Get your Life back on Track with 101 Free Success Tips » motivational

The 5 Minutes More Rule

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 23:27:33 +0000

When you are about to abandon a task because you’ve had enough or feel you aren’t getting any where or are just bored then try applying the “5 minute Rule”. Say to yourself I will stick at it for just 5 minutes more and then I can give up or take a break.

At the worst you get 5 minutes work done and at the best you will have found a second wind, got focused and become productive.

Remember the other 5 minute rule that we often want to give up a task after 5 minutes, 5 minutes into writing an essay or starting a run that’s the danger time before we’ve warmed to the task before we see any progress, you can use the five-minute rule to help you through this discouraging phase.

Recognizing that you’re in the Zone

admin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 20:08:21 +0000

It sure is easy to recognize when you aren’t in the zone, but how to recognize when you are?

1) You open a letter, deal with it and file it all in one go.

2) You complete one of the “hangers” on your to-do list

3) You need a document that’s stored in the loft, no problem you go off to get it.

4) You see a problem you fix it, your internal procrastinator doesn’t get a look in.

5) The more jobs you tick off the more energized you feel

6) Work doesn’t feel like work any more

Definition of in the flow

1. Clear goals (expectations and rules are discernible and goals are attainable and align appropriately with one’s skill set and abilities). Moreover, the challenge level and skill level should both be high.
2. Concentrating, a high degree of concentration on a limited field of attention (a person engaged in the activity will have the opportunity to focus and to delve deeply into it).
3. A loss of the feeling of self-consciousness, the merging of action and awareness.
4. Distorted sense of time, one’s subjective experience of time is altered.
5. Direct and immediate feedback (successes and failures in the course of the activity are apparent, so that behavior can be adjusted as needed).
6. Balance between ability level and challenge (the activity is neither too easy nor too difficult).
7. A sense of personal control over the situation or activity.
8. The activity is intrinsically rewarding, so there is an effortlessness of action.
9. A lack of awareness of bodily needs (to the extent that one can reach a point of great hunger or fatigue without realizing it)
10. People become absorbed in their activity, and focus of awareness is narrowed down to the activity itself, action awareness merging.

No-one cannot force himself or herself to enter flow or even predict when he or she is going to enter flow. It just happens. A flow state can be entered while performing any activity, although it is most likely to occur when one is wholeheartedly performing a task or activity for intrinsic purposes.

Catch22, I have to succeed at something to enter the zone, complete a difficult task, understand some inspirational, find a remarkable solution

Self-Improvement at Least 500 Years Old

admin — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 21:52:56 +0000

I recently attended a talk by Success-Theoretician Tom Butler Bowdon where he discussed the writings of Machiavelli and his Success Laws. Machiavelli for instance recommends modeling the best characteristics of successful people. Machiavelli says that an effective leader strives by is actions to inspire a sense of his greatness and goodness, he carefully chooses his heroes and incorporates their best features. Is careful of flatterers and has a handful of close friends and advisors who may speak their mind without fear, but even though he consults widely finally makes up his own mind. He is ready to backup his actions to make sure they succeed.

I first discovered Anthony Robbins and then the earlier Napoleon Hill and now Machiavelli; so there’s nothing new under the sun (and that comes from the Bible)

Bootstrapping Your Way Out Of A Lethargic State

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:16:25 +0000

When a writer has writer’s block the only solution, as strange as it seems, is to write. So he must start writing anything a letter to a friend or relation, a shopping list, just anything. As soon as he writes a good phrase or sentence his enthusiasm and self-confidence will rise almost without him realizing it.

When I’m in a low energy and lethargic state I know I have to get any thing done, organized or sorted out. I have to pick tasks which are easily achievable. As soon as I see a bit of my desk reappear I get my first boost of Serotonin . I can then venture to get something else done, get some phone calls out of the way, write a few brief letters, pay a few bills. I call this bootstrapping. Many of the jobs we are dreading turn out to be less difficult than we thought but getting them out of the way is a real pleasure. Of course ONE DAY I will start on my most important task and get a massive boost from knowing that I’ve finally mastered myself but that’s some time away!

Choosing Great New Year Resolutions

admin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:07:30 +0000

How many people are going into next year with no plan at all? Perhaps the majority , New Year’s Resolutions are a first step but try and make sure you pick ones which will motivate you and that you are likely to keep. Get some great tips by clicking here.

Don’t Ignore Mental Reminders

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:30:48 +0000

When your memory reminds you to need to phone someone or put a document in your briefcase for tomorrow, don’t just think “I must do that later” because unfortunately your subconscious tends to think it has done its job and may not bother to remind you a second time! I always imagine that if you don’t act immediately that your subconscious sulks and thinks well I did warn him but he didn’t seem to think it important. This virtually obliges us to deal with things immediately and then, if it is not convenient/possible to complete the task there and then you must all the same take an action, eg diary it, create a post-it note etc.
The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play

Frittering Time Away is Worse Than Procrastination!

admin — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:55:24 +0000

Procrastination is a terrible problem but one of the reasons we Procrastinate is because we don’t get our daily tasks and to-do lists completed rapidly enough, so we NEVER get to the Important but not Immediately Urgent Tasks.

This is usually due to Frittering our time away, how long we take to start doing serious work when we sit down at our desk, how usefully we use odd lumps of spare time waiting for a meeting etc. We would be horrified if all the time we frittered away could be added up. If you find yourself doing your best work doing free overtime when most have left then this is a sign you frittered your normal working hours away.

Conquer Frittering and you’ll find you’ve Conquered Procrastination at the same time. I’ve made a lot of progress since I’ve been using Action Enforcer this is the first Time Management Program which does it for me.

So remember : You Procrastinate because you Fritter your Core Working Time Away, Beat Frittering and You’ll Conquer Procrastination without even realizing it!

I honestly personally use and recommend Action Enforcer

Jim Carrey : Yes Man

admin — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:56:11 +0000

Yes Man is a highly amusing film which appears to mock self-improvement. In the film Jim is really down on his luck and is in danger of becoming a recluse, he reluctantly goes to a self-improvement seminar where the Guru advocates saying Yes to everything.

Carrey throws himself into this and finds himself joining a daily jogging group at 6am, watching experimental music, basically doing new things and traveling outside his comfort zone.

Although some of the things that he says yes to bring him luck and some misfortune the technique works he forgets he’s depressed and start to live again!

We all need new challenging things in our lives, so go on join a class, learn a new language, a new hobby or sport, meet different people, oh and see the film!

Music to Help you Concentrate

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:47:26 +0000

Once upon a time I used to listen to Classical Music frequently I noticed however that it would often interfere with my concentration as it seemed to demand that I pay attention to it. Recently I have unexpectedly found that rap music was conducive to study especially if I didn’t understand the words.

I suspect that in fact I’d require different music for different moods or different work. What the music does is it seems to me is distract or keep busy that part of you which seeks to escape from the task, that sends you to the fridge or to unnecessarily check your email.

In any case I’ve found YouTube to be full of music for those trying to study or to write a complex report, try typing in “motivation” or “concentration” and you’ll find a staggering choice of all music forms, noise of rivers, the rain etc

Clearing Your Desk And It Feels Good!

admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:24:01 +0000

I’ve just cleared/purged my desk of all unused/neglected knick-knacks and it feels good! I’ve thrown away vitamin pill boxes (probably out of date), stationery I no longer use, projects I’m unlikely to finish etc etc. I finished with a large bin-liner full of junk. I can now tell what color my desk is it’s walnut-veneer!

A little bit of mess is cool, too much drains some of your life force!