Staying Calm 1. Introduction It’s no secret that life can be stressful. Whether it’s work, family, or other obligations, there can be a lot on our plate that can cause us to feel overwhelmed. When we’re under stress, our bodies go into ‘fight or flight mode, which can lead to physical and mental health problems if we’re not careful. In this article, we’ll cover what stress is, the physical and mental effects it can have on our bodies, and some tips for managing it. By the end, you should have a better understanding of how to cope with stress when it comes up in your life. 2. What is stress? Stress is a response to a demand or pressure. It can be physical, like being under too much pressure at work, or it can be emotional, like worrying about a loved one. Stress can also be caused by external factors, like a natural disaster or financial troubles. The body’s response to stress is known as the ‘fight or flight response. This is when the body releases hormones like adrenaline and cortisol to prepare for action. This can lead to a number of physical symptoms, such as an increased heart rate, sweating, and difficulty sleeping. If you’re constantly feeling stressed, it can lead to problems like anxiety and depression. It can also affect your physical health, leading to problems like high blood pressure and a weakened immune system. There are a number of things you can do to manage stress. Exercise, relaxation techniques, and talking to someone about your worries can all help. 3. The physical effects of stress The physical effects of stress are far-reaching and can take a toll on your entire body. When you’re stressed, your body goes into fight or flight mode, which means your heart rate and blood pressure increase, your breathing quickens, and your muscles tense up. This is all part of the body’s natural survival instinct, but it’s not meant to be sustained for long periods of time. If you’re constantly feeling stressed, your body never gets a chance to relax and repair itself, which can lead to a number of health problems, including: – High blood pressure – Heart disease – Digestive issues – Sleep disorders – Weight gain or weight loss – Skin conditions like acne or eczema – Reproductive issues It’s important to find ways to manage your stress levels so that you can protect your health. Some effective stress management techniques include exercise, meditation, deep breathing, and journaling.
5 Simple Steps to Help You Finish What You Start
A common challenge of completing the tasks that we set out to do is that we are often distracted by other things that we perceive to require immediate attention. Here are five tips to help finish what you start. Legacy is a common term that is often used in reference to what we leave behind when we have passed. But legacy is so much more. It is about the actions we take on a daily basis that will lead and inspire others. In this sense, legacy is something we can contribute to every day. However, true inspiration does not come through the initiation of our actions, but through the completion of the tasks, we embark upon. Real legacy comes from the fulfilment of an activity we set out to accomplish. Focus and follow-through are where many of us fall short. President Dwight D. Eisenhower has a famous quote that states, “I have two kinds of problems: the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent.” Identifying, differentiating and prioritizing between these two types of activities is paramount to finishing what you start. A common challenge of completing the tasks that we set out to do is that we are often distracted by other things that we perceive to require immediate attention. We convince ourselves that these distractions are necessary, like immediately returning an email, and we let them take us off our path of completing what is important. According to the University of Scranton, a whopping 92% of people who set New Year’s goals never actually achieve them. Some of the most common reasons people fail to complete their goals are lack of specificity, lack of a clear plan, lack of proper motivation and lack of proper resources. Below are five tips to help finish what you start: Related: The Importance of Finishing What You Start 1. Establish the right mindset Something that is important to you must be given priority. This means it deserves the proper amount of time, consideration and resources to be completed. It also means that taking steps towards its completion should not be set aside or replaced with urgent matters, unless absolutely necessary. And in the case where it is necessary, the time you missed needs to be rescheduled. 10 Essential Tips To Finish What You Start – Lifehack Do you have a habit of starting projects, but not finishing them? Here are 10 best tips on how to finish what you start. 2. Acknowledge the specific goal The first step is to have complete clarity on your specific goal. What is it? Why is it important? What do you hope to accomplish? This will give you motivation and purpose. The second step is to share that goal with others. This creates a sense of accountability and a support system. 3. Operate with purpose-driven action We often accept staying busy as a substitute for being effective when it comes to time management. But anything important deserves a plan. What are the specific steps you need to execute to complete your activity? And how can you segment these steps into reasonable mini-steps that can be done each day? When you make positive action part of your routine, it becomes a healthy habit. Related: These 6 Small Steps Will Help You Achieve Your Biggest Goals 4. Apply the “rule of one” Psychologically, we feed off of feeling like we have completed something. The challenge with bigger goals is that it often takes a longer time to complete them. And this is one reason why we fail to follow through. Thus, we need to reshape our perspective on what it means to accomplish things while using the “rule of one.” Let’s say you set out a goal of rewriting your company’s employee training manual, and you know it is going to take at least a month to complete the task. Instead of feeling dejected and overwhelmed every day that is not completed, insert the goal of the “rule of one” into the task. Making Joy a Priority at Work Summary. Companies are making massive investments in technologies that can more closely link their pe Schedule 30 minutes every day that will be devoted to the task. Every day that you accomplish that one goal of working on it for 30 minutes means you have accomplished your goal for the day. Then the process becomes about accomplishing the steps towards the ultimate goal, keeps you focused and gives you a realistic benchmark each day. Do the math. If you did only one thing for 30 minutes each day towards the completion of a big goal, in one year you would have completed 365 actions toward this goal and invested over 180 hours. In most cases, many of our goals take far less time than that to complete — but when you break it down into small time commitments, it feels far less daunting. 5. Celebrate your success While the ultimate goal is to accomplish the task, it is important you celebrate progress and reward yourself accordingly. The benchmarks give you the objective opportunity to track and acknowledge your progress. Reminding yourself of the “why” keeps you motivated. And taking the time to acknowledge your progress gives you the inspiration to keep at it. Related: 8 Ways to Stay Accountable With Your Goals When you condition yourself through the habit of right action and begin to finish what you start, you will be on your way to a completely renewed, refreshed, enhanced and expeditious journey toward lasting success. Getting Things Done Emptying one’s inbox does not mean finishing everything. It just means applying the “capture, clarify, organize” steps to all one’s “stuff”.: 27 Next, reflection This article was originally posted here.
Making Joy a Priority at Work
Summary. Companies are making massive investments in technologies that can more closely link their people to each other, to customers, and to other stakeholders. Yet many struggles because their cultures get in the way — too many layers and silos, too many colleagues… Amid the dazzle and hopes of the digital age, it is easy to forget that old-fashioned human desire is as essential to achieving business goals as ever. Right now, for example, companies are making massive investments in technologies that can more closely link their people to each other, customers, and to other stakeholders. Yet many companies struggle because their cultures get in the way — too many layers and silos, too many colleagues who prefer to stay in their comfort zones, bask in their KPIs and resist new ways of connecting and working. This is a big problem. And joy can be a big part of the solution. Why? For two reasons. People intrinsically seek joy. And joy connects people more powerfully than almost any other human experience. The connective power of joy is clearly visible in sports. When a team performs at its awe-inspiring best, overcoming its limitations and challenges, every player — indeed, the entire arena — experiences a brimming ecstasy that lifts the team even further. Success sparks joy. Joy fuels further success. Everyone is caught up in the moment. YOU AND YOUR TEAM SERIES Making Work More Meaningful Can the joy that is so apparent in championship athletics be replicated in business? Absolutely. In any team environment, joy arises from a combination of harmony, impact, and acknowledgement — all of which business leaders can engender in their organizations. Harmony. On winning teams, each player has a distinct role in achieving the goal. One player might be a great passer. Another is a great scorer. Yet another may bring a certain intensity and competitive fire. When the diverse skills and strengths of teammates are really clicking together, it feels great. How to Make Joy a Priority in the Workplace Aug 31, 2022 … One of the most effective ways to prioritise joy in the workplace is to get inputs from the employees. What matters to them – a better choice of … Impact. Team harmony leads to impact, which further fuels joy. Even if the result is just a single sublime play or golden moment, the palpable joy of each teammate rises. You can see it in their faces as they throw their arms around each other and jump up and down like jubilant children. They are saying to each other: “Can you believe we did that?!” Acknowledgement. Great coaches instruct their players to, when they score, immediately point to the teammates who created the scoring opportunity. Acknowledging each player’s contributions and cheering for each other powers the entire joy-success-joy cycle. This is a pattern rife with opportunities for business leaders. By providing people with more of the experiences that engender joy in any team setting, leaders can tap more of the practical power of joy in their companies. To test this premise, A.T. Kearney conducted a survey in December 2018 that explored people’s workplace experiences across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region. The sample included more than 500 employees of various ages in companies with more than $2 billion in revenues and in a range of industries. We first asked respondents to report how much joy they experience in the workplace. We then asked them to rate how well a series of statements reflect their professional experience, so we could gauge whether these variables correlate with feeling joy at work. As shown in the figure below, employees who reported feeling more joy at work strongly agreed with each statement much more frequently than did employees who said they feel less joy at work. This suggests that the full range of experiences that visibly yield joy in team athletics — namely harmony, impact, and acknowledgement — can have much the same effect in the business world. Our survey findings further suggest that joy stems from believing one’s work is truly meaningful. Employees who believe their “company makes a positive societal contribution” and who feel “personally committed to achieving the company’s vision and strategy” experienced the most joy at work. In my industry, where almost 100% of newly recruited consultants are Millennials, providing an overarching purpose is critical to attracting and retaining great talent. These findings make perfect sense to me. Life is a vector requiring both force and direction. The pursuit of happiness sets the direction, but feeling joy provides the daily confirmation that we are doing exactly what we should be doing, for the company and for the teammates who energize our efforts. The lesson? Crafting business cultures that more consistently engender such experiences can create a much stronger sense of personal interconnection, shared purpose, and heartfelt pride across the organization. However, the survey also points to a pronounced “joy gap” at work. Nearly 90% of respondents said that they expect to experience a substantial degree of joy at work, yet only 37% report that such is their actual experience. Nor is this joy gap confined to any particular generational cohort. For Gen Xers and Millennials (the vast majority of our sample), the joy gap was 57% and 44%, respectively. Business leaders tend to think a great deal about success, but rarely about joy. Chances are, few are even aware of the joy gap in their organization and the resulting lack of interpersonal connection and team aspiration. That must change. Here are some specific steps leaders can take to increase joy at work: Set the agenda. Make the experience of joy an explicit corporate purpose. Strengthen your inclusion agenda to incorporate meaningful efforts toward ensuring all employees feel heard, recognized, and acknowledged. Fund mental health benefits for all employees. Set the stage. Staff your new digital/culture programs with true cross-unit, cross-silo teams, where joint teamwork delivers maximum impact, shared success, and fun. Set the tone. Encourage and celebrate individual and corporate social impact efforts. Authentically express more of the joy you personally experience in your role.
The Pros and Cons of Being Hopeful
Introduction When bad things happen, it’s only natural to want to feel better as soon as possible. We may try to comfort ourselves, hoping things will eventually get better. But is this always a good thing? On the one hand, hope can be a powerful motivator. It can give us the strength to keep going when things are tough. Hope can also be a source of comfort and joy. On the other hand, hope can sometimes be unrealistic and lead to disappointment. This article will explore the pros and cons of being hopeful in life. We will also discuss why it’s important to have hope in moderation. What is hope? Hope is an optimistic attitude or mindset. It’s the belief that things will eventually get better. Hopeful people often have positive outlooks on life and believe the future will be better than the present. The pros of being hopeful There are many advantages to being hopeful. One of the main benefits is that hope can give us the strength to keep going when things are tough. If we believe that things will eventually get better, we are more likely to keep trying, even when things are difficult. For example, let’s say you’ve been unemployed for several months. It’s easy to start feeling hopeless and give up on your job search. But if you remain hopeful, you will be more likely to keep trying and eventually find a job. Hope self: from a cognitive, psychological, social, or physical perspective. Hopeful people are “like the little engine that could, [because] they keep telling In addition to helping us persevere in difficult times, hope can also be a source of comfort and joy. We tend to see the world more positively when we are hopeful. We may notice the beauty in everyday moments and be more grateful for what we have. The cons of being hopeful Although hope has many benefits, it also has some drawbacks. One of the main disadvantages of hope is that it can sometimes be unrealistic. If we are too hopeful, we may set our expectations too high and be disappointed when things don’t turn out as we want. For example, let’s say you’ve been hoping to get a job promotion. But after months of waiting, you’re passed over for the position. This can be frustrating and disheartening. In addition to being disappointed, people who are too hopeful may also become anxious and stressed. If we constantly wait for things to improve, we may never be satisfied with the present moment. Why hope is important Despite its drawbacks, hope is an important emotion. It’s essential for our mental and emotional well-being. Hope helps us cope with difficult situations and motivates us to keep going. But it’s important to have hope in moderation. Too much or too little hope can be detrimental to our mental health. It’s important to find a balance between realistic optimism and unrealistic expectations. How to Be Hopeful, Even When It’s Really, Really Hard | SELF 27-Jun-2022 … Being hopeful relies partly on having a sense of control—it’s the idea that you can exert an influence on the world around you and that the … How to find hope If you’re feeling hopeless, there are many things you can do to regain hope. One of the best things you can do is connect with other people. Talking to friends and family can remind you that you’re not alone and that things will eventually improve. It can also be helpful to reach out to a mental health professional. A therapist can help you manage your emotions and develop more realistic expectations for the future. Spending time in nature can also be beneficial. Studies have shown that spending time in nature can reduce stress, improve mood, and increase levels of optimism. Conclusion Hope is a powerful emotion that can give us the strength to persevere in difficult times. But it’s important to have hope in moderation. Too much or too little hope can lead to disappointment and frustration. If you’re feeling hopeless, reach out to friends, family, or a mental health professional for support. Importance of Mental Health In Your Career Did you know that mental health is just as important as physical health when it comes to your career? That’s
Entrepreneurship: Developing the Opportunity
Entrepreneurship is the process of solving a business problem by creating a new venture. It’s also about identifying an opportunity and understanding how a solution can be developed and implemented. Entrepreneurship is the ability to identify opportunities and build businesses from them. It comes from seeing an untapped market, spotting an opportunity that others overlook, or developing the right product or service for a particular target market. Outside the boardroom, entrepreneurs are generally thought of as risk-takers who see solutions to problems other people don’t see. They take risks that other people are too scared to take because they fear failure or rejection. That’s why as an entrepreneur, you need to be self-aware and understand your strengths and weaknesses – so you know what opportunities you may miss or exclude yourself from. Here are tips on developing your business idea into an opportunity: Build a strong idea Your idea is the first step toward developing a business. This can be anything from a product to a service, or even an idea for how to make money. The best way to build your idea into something great is by thinking about it in detail and exploring everything about it. If you’re building an app, think about what makes apps successful. What are other apps similar to yours? What features do people value in these apps? What types of people use them? If you’re building a website, think about what your competitors are doing on their websites and what customers are most likely to go to those sites. When you know why your idea is unique, then you will understand the opportunity better and be able to reach out to the right people that have the same interests as you. Understand the opportunity The first step to developing an opportunity is understanding the problem you are trying to solve. Write down all the problems your product or service is solving and how they affect people. Who are you solving this problem for? Who are they? What do they want? What are their needs? Next, think of the solution. Start by considering what your customer wants and needs, then think about how you can offer a solution that meets those needs. The next level of thinking about your idea is to figure out what challenges exist that the customer must overcome in order to achieve a given goal or objective. These may be hurdles like price, time, or difficulty. If you have already figured out what the customer wants and how they will get there, it’s time to think about how your business can capitalize on this need and make it easier for them to use your product or service. Once you have an idea of the opportunity, it’s time to start reaching out and getting feedback from potential customers before actually launching into production. Define your terms Define your terms so that you know exactly what the opportunity is. This helps you know what industry you want to pursue and how to position yourself in the market. Plus, it will make it easier for you to find out who is already competing in your area. Hint: Some resources that may help you define your terms include books, articles, and internet searches on specific topics or industries. Assess what’s going on in other industries What are competitors doing? What do they offer? How are their customers reacting? Use these insights to gauge what idea will be best suited for your target market. If a competitor has an established customer base that’s willing to pay for their services without question, then it may be difficult for them to switch providers. In this case, you may have a better chance of filling their needs than trying to compete with them directly. You can also use this information to figure out how your business idea would fit into the industry as a whole and if there’s room for competition at all. If two companies are offering similar products or services but one company has a significantly larger customer base than the other, it’s likely that the company will become successful in the long-term — even if they’re not currently performing well financially. Decide if it’s right for you The first step in developing your idea is to determine if it’s right for you. If you’re someone who loves to work independently and has no problem working long hours, entrepreneurship may be the perfect fit for you. If you don’t feel that way, entrepreneurship may not be the route for you. After determining that it’s a relevant opportunity for you, it’s time to decide what type of business you want to create. Once your decision is made, then it’s time to develop your business plan – which can be done through a variety of resources. Network and build your team Networking is key to developing your idea into an opportunity. It’s important to build a team around you because it will help you achieve success. Bring in people who have complementary skills and knowledge that you don’t have and trust them with the tasks they are good at. You can also partner with others on ideas, or share ideas with others who might not be as close to your business idea as you are. But remember, not everyone will want to work on your idea project full time so find a way to leverage their efforts too. Stay updated and be proactive You might be able to develop an opportunity if you’re open-minded and willing to consider many different ideas and possibilities. Entrepreneurship is about being proactive and seeing the potential in what others see as waste. Another tip is staying updated on current trends and events that may lead to new opportunities. With this information, you can figure out how your business idea would react if it were to happen or not happen. Protect your idea and don’t be afraid to ask for feedback Protect your idea by treating it like a business, not a
Building a Positive Mindset: The Key to Success in Your Career
Are you feeling stuck in your career? Are you finding it hard to get ahead? If so, it might be time to start thinking about building a positive mindset. According to studies, having a positive outlook on life can lead to greater success in your career. So if you want to get ahead, start by thinking positive thoughts! Below are some tips on how to do just that. 1. Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. 2. Set realistic goals and work towards them. 3. Be persistent and never give up on your dreams. 4. Seek out opportunities and seize them when they come your way. 5. Surround yourself with positive people who will support your efforts. By following these tips, you can start building a positive mindset today. And who knows, maybe that’s the key to finally achieving success in your career! What is a Positive Mindset and Attitude? A positive mindset is having a set of attitudes and beliefs that lead you to see the best in people and situations, and expect the best to happen. People with a positive mindset approach life with curiosity, openness, and a willingness to learn. They’re also resilient, meaning they’re able to pick themselves up after setbacks and view them as learning opportunities. While it’s important to be realistic about the challenges you’ll face in your career, having a positive mindset will help you stay motivated and focused on your goals. It will also give you the strength to keep going when things get tough. There are a few things you can do to start developing a more positive mindset: 1. Make an effort to see the good in people and situations.2. Talk to yourself in a positive way. Use phrases like “I can do this” or “I’m getting better every day.”3. Practice gratitude by taking time each day to think of things you’re thankful for. This could be anything from your health to your job or family.4. Avoid comparing yourself to others. Everyone has their own unique journey and there’s no need to compare yourself to anyone else’s. Why is a Positive Attitude Considered the Key to Success? A positive attitude is often considered the key to success in many areas of life, including your career. There are several reasons why having a positive attitude can lead to success. First, when you have a positive attitude, you tend to be more optimistic and hopeful. This means that you’re more likely to take risks and try new things, which can lead to new opportunities and experiences. Second, positive people tend to be more resilient. They’re able to bounce back from setbacks and failures because they don’t see them as permanent roadblocks. Instead, they view them as temporary challenges that can be overcome with effort and perseverance. Finally, employers often prefer to hire and work with people who have positive attitudes. This is because they tend to be more enjoyable to be around, and they’re also more likely to be productive employees who are always looking for ways to improve their work. How a positive mindset helps us to build a good career? A positive mindset is critical for success in any field, but especially so in our careers. A positive outlook allows us to approach our work with enthusiasm and energy, which in turn inspires others and creates a positive work environment. Additionally, a positive mindset helps us to persevere through difficult times and to see challenges as opportunities for growth. Simply put, a positive mindset is the key to success in our careers. How do you develop a positive mindset? A positive mindset is a key to success in your career. You need to be able to believe in yourself and your ability to achieve your goals. Here are some tips for developing a positive mindset: – Set realistic goals and targets. It’s important to set goals that are achievable, otherwise, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.– Surround yourself with positive people. Spend time with people who have a positive outlook on life and who will support your dreams and ambitions.– Focus on the present. Don’t dwell on past failures or dwell on what could go wrong in the future. Instead, focus on what you can do right now to move closer to your goals.– Be persistent. Never give up on your dreams, no matter how hard things get. Remember, anything worth having is worth fighting for.– Believe in yourself. Have faith in your abilities and don’t let anyone convince you that you can’t achieve something great. How do you keep a positive mindset at work? When things are going well in your career, it’s easy to maintain a positive mindset. But what about when you’re facing challenges or feeling stuck in a rut? Keeping a positive outlook during tough times can be difficult, but it’s essential if you want to maintain your motivation and continue progressing in your career. Here are some tips for how to keep a positive mindset at work: Find things to enjoy in your job.Even if you’re not crazy about your current position, there are likely aspects of the job that you enjoy or find challenging and stimulating. Focus on these aspects and try to find enjoyment in them. Create a support network.Talk to trusted friends or family members about your career goals and struggles. They can provide encouragement and advice when you need it. You can also connect with other professionals in your field who can offer guidance and advice. Set realistic goals.If you set unrealistic goals for yourself, it’s only natural that you’ll become discouraged when you don’t meet them. Setting realistic goals will help you stay motivated as you slowly but surely make progress towards them. Take care of yourself.It’s important to take care of your physical and mental health if you want to maintain a positive outlook on life. Make sure to eat healthily, exercise regularly, get enough sleep, and take breaks when you need them. How a positive mindset will