting for the “some day” that never seems to come. Stop waiting for people and circumstances to change. Instead change what you can, yourself. Don’t settle for less than you can be. Strive to be your best self. When you take better care of yourself, everybody wins. You will be a better partner and for that matter, a better parent, a better friend, and a better citizen. Everybody benefits from your personal development.”

It’s a good sound personal advised! Especially we are now in the globalization age. As I have observed and learned through my personal readings from the news paper and classified ads, that this is the only key that an individual can be able to compete in the job market. I encourage you to improve every talents and skills that you have because that’s the only gift and asset you can give to yourself and to your fellowmen. Secondly, it is the best and only ingredients or strategy that you can successfully persuade and attract an employer.

As a guidance counselor, college instructor, and working student supervisor, I’ll always reminded and encouraged my students to improve their skills and to try everyday to learn a new skill if they’re really wants to succeed and not to disqualify in any games of life!

Below are the basic and simple tips that will guide you on how to improve yourself.

1. Evaluate yourself. Examine what are the necessary things that you should need to improve. Every human being has their own weaknesses. So try to discover your own weaknesses and encourage yourself to improve it.

2. Feed your mind with knowledge and wisdom. Read everyday at least two to three chapters of inspirational books like the Bible, the writings of John Maxwell, Og Mandino, Brian Tracy and others. That’s the best key to motivate you and become a productive individual.

3. Avoid Toxic, negative people. I encouraged you do not socialize with this kind of people who has no ambition in life. The Word of God clearly remind about this: “Do not be misled: Bad company corrupt your good character.”

4. Take risks. Try doing things that you've never tried before. It's always a little bit of a challenge in doing new things and just the act of accepting these challenges, some little and some big, whether we are successful or not, frequently improves our self-confidence.

5. Dream. By dreaming and having ambition in life you can be able to conquer and overcome every obstacles and hindrances that always lingering in your life! Napoleon Hill reminds you that “Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.”

6. Pray. Make a prayer as a part of your daily routine. As what I have learned in my life…it is one of the secret and best things and asset to make God as partner in every dreams and struggle in life because with “God all things are possible!” God has a special promise to those who are faithfully following His words, God said, “Call Me and I will answer you and show you the great and mighty things which you do not know” (Jeremiah 33: 3).

Remember: To improve you’re aimed, improve yourself!

Wish you many blessings to come and God Bless!

Moises Padin Reconalla

About the Author
Moises Padin Reconalla is an alumnus of Adventist UNiversity of the Philippines. And a graduate student of Manila Theological College. Worked as a Guidance Counselor and College Instructor at North Davao Colleges, Panabo City, Philippines. You can send your comments about this article through his email wisdomisgreat@gmail.com or wisdomisgreat@yahoo.com
All rights reserved. Copyright September 2006 by Moises Padin Reconalla
NOTE: You're free to republish this article on your website, in your newsletter, in your e-book or in other publications provided that the article is reproduced in its entirety, including the author information.

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I Wish for You

Life is so short. So I don’t want to miss a day without saying thanks and wishes to all the people who reads my articles and most especially to those individuals who gave a great contribution in molding me to become a better and a productive person.

Here are the list of people I would to give thanks and give wishes:

The ezinearticles.com management staff, thank you for the opportunity you gave to me, to share my thoughts and insights to other people.

Virgie Amar Reconalla, thank you for being sweet and understanding.

Dr. Dave and Yvone Higgins, thank you for being a good model and source of inspiration to me. And thank also for always their in time of sunny and rainy season.

Dr. Maria Tumangday, thank you for being true and for lending you ear to me.

Ate Jean Libalib and Kuya Dong Tuapin, thank you for being a true friends and true Christian models to me.

Dr. Marissa and Professor Erwin Pajares, thank you for extending you’re helped to finish my bachelor’s degree.

Dr. Ceazar Idaosos, thank you for the inspiring story of your life. Because of your story, you lifted up my spirit to conquer and attain my goal in life.

Professors Samuel Berto, Rex Diamante, Edmond Aqiuoben, Jessie Songcayawon, Joseph Ledesma, Richard Philipp Maypa, and Atty. Domingo Sanquaquin thank you for the knowledge you have imparted to me.

Dr. John Maxwell, thank you for the inspiring thoughts you shared from your books. Because of your writings…you gave me a chance to stretch my God-given talents and helped me to move on to conquer the impossible!

Dr. Napoleon Hill, Thank you for your motivational book “Think and Grow Rich”. You awaken my spirit to think and grow rich!

Og Mandino, Thank you for the good and wise counsel from your book “University of Success.”

Billi Lim, Thank you for your book “Dare to Fail”! You shade the light in my way!

Dr. Vincent Peale, Thanks for your book “You can if think you Can.” You gave me the idea on how to encourage and inspire other people.

And this is my wishes to all of you…

Comfort on difficult days,

Smiles when sadness intrudes,

Rainbows to follow the clouds,

Laughter to kiss your lips,

Sunsets to warm your heart,

Gentle hugs when spirits sag,

Friendships to brighten your being,

Beauty for your eyes to see,

Confidence for when you doubt,

Faith so that you can believe,

Courage to know yourself,

Patience to accept the truth,

And love to complete your life.

God Bless you all!

Moises Padin Reconalla

About the Author

Moises Padin Reconalla is an alumnus of Adventist UNiversity of the Philippines. And a graduate student of Manila Theological College. Worked as a Guidance Counselor and College Instructor at North Davao Colleges, Panabo City, Philippines. You can send your comments about this article through his email wisdomisgreat@gmail.com

All rights reserved. Copyright October 2006 by Moises Padin Reconalla

NOTE: You're free to republish this article on your website, in your newsletter, in your e-book or in other publications provided that the article is reproduced in its entirety, including the author information.

[tags]article submission, articles, writers, writing, publishing, ezine, email marketing, email newsletter, email[/tags]

I Like to be Unreasonable

“Progress is made by only unreasonable man” -- Gorge Bernard Shaw

Unusual is something people dislike to have in their life. It is a change design to alter all the circumstances and environment around you. A reasonable person tries to adopt the world around. Once he gets settled, it is very painful to him when things suddenly start to alter. Status quo is broken. Geographical displacement cause personal inconvenience.

But every successful leader knows very well that change is imminent. You can’t sit for long on your laurels. GE, charmas; jack was known by a niche name- “Neutron Jack”. He was one of the most unusual leaders in business. He pulls the plug when GE was going very well. He sold profitable business. Jump into new Industry which has unseen future. Shown the door to many employees. But very few can argue that GE today is the mirror image of Jack. With a market capitalization of $152 billion, it is one of rare Commercial Corporation to dominate the 19 & 20th century almost 100 years.

It is difficult to hit a moving target. But changing strategy, changing direction cause uncomforted. Something to some people it is a clear indication of failure. And very few people can afford to look failure. They have worked hard to earn position where they are today. They will do everything to save the status quo and their position, come the hell.

But a leader know, success is the next step of one and consecutive failure. But if he stands there still with the fear of failure, he will get killed by competitor. Moving target is always hard to hit. And According to Al Ries, the management guru, “Best defensive strategy is to attack yourself.” You have both side working for you, you get nothing to loose.

Remember it, Rome was not built by those who lived in their comfortable palace. And they didn’t live long enough to enjoy that. Those who reinvented themselves are enjoying the numerous fruitful failures.

Arvind Kumar is an Electrical Engineer from a premier Institute, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India. He has 3 years experince in marketing business consulting services and marketing services. He is founder and CEO of http://www.nuttymarketer.com

[tags]Marketing[/tags]