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Mental Stimulation

When reading, you are keeping it charge, exercised and readily active. It also can help increase your imagination and creativity. It is said that reading enhances mental stimulation, which can prevent or even slow the progress of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Relax

Reading can also be a good way to wind down and slip into a new world of the book you are actively reading. Reading is an escape for some people and it is nice to escape to a different place sometimes. Reading before bed instead of playing on your phone is a good idea as the brain is able to wind down with focused attention. If you are studying, it could be a good idea to read your study noted before bed as you will be able to retain and absorb the information while you are sleeping.

Increases Your Knowledge and Intelligence

When you read a fiction or non-fiction book, your knowledge and intelligence increases. The more you read, the more you know. Your confidence will benefit and with the increased amount of information you know, the confidence you gain will positively affect every aspect of your life. 

Vocabulary Expansion

You will have a rich vocabulary growth when it comes to reading. The more you read, the more words you know and the more you will be able to articulate what you want to communicate to others, whether it be writing or speaking. Being able to communicate thoroughly and easily is an admired skill for anyone in any profession, scenario or situation in life. Once you realise that you are able to communicate this effectively, it can boost your self esteem and self confidence which is very important for self growth and development.

Memory Retention, Focus and Concentration

When you read a book, your focus is on one thing, the story. As you read along with the book, you need to remember what happened in the story, the key details and be able to follow it along. Every new memory that you create forges new synapses (brain pathways) and strengthens existing ones, which assists in short term memory recall as well as stabilising moods. Reading gives your brain a good work just like a good run gives your body great circulation.

Stronger Analytical Skills

When reading, watching a movie or even observing a situation, you are able to think fast on your feet as well as being able to resolve, perhaps, a situation faster than you would if you weren’t actively reading. You will be able to analyse things objectively and improve your critical thinking. This is important when trying to problem solve as well.

Better Writing Skills

Again, communication is a big factor and this plays largely in writing skills. You need writing skills in everyday life. Higher vocabulary also equals a wider increased range of words to express yourself in the right context. When reading, you will be able to analyse, observe and view the writing styles of other projects.

An Increase In Empathy and Emotional Intelligence

Reading fiction can help become more empathetic and also increase your emotional intelligence by being aware of what the characters in the book go through and how they deal with their situations. Reading a book can also open your mind to a lot of different worlds and situations that can help make you become more accepting to things in life. 

Self Development

You become a well rounded person through learning about different people, places and situations where you are able to look at different perspectives, as well as being more interesting to talk to. Depending on what you read, reading will help you learn how others worked towards their success such as reading inspirational stories.

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References

http://capcana.com/news/10-benefits-of-reading-why-you-should-read-every-day/

https://www.realsimple.com/health/preventative-health/benefits-of-reading-real-books

https://www.rd.com/culture/benefits-of-reading

https://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/wellbeing/health-benefits-of-reading/slide/6

https://www.beautyglitch.com/18-great-benefits-of-reading-books/

https://selfhelpfix.com/benefits-of-reading.php

If you think resolutions are so cliche, then perhaps you need to think again! When a year ends and a new one begins, your mind is drawn to preparation and planning. You feel optimistic that it’s going to be a fresh new year full of promises and hope. It certainly is the best time to make changes in various areas of your life.

The tradition of writing down all the things that we want to achieve for the rest of the year usually happens in the first week of January. Now that we're approaching the end of the month, the big question is, are you still upholding your resolutions? We start really strong and determined, however, when February comes, we start to fizzle… but why?

Most people fail to commit to their resolutions due to extreme pressure or lack of motivation and discipline. As the saying goes “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” - The intention to change wavers very quickly due to a form of resistance called inertia.

The law of inertia is Sir Isaac Newton’s first law and it states that "A body at rest will remain at rest, and a body in motion will remain in motion unless it is acted upon by an external force." As humans, we are also influenced by inertia - we continue to tread the same path throughout our lives unless other forces alter our course. Therefore, if we would like to change for the better, then we should find that “greater force” that will positively alter the direction of our life inertia.

Here are some of the things you can do to accelerate your success in 2020:

If your plan is not working, review and tweak it if necessary. Always be open to suggestions and embrace new ideas. You need to adjust yourself to meet the needs of your situation or current environment.

Treat each day as another chance to start over.

Write a Letter to Your Future Self

Grab a pen and paper, reflect and write down your thoughts, seal and open it at a future date. Your letter may contain words of validation, reassurance, and encouragement. Try to picture yourself a year, 2 years or 5 years from now and outline what you want to achieve in that timeframe. This could be a great way to make your dreams happen. Write a note to your future self today and you will be amazed to discover how much you’ve changed (or not) over the years.

Up Next: Do Regular Daily Reflections

Be Driven to Succeed! 

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Dealing with setbacks is a part of life, however, no one is ever immune to it. No matter how many times we go through difficulties and eventually overcome them, they can still get to us sometimes. When morale is down and emotions are high after experiencing multiple failures and disappointments, You might find it hard to survive, recover and learn important lessons during the really tough times.

Take note of these tips to help you bounce back from any setback:

Crisis management

A Crisis can be anything such as having negative feelings, disasters via natural causes, health issues, family problems, professional and personal matters, so on and so forth. It could be hard to think straight under extreme circumstances. What do we do to fearlessly conquer any crisis? Devise a plan! There are a lot of proactive steps you can take whenever things get awry. Read the blog post Be Prepared For Anything for more insightful advice.

Find out the cause of the setback

It’s better to find the cause of the setback during the early stages rather than waiting until it has grown and escalated. Look for the early warning signs then nip it in the bud *before things get out of hand. 

Don’t be afraid to try again. 

You were confident that you were making so much progress but something happened and you seem to have come up against a brick wall. You get angry and frustrated and resort to band-aid solutions. Sure it can get you far, but not enough to get out of the sticky situation. When you’ve reached the point where you realise that there is nothing much you can do about it, consider starting from square one. Make adjustments to your strategy if you have to. The lessons you’ve learned from your previous experience will help you perform much better the next time around.

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If you are on a healthy eating plan based on the current macronutrient portioning of food per day you are probably eating 2,000- 2,200 Kcalories if you are a female and approximately 2,600-2,800 Kcalories if you are a male.

The food pyramid emphasises that our break up of Kcalories should be 50% carbohydrate, 25% fats and 25% protein. As a 78 kilograms male, I should be eating approximately 2,700 Kcalories divided up into approximately 675 kcals of protein and fat and 1,350 Kcalories of carbohydrate per day. Being active, this prescription should keep me weight stable.

Caloric Restricted Weight Loss

If I was looking for weight loss and was prescribed a caloric restricted diet of 1,200 Kcalories, my division of macronutrients would be 600 Kcal of carbohydrate, 300 kcals of fat and protein. The 600 kcals of carbohydrate prescribed is enough to maintain my normal bodily functions at rest but is just barely enough to feed my brain as well if I have previously been on a high carbohydrate diet.

My Liver is pumping hard making any additional required glucose via converting some protein to glucose (gluconeogenesis). The protein conversion is only good for approximately an additional 200 Kcals so all in all I have approximately 800 Kcals of carbohydrate available for my 24 hours cycle. So at this point all is good and I am coping well.

My background in intensity had always been to“go hard or go home”.

My motto used to be “just do it…. and then spew it!"

As I have aged I have reviewed my old philosophy and realised the importance of multiple movement experiences, performed at low to moderate intensity for as much of the day as possible. What if I went back to my old ways and incorporated some high intensity exercise as part of my weight loss intervention in combination with my reduced 1,200 kcals diet?

Off and Running…

I am now on the treadmill running at 10 kilometres per hour. At this pace approximately 60% of my fuel will come from carbohydrates. Within the hour on the treadmill running at 10 kph I have used approximately 300 kcals of carbohydrates. In the 24 hours that incorporated this run I had 600 kcals of carbohydrate available for all the body systems to function at rest as well as an additional 200 Kcals that can be converted from protein to carbohydrates, so in total 800 kcals of carbohydrate.

My brain requires approximately 30% of my available carbohydrates, which translates into approximately 240 Kcals of energy (30% of 800 Kcalories).

If I expend 300 kcals of carbohydrates from my run, 600 kcals for the cells of the body (brain included) to perform their daily functions, I will have exceeded my total concentration of carbohydrates (600 + 200 = 800 Kcalories) for the day by 100 Kcals.

All of a sudden……“Houston we have a problem”.

If I run on the treadmill 3 days per week with a recovery day between each run, my body will adjust by storing more glycogen that can be used on the run days and I will be able to cope with the reduced carbohydrates available.

But what if I decided to run at this pace for 5 to 7 days of the week. After a week of this combination I could begin to feel tired, physically fatigue or as it has been described… “hit the wall”.

“Hitting the wall” is not restricted to just those who run marathons.

People on severe caloric restricted eating plans combined with high intensity exercise can also experience a similar feeling. I am now in the zone of Glycogen depletion. This can only get worse unless I take some time to recover between training sessions or eat more dietary carbohydrate, energy bars or energy drinks to quickly increase my blood sugar levels and thereby increase my Kcalories….. but this would be against the philosophy of our weight loss program.

The most obvious alternatives would be to:

• Reduce the intensity of the training dose and expend the same number of Kcalories over a longer period of time tapping into my fat stores and preserving the limited carbohydrates stores for other functions.

• Alternate high intensity days (glycogen dependent days) with much lower intensity days (fat dependent days).

• Eat more carbohydrates with the intention of exercising at a high intensity every day.

• Limit high intensity days to three times per week with at least a 24 hours recovery between training sessions and on the other days perform 10,000 steps or additional movement in the home, at work, active transport at an intensity between 2-6 METS (low to moderate).

What about limiting my carbohydrate intake?

A recent alternative recommendation is to limit our carbohydrate intake to 50 grams per day for two weeks, which will teach our body to utilise more of our fat stores.This method would require a rethink of the proportions of our macronutrients.

What if we changed our 1200 kcalories diet to include 30% protein, 20% carbohydrates and 50% of good fat?

The theory behind this would be that after a two weeks period of no intense exercise our body will begin to convert ketones from our fatty acids for energy to within an acceptable limit, which could potentially improve our fat loss. Ketones could potentially now provide approximately 50% of the brain’s fuel taking the pressure of it being fully carbohydrate dependent.

Additionally, the skeletal muscles would be better adapted to metabolise fatty acids sparing the additional glycogen and protein that was previously used a fuel. The accompanying exercise prescription would involve low to moderate intensity activities of daily living, of which walking would be the cornerstone. Remember we have potentially 80,000 Kcals of energy available for fuel from fat compared to 2,000 Kcals of carbohydrate.... so why not try and use it. This theory tips the carbohydrate loading theory of performance on its head! Think about it as it could have merit in everything we do from weight loss, improvements in health and athletic performance. 

Arthur C Clarke once said  “I don’t pretend to have all the answers. But the questions are certainly worth thinking about".

Dr Paul Batman

Australian College - Fitness

What do expectations mean to you? If you refer to a dictionary, expectation is a noun that means “a strong belief about what might happen in the future or thinking that something should be a certain way”. Expectations are created based on an individual’s perspectives and standards and oftentimes, they are just merely predictions or conjectures derived from incomplete information. In reality, we all see things differently; however, failure to see things from someone else’s perspective has proven to be very problematic and may even cause people to be estranged from others more than ever, especially from the ones that they care about.

If only expectations were properly managed, then it would be a lot easier to navigate through day to day life without the dramas. So what do we do in order to manage or align our expectations towards ourselves and other people? First of all, it's important for us to understand that expectations are not goals.

Do not mistake expectations for goals

Setting goals and implementing them help us improve ourselves over time, however, when they’re already becoming rigid and inflexible, it’s a sign that they are turning into expectations. In order for us to reach our peak performance, we need to focus more on goals and make sure to never ever let them slide over into expectations. There’s a great value in setting goals that are based on principles, and aiming to achieve them by exerting our best effort while being challenged but not pressured and frustrated.

Constantly perform reality checks

We have our own vision of an ideal world. We dream about stability, equality, justice, and absolute freedom. We want to be in a safe and nurturing environment where we can develop our core skills and gain knowledge to enrich and make our lives more meaningful. But amidst all the wishful thinking, we must also perform check ups constantly to see if our grasp of reality is still healthy and intact or if we already lost touch of what’s real and what’s not. This method will also help us stay focused on more important things, rather than getting caught up in trying to perfect something that’s already good enough.

Communication is Key

When there is a lack of communication, a lot of things can go wrong. As much as possible, try to overcome communication barriers. Never make assumptions! Context is definitely important when it comes to communication. So always put context into consideration to prevent the potential pitfalls in professional and personal life and everything else in between.

Intuition may also induce expectations

The human brain is wired in a particular way. Based on the book Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman, we process information in two different modes. The first mode is intuitive, unconscious, automatic and emotional. The second mode is slow, rational, conscious, reflective, reasoning and deliberate. Let’s look into the intuitive mode. Using our intuition or gut feeling can be advantageous. Albert Einstein even quoted that “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift”, however, your intuitive and judging functions also have the tendency to get out of hand. When this happens, your mind could become clouded by unrealistic expectations. To prevent this from happening, you need to be able to fine-tune your intuition and not be misled by it. This can be done through observation and lessons learned from various life experiences for you to gain the knowledge and wisdom that can help you plow through life with less heartache and disappointment.

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Those who strive for perfection are leaders and high achievers, but when they push themselves too much, they tend to get into extremely toxic situations. Working hard to achieve something is great, however, when the frustration level is sky high and there is already chronic dissatisfaction and unhappiness in life, we need to start reaching for the pause button, clear the mind and self-reflect.

Overthinking, fear of failure and excessive worrying are very common in perfectionists. Negative thoughts and behaviours affect the quality of life. More damage is done when they get stuck in analysis paralysis, therefore, decision-making is stalled and no action is done. 

Everyone commits mistakes. Problems and unexpected challenges come. The best way to handle them is not to run away and hide but to tackle them head-on. Instead of worrying about what’s going to happen when you do something, think about things that can actually go wrong when you don’t do anything at all. Or, better yet, get over your fears, and think about what can go right in any given situation. Take control and take action!

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Athletes train every day to improve their skills in order to achieve victory in a particular sports competition. And if they are amateur athletes, they need to work even harder and be more disciplined in their training. Optimised training methods are incorporated in their routine to reach the gold standard. Practice is a very important element for athletes to develop well over time. When this is done consistently on a daily basis, they will surely reap the rewards in the end.

The goal to reach peak performance is not only applicable to professional athletes. Perhaps you have also experienced that you performed to the best of your ability just like athletes do. Try to recall those special moments when you have achieved above and beyond what is expected of you, and that you constantly excel in everything you do. These are the moments that you have to value and pay close attention to because that should serve as your starting point.

Establish the framework that would empower you to always perform at your peak, up to a certain degree that you feel your life routine is already centered on it. It’s definitely the kind of culture that we all need to develop to attain a better quality of personal and work life.

Be more focused and learn how to create your flow.

Flow comes in different stages depending on an individual’s characteristics and skill level. When you find your flow, do your best not to break it so as you continue to improve your skills, you are then also able to take on more difficult challenges in the long run. When you reach higher levels, you do not only enhance your skills, but you become more patient and resilient at the same time.

Be more open to learning new things.

When you have the motivation and determination to learn, it will be easier for you to absorb new information. You will be more aware and engaged than you have ever been! Aside from learning the proper knowledge and hard skills necessary to reach new levels, it’s also important for us to develop Emotional Intelligence. Like many other things, EQ can be learned as well. Emotions are a very critical aspect of your journey to making better decisions and to be more efficient and effective in any circumstance. The use of emotions is actually the cornerstone of peak performance.

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A lot of people are victims of toxic situations. In fact, we are all surrounded by a lot of negative energies and emotions that drain us until we do not have the willpower left to face them. They paralyse us and undermine our capacity to function well and prevent us from reaching our full potential.

The sad truth is, no one is exempted from dysfunctional environments. We are all eventually bound to experience this at some point. It doesn’t matter what your current status is in life is at the moment, you can still fall into the sinkhole of unfavourable circumstances. But whatever these circumstances are, the great news is that every problem has a solution, even if it’s not exactly the kind of outcome you hoped for.

The worst scenarios can absolutely destroy confidence and self-esteem so if you feel that you’re moving towards a life of utter distress or have been stuck deep into this slippery slope territory and would like to completely walk out of it and start a cleanse, you need to make a firm decision that you are going to follow through and never look back.

It would be very hard to progress in life if you constantly feel broken. Allow yourself to heal and keep your peace. Also, bear in mind that recovery never happens overnight; it should be an ongoing process. Everyone’s recovery journey is very personal and unique so you need to peel off the layers of yourself to get in touch with your innermost beliefs and convictions.

Starting today when you begin to see signs that things are becoming toxic, do something about it right away. Life is too short so be happy and live your life to the fullest!

Helpful articles:

Combat Burnout and Reignite Passion for Work

Learn How to Manage Stress

Shift Your Paradigm and Unlock Opportunities

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According to research, we make thousands of conscious decisions each day and they continue to increase on a daily basis as our responsibilities increase. It may sound quite overwhelming when you think about it, but try to observe yourself from the moment you wake up in the morning until you get ready for bed at night and you will realise that you did make a multitude of choices in just one day.

Decision making can be a little tough sometimes, and each decision entails certain consequences. We have the freedom to pursue our goals in life and to exercise control over things that are significant to us, however, we also need to be mindful and do our best to develop the ability to anticipate the many possible outcomes of our actions and most of all, be accountable to what we do and even what we fail to do.

Here are some tips that you can follow to make better decisions carefully and successfully:

Handle Regrets and What Ifs

We are not perfect. When we’ve made the wrong decision that we are not proud of, we feel terrible and wish we could turn back time in order to correct our mistakes. It’s difficult to let go of regrets but there is no use crying over spilled milk. We can’t go back and change the past, but sometimes the wise option is to accept things as they are and move forward as best we could.

Weigh Pros and Cons

When it comes to making major life decisions, we need to be more cautious to prevent potentially catastrophic complications in the future. It's best to take our time and think it through. It’s not easy to tackle the decision-making process with confidence, especially when we’re about to explore the unknown but we can always rely on weighing up the pros and cons and sorting through the alternatives.

The Pros and Cons Decision Model is very straightforward - it’s all about listing down all the specific details and reasons behind your choices. Analyse the advantages and disadvantages. Ask yourself, are the risks worth taking? When it comes to completing this exercise, keep in mind that it’s very important to stay true to yourself. With an open mind, trust that you would eventually make the best decision for yourself.

Know when to NOT make a decision

There are certain circumstances when it’s not safe to make decisions, particularly complex ones. Emotions tend to affect the way we think and behave and usually cloud judgement, therefore preventing us from making rational choices. To be more in control, use the HALT method to proactively deal with the urge to act impulsively. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

As we make more decisions in life, we become wiser and braver. Our maturity and positive attitude ultimately brings us one step closer to success!

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Out of the four seasons, Spring is probably the most well-loved of them all. It’s the time of year when temperatures become lovely, daylight hours start to become longer and colourful flowers start to grow everywhere. The arrival of spring improves our mood, makes us feel more energised to make new plans and start off with a clean slate, thus allowing us to be increasingly productive. This season definitely marks many positive changes in life.

Aside from decluttering and getting busy spring cleaning your home, there are also a lot of exciting and fun things that you can do in Spring. Discover and learn something new, do things you haven’t done, pack your bags and go to places you have never been!

Here are some things that you can add to your to-do list this Spring

• Find a new hobby

• Start a new collection

• Meet new people

• Get a new pet

• Spend more time with family and friends

• Organise outdoor activities

• Hold a garage sale

• Volunteer at a hospital

• See what you can do to help your community

• Plant new seeds in your garden

• Reconnect with nature

• Write more journal articles

• Take time to do your daily reflections

• Go for a complete health check

• Clear up space on your computer’s hard drive

• Create a Spring-themed music playlist

• Discover new recipes

• Spend less time on your phone

• Reinvent yourself

• Study a new course

Achieve Your Education Goals!

 
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You have developed strong motives and intentions, but is that sufficient enough to lead to long-term positive changes?

It’s not always easy to translate intentions into action. A study was made on why people do not always do things they intend to do and this is usually due to the huge gap between intention and behaviour...

We consider short-term and long-term goals in life as self-instructions to get the results that we aspire to achieve. Sometimes we write them all down on paper to help us remember. Our level of commitment for one goal is different to another; we put our priorities on the top of the list and work on them first, however, the goals on the bottom of list are often left behind and forgotten forever. 

What’s a sure way for us to not be sidetracked? Once intentions are formed and plans have been made, we must always grab the opportunity to take action in order to establish our retention-driving triggers to perform. Doing so will make it a lot easier and more likely for us to adopt desired positive behaviours and develop better habits.

Read related articles:

Break out of your comfort zone

Take Part, Be Proactive!

If Not Now, Then When?

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Preparing well before an interview will definitely help you get a step closer to securing your desired role. One of the things that you might need to get ready for is to know the common job interview questions you are likely to be asked. It’s worth spending time in advance to research sample questions and consider that as a guide that you can use to practice your responses.

Be aware that interview questions are asked for very important reasons and are mutually beneficial to both the job seeker and prospective employer. As a job seeker, you get a chance to highlight your skills, knowledge, abilities, accomplishments, and communicate your thought process and at the same time, the employer will get to know more of you beyond what you have written on your resume.

When you are given the cue that the interview is done, you may also ask questions because doing so actually demonstrates your eagerness in the role you’re applying for.

Also read the article: Job interview checklist

Here are some common interview questions and some tips on how to respond:

Tell me about yourself

You can provide a combination of personal and professional information about yourself that is aligned with the role you applied for, in order to show how you might be a strong candidate. As much as possible, try to share new information but make it strong and concise to gain the attention and interest of the interviewer.

Why do you want to work for the company?

Show your sincerity and your commitment to perform once you’re hired. Think more about what you can do for the company rather than what the company can do for you. This idea should help you provide a good answer to this question.

What motivates you?

Think of example scenarios when you know you know you have achieved something important to you and the things you did to overcome the obstacles you faced. Providing some concrete scenarios will show the interviewer how you were motivated to succeed. Another variation of this question is "What are you passionate about?"

Achieve Your Education Goals!

 
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Whatever your dreams and aspirations are, believe that you can pursue them! Do not wait for the right time because RIGHT NOW is the perfect time to take action.

When you set higher goals, you will:

Develop the courage to break out of your comfort zone.

When you build your self-confidence and self-esteem, you will not be afraid to make big plans in life. You will also be more willing to face challenges and take calculated risks in order to reach your goals without compromising the quality of your work and also making sure you are accountable for your actions.

Always strive to enhance your performance so you give 110% effort in everything you do while maintaining your focus and efforts in the right direction. Higher goals motivate You to always do your best and people around you get inspired to do the same. You become more creative, develop problem-solving techniques and are more inspired to improvise and innovate. 

Become more driven to create new benchmarks. 

Benchmarking is a tool that organisations use in order to measure the performance of their products and services to other organisations in the same industry. While this process is frequently used in a variety of professional settings, this can be applied in our daily personal lives as well. We might not notice it but there are times that we compare ourselves to others. This is simply a way for us to evaluate ourselves and see how we are tracking compared to our peers. It’s common practice, after all, competition exists everywhere we go! It’s certainly intrinsic human nature to desire to perform better and become the top person in our field of work.

Achieve Your Education Goals!

 
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Go the extra mile

When you try to give 110% effort in everything you do, you can definitely go further, and perhaps even go beyond the previous benchmarks that you have set. Always deliver more than expected. Constantly push the boundaries. There are no limits to what you can accomplish!

Uncover your potential using self-affirmation

When you work towards your goals, sometimes self-doubt and the fear of failure can get in the way and you feel discouraged as a result of the prolonged negative thinking. Escape this pattern and start using self-affirmations to gain the confidence you need to succeed. There are already so much negativity around us so we need to balance everything out and use affirmations as our mental vitamins to improve our mindset.

Practice is everything

The more you do something, the better you get at doing it. Practicing effectively is the only way to excel so if you want to develop important skills, you need to have the patience to practice.

When at first you don’t succeed, don’t give up easily! Quitting will not solve anything. You may not be able to beat the odds on your first try but you need to let your challenges shape you, don’t let them bring you down. They are building blocks of life that gives you the opportunity to grow and flourish.

The mind is powerful. When you establish and continue to develop the right belief system, you will find yourself winning victory after victory while overcoming your weaknesses at the same time. Learn how to face and conquer your fears. Don’t tread lightly. Always keep the momentum up!

The road that leads to success may be long and winding, but it doesn’t really matter how you travel; as long as you have the right mindset, your personal journey will be a more meaningful and enjoyable experience. 

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Do you feel that what you are right now is a genuine reflection of the real you?

Learn more about yourself by doing regular daily reflections. Give yourself the opportunity to grow and develop by constantly allowing your mind to explore the positive side of things by means of introspection. There is simply no better way to discover who you really are. Always listen to your inner voice. Don’t let your attention be drawn to what other people say. You don’t need to change because of what society is dictating you. You don’t need to conform to any stereotype.

Also Read: Discover your true calling

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The future is uncertain. You can never predict what will happen and you can never totally avoid unpleasant circumstances but it’s best practice to always be ready for whatever comes your way. Preparation can save you a lot of time and headache and you will feel confident that you can rise above all the possible struggles and trials that you will face.

Lord Baden-Powell, a soldier, educator, and prolific writer established the modern Scouting movement which is a service-minded and values-based program that prepares young people for life. We don’t have to become scouts to be ready for anything, but we can apply the same philosophy in life - Let’s properly equip ourselves to react quickly to an emergency and whatever challenges await us.

There are so many ways to prepare for anything that’s likely to come in daily life such as economic downturns, layoffs or terminations, financial hardships, relationship problems, sickness, natural disasters, power outages, medical emergencies, accidents or loss of a loved one. While no one can be completely prepared for these things, we can still start to get our affairs in order. We can start thinking about Plan A to Z, and learn how to manage risks as best we could.

No matter how much we plan or prepare for something, we may encounter many things that we cannot control. When this happens, sometimes it’s best to just face the fact and accept that there is nothing we can do about it, so we have to move on and think of different ways to approach the situation. We can even try to improvise and innovate.

Planning and preparation are absolutely essential but it’s also something that’s usually neglected.   We don’t know when disaster will strike. It takes a lot of self-discipline to prepare for contingency but it definitely pays off! 

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Competition exists at home, in the local community, in school, in the workplace, in sports - it’s everywhere we go! It’s certainly intrinsic human nature to desire to perform well, to excel, to make something out of themselves, to gain an upper hand and achieve the extraordinary. This is actually a good thing because without competition, life would be stagnant and there will be no progress.

The right kind of competitiveness is an important soft skill that one has to learn in order to stay ahead in any industry in the modern world. Healthy and constructive competition is great for holistic personal development. It motivates people to accomplish more, push beyond their limits, be inspired to improvise and innovate and constantly improve the quality of their work.

While competition has a lot of benefits, it may also come with disadvantages when it’s done the wrong way. Focusing on high performance is valuable but when taken to extremes, it somehow tends to drive over-competitiveness that creates a tense atmosphere and disrupts culture development. There’s a fine line between healthy and toxic competition and when that line is crossed, it could lead to tremendous negative impact at various levels. 

When some people lose a game and are unhappy, angry or upset with the result, they tend to walk away or become aggressive. It can be hard to accept defeat but achieving victory is not the only thing that matters. There are some competition rules and etiquette that should be followed for everyone to have the best possible experience. We should show respect to our opponent. A simple gesture such as a smile, a pat on the back or a handshake will speak volumes about our character. Good sportsmanship should always be practiced.

Competitions should be fair, friendly and fun. It should not be all about winning, it’s the taking part that counts. It doesn't really matter if you win or lose, what matters most is how you play the game!

You might also like: Team building ideas that you can do to build strong team rapport.

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No matter how many times you hear this phrase, it never gets old!

It may sound very simple but it’s actually a very powerful affirmation that can improve our mindset for any given situation. Our beliefs become our thoughts, and if we constantly think positive thoughts, it becomes more real and can eventually manifest into positive action.

Focus on hope and have the confidence that you can overcome any obstacle in your path. Always do your best and have faith that good things will come your way. Do not dwell in the past but learn from it and look ahead into the future.

Here are some words of wisdom that can help you leave the bad vibes behind and develop a more optimistic outlook in life. 

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Everyone’s ultimate dream is to find a job that relates to their passion and make this passion translate into their skillset. It has always been a hot topic especially among new graduates who are trying to get a foot in the door, but is it really possible for passion and career to align?

To establish your journey to career success, you need to have the right amount of passion and then let it develop as you go along. Envision the kind of life that you want to achieve. If you don’t know what it is yet, try your best to discern it. Sometimes the answer is not always obvious but when you dig deeper, you will uncover it one day. Click here to read more about discovering your true calling.

Research shows that about 6 out of 10 employees are disengaged and disgruntled in the workplace, thus affecting their productivity and quality of work. One of the main reasons why this is happening is because they are not able to do what they’ve always wanted to do in life, thus, they feel bored, dread Mondays, and get the feeling that they’re “stuck in a rut”.

We have to start closing the gap between passion and work! The workplace is where we spend the most time on a daily basis so it has to be a conducive environment where we can enjoy doing what we do best. We need to develop not only a mindset focused on growth, but also on values formation. These values will then shape our mind, improve our behaviour and serve as an excellent guide in the way our thoughts, words, and actions are formed.

The path to achieving the ideal career is never simple and was never meant to be simple. But the best part is that whatever path you choose, the effort and hard work that you put into building a career will all be worth it because the hard-earned fruits of your labour will outweigh the difficulties and challenges you experience.

If you still haven’t realised what you’re cut out to do, perhaps you need to begin creating ideas wherever you’re planted and run with whatever tools you have at the moment. You don’t have to go anywhere; you can start where you are right now! It’s about time to align your work and passion. Financial security is important but you will feel a million times better if you get to do what makes you happy every day. Steve Jobs once said “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me… Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.”
 

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Everyone is individual and Individuality is the sum of characteristics and qualities that make a person stand out from the rest; something that makes one unique.

A lot of well-known successful people have found their niche because they were not afraid to be different from the rest. They embrace change and they continuously work hard to improve themselves to pursue their own endeavours. They are leaders, problem-solvers and influencers. They are not are not afraid to step up and accept accountability and responsibility. You can also follow their example by building your self-esteem and by fostering individuality.

Celebrate your difference! Become a good individual to contribute something good to the society.

Try to escape the sea of sameness, don’t be easily influenced by others and don’t change who you are in order to fit in. When you develop a strong sense of individuality, you will not be easily swayed by the opinions of others. Fight your fears that may cause uncertainty and doubts. Developing your individuality will give you the courage to chase your dreams and to also have the ability to improvise and innovate so you can reach greater heights.

Individuality is exactly what society needs these days. When you exercise your freedom to express yourself and when you do what you do best, happiness ensues. Never stop tapping your abilities and talents. Have the boldness to share your unique perspective and let it resonate with others around you. Be comfortable in your own skin and believe in your sense of individuality!

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It seems like pure acts of altruism are rarely seen these days, as it’s very often perceived that when a person does something for you, eventually you will be expected to return the favour at some point in the future. But before we totally lose faith in humanity, we have to start believing that there is still a possibility for us to be truly immersed into the realm of selflessness.

We can make a difference right now where we stand. Having a strong will and desire is very important and have faith in your plans too. It doesn’t have to be so complicated. You can actually create or look for opportunities to show random acts of kindness and the best place to start is within your community.

Culture is the cement that binds our community. Without it, there will be no value creation, no beliefs, and no identity. We must help find the key to unlock the power of culture.

Promote mutual understanding and respect.

This is one way to develop a strong sense of solidarity. Building a culture is one thing, maintaining real, sincere relationships that foster understanding and respect is another. It’s important for us to accept other people’s opinions, beliefs, values and perspective.

Initiate a cycle that keeps on giving.

Support a cause or think of starting a project that community members can benefit from. You can get involved with a community garden and help grow fresh organic produce. Put up bulletin boards and distribute newsletters that include useful information or recipes!

Doing this will enable us to connect to the world on a much deeper level. Instead of asking what you can benefit from something or someone, start thinking of how you can contribute and help out to make a difference in a big or small way. Whatever you do counts!

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Whatever stage you are in life at the moment, it’s always best to keep in mind that what you do today will eventually shape your future. Create solid plans to ensure your viability and career sustainability. Focus on exponential growth while being realistic at the same time. The future is never certain but be excited about the possibilities!

Start by asking these questions:

• What are my dreams, interests and goals?
• What do I ultimately want to achieve in life?
• What are my priorities?
• How do I start?

Be inspired and learn from the wise words of those who have experience:

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Your resume is one of the most important parts of a job application. Whether you are looking for your first job or planning to make a career change, you need to learn how to write a resume that will help you get noticed and boost your chances of landing interviews.

Here are some easy-to-follow steps on how to get the resume format and layout right and what content to include:

•  Start by choosing a resume type:
  
  
• Chronological format - this is the simplest type that’s why it’s the most widely used resume format. Your professional work experience comes first before your skills and educational background.
  
  

• Functional format - this is also known as a skills-based resume format. You get to showcase your skills that you believe are most relevant to the role that you are applying for.
  
  

• Combination format - this format features both skills and qualifications then professional work experience comes next.
  
  

• Targeted format - you also get the option to highlight the role that you are interested in and the reason(s) why you are a good fit.
  
  

•  A good resume layout should have
  
  

• Maximum of 3 pages
  
  

• Section headings that divide each part of the resume
  
  

• Plenty of white space so that it would be easy to read and the hiring manager or employer can have some space to write on.
  
  

• The right font and size
  
  

• Proofread your resume! Read it a few times before sending your application. This can save you from potentially embarrassing mistakes in the future.
  
  

Click here for some tips to help you out before, during and after a job interview.

Boost Your Career Today!

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