Success can be defined in many different ways. Whether you are looking for financial success or are looking for information on how to improve the overall quality of your life, read on. In this article we’ll discuss several elements that play an important role in how to be successful in life including goal setting, living according to your values and cherishing each day. By the end of the article you will have new ideas you can implement to change your life.

Have Goals and Work Toward Them

The best thing you can do to be successful in life is to brainstorm your goals – all of your goals. Make a list on a piece of paper of the different categories you see in your life. Some examples might include Career, Family, Spiritual, Health, and Personal. For each category, brainstorm all of the goals that you would like to accomplish. Take your time with this – it should take a minimum of a half hour per category and it is a good idea to spread this process out over the course of a week or more.

Once you have your list, wait a day or two and review it. Which of these goals are truly important to you and would illustrate a successful life? A good way to test this is think about yourself at the end of your life. Will you be upset if you did not accomplish that goal? If so, then it is an important goal for you. Put a star next to all of the goals that are the most important. For each starred goal decide whether it is a 1 year, 5 year, or 10+ year goal and write 1, 5 or 10 next to the star.

The next step, while it sounds simple, is actually the hardest part of goal setting, and that is to work toward your 1 year goals every day. Each day do one thing toward each of your goals. They can be small things, tiny things even, but you need to do one thing each day. Every week do 1 thing on each of your 5 year goals, and each month do something to move forward with your 10 year goals.

Live According to Your Values

There is no better feeling than knowing that you have integrity. Living according to your values, no matter what they are, will bring self-confidence and inner serenity. If your values include virtues like honesty, productiveness and independence, and you make a point of practicing these virtues every day, you will find you are successful in life. In addition to having a sense of personal accomplishment about the way you live your life, yoou will develop a reputation as someone who is honest and productive. Success is likely to follow.

Find Something Special in Each Day

Daily life can be hectic and stressful and it is easy to go through an entire day without taking a moment to appreciate it. Find something in every day that is memorable or unique. What is it about today that is special? 10 minutes reading to your child or a loving, heartfelt exchange with your spouse is all it takes to turn an ordinary day into a wonderful one.

Conclusion

If you want to know how to be successful in life, hopefully you’ve found the information in this article to be helpful. Keep in mind the best way to find success is to set goals and then work toward them. Living according to your beliefs is another good way to ensure a personal sense of pride and accomplishment. Lastly, finding something good and unique in each day will add up to a life of cherished days, and what can be more successful than that?

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To make money savings you need something more than to spend less money. How much to save? Where to place them? How can you be sure that it will remain there «spared»? The first step is to set realistic goals, to keep control of costs and to «pay yourself» first of all.

1. Define your objective

For short-term objectives setting goals can be simple. If you just want to buy a game, all you have to do is find out how much it costs. If you wish to buy a house, calculate the amount of the advance you should provide. For longer-term goals such as retirement, you should do more planning (estimate how much money you will need to live comfortably after retirement and estimate how your investments will help you achieve your goals).

- «Kill» your debt first. Calculating how much you spend each month on your debts shows that eradication is the fastest way to «free» money. Once the money is «released» of the debt can be easily reused for savings.

2. Set a timetable

For example, «I want to be able to buy a house in three years from now». Set a date for the attainment of short-term objectives and ensure that the goal is attainable within that time. If it is not possible then you will simply be discouraged.

3. Determine the amount of savings

Calculate how much savings would be per week, per month, or per salary for achieving each of your goals. For everything you want to buy calculate how much you have to save to get through the schedule you set. For most purposes it is better to save the same amount each period. For example, if you want to give a 20,000 dollars deposit on a house in 36 months you should saved 550 dollars each month. But if your salary amounts to 1,000 dollars monthly, then your goal does not seem realistic. What you should do is to change the schedule to come up with a more feasible scenario.

4. Keep records of your expenses

The amount of money you can save is the difference between two activities: the amount of your income and the amount of your spending. Since you have more control on the amount you spend, it is wise to look critically at your expenses. Write for two weeks or a month where you spend your money. Be as detailed as possible in your «inventory», including small purchases. Then try to categorize the type of expenses. For example: rent, car insurance, car expenses, phone bills, petrol, food, entertainment, etc.

5. Cut your expenses

Look out your spending the last two months. It is very likely to be surprised when you look at costs: 100 dollars to ice cream, 150 dollars in parking tickets, etc. Probably you will find some expenses that you can cut. Depending on the amount you need to save, you may need to take some difficult decisions. Set your priorities and make the cuts that would have less impact on your well being. Calculate how much you win every year from these cuts, so you will have more incentives to perform them. For example you can move to a less expensive apartment, you can refinance your mortgage, you can save money by using natural gas, to reduce the movements with your car, limiting the use of mobile phones, home cooking e.t.c

6. Stop using the credit card!

Pay your purchases with cash, not checks or credit cards. It is easier to make more expenses when making your purchases with plastic money because they you do not know at any moment how much money you have in your pocket. With cash, instead, you can monitor the «supply» you exhausted.

7. Pay yourself first

Savings should be your priority, so do not tell yourself that savings will be what is left at the end of the month. You must deposit in your savings account once you get your salary. For example you can set an automatic money transfer from your payroll account to your savings account.

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In the era of globalization, economic and social crisis, a new «sport» is claiming a position in life and with it what is called Life Coach. There is a saying that “The Players won’t play if Coaches don’t Coach”. This also applies to your personal life as well. A life coach can be your personal coach that can train you how to live your life to the maximum potential. In our daily life we are judged constantly for our performance in our professional and family environment. We are constantly seeking personal success and satisfaction but sometimes things are not so simple as they seem.

People have unlimited powers to do what they wish to do, to do what they want to do and to succeed in what they wish to succeed.

What is a life coach?

Sometimes however it is not enough to do a few hours of yoga per week read a book about self-improvement or visit the psychologist. Sometimes you need all together and more. You need a Life Coach for example, who undertakes to assist you when everything in your life change and you need to be ready to change your life and claim a new way to live.

To seek help when you are confused or when you feel that something is wrong, is not a confession of failure, but a positive attitude towards life, which can lead to substantive change, resulting in better performance.

Nowadays, stress is dominating our life and the conditions in order for someone to be happy, safe and creative are increasing, a Life Coach can help you manage stress, gain self-control, improve self-confidence and acquire life balance and completeness.

A life coach can help you become creative and can assist you maximize your personal development and professional skills. It can help you clarify your goals and be able to succeed at all levels, professionally and personally.

A life coach works with a series of methods and a variety of techniques that can be applied to your current situation and help you practice your feelings, thoughts and behaviour in order to improve your self esteem, self control and skills for a happier and more complete lifestyle. A life coach can teach you how to be successful in life. What is important is that it can help you evolve as you want and how find happiness in your life.

The life coach is becoming quickly one of the most important tools used by successful people who live an exciting life.

Life coaching is useful to people of all professions and social background who are willing and want to go forward with the issues that affect them, to improve their relationships with themselves and others, to manage strong emotions, to handle daily or critical situations, to make use the maximum of their capacity and to adapt to a change in their life.

What can a life coach do for you?

Through weekly sessions, a life coach can help its clients identify what is most important to them and align their thoughts, words and acts accordingly.

A life coach can work with you to determine what you want on a personal and professional level, and to a support you make a life that you want and love.

The commitment to move forward in your life through coaching offers a means for more balance, joy, intimacy, energy, economic prosperity, concentration and action in every area of your life.

A life coach can help you:

Set the life goals that you really want
Do more and achieve more in your life
Focus better in order to have better results quickly
Supply you the tools, support and structure on how to be successful in your life

How is a life coach different from therapy or advice?

Life coaching is not therapy, which goes into depth on various topics that are usually to do with the past, nor is it advice, which usually results in giving the client answers.

Life coaching is more action oriented and focuses primarily on the present and future. A life coach will give you the opportunity to define your own “answers” through the work to be done in the life coaching programs.

Who works with a life coach?

Entrepreneurs, business owners, professionals and people who are in the process of changing their life are some of those who usually work with a life coach. Regardless of the effort of their profession or position in life, all potential customers of a life coach have one common feature: they are all successful, resourceful and intelligent people who want to get even more from their lives. The life coaching is like having a personal trainer for your life!

The advantages of working with a life coach

Life coaching has been shown to function effectively if two factors are present:

1. The customer is willing to learn, to mature and act
2. There is a gap between where the customer is now and what he/she wants to achieve in life

A life coach can help you act better and more effectively

The primary goal of a life coach is to help you find what you want for yourself. Once you have set your goals, which should be clearly aligned with your personal values and professional vision, you would be more likely to act naturally and consistently to achieve them.

A life coach can help you live a balanced life

Professional success is maximized when you enjoy a sense of personal fulfilment and life balance. You can learn how to balance your selfishness in a way to be responsible, and how to find enough time so your life outside of work is exactly that you want to be.

A life coach can help you take better decisions

Sharing your ideas with a life coach will help you focus and concentrate better. The life coach will give you advice and guide you through various techniques on how to make better decisions, which will be for your own benefit. Also by talking to someone who really listens to you, is by itself sufficient to clarify many things.

A life coach can assist you to get more from your life

When you have a partner that you can trust this can help you go much higher because you can endure it. Are you ready to go to the next level and live your life to the maximum? A life coach is a partner that allows you to drive your life where you want to go.

A life coach can also advice you how to make and have more money

Most people deserve much more money than they make. Are you satisfied with your financial situation, if not, you can look with your life coach at your beliefs about money and find out what keeps you away from economic prosperity.

A life coach can help you find more energy

You can recognize with your life coach the things that drain your energy and create a long-term strategy to eliminate them. In addition, you will focus on things that fill you with power and you will explore how to maximize their influence. When you are happy, productive and free from the things that create you problems, life is much more beautiful!

How to get the most from your life coach

Focused on what you really want

Life coaching can help you clear your objectives based on your real skills. First, you need to seriously think about how you want to change your life. Then, acknowledge the gaps between how things are now and how would you like them to be. Many people are struggling with this, so if you are not sure about what you really want, life coaching is an excellent tool that can give you greater clarity.

Be flexible

Working with a sensitive and understanding life coach is a healthy way to grow. Most people hire a life coach to work on specific goals and most of the time the focus is on this mission. In practice however, many people discover new aspects about them, and understand that they can regulate their targets to be more aligned with what they are. This discovery process is natural and need not focus on it, just realize that it is very likely to happen.

What a life coach will demand from you?

A life coach will demand a lot from you. You will be asked to experiment with new approaches and to try new ideas. You will have to say the whole truth, and be ready to set higher goals for your life.

You will have to be prepared before each session and you may have to perform some ‘home work’ exercises that will have to do with your commitments and objectives.

The answer to the question: What is a life coach? Is then simple. Life coach is a trainer for life. It is a person that can help you change your life and explore your potential both in your personal and professional environment. Rapid personal and professional development is the registered trademark of life coaching.

image source: bionicteaching

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Do you feel that your professional life is stuck and you feel that you need to change your career and seek a new direction? There are some thoughts that create brave decisions that are able to change your life. The career change may be one of those decisions. But is it realistic to talk about career change in the midst of economic recession? Yet in this very moment is urgent more than ever before to do careful planning of your career. So take your job in your hands and not wait for external factors (such as a dismissal) to ” force you” to make a change in your career.

You want something better or you know that you have more capabilities, but you do not know what. You know that you are ready to deal with what is important to you and what is making you to feel better and give you more rewards. It is time to evaluate and see your true potential.

Create your own action plan for a career change

Maybe you have some ideas for the career you want to follow, but you have not defined it enough in order to take appropriate action.

The desired direction can mean a complete career change, a major upgrade in your career or even the decision to start your own business. These are all relatively large steps that you must consider and determine with yourself. To do this step successfully you need to develop strategies and a comprehensive action plan. Then you will know what to target and easily determine the next steps to take.

The right strategies will give you permanent results and the changes you want. You do not want to discover in a few months or years that you are still in the same place you are now. The strategies will guide your actions and help you clarify your priorities, rather than scattered acts and loose your valuable time, causing confusion and irritation.

To develop an action plan and define the new direction you need to think and refine the following areas. The goal is to find the perfect job that suits you because you are a unique person.

The vision, your mission, and your purpose: How do you imagine your life, yourself, your job, and your relationships in 5 years from now?

Your personal values: What gives you motivation and what is most important to you? E.g. want to help society and others? Want power? Want creativity, diversity, independence, recognition, good pay, and security?

Your strong points, your talents and your skills: What personality you have, e.g. you are honest and enthusiastic and what skills you have that is useful in many areas of work.

What opportunities and sources or resources you have and what do you need? What should you do to get what you are missing? For example get more education, do a market research, network with the appropriate people.

The ideal life, career or business: What level of responsibility you want to take? You Want to Lead? Want to get this job full time or part-time? Do you want to be close to your home or in public transport? Do you want to live in the mountains? Do you prefer large organizations or small businesses?

What do you like and what you are doing well? Passions, interests, what inspires you, what you like and what not. E.g. are you good with computers? You like to repair machinery or furniture? You like taking photos? Are you good at math? Do you like helping others to solve their problems? Do you cook well?

Do you like to make co-operation with people in your work? Do you prefer the creative people? Do you prefer friendly people, or people that keep the relationship professional standard? Want a boss who communicates with you regularly or someone who gives you independence?

Look first what your really want, if it is very likely that you should settle to some extent, to get as close as possible to what career you choose will give you satisfaction and success in the coming years.

20 steps for a successful career change

1. Start with a “career check up”! What have you accomplished so far? What motivates you and makes you passionate in your work? What are the aims and ambitions for your future? Do you use your skills and your talents to the fullest extent? Do you feel satisfaction and commitment? What is important to you? What are your values?

2. Make a «market research» for a new career. From the moment you discover what is your dream job, explore possible job openings. Speak to a career specialist (career consultant, executive coach or head hunter). Send your resume to companies that interest you. Even if there are no vacancies at the time, your resume will be entered into the database and the company is likely to invite you in the future, when there is an available position.

3. Do analysis of your skills and talents. What are your strong points and what areas you need to improve? Which of these abilities and work skills ensure that you have competitive advantage in the labour market? What skills you can easily use at another position, if for example, you are good in communication and interpersonal relationship management, you can effectively use these skills in all positions that require contact with customers.

4. Find a mentor. Surveys show that internationally there is a significant correlation between mentoring practices in the workplace and career development, especially for women.

5. Estimate how much satisfaction you get from your current job. Keep a diary of your daily reactions to the issues arising in your job and search for repetitive items. What aspects of your current job you like and what you cannot stand? Your negative feelings are associated with the content of your work, the culture in your company or the people with whom you work together?

6. Assess your interests, values and skills through various sources of self-esteem, like the exercises in “What Color Is Your Parachute?” by Richard N Bolles, a book for those who want to change careers. Remember the successes you had in your work, what projects have you completed more easily and what business activities you prefer. Your goal is to identify in what you are really interested and what are your most valuable skills.

7. Exchange ideas for alternative careers discussing your core values and skills with your friends, family and colleagues you trust, and create a network that will advise and help you to easily find new jobs that suit your needs.

8. Do research and comparative assessment of the various areas of interest in order to identify targets that would require deeper investigation. Your goal is to find out what areas, which companies and which persons you should go after.

9. Read more about what you are interested in, find research and statistics and make as many personal contacts you can.

10. Be the shadow of one or two people working in the field that you are interested. Spent hours or days to see how they work and learn (7 ways you can learn from other people and change your career and life), so you will not be like fish on land in case you change career and profession.

11. Try to work as a volunteer or as a freelancer at the beginning. So you will see how good you will do and learn the job without substantial and psychological costs.

12. Search for learning opportunities, which would link your past with your new professional area. Many private schools and colleges offer courses for professionals.

13. Search for ways to develop new skills in your current job, which you could open the way for a change. If your company can provide training in some new technology or expertise, express your interest.

14. Think about alternative roles in your current job, which could take advantage of your knowledge. For example, if you are a store manager in a large retail company and tired from the long hours and weekends that you have to work, think of the transcription in a company as a wholesale representative in retail.

15. Get in touch with people who can help you change your career. An important step to change career has to do with finding people who can help you get the job you want. If you think about it then you would certainly find out that there is someone you know, an old friend or associate who has a relationship with your dream job.

16. Get in touch with this person and ask a recommendation letter that will confirm that you are fit for this position. Even better, ask the person to talk about you to the employer and support you in your job application. But beware; this should not reach the limits of exaggeration. This is not about a favour, but for a good-honest-talk about your character and your skills.

17. Get a little background / work experience. Even if you do not have any experience in the job you are searching, it is never too late. You can get some work experience by just finding a relevant job (even unpaid). You can take part in a large project that requires external partners or participate in a government project or volunteer programs for young people. You can find jobs for such programs through dedicated search engines available on the web (depending on the country and region you live).

In any case you need to find a job that will allow you to gain some knowledge, and experience you can talk about in an interview with your prospective employer.

18. Adjust your expectations. The most disappointing when someone is looking for a new job is that you have to adjust your aspirations for success. Even for Michael Jordan, one of the greatest athletes in the world, he had to come to terms with the fact that he was not the «Air Jordan» when he went to play baseball with the White Sox.

It is almost certain that you will move up the scale faster than in your previous work, but not without cost. You must prove that you deserve it to the clients, colleagues and your bosses. A great past does not guarantee a greater future.

19. Utilize your skills and experiences. Although you may switch to an entirely new career, the fact that many jobs require the same skills remains. We do not live in the past where someone could not become a farmer a blacksmith and then a sailor.

Most jobs, regardless of the company, they require some basic skills such as sales, communication and proper time management. If you succeed in these areas then it is almost certain that you can succeed in almost all types of work. And you must constantly prove that you can manage it, utilizing the experience gained in your previous work.

20. Believe in yourself. Put on your best smile, boost your confidence and go after your dream! If you do not do it, nobody is going to do it for you.

In conclusion, it is three steps you must follow for a successful career change. The first is to acquire good recommendations that will open the door. The second is the enhancement of skills and experience from your previous work in your new. And the third is just beyond you. To grab the opportunities that will appear in front of you and give your best self. Do not hesitate. You can really do it.

image source: mikecolvin82

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Inspiring life quotes can change your life. The inspiring life quotes can give you power, inspiration, motivation and strength to take the big step in your life. Inspiring life quotes were shared by people who managed to achieve something remarkable in their life and who have reached a point that their sayings can influence other people. The society is a live body. We are dependent on it, but it depends on us. Inspiring life quotes have the power to influence you and society. Also, inspiring life quotes can help improve our lives, if we think differently and look at problems from a different perspective.

This article presents a selection of 50 inspiring life quotes both from famous and anonymous people.

1. I say thank you to everyone who told me NO. This is why I managed to reach where I am (AL. AISTAIN)

2. What most people really want is someone to listen, to respect and understand them. When they realize that you understand them, they are motivated to understand your viewpoint.

3. In Kyudo (Japanese archery) you do not aim to find the target. You must find the right attitude, the right steps. The arrow goes to the target itself.

4. The day will dawn, either you get up or not. (John Gardi)

5. Act as if everything depends on you. While you do it and when you finish, to pray because everything depends on God.

6. The battles are won by people who know how to withstand.

7. The neighbour’s cow makes more milk from our own.

8. The harmony builds houses and the precipitate destroys them.

9. Hands who work never cadge.

10. Those who have faith they will be given more. (Bible)

11. To be successful in life you need to have the dream of the director, not the crank of the actor.

12. The work does not need trouble, but way

13. You can recognize an artist from this job.

14. You will never know how many believe that you will succeed. It is important that you believe it your self.

15. We do not appreciate enough what we obtain very easily.

16. We are working to achieve not to acquire. (ELBERT HYBBARD)

17. My only desire is freedom so that I can deal with what I like.

18. You should save your time and spend it where you must spend it, because otherwise less time will be available to be spend where it should be spend. (PERIANDROS)

19. Do you Love life? Then do not spent time, because this is from where life is made.

20. Life is more quality than quantity.

21. Courage is resistance to fear, domination over the fear, not absence of fear.

22. One step is enough to change your life.

23. Take risks! All life is a risk. Those who succeed in life are those who are willing to dare. The boat that goes for sure never goes far away from the coast.

24. The best results are often accompanied by equally large risks.

25. Life is too short to be miserable.

26. Some of us look like trolleys. We are useful only when we are pushed and we are easily reversed. (JACK Harvey)

27. The most underdeveloped region in the world is the soul of man.

28. The man who can control himself can control others.

29. The man who always looks back never goes forward.

30. We can more be useful to society by correcting our own mistakes, rather than trying to correct the mistakes of others.

31. In your personal relations you should consider other people to be wise as Socrates and strong as Hercules.

32. There are two types of communications: one with words that is expensive, especially if you make it over the phone, and one with no words that worth’s a fortune.

33. The good thing is contagious as evil.

34. The wound created by the language is much more profound than that caused by the knife. Because the knife injures the body, while the language injures the soul. (PYTHAGORAS)

35. You live only once, but if you manage your life right, once is sufficient. (Joe LOUIS)

36. When you give yourself the permission to lose, you are lead to a certain defeat.

37. The minds and parachutes work best when open.

38. People do not react to the idea of change, but in their own change from someone else.

39. True happiness is when you try the best for yourself.

40. I do not want to become better than anyone. I want every day to be better than yesterday.

41. The more you offer, the more you get back. (GOUAIIN NTYER)

42. There is a huge lie – that we have limits. The only limits we have are those who believe. (GOUAIIN NTYER)

43. Money – like health, love, happiness and all the other things you want for your self – is the result of a life with purpose. It is not an end in itself. (GOUAIIN NTYER)

44. Your personality is not given by your culture or your family. It is created by your. (GOUAIIN NTYER)

45. Do not ask for anything and you will get a lot! (GOUAIIN NTYER)

46. The destiny of man is his character. (HRAKLEITOS)

47. The most enjoyable thing in life is to do a good deed in secret, and someone to discover it by accident. (TSARLS Pubs)

48. People who do not help other people, it is impossible to feel happy. (ARISTOTLE)

49. Making a mistake is not the end of the world. Allow yourself to do it.

50. Experience is the name that everyone gives to his mistakes. (OSCAR WILDE)

The above 50 inspiring life quotes can help you see life with a different perspective and make you think how you want to approach your own life.

image source: nattu

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People perceive success in life in different ways. How to change your life and be successful depends on what you perceive as success in life. For some success is to gain financial comfort and security or to reach high in their careers. For others, success is to be able to positively influence others whether they are fellow students, clients, partners or relatives. To change your life and be successful you need first to understand your self better, get to know very well your strengths and weakness and then set your clear and precise success goals.

In some cases people are considered successful because they have acquired such a level of experience and expertise so as to be recognized, valued and respected by their colleagues and other people. Regardless of what everyone believes about success, there are some features that are common to all successful people. How to be successful in life depends on your willingness to learn from your mistakes and build on your strengths. How to change your life depends on your patient and persistence to fulfill your goals.

Successful people have the following characteristics:

Successful people have confidence without being arrogant. This stems from their self-knowledge. They know their strong characteristics and their weaknesses. They know very well their goals and their potential and remain faithful to their values. They know when to change their life and how to do it.

They are willing to improve continuously, pushing their boundaries higher, learning and acquiring new experiences continuously.

They are willing to think, analyze and learn from their experiences

Wisdom is a characteristic of successful people gained by analyzing their experiences, the wise reasoning and lessons learned. In ancient cultures, the wise were those who had rich life experiences from which they derive knowledge and learning, thus were able to provide other people with helpful thoughts and advice.

Nowadays, professionals can gain valuable lessons learned from the experience of daily living, thus increasing their stock of wisdom. They can also learn from other people and get valuable knowledge of how they can change their career and life. They can also use this knowledge to help other people in their career and life.

As we have seen, the self-knowledge and self-critic is essential and necessary condition for the path to success. In developing your character, in order to improve your skills you need to know first of all, yourself better.

How can you change your life by knowing your self better?

You need to make sure that you know what other people think about you

You must be interested to learn how you look, how others perceive you and how others judge you. It is important to know if others can understand you correctly or not. This is important if you want to succeed if you are directing other people or working with colleagues.

Without having enough information on how others see you and what is their perception about you, you will not be able to customize the behaviour, your methods so that you achieve better results. You should take initiatives in an intelligent way so as to know what other people think about you at home, at work, at school.

Be open to the views of others and not get defensive. Always trying to get a better understanding of others than the opposite.

Think of your performance

It is true that some successful people are very social and outward. But others are more introspective and cautious. But they all know how to keep time for their selves, to think and analyze their recent behaviour and performance. To change your life, improve and become successful you need to continuously analyse your performance and behaviour and identify the areas you performance was good and bad.

Each day take and devote some time to think and analyze the work you have done as well as your interactions with other people

When you complete a large part of your work is very important to consider and analyze the quality of the work you have done and evaluate the effectiveness of your cooperation with others. The key to analysis and evaluation of your performance is to have a balanced judgment. The balanced, prudent self-criticism is necessary. You must understand what you could do better and learn from your mistakes.

But you also need to identify to yourself your successes. When there are successes, you have to enjoy them, to celebrate them and be proud of what you did well and what you have achieved. The road to change your life is a long one with both failures and success. You need to analyse your failures and learn from your mistakes but also celebrate your successes.

Get to know your strengths and weakness

Looking into your experiences, analyzing what happened and how you handle situations, you will be able to identify the strengths and weak points of your life. Realize that all people have both strengths and weaknesses.

Successful people build success based on their strong points while limiting the negative effects of their weaknesses.

The reason why you should identify your strengths and weak points is not to improve your weaknesses, it is much more to know your strengths and build on these.

Just think that you will need much more time and energy to upgrade your weaknesses from a very low point to reach mediocrity. In contrast with the same energy, effort and time you’re strong points can be upgraded from mediocrity to excellent. So do not waste your time and energy on your weaknesses but concentrate and invest on your strengths and abilities to reach outstanding levels of performance.

To know what gives you joy in your life and what you have passion for

Synchronize with yourself when involved in work. Certainly we all need to do tedious or unpleasant things. But most of your time during the day should be spend on things that make you feel happy and gives you the feeling that your efforts help lead to your goals.

Remember that people who stand out, enjoy what they do and do what they please

As mentioned many times, how to change your life and be successful is a long and tedious process requiring a lot of effort and hard work. It is not a process that can be completed overnight but by taking the correct steps you can gradually reach success in your life. In this article we outlined the importance of knowing your self better and the importance of building into your strengths to help you get one step closer to become successful in your life.

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Have you ever thought about the way you think? Did you ever consider to change your thoughts and change your life? Ever wonder how your thoughts affect the quality of your life, if not, perhaps now is the time to do it … perhaps the greatest spiritual authority ever discovered is: we become what we think we will become. Each person’s outside world is a reflection of what happens inside.

This is something that goes beyond the idea of positive thinking and behavior, it means that everything you are and everything you have is a result of your thoughts. This means that you can use this principle to your benefit. You can literally change your life if you can manage to change your thoughts.

The Power of thoughts in your life

The first step to change your life is to accept the tremendous power your thoughts have in your life. And this is because everything starts from a thought. It is the starting point of all your acts. Your thoughts can make you popular or hated, unsafe or safe. Everything starts as soon as you realize that this is actually what is happening.

The secret to make this happen is to change your thoughts in such a way that they will help you change your life. You can form your thoughts in a certain way that can help you feel confident and secure. You can build a mindset that will help you to learn quickly and grab the opportunities in life and in your career. If you do that there is literally nothing you cannot change and improve.

There are a lot of ways to change your thoughts and change you life. Each of these will brighten your life, if you choose to apply it. All require time and commitment to incorporate in your life and all guarantee results. Any idea can be used separately or together with another to help you. How far you will get depends if you are ready to change your thoughts and your life.

Are you ready to change your life?

Why do you think the majority of people cannot achieve much in their life? Is it always due to the circumstances? It is their fate? The truth is that most people fail because they do not take their life seriously. Probably you have heard many times that you only have one chance to live your life. But have you really thought about it? How often you do things that give you medium results while you know that you can do better.

One thing is a fact: All people have 24 hours a day and can do whatever they want with them. Nobody has more or less. However, what everyone chooses to do with his/her time can make a difference. If you choose to guide your daily actions to improve yourself and your life then you will create a better life for you. If instead you spent your time not doing actually anything, counting the hours until you finish work, hope to win the lottery, and then probably nothing will be able to change your life.

How seriously you take your life and your success is truly your responsibility. Every morning that the sun rises there are literally millions of other people to co-fight for all the great things that life offers. If you do not get your health, your job, your relationships and your personal development seriously, then very quickly you will fall behind those who do. This is neither fair nor unfair; it is simply the way the system works, it is your choice to be with the winners or losers of life.

The next time you feel that life does not give you what you need, see how seriously you handle your life. Do you give it 100%? Or 60%; only you knows the answer to this question but it is important to ask your self and think how you approach you own life. To change your life for the better you need to give it your maximum efforts.

To take your life more seriously does not mean that you will not be have a good time or fun. On the contrary the goal is to change your thoughts and change your life and become more relaxed and happy. To do that you need to examine your daily and weekly efforts. In life we do not always get what we want but what we deserve. The more you invest in yourself, your work, in your relationships, in your health and personal development, the more your life will return.

A great way to start to implement this idea is at the end of each week to ask yourself if you have done the best you could at all times (at work, in relationships, health and personal development). If the answer is negative then began thinking of ways that you can maximize your efforts next week. Repeat this exercise every week and very soon you will be rewarded by your life.

Change your thoughts about food

Food is the best source of energy in your life. Energy will give you the strength to change your life. The way we approach food is in our thoughts. You need to try and change the way you are facing food. How many people nowadays are not really very tired? Ask anyone how he or she feels and most probably they will respond, «tired». It seems that modern life makes everyone tired, and we have no idea why. While it is true that many of us work harder than before, it is important to realize the value of the food we eat.

Most of us are thinking about food when hungry, and then we eat whatever we want. A good idea to make better use of food is to change the way you see food. Stop thinking about how tasty it is and start to focus on how to supply fuel to your body.

Food is in essence concentrated raw energy in the most basic form. The more energy you have, the more you can experience in your life. Your goal should be to take the most from the food you eat. Instead of you thinking about food only when you are feeling hungry, consider it before you start your day. Ask yourself what activities you have to do and how much energy you need to help you do them. Then decide what fuel best suits your energy needs. Of course, the best natural sources of energy are derived from natural foods like fruit juices and vegetables. This is because they turn into energy faster than any other food. But you have to decide for yourself what kind of food suits your energy needs.

Change your thoughts about the way you handle your problems

Think about which is the best way to handle your problems. Is it better to worry about them? To complain and blame fate as the main cause for you’re problems and feel stressed for the rest of your life? Or to accept that there are difficulties in life and try to find the best ways to deal with them.

When facing a problem, big or small, look at it as a challenge. Each time life brings you in a difficult situation; you should face this situation directly and try with all your efforts to solve the problems. You should approach each problem in a positive way and see it as an opportunity to improve your skills and make you stronger. It’s your choice if you will see something like an opportunity to show your true colours or as a sign that you should just resign. Every time you feel like you are drowning it’s easier to give up and retreat. But the positive approach makes you feel better about the situation and gives you the strength to change your life.

Take control of you life

For most people to have freedom and be able to control their lives is very important. We all know how important is to have the ability to take decisions and the power to choose. What most of us forget is that to have freedom and control in your life this requires a high level of responsibility and self-sufficiency.

Often the best way to determine how «free» you are is to see how many responsibilities you can accept. Everyone is born completely dependent on others, usually our parents. As young children our life is pre-determined and guided. We do not need to find our food, clothing and shelter. We do not decide whether to go to school or not. Everything we do and everything we are is the result of what others do for us. When we grow up we begin to take more and more of these responsibilities on us. Some of us are eager and welcome this change in life. Others, however, tend to try to avoid what it means to be adult. Some ways to change your thoughts and change your life and be more responsible in your life are:

1) Remind yourself: The best way to maintain high levels of accountability in your life is to constantly remind yourself about it. You can say something simple like «this is my responsibility» or «I am responsible». By doing this you trigger a deeper part of your character and become more self-sufficient.

2) Admit your mistakes: One of the fatal flaws of most people is to try to hide their mistakes. They think that because they made a mistake this will cause problems. Most times they try to hide their mistakes by telling lies and blaming others. What they really achieve is to look foolish and unreliable. Making mistakes is the best opportunity to learn something new in your life.

You need to take a decision to face your mistakes and learn from them. Accepting an error automatically makes you more responsible. If there is a field in your life where you could take more responsibility then do it, and you will immediately feel more powerful and dominant in the situation. Change the way you approach mistakes in your life and this will be a very big step in changing your life.

Invest in your personal development

There is too much talk today about investments and success. In the area of the economy there is much debate about what is the best investment. While it is important to watch your money and plan how you will invest, there is another very major investment that you can do: The investment of time and effort on your spiritual development. The knowledge and skills that you can get in your life is your passport to success. People who have the most gains in life are those who spend time every day, every week, every month and every year investing in their personal development. Spend time reading, learning, gaining new skills and improve yourself from the inside out.

Improving yourself spiritually is like building your muscles to be in good form and healthy. If you are consistent in your efforts then the results will come soon. We may not win something in the short term, but in the long term the positive effects will be visible and valuable. Some ideas to improve your personal development skills are:

1) Consider your language. Learn to speak, read and write properly. Each week add a new word in your vocabulary. Words are tools and as many as you can have available, the more better you can communicate and think.

2) Look at your profession. After language, the best way to move forward is to study your profession. Take time to read as much as you can for your company, the type of work, and the general and future directions. Discover the «art» and tricks used by the best employees in your work.

3) Review your communication skills: your ability to get along with different types of people will significantly advance your success in your work. By devoting time to learn how to communicate, you do yourself more popular and more worthy to get what you want from life.

Change your thoughts about how you approach your relationships

It is a fact that to find happiness in life depends on your ability to get along with others. Whether we like it or not people make the world spinning, and your ability to relate, to communicate and contract will strengthen your position in life. Relationships are complicated, disruptive and often they are critical to our success. Perhaps the best way to get as many as you can from a relationship is to see it as a game. Doing so you will become a skilful player, rather than behaving awkwardly not knowing how to relate with others. There are several dynamic ways you can follow to improve your ability to get along with others.

Learn to listen more and talk less - Most people are incredibly poor listeners. Most of us just wait for the opportunity to talk. Try not to speak and try to listen what others have to say. By doing this you will find that more and more people are eager to speak. Listen to them and feel really interested in what they have to say.

Stop being competitive - Often in life we like to compete for everything. A race through the traffic to get to work, trying to defeat our partners for promotion and trying to push our company ahead of our competitors. Sometimes this competitive spirit can enter into the discussions and our relations with others (and impact them negatively), often without even understanding it.

Change your thoughts – Change your life

In modern life you have to make you choices based on what makes you feel good. What makes you feel good or not is in your thoughts. If you can manage to change your thoughts then you will be able to change your life. Start thinking about life in a positive way and appreciate the things that it has to offer. Set your own personal goals and change your thoughts to make these goals part of your life. Be patient, persistent and optimistic and the good results will not take long to come.

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Have you ever wonder: Why some people are successful in life? What makes a person successful? Why do some people stand back on their feet quickly – even after really difficult situations, while others are falling with the slightest difficulties? Ultimately, what are those characteristics that successful people have and are able to cope in the demanding modern life, with the many obligations and problems? How can some people manage to change their life even in the most difficult economic situations where all values and qualities are judged? This article outlines 7 ways on how to be successful in life.

We cannot avoid the blows and disappointments of life, but we can learn how to deal with them effectively and bypass them with no problems. Long-term investigations of two known U.S. scientists, the psychiatrist Steven Wolin and his wife, Sybil Wolin, revealed seven characteristics shared by people who are more resistant to critical events. Learning from these people can help you change your life and become successful.

1. Successful people have a positive vision for success

Vision is the ability to see what is going to happen before it happens. Vision is a powerful tool for the development of emotional resistance. To improve your vision you can follow the simple exercises below:

Bring to your mind a problem you have in your personal or professional life. Try to analyse the problem by entering the position of other people involved in it. Think about whether their perspectives differ from yours and how this changes your initial perception about the problem.

Turn into a difficult period that you have managed to overcome in the past. Acknowledged to your self the power to manage the situation properly. Redefining the role of yourself and watching your actions under a positive light, can help you build self-esteem and confidence, which increases your resistance to various difficult situations.

Learn from experience. Repeat what worked before and never again make the same mistakes. Took the lessons learned and apply them in similar situations. If you want to change your life and be successful you have to learn from your mistakes and make sure that you do not do the same mistakes again and again. Successful people do not stay in the past, but they use the past to show them the correct way for the future.

2. Successful people live an independent life

Independence is the physical and emotional ability to remove us from a potentially disastrous situation, like a bad family relationship. It is also the ability to gain independence of thought, beyond the problematic context. With independence comes the understanding that we are not responsible for the behavior of others but only for our own. Do you think that you are independent in your life?

When something goes wrong in your life, from how many people you can ask for support?
Can you easily create new relationships in the society and the environment you work?

You need to find the ways to live your own life. The only person that can help you change your life, or that can help you become successful and reach your goals, is you. Search for your life independence and stick to it. Be patient and have a positive attribute towards life.

3. Successful people help other people to become successful

The offer of assistance to other people is a strong defense against the feelings of low value. Assistance to others is a positive experience that makes people feel good and helps to overcome the feelings of incompetence that we possibly have inside us. If you feel that there is no meaning in your relationships and your job, try to think about:

Your values. What are your values and how important role they play in your work and in your relationships?
Find ways to participate in activities where you can help other people. Join groups, which share the same interests or participate in charitable organizations. Working with people who have the same values with your own will give a greater meaning to the experiences you gain. If you can help other people to change their lives then you will be able to help your self to change your life. If you can help someone to find success in their life, you have more chances helping yourself to become successful.

4. Successful people have creativity

The expression of our self through a creative process is an important tool for emotional survival. People are creative for various reasons, but in this case we are interested in how creativity can be used for the development of resistance. Creativity is not necessary to be expressed in the public. It can be a very personal way to express an unpleasant experience through writing or painting. «It is a way to put limits on an experience. From the moment you give a name to the monster, is not so scary anymore”. Find time to be creative, some tips to help you:

Attend a creative workshop, be it painting, photography or cooking.
Stop listening to that annoying voice in your head that says I will not go well. And even if you do fail…what’s the big deal?

Successful people are people who know how to deal with failures. They know how to use their creativity to overcome the problems and turn negative situations into positive. They know how to change their life and see a bad situation as positive. They have failed many times in the process but they have found the ways to stand up and fight.

5. Successful people take initiatives

To have in our hands the control of our lives is essential for emotional well being. We can gain control by taking initiatives and solving the problems ourselves. This is easier when you believe that any positive result depends on your effort. Do you attach the positive events in your life? Try to think: if a problem has a positive outcome, why do you think this happens:

Because of fate?
Because of another person?
Because of your hard work and determination?

If you think that your failures are due to you and success to luck or other factors, you should change your way of thinking. You cannot become successful in your life if you do not have faith in yourself. You cannot take the next step and change your life if you do not believe in your own abilities and skills.

6. Successful people have strong relationships

The healthy, strong human ties strengthen resistance against the adversity of life. It has been shown in many studies that the levels of satisfaction from our relations deeply affect our health and our well being. The strong relationships can also satisfy our need to belong somewhere and to overcome the fear of loneliness, a feeling that can make us stronger in difficult times. How can you build strong relationships in your life?

Build strong, positive relationships with family and friends who can listen to you and offer your support.
Make sure that you care enough about your close relationships and try to create new ones.
Stay away from toxic relationships that do you bad and can make you suffer.

In the road to success you have to build good and quality relationships. There will be problems in the way and you need to have all the support you can get to overcome the problems. The best source of support will come from your friends and family.

7. Successful people have a high sense of humor

The humour is a great way to combat stress and therefore the ability to turn pain into comedy is the perfect protection for our emotional health. This does not mean that we refuse the unhappy events. Contrary, humour helps deal with the problems, helps us to analyze the situation better and learn from it. If you do not find the humorous side to your situation, turn to other sources of laughter as a book with jokes or a funny movie. Find what makes you laugh and do it.

If you can deal with your life changes with humor then you will be in a better position to celebrate with your success and withstand better your failures.

Why some people are successful in life is not a matter of luck. Successful people are not just lucky people who are favorable by fate. They are people who know how to manage their life. They are people who understand the need to change their life and seek for the better. This article gave you some food for thought on why some people are more successful in their life than others. It is up to you to change your way of thinking, to change your brain and change your life!

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Many people believe that changing your professional and personal life is just a matter of luck. Either will come to your life or not. Experts and successful can confirm that there is no luck. There are some specific steps on how to change your life, which you can follow, some concrete steps that can lead to success in your life.

What is a change in life? I have read many definitions of how people define a life change, but the predominant and most commonly used term is: “Changing your life means to work consistently with all your forces to achieve a remarkable dream.”

So you can see that changing your life is not solely to obtain money, power and glory. But it has to do with the personal dream of everyone. For some this would be to e.g. become successful parents, successful in their job because this is really what they want, and this is what they are working on paying any price, without negotiations. Striving to become better at what they do, not because of selfishness or vanity, but because of their internal need to develop all their talents and reach their own personal success and happiness.

Anyone can define happiness differently because what everyone considers a remarkable dream is completely subjective but the ingredients and recipe is common to all. How to change your life then is a matter to learn and apply those steps that will help you to make THAT change in your life that can bring you success and happiness.

The setting of goals is a key ingredient in the whole process of how to change your life. You must put goals in life and try to accomplish them without allowing anyone and anything to mislead you. Always remain attached to them. All of us have heard that when you see a star falling and make a wish it will come out true. We all understand that when you see a star falling there is no time to make a wish. The person, who can make a wish during that time, is someone who has constantly in his mind his life goals. It is therefore important to have goals, be focused on chasing them with all appropriate ways, principles and values we have as people.

Usually there are 5 reasons that may prevent you to change your life:

Low self-esteem and self-confidence
Low understanding of the real meaning of a life change
Not clear or no personal goals, no ambitious or dreams for a better life
Not being able to deal with the imaginary fears of failure
Being afraid of the change
Not willing to take the risk and enjoy the benefits of a new life

Steps on how to change your life

1. Do you have a dream?

The first component of the recipe on how to change your life is to have your own remarkable dream. Do you have specific wishes about who you are and you want to become in your life. For what you want to do and what you want to have in your life. This vision should be clear in your mind and in your heart. It helps to write it down or have photos, so as to see or to read it daily. If you do not have a dream or vision then you need to first change your mind and then try to change your life. A journey without destination is an endless journey.

2. Commitment

You need to commit towards yourself and your dream that you will make whatever it takes to achieve it. Do not negotiate about your dream, nor let anyone steal it from you. This is about your own existence and happiness. Furthermore if you betray your dreams who else will care about this?

3. Faith in yourself and self-assessment

Believing in yourself and in your dreams are important ingredients. If you do not treat yourself as a valuable person, worthy and capable, then you have a little chance to be able to change or control the conditions and opportunities that lead to life changes.

4. Responsibility

Take responsibility for all the events in your life that lead to either success or failure. The largest percentage of people believes that only others are to blame for the own failure or misery. With this way of thinking they cut alone the road to success. If you want to really change your life you have to change your brain, your thoughts and way of thinking.

5. Optimism

Those who are successful know that there are situations beyond their capabilities. They are not disappointed though. They feel good in themselves, are optimistic, confident about the future and work productively in the present. They see a change in their life as another opportunity for success and they are confident that they can make the necessary steps to change their life for the better.

6. Visualization

All successful people use a continuous and productive way of imagination, trying new ideas in light of their own potential. After all what is created in our world was the result of a creative imagination of man, whose persistence and effort transformed the imagination to reality.

7. Alertness

Those who are constantly vigilant they achieve to know what’s happening and who is doing what and they have their eyes open to new opportunities.

8. Creativity and emotional intelligence

Successful people become accustomed to recognize the opportunities they see, even the problems, and they can see the various adverse situations from many different sides. They have maturity and emotional stability to remain calm in difficult situations. Despite all the adversity they do not lose their targets from their eyes. They know what they need to change in their lives and they find ways to change it.

9. Patience and perseverance

Patience and perseverance are the qualifications of successful people. They are qualifications of people who know how to change their lives and for people who understand that this process takes times and needs a lot of effort. Most people today cannot reach success because they do not have the skills, mainly due to the lack of emotional maturity.

The winners never give up and those who give up never win.

So you need to exercise your patience and perseverance because without these two ingredients you can forget success.

10. Find a mentor

The mentor is a successful person / book / web site, who will help you to change your life and find happiness and success. Your mentor will be your guide and will help you to achieve what you want. Without a mentor, the road to success is very difficult. If we could get alone to where we wanted then the world would be filled with successful people. Consider this as the first step for changing your life. Decide who or what will be your mentor and follow the steps that will lead you towards success.

11. Always think about success

To change your life is a prerequisite for success. It is the inevitable step in our lives to go from mediocrity to greatness. Look at your life and if you do not live the life you want, if you do not have the relationship you want, if you do not have all the money you want, if you do not have the happiness you want, then your left with one step to change! Brain, thinking, attitude, behavior and life!

12. Help others to become successful

In a highly competitive world, this sounds paranoid. But helping other to become successful is one of the dynamic keys to success. Success should be shared, to have, and to increase continuously. If you can help someone else to change their life, then this will give your more courage and strength to change your own life.

13. Identify and win your fears

One of the most common problems people face when they try to change their lives is in their brains and in their imaginary world of fantasy and fears. In this world everything is to blame and everything and everyone works against them. These people experience feelings of loneliness, fear of abandonment, they are afraid of the criticism of others and generally they have low self-confidence and self esteem.

Another, serious problem these people face, is the inability to live and enjoy every moment. Their every thought is associated to the fears of the past and for the possible failures of the future.

14. Examine your relationship with others

You cannot change your life without the support of other people around you (family and friends). Talk to your friends and family, explain to them your concerns and hear what they have to say. How to change your life is solely your decision but in the long run you will need the support of your family and friends and you need to secure this from the start.

15. Understand the difference between ‘I have to’ and ‘I want to’.

Many people do not understand that the way to change their life is by understanding the difference between the “I have to do something” and between “I want to do something”. You should analyze your “I have to” list and decide if some items on this list can be removed completely or at least change. Items on this list are usually what other people want from you and not what you really want. Concentrate your efforts on the “I want to” list. Do as many things from this list and enjoy every moment.

16. Be thankful

Only people who have a positive attitude can make changes and succeed in life. You need to feel gratitude first to God for all the pleasant and unpleasant (they are our best teachers). To accept everything that comes in your life.

17. Integrity and honesty

Integrity is to tell myself the truth and honesty to tell the truth to others. Integrity is one of the most important principles of success. The more often we say the truth to ourselves and not fooling, and let others tell us the truth, the more successful we are. How can you change your life if you are not honest with yourself? Success is based on truth. If we go back to lies and fraud we will fail.

Besides the 17 steps outlined above on how to change your life, there are other small but yet very important advices that can help you change your way of thinking and eventually help you to change your life. The life hacks outlined below are essential for anyone wishing to do a real change in their lives not only by concentrating on how to find success or on how to become successful in life, but also on how to turn every day life activities into an opportunity for a life change. Most of the items in the list below are very easy to follow, all you have to do is read them and remember them the next morning.

Always look for the positive aspects of things
Enjoy the little things, look grateful and smile
Always expect something positive and fun
Put things in perspective
Set realistic goals
Understand what is really important for you
Show flexibility and adaptability
Resolve your problems and be ready to compromise
Let rigid definitions, “should” and perfection
Be prepared for the possibility of error, and always have a backup plan
Adapt to the current situation
Leave aside the anger and hostility
Use humor. The laughter is indeed the best medicine
Be kind to yourself, remain the best friend of yourself.
Try to live healthy
Watch your diet, exercise
Stop the bad unhealthy habits
Learn something new, start a hobby, do things you like
Get out – enjoy the fresh air and sunshine
Socialize
Make-out with people who make you feel good
Spend more time with your family and your fellow colleagues
Be a good listener
Talk about your feelings

How to change your life is a process that takes time and effort. It is not something obscure but it something that all people can achieve if they have the will to change their lives.

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To achieve a change in your life you first have to change your brain, to change your thoughts and way of thinking. Few are those who have not thought at some point in their lives: «What should I do to change my life». For some this means relief from the «bad» habits such as smoking, alcohol or sweets; for others it is a job that has become intolerable, a weak relationship, something vague that does not meet their needs and sometimes their entire life seems to need a change. Anyone who has tried to change a habit knows that it is not easy. Any change in the way we live is an adventure that requires a lot of strength, patience and persistence. They key for changing your life is in your brain. Those who can manage to change their brain they will manage to change their life.

Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness

Every life change is a sacrifice

Each change in your life, even if you want to do it, is a sacrifice, a separation, something that you leave behind. Even if you want to change something that tortures you, that devastates you or something that does not make you feel good, it is a piece of yourself, it is familiar, known, accessible, enjoyable and perhaps something that you love. However, what usually happens is that you believe-or want-to-believe that changing your life is not difficult. That is paradoxical.

Even if our personal experience teach us differently, even if we have tried many times and we have not achieved the change in our life, we always stretch our ears and listen with great interest any advertising that promises to relieve us easily, quickly and painlessly from our bad habits, any story that tells dramatic changes: About someone who lost 20 pounds in one month, about a person who managed to stop smoking from one day to the next, about someone who resigned from his work and set up in little time his successful business, for someone who got divorced after difficult years of marriage and recently found the great love of his life. Encouraged from such striking examples, we put ourselves ambitious targets for the next week – month – season -year. But we often forget them after a few weeks and we end up with a bitter taste of failure that stays deep within us.

Is therefore any effort to change your life doomed to fail? Things are not quite so, although those who have given special focus on changing lifestyle and habits keep a very careful and cautious attitude. There are events in our lives, such as an illness, an accident, which are very strong and they force us to make large and real changes to our lives. But this is the exception. As confirmed by the statistics, 25% of all major “change your life” projects are abandoned on average after 15 weeks. Very few are those who can manage with little effort, from one day to another, to abandon the «bad» habits, addictions and unpleasant situations. For the majority in order to succeed in such a process they must first change their thoughts, their way of thinking. Changing your brain is the major step in the overall change life process. You may not be able to achieve this the first time. Most people pass the same test again and again. Around five to six times is the usual number of failures until «the final round».

To change your brain and your life you need a lot of effort and hard work. This is something we are not aware of when we are considering a change in our lives. This is natural. Who wants to be stressed? Who is willing to suffer deprivation, negative emotions, anxiety, distress, seeking something that is supposed to be better? Even if we can imagine, hear, or hope that the change will be to our benefit, it does not cease to be something vague and uncertain.

The high expectations

The main reason why efforts to change your brain – change your life fail, according to experts is due to the “the false hope syndrome”. Usually people set high standards and have high expectations and the end result makes them think that they failed. For example «I lost only 17 pounds, and I intended to lose 25, I failed». In other cases we want to change many things simultaneously: «I took the decision to start a diet and quit smoking during the next vacation». There are also cases that we believe that a change will change our whole life, will do it better (“I will lose weight, and I will certainly find the love of my life”).

These high expectations do not allow us to be happy and enjoy the small successes and pleasures of life. It’s all in our brain. Instead of being disappointed and filling your brain with negative thoughts you should try and change your brain to use these little things to reward yourself, to take courage and continue. When we see that our dreams are not full field, then we are disappointed and abandon our efforts returning back to our old habits. And even though, the success stories about “life changes” are rare in real life, many people manage to do it. Is there a secret prescription that some people know and they succeed but others don’t?

Change your brain – Change your life – a process that takes time…

To be able to change your life you need to first realize that success and long-term change is a process that requires a lot of time and it is done in phases. This is the outcome of research by doctors and psychologists who researched the issue, particularly with people who wanted to change habits such as smoking, high alcohol consumption, poor diet and sedentary lifestyle. Anyone who really wants to change something has to be armed with patience and perseverance and not looking for easy solutions. They key is changing your brain, your way of approaching life. There are no miracle pills or programs, but some internal processes that you must follow in order to reach the desired result.

Refusal. People in this phase believe that they are fine; while everyone around them sees that there is a problem. This may be due to genuine ignorance, if for example they do not realise how damaging is their attitude, or reaction, when others become pressing.

Awareness. People who are at this stage know they have problems and that they should do something to change their lives. They are still far from being really active. They weight the pros and cons of a change, and usually, at this stage they still find that the disadvantages from a life change are more than the advantages: «If I quit smoking, I will get fat», «if I divorce now, I won’t be able to cope financially». It is a difficult period because, while they feel the desire and the need for change, they feel unable to do so.

Preparation. This stage differs from the previous one is two main areas: The person is giving more attention on the solution of the problem and less attention to the problem as such, it is considering the future more than the past. It starts to think about the steps to follow for a real life change. For example, following a diet, which can be used with out disturbing the rest of the family meal, analyzing the advices for quitting smoking and creating an action plan to quit.

At this stage it is important to give your self as many incentives as possible. Be very specific; imagine the benefits you will receive. The stage hides a danger: the euphoria of preparation can lead to the real change been forgotten. Be careful, make sure that your brain remains active and always try to think how you can achieve the change in your life practically not only theoretically.

Action Plan and perseverance

To make the next step from the pleasant stage of preparation to actually making a change, it is necessary to have a precise «action plan». The more well-thought and researched plan the greater is the chances of success. It is therefore very important to have a good preparation before entering the actual stage where you will implement the change in your life.

The next stage is that of resistance and perseverance. The main difficulty is the pressure from other people, the stability of our appreciation and of course the anxiety and stress that emotionally are forcing us to go back to the old, familiar life. These are all unavoidable, so one should not feel frustrated and give up if there are a few drawbacks in the change process. Changing your brain is not an easy process, most people do not succeed at first, but they succeed after 4-5 failed attempts.

The last stage is that of stabilization, which for many people is a way of life. The change in our habits, our self is a process that may never end permanently. Alcoholics for example must avoid alcohol for a lifetime, if they do not want to start drinking again. What is certain, at whatever stage you manage to get, is that change is a difficult adventure, during which you leave something known for something unknown; you meteor between two situations, and this should make you tender and lenient with yourself.

Besides the internal phases that you will inevitably follow in order to change your brain and your life, there are also some practical and easy ways that can help you teach your brain to welcome a life change and think positively about success.

Be optimistic that you will be able to change your life

You need to make the extra effort and change your brain -your perception- about yourself and imagine yourself as a successful person. How to be successful in life is about keeping this strong image in your brain, and do not allow it to fade. Over time, this perception will evolve in your brain and will be stimulated. Do not try to challenge the reality of this intellectual image because it will be dangerous. Your brain will also try to fill in the gaps. Always have in your brain the image of success regardless of any drawbacks or unfortunate events.

Each time that a negative thought concerning your powers and abilities invades your brain, try to change your thoughts and bring to your mind something positive.

Fight and overcome your fears

When building the image of success in your brain do not take into account any possible obstacles, instead try to minimize them. Any difficulties must be analyzed be treated efficiently and eliminated. Try not giving them more power and meaning than they really have. Often fear exaggerates the difficulties and «hides» their true dimension.

Visualize your success

Think of your brain as an image playback unit. These images are generated from your thoughts. They either give us hope, power and creativity or they make us frighten and reluctant to make the next big step and change our lives.

When you are thinking negatively, your brain will create negative thoughts and you will end up with negative reactions. The opposite is the effect of positive thinking and positive thoughts. Positive thinking stimulates our brain to produce positive thoughts and images. To start thinking positive you have to create these positive images in your brain and take advantage of the inspiration and creativity they will create.

Nobody is perfect

This is one of the most important advices. Do not be impressed by other people and certainly do not try to copy them. The only one that can be effective in your life is yourself. Have in mind that that irrespective of how dynamic and successful some people look, they for sure have the same lack of self-confidence and fear as you do.

Analyze your thoughts

Analyse your thoughts. Find out what is causing you the feelings of inferiority and fear. It is possible that these feelings of inferiority have their roots from childhood. In such case it is better to get professional advice from a specialist in order to understand why you feel and behave in a particular way. To change your brain you first need to change your thoughts.

Believe in your skills

Try to understand your skills and things that you are good at and then increase that by 10%. This does not imply that you will become selfish. Instead, you must believe in your own forces and ways in order to be able to change your life. Only when you believe in your self you will be able to change your brain and your life.

Adopt a positive way of thinking

The first step is to change your brain and start thinking positive. The second step is to translate these positive thoughts into creative thinking. Positive thinking alone will not help you, creative thinking will. Creative thinking is about planning and setting goals for the present and future. You can start from simple hacks, everyday things that are part of your daily schedule. Doing this will help you get organised not only physically but also mentally and will let you eventually meet your goals.

Allocate some time for your own personal development

Get active and start transforming your thoughts into actions. Allocate some time from your busy daily schedule for your own self-improvement. Try and find ways to simplify and facilitate your daily obligations, which would result in savings of your valuable time that is needed for your personal development. Give priority in solving the problems of everyday life and then use your creativity and energy to change your life. Focus first on your personal relationships both in your work, family and friends.

Start dreaming about your new life

The power of the brain is enormous. With dreaming alone it can magically take you to places that can make you happy. Use this power of your brain to relax and get inspired for your new life.  Do not stop dreaming!

Start dreaming about what you would like to achieve in your life, your relationships and your career. Think about it intensely with as many details as you can. This process will make you feel better and will give you the incentives to reach your goals. Try and do this every day thinking and dreaming, again and again and again!

So, it should be clear by now that if you can change your brain you can change your life. Get rid of the fears, the negative thoughts. Turn your possible failures into success and boost your self-confidence. Make your negative thoughts positive and your will also be more acceptable in your environment. Take control of your brain today and eventually you will be able to change your life, and live the life that you dreamed about for so long. Fight all the evil thoughts from their root and stop them from reaching the surface.

Changing your life is in your hands…or rather is in your brain!

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In life all people seek and pursue success in what they want. To succeed, however, is necessary to be ready to change your life. In order to do that you need to clarify what you want, and set clearly defined goals and objectives. People who succeed are those who spend some time to think and record what they really want to achieve in their life. By doing so they are able to continually refer to their goals and have always in their mind, the objectives and priorities set.

The result is that they manage to focus on their goals. They do not unfairly waste their energy in other situations that does not allow them to achieve their targets.

The setting of goals and priorities is therefore a very important process that must take place at the beginning. It serves as a road map that will allow you not to get lost in the maze of situations arising in daily life.

How then can you set your goals, how can you record and make your own road map to reach the success you want and manage to change your life?

What hacks and techniques can you use so as not to be misled and be able to deal with all sorts of obstacles that will come across?

1. Make sure that the goals you set are something you really want and it is not just something that sounds cool or it’s nice to achieve

When your goals represent something that you want strongly, then your subconscious will help you find the right people, places and conditions that are essential for achieving your goals.

Set goals on key areas of your life: For your family and home, for your professional career, your financial condition, your physical and mental health and other areas that are priorities for you as the spiritual, religious life, culture or education.

2. It is necessary to record your goals and refer to them regularly

Create your own road map, according to what you want.

By writing down your goals it helps you clarify your thoughts better and form a clearer picture in your mind. At the same time you can re-visit your target list, if possible every day, to see your goals and remember what you want to really succeed in your life.

3. Record what you will gain by achieving each of your goals

This will enhance your morale during the difficult times that you will inevitably encounter. Think and write as many reasons as possible about the benefits you will gain by achieving all your goals.

Later, when you read the plan, your road map, you will have stronger incentives that will push you towards your goals.

4. Visualize your success

It is very important to try visualizing in your mind that you have achieved your goals. For example, if you aim to get a house, close your eyes and visualize your new home. Form a mental image and bring it in your mind regularly.

This technique helps because it operates in your subconscious and thus will help you in your daily actions to achieve your goals.

5. Always aim high

The higher you set the bar the more you will achieve. Even if you do not achieve your goals entirety because you have set high goals, you will reach inevitably high.

It is necessary that your goals are not conflicting or unrealistic. For example you cannot set a goal to buy a house that is 15 or 20 times your annual income.

6. Take action today do not postpone it

When you set your goals and specify your action plan, do not delay, but start working on it. Time is valuable and your well thought and planned moves should not be postponed but bring you closer to your goals.

7. Anticipate that you will encounter difficulties

In the attempt to change your life is normal to find in your way many difficulties, challenges and adversity. Because you are bound to encounter difficulties, try in advance to see what difficulties you will find and consider ways to address them.

This practice will prepare you to effectively handle the constraints, with less stress and risk of errors. The parallel analysis of the possible difficulties and thinking of ways to address them will help you avoid many of these.

8. Make relations with successful, motivated people

Create friends and allies, and improve your relations with people around you.

The human relationships are the most valuable asset you have.

9. Be careful to whom you talk about your goals

Do not discuss your goals with anyone. People in your family, friends or others you know may have a negative approach and may disappoint you. There are people who do not set goals to reach higher and are not able to understand you or give you ideas that will help you. Discuss your goals with people who have a key role in achieving your goals.

10. Every time you take a decision, ask your self if this decision gets you closer or further away from your goals

To be able to take the right decisions, that will lead you towards your own road map and closer in achieving your goals, you need to often refer to your goals and use the technique of visualization.

This will make it easier for you when you need to take a decision and you will have to respond to your internal question whether this decision will take you closer or further away from your goals.

11. The change of goals is not necessarily a bad thing

During the course of action you may realize that due to certain situations, you have to modify or change one of your goals.

This is not necessarily bad. Instead you can consider this as a form of success because you understood early that it is in your interest to change something in your strategy.

In conclusion we emphasize that if you spend a little time to set your goals and consider the strategy to follow, then you will be able to take the big step to change your life and reach higher levels of success.

But remember that changing your life and how to be successful in life is difficult, requires discipline, concentration and clear goals about what you want to achieve.

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For your personal and professional development and to achieve what you want in life and your career, it is certainly necessary to work hard. However, you can follow certain methods and tactics that can help you change your life and improve your career. These life hacks can drive you faster towards achieving your objectives. One of the most valuable but yet unused sources of information is other people in your personal and work environment. If you can manage to learn from other people and take advantage of what they have to offer, this will certainly help you achieve more both in your life and career.

Knowing and understanding your self better, the continuous expansion of knowledge, learning from your experiences, the application of what you have learned from the different experiences, will allow you to become day by day better than the previous day.

However, to achieve continuous personal improvement both in your life and career, you need to be concerned and give more importance to the people you meet, talk and work with every day. Every person, with whom you come in contact with, has something to offer you, if you allocate the necessary time and if you decide to listen and to observe carefully.

7 ways you can learn from other people and change your career and life are:

1. Diversity of thinking

It is true that as people we like to meet and be together with people who think the same way as we think. But is this always the best way for the further development of our horizons?

Probably not, because being with people who share our own perspectives in terms of perception and interpretation of the world, just strengthens what we believe and how we act.

But watching and listening carefully to other people we meet in our professional and personal environment, we can learn about new ways of thinking, interpretation and action. Careful analysis and comparison may give us valuable new understanding that can help us improve beyond the frontiers of our current capabilities.

2. The value of careful observation

Expand your ability to observe people. The careful observation of behaviour and modes of action may offer valuable information.

Look at your colleagues at work, observe how they handle their relations with others, and try to understand what methods they use to get results. You can then learn from them while you apply the successful methods, which they are using.

At the same time observe those who fail or are not effective. This will allow you to understand better what mistakes you should not make or avoid saving valuable time and energy.

3. Try to make new contacts

You should try and meet new people either through your daily work or a project that you participate. Your goal should be to know as many people as possible, to be known by as many people as possible and to develop networks of relationships. And do not forget the most important is not whom you know but who knows you.

4. Ask for the support and opinion of others

The perception other people in your family, personal or professional environment have for you is very important. These people are a key source for your self-assessment. Without self-assessment you cannot improve your career or change your life.

So look for their thoughts in a way that is constructive and objective and do not get defensive. Your goal here is to adjust your behaviour, how you work, in order to improve your efficiency and to develop new modes of action.

If you apply this technique of finding out what others thing about you, you can also have a longitudinal assessment of your improvement in several areas.

5. Understand and appreciate the importance of networks

It is a fact that successful people develop strong networks of relationships. Remember that the good and strong networks of human relations are a difficult, time consuming, tedious and lengthy task. It requires hard work, resources, commitment and attention to human factors and sensitivities.

The successful relationship networks operate in both directions and provide invaluable services in many situations of personal and professional life.

6. Build relationships with colleagues and superiors

All of us in our work learn from our colleagues and our managers. It is a normal situation and thus it is necessary to strive to cultivate interpersonal relationships that will allow us to extract the maximum from the knowledge, experience and wisdom of the people with whom we work and co-operate daily.

It is of enormous importance for your personal growth and successful career, to learn as much as possible from the people you encounter in your lives. You must learn to learn from people. It is not an easy task to do. It is an art that can be mastered by patience, strategy and practice.

The search for new ways of thinking, understanding new concepts, the careful observation of behaviour, the self-assessment across the perception of others, the development of networks are offering you wealth from the people you encounter every day. It is up to you to recognize, use and appreciate it.

7. Use other people as a source of inspiration

The enthusiasm of people who have achieved their objectives, are very important for you to maintain your own enthusiasm at high levels. A big step for changing your live and improving your career is to manage and treat successful people not competitive but see them as examples and as sources of knowledge that will help your achieve your own goals and objectives. The biggest mistake is to think that nobody has to offer you anything and that you know everything. Those who have already achieved something they are done something better, so you should learn from them and try to improve your defects.

It is also a known fact that people who surround you in your personal or work environment can unconsciously or consciously drive you to failure. This can happen if you are dealing with people that think negatively. These people are not trying to achieve anything and they blame everything and everyone for their own failures. Such people can simply discourage you and psychologically can remove all your positive power.

On the contrary, if you are working with optimistic and people who think positive, people who always look on the positive side of life and encourage you, then your goals can be achieved more easily and they can help you on how to be successful in life. These kinds of people, the positive thinkers, can help you change your life for the better and achieve both your personal and career goals.

As a final advice, try not to share your plans, goals and your dreams with the wrong people because you can end up very disappointed because of their cynicism and attitude. Share your objectives and goals with people who understand, care and support you. These people are either your close friends and family or other people who have similar goals with you. With these people you can exchange experiences and knowledge and support each other even in moments of weakness or difficulty.

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Many times people are looking for recipes for success and happiness outside of themselves and complain about their fate and the conditions they live in. This behavior makes them dissatisfied and unhappy. How to be successful in life is a process with a lot of obstacles and problems, but in most cases the way you treat your life is that which determines the degree of success, happiness and satisfaction.

When sometimes things are getting difficult most people give up and abandon the effort. We know that success takes time, energy, needs focus and patience. While one person hesitates because he feels disadvantaged, someone else is busy with making mistakes and thus taking the responsibility for life success. Too many people do not demand anything from their life, they require little, and take the minimum and are happy with the minimum. If you want to be successful in your life you need to do a plan and visualize your success. Below you can find 15 ways to help you achieve your goals and be successful in life.

1. Be active and not passive

People have the desire to be active in their lives and control their environment (family, other people, work, etc.) and not being controlled by it. Self confidence and the strength to take the right decision for your self (and not do what will please others) are important parameters that can help you overcome stress, beat passiveness and be successful in your life. Take your decisions and stop feeling sorry for your self. If you need to mourn for a loss or a bad situation do it, but do not to be consumed by it. Accepting the real facts and doing a realistic assessment is the starting point to set targets and to change your life.

2. Set your goals

The ability of personal leadership begins by setting specific goals for your self. Usually people have broad and vague desires, but they do not develop a specific plan or strategy to achieve what they want. It is very important to start by setting specific targets and learning to focus on your goals, avoiding and bypassing any destruction. This enables better concentration, productivity that will eventually lead to success. This personal success will help you overcome your fears of failure and enable you to take the big step to change your life and meet your goals.

3. Set priorities

There is a need to become a manager for yourself, which means that you must learn to organize and implement your activities so as to align with your objectives. It is important to set priorities, because normally you cannot manage everything at once. Evaluate your goals and decide what is truly important to spend time and effort to achieve them.

4. Positive thinking

Think and visualize your personal victory. This is the best way to face every situation i.e. as a personal victory, not defeat. Instead of thinking that everything in life is like a cake and whoever takes a piece this will make the remaining pieces smaller for others, think that in life there is plenty for everyone. Rather then start thinking that you will not succeed or that there are insurmountable obstacles, adopt a realistic attitude and believe that you can accomplish your goals, even if you have to experience some difficulties.

5. Come closer to other people – cooperate

First understand others and then try to understand what is the best recipe for your personal and professional relationships. What others think and what they want, what they fear and how you can reach them better? These questions should guide your behavior in order to free from the fear that «others cannot understand me» and to develop functional, successful relationships.

One can achieve more through cooperation. You need to take care when you select the people to co-operate with, but also you need to set the strategy you will follow to handle the cooperation and relationship with other people. However, this is better than to hide it in your shell and believe that you will make it all alone, without any cooperation or help from others.

6. Renew your self

Your self has many dimensions: emotional, social, intellectual, physical and mental. It is necessary to try and improve your self in all those dimensions and to cultivate the potential in each of these areas. You need to find your personal pleasures and not to always follow what others do or want. This means that everybody should put their fears aside and be renewed, giving personal meaning in life.

7. Be Persistent

If you refuse to abandon the effort every time and at any cost, if you continue to be persistent but not intolerant, if you keep your eyes up and not around then your can be successful in your life and your name can be added to the endless list of successful people. Those people who refused to quit in the first hitch. There are many cases of people who did not give up despite the difficulties and failures.

Did you know that:

Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in a very harsh prison. Once released, he was elected president of South Africa and received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Michael Jordan was excluded from the basketball team of his school.

Conrad Hilton had bought some hotels, but lost all of them during economic recession. His accountants advised him to declare bankruptcy. He refused and with perseverance and determination has become one of the largest hotel chain owners, bearing his name and worth several million dollars.

There are many people who refused to abandon the effort even when they were faced with unbeatable difficulties. The list is endless, George Washington, Albert Einstein, Oprah Winfrey, Aristotle Onasis, … If you want your name to be entered in this list of people then your persistence should set aside your weaknesses and help you achieve your goals. Unfortunately, few are those who continue despite the difficulties, most people when they encounter a minor setback they give up and fail.

8. Understand that failure is a temporary situation

There are no exceptions to this rule. Some people know this due to the experience they have with persistence. You should not accept any defeat as something other than a temporary situation. Your desires and objectives have to be persistent so as to convert the temporary defeat eventually into victory. You should become one of those people who stand on the edge of life and watch other people give in to defeat and not ever rise again. Those who understand that failure is a temporary situation.

The society recognizes the genius and talented but it compensates economically and socially those who refuse to stop the effort. It recognizes and compensates perseverance.

9. Keep trying until you finally win

Perseverance is nothing but a mental situation, and like all other mental states can thus be cultivated. Life can give everyone a plate of dinner and a glass of wine. It requires persistence, however, for those who seek much higher goals and want to be successful. So set your price and move on with your life. The basis of persistent is the basis of desire and occurs as a result of defined goals. To achieve that you should:

Determine your purpose. After setting the goal of your life you must define the purpose of that goal, this knowledge will help you overcome all the obstacles you will face in the way, and is a very powerful incentive.

Do not ever doubt for yourself. There is no room for self-uncertainty in your intention to become successful. Keep your courage high; do not to return to your old limiting beliefs with the first difficulty.

Persistence. It is easy to obtain and maintain perseverance for your goals if you can create feelings of passion and desire for that goal. Do not give up, be open to amazing opportunities and always look for a miracle. Even better you should become this miracle.

Be honest with yourself and clearly define on what needs to change. The change may be necessary and safe to bring success, so be flexible, open and honest.

When something is not working, get rid of it and renew your decision to move on. Do not focus on what goes wrong, concentrate on how to do it well.

Do not interpret your mistakes as failures. The failure is a source of invaluable education. When you see what is not working properly you can see what works well and should move in this direction and closer to your dreams.

Live with gratitude. Acknowledge and celebrate for all that you have this moment in your life. The sense of the unfulfilled extents and multiplies, so look carefully around you and be happy and grateful.

Habit. Perseverance is the direct result of habit, repetition and courage. Take risks, do something new, different and challenging. Get rid of your fears and risks. Really believe that the best way to live your life is out of the ordinary.

The willingness to insist will keep you on track in difficult times. What you usually say to yourself  “Thing of big dreams, but be realistic” is not correct. Always have big dreams and big ambitions, and invest time, effort and flexibility to realize these dreams. Be persistent, but still relaxed, focused sighted but flexible – both in terms of your goals and your plans.

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If you want to make a real change in your life you should first start by learning how to efficiently manage your time. Anyone who knows how to manage time also knows how to manage life. Good time management means proper prioritization, and therefore proper management of your live. The quality of your life depends on the intelligent management of your time and not by the amount of energy you consume on what you do.

Do you always feel you run out of time and you can not do what is scheduled?
Do you always feel that you do not have enough time to spend on yourself?
Do you feel that you live and work in a stressful environment without positive results?

If the answer to any of the above is YES, then it is time to change your life and start spending your time wisely and efficiently. You should promise your self that you will become more organized and focus on your goals and that you will use time for your own benefit.

1. Master your to-do lists

A good and efficient to-do list should include your current tasks and activities as well as tasks that must be completed in the near future. For each item in the list you should specify when and how much time you need to complete it. Repetitive tasks can be planned for specific days and times where you have the appropriate time and availability to finish them.

You must not underestimate the importance of planning your tasks. A good and accurate plan can give you in a large degree control of your time. You must recognize what is important for you and placed those items first on your list.

2. Create a SMART plan

Plan the most difficult tasks at the beginning of each week so that you will be more relaxed towards the end of the week and before the weekend. Difficult tasks are better to be scheduled early in the week (Monday or Tuesday), while most mechanical and tidious tasks around the middle of the week, leaving the end of the week (Thursday and Friday) free and more relaxed as these two days accumulate the fatigue and stress from the work and pressures of the whole week. See also time management course.

3. Learn to set your priorities

You must learn how to efficiently set your priorities. The most important tasks must rank higher in your list. Try to apply the Pareto principle where 80% of your achievements must employ 20% of your efforts. In other words, try to work smart and not hard. Do not abandon your important tasks to achieve the insignificant. Learn how to increase productivity and achieve more with less.

4. The key to successful time management is delegation

The key to successfull time management is delegation. Do not try to complete all the tasks yourself. Recognize which tasks can be completed by others and delegated the work to them. This is the only way that you will find the necessary time to deal with the tasks that are really important for you. At the same time what you choose to do, do it right the first time and save the time needed to re-do a task. Experience shows that the time you might need to re-do a wrongly completed task is more than the time you need to spend to get it right from the beginning. Delegation is an art which can provide many benefits to people who have to undertake a lot of activities.

5. Do not be afraid to say ‘NO’

You must learn to sometimes say NO and reject tasks that you cannot do. If are running out of time and you are feeling stressed then it is better to reject an invitation to go for lunch or to a family dinner. You should realize that you are not in any away obliged to squeeze everything in a moment. You should learn to select the tasks that you really want to do or that needs to be completed.

6. Split a long task into smaller manageable activities

Another technique that will help you manage both your stress and time is to break down the long tasks that you usually do not want to do or are too difficult into a number of smaller and more manageable activities. You can, for example, dedicate 10 minutes every day to work on an unpleasant or long task. Using this approach, gradually you will have some progress, you will feel better and at the end you will be able to complete the activity quickly rather than continuously postponing it.

7. Perfectionism takes time

You should try and avoid perfection. The pointless game of being perfect in trivial things is a waste of time and will not leave you with enough time to deal with other more useful and perhaps pleasant tasks.

8. Recognize the time that you are more productive

It is normal that your performance is not the same all the time. There are times that your are more productive and times that for various reasons your productive falls. This phases may occur during the same day. Assuming that you work 8 hours a day, this gives you approximately 1,800 man hours per year. Discover the time periods you are more productive and try to deal with the most difficult and hard tasks.

9. Try not to postpone things for later

You need to learn to tackle each task and issue when it needs to be handled. Try not to postpone activities for another time because under the pressure of time you are more likely to make mistakes and take the wrong decisions.

10. Avoid things that can distract your attention

During work hours try to find some time where no one can destruct you from your activities. If you have an open-door policy, you may need to close it occasionally. If someone comes to your office when you have a task to complete, gently reject his/her request and schedule some other time for a meeting with them.

11. Do not forget your self

When you create your plans do not forget to include activities related to your own pleasure and rest. During this time make sure that you stop everything, you relax and recharge your batteries. If needed try to sleep half an hour later and during that time do something that you like and makes you calm. Half an hour makes no difference in your sleep but can give you satisfaction and prepare you better for the next day. Reward your self when you manage to finish a long and time consuming task.

12. Analyze where you spend your time

To be able to optimize your time better you need to first understand where do your spend your time. To do that you can keep a log to record your activities. You should do that for 2-3 weeks. In the log you should record everything you do per hour when you’re awake, how much time you allocate for each task, activity, meeting and how much time you allocate for rest and sleep. Once you have this information in the log you can start analyzing where do you spend your time and make the necessary changes so as to optimize your time. You should focus on the activities that are most important for you and on the activities that are important to complete. Avoid un-necessary activities or tasks that do not offer your any real value. For example if you log-in and check your email 10 times a day, you should try and minimize that to a couple of times per day.

13. Always plan time for unpredictable activities

include in your plans extra time for unpredictable tasks and activities . Revise your plans regularly and adjust the time allocated for the unpredictable activities. Thing of possible risk factors that can take you time (e.g. problems with your PC) and have alternative solutions available.

Time management is a skill that needs time to  master and begin to work! Ultimately, time management will give you the extra time you need to be able to enjoy what is most important for you and manage to change your life for the better.

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