Friday, January 29, 2010

5 Tips For Choosing The Right Motivational Posters For The Office

As with choosing any art piece whether it is a print, original painting, sculpture, photograph or collectable, you can make or break a room choosing incorrectly.

You can make quite a statement with the correct art piece! It can communicate on many different levels.

Have you ever walked into an office for the very first time and while waiting, find yourself looking around, examining everything in the room? You can get a real good feel for the people there and get a sense of what they are all about.

From your own experiences and observations you’ve probably seen people with very good taste and then again, people who do not seem to have a clue about design or even worse yet, people who don’t care a hoot about aesthetics at all!

But if you are reading this article, then I’m sure you are not one of those people in the last category! Thank Goodness! We need all the aesthetics we can get on this sometimes seemingly wacky place we live!

Tip # 1

And probably the most important, if you don’t absolutely love it, don’t buy it!

Tip # 2

If you are making the art piece the focal point of the room, build around it. All the office furniture and accessories should compliment the print.

Tip # 3

Don’t overpower the poster with too much color on the walls or furniture unless it is a very dramatic print that can carry it well! It will just disappear into the background.

Tip # 4

What is it that you want to convey to your employees, leadership, initiative, teamwork, success, confidence, determination? It’s important to get across the right message. A captivating print with an inspirational quote can be a powerful tool that can help motivate staff and impress clients who come to your place of business.

Tip # 5

Choosing the right frame can make a huge difference in the overall appearance of the motivational posters you choose. You want people to see the prints and get your message across so choose carefully.

If a motivational poster or print moves you and you feel it will motivate other who see it, then you have a winner!!!

Enjoy the research of finding what is right for your office!

5 Reasons To Not Let Depression Control You Anymore!

Family – It can be very vexing to loved one’s when you are depressed. On one hand they want nothing but the best for you, but on the other they sometimes get frustrated and wonder why you can’t simply snap out of it. It can be particularly hard on children of someone with depression as it may affect their outlook on life for many years to come. Having experienced this myself, I can say definitely this the number one reason to fight your depression.

Work - Work life generally suffers when in the throws of depression. It is more difficult to concentrate and not as easy to create and maintain good professional working relationships and partnerships. Furthermore, it makes being a “Self-starter” more unlikely. Rather than moving forward, maintaining the status-quo becomes more acceptable, even if only unconsciously.

Love – The love life of a person with depression can suffer tremendously. Regardless of How much someone may profess their dedication to another person, if the other person can never see the bright side, it can wear on them. Life is short, right? Love conquers A WHOLE LOT, but it doesn’t conquer everything. Sometimes we must add internal fortitude to love to truly be invincible. Besides isn’t it better to fight, not just for you, but for this person that you love as well?

Health – University studies have proven that people who are depressed are more likely to get sick, and more likely to die of an illness than those who are content. It is in your benefit, health wise, to fight your depression as well. A recent New York Times article, citing a University study, indicated that persons who have been diagnosed as depressed have more hospital visits, and a shorter lifespan.

Prosperity – The depressed person sometimes lacks clarity of thought, and may miss golden opportunities to improve their lives if only they had been paying attention. This may be, perhaps, the most important point, since many people believe they would be happier if only this part of their life, or that part of their life, etc was different. Allowing good things to happen in your life might just give you the jump start needed to end the cycle of depression and self imposed-isolation( even if only figuratively ).

Fighting depression can help your life in many ways. In some ways, the fight in itself is also a reward. You become stronger, do better at work, have better relationships, and can focus on what is really important in life so that you can improve it, for yourself, your family, friends, and loved ones.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

5 Quick Stress Busters

Stress is fast becoming the biggest health problem in modern societies. Financial pressures, work pressures, family pressures – so much to do so little time to do it all! Here’s five quick ways to ease the pressure and relieve stress:

1. Make time to switch off from the daily trials and tribulations and relax for at least one hour every day. Just shut the world out and do something you enjoy. Reading, playing a musical instrument, taking a relaxing bath with music and candles (and maybe a glass of wine) are all great ways to unwind and will be extremely beneficial to your mental health.

2. If you’re dealing with a stressful situation and you have a lot on your plate then it can be very hard to find solutions. You’re caught up in the midst of a sandstorm and it is very difficult to see the way out. A good idea is to get some distance from your problems so you can gather your thoughts. If possible, take a day or even a weekend away from your usual surroundings, somewhere peaceful, and relax. Take a journal along so you can jot down any ideas. Distance away from problems can bring clarity and by relaxing, you’ll be calmer and solutions will come far easier than when you’re in the heat of battle.

3. One of the reasons people become stressed is because they are facing a change or even a number of changes to their lives. Change is a constant in life and refusing to accept change can cause stress levels to soar. When you are faced with a change, try to find the positives associated with change and embrace change instead of resisting it. Every change presents an opportunity for you to grow and there are always positives to find in even the most trying of circumstances. Change doesn’t bring stress, it’s all about how you react to change and if you react in a negative way, you will do yourself no end of harm.

4. There always seems to be an endless list of jobs that need doing: repairs around the home, paperwork, car maintenance, throwing out junk, cleaning the patio, weeding the garden – on and on and on! The more we put them off, the more the list grows and the more they contribute to your stress levels. So make a list of all of these chores and then schedule something I call a “Blitz Day”. On this day, you will rise early and spend the whole day sorting out each of these jobs. Take few breaks and only have a quick bite at lunchtime and just blitz through these irritating but necessary tasks. This will get rid of them, you’ll lower the stress they cause but more importantly, you’ll realize just how effective and industrious you can be when you apply the full force of your will to accomplish things.

5. Treat yourself to a pamper day. This is a day where you escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday living and enjoy some stress-free time. You’ll also feel great and give your well being a huge boost. On this day, have a light workout, a swim, a sauna, a Jacuzzi, a steam room. A massage would be nice and if you have access to one, a Turkish baths will give you an invigorating experience. Try to do this at least once a month, it is an excellent stress-buster.

The 5 Tips here will help you to significantly reduce your stress levels but they’ll only work for you if you put them into action. Give them a go – you’ll be amazed at the results!

5 Great Tips To Make Your Goals Your Reality

Goals are a great tool for motivation. But if you don't use them correctly, they can also be a source of frustration. Goals are only empowering if they are used properly. So how do you make a goal into something that is a benefit for you?

Goal-setting strategies are important especially for to help you create the type of success you desire and deserve. Here are five goal-setting techniques to help you realize them.

1. Balance Your Goals: In your life you will have personal development goals, personal finance goals and things goals. Don't neglect any of them. It is ok to want things, but don't forget to balance those pursuits with your own growth as a person. All of these goals are important so be clear about all of them and make them real for you.

2. Plan Actions From Your Goals: Goals are not items for your to do list. Your goal is what you are striving for. Plan specific actions that lead you towards those goals. Use the goals to provide your compass for those actions. When you plan actions for the day you can easily tell if they're going to be effective if you have clear goals to compare them against.

3. Share Your Goals: If you were an archer, would you keep it a secret that your goal is to hit the bull's-eye? Too many keep their goals a secret. Share your goals with people who will support and encourage your aims.

4. Write Down Your Goals: Make your goals real by recording them. Put copies of your goals on index cards and keep copies in the car and in the bathroom and review them regularly. Make them the center of your focus. Don't just set them and then ignore them. Your goals are like a compass to tell you which way to go. The exciting part is that you get to chose the alignment of your compass.

5. Don't Give Up: Your goals and the actions you take to get them are different things. Don't be afraid to try something, fail and try something else. Take effective and massive action to meet your goals and understand that any true goals will take many steps to achieve. Sometimes you will make a misstep, but that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with the goal. Everyone makes mistakes, but it's only those who abandon their goals who don't achieve them.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

5 Fun & Easy Ways To Get Out Of The Rut

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel less than great. Low, grouchy, fed-up, and bored are all words you could use to describe what I’m like on those days and I’m probably not the best company. The thing is, days like those are part of the deal with being human – it’s not an elective. There will always be off days, and that’s okay.

But what happens when you get a whole string of those off-days, maybe lasting weeks, months or even years? Too many of us say that we’re in a rut, feel stuck, fed-up, or bored and admit that we don’t want things to be that way, but we don’t know what to do to change. That’s the problem, when you’re in a rut, you don’t have the energy or motivation to change things for the better, and it’s tough to find the insight or resources you need to make that jump.

Here are five fun and easy ways you can use right now to climb, or better yet, leap, out of the rut and start to get something better for yourself.

1. Do Something Differently
Life tends to run smoothly when we establish systems and routines for things, but the problem comes when things run too smoothly and we become blinded to any ideas or choices that sit outside of our routine. All the stuff we do every day becomes the norm, running on auto-pilot, and it becomes our whole world.

Start with making one or two simple changes to your day - be it at breakfast time, your radio station, gym routine, route to work, lunch routine, etc. Don’t worry about what the changes are or whether they’re right or wrong, just make a couple of simple choices that will serve you well.

Doing something differently or changing parts of your routine, instantly takes you out of the norm and allows you to shake off the things that make you feel confined. Step out of your routine and you’ll be in a position where you’re able to make different choices, see things differently and get a different result.

2. Use your Intuition

Your intuition is a powerful ally, and we all have it even though you might not recognize it. The dictionary says that intuition is:

1.a. The act or faculty of knowing or sensing without the use of rational processes; immediate cognition.

1.b. Knowledge gained by the use of this faculty; a perceptive insight.

2. A sense of something not evident or deducible; an impression.

One of the best friends you'll ever have in life is your intuition, and tuning in to it and learning to trust it is something that can have some truly remarkable effects. Accessing your intuition is a bit like working and developing a muscle, but unfortunately it can be harder to locate than a bicep or quadricep, which tend to stay in the same place. Here are some quick tips for accessing and trusting it –

• Practice maintaining an open-minded, playful, experimental, non-judgmental attitude. This is the most fertile ground to tap into your intuition.

• Practice making wild guesses in your everyday life. Guess what a salesperson's name is, what a new person or place will look like or who's calling on the phone. Don't worry about getting it wrong, you're just working that muscle.

• Try a few simple observation exercises in your daily life. Whether you're in a restaurant, on a train, in a bar, or out shopping, practice noticing non-verbal behavior in others. Look for shifts in posture, eye movements, vocal tone or tempo, etc. Guess how they're feeling or what they're talking about.

3. Nourishment

Imagine you’re walking home from the supermarket with a couple of bags of groceries, but those bags have holes in them. You’re walking along merrily leaving a trail of your things behind you, but when you get home you unpack what’s left and ask, "Didn’t I have more than this?"

Nourishment is about plugging those holes in your life and making sure you have things that keep you feeling nourished – nourished in your head, nourished in your heart, and nourished in your stomach. Remember that you can’t give away what you don’t have, and can’t spend energy you’ve already spent.

It doesn’t have to be the big things in life that nourish you and it’s often the simplest little thing that strikes a chord, makes you feel like yourself again, or makes you smile from ear to ear – calling a friend, talking a walk in the park, or listening to your favorite song, for example. So what keeps you balanced? What relaxes you or makes you feel peaceful? What makes you feel like you again?

The fact is that you’re important enough to spend time taking care of yourself and it doesn’t matter what it is, just take the time to do it. If necessary, go as far as booking time in your diary. You’re the only one of you there is, so it’s your responsibility to make sure you’re okay.

4. Perfect Day

Here’s something to play with – your Perfect Day. This idea came to me a few years ago when a good friend suddenly asked me "What would be your perfect day?" I’d never been asked that before and I found myself spontaneously making up a story – telling her about my Perfect Day from the moment my eyes flickered open to the moment my head hit the pillow.

I went through each part of the day telling her what I was doing, who I was with, where we were, how it felt and what happened next. Bit by bit and without even thinking about it, I’d put together a rich, colorful, exciting, and comforting day, which still holds true as my Perfect Day. The best part is that you can start introducing little bits of your Perfect Day into your real life or working to make some of it happen. For example, in part of my Perfect Day I visit a company where I’m helping the directors and employees to focus on their strengths and to create a environment where people love to work and can be their best – and that was even before I knew that there was such a thing as coaching or that I could be a coach. My Perfect Day has now become like a good friend of mine whom I can call on whenever I want to.

So what’s your Perfect Day? Don’t think too much about it and don’t worry about it sounding silly or too grand. Just shoot from the hip and see what comes out naturally for you. Write down words, ideas, themes or a whole narrative – even draw pictures if you want to. Have fun with it, play with it – it’s your Perfect Day.

5. Get Some Fun, Fulfilment and Freedom

The Three F’s – Fun, Fulfilment, and Freedom - encompass a lot of what people are looking for in life, and also contain the solutions to having, doing and being those things. Here are some definitions,

Fun, n. - A source of enjoyment or pleasure; playful activity.

Ful-fil'ment, n. - To bring into actuality; to complete; a feeling of satisfaction at having achieved your desires.

Free-dom, n. - The capacity to exercise choice, free will; frankness or boldness; the absence of constraint in choice or action.

Read those again. Those things are huge, deep, and broad, and are a lot simpler than we make them.

Where are you in relation to each of the Three F’s? How much of each do you have right now? How much of each do you want? Whatever gap there is, recognize that it can be closed, and that you can close it. What would things be like if you were to close that gap? What would happen if you climbed a point or two on the Fun scale? What if you could add a point to your level of Fulfilment or Freedom? How would that feel? Pretty good, right? So what one thing can you do right now to help you get more?

By themselves each of the Three F's are a powerful thing, and can really help to move you forward, enjoy where you are, and feel alive. But when the Three F's come together . . .well, just hold on to your hat and keys.

Rut? What rut?""

4 Quick and EASY Tips On How-To Become The Person Of Your Dreams

Quick question...

What would you like to be when you grow up?

I bet you often heard this question asked many times when you were still young from your parents and relatives.

But, have you really given that question some deep thoughts?

Different people have different dreams.

So, what's your aspiration? Do you want to become a doctor, lawyer, pilot, or entertainer?

Or...

Would you like to be a Tom Cruise or Bill Gates?

Let me tell you right now, you can become what you want to become. You can become anything you want to be as long as you put your Mind and Heart into it.

I recommend you read some biographies of the people who inspire you the most. It's a great way to give you some guidance through their experiences they share within their biographies as to how they got to where they are today.

Here are 4 more quick tips and words of encouragement to keep you all fired up towards becoming who you want to be in life.


Tip #1.

Learn as much as possible about the person you aspire to be. Let's say your dream is to become a basketball player.

Gather all facts and information about the sport. Research on the internet, read books, watch the games and analyze team strategies; in other words, strive to be an Expert.


Tip #2.

You must have the Desire and Passion to know everything you can about the subject. If you can have a real person to imitate or look up to, the better.

For example, you may see yourself as Michael Jordan (for basketball), Mariah Carey (for singing), or Heide Klum (for modeling). Feel, talk, and act as if you're that person you're emulating. You'll quickly acquire the behavior and qualities of that person. This formula works like a charm, so just give it a try.


Tip #3.

Take Motivated Action and start pursuing your dreams!

Don't wait for everything to be perfect. That will never happen. There will always be bumps and obstacles ahead. The important thing is to start Right NOW and adjust along the way.

You'll be glad did.


Tip #4.

Persist until the VERY end.

Never let failures distract you. Just keep pushing yourself to the limit.

If you think that a task seems impossible to accomplish, banish that thought... Immediately!

Your mind has the capacity to bring into reality anything you desire.

As long as you stay Focused and Patient on your objective despite any setbacks or discouragements, you will become successful much sooner than you may think.

3 Ways to Become a Super Person

I was driving down the freeway the other day when I saw a billboard with a picture of Christopher Reeve on it. The caption simply read, “Super man.” People might have remembered him for his timeless portrayal of Superman. But they will never forget his tireless crusade on behalf of disabled everywhere. The tragic horse-riding accident that left him paralyzed also gave him wings to soar above his physical limitations. That’s not to say that it wasn’t difficult for him. He even contemplated suicide at one point. So it made me think, what characteristics did he have that made him so strong?

Courage. Most of us shy away from a challenge. Maybe we don’t like confrontation, or maybe we just want to take the path of least resistance. But there comes a time when we, individually, must face our deepest fears. It could be accepting a job that moves you half way across the country. Or walking out on a relationship that should have ended ten years ago. Whatever is keeping you from enjoying your life needs to be examined, evaluated, and executed. No one’s going to do it for you. Be brave.

Optimism. Ever hear the old glass half full/half empty analogy? Well, it’s true. You have a 50/50 chance of being positive or negative. Which side do you find yourself on most of the time? Negative thinking can be a very hard habit to break. But the good thing is, it is easily remedied. How? Speak positively. Act positively. Replace negative self-talk with uplifting messages that you tape to your mirror and day planner. And before you know it, you will think positively. Action precedes attitude. A good attitude is contagious, so surround your self with people who are upbeat and encouraging.

Self-determination. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? A person without a goal is like a bus without a driver. Don’t let limitations, either real or perceived, keep you from your objective. And don’t listen to the nay Sayers, even if at times you think they must be right. If something is important to you, stick with it. You will be amazed at what you can do.

There is a bit of a superhero in all of us. Sometimes, it takes an unexpected event to bring that hero out. And sometimes, we can help someone else see that hero in themselves.

3 Steps To Manifestation The Personal Development Way

Do you know how powerful your thoughts really are? Are you fully aware that these thoughts, all 50,000 per day, are singularly the most powerful influences on everything that happens to you in your life and are the reson you have attracted the people you know, the house you live in and the car you drive?

In fact the sum total of everyone's thoughts is the very thing that shapes everything that exists, everything that has existed, and everything that will ever exist. You may ask then "if this is true then shouldn't it be possible to bring into existence anything we desire?"

Well the short simple answer is YES!

It is through the power of deliberate thought that we can create. While thought alone does have the power to bring tangible (cars, houses, boats) and intangible (peace, harmony and joy) things into existence often times this is not enough! Intention, or directed thinking and believing, is enough to create powerful enough thoughts to manifest anything we want but you must also add two other ingredients.

Firstly, your thoughts must be backed by emotion. The more powerful the emotion - the stronger the thought. It is essential to create within you the same feelings that you will have when you actually achieve your desire. You actually do this all the time only in the opposite direction. For example, you think of what you are afraid may happen and all of a sudden you feel frightened, tense and may even start to exhibit some physiological symptoms such as sweating or shaking or just get the shivers. Begin to reverse this method of thinking. Think only of what you do want and conjure up the feelings associated with that. How will it feel to meet and marry that perfect person? How will it feel behind the wheel of that new Mercedes or in the kitchen of that new home?

The second key ingredient of the three is action! It is neccessary to be prepared to take some action. This is a key point that many personal development gurus leave out! The action that you need to take will not be strenuous or a toil, it will be enjoyable and feel right to you.

Each of us here on the planet plays their own special role in the complete operation of the Universe. We are all One, interconnected and interdependent. Your desires will almost always come through some form of action and through connection to other people.

Your thoughts do have the power to completely change your life and circumstances. When thoughts are backed by emotion they become an unstoppable force that will carry you to wherever you want to go in life. But you must be willing to take the steps towards your desires when these steps are presented to you. For example thinking and believing you will meet your soul mate will bring you vast opportunities for meeting him/her but you never will if you sit at home all day and do not venture outside! You may find that you begin to get asked to go to places more often or get invited to a place you have never been before. You may even accidently meet old friends or develop new friendships. This is the Universe setting you on a path to your desires. Take that invitation. Even if it is something you have no desire to do or somewhere you do not want to go, you should accept the invitation. Who knows who you may meet or where you may end up!

So remember, ingredient 1 - thoughts have power. Ingredient 2 - thoughts backed by strong emotion and belief can change the very Universe and create ANYTHING you want. And the lastly ingredient 3 - action is the last key ingredient to bringing about your desires and living the life of your dreams. Now get out there and start to CREATE!


3 Simple Strategies For Never Losing Out Again

Life is full of ups and downs and sometimes has a few sideways thrown in too. When things go wrong or don’t go as planned, or when something happens to throw us off balance and doubt ourselves it can be tough to deal with. After all, we all want things to go well and to end up as ‘winners’. But life will always throw challenges at us, and we can’t control everything. Nor should we try. It’s not what happens to you but what you do with what happens to you that makes the difference. Here are three easy ways that you can always come out on top.

1. Focus on Your Strengths

We’re a bunch of contradictions – sorry to break it to you. Sometimes happy, sometimes sad; sometimes hopeful, sometimes pessimistic; sometimes childish and sometimes mature. We also have a whole load of strengths and weaknesses that affect what we do and how we do it, but tend to put more focus on our weaknesses and not our strengths.

A strength is something that you do consistently well or at a near-perfect level of performance – it’s something you’re just able to do, you’re hard-wired to do it well and you get an inherent satisfaction from doing it. It could be tackling and solving complex problems, empathising with people, having a lively imagination or being able to make the perfect omelette.

Focusing on what you do well rather than what you’re not so good at makes all kinds of sense. When you look at what you’re not good at you feel bad about yourself and your ability, but when you focus on and play to your strengths you’re guaranteed to get results, and can even eliminate any negative effect your weaknesses might have.

There was a guy I worked with who hated public speaking and recognised that it was one of his weaknesses. He worked as an advertising executive and as he climbed the ladder he found he had to do more and more presentations – he’d stutter, freeze, forget his point and not perform at his best at all. But when we focused on his strengths we found that he had amazing social skills, an ability to establish great rapport with people in no time at all and had a fantastic sense of humour. Using those strengths he was able to connect easily with each person in his audience, enjoy himself a whole lot more and to deliver presentations that had fun, humour and warmth in them. He used his strengths to overwhelm his weaknesses and went from strength to strength himself.

2. Set Things Up Ahead Of Time

Sure, there will be times when you can just head into something, do brilliantly at it and get the result you were hoping for (normally if you’re playing to your strengths), but other times you might blunder forwards, wing it and not get the result you wanted. Whatever challenges or opportunities you’re facing you’ll stand a much better chance of getting a great result if you set things up to succeed ahead of time.

So what exactly do you want to happen? What solution, outcome or result would be great? Get really clear on the outcome you want from what’s facing you and how it would feel to get the outcome you’re looking for. Then start breaking it down – what can you do to set things up so that your desired outcome happens? What needs to be put in place? What will help to make what you want to happen, happen? And to ensure the best outcome, what are you willing to do?

Whatever faces you, it’s possible to get the result you want by being crystal clear about the kind of result you want and by putting effort into setting things up so that it happens. Look at this way – you’re infinitely more likely to get your most wanted result by putting time or effort into setting things up ahead of time than if you don’t. Your choice.

3. There’s No Such Thing as Losing Anyway

What’s life all about, really? Getting a good job, getting married, feeling valued, having fun? It’s about different things to different people, but to boil it down I think it’s about doing the best we can to have, do and be the best for ourselves and those we care about. Sometimes it’s a struggle and sometimes it’s a joy, but what is constant through it all is our capacity to learn, develop and grow. Humans have an unparalleled ability to learn and adapt, which is exactly why we’re able to do the best we can and find ways to have, do and be more.

That’s why everything you do takes you one step forwards and it’s only by doing one thing, then another and another that the most astounding things in our world came about. As Thomas Edison said while he was on his 207th prototype for the electric light bulb - 'I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.' He's absolutely right – everything you do that doesn’t work out is another tick in another box and another step forwards, because you know one more way not to do something and what not to do next time. You’ll never get to 100% without going from 1% to 99% first.

In all that you do, whether it turns out how you wanted it to or not, there’s the capacity for learning. That means that it’s all part of the process and everything that you do and learn is an important step forwards.

There’s no such thing as losing, only learning and growing. So here’s to your continued success!"